Other editions of book Joachim: The Heretic

The sequel to Joachim's Magic, Joachim: The Heretic continues the story of Joachim Gans and his apprentice, Reis Courtney, upon their return to England. The 1585 exploration was considered a failure because no veins of copper were found. Joachim, Queen Elizabeth's Jewish metallurgist, is given a grant to process saltpeter. He goes to Bristol where he runs into trouble at a local inn. By denying Christ as the Son of God, he's considered a blasphemer and tried. Not knowing what to do with him, the judge sends him on to London to continue the trial by the Queen's Privy Council. They eventually free him and after a brief time in Neath, Wales, he returns to his native Bohemia, leaving Reis to work at the horse farm of a wealthy gentleman, carving out a new life for himself. "Superb historical fiction," says School Library Journal

Reis and his master, the Jewish metallurgist Joachim Gans, return to England after the failed 1585 expedition. It was called "failed" because no large veins of copper were found. Once docked in Portsmouth, Reis hopes to accompany his master to London, to meet with Queen Elizabeth I. But Joachim takes a detour and returns him to his Uncle Allyn's farm in Surrey. Reis gets into trouble and it isn't until Joachim returns for him after a month that he is reprieved. After his meetings in London, Joachim finds himself on the road again with his young apprentice. In the bustling city of Bristol, Joachim plans to develop new ways to make saltpeter, a necessary item for the English Navy. But trouble begins when Joachim is confronted about his religious beliefs, denying Jesus Christ as the Son of God. He is taken to trial. The trial continues in London with Elizabeth's Privy Council. But the high offices are reluctant to condemn him, for they aren't sure what to do with a Jew. Joachim decides to return to his native land of Bohemia, leaving Reis working on the horse farm of a wealthy gentleman, building a new life for himself. Sequel to Joachim's Magic