Brimstone (Skinner novel)

Brimstone is the title of the first book in the alchemy-themed Earth, Air, Fire and Water series by British author Alan Skinner. It was published in 2010. Before Brimstone, Skinner had published the first two books in The Land’s Tale series, Blue Fire and Ice and Furnaces of Forge. Like Brimstone, these are aimed at the young adult market.

Skinner claims that he decided to write Brimstone because he was "quite fed up with young adult books about wizards, witches, werewolves and vampires." It was time for a book that dealt with the other end of the alphabet.’ The book shies away from turning alchemy into a fantasy, magic-like endeavour. Instead, it portrays alchemy as a fore-runner of modern science, though acknowledging some of the outdated beliefs and fraudulent practitioners of early alchemists. Essentially, the book is a traditional adventure story with themes of personal self-realisation, courage, loyalty and friendship.

Plot summary

Richard Antrobus arrives at the home of Ewan and Lucy Swift to take their daughter, Jenny as his apprentice. Jenny has lived with her parents all her life in the isolation of the great forest of Queerwood. Lucy (not her real name) is a healer who travelled all the way from China to marry Ewan. Jenny accompanies Antrobus, albeit reluctantly. During the long ride to Vale, Antrobus is wounded by an unknown assailant. His life is saved by the timely appearance of Ewan and Jenny. During the remainder of the journey to Vale, Antrobus tells Jenny things she did not know about her parents and why he chose her as his apprentice.

The next day Antrobus takes Jenny to meet the city’s chancellor. There she learns that they believe that a rival city, Cleve had sabotaged Vale’s previous crop and will do so again. Antrobus and Jenny are to given the task of uncovering how it is being done. Then Antrobus takes Jenny to her new lodging, a boarding house. Jenny’s new room-mate, Emily offers to show Jenny around Vale. They end up at the marketplace. While separated from Emily, Jenny is given a beautiful brass astrolabe by a mysterious trader. No sooner does Jenny take the astrolabe, she is attacked by a man who tries to steal it from her. She is saved by stranger whom Emily recognises as Rayker, a solitary man who works for the Duke. While dining with Antrobus and his son John, also an alchemist, that night, Jenny shows them the astrolabe. She learns that it is a valuable gift, crafted by a famous Muslim alchemist several centuries earlier.

The next day another attack is made on Jenny. On hearing of the attack, Antrobus confesses to Jenny that the astrolabe is one key needed to decipher a manuscript which he believes contains the secret of the philosopher’s stone. Antrobus reveals that his brother, William had tracked down the manuscript but had been murdered and the manuscript stolen. William had entrusted a copy to Antrobus along with information about the two keys which were needed to decipher it. Since William’s death, Antrobus had been searching for the two keys. He had found one – and the astrolabe given to Jenny contained the other. Antrobus is visited by Duke Emeric, the chancellor and Rayker. Emeric had been aware all along of what Antrobus was doing and unknown to Antrobus, had aided William. They agree to leave the matter of the manuscript and its secret until after they have dealt with the threat from Cleve.

The conversation is interrupted by another assassination attempt. Rayker foils the attempt, killing one of the assassins. Emeric orders Rayker to arrange protection for Antrobus and Jenny. Shortly afterwards, Antrobus is kidnapped. Despite a search, no trace of Antrobus or his kidnappers is found. Jenny and Rayker learn of a band of outlaws, living in a remote part of Queerwood and led by a ruthless man called Jack, who may be responsible for the attacks and the kidnapping. Rayker goes off to search for the outlaws. For several days Jenny spends her time in Antrobus’s work room, devouring all the books she can read and experimenting.

Ewan and Rayker finally discover that the outlaws have taken refuge in an impregnable cave. Aware that the outlaws could kill Antrobus if they storm the cave, Jenny who comes upon a plan: a fearsome substance known as Lucifer’s Light. The attack on the cave goes well but there is no sign of Antrobus or Jack. Jenny realises that Antrobus’s son, John is behind the attacks and works out where Antrobus is being held. Jenny devises a bluff and confronts the remaining outlaws and their masters – John Antrobus and his partner, Master Perroquet, the alchemist from the neighbouring city of Cleve. Antrobus finally faces the reality of what his son has done. Rayker and Ewan arrive and storm the house. John manages to escape.

Shaken by his ordeal and the betrayal by his son, Antrobus retreats to his bed. He informs Jenny that he has deciphered the manuscript and found it to be nonsense. It seems the death of his brother and the treachery of his son had all been for nothing but the young women had not been forgotten. At her pledge ceremony, even Duke Emeric is there to applaud the young apprentice.

Characters

Although Jenny Swift is the central character, and it is her story that is followed, there are several other characters who have a major part in the plot and who contribute to the climax and resolution.

• Richard Antrobus, Vale’s powerful alchemist. In the opening of the book it mentions that ‘... he has seen 54 winters.’ He is stubborn, single-minded but compassionate.
• Emily Trickett, pretty, but somewhat spoiled, who becomes Jenny’s roommate and best friend. She is the daughter of Vale’s Chief Magistrate.
• Emeric, duke of Vale. Emeric became Duke at the age of ten, under the regency of his aunt, Bernice. Now in his early 30s, he is a determined, educated man who faces betrayal from one of his uncles.
• Rayker, the Duke’s man. A taciturn, unassuming enforcer, thief-taker and bodyguard.
• Ewan Swift, Jenny’s father and wood ward of Queerwood. Before Jenny was born, he was a clerk in the court of the previous Duke. He was part of an expedition to Cathay (China) made by Emeric’s other uncle, David.
• Lucy Swift, Jenny’s mother, a healer from Cathay, dying from an incurable disease. She met Ewan when he travelled to Cathay and after nursing him back to health when he fell ill, returned with him to Vale.
• John Antrobus, Richard’s ambitious son, also an alchemist. He preceded Jenny as Antrobus’s apprentice but has since gone out on his own.
• Rumpkin, Jenny and Emily’s ill-mannered landlady
• Horn, an outlaw mercenary sent to kill Antrobus
• Frida, Horn’s plucky daughter. She tries to make amends for her father’s actions by helping Jenny and Emily against the outlaws
• Master Perroquet, alchemist of Cleve and John Antrobus’s partner.
• Jack, the vicious leader of a band of outlaws. Known as Jack O’Lantern.

Historical context

The book does not specify a precise historical period in which it is set, and it uses fictional locations. However, Skinner has stated that the story is set 400-450 or so ago, that is, between 1560 and 1620. Vale, the principal location of the story, is a city-state much like those of Renaissance Italy.

The only actual historical person mentioned in the book is the alchemist, Albertus Magnus. Albertus Magnus, who lived from 1200 to 1280, was one of the great scholars of the Middle Ages. The astrolabe that plays such a crucial role in the plot, is in recognition of the great contribution made by Islamic scholars to science. Astrolabes such as the one given to Jenny, have been in existence for over 2,000 years. From about the 10th century, they were made more sophisticated as navigational aids by Islamic astronomers.

The substance that Jenny uses to create Lucifer’s Candles is phosphorus and the process that she uses is similar to the one discovered by the German alchemist Hennig Brand and later modified by the Irish scientist Robert Boyle. This presents an anachronism, as Brand didn’t discover phosphorus until 1669, slightly after the period implied (but unspecified) by the story.

All the herbs mentioned in the book, such as burdock, goosefoot, masterwort, woundwort, dragon's blood and poppy juice, were used by medieval healers for the same (and other) purposes as in the story.