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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I love Elise Kova, especially her Married to Magic series but, I'm just not sure this trilogy is for me. I really hated rating it less than 3 stars but unfortunately for me The Alchemists of Loom just didn't keep my interest and I'm up in the air about continuing on to the second book.
*Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way impacted my views and opinions below.*
Wow. It's a known fact that Elise Kova's [b:Air Awakens|23127048|Air Awakens (Air Awakens, #1)|Elise Kova|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1432967839s/23127048.jpg|41912170] series is one of my all-time favorite books. So you'd understand why I had doubts about going into a whole new world (without Vhalla & Aldrik!) Fortunately, these doubts were unfounded. This was an extremely captivating book, and it was nothing like [b:Air Awakens|23127048|Air Awakens (Air Awakens, #1)|Elise Kova|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1432967839s/23127048.jpg|41912170]! I was blown away by the complexity of the world & characters. The imagination and creativity needed must've been off the charts! Round of applause to Elise!
When I first started reading, I may have struggled a bit to get past the first 10-20% of the book. This was probably because it took a while to familiarize myself with the world & its characters. Seriously, when I say the world was complex, I mean it. It's overwhelming to a reader who usually sticks to YA Fantasy. This is high fantasy. However, when I got past the beginning & really started to connect to the characters, I was hooked. The book is told in the alternating POVs of Arianna, Cvareh, and Florence (and occasionally, Leona).
Don't expect the characters in this book to be the warm, heroic type, because they certainly aren't. They all come from different backgrounds and have their own agendas. Everyone is cutthroat as hell. I really grew to love everyone, though. Especially Arianna. The way Arianna's character is written at the beginning makes it hard for the reader to really connect with or even like her. However, as the story unfolds, we get glimpses into her past which really helps the reader put together a clearer picture of Ari. In a way, she reminded me of Celaena from ToG and Arya Stark from GoT.
My favorite thing about this book is the slow burn relationship of Ari and Cvareh. I'm a sucker for the enemies-to-reluctant-friends-to-lovers(¿) trope. I loved how hot and cold Ari's attitude was toward Cvareh at times and I absolutely loved how Cvareh wasn't having any of Ari's shit. Their relationship dynamic was really intense & complicated. There are obviously still quite a few secrets between them; I'm excited to see where they're headed in the next book! They're no Vhalla and Aldrik, but I still absolutely adored them.
Of course, Ari & Cvareh's isn't the only amazing relationship. The dynamic between Cvareh, Florence, and Ari was phenomenal; I loved reading their interactions! They all have such different personalities that really shine through on the page. Such well-rounded, dimensional characters!
This book wouldn't be what it is without the extraordinary plot and worldbuilding. The wonderfully set up atmosphere of the story, combined with the extremely detailed world, made for a kickass story. Elise really outdid herself with the worldbuilding in this one. The writing also contributed to the excellent worldbuilding. It really helped further immerse the reader into the story. It was excellent, as per usual.
In conclusion, if you're a fantasy or steampunk fan, then The Alchemists of Loom is sure to delight you. This is a world where the magical and the mechanical collide. Although it took me a while to acclimate to it, the world is wonderfully built and the atmosphere is wonderfully set up. The characters are very dimensional, with distinct personalities that really shine through on the page. Also, their relationship dynamics were very intriguing to read about. The Alchemists of Loom has it all -- a highly intelligent, unapologetic protagonist, an action-filled plot, an elaborate world, and superb writing. I'm so glad Elise Kova blessed us with this!
Follow me on my blog, Book Whizz | Bloglovin' | Twitter
Wow. It's a known fact that Elise Kova's [b:Air Awakens|23127048|Air Awakens (Air Awakens, #1)|Elise Kova|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1432967839s/23127048.jpg|41912170] series is one of my all-time favorite books. So you'd understand why I had doubts about going into a whole new world (without Vhalla & Aldrik!) Fortunately, these doubts were unfounded. This was an extremely captivating book, and it was nothing like [b:Air Awakens|23127048|Air Awakens (Air Awakens, #1)|Elise Kova|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1432967839s/23127048.jpg|41912170]! I was blown away by the complexity of the world & characters. The imagination and creativity needed must've been off the charts! Round of applause to Elise!
When I first started reading, I may have struggled a bit to get past the first 10-20% of the book. This was probably because it took a while to familiarize myself with the world & its characters. Seriously, when I say the world was complex, I mean it. It's overwhelming to a reader who usually sticks to YA Fantasy. This is high fantasy. However, when I got past the beginning & really started to connect to the characters, I was hooked. The book is told in the alternating POVs of Arianna, Cvareh, and Florence (and occasionally, Leona).
Don't expect the characters in this book to be the warm, heroic type, because they certainly aren't. They all come from different backgrounds and have their own agendas. Everyone is cutthroat as hell. I really grew to love everyone, though. Especially Arianna. The way Arianna's character is written at the beginning makes it hard for the reader to really connect with or even like her. However, as the story unfolds, we get glimpses into her past which really helps the reader put together a clearer picture of Ari. In a way, she reminded me of Celaena from ToG and Arya Stark from GoT.
My favorite thing about this book is the slow burn relationship of Ari and Cvareh. I'm a sucker for the enemies-to-reluctant-friends-to-lovers(¿) trope. I loved how hot and cold Ari's attitude was toward Cvareh at times and I absolutely loved how Cvareh wasn't having any of Ari's shit. Their relationship dynamic was really intense & complicated. There are obviously still quite a few secrets between them; I'm excited to see where they're headed in the next book! They're no Vhalla and Aldrik, but I still absolutely adored them.
Of course, Ari & Cvareh's isn't the only amazing relationship. The dynamic between Cvareh, Florence, and Ari was phenomenal; I loved reading their interactions! They all have such different personalities that really shine through on the page. Such well-rounded, dimensional characters!
This book wouldn't be what it is without the extraordinary plot and worldbuilding. The wonderfully set up atmosphere of the story, combined with the extremely detailed world, made for a kickass story. Elise really outdid herself with the worldbuilding in this one. The writing also contributed to the excellent worldbuilding. It really helped further immerse the reader into the story. It was excellent, as per usual.
In conclusion, if you're a fantasy or steampunk fan, then The Alchemists of Loom is sure to delight you. This is a world where the magical and the mechanical collide. Although it took me a while to acclimate to it, the world is wonderfully built and the atmosphere is wonderfully set up. The characters are very dimensional, with distinct personalities that really shine through on the page. Also, their relationship dynamics were very intriguing to read about. The Alchemists of Loom has it all -- a highly intelligent, unapologetic protagonist, an action-filled plot, an elaborate world, and superb writing. I'm so glad Elise Kova blessed us with this!
Follow me on my blog, Book Whizz | Bloglovin' | Twitter
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Having always wanted to read Elise Kova’s Air Awakens Series, but having never actually gotten to it, I found myself having no idea what to expect when first opening The Alchemists of Loom. All that I had to go on was how many people I had seen positively talk about, and photograph, the Air Awakens series. But this is not part of the Air Awakens series at all, and is an entirely new world and story which Kova has created for us.
And I was entirely in love with this imaginative world, by the time I had gotten just a few pages into the book. The world-building was incredibly thought-out and creative–I have not yet come across anything similar to it before and I have been reading high fantasy, thousand-page books since I was thirteen! Since I have also only ever encountered steampunk in cinematic form, I was very happy to see these aspects in a book, especially since they are very effectively described. A lot of thought definitely went into the creation of Loom and Nova, and it shows.
Kova’s descriptions of various settings is detailed without being too detailed. Even as a complete lover of detail, I too will get bored if an author spends paragraph upon paragraph describing one thing. But Kova excels at depicting sights, sounds, and smells with just the right amount of language necessary. When it comes to her characters, the descriptions are also detailed but subtle.
The physical appearances of the characters within The Alchemists of Loom are clear, without Kova spending any amount of extra page space describing what they are wearing, or how they have styled their hair, etc. This precious space is instead, dedicated to the mental processes of characters, character development, and the steady movement of the plot.
I really enjoyed the manner in which this book was paced. Kova did not waste any time on trivial details, and kept things moving along quite steadily. The only times when I felt that the plot slowed only a little, was when we were given the perspectives of the “bad guys.” But this could just be a personal thing of mine, as I usually get bored from seeing the antagonist’s part of the story (in books, as well as films). I’m usually bouncing in my seat, frustrated at the fact that I cannot see what is happening with the heroes of the tale!
The writing was good and easy to follow, and I want to point out that Kova has a talent at depicting action scenes very well. In each action scene (and there are a lot), I found myself clearly picturing what is happening; which character is where, and where a character hit another character, or dodged, or ducked, etc. And this skill really added to the book overall, since it is very adventure and action-y.
As for the plot itself, I am very very happy (almost to the point of giddiness), at the unpredictable twists and turns, as well as the skill which went into bringing this story from mind to paper. Overall, I found this book very enjoyable and entertaining, and I cannot wait for the sequel to be released in April of this year!
And I was entirely in love with this imaginative world, by the time I had gotten just a few pages into the book. The world-building was incredibly thought-out and creative–I have not yet come across anything similar to it before and I have been reading high fantasy, thousand-page books since I was thirteen! Since I have also only ever encountered steampunk in cinematic form, I was very happy to see these aspects in a book, especially since they are very effectively described. A lot of thought definitely went into the creation of Loom and Nova, and it shows.
Kova’s descriptions of various settings is detailed without being too detailed. Even as a complete lover of detail, I too will get bored if an author spends paragraph upon paragraph describing one thing. But Kova excels at depicting sights, sounds, and smells with just the right amount of language necessary. When it comes to her characters, the descriptions are also detailed but subtle.
The physical appearances of the characters within The Alchemists of Loom are clear, without Kova spending any amount of extra page space describing what they are wearing, or how they have styled their hair, etc. This precious space is instead, dedicated to the mental processes of characters, character development, and the steady movement of the plot.
I really enjoyed the manner in which this book was paced. Kova did not waste any time on trivial details, and kept things moving along quite steadily. The only times when I felt that the plot slowed only a little, was when we were given the perspectives of the “bad guys.” But this could just be a personal thing of mine, as I usually get bored from seeing the antagonist’s part of the story (in books, as well as films). I’m usually bouncing in my seat, frustrated at the fact that I cannot see what is happening with the heroes of the tale!
The writing was good and easy to follow, and I want to point out that Kova has a talent at depicting action scenes very well. In each action scene (and there are a lot), I found myself clearly picturing what is happening; which character is where, and where a character hit another character, or dodged, or ducked, etc. And this skill really added to the book overall, since it is very adventure and action-y.
As for the plot itself, I am very very happy (almost to the point of giddiness), at the unpredictable twists and turns, as well as the skill which went into bringing this story from mind to paper. Overall, I found this book very enjoyable and entertaining, and I cannot wait for the sequel to be released in April of this year!
It took me a really long time to get into this book but boy if that ending didn't have me wishing I had the second book on hand to read. I really wasn't connecting with any of the characters for at least the first half of this book. Towards the end I was getting more intrigued by Arianna and her past. I thought the world and the way the Fenthri were split into guilds was really interesting. I'd really like more info on all the different guilds. Since Arianna and Florence lived more as outsiders we didn't get to see the inner workings of the different guilds. The way the dragon society was structured didn't make much sense to me. They were all depicted as being very vain and full of themselves and their family's power structures. It felt like there should have been a lot more unhappy dragon families vying to take the throne yet somehow there was only one? Maybe it's because we only saw the dragons through one other perspective and that one was intensely loyal. Perhaps this is expanded on in the second book. I'll likely be picking the second book up at some point but there are a few other things that take precedent.
DNF 15%. The writing style is a bit too cringe for me and Arianna is just insufferable
2.5
Visually pleasing but nothing really happened?
Visually pleasing but nothing really happened?
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No