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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Her vengeance. His vision.
Ari lost everything she once loved when the Five Guilds' resistance fell to the Dragon King. Now, she uses her unparalleled gift for clockwork machinery in tandem with notoriously unscrupulous morals to contribute to a thriving underground organ market. There isn't a place on Loom that is secure from the engineer-turned-thief, and her magical talents are sold to the highest bidder as long as the job defies their Dragon oppressors.
Cvareh would do anything to see his sister usurp the Dragon King and sit on the throne. His family's house has endured the shame of being the lowest rung in the Dragons' society for far too long. The Alchemist Guild, down on Loom, may just hold the key to putting his kin in power, if Cvareh can get to them before the Dragon King's assassins.
When Ari stumbles upon a wounded Cvareh, she sees an opportunity to slaughter an enemy and make a profit off his corpse. But the Dragon sees an opportunity to navigate Loom with the best person to get him where he wants to go.
He offers her the one thing Ari can't refuse: A wish of her greatest desire, if she brings him to the Alchemists of Loom.
This book had me at the synopsis and thankfully it didn’t disappoint. This was my first book by Elise Kova and due to the gloriousness that is The Alchemists of Loom it certainly won’t be my last!
In a nutshell:
-I loved the world building. So I kind of have an immense thing for books with maps (what fantasy nerd doesn’t right? They should totally sell these maps separately so that I can basically have fantasy map wallpaper in my room) Anyway….while I do love bookish maps it's really not just about the map itself. It’s really about the world in general. I can not tell you how far a well developed, intricate, complex world goes with me as a reader. I LOVE it. I love learning about its layout, its people, its political set up, its social structure, its history and how ALL of those things affect the plot and the decisions that are made by the characters. The Alchemists of Loom had this in spades. I loved how the world wasn't dumped on me....she immersed me in it completely and then let it gradually unfold throughout the story and allowed me to discover it on my own. Kova’s world building was definitely a highlight and probably my favorite aspect of this first installment. I can’t wait to discover more!
-The Characters: I loved Ari! She is such a badass no nonsense female character who knows what she wants and how to get it and she just takes care of business (I mean she’s infamous in Loom as the White Wraith….how freaking cool is that)? Flor is definitely one of the side characters who kind of steal the show and the hearts of readers. I loved the relationship between her and Ari. Flor kind of grounds Ari and Ari fiercely protects Flor. I wasn’t sure about Cvareh at first (probably because he’s a dragon and our first introduction of him is from Ari’s point of view and she hates them. So I was a little wary of him….but he surprised me. He's kind of the calm to Ari's spit fire. I can’t wait to see how they develop in future installments!
-The plot/story line: I was completely immersed in this one from page one….I mean it starts with the White Wraith in the middle of a heist. Overall, the underdog character with vengeance on their mind, forging an unlikely alliance to overthrow those abusing power isn’t a new trope, but it didn’t feel tired in this because the world was new and intriguing and that provided a breath of fresh air.
I was provided a free digital copy of this title via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shaped or influenced my opinion. Thank you Netgalley and Keymaster Press for the review copy!
Ari lost everything she once loved when the Five Guilds' resistance fell to the Dragon King. Now, she uses her unparalleled gift for clockwork machinery in tandem with notoriously unscrupulous morals to contribute to a thriving underground organ market. There isn't a place on Loom that is secure from the engineer-turned-thief, and her magical talents are sold to the highest bidder as long as the job defies their Dragon oppressors.
Cvareh would do anything to see his sister usurp the Dragon King and sit on the throne. His family's house has endured the shame of being the lowest rung in the Dragons' society for far too long. The Alchemist Guild, down on Loom, may just hold the key to putting his kin in power, if Cvareh can get to them before the Dragon King's assassins.
When Ari stumbles upon a wounded Cvareh, she sees an opportunity to slaughter an enemy and make a profit off his corpse. But the Dragon sees an opportunity to navigate Loom with the best person to get him where he wants to go.
He offers her the one thing Ari can't refuse: A wish of her greatest desire, if she brings him to the Alchemists of Loom.
This book had me at the synopsis and thankfully it didn’t disappoint. This was my first book by Elise Kova and due to the gloriousness that is The Alchemists of Loom it certainly won’t be my last!
In a nutshell:
-I loved the world building. So I kind of have an immense thing for books with maps (what fantasy nerd doesn’t right? They should totally sell these maps separately so that I can basically have fantasy map wallpaper in my room) Anyway….while I do love bookish maps it's really not just about the map itself. It’s really about the world in general. I can not tell you how far a well developed, intricate, complex world goes with me as a reader. I LOVE it. I love learning about its layout, its people, its political set up, its social structure, its history and how ALL of those things affect the plot and the decisions that are made by the characters. The Alchemists of Loom had this in spades. I loved how the world wasn't dumped on me....she immersed me in it completely and then let it gradually unfold throughout the story and allowed me to discover it on my own. Kova’s world building was definitely a highlight and probably my favorite aspect of this first installment. I can’t wait to discover more!
-The Characters: I loved Ari! She is such a badass no nonsense female character who knows what she wants and how to get it and she just takes care of business (I mean she’s infamous in Loom as the White Wraith….how freaking cool is that)? Flor is definitely one of the side characters who kind of steal the show and the hearts of readers. I loved the relationship between her and Ari. Flor kind of grounds Ari and Ari fiercely protects Flor. I wasn’t sure about Cvareh at first (probably because he’s a dragon and our first introduction of him is from Ari’s point of view and she hates them. So I was a little wary of him….but he surprised me. He's kind of the calm to Ari's spit fire. I can’t wait to see how they develop in future installments!
-The plot/story line: I was completely immersed in this one from page one….I mean it starts with the White Wraith in the middle of a heist. Overall, the underdog character with vengeance on their mind, forging an unlikely alliance to overthrow those abusing power isn’t a new trope, but it didn’t feel tired in this because the world was new and intriguing and that provided a breath of fresh air.
I was provided a free digital copy of this title via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shaped or influenced my opinion. Thank you Netgalley and Keymaster Press for the review copy!
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
LOVE IT.
Characters are deep and layered and just so interesting.
The plot is new and full of twist and turns. Couldn’t predict what would happen next.
The world building is complex and although you don’t get to understand everything from the beginning, it’s so well interwoven into the story that at no point it hinders the reading experience and it really heightens the re-readability of the series.
The writing is easy and light to read.
Cvareh is the new love of my life. He defo stole my heart and I’m putting him on my list of heartthrobs for this year (2024).
If you’re looking for a fantasy with a little side of burgeoning romance and steam punk vibes, this one is defo for you!
Characters are deep and layered and just so interesting.
The plot is new and full of twist and turns. Couldn’t predict what would happen next.
The world building is complex and although you don’t get to understand everything from the beginning, it’s so well interwoven into the story that at no point it hinders the reading experience and it really heightens the re-readability of the series.
The writing is easy and light to read.
Cvareh is the new love of my life. He defo stole my heart and I’m putting him on my list of heartthrobs for this year (2024).
If you’re looking for a fantasy with a little side of burgeoning romance and steam punk vibes, this one is defo for you!
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
This is so different from Elise’s other books, but I enjoyed it so much!!
This is fast paced, unique, a little gory, with great characters, and a fascinating world. I loved our 3 main characters, Ari, Cvareh, and Florence. Florence is such a sweet addition and a good calming presence for both of them. The tension between Ari and Cvareh is DELICIOUS and I am shipping them so hard.
I’m completely bought into this world and can’t wait to see where the next book takes us
This is fast paced, unique, a little gory, with great characters, and a fascinating world. I loved our 3 main characters, Ari, Cvareh, and Florence. Florence is such a sweet addition and a good calming presence for both of them. The tension between Ari and Cvareh is DELICIOUS and I am shipping them so hard.
I’m completely bought into this world and can’t wait to see where the next book takes us
◦ I've received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ◦
⮞
⮞
adventurous
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes