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christajls's review against another edition
4.0
This review originally posted at More Than Just Magic
When I started reading A Conspiracy of Alchemists my first thought was that I had opened up the steampunk version of The Transporter. Which would be awesome! And I was perfectly happy to settle in and read that story. But, like books often too, it became so much more than what I expected, and as a result was even more awesome than I hoped.
At its most basic A Conspiracy of Alchemists is the story of a girl, pushing against the constraints/expectations of her society and doing what needs to be done to rescue her father. Elle is a spunky, strong willed woman and when she sets her mind to something she is going to do it. Like getting her pilot’s license. Or flying an otherwise untested machine. I like reading about characters that have a strong head on their shoulders and know exactly what they want.
There is a big romantic element to this story but at the same time it doesn’t take away from the adventure of the central plot line. It’s easy to get annoyed if a protagonist is too focused on the romance when there are more important things going on. But Elle is like us. She knows there’s no time for distractions. There was a good balance between the main story and the romance. The swoon worthy moments were a nice break between the more intense scenes and they made me cheer for Elle and Hugh as a unit rather than just Elle on her own.
My one problem however with A Conspiracy of Alchemists was that sometimes I did get bogged down by unnecessary detail. At times it felt like a lot of extra elements were added in and you just wanted to get to the point. Other times I wanted those extra details expanded upon. Like the absinthe fairy. Hopefully some things get fleshed out/explored further in book 2.
Recommendation: Great for those who like a touch of romance with their action. Recommended for fans of Cassandare Clare’s Infernal Devices series and Kate Locke’s Immortal Empire series.
When I started reading A Conspiracy of Alchemists my first thought was that I had opened up the steampunk version of The Transporter. Which would be awesome! And I was perfectly happy to settle in and read that story. But, like books often too, it became so much more than what I expected, and as a result was even more awesome than I hoped.
At its most basic A Conspiracy of Alchemists is the story of a girl, pushing against the constraints/expectations of her society and doing what needs to be done to rescue her father. Elle is a spunky, strong willed woman and when she sets her mind to something she is going to do it. Like getting her pilot’s license. Or flying an otherwise untested machine. I like reading about characters that have a strong head on their shoulders and know exactly what they want.
There is a big romantic element to this story but at the same time it doesn’t take away from the adventure of the central plot line. It’s easy to get annoyed if a protagonist is too focused on the romance when there are more important things going on. But Elle is like us. She knows there’s no time for distractions. There was a good balance between the main story and the romance. The swoon worthy moments were a nice break between the more intense scenes and they made me cheer for Elle and Hugh as a unit rather than just Elle on her own.
My one problem however with A Conspiracy of Alchemists was that sometimes I did get bogged down by unnecessary detail. At times it felt like a lot of extra elements were added in and you just wanted to get to the point. Other times I wanted those extra details expanded upon. Like the absinthe fairy. Hopefully some things get fleshed out/explored further in book 2.
Recommendation: Great for those who like a touch of romance with their action. Recommended for fans of Cassandare Clare’s Infernal Devices series and Kate Locke’s Immortal Empire series.
blodeuedd's review against another edition
3.0
I have actually never read a steampunk that takes place in the early 1900s, so that was different. Because new things were already on the move, but then this book also mixes magic and tech. The world is divided into Light and Shadow. Magic and new inventions. And things have gone wrong in the past when one side has grown too strong.
Elle our heroine was strong and a woman pilot. She went for what she wanted and got it. The hero, Marsh is mysterious and someone she comes into contact with when she is hired to bring a parcel to England. He is a warlock, she does not believe in that nonsense. He has secrets, she is annoyed by that. He wants to tell her something, she starts to fall. Yes you see my point, they are quite the pair.
These two will have quite the adventure as..things happens. Again I will leave it at that. There will be magic, bad guys, vampires, an absinthe fairy and flying.
I enjoyed the story. It was light and the story always moved forward with a good pace, and threw a few surprises too.
The end was good too as it was a solid ending that I could live with. It did not end with a horrid cliffhanger, but still left a big danger still to come
Elle our heroine was strong and a woman pilot. She went for what she wanted and got it. The hero, Marsh is mysterious and someone she comes into contact with when she is hired to bring a parcel to England. He is a warlock, she does not believe in that nonsense. He has secrets, she is annoyed by that. He wants to tell her something, she starts to fall. Yes you see my point, they are quite the pair.
These two will have quite the adventure as..things happens. Again I will leave it at that. There will be magic, bad guys, vampires, an absinthe fairy and flying.
I enjoyed the story. It was light and the story always moved forward with a good pace, and threw a few surprises too.
The end was good too as it was a solid ending that I could live with. It did not end with a horrid cliffhanger, but still left a big danger still to come
mcfade28's review against another edition
3.0
A pretty generic steampunk fantasy novel with a plucky female lead, with a unknown destiny, and a mysterious gentleman who knows more than he's letting on.
I found it a bit flat, and the characters a little childish. It was OK but I wouldn't recommend.
I found it a bit flat, and the characters a little childish. It was OK but I wouldn't recommend.
awebster92's review against another edition
5.0
I am in love with this book! I finished it at work and stopped on my way home to get the second one. 5/5 stars!
cammmiam's review against another edition
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.
git_r_read's review against another edition
4.0
Steampunk genre is a favorite, but it doesn't always translate well into a good read. Thankfully, A CONSPIRACY OF ALCHEMISTS is in the right side of the thin line.
A fast-paced story with magic being a moving power as much as steam and science.
I really liked Eleanor 'Elle' Chance. She's gutsy and keeps on going even though others around her are trying to keep her lady-like and at home. She owns her own airship and has a successful freight business.
She also has magic to deal with, the dark kind. And a Viscount....the dark and handsome kind...
This is the beginning of a pretty nifty series. I look forward to the next in the series.
A fast-paced story with magic being a moving power as much as steam and science.
I really liked Eleanor 'Elle' Chance. She's gutsy and keeps on going even though others around her are trying to keep her lady-like and at home. She owns her own airship and has a successful freight business.
She also has magic to deal with, the dark kind. And a Viscount....the dark and handsome kind...
This is the beginning of a pretty nifty series. I look forward to the next in the series.
faitelle's review
3.0
This book was peculiarly painful &, at the end, I was left with a feeling of relief, rather than any desire to read the next book in the series.
The problem is...Schwarz can write, she can really write, & the first chapter was fantastic, with really vivid world building & a heroine who sounded capable & cool, like she was going to kick some real butt.
But none of this happened, rather than writing a fantastic adventure story Schwarz chose to write a fairly unconvincing romance with a hero who bored me to death, a heroine who was never allowed to live up to her potential & a whole host of questionable scenes including one, in particular, where a woman is made to feel she has 'cried rape'.
When world building or describing action scenes Schwarz really knew what she was doing, and I loved these moments, but I really wish the whole book had lived up to the promise of its opening lines 3*
The problem is...Schwarz can write, she can really write, & the first chapter was fantastic, with really vivid world building & a heroine who sounded capable & cool, like she was going to kick some real butt.
But none of this happened, rather than writing a fantastic adventure story Schwarz chose to write a fairly unconvincing romance with a hero who bored me to death, a heroine who was never allowed to live up to her potential & a whole host of questionable scenes including one, in particular, where a woman is made to feel she has 'cried rape'.
When world building or describing action scenes Schwarz really knew what she was doing, and I loved these moments, but I really wish the whole book had lived up to the promise of its opening lines 3*
veronica87's review against another edition
2.0
I decided to read this book because the two main characters, Elle and Marsh, were listed on a top ten steampunk couples list somewhere. Well, what a disappointment this turned out to be. The best word I can think of to describe this story is...superficial. Paper thin characters, flimsy world building, stilted dialogue that often seemed as though the author was plucking random sentences out of a hat and then writing them down. There was never a single emotion, and I use the term loosely because emotion implies depth that this story completely lacked, that was ever explored for more than two sentences. Everything just felt shallow, shallow, shallow. Some stories are the stick to your ribs meat and potatoes variety. Others are sweet desserts. This story was more like a scratch and sniff. I didn't care enough about any of it to bother reading more in this series.
hgranger's review against another edition
1.0
This book is bad. There is no other way of putting it — it promises steampunk and conspiracy, and delivers a confused mix of supernatural creatures who are there just to be there, not to actually move the story in any direction, and painfully awful romance. And if I have to read the words “little one” again in the near future I might scream.
The author has her protagonist, Elle, billed as a suffragette who goes against traditional roles for women, and has some supernatural power to boot. What she actually delivers is a petulant child who once in a while has a glimpse of gumption and the rest of the time demurely defers to Marsh, Patrice, her captors, random people on the street, blah blah. She goes off to save her father and packs a corset. She is busy worrying about her clothes and hair, her reactions to anything that happens are those of a spoiled tween, and her one thought when she is facing a serious threat is “but surely he doesn’t love me.” UGH!!! Also, despite her so-called powers she seems incapable of doing anything in her own when it comes to self-defense or getting out of trouble. The one time she does (kind of) save the day is because her powers set themselves off, not because of anything she actively does.🤮 She constantly talks about being a strong woman and a suffragette but never does anything to support these statement. I suddenly see Rachel Mariana Morgan in a completely different and positive light. That’s when you know it’s bad.
Marsh, who is supposed to be a 231 year old warlock is incapable of defending himself, let alone anyone else. In fact, the second time he tries fighting, one blow has him dying in the street. It’s truly a miracle that he’s survived this long. 🙄
The romance is sappy, forced, and completely without any chemistry. They’re in love because the author tells us so. The entire book was one long run-on of tell not show, interspersed by inane and pointless conversations that take the story nowhere and go on for pages.
There’s also the random racist statements thrown in for good measure; for example when speaking about the Chinese member of the warlock council who is described as a villain who sells opium to ruin Europe. (Presumably because he’s Chinese? Awful!!)
And just for the record; saying the words “spark reactor” over and over again doesn’t make a steampunk novel. What a disappointment.
The author has her protagonist, Elle, billed as a suffragette who goes against traditional roles for women, and has some supernatural power to boot. What she actually delivers is a petulant child who once in a while has a glimpse of gumption and the rest of the time demurely defers to Marsh, Patrice, her captors, random people on the street, blah blah. She goes off to save her father and packs a corset. She is busy worrying about her clothes and hair, her reactions to anything that happens are those of a spoiled tween, and her one thought when she is facing a serious threat is “but surely he doesn’t love me.” UGH!!! Also, despite her so-called powers she seems incapable of doing anything in her own when it comes to self-defense or getting out of trouble. The one time she does (kind of) save the day is because her powers set themselves off, not because of anything she actively does.🤮 She constantly talks about being a strong woman and a suffragette but never does anything to support these statement. I suddenly see Rachel Mariana Morgan in a completely different and positive light. That’s when you know it’s bad.
Marsh, who is supposed to be a 231 year old warlock is incapable of defending himself, let alone anyone else. In fact, the second time he tries fighting, one blow has him dying in the street. It’s truly a miracle that he’s survived this long. 🙄
The romance is sappy, forced, and completely without any chemistry. They’re in love because the author tells us so. The entire book was one long run-on of tell not show, interspersed by inane and pointless conversations that take the story nowhere and go on for pages.
There’s also the random racist statements thrown in for good measure; for example when speaking about the Chinese member of the warlock council who is described as a villain who sells opium to ruin Europe. (Presumably because he’s Chinese? Awful!!)
And just for the record; saying the words “spark reactor” over and over again doesn’t make a steampunk novel. What a disappointment.
moirwyn's review against another edition
4.0
For a full review, please see:
"A Conspiracy of Alchemists" by Liesel Schwarz http://wp.me/p1yTss-Kw
Overall, I'm pretty happy with this one. I've been trying to read more steampunk, but most of the ones I've read are hit or miss--either they are brilliant, or they try to do too much and don't do any of it well.
"A Conspiracy of Alchemists" is one of those feel-good, guilty pleasure love stories, but with gyrocopters and absinthe fairies. It brightened up a rough week, and as long as you don't go into it expecting something more serious, you're in for a fun read.
"A Conspiracy of Alchemists" by Liesel Schwarz http://wp.me/p1yTss-Kw
Overall, I'm pretty happy with this one. I've been trying to read more steampunk, but most of the ones I've read are hit or miss--either they are brilliant, or they try to do too much and don't do any of it well.
"A Conspiracy of Alchemists" is one of those feel-good, guilty pleasure love stories, but with gyrocopters and absinthe fairies. It brightened up a rough week, and as long as you don't go into it expecting something more serious, you're in for a fun read.