my review will go live on my blog soon, MADFORBOOKSLUV.wordpress.com

I've heard so many great things about this author and the Air Awakens series so when I saw this one offered up on NetGalley I thought I would give it a shot. I unfortunately don't really have a lot to say to about this book. I didn't love it and I didn't hate it. There wasn't really anything that blew me away. The pace, especially in the beginning, was extremely slow and that almost never bodes well for me. The characters and plot felt similar to other popular fantasy novels and yet different enough that it wasn't a huge problem. I really enjoy world building in fantasy novels and I felt that the world building in this novel left me hanging a bit. At this point I don't know if I will continue on with the series.

Wow. It's a known fact that Elise Kova's Air Awakens series is one of my all-time favorite books. So you'd understand why I had doubts about going into a whole new world (without Vhalla & Aldrik!) Fortunately, these doubts were unfounded. This was an extremely captivating book, and it was nothing like Air Awakens! I was blown away by the complexity of the world & characters. The imagination and creativity needed must've been off the charts! Round of applause to Elise!

When I first started reading, I may have struggled a bit to get past the first 10-20% of the book. This was probably because it took a while to familiarize myself with the world & its characters. Seriously, when I say the world was complex, I mean it. It's overwhelming to a reader who usually sticks to YA Fantasy. This is high fantasy. However, when I got past the beginning & really started to connect to the characters, I was hooked. The book is told in the alternating POVs of Arianna, Cvareh, and Florence (and occasionally, Leona).

Don't expect the characters in this book to be the warm, heroic type, because they certainly aren't. They all come from different backgrounds and have their own agendas. Everyone is cutthroat as hell. I really grew to love everyone, though. Especially Arianna. The way Arianna's character is written at the beginning makes it hard for the reader to really connect with or even like her. However, as the story unfolds, we get glimpses into her past which really helps the reader put together a clearer picture of Ari. In a way, she reminded me of Celaena from ToG and Arya Stark from GoT.

My favorite thing about this book is the slow burn relationship of Ari and Cvareh. I'm a sucker for the enemies-to-reluctant-friends-to-lovers(¿) trope. I loved how hot and cold Ari's attitude was toward Cvareh at times and I absolutely loved how Cvareh wasn't having any of Ari's shit. Their relationship dynamic was really intense & complicated. There are obviously still quite a few secrets between them; I'm excited to see where they're headed in the next book! They're no Vhalla and Aldrik, but I still absolutely adored them.

Of course, Ari & Cvareh's isn't the only amazing relationship. The dynamic between Cvareh, Florence, and Ari was phenomenal; I loved reading their interactions! They all have such different personalities that really shine through on the page. Such well-rounded, dimensional characters!

This book wouldn't be what it is without the extraordinary plot and worldbuilding. The wonderfully set up atmosphere of the story, combined with the extremely detailed world, made for a kickass story. Elise really outdid herself with the worldbuilding in this one. The writing also contributed to the excellent worldbuilding. It really helped further immerse the reader into the story. It was excellent, as per usual.

In conclusion, if you're a fantasy or steampunk fan, then The Alchemists of Loom is sure to delight you. This is a world where the magical and the mechanical collide. Although it took me a while to acclimate to it, the world is wonderfully built and the atmosphere is wonderfully set up. The characters are very dimensional, with distinct personalities that really shine through on the page. Also, their relationship dynamics were very intriguing to read about. The Alchemists of Loom has it all -- a highly intelligent, unapologetic protagonist, an action-filled plot, an elaborate world, and superb writing. I'm so glad Elise Kova blessed us with this!

On this new world crafted by the creator of the Air Awakens series, aka Elise Kova, we get to meet and follow a new and different story full of blood, many settings and interesting characters. We get to meet Arianna, Florence, Cvareh and many other characters that give the story good (but not surprising) twists, but sadly, they weren’t enough to win my attention or excitement. The first time I heard about this book I actually thought I would enjoy it because it sounded dark, different and powerful, but I was like a 76% wrong. Yes, it was dark and different, but it wasn’t powerful enough to keep my attention on it, that’s why it took me almost three months to finish it! No, I’m not joking, it did take me three months to finish this and in the end, I thought things would get better and far more interesting, but take a guess…they didn’t (at least, not enough).

Once again, Elise Kova’s writing was great, but the pace was not. I felt like things on this book took forever to happen but oh well, that happens. The setting was big and diverse, but I didn’t found anything memorable about it—except for the underground tunnels, I loved them and what hides in them.

Throughout our main character’s journey to the Alchemists Guild, we get to meet some very important characters that either want to help them, or kill them. We get to meet Leona, the dragon King, Petra, Camile, Andre, Helen, Will, Sybil, Sophie and others, who make this story interesting on their own way, and bloody. I personally enjoyed Cvareh and Flor’s characters and the way they managed to bring different sides of Arianna into the light. But besides them, I found the rest of the cast "okay". Didn't fully hate them. Didn't fully love/enjoyed them.

In the end, “The Alchemists of Loom” wasn’t as great as I hoped it would be and it made me dread my way through it. I found that the pace of the story didn’t help at all, and even though the characters were "okay", the story was boring and forgettable and this book just…didn’t work as well as I wanted it to with me.

But still, just because I didn't enjoy it doesn't mean you won't either so don't be afraid to give it a try!

Thanks to Netgalley and Keymaster Press for giving me this book to review.

The Alchemists of Loom is a steampunk fantasy novel which had the potential to be an interesting and original story but I couldn’t get into it. The book did not explain things very well and was slow paced.

The thing I did not like most about this book is that I did not care about the characters and was not emotionally in what was happening to them. Ari is tough and unlike most main heroines she knows who she is and what she is capable of. Cvareh is mysterious, prideful and loyal. Florence is the nicest of the characters as she is smart and optimistic.

I wanted to like The Alchemists of Loom as I have heard a lot of positive things about Kova’s other series, Air Awakens. However, I could not get on with this book and DNF at 47%.

Okay so I have read about a third of it so far but I've been so busy with work I haven't had much time to read but the world building is amazing, I have yet to read a book by Elise Kova I didn't like. I definitely need to get back on track with this one. I'd give it 4 stars so far

I have attempted to read this novel several times but failed to connect with it. This had absolutely nothing to do with the quality of the writing. I would like to thank the publisher for granting me an advanced reading copy of the book and wish everyone involved with THE ALCHEMISTS OF LOOM the utmost success with it.

I unfortunately did not finish this novel and stopped at 15% as it just could not keep me interested.

This book had me at the synopsis and thankfully it didn’t disappoint. This was my first book by Elise Kova and due to the gloriousness that is The Alchemists of Loom it certainly won’t be my last!

In a nutshell:

-I loved the world building. So I kind of have an immense thing for books with maps (what fantasy nerd doesn’t right? They should totally sell these maps separately so that I can basically have fantasy map wallpaper in my room) Anyway….while I do love bookish maps it's really not just about the map itself. It’s really about the world in general. I can not tell you how far a well developed, intricate, complex world goes with me as a reader. I LOVE it. I love learning about its layout, its people, its political set up, its social structure, its history and how ALL of those things affect the plot and the decisions that are made by the characters. The Alchemists of Loom had this in spades AND she didn't dump the world on you...she immersed you in completely and then let it unfold gradually throughout the story and allowed the reader to discover it. Kova’s world building was definitely a highlight and probably my favorite aspect of this first installment. I can’t wait to discover more!

-The Characters: I loved Ari! She is such a sassy, no nonsense female character who knows what she wants and how to get it and she just takes care of business (I mean she’s infamous in Loom as the White Wraith….how freaking cool is that)? Flor is definitely one of the side characters who kind of steal the show and the hearts of readers. I loved the relationship between her and Ari. Flor kind of grounds Ari and Ari fiercely protects Flor. I wasn’t sure about Cvareh at first (probably because he’s a dragon and our first introduction of him is from Ari’s point of view and she hates them. So I was a little wary of him….but he surprised me. He's kind of the calm to Ari's spit fire. I can’t wait to see how they develop in future installments!

-The plot/story line: I was completely immersed in this one from page one….I mean it starts with the White Wraith in the middle of a heist. Overall, the underdog character with vengeance on their mind, forging an unlikely alliance to overthrow those abusing power isn’t a new trope, but it didn’t feel tired in this because the world was new and intriguing and that provided a breathe of fresh air.

I was provided a free digital copy of this title via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shaped or influenced my opinion. Thank you Netgalley and Keymaster Press for the review copy!

I mainly wanted to read The Alchemists of Loom because I have heard A LOT of amazing things about the author’s Air Awakens series. I also thought that it looked really cool (the cover is so lovely!). All in all, I had four main thoughts on The Alchemists of Loom:

1) This is not about actual dragons.

I don’t know what I was thinking when I read the blurb for The Alchemists of Loom but I thought that there were going to be actual dragons in this book. And there wasn’t. So if you’re super excited about a book about dragons I suggest you look elsewhere.

One of the fantasy beings in The Alchemists of Loom are called Dragons, and I suppose they have dragon-like qualities but they are largely anthropomorphic, as are the other beings (Creatures? Races? I don’t know) – Chimera and Fenthri. Chimera are Fenthri who have killed Dragons and made themselves into hybrids. And Fenthri seem to be pretty much human to be honest.

2) ARI IS BISEXUAL.

So the word isn’t used on page (which sucks a bit) but Ari’s previous lover was a woman, and she has current romantic (possibly sexual) feelings for a guy. It was such an amazing thing to stumble upon because when does fantasy ever have queer protagonists? Answer: hardly ever.

P l e a s e don’t erase her identity because so far I have only seen a handful of people actually mention the fact that Ari is bi, and not mentioning it is erasure. :)

(Ari could also be pan, of course.)

3) It does drag a little.

There are a lot of dramatic fighting scenes, which, to be honest, fell very flat for me. I was pretty bored every time there was a fighting scene, or an ‘Ari doing her magic wielding thing’ scene. They just didn’t have enough to them for me to enjoy reading so many. I will say that there was a lot thought and effort put into them, though. Every detail was very vivid – the scenes themselves just didn’t do it for me.

Aside from that The Alchemists of Loom has four points of view, and for me it was a little too much. I don’t mind multiple POVs when each character’s view gives me something different. But when three out of the four characters are with each other for almost the entire book I was left wondering why the POVs were swapping so much, especially when I felt like they didn’t add anything that the other characters couldn’t have.

Sometimes the POV would change at a really weird time and then scenes which would have been interesting were absent e.g. Ari gets separated from the group at one point and the POVs show her finding them gone and them finding their way out of these underground tunnels. How Ari got out, and why the group had to leave their hiding place to begin with weren’t included which I thought was really weird. It almost felt like the book could have done without this entire section because it wasn’t explored or explained enough.

4) I’ll likely read the next book.

I want more from the characters because I feel like The Alchemists of Loom only just scratched the surface of who they really are. Whilst the whole “evil overlord needs to be taken down” storyline isn’t one of my favourites I’m hoping that there is a more political side to it in the sequel (I LOVE political things in books).

Also, it would be amazing if Ari’s past relationship with her female lover was further explored because she was only mentioned in passing. I want to see how her relationship with Cvareh develops, too.

~

Overall I quite enjoyed The Alchemists of Loom. It wasn’t the most heart pounding fantasy I’ve read but it was interesting and has intrigued me enough to want to keep reading.

© 2017, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity. All rights reserved.

let me start this review by saying that i absolutely love flor and her and ari need to hurry up and get together.

that being said, i actually really enjoyed this book. it was a little confusing at first, but i grew into it and had no problems at all. (except cvareh getting in the way of my ship). the alchemists of loom opens up in the middle of a whole bunch of shit going down. ari is this genius-mastermind-thief-thing. it was really cool to read, but at the same time i was like "wtf is going on here? who's that? wait, what?". there wasn't a lot of world building to begin with. i thought this was a fantasy. it's not. well, maybe a little. it's a steampunk book. there's guns and stuff. explosions. (and two girls who love each other very much).

i love flor so much. she's such a sweet, innocent woman (is she a woman? i don't recall if ages were ever mentioned in this book...) anyway, i just want to say that i love flor. she's not appreciated enough. she deserves all the love. and explosives.

i didn't like ari to begin with but over the course of the book, she became more and more likeable. her development was so slowburn and well written. i want to know more about her past as she's so intriguing.

cvareh, aside from having the weirdest spelt name i've ever come across, is actually a pretty decent character. i wasn't too fond of him at first, especially with the hinted at romance (which i felt completely unnecessary and somewhat insta-lovey). i like the hate to love relationship he has with ari, especially since i hate this trope so much. you know good writing when you like something you usually can't stand.

i can't wait to read more books in this series and to see where things go. i've read the first two books in the air awakens series, and it feels like it's not even the same author. it's so different. (different in a good way) i like seeing authors develop their writing and grow as a person.

4.5 STARS

I am big fan of Air Awakens Series and couldn't wait to get my hands on this new series. Don't go into this book expecting it to be like Air, because it's not. This is a complex world mixed with elements of high fantasy and steam punk. The book begins mid-story and you slowly learn about the characters and world throughout the entire length of the book. I was little hesitant about the multiple POVs, but after a few chapters it fell into a smooth rhythm.

Arianna is a tough heroine with a dark but intriguing personality. I spent the book wanting to better understand her and the events that made her the jaded person she has become. I couldn't get enough of Florence and Cvareh's either. I absolutely loved the slow burn romance that appears to be developing and hope there's more in the next installment.

If you're a reader who enjoys unique series and not the same cookie cutter fantasy, I highly recommend giving this one a try.

THE MOST HIGH FANTASY THING I'VE READ IN A WHILE
I can’t remember the last time I read a novel where humans weren’t a species featured at all. THE ALCHEMISTS OF LOOM has three races/ species: dragons, fenthri, and chimera (!!). They’re humanoid in shape but that’s almost where the resemblance ends (fenthri would be the closest). The tensions and history between these races (mostly dragons vs everyone else) is the main driving force behind the plot. It took a while for me to piece together exactly who was who, which species had powers, what the conflict was, etc, but once I understood I loved the entire world.

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STEAMPUNK AND MAGIC
I love steampunk novels. The weapons and machines used in these worlds are always so cool. THE ALCHEMISTS OF LOOM combines steampunk instruments enhanced by magic. Ari’s winch gear in particular was so cool (it’s like a book version of the 3D manoeuvre gear from ATTACK ON TITAN). The world of Loom itself is also dirty and dark with that industrial steampunk vibe.

THE SHIPPING IS STRONG
There is no romance in THE ALCHEMISTS OF LOOM which is refreshing. But what made this even better was the hints of future romance between Ari and Cvareh subtly and slowly developing on the side. The super slow burn romances that take books to develop are my favourite kind, especially since Cvareh and Ari had that bickering banter to admiration thing going on. These ships build the tension beautifully. I really hope this ship happens because I NEED IT TO.

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UNIQUE MAGIC SYSTEM
In the world of Nova and Loom, only those with dragon organs (dragons and chimera) may have magic because the magic is stored in said dragon organs. Different organs have different magical abilities and the magic can also be filtered into gold (which drives all the magic enhanced steampunk devices). This concept was so cool and dark (there’s an organ trade because of it). I’ve never seen anything like this before and I really like it.

SO MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ARIANNA
Ari is my favourite character in THE ALCHEMISTS OF LOOM and there is so much more to her than I first thought. I initially wanted to read this novel because she’s an assassin (such a badass, she is!!) and chimera. Over the course of the novel we’re teased with hints and glimpses of her past and it’s generated so many questions. Her motivations are deep and buried and more detailed/ complicated than I expected. Not everything was answered in this first novel, but I’m glad it’s slowly being teased out for once, especially considering there is so much more to explore in the sequels.

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IN SUMMARY
THE ALCHEMISTS OF LOOM is something I recommend to lovers of high fantasy. At first I was enjoying it but wasn’t sure if I loved it, but the more I read the more it grew on me. The steampunk elements combined with a unique magic system was incredibly intriguing. I cannot wait to get my hands on THE DRAGONS OF NOVA to uncover more about certain characters pasts, explore Nova, and watch the plot unfold further (also to see more of my ship together because sjahksahfds)

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Keymaster Press for the opportunity to read and review The Alchemists of Loom by Elise Kova! This steampunk science fiction story begins in the middle of a mission. The mysterious White Wraith, Arianna, is a renowned thief and organ trader. She becomes drawn into helping a dragon, Cvareh, reach the Alchemists of Loom and the rebellion against the king that resides there. Along their way, they meet with old acquaintances, family members, help prisoner allies escape and surprise each other with the friendship and trust that grows between the two of them. Once they reach Loom, their eyes are opened to secrets and the resistance to the king that is actually occurring. The story ends on an intriguing cliff hanger. I rate this book 4 stars for the beautiful prose and intelligent and concise world building!

he Alchemists of Loom is a really well-written character-driven fantasy featuring a divided world. Here, there are two main places: Loom and Nova. Loom is where the Fenthri and Chimeras live, and its Nova where their "ruler" the Dragon Lord lives and governs from. It was the dragons that took over Loom, imposing their way of life on a people who had zero interest in doing things another way. Now, years later, it seems things are about to change. That brings us to the main character, Ari. Ari is a Chimera, which is essentially someone who was originally a Fenthri, who was then mixed up with harvested Dragon parts. Ari lives and breathes for her revenge against the Dragons, so when she rescues and agrees to help a fallen Dragon, no one is more surprised than herself. And, this unexpected act of assistance inadvertently sets off a chain reaction that will have repercussions both for Ari, those closest to her, and the world she lives in.

Cvareh, a Dragon, has traveled to Loom to locate and broken a deal with the Fenthri rebellion. Cvareh's sister is making a bid for the throne, but their family needs support and Cvareh thinks that the rebellion can help (he's even brought secret documents to prove he's serious). Unfortunately, Cvareh needs some help after he's seriously wounded, which comes in the form of a prickly Fenthri who makes no secret of her distrust and disgust for the Dragon people. A huge strength of the story of Alchemists of Loom is the relationship between Cvareh and Ari. The author spends a great deal of the time exploring that relationship; the automatic distrusts is not simply tossed aside, but both characters learn that not all of their assumptions are true. The fact that there is strong world building and well-developed characters is a huge point in this books favour, and exactly why I enjoyed reading it so much. And the fact that there is a hint of romance doesn't hurt either.

Kova has introduced a unique world populated with complex characters. Alchemists of Loom sets the stage for an exciting trilogy and I can't wait to get my hands on the next book. If you enjoyed V.E. Scwab's A Darker Shade of Magic, there will be a lot to like with Alchemists - like sparring main characters!

I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

My previous experiences with the works of this author prompted me to throw myself into this story without reserves. I said to say that I didn’t like this story as much as I expected. I knew that I’m going to have a harder time with this one because I’m not a big fan of steampunk stories but strangely the genre wasn’t the biggest deterrent for me in this book.

It took me 5-6 go before I could get further than the 4th chapter into the book thanks to the description of the created world. There is no doubt the author created an amazing, colorful and intricate world it’s confusing as hell. There is not enough information, introduction to things to help create a clear picture about the whole situation. There is a unique terminology, creatures, magical system in the book but not enough to go on. It was just hazy for me and after a while it started to annoy me that I didn’t know how to picture the characters or what exactly is going on. Sure around the end I gained a deeper understanding about the events but it would have been helpful to understand the plot from the beginning. Because of this I couldn’t fully immerse myself into the storyline.

The story is told from different point of views namely from Ari’s, Cvareh’s, Florence’s and Leona’s. Ari is the main character and she is sassy, sarcastic with a darker sense of humor. She is strong and talented and because of this I felt her being quite smug at times. She takes a lot of risks but wouldn’t do anything that jeopardizes Florence. They had a deep connection. She is an interesting character but I don’t know how I feel about her yet.
Cvareh is in a tricky situation so he is quite desperate when he meets Ari. He is really sweet and loyal. Not judgmental like Ari and really caring. Their relationship is complicating and progressing really slowly but steadily. At the end I wouldn’t exactly say that they have a romantic connection, it’s more like a deeply rooted partnership.
Leona represents the villain point of view. She worships the king and her priorities are straight according to this. She is ruthless and determined. I liked her parts; it’s really interesting to see what’s going around in her head. In my opinion she is the one who brought the fire into the plot.

Elise Kova has a fantastic and board imagination and maybe I didn’t like this book as much but I’m not too worried because I didn’t like the first book in Air awakens series as much either. It’s going to pick up in the next book I’m sure.

There's so much happening in this book that it's almost hard to keep up with the story. The author created a background that slowly fills in, and even in the end you barely start to put the pieces together. Definitely will be reading the sequel.

Originally Reviewed At: Mother/Gamer/Writer
Rating: 4 out of 5 Controllers
Review Source: NetGalley
Reviewer: Ariel

The Alchemists of Loom is the first in the Loom Saga series from author Elise Kova. Set in a steampunk world where Dragons rule the skies of Nova as well as the land of Loom. For fans of fantasy and steampunk, dragons, wars, rebellion, and stories told from multiple perspectives, I would highly recommend picking this one up.

The story is mostly told through the points of view of our three main characters, Ariana, Florence, and Cvareh, although we do occasionally get a chapter from a couple of minor characters as well. Ariana is a Chimera, a Fenthri who has combined Dragon blood and organs with her own, in order to use magic as Dragons do and heighten her own senses. Cvareh is a dragon from Nova, the land above the clouds, and Florence is Ariana’s pupil. The three characters are very different, yet they all serve one purpose. They are journeying to the Alchemist’s Guild in order to deliver some plans that will help overthrow the Dragon king who has taken over Loom.

Ariana runs across Cvareh early on in the book and is prepared to take his heart and eat it, like you do when you hate Dragons. He convinces her to let him live instead, and will give her a boon if she will help get him to the Alchemist’s Guild. The agreement is made, and adventure ensues as the trio begins their journey.

To be completely honest, I wasn’t expecting to like this book as much as I did. I had a hard time getting into it in the beginning, but once I did get into it, it proved to be really fast paced and exciting. I really enjoyed the characters, Ariana especially. She has a past, although we’re not entirely sure what it is, and it has definitely left her more hardened. And she does not trust Dragons at all, Cvareh included.

Cvareh was interesting. It would seem that the Fenthri on Loom are not the only ones who are being oppressed by the Dragon King. Determined to overthrow the king, Cvareh has stolen some schematics from the Dragon King and brought them down to Loom in order to see the device realized so that it may help the rebellion. As much as I liked him, he struck me as a little naive at times.

The one I didn’t expect to like as much as I did was Florence. With Ariana being a Chimera, and Cvareh being a Dragon, I kind of expected Florence to fade into the background, but she really held her own as a character and as a part of the group, especially towards the end. She has been studying under Ariana, but she isn’t afraid to tell Ari when she thinks she’s wrong. Her backbone really develops in the last few chapters and it was really exciting to watch her grow as a character.

The biggest issue I had with this book, and the reason it took me so long to get into it, was a lack of world building. I don’t want a big information dump at the beginning of the novel, but it would have been nice if certain things had been explained as we went along. There is an appendix in the back that has a few pronunciations that was helpful, but there was still a lot that I don’t feel like I got about the universe that Elise Kova has set up.

I am giving The Alchemists of Loom 4 out of 5 controllers. I seriously enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I was going to, and if there had been a bit more world building, it would have gotten a 5, hands down.