The following details are from a Koei Tecmo press release:

Set against a vibrant background reminiscent of a medieval European town, Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book follows the exploits of a young novice Alchemist, Sophie, who discovers she is the owner of an enigmatic volume imbued with a soul. This Mysterious Book seems to hold all the secrets to the art of Alchemy, even going on to become Sophie’s mentor. As Sophie improves her Alchemy skills throughout the story she unravels the book’s forgotten memories, and eventually sets out to uncover the strange tale of her teacher’s origin.