A very fun and quick read!
It was very fun to follow the hero, very relucant i might add on his journey. I also loved the link between him and the beast. I also found Meri and his relationship to be very cute and funny.
I will hope for another book with them in it, and i will read it :3

Rose of the Alchemist is a YA fantasy on the order of Michael Scott's Alchemist and others that follow a young talented magical person coming into his own. The story is fast paced and interesting and I really enjoyed the plot. The ending hints at a follow-on, which I would love to read!

I wanted to read this book ever since I read that the main character, Xavier, has a special friend in the form of a Seraph Falcon named Jophiel.
And while the characters are likeable and the writing is engaging, I felt like many of the friendships and school things are rushed or too easily won or learned.
I often would have wished for things to take a bit more time - like the friendship building between Xavier and Yorek. Or Xavier studying Alchemy that came all too easy and fast for him even in the first lessons. He may have a special gift - which is also noticed by his professor too easily - but even then studying takes time.
I feel like the otherwise enjoyable story moves too fast whereas it could take more storytelling, making the characters and their relationships more relatable and giving everything more depth.
As it is, I didn't feel very connected to the characters, I wanted there to be something more. It still was a good story, though, and therefor a 3 star read for me.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for letting me read this book in exchange for a honest review.