The Alchemist's Door

Set in the sixteenth century, The Alchemist's Door chronicles the life of legendary English mathematician, alchemist and astrologer John Dee, the inspiration for Prospero in Shakespeare's Tempest and the title character in Marlowe's Dr. Faustus. As the story opens, Dee and his strange associate, Edward Kelley, have accidentally summoned a demon that now dogs Dee's every step. Hoping to evade the demon and improve his fortunes, Dee accepts potential patron Prince Laski's invitation to visit Poland. But the demon follows him there, prompting Dee, his family and Kelley to flee to Prague.In Prague, Dee senses that something terrible is about to happen. By chance he discovers that the city straddles the border between earth and a demon dimension inhabited by, among other evil entities, the very creature that's been plaguing him. Prague is also home to the mad Emperor Rudolph, a devotee and patron of the black arts, who seeks Dee's assistance in fashioning the legendary Philosopher's Stone.On a visit to the Emperor Dee has a fateful encounter with fellow mystic Rabbi Judah Loew. Dee and Loew join in a strained alliance, even as the Emperor initiates a pogrom against the Jews of Prague. Loew seeks and receives Dee's assistance in creating a Golem-a man fashioned from clay-to defend the city's Jewish quarter from the Emperor's troops.Dee also becomes involved in Loew's search for the fabled 36th righteous man. Prophecy foretells that if the last righteous man dies, the world will end, and the dark spirits of the neighboring dimension will remake it in the own image. The Emperor, believing he can influence the shape this new world will take, orders his troops to scour the city to find this man so that he may personally put him to death. Dee, realizing that this is what his demonic tormentor has wanted all along, works with Loew to frustrate the Emperor's apocalyptic plans, even though it may cost him his life.Some quick research on the Web indicates that Goldstein has done the same thing with John Dee's life that Tim Powers did with Kim Philby's in Declare, exploiting historical gaps and coincidences to tell a story that could have occurred, given certain supernatural assumptions. Thus, she posits a relationship between John Dee and Rabbi Loew that history does not record. Like Powers, she also manages to put human faces on legendary characters, carefully balancing glimpses into their personal lives with the more fantastic action.The Alchemist's Door is lively and engaging, a skillful blend of history, legend, humor and high adventure, an exciting dark fantasy rich on character and colorful incident. Considering the success of this novel, and the fact that Dee lived another two decades after the events chronicled therein, a sequel seems appropriate. Here's hoping Goldstein is considering one.

In 1582, Dr. John Dee and Edward Kelley communicate with angels that the latter exclusively sees in the ball of crystal. Though John thought he speaks with God or those close to God, a demon intercepts his thirst for knowledge of God's great plan by threatening John's family especially by possessing little Katherine. John accompanied by his family seeks help in Prague where King Rudolf of the Holy Roman Empire has summoned all the mystics for the mad ruler wants to kill one of the thirty six Righteous Men so that the world is remade in His Highness' image.In Prague, John meets mystic Rabbi Judah Loew. They join forces to create the Golem to keep the "Thirty-Six" safe for if one of these Righteous Men is slain, legend says the world ends. Controlling the Golom is no easy matter either and then there is the question of what to do with the tempting but forbidden fruit of an ALCHEMIST'S DOOR opened between humanity and the other side.The prime theme of THE ALCHEMIST'S DOOR is a powerful morality tale focusing on the pride of power leading to excesses and abuses. The story line is at its strongest when the reader follows a historical ethics trail. The occasional well-written sidebars provide insight into Elizabethan era Prague, but also abate the puissant primary plot. Still this fantasy novel is a strong book that uses real sixtieth century persona to entertain while warning the audience on the corruption of power that seems so timely.Harriet Klausner