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IWAS NEW to the Nicholas Flamel young adult series by Michael Scott, coming into it with the third book, "The Sorceress." I liked it so much that I went back and read the first two, and anxiously await the next.

The series tells the story of modern-day twins Josh and Sophie Newman, who may be the "twins of legend" who can either save or destroy the world.

Leading them in awakening their magic powers, and trying to keep evil forces from bringing back the "dark elders" who will enslave or even eat the human race, are Nicholas and Pernelle Flamel.

And that's what makes this series remarkable. The Flamels were real people, living in the late 1300s in France. Nicholas, a bookseller, and his wife disappeared for a time and returned wealthy, leading people to believe he had discovered the secret of the "Book of Abraham the Jew," which included a recipe for the Philosopher's Stone. Legend has it that the Flamels decoded enough of the book to turn lead first into silver, then gold.

Legend also has it that they achieved the second goal of alchemy--the formula for immortality. A robber, apparently seeking Flamel's gold, dug up his grave. He was distressed to not only find no gold, but to find the tomb empty.

People have reported seeing the couple roaming around Paris, centuries after their recorded deaths.

Like the Flamels, other characters in the series are based on real people, or on the storied legends and fables of different cultures.

The Flamels' nemesis is Dr. John Dee, whom Scott originally intended to be the hero of the series. Dee was an alchemist, mathematician, geographer, astronomer and astrologer, and the original 007.

The copper-bound "Book of Abraham," known to actually exist, plays a prominent role in the novels, as the document that foretells of the existence of twins who could save the world, as well as the one that has the secrets for recalling the dark elders.

Scott does an excellent job of blending reality, legend and fantasy. The books are fascinating, with action, education and lessons with every turn of the page.

A warning, though. While you can start reading with "The Sorceress," you miss out on some important background. You won't be totally lost, and "The Sorceress" is a good read as a standalone book. However, you'll enjoy it a great deal more if you start at the beginning, and read the books in order: "The Alchemyst" first, then "The Magician."

The next book, "The Necromancer," is scheduled for publication in May.

Laura L. Hutchison is an editor at The Free Lance-Star.