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macthekat's review against another edition
3.0
This never really court my attention - hence why it has taken me 1½ month to finish the audio book. It is not bad, just not quite what I want out of a steampunk novel.
kayladaila's review against another edition
2.0
This book was fun, but not particularly well written, and extremely predictable. I mostly finished this book because the publisher sent it to me for free, but I just felt there were way too many plot points and that the love story seemed forced. The steampunk aspect of this book also seemed forced. There was pretty much one made up word for magnifying goggles and then some dirigibles and airship pirates and one early flying machine. The transition of this character from tough pants wearing rebel to damsel in distress was a little ridiculous. Not to mention the author makes a point of making her seem clever, and then she has some really ditzy moments.
This book wasn't horrible. There was just nothing that stood out to me as particularly good. I'm sure there are people who would find it entertaining.
This book wasn't horrible. There was just nothing that stood out to me as particularly good. I'm sure there are people who would find it entertaining.
imkila's review against another edition
3.0
It was a nice book with lots of action. I was just hoping the main character was a better person.
I think she was supposed to be portrayed as a strong minded independent woman, but she came off as a whiny person that didn't listen to valuable advice even when it was in plain sight.
I think she was supposed to be portrayed as a strong minded independent woman, but she came off as a whiny person that didn't listen to valuable advice even when it was in plain sight.
tien's review against another edition
4.0
An intriguing beginning with a quick intro of main characters was one of the things I really enjoyed with this book. It was a fairly quick and easy read with lots of actions and hidden romantic tensions.
A great combination of the paranormal of magic & supernatural creatures with thrilling mysteries of secret societies and ceremonies plus a dash of romance which I read in a day. It just wasn’t possible to put the book down. I really liked both Elle and Hugh –she was independent, brave, and resilient whilst he was strong, patient, and absolutely charming.
The romantic tension was deliciously throughout the book however I would warn you not to expect more than that. Besides a kiss or two, there isn’t much else so this is a very clean book in this respect.
I like the plot development right up to the end where whilst I liked the ‘decision’ but not the action consequent to that decision*. I thought that was kind of stupid considering what they’ve been through and what’s waiting in the horizon but then again, that’s what my brain in telling me. We are probably being set up for the next book.
*It’s vague but there isn’t another way to describe it without spoilers.
Thank you, Del Rey and Edelweiss for the privilege to read & review a copy of this book
A great combination of the paranormal of magic & supernatural creatures with thrilling mysteries of secret societies and ceremonies plus a dash of romance which I read in a day. It just wasn’t possible to put the book down. I really liked both Elle and Hugh –she was independent, brave, and resilient whilst he was strong, patient, and absolutely charming.
The romantic tension was deliciously throughout the book however I would warn you not to expect more than that. Besides a kiss or two, there isn’t much else so this is a very clean book in this respect.
I like the plot development right up to the end where whilst I liked the ‘decision’ but not the action consequent to that decision*. I thought that was kind of stupid considering what they’ve been through and what’s waiting in the horizon but then again, that’s what my brain in telling me. We are probably being set up for the next book.
*It’s vague but there isn’t another way to describe it without spoilers.
Thank you, Del Rey and Edelweiss for the privilege to read & review a copy of this book
shell74's review against another edition
4.0
‘The corners of his mouth curled up into a little smile and she felt something inside her quicken. It would be so easy to fall in love with a man like him. He was absolutely mesmerizing. But he was a liar and a manipulator too.’
A Conspiracy of Alchemists is a wonderfully engaging Steampunk adventure full of twists and turns, action, and magic.
Author Liesel Schwarz has created an intricate story that had me hooked from page one with its almost poetic writing and thread of humor woven in. Of course there were all imaginable types of gadgets and creations described…what would a Steampunk story be without them?
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A Conspiracy of Alchemists is a wonderfully engaging Steampunk adventure full of twists and turns, action, and magic.
Author Liesel Schwarz has created an intricate story that had me hooked from page one with its almost poetic writing and thread of humor woven in. Of course there were all imaginable types of gadgets and creations described…what would a Steampunk story be without them?
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deskynowsky's review against another edition
5.0
See also my review on Deskynowsky
Somewhere between 4 to 4.5 stars..
My first steampunk YA novel! YAY!!!!!... I am so excited for this book and oh it's not a disappointment at all..
I enjoyed and liked this book a lot!
The story was taken place in 1903.. and the world was divided between light and shadow.. The light was where the humans live and the shadow was everything supernatural and paranormal.. In the shadow, we saw how Warlock (The Council) was the one who kept the world of light and shadow in balance with the help of powerful Oracle/Phytia/Cybele (a powerful psychic based on Greek mythology) which at the time the story began was kinda in the absence of her (it's always a her) and currently was occupied by a substitute Oracle, because the real one was killed and they have to wait for the next generation for the real one to come again. Moreover, in the Shadow world, there were also Nightwalkers who had a pack with Alchemists. The Nightwalkers could not walk in the daylight, so they made the Alchemists as their daylight keeper which in other words kind of like a servant. There were also fairies, changelings, and ghosts.
Soooooo... the story was begun with the Heroine named Elle (Eleanor Chance) in Paris. She was a pilot which at the time was kinda odd for a girl. Long story short, she was to take a package from Paris to England which where lots of things started to happen. The package was kinda stolen by some or two strangers. And then the adventure began! hehehe.. that was my favorite along with a certain warlock companion!
Oh okay, let see what I really like.. The story development was really sucked me in! I loved how the story kinda took me along with it.. I always loved when the story moved from city to city, very adventurous! from Paris to Oxford then to Venice then to Austria and lastly to Constantinople/Istanbul! Maybe because I never read any paranormal/supernatural steampunk YA novel before so I was kinda enchanted by the description of the world. oooh...
There was a downfall moment at some earlier chapters, but then somehow as the story progressed, it picked up again and I forgot what the downfall was all about.. hmm.. oh I think it was something about the character consistency.. but like I mentioned earlier, as I read more chapters, I was enthralled by the writing and forgot all about it.. hehe
Characters.. Like the heroine, Elle.. and I also like, Hugh Marsh, the warlock.. hahaha.. I just like their interaction and chemistry.. Okay, so there was romance involved between these two.. ;)
I feel like smiling, sure that this book is not perfect or amazing at some point.. But I just can't help to like this book.. There was this quality that made me forgive and forget all small problems that it had..
and the ending! oh God! The last chapter! and then then the epilogue! OH SO GONNA READ THE SEQUEL! I need to know what will happen again after all of these that happened in the first book.. *I am really restraining myself from blabbing spoilers here..*
Well, if you guys are going to read it, I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do..
---------------------------------------------
Approved! Thanks Random House and NetGalley..
Somewhere between 4 to 4.5 stars..
My first steampunk YA novel! YAY!!!!!... I am so excited for this book and oh it's not a disappointment at all..
I enjoyed and liked this book a lot!
The story was taken place in 1903.. and the world was divided between light and shadow.. The light was where the humans live and the shadow was everything supernatural and paranormal.. In the shadow, we saw how Warlock (The Council) was the one who kept the world of light and shadow in balance with the help of powerful Oracle/Phytia/Cybele (a powerful psychic based on Greek mythology) which at the time the story began was kinda in the absence of her (it's always a her) and currently was occupied by a substitute Oracle, because the real one was killed and they have to wait for the next generation for the real one to come again. Moreover, in the Shadow world, there were also Nightwalkers who had a pack with Alchemists. The Nightwalkers could not walk in the daylight, so they made the Alchemists as their daylight keeper which in other words kind of like a servant. There were also fairies, changelings, and ghosts.
Soooooo... the story was begun with the Heroine named Elle (Eleanor Chance) in Paris. She was a pilot which at the time was kinda odd for a girl. Long story short, she was to take a package from Paris to England which where lots of things started to happen. The package was kinda stolen by some or two strangers. And then the adventure began! hehehe.. that was my favorite along with a certain warlock companion!
Oh okay, let see what I really like.. The story development was really sucked me in! I loved how the story kinda took me along with it.. I always loved when the story moved from city to city, very adventurous! from Paris to Oxford then to Venice then to Austria and lastly to Constantinople/Istanbul! Maybe because I never read any paranormal/supernatural steampunk YA novel before so I was kinda enchanted by the description of the world. oooh...
There was a downfall moment at some earlier chapters, but then somehow as the story progressed, it picked up again and I forgot what the downfall was all about.. hmm.. oh I think it was something about the character consistency.. but like I mentioned earlier, as I read more chapters, I was enthralled by the writing and forgot all about it.. hehe
Characters.. Like the heroine, Elle.. and I also like, Hugh Marsh, the warlock.. hahaha.. I just like their interaction and chemistry.. Okay, so there was romance involved between these two.. ;)
I feel like smiling, sure that this book is not perfect or amazing at some point.. But I just can't help to like this book.. There was this quality that made me forgive and forget all small problems that it had..
and the ending! oh God! The last chapter! and then then the epilogue! OH SO GONNA READ THE SEQUEL! I need to know what will happen again after all of these that happened in the first book.. *I am really restraining myself from blabbing spoilers here..*
Well, if you guys are going to read it, I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do..
---------------------------------------------
Approved! Thanks Random House and NetGalley..
liriel27's review against another edition
2.0
Full disclosure - I received a free copy of this book from the FirstReads program.
Oh, I had some fairly serious issues with this.
The writing style is repetitive, rather than clever (one can only be annoyed so often by the apparently shocking realization of feelings which have already been discussed before it loses any charm it might have had. And that "so often" is once).
The basic premise is interesting, but the execution of characterization and motive is woefully slapdash. More than once our intrepid and spunky heroine and her prerequisite brooding and mysterious hero react to things in ways which make no logical sense and veer into too-stupid-to-live territory. In fact, no one in this book makes any sense. The bad guys are doing a stupid thing that will never end well for anyone, for no real good reason. The power dynamics amongst them are (again senselessly) inconsistent - why make up a social order that you then have your characters completely ignore?
I didn't really buy the build-up of the love story, so the romance angle didn't work for me. The set up for the sequel was intriguing.
To be honest, I was put off by the note at the beginning of the proof that describes the book as "a perfectly engineered delivery device" because, well, it felt engineered. Throw in plot bits and descriptions and historical stuff and steampunk because who doesn't love machines and corsets and then needlessly complicate the romance with nonissues because Shakespeare was right about true love and then...
The artifice wasn't much fun.
Oh, I had some fairly serious issues with this.
The writing style is repetitive, rather than clever (one can only be annoyed so often by the apparently shocking realization of feelings which have already been discussed before it loses any charm it might have had. And that "so often" is once).
The basic premise is interesting, but the execution of characterization and motive is woefully slapdash. More than once our intrepid and spunky heroine and her prerequisite brooding and mysterious hero react to things in ways which make no logical sense and veer into too-stupid-to-live territory. In fact, no one in this book makes any sense. The bad guys are doing a stupid thing that will never end well for anyone, for no real good reason. The power dynamics amongst them are (again senselessly) inconsistent - why make up a social order that you then have your characters completely ignore?
I didn't really buy the build-up of the love story, so the romance angle didn't work for me. The set up for the sequel was intriguing.
To be honest, I was put off by the note at the beginning of the proof that describes the book as "a perfectly engineered delivery device" because, well, it felt engineered. Throw in plot bits and descriptions and historical stuff and steampunk because who doesn't love machines and corsets and then needlessly complicate the romance with nonissues because Shakespeare was right about true love and then...
The artifice wasn't much fun.
blueschu's review against another edition
3.0
It was good. It was entertaining and fun, but not one of those books you just devour and want more. I would say go ahead and read it if you are just looking for a little fun story to read.
craftyhilary's review against another edition
I made it through 87 pages in a valiant attempt to find it compelling and worth finishing. I failed.