THE ALCHEMIST'S APPRENTICE

Set in seventeenth century London, The Alchemist’s Apprentice follows the story of two boys born into starkly different worlds but whose lives are destined to collide in a way that will alter history and the fate of a nation.

Rufus Stone is the illegitimate son of a young girl shunned by her family and forced to fend for herself and her baby. Rufus is just eight years old when she dies and now completely alone he enters the brutal and unforgiving world of the London streets. Battling his darkest fears, he fights for survival amongst cut-throats and ruffians ultimately finding himself accused of theft and incarcerated in the notorious Newgate prison where the inhumane conditions reduce life expectancy to just a few months.
Henry Blackthorne enjoys the best of everything from the moment of his birth surrounded by a wealthy and loving family. But he quickly shows a darker side and spiteful tantrums soon spiral downwards into hostility and brutality as he ruthlessly pursues his craving for wealth and power.

This fast-moving story follows the fortunes of the two young men as they are drawn inexorably into confrontation against a backdrop of the unfolding horrors of the seventeenth century from the Civil War and the Plague to the Great Fire of London.