Scan barcode
A review by cammmiam
A Conspiracy of Alchemists by Liesel Schwarz
1.0
Meet Elle Chance - a young, stubborn, and independent minded English woman with a love of flying machines. As a pilot she is often employed to carry cargo from the continent over the Channel. On the most significant job to date she goes to Paris, meets up with an old friend, and is given a task. Elle is to take a wooden box into her possession and keep keep it safe. As payment she is given a diamond bracelet to wear. What follows is a journey across Europe as she goes in search of the father who is abducted under mysterious circumstances before her arrival home, along with the unraveling of Elle's past and destiny.
My biggest problem with this book is that it is set-up to leave the reader in the dark at the beginning. I did not understand the world that Elle lives in. Apparently it is an element of steampunk (and I'll be honest when I say that I continue to be uncertain about what that even means) and the paranormal. There is a clash between the realms of Shadow and Light, but it is never really explained until about 150 pages into the story. There were so many times that I considered abandoning this book because I did not understand it. To make the world even more convoluted there is also elements of mythology, for an Oracle is very important to the story and the energy of this world.
If you feel as if I am doing a bad job explaining then that is because the author never clearly explained things to me.
I tried to go for the ride with this book but I don't believe that I found it enjoyable. Confusion is a major turn-off for me when it comes to stories, as is the addition of far too many paranormal elements. I mean, the main love interest was a Warlock who is part of a council that is in competition with the scientific revolution to maintain their energy? What was the purpose of the final conspiracy, and did it even have a lasting impact? Unless you have an extreme fetish for steampunk paranormal then I would leave this book on whatever shelf you happen to find it.
My biggest problem with this book is that it is set-up to leave the reader in the dark at the beginning. I did not understand the world that Elle lives in. Apparently it is an element of steampunk (and I'll be honest when I say that I continue to be uncertain about what that even means) and the paranormal. There is a clash between the realms of Shadow and Light, but it is never really explained until about 150 pages into the story. There were so many times that I considered abandoning this book because I did not understand it. To make the world even more convoluted there is also elements of mythology, for an Oracle is very important to the story and the energy of this world.
If you feel as if I am doing a bad job explaining then that is because the author never clearly explained things to me.
I tried to go for the ride with this book but I don't believe that I found it enjoyable. Confusion is a major turn-off for me when it comes to stories, as is the addition of far too many paranormal elements. I mean, the main love interest was a Warlock who is part of a council that is in competition with the scientific revolution to maintain their energy? What was the purpose of the final conspiracy, and did it even have a lasting impact? Unless you have an extreme fetish for steampunk paranormal then I would leave this book on whatever shelf you happen to find it.