The Alchemist's Apprentice

The Alchemist's Apprentice is a re-imagining Nero Wolfe. It has some minor fantasy elements. It is set in 16th century Venice, where it seems almost impossible to avoid arrest and torture. And of course, eternal damnation is a constant threat. But this is at heart a murder mystery, and magic is of surprisingly little help when it comes to unmasking a killer. The only thing missing is photographic plates of the art the wealthy people of Venice are surrounded by.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Mostly I was surprised it was in the Fantasy genre, but I suppose, with its touch of the supernatural it wouldn't quite fit in with the Mysteries... Although it could. This was a good solid mystery, with an engaging amateur sleuth--the very surprising apprentice to Nostradamus. And, surprise--it's not THE Nostradamus, but his nephew (although it really seems to make no difference--this Nostradamus is quite as formidable and fascinating). And the historical facts and details of life in the amazing city of Venice is deftly handled so that the reader feels comfortably back in time and place. Fortunately for me, this combination of fantasy, mystery and history is totally welcome. I enjoy reading historical mysteries about as well as I do reading fantasy, and the setting of Venice is also a favorite of mine. If you like these elements, as well as a dashing, multi-talented apprentice hero who can hold his own with his learned master, you should enjoy this book as well. I am very happy to learn it may be a series as I will gladly read more along this line.

The Alchemist's Apprentice (2007) is a historical fantasy. Maestro Filippo Nostradamus, nephew of Michel Nostradamus, is an astrologer, clairvoyant and alchemist as well as the best physician in Venice. His apprentice and protector is Alfeo Zeno, a young and impoverished nobleman. The Maestro is a long-standing friend of the Doge and is also his personal physician. In this novel, a tarot reading suggests unexpected visitors that night, so Alfeo he arms himself just in case. He sends Luigi -- the night watchman -- to guard the back door and takes the watergate for himself. Then Raffaino Sciara appears with four fanti requesting entrance. Although Alfeo states that the Maestro is not at home, the Circospetto -- chief secretary of the Council of Ten -- demands entrance in the name of the Republic. Alfeo reluctantly lets them inside, but still avers that his master is not home. Sciara offers Alfeo the choice of taking him to the Maestro or being taken into custody. After spending the rest of the night in a cell, Alfeo is awakened and taken to see the Doge. There he is informed of the death of Bertucci Orseolo and the circumstances leading to the death. He is startled to learn that his master had been present at the affair and had attended the procurator after his collapse. Alfeo immediately realizes that his master could be charged with causing the death of the procurator. After returning home, he advises his master to flee Venice, but Nostradamus refuses. Instead, the Maestro sends Alfeo on a series of errands, including interviews with the witnesses to Orseolo's collapse. In this story, Alfeo is attacked by six bravos, but survives due to Bruno's iron skillet and help from the neighbors. He has prophetic dreams about a demon. He avoids a seduction attempt by an English woman. Indeed, he has an exciting time during Carnival. Alfeo has the help of a few friends during this time. Bruno is a giant of a man who is a deaf-mute. Bruno carries the Maestro on his shoulders whenever his master leaves the Casa. Although very sweet tempered, Bruno can get quite excited whenever someone attacks his friends. Giorgio is the Maestro's gondolier. He also is the father of many children. The twins Christoforo and Corrado are the eldest still at home and run many errands for the Maestro and Alfeo. They are old enough to start planning a sexual revel. Violetta is the most expensive courtesan in Venice and she lives right next door to Alfeo. Occasionally she likes to invite him over for a visit. Since she is probably the most intelligent person that he knows (maybe even smarter that the Maestro), Alfeo welcomes the opportunity to talk over his problems with Violetta. She also has great sources of information. This story is a murder mystery in the style of Nero Wolfe, with the Maestro as the brain and Alfeo as the brawn. Yet this story does not slavishly follow the Rex Stout formula, for Nostradamus does sometimes leave the Casa. Moreover

I'm a huge Dave Duncan fan, most particularly of his King's Blades series, and the associated books. I also really enjoyed Children of Chaos and am looking forward to Mother of Lies, the conclusion of that saga. I didn't know what to expect when I picked up Alchemist's Apprentice, and initially I was a bit taken aback because generally speaking I really don't enjoy first person narratives (with the exception of crime/mystery). But I really enjoyed this one. AA isn't a 'typical' fantasy novel. It's grounded strongly in historical fact, and in some ways is more an historical mystery with a touch of the supernatural than what you might consider a 'traditional' fantasy. There's a death that proves to be a murder, and the apprentice of the doctor and expert in the occult , Nostradamus, nephew of the famous Nostradamus, is put on the job of uncovering the murderer ... with the help of a fiend, and some psychic stuff, and a great deal of running around. In Venice. Complete with gondolas, sword-play, courtesans and politics. The historical detail is perfectly incorporated. The characters are uniformly excellent. It wouldn't be Duncan without some touches of humour, and the humour this time is delightfully dry and sly. It's definitely a different kind of story from this masterful writer, but I like different. And I'm so encouraged that after many years and many books, Duncan can still come up with something new, entertaining and beautifully executed.

While not the typical fantasy I have come to associate with Duncan, I really enjoyed this book. Narrated from the point of view of Zeno, a young man of noble heritage who is the apprentice to the forecasting Nostradamus, the story follows his investigation of a murder that may, or may not, have happened the way his master sees it. (How's that for a run-on sentence?) As usual with Duncan, the characters are real, seeming to be people we could meet ourselves. What little magic their is, while real, is so minor that it is the actions of the players that really drive this "historical fantasy". I admitt, I had the case totally wrong as I read, and the revelation of the killer and the motive were so well done that I didn't care about how wrong I had been. A good murder mystery with great characters. I as sorry to finish it, and I hope we see some more of the poor Alfeo Zeno and his irrasible Maestro Nostradamus from Duncan.