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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 against another edition
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.
diaryofthebookdragon's review against another edition
4.0
Since [b:A Conspiracy of Alchemists|15849472|A Conspiracy of Alchemists (The Chronicle of Light and Shadow, #1)|Liesel Schwarz|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1351213445s/15849472.jpg|21595633] is Liesel Schwarz's debut novel I didn't know what to expect. The cover promised a lot of steampunk-ish goodness and that it will be set in Europe, Paris to be exact. I am glad to say that the book fulfilled all the promises and excited my expectations. It's rare to find a true steampunk novel these days. A lot of them seem like steampunk is added as an after-though to increase the sale - but that is not the case with [b:A Conspiracy of Alchemists|15849472|A Conspiracy of Alchemists (The Chronicle of Light and Shadow, #1)|Liesel Schwarz|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1351213445s/15849472.jpg|21595633]. This book is overflowing with intriguing steam powered contraptions: dirigibles, gyrocopters... Steam and magically powered machines are ingrained into every aspect of life to create a very interesting alternative Victorian age that you will wish it really existed (and you live in it of course).
Eleanor Chance or Elle is the pilot of small dirigible 'Water Lily'. When she is hired to transport a mysterious box from Paris to London, Elle gets more than she bargained for. All hell breaks lose as alchemists, warlocks,vampires Nightwalkers and other various creatures of Light and Shadow start to pursue her and threaten not only her but her family too. Luckily for us (and her), Elle is one of those kick-ass heroines that I adore. She does not only flaunt conventions by flying and wearing men's clothing, Elle also has enough spunk to fight for herself. You gotta love Elle's determination and she has one of the best motivational mottoes ever:
"Just because it hasn't been done before, does not mean that it is not possible."
So, I already told you to expect steampunk goodies and kick-ass heroine. But, wait there is more! If you like to travel (for real or via books), then this book has another treat for you, because Elle will follow trails to unmask conspiracy trough Paris, Oxford, Venice, Budapest and Constantinople. Of course, since [b:A Conspiracy of Alchemists|15849472|A Conspiracy of Alchemists (The Chronicle of Light and Shadow, #1)|Liesel Schwarz|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1351213445s/15849472.jpg|21595633] is not very long and there is so much going on, there will be no detailed descriptions, but I am satisfied with little glimpses of these amazing cities we got. And I hope more will come in the next books...
I keep going on and on how this book is great. So why the 4 star rating then, you are probably thinking. Well, the one aspect where this book fell short was romance. Don't get me wrong, I am totally satisfied if I have no romance whatsoever in a book, but if it's there is a love story - I want to feel the attraction. And that was not the case in [b:A Conspiracy of Alchemists|15849472|A Conspiracy of Alchemists (The Chronicle of Light and Shadow, #1)|Liesel Schwarz|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1351213445s/15849472.jpg|21595633]. Big plus is that there is no love triangle and it's not insta-love - the feelings between Elle and Hugh have a slow buildup, but still I didn't buy it. I could feel Elle's passion about everything else (her family, carier, etc.) but for Hugh - no sparks or butterflies whatsoever.
If we ignore this, [b:A Conspiracy of Alchemists|15849472|A Conspiracy of Alchemists (The Chronicle of Light and Shadow, #1)|Liesel Schwarz|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1351213445s/15849472.jpg|21595633] was a great mix of steampunk and fantasy that made me wish to make a road trip trough Europe, learn to fly a plane and kick some serious ass. *performs imaginary awesome roundhouse kick in her head* I'm glad that this is a series and I can't wait to read more about Elle's adventures.
My rating: 4.5 stars (flat romance lowered my rating)
I recommend this book to fans of: steampunk (duh), kick-ass heroines, heroines in strict historical societies that ignore the conventions and fight for their dreams and ideals, fans of urban fantasy who would like to spice it up with historical elements.
Disclaimer: I was given a free eBook by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for a honest review. This text is also posted on my blog Bookworm Dreams in a little bit more styled edition.
Eleanor Chance or Elle is the pilot of small dirigible 'Water Lily'. When she is hired to transport a mysterious box from Paris to London, Elle gets more than she bargained for. All hell breaks lose as alchemists, warlocks,
"Just because it hasn't been done before, does not mean that it is not possible."
So, I already told you to expect steampunk goodies and kick-ass heroine. But, wait there is more! If you like to travel (for real or via books), then this book has another treat for you, because Elle will follow trails to unmask conspiracy trough Paris, Oxford, Venice, Budapest and Constantinople. Of course, since [b:A Conspiracy of Alchemists|15849472|A Conspiracy of Alchemists (The Chronicle of Light and Shadow, #1)|Liesel Schwarz|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1351213445s/15849472.jpg|21595633] is not very long and there is so much going on, there will be no detailed descriptions, but I am satisfied with little glimpses of these amazing cities we got. And I hope more will come in the next books...
I keep going on and on how this book is great. So why the 4 star rating then, you are probably thinking. Well, the one aspect where this book fell short was romance. Don't get me wrong, I am totally satisfied if I have no romance whatsoever in a book, but if it's there is a love story - I want to feel the attraction. And that was not the case in [b:A Conspiracy of Alchemists|15849472|A Conspiracy of Alchemists (The Chronicle of Light and Shadow, #1)|Liesel Schwarz|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1351213445s/15849472.jpg|21595633]. Big plus is that there is no love triangle and it's not insta-love - the feelings between Elle and Hugh have a slow buildup, but still I didn't buy it. I could feel Elle's passion about everything else (her family, carier, etc.) but for Hugh - no sparks or butterflies whatsoever.
If we ignore this, [b:A Conspiracy of Alchemists|15849472|A Conspiracy of Alchemists (The Chronicle of Light and Shadow, #1)|Liesel Schwarz|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1351213445s/15849472.jpg|21595633] was a great mix of steampunk and fantasy that made me wish to make a road trip trough Europe, learn to fly a plane and kick some serious ass. *performs imaginary awesome roundhouse kick in her head* I'm glad that this is a series and I can't wait to read more about Elle's adventures.
My rating: 4.5 stars (flat romance lowered my rating)
I recommend this book to fans of: steampunk (duh), kick-ass heroines, heroines in strict historical societies that ignore the conventions and fight for their dreams and ideals, fans of urban fantasy who would like to spice it up with historical elements.
Disclaimer: I was given a free eBook by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for a honest review. This text is also posted on my blog Bookworm Dreams in a little bit more styled edition.