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shawniebooks's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. Maybe I'll change it to 4 after absorbing it. Will reserve my thoughts for the Cyborg Knights meetup. :)
katyanaish's review against another edition
4.0
It's hard to know how to classify this book. Not entirely UF, not entirely fantasy, it's a modern setting with sciencey-magic. But Petra is a great character, and now I want a coyote.
I'm definitely interested - I want to know more about how all this works, how she can find her father for real, how she can restore the Lunaria. And what will happen to Gabe.
Someone needs to kill Cal and Sal both though. Cal the spineless betrayer, and Sal who is a complete monster.
I'm definitely interested - I want to know more about how all this works, how she can find her father for real, how she can restore the Lunaria. And what will happen to Gabe.
Someone needs to kill Cal and Sal both though. Cal the spineless betrayer, and Sal who is a complete monster.
tmholsman_1994's review against another edition
4.0
I've been debating on weather to write a review or not, but I felt like I need to because this feels like an underrated fantasy book. While it might not be for everyone I absolutely loved it and with that being said it does have a slow start, but once it picks up it picks up. It's a great introduction to this series. I love the animal companion that just kind of inserts himself into Petra's life and pretty much says "I'm staying and you can deal with it" I can not wait to see what the rest of this series brings.
whatsmacksaid's review against another edition
3.0
Slow and not-vibrant in some places, and the coyote doesn't act any different from a stray dog at all, but the horror aspects were awesome. I loved those and I plan on reading the sequel soon.
bmg20's review against another edition
4.0
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Petra Dee is a woman running from the past and all the memories that haunt her dreams. She seeks distraction in the form of small-town Temperance, Wyoming where her father was last heard of years past and she intends on searching for him. This small-town is far from ordinary and she quickly realizes that law enforcement has no hold on the town but instead local land owner Sal Rutherford seems to be the one in control. There’s another powerful man that goes by the name of The Alchemist who seems to aid in the areas drug habit. Petra quickly ends up right in the dangerous path of both Sal and The Alchemist when she uncovers a magical artifact that is somehow tied to both men and the mysterious story behind the origins of this mysterious small-town.
Alchemy is the reason surrounding this strange towns existence and involves a mysterious figure by the name of Lascaris that during the Gold Rush, as rumor has it, figured out how to transform simple rocks into gold. His experiments were conducted in secret and he was never questioned since he was the sole reason the town was thriving, so why question anything when it’s working so well? After his supposed death in a mysterious fire, new figures rose in hope to take his place. Sal Rutherford, who currently owns the land where The Lunaria, the Alchemical Tree of Life, resides (in addition to the undead ranch hands that call themselves The Hanged Men) and Stroud/The Alchemist, a man that can trace his lineage back to Lascaris himself. The aspects of alchemy were explained sufficiently and incorporated well into the story, however, as the story drew to a close it lacked a necessary conviction when it came time for solid answers.
This one generated a lot of discussion for me when all was said and done and there is much to love but also much that left me in confusion. First and foremost, Sig the coyote, Petra’s “animal familiar” was the true highlight of this story for me. Sig possessed more personality than some of the side characters without having to say a single word. He was her first ally in Temperance and he quickly took to her and became her self-appointed guardian before she even knew she needed help. He became incredibly docile by the end and as much as I loved his addition to the story it did seem incredibly unlikely. Still, this story would not have been the same without Sig. There were many other additional loose ends that I felt should have been addressed, most are spoilery so I’ll avoid going into detail. Whether this is because the author wanted to leave some things in the ‘unknown’ so as to maybe turn the story into a series I’m not sure but this being the start of a new series seems like a definite possibility.
Possessing an interesting blend of mystery and magic, Dark Alchemy is an eerie and most inventive tale that kept me completely spellbound.
I received this book free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Petra Dee is a woman running from the past and all the memories that haunt her dreams. She seeks distraction in the form of small-town Temperance, Wyoming where her father was last heard of years past and she intends on searching for him. This small-town is far from ordinary and she quickly realizes that law enforcement has no hold on the town but instead local land owner Sal Rutherford seems to be the one in control. There’s another powerful man that goes by the name of The Alchemist who seems to aid in the areas drug habit. Petra quickly ends up right in the dangerous path of both Sal and The Alchemist when she uncovers a magical artifact that is somehow tied to both men and the mysterious story behind the origins of this mysterious small-town.
Alchemy is the reason surrounding this strange towns existence and involves a mysterious figure by the name of Lascaris that during the Gold Rush, as rumor has it, figured out how to transform simple rocks into gold. His experiments were conducted in secret and he was never questioned since he was the sole reason the town was thriving, so why question anything when it’s working so well? After his supposed death in a mysterious fire, new figures rose in hope to take his place. Sal Rutherford, who currently owns the land where The Lunaria, the Alchemical Tree of Life, resides (in addition to the undead ranch hands that call themselves The Hanged Men) and Stroud/The Alchemist, a man that can trace his lineage back to Lascaris himself. The aspects of alchemy were explained sufficiently and incorporated well into the story, however, as the story drew to a close it lacked a necessary conviction when it came time for solid answers.
This one generated a lot of discussion for me when all was said and done and there is much to love but also much that left me in confusion. First and foremost, Sig the coyote, Petra’s “animal familiar” was the true highlight of this story for me. Sig possessed more personality than some of the side characters without having to say a single word. He was her first ally in Temperance and he quickly took to her and became her self-appointed guardian before she even knew she needed help. He became incredibly docile by the end and as much as I loved his addition to the story it did seem incredibly unlikely. Still, this story would not have been the same without Sig. There were many other additional loose ends that I felt should have been addressed, most are spoilery so I’ll avoid going into detail. Whether this is because the author wanted to leave some things in the ‘unknown’ so as to maybe turn the story into a series I’m not sure but this being the start of a new series seems like a definite possibility.
Possessing an interesting blend of mystery and magic, Dark Alchemy is an eerie and most inventive tale that kept me completely spellbound.
I received this book free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
mxsallybend's review against another edition
3.0
An odd mix of urban fantasy and supernatural horror, with a strong heroine, a kick-ass coyote familiar, and a fascinating villain, all adds up to one of the more refreshingly unusual reads I've enjoyed in a long time. Unlike so many books in the genre, Dark Alchemy isn't concerned with saving the world, defeating the ultimate evil, or consummating the perfect paranormal romance. Instead, what Laura Bickle has crafted here is a story of weird people, weird history, and weird science, all told on a rather intimate scale that keeps the action focused and compact.
Bickle starts throwing mysteries at us right from the first page, offering just enough hints to really intrigue the reader. What's up with the two strange skeletons found in the field? What secrets are Sal protecting? What is Petra running from? What's with the odd coyote and its buried treasure? Why does such a small hick town have so many hick tweakers? What's up with drunken Frankie and his talk of prophetic ravens? What's the deal with Gabriel, a man who seems older and wiser than even his quick-healing flesh would suggest? Just how do Sal's secrets line up with Gabe's, and what do ravens and coyotes have to do with it all?
And that's just the first four chapters.
Yes, there's a bit of a Gunslinger feel to this, as the cover blurb teases, and it's easy to see the Breaking Bad element, but it's the small town Twin Peaks oddness to the town of Temperance that pulls it all together. I really liked the idea of The Hanged Men, led by mysterious Gabe, and Luneria (the Alchemical Tree of Life) was a very cool element that was incorporated into the story in ways I didn't really expect. Petra's story alone could have made for a decent book, and setting her against Sal could have made for an interesting conflict, but it's the addition of these supernatural, alchemical elements that really elevates the story to the next level. Petra and Gabe were, by far, my favorite characters in the story, and despite being a stereotypical villain based on the oft-used trope of the corrupt small-town landowner, I still loved the scene-chewing grandeur of Sal.
Dark Alchemy plays with the typical urban fantasy tropes, but puts a unique spin on them all. The magic and the mystery are the hook, but the characters are what will keep you reading. It's a fast-paced adventure, with something significant happening in every chapters, all racing towards a suitably epic climax that satisfyingly ties up all the loose ends . . . but which leaves the door open just a crack for another adventure.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
Bickle starts throwing mysteries at us right from the first page, offering just enough hints to really intrigue the reader. What's up with the two strange skeletons found in the field? What secrets are Sal protecting? What is Petra running from? What's with the odd coyote and its buried treasure? Why does such a small hick town have so many hick tweakers? What's up with drunken Frankie and his talk of prophetic ravens? What's the deal with Gabriel, a man who seems older and wiser than even his quick-healing flesh would suggest? Just how do Sal's secrets line up with Gabe's, and what do ravens and coyotes have to do with it all?
And that's just the first four chapters.
Yes, there's a bit of a Gunslinger feel to this, as the cover blurb teases, and it's easy to see the Breaking Bad element, but it's the small town Twin Peaks oddness to the town of Temperance that pulls it all together. I really liked the idea of The Hanged Men, led by mysterious Gabe, and Luneria (the Alchemical Tree of Life) was a very cool element that was incorporated into the story in ways I didn't really expect. Petra's story alone could have made for a decent book, and setting her against Sal could have made for an interesting conflict, but it's the addition of these supernatural, alchemical elements that really elevates the story to the next level. Petra and Gabe were, by far, my favorite characters in the story, and despite being a stereotypical villain based on the oft-used trope of the corrupt small-town landowner, I still loved the scene-chewing grandeur of Sal.
Dark Alchemy plays with the typical urban fantasy tropes, but puts a unique spin on them all. The magic and the mystery are the hook, but the characters are what will keep you reading. It's a fast-paced adventure, with something significant happening in every chapters, all racing towards a suitably epic climax that satisfyingly ties up all the loose ends . . . but which leaves the door open just a crack for another adventure.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
blodeuedd's review against another edition
2.0
I can't decide whether this was a 2 or 3. Yesterday it felt like a 3 for the reason that if the library got book 2 I'd read it. Today I am more like, if the library got book I would just say meh. I'd say 2,5 then, but give it a 2. Because I do not really want to read more. I could just leave it like this and be fine with it.
Petra come to Temperance to find her dad. She meets a coyote. I never got if the coyote is magical or not. She makes friends. She does not do much for her work, the reason why she officially is there. She meets a hunky weird guy. She finds a few corpses.
There is a bad Rancher, a real asshole. There is a bad alchemist, I never really got him,
There are strange...stuff.
So all in all...meh? Yeah meh. I still read it and all, I was never omg, boring! But still, meh.
Petra come to Temperance to find her dad. She meets a coyote. I never got if the coyote is magical or not. She makes friends. She does not do much for her work, the reason why she officially is there. She meets a hunky weird guy. She finds a few corpses.
There is a bad Rancher, a real asshole. There is a bad alchemist, I never really got him,
There are strange...stuff.
So all in all...meh? Yeah meh. I still read it and all, I was never omg, boring! But still, meh.
git_r_read's review against another edition
5.0
I love reading UF, especially superbly written UF. Even more so, superbly written new premise UF! I love one of the descriptions of this book, "Stephen King's GUNSLINGER meets Breaking Bad..." A perfect description. But Laura Bickle's voice is her own, not a copy of anyone.
Another strong woman lead character who does what I would love to be, a geologist. Petra is in Wyoming ostensibly to look for her father, but it's also a holding pattern while she tries to recover from her past. She's strong, but she needs mending.
She goes to Temperance, Wyoming and finds more than she bargained for. A coyote adopts her, there's a cruel land baron and a meth creating alchemist. Each has creepy men doing their bidding. Each has power that they want more of. And Petra may be the key.
Petra does not back down from any fight, she has a mission and she champions the near-beaten.
I know this might be a stand-alone...would that there would be more Petra..and the coyote...
Definite recommend!
Another strong woman lead character who does what I would love to be, a geologist. Petra is in Wyoming ostensibly to look for her father, but it's also a holding pattern while she tries to recover from her past. She's strong, but she needs mending.
She goes to Temperance, Wyoming and finds more than she bargained for. A coyote adopts her, there's a cruel land baron and a meth creating alchemist. Each has creepy men doing their bidding. Each has power that they want more of. And Petra may be the key.
Petra does not back down from any fight, she has a mission and she champions the near-beaten.
I know this might be a stand-alone...would that there would be more Petra..and the coyote...
Definite recommend!
tartbarbie's review against another edition
4.0
I received Dark Alchemy in return for an honest review from the publisher. Petra is a geologist running from an accident that happened six months earlier that changed her life. She’s hoping to find her father who went missing back in the 90’s. Petra has moved to far away from the ocean where she used to live to Temperance a western town in Wyoming near Yellowstone where her dad last was. Petra is quickly sucked into the small town life, picking up an old vehicle and adding pair of old pearl handled guns she’s fitting right in.
As Petra digs deeper into what happened to her father she is pulled into a mystery with the ranch hands and the goth kids that hang out in the garden. Soon strange bodies are piling up and only Petra seems to be connected to them. She befriends a social worker from the local reservation who’s uncle thinks that Petra is the answer to stopping the hungry one. At least Petra won’t have to go it alone as she’s befriended a coyote who’s taken it upon himself to move right in. Will Petra find what happened to her father? What’s really going on with the ranch hands?
I really liked Petra she’s a smart character who’s moving on after tragedy and handles the unusual things happening in Temperance very well. I found her to be an interesting character she doesn’t rely on men she handles her own trouble and reminds me very much of an old west cowgirl. I liked several of the supporting characters like Gabe, Mike, Maria and even Frankie they enhanced they added to the Petra’s new life. However my favorite character aside from Petra was Sig he just grew on me through the whole story and I think I need one of my own Sig’s.
I didn’t even read the synopsis when I requested Dark Alchemy because I’ve read all the authors’ books so I knew that it would be good. The characters are easy to connect with I found the memorable they captured my heart. Since I didn’t read the synopsis other than assuming it was a Wild West story I didn’t know what to expect and found it doesn’t disappoint. Dark Alchemy is fast paced loaded with mystery and intrigue a perfect mix of fantasy is thrown in creating an intricate story. The concept I found new and exciting it’s not often I find an urban fantasy that reminds me of the old west but with a modern twist. I really enjoyed the authors writing style it flowed smoothly from start to finish and I think she did a great job creating a captivated story. I enjoyed Dark Alchemy it was hard to put down I was drawn into Petra’s story and had to know how it would play out. As far as I know Dark Alchemy is a standalone but I wasn’t ready for it to end so I’m crossing my fingers for more. I look forward to seeing what the author has planned for next.
As Petra digs deeper into what happened to her father she is pulled into a mystery with the ranch hands and the goth kids that hang out in the garden. Soon strange bodies are piling up and only Petra seems to be connected to them. She befriends a social worker from the local reservation who’s uncle thinks that Petra is the answer to stopping the hungry one. At least Petra won’t have to go it alone as she’s befriended a coyote who’s taken it upon himself to move right in. Will Petra find what happened to her father? What’s really going on with the ranch hands?
I really liked Petra she’s a smart character who’s moving on after tragedy and handles the unusual things happening in Temperance very well. I found her to be an interesting character she doesn’t rely on men she handles her own trouble and reminds me very much of an old west cowgirl. I liked several of the supporting characters like Gabe, Mike, Maria and even Frankie they enhanced they added to the Petra’s new life. However my favorite character aside from Petra was Sig he just grew on me through the whole story and I think I need one of my own Sig’s.
I didn’t even read the synopsis when I requested Dark Alchemy because I’ve read all the authors’ books so I knew that it would be good. The characters are easy to connect with I found the memorable they captured my heart. Since I didn’t read the synopsis other than assuming it was a Wild West story I didn’t know what to expect and found it doesn’t disappoint. Dark Alchemy is fast paced loaded with mystery and intrigue a perfect mix of fantasy is thrown in creating an intricate story. The concept I found new and exciting it’s not often I find an urban fantasy that reminds me of the old west but with a modern twist. I really enjoyed the authors writing style it flowed smoothly from start to finish and I think she did a great job creating a captivated story. I enjoyed Dark Alchemy it was hard to put down I was drawn into Petra’s story and had to know how it would play out. As far as I know Dark Alchemy is a standalone but I wasn’t ready for it to end so I’m crossing my fingers for more. I look forward to seeing what the author has planned for next.