Denise Daley (Children's Literature)
Black magic and evil seem to follow adolescent brother and sister Tim and Pip. With their parents, the duo has settled into the old manor house known as Rawne Barton. It is once they start attending their new school that Pip begins to notice frightening and unexplainable occurrences. Fortunately, their friend Sebastian is able to clarify some of the unusual events. Sebastian is the son of an alchemist that lived centuries ago. Sebastian himself has been in hibernation for over six-hundred years. With Sebastian’s understanding of witchcraft and spells, the trio discovers a wicked plan that involves stealing people’s souls. What is more, the culprit of this heinous plot is their own chemistry teacher. Danger ensues as the three youngsters attempt to prevent world disaster and fight the unknown by using courage, cleverness, and a little magic of their own. Despite the references to black magic, this book is actually a harmless mystery. It is well written and exciting and will certainly appeal to young adults. It is the sequel to the author’s Doctor Illuminatus. 2005 (orig. 2003), Little Brown and Company/Time Warner Book Group, $14.99. Ages 12 up.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, May 15, 2005 (Vol. 73, No. 10))
This sequel to Doctor Illuminatus (2004) is likewise shaky on internal logic, but rich in thoroughly researched alchemical lore and icky set pieces. Twins Pip and Tim report to their new school, and soon run into not only a "wodwo," an aggressive, apish creature thousands of years old, but also a chemistry teacher who is actually a centuries-old alchemist. He's coincidentally in the final stages of a vaguely articulated plot to turn a local nuclear plant into a facility that will pump Evil to electrical outlets all over England. Foiling these two requires help from Sebastian-a magic-working ally from the Middle Ages who manages to disguise himself as a modern student despite being given to utterances like, "It is in the hours of darkness that evil thrives." Moreover, there are squishy encounters with attacking armies of earthworms and large cockroaches and a gruesome climactic dustup at the nuclear plant. In the end, another Chernobyl is narrowly averted and the villains suffer fates ambiguous enough to leave room for appearances in further sequels. The parts may not add up, but some of them are memorable enough to keep reader interest in the series going. 2005, Little, Brown, 256p, $14.99. Category: Fantasy. Ages 11 to 13. © 2005 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Claire Rosser (KLIATT Review, July 2005 (Vol. 39, No. 4))
The twins Pip and Tim live with their parents in an old house in England, where they met the 600-year-old boy Sebastian in the first book. Together they battle evil forces from the past, dabble in magic, and try to survive. In this story, they start the school year and return home to tell Sebastian about a strange teacher and weird fellow student. Sebastian decides to pass himself off as a new student (this involves a haircut, new clothes, a crash course in modern English, and ingenious deception) and see for himself. The plot becomes complex as the suspicious creatures reveal their evil intentions. A class trip to a nearby nuclear power plant nearly turns into a tragedy, but the three young people are heroic. This will appeal to middle school students who like challenging stories, adventures involving sorcery, and fiercely competent young heroes willing to risk their lives to save the world--the Harry Potter crowd. (Sequel to Doctor Illuminatus) Category: Hardcover Fiction. KLIATT Codes: J--Recommended for junior high school students. 2003, Little, Brown, 242p., $14.99. Ages 12 to 15.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Fall 2005)
Sebastian, an alchemist's son revived after several centuries of hibernation, joins forces with modern British twins Pip and Tim to fight an infernal foe who has taken the form of their chemistry teacher. It's the playful banter of the three main characters--not the preposterous plot--that gives this sequel to Doctor Illuminatus its energy. (Alchemist's Son series). Category: Intermediate Fiction. 2005, Little, 242pp, 14.99. Ages 9 to 12. Rating: 4: Recommended, with minor flaws.

Mary Ann Darby (VOYA, April 2005 (Vol. 28, No. 1))
This sequel to Doctor Illuminatus (Little, Brown, 2004/VOYA December 2004) continues the adventures of English brother-and-sister duo Tim and Pip with their alchemist friend, Sebastian, who had earlier awakened in the walls of their house after 600 years of sleep to defeat revived ancient evils. Sebastain's arch nemesis de Loudéac is back, but first the intrepid trio must deal with Yoland, a master of evil posing as a chemistry teacher at their school. He is plotting to spread evil throughout the country via a nuclear power plant, aided by his ability to enthrall people with his deep gaze and then steal their souls through lust for gold. Yoland's sidekick, Scrotton, is posing as a troublemaking student with whom the three friends must deal as well. This time Sebastian enlists Pip and Tim even more actively, making them official Punitors, avengers of wrong. The three prevail in the showdown while they are on a field trip to the nearby nuclear power plant. VOYA CODES: 3Q 3P M J (Readable without serious defects; Will appeal with pushing; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2005, Little Brown, 242p., $14.99. Ages 11 to 15.

Carla Humphries, Teen Reviewer (VOYA, April 2005 (Vol. 28, No. 1))
I was annoyed by the time I got to chapter two of this book. Booth may have a great storyline, but as with his first book, he does not develop his characters well, and therefore I do not care about them. As a new student to alchemy, I have been disappointed by Booth's books. VOYA CODES: 3Q 3P M J (Readable without serious defects; Will appeal with pushing; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2005, Little Brown, 242p., $14.99. Ages 11 to 15.