3.81 AVERAGE

maggieha's review

3.0

“Don’t let the shadows of the past smother the possibility for a bright future.”

While Elisa Kova's writing style definitely got better since her Air Awakens series, I didn't love this one quite as much.

There's brash, kick ass, admirable heroine - Also, yay! for the fact that for once she's not 17, but 22. I also really liked the fact that, while there were hints at f/m romance in this book, the MC identifies herself as bisexual.
As for the romance, I wasn't really connected to it, what little there was of it in this book, but I do think the romance has potential for the sequels.
The story is written in third person, in multiple POVs. The writing style is one of the things I loved more in this book than in Air Awakens.
All in all, while I found most of the characters likeable - especially the hard ass heroine - I couldn't really connect to them just yet.

The world buidling: it's really strange. After finishing this story, I'm still on the fence about some parts of it. The plotline throws you right in and doesn't explain much of the world surrounding the characters at first. There's many terms, different races, places etc to get used to. It's a mesh up of fantasy, steampunk and something akin to dystopia. It really is strange, and while I think it's something different and I like how imaginatively created the two worlds (Loom and Nova) are, I still don't know how to feel about it. For me, the world buidling may have been a little bit overdone, with not enough time to introduce readers to everything.
As for the storyline, very large part of the book is traveling to a ceratin destination.
Going to try out the sequel.

“Adulthood just meant finding the variety of crazy that resonated the most with you and doing it until you died or it killed you—whichever came first.”

devannm's review

4.0

review to follow
adventurous mysterious 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: Complicated

It's dystopian steampunk fantasy with alchemy and magic. The world building and story are excellent. How the people in this world interact with magic and science simultaneously is fascinating. 

3.75 out of 5 stars
antagonist's profile picture

antagonist's review

5.0

This review is for the entire series.

“Don’t let the shadows of the past smother the possibility for a bright future.”

This series was action-packed and a lot of fun to read. It has a lot of things I love in books; banter, female friendships, gays, heists, fantasy, badass women, and romance. I was totally invested in each character, their stories, and their personality development. The concept was super unique and I really enjoyed it.
kellygillespiewv's profile picture

kellygillespiewv's review

4.0

***Full review on wildandwonderfulreads.com

The Alchemists of Loom is a solid combination of genres; melding high-fantasy with steampunk and throwing in a dash of romance to keep things interesting! It’s truly an adventure in a fascinating world.

Elise Kova, bestselling author of the Air Awakens series, paints a stunning picture of the unique world she created in a very articulate manner. The multi-POV helped pace the story perfectly.

I loved the other elements that accompany the story, too, including the map of Loom, the pronunciation guide, and the symbols of the guilds. *Note to authors: These are super helpful for readers trying to find their way through the world(s) you imagined! Loom and its inhabitants do have a LOT to them, though, so might I recommend that you really pay attention!?! At times, I let my attention drift and had to backtrack to make sure I was following.

Now, RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU LIKE A UNIQUE PLOT *thrusts hand into air* You’re in the right place!

The Alchemists of Loom sets up a series so well! A decent amount of this book consists of a journey. But, it’s a journey that’s action packed with twists that kept me from putting the book down. This story has such an amazing arc, which is what a good book should do! And, of course, by the time I reached the end, I was itching for more.

Along with the killer world-building came the engrossing characters. I loved the three main characters — Ari, Cvareh, and Florence — equally. They seemed to really help each other grow! Plus (without saying too much), the banter between Ari and Cvareh kept me entertained, for sure. I loved how their relationship evolved.

Overall, I recommend The Alchemists of Loom! I feel like a wide variety of readers would enjoy this book because it crosses over reading levels and genres. I am absolutely going to pick up the next book soon!

4.5 stars
adventurous challenging emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Of course it ended on a cliffhanger!! Good thing I already have the next installment lined up 😂

I haven’t really read much steampunk genre, so it did take a bit to get into the story. The plot is interesting. I’m looking forward to finding out what exactly is Arianna and how her relationship is going to grow with Cvareh. Also, eww on Leona she was like— obsessed much lol
adventurous tense medium-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: Yes

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Incredible. So different from what I usually read, it was so refreshing. Loved it, can't wait to continue on with the series.