The Alchemist’s Secret (Ben Hope, Book 1)

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Hope is a slightly more atypical action hero - the education and extreme training, the tragic past, the tortured soul striving to make things right - but not overstatedly so. He just gets on and does what he has to do. He is likeable, which goes a long way to keeping the reader interested. It seems that everyone – from the Nazis during WW2 and powerful Catholic organisation Gladius Domini – wants to unearth the secrets of immortality. The manuscript is reported to have contained the formula for the elixir of life, invented by the brilliant alchemist Fulcanelli decades ago. It was later discovered that other people were also hunting for this precious treasure, but it seems that almost everyone, from the Nazis of the past to the modern Shadowy organization known as Gladius Domini, is determined to discover the secrets of immorality. Several of the pieces of apparatus Zosimos describes—for example, one called the kerotakis—are designed to expose one material to the vapors of another. Indeed, he seems particularly interested in the action of vapors on solids. This interest is partly grounded on practical observations. Ancient craftsmen knew that the vapors released by heated cadmia (or calamine, a zinc-containing earth) could turn copper golden by transforming it into brass (an alloy of zinc and copper). The vapors of mercury and arsenic whiten copper to a silvery color. Perhaps knowledge of these color changes induced Zosimos to seek analogous processes that would bring about true transmutations. Guiding theories are certainly discernible in his writings. Today there is a common misconception that alchemists worked more or less blindly—stumbling about mixing a little of this and a little of that in a random search for gold. This notion is far from the truth; already with Zosimos we can identify theoretical principles that guided his practical work, as well as practical observations that supported or modified his theories. Many theoretical frameworks for alchemy would develop in various times and places, and these frameworks both supported the possibility of transmutation and suggested avenues for pursuing it practically.

Mariani was born in St Andrews in Scotland and studied Modern Languages and Film Studies at Oxford University. [3] He now resides in west Wales, where he first got the idea for the character Ben Hope when out walking. Prior to becoming a full-time writer, he worked in various jobs, including as a translator, professional musician and freelance journalist. He has cited his interests outside of writing to be shooting, archery, photography and astronomy; he is a supporter of the Woodland Trust and the World Wide Fund for Nature. [4] [5] [6] Bibliography [ edit ] Ben Hope [ edit ] An Alchemist’s Laboratory . 18th century. Follower of David Teniers II. Science History Institute John of Rupescissa: Alchemy against the Antichrist On the other side of the Atlantic in the 1890s, an entrepreneurial chemist and mining engineer named Stephen Emmens offered the United States Treasury a method of turning silver into gold. Independent tests were made of his method (which involved hammering Mexican silver) both in the United States and in England, but the results were not encouraging. With this tacit admission of conspiratorial collaboration, I actually felt released from the usual formula of these novels and settled down to enjoy it. And...enjoy this, I did. The plot hums along nicely with its car chases, ancient parchments, rich evil maniacs, motley crew of inept henchmen whose sole purpose is to conveniently die in massive explosions and never once shoot the main character (actually, this is not quite true. Ben Hope does get winged at one point which is slightly refreshing); its got the usual intellectual (one Roberta Ryder in this case) and the inevitable "will they, won't they" love suggestion. Ben Hope lives on the edge. A former elite member of the SAS, Ben is tortured by a tragedy from his past and now devotes his life to finding kidnapped children.I read/listened to "The Alchemist's Secret", Ben Hope #1, after reading #0.5, #2 and #3. I really enjoyed pretty much everything about this first novel from Scott Mariani. I don't know why I decided to read #2 first, but I rather wish I hadn't because reading #1 gave me an original insight into who Ben Hope is and what motivates him, some of which I think I had to assume while reading #2. The Ben Hope series is a must-read for fans of Dan Brown, Lee Child and Mark Dawson. Join the millions of readers who get breathless with anticipation when the countdown to the new Ben Hope thriller begins… Examples of transmutational alchemy’s continuation after its 18th-century ‘demise’ probably form only the visible tip of the iceberg. The Alchemist's Secret is non-stop action, adventure and intrigue with only the smallest smattering of romantic interest. The hero, Ben Hope, is a character you can accept and fully believe capable of the things he does. He doesn't turn suddenly into some James Bond on speed producing prototype weapons or ludicrous science-fiction gadgets. He has his Browning 9mm, a whole lot of training and is simply good at what he does. Of course, only the SAS really know what the SAS know, and we always want them to be this good, or at least I do.

strălucirea unui alt fulger, cu totul altceva atrase privirea preotului care se răsucea pe călcâie ca să o ia la fugă înapoi, către casă. Încremeni locului, cu răsuflarea tăiată.The first book in the Ben Hope series is called The Alchemist’s Secret. The Alchemist’s Secret introduces our hero, Ben, as a former elite SAS soldier. He is highly skilled, but tortured by catastrophe from his past. He’s put that life behind him as best he could and now devotes his entire life to rescuing kidnapped children. However, when Ben is recruited to locate an old manuscript that could help in saving the life of dying child. He is inspired to change his mind and ends up embarking on the deadliest quest for his life. From the city of Oxford to Ravenna, Vienna, Venice, and the snow capped mountains of Slovenia; Hope and his old flame, the world’s popular opera singer Leigh Llewellyn, must move with a haste across Europe to unravel the mystery. To solve the case, they will need to stay a notch above the determined group of killers who are out to erase the trail of The Mozart Conspiracy. Ocr ABBYY FineReader 11.0 (Extended OCR) Ocr_converted abbyy-to-hocr 1.1.7 Ocr_module_version 0.0.13 Old_pallet IA19218 Openlibrary_edition delicat să-l întoarcă cu faţa în sus, ca să-l poată apuca de mâini, încercând să-l ajute să se ridice. Străinul vorbea singur, cu voce scăzută, murmurând cuvinte trunchiate, amestecate cu suspine, cu umerii tresăltând. Părintele Pascal îi puse haina în spate, simţind cum ploaia torenţială îi uda leoarcă, instantaneu, propria cămaşă.