Loom is a Place of Gloom and Doom…
And honestly, is a perfectly constructed steampunk fantasy land, as things run off of magic, steam, and coal. Elise Kova did a masterful job of constructing the world of Loom, with rich descriptions of the settings, allowing a reader to feel the oppressive despair of the denizens of Loom, and to revile the harsh superiority of the dragons who live above them in the clouds. Image result for Steampunk CityThe world of the Alchemists of Loom is devoid of happiness, and seems to be largely lacking in human emotion, which is what makes the main characters stand out from the rest. Ari, the central character, is obsessed with revenge on the dragons for what they have done to Loom. Outside of her drive for revenge, her only other concern is keeping her student (and maybe former lover?) Florence, safe. Florence, meanwhile, is a ray of sunshine into the lives of those she trusts, being the only person in the story that is truly selfless. Cvareh, the dragon, is not human, but starts to feel rather human emotions the longer he remains with Ari and Florence on Loom, which could cost him dearly in his quest to overthrow that Dragon King. And while these characters failed to completely win me over, they were well all drawn and developed.

Image result for Steampunk MoviesAt times I started to really like this book, the adventure is fast paced, the battles are well described, and the premise is pretty cool too, being dystopian and steampunk fantasy rolled into one. But for me, the story never really took off. I never felt like I had a true handle on its direction, and I was left with more questions than answers at the end. The romance also fizzled, or maybe never happened…I would be interested to see what will be (or not) between Ari and Cvareh as their time together continues. Which means that, yes, I do intend to read the sequel. Although this book failed to hook me, Elise Kova is a wonderful writer, whose creativity and ability to paint with words is tough to match. People who are fans of steampunk would probably love The Alchemists of Loom; so although this one was not totally for me, I would still recommend it to fans of Ms. Kova, and to steampunk fanatics in general. All the ingredients for a truly epic series are present, if not yet fully realized, so for that reason, I look forward to the next installment, and hope to be hooked!

I got a copy of this book to review through NetGalley. Kova has also written the Air Awakens series which I have on my shelf to read but have not read yet. This was a well done fantasy story set in a very creative world. I did had some trouble staying engaged in the story because the writing style didn't flow all that smoothly.

The book starts out at a good fast pace and the initial character of Ari is intriguing. I loved this world of Dragons and the more human and shorter lived land dwellers. There are a lot of steampunk elements to the story and Kova did a great job of blending steampunk and fantasy elements together.

I am having trouble putting my finger on exactly what it was...but I struggled a bit with the writing style. I really had to focus to read it and the words just didn’t flow all the smoothly off the page for me. This resulted in me being easily distracted while reading the story and never feeling like the book really sucked me in.

Overall this was a solid steampunk fantasy. The world building is amazing and the characters are interesting. I struggling some with how the writing flowed and with staying engaged with the story. Given that, even though I enjoyed the world, I probably won’t read future books in this series.

What a riveting ride of a novel. Elise hooked me once again with her characters and the fantastic and gritty world she has created. Can't wait for the next book!

I liked The Alchemists of Loom, but not as much as Elise Kova's other series. I'm very excited to see Elise Kova become the next Michael Sullivan because her writing is definitely superb! So 4 out of 5 stars- it was a good story, but I definitely liked her first series better.

The Alchemists of Loom by Elise Kova combines intricate and exciting world-building with characters unlike any you’ve read recently. Steampunk gadgets, magic, and mythic creatures roam the pages of this book while a high fantasy novel is laying down its roots for the start of an amazing new series.

So, I admit, I fell in love with this cover immediately. But, Ms. Kova has been on my TBR list for a long time and I jumped at the chance to read her newest sci-fi/fantasy featuring a Chimera and Dragon as lead protagonists.
This world created for the Loom Series is surprisingly intricate and layered. There are three races that appear in the story (the Chimera, Dragon, and the Frenthri) each being unique in abilities and appearances, giving the story such a great and diversified vibe.

Separated by clouds and power is the realms of the Loom and Nova. The Loom houses five guilds (including the Harvest, Alchemi, Revits, Ravens, and the Revolve Guild Brands) that build and tinker with awesome steampunk gadgets and magic while the Nova is home to the three Dragon Houses (Rok, Tam, and Xin.) I don’t want to give you too much detail, as discovering everything is half the fun. There’s an appendix at the end of the book that makes for a great reference until you get familiar with the world.

Each character is fleshed out and compelling. Kova carefully reveals their innermost fears and desire, while keeping some great twists and reveal until the end. Though told mostly from Ari and Cvareh’s perspectives readers also are treated to a few important secondary characters that help round out the story.

Arianna (Ari) is the main character and is known also as the White Wraith. She is kick butt. A dagger-wielding, she leaps across the boundaries of Loom, vaulting into the night with only a golden cable as gears click in time to her falling. Bestill my heart, readers, she reminded me of Laura Croft (only she’s a Chimera bent on revenge) for a moment. Determined and driven, she has a plan and let no one stand in her way. A rogue, she uses her clockwork abilities and magic against Loom’s Dragon oppressors.

Cvareh is from the Dragon realm. Colorful and intense he is in appearances and manners all things opposite of Ari. He wants to help his sister usurp the current Dragon King and needs the Alchemist of Loom’s help in order to destroy his power. From the moment he appeared on the pages, I was hooked by his character. He’s fierce yet not afraid to let Ari lead in all her badness.

The relationship between Ari and Cvarech is very slow building. From basic enemies to something more. There are intense moments between these two and the dynamics are some of my favorite moments in the book. Verbal sparring is sprinkled throughout.

With all of these fantastic factors, I do want to mention that - though I really enjoyed The Alchemists of Loom, I struggled with the pace at times which is not normally a problem for me. I wanted more interaction between Ari and  Cvarech and there was pages of what I call ‘travel’ that slowed it all down for me. I set the book down but always came back eager to know what happened next. There is some really wonderful groundwork being laid for this series and I would just advise going into it with some patience.

The Alchemists of Loom is a great start to a new fantasy series. I’m excited to see where the next book goes and can’t wait for more of this exciting world and its characters. Recommended to readers who like intricate world building, weapon-wielding heroines, dangerous action scenes, and dragons that you might be tempted to kiss.

Through NetGalley I was awarded the opportunity to read this book before release and it was so exciting! I love World of Warcraft and while I completely understand this book has absolutely nothing to do with it all I could do was envision my characters in the same settings as the characters of this book were in. This book followed three people with differing abilities on a journey to end the reign of a correct King that was ruling with an evil thumb. These three people were not supposed to work together as within this book everyone was supposed to live and work with people of their own kind.

Filled with death, gore, happy, and sad moments I was hooked! I can't wait for the next in the series to come out. Give it a read! You won't regret it!

With a wholly original take on dragons, compelling characters, and a plot that moves at a breakneck pace, THE ALCHEMISTS OF LOOM is sure to be a big hit this year. I finally understand where all the Elise Kova love stems from!

The Fenthri, a trades-minded people who toil to create new inventions, are trapped by their lack of magic on the world of Loom and unable to reach the upper realm of Nova. For above the deadly God’s Line the dragons rule from Nova, keeping the Fenthri under their talons and quelling all attempts at rebellion. But with unrest building among the lower echelons of Nova, will the tyrannical Dragon King be caught unawares by the growing Fenthri resistance on Loom?

Cultures collide when Cvareh, an overlooked and low-ranked dragon crashes through the God’s Line and straight into the White Wraith, Loom’s most notorious criminal. Arianna, known as Ari to her student (and only friend) Florence, has dedicated her life to acting as the White Wraith and bringing down the dragons. But Ari’s motives are her own, and for reasons only she knows, she accepts Cvareh’s offer of a magical boon in exchange for ferrying him to the Alchemist’s Guild in the most remote part of Loom. Cvareh has his own secrets though, and as the trio is pursued across Loom by the ruthless King’s Riders it becomes clear that his trip to Loom is anything but an accident.

Elise Kova’s has a unique take on dragons, depicting them as semi-humanoid creatures with rainbow colouring, slitted eyes, and talons. She packs a ton of detail about the social structure of both Loom and Nova into the story, which was one of my favourite aspects of THE ALCHEMISTS OF LOOM. I was particularly struck by the guild structure of Loom: mandated by the Dragon King, Fenthri are assigned to guilds based on birth rather than ability…and those who lack skill in their assigned guild’s pursuits are executed as a method of population control. Ari remembers a time when the Fenthri studied all the guild’s arts and became Masters based on their inclination rather then the decree of a foreign despot. She will do anything to bring back those days, including compromising all her ideals by helping – and maybe even befriending – a dragon.

The characters in THE ALCHEMISTS OF LOOM are flawed yet lovable, particularly Ari. This is a woman who’s seen horrible war and suffering at the hands of the dragons, but her blind hatred and bigotry of their own species often gets in her way. While this is hardly a flattering quality, it made perfect sense given her own shadowy past and I appreciated the realism even when it made her behave like an ass. Plus homegirl is canonically queer (most likely bi, holla!) and none of the Fenthri have a problem with it, which made my heart happy. Florence was another personal favourite, as her goodness and willingness to trust made her a precious example of good people in a story about secrets, violence, and betrayal. She’s too pure for the Loom/Nova universe, y’all!

Given the intensity of the initial world building, I wouldn’t recommend this to newcomers to fantasy. But overall, THE ALCHEMISTS OF LOOM is an impressive fantasy opener that’s sure to please YA fantasy fans.

First things first, I am so thankful that I have chosen to be one of the bloggers who will host a tour of this book. Seriously, I want to read this book so much. I’ve tried all the giveaways I found that the price is an ARC of this book; unfortunately I didn’t win any of those. I’ve also tried requesting it on Netgalley but they rejected me. When finally, Ms Kova, the Dragon Queen, announced that there is an opening for the tour of this book, I immediately grabbed it and signed up. So I am very very thankful to Xpresso Book Tours for giving me the chance to read the book!!

Alright, let’s go to the review proper.

Oh, I’ll be putting quotes from the book in between paragraphs. You could read it but do not let it distract you from reading my whole review.

The reason why I wanted to read this is because I got curious of the title got pulled by the cover and got me wondering if the early reviews about this book are real. And it was, without a doubt, very real.

This book is amazing!

I don’t think I’ve read a book that talk about dragons and chimera before. This is the first book! This is also the first book I’ve read where the characters where not human-ish. Sure they have hands and body and other stuff very human-like but the skin color, the eyes and most of the stuff are so new to me! And it was so good!

The story got me hooked from the beginning! Though honestly when I was reading the first three pages I didn’t know what was going on. Then I continue and then the next thing I know is I’m on the 45% of the book. I know, it’s crazy. Whenever I read it, I feel like I’m flying through the pages. The plot is new to me. The flow of it is new and it got me thinking that I want to visit inside Ms Kova’s head just to see how it works because of this book. But then she said sometimes her head could get dark so I’d rather stay in books.

So, the characters! There were four main characters in the story in which the story was told in their point of views. I’ll go first with the Dragon King’s Master Rider, Leona.

Leona is not her full name. She is a she and she’s the Dragon King’s Master Rider and somewhat right hand woman. She is the kind of servant any king would want to have. She submits and she follows orders for her king. She does her duties excellently for the glory of the name of her king. I think she is just crazy madly in love with the Dragon King that is why she’ll do anything for him. Yup. It’s kind of weird to me that the king and the right hand woman have an affair. Though I think it’s quite fine because I didn’t hear anything about the dragon queen all throughout the book aside from that part where Leona wanted to challenge the queen to a duel so Leona could be the king’s mate. Though I am so glad on how she ended up in Arianna’s hands. Haha!


Next is the person Arianna cared the most, her student/apprentice Florence. Born a Raven but is a Revolver. A runaway. And a very adorable character. She is not the cotton candy sweet type of character but when it comes to Arianna being the way she is, I think Florence is Arianna’s positive and sweet vibe in her life. I couldn’t tell much about her character though. She didn’t make much impression to me compared to the other characters in the book. All I could say about her is that she had the biggest character development in all of them throughout the book.

Next is the dragon, Cvareh. I know. His name is hard to pronounce. But according to the pronunciation guide in the book, it’s pronounced as Suh-va-rey. I don’t know the correct spelling but I know that’s how you pronounce it. Lol! So Cvareh is the beginning of the plot of the book. He’s the harbinger. Lol. Did I really use that word? Man. Haha! So, yeah, he’s the reason why the book started its adventure. He wasn’t in good terms with Arianna at first because of Arianna’s hate towards dragons. But Cvareh has no other choice but to rely on Arianna to complete his mission. And along the way of the adventure, Cvareh developed a feeling towards Arianna. A feeling that I think is called infatuation. But I guess there is no such word in his dragon vocabulary. Haha! I like Cvareh’s character. He exchange banters with Arianna. Those times where he would think of things to say to her then expect her to cut him or finish him off. He seems to always know that whatever he says or tries to say to Arianna will either lead her to knocking him on his ass or cut him off but then say it anyway. I could say that he is one brave dragon.

Then lastly, the main character, Arianna. I gotta say this, I have a classmate with an almost same name as her. My classmate’s name is Arriane. And everytime I go to school and see Arriane in school, I always remember Arianna. Arianna is somehow a realistic main character in a story where badass woman exist. She’s like Black Widow, Lara Croft and then Sherlock Holmes combined. She’s smart, talented, strong and really really badass. Though she is not invincible. I’ve read a lot of books where the main characters were female and it seems like those characters were invincible and no weakness at all. In this book, Arianna isn’t invincible, she receives punches and blows from the enemies, and she got hurt but still fights back. There are times that I thought she’d lose in a fight but then tables turn and she ends up winning. I like that about her. It makes her more realistic than the others. Also, she has weakness. Mostly, main heroes’ or heroines’ weakness were not reveal in the book but got discovered instead. But not Arianna. It was obvious from the beginning what is her weakness, or rather who. Like I said, she’s perfectly imperfect. She’s awesome but has flaws. And I like that about her.

Now let’s go to the writing style.

The style is so easy to follow. It was really detailed, the fight scenes, the other stuff and the stuff that matters the most. It’s like I’m watching a movie inside my head while reading! Though sure enough it has a lot of violence because of the fight scenes, a lot of describing blood and wounds, I don’t think it has reach to a point where it needs to be limited to adults only. I mean, the fight scenes were the best scenes! And I have never read a fight scene where there were no blood and wounds. Lol!

This book is the most fantastic fantasy genre I’ve ever read. I like how it used magic and other fantasy stuff without getting the realistic parts of it. It’s both a fantasy and a reality, if that’s even possible.

This is a hard book to review. I spent nearly a week reading it, which is a long time for me when this book isn't that long. That being said, I really did like it. I mean, all anyone should have said to me about this book was 'dragons' and I would have wanted to read. I love when there are new and interesting ways of putting dragons into books.

I will begin by saying I loved the characters. I loved how flawed Ari was and how she wasn't a perfect character. She held a major grudge against all of dragon kind for reasons which aren't fully elaborated upon. She also holds mega secrets inside and she is like a vault of secrets really. She knows all this stuff and she doesn't like to let folks in to find it all out.

Then there is Florence, who is lovely and nice and always to give people the benefit of the doubt. She is sweet and pretty logical, but also very emotional. She isn't always brave and at the front of the action but she is all heart and has firm beliefs and even when she has to stand up against those she respects and cares for she will if it means she is standing up for what's right. She is almost like Ari's conscience at times.

And then there's Cvareh (whose name I've probably butchered because I am like a sieve when it comes to remembering book names). I think I liked him best. I mean, Ari was great with her shades of grey and mega secrets but Cvareh with his mission and determination and his pride and his willingness to learn and admit his wrong is awesome. I loved how his views of Loom changed as he actually got to know the people who inhabited the land and the people who were there to help him.

I just really enjoyed the book. The story was interesting and the pacing was ace and most importantly the world building was spot on. I mean, I kind of loved and hated being dropped into the action from the beginning with no introduction. It meant you had a steep learning curve right from the start but it also meant that you didn't have a chance to get bored as you learnt about this new world. You didn't have time as the action had already begun.

I discovered the work of Elise Kova in late 2015 and actually waited until the entire Air Awakens series was published to start reading them because I was very certain that what I’d seen in the blurbs and book previews was a talented fantasy author.

And with this newest series, I’m proven right yet again. Ms. Kova knows fantasy and is one hell of a writer (also, did you know book #2 is coming out in just three months? Wild!)

I was pulled in by tagline “her vengeance his vision” and though “steampunk” novels tend to not be up my alley (blame it on far too many badly done Victorian steampunk novels) I wanted to see how Ms. Kova would run with the idea. She had surprised me happily with her unique alterations to the familiar magic-imbued fantasy world concepts we all know in the Air Awakens series, so I had high hopes that she could take the steampunk concept somewhere exciting.

Overall, this novel greatly held my attention and didn’t fall victim to the things that had ruined the steampunk aesthetic for me in prior books. As expected, the world is neatly crafted with lots of original content like the three races (fenthri, chimera, and dragon), the structure of the worlds (Loom and Nova) and their societies (Loom’s social structure of guilds and Nova’s imposing hierarchy of Houses and titles), and the nature of the magic. But it’s not without its familiar elements too, which mostly are based in the steampunk-like technology and the social problems the characters and world face (which even managed to work in that fenthri originally were very accepting of same-sex relationships until the dragon’s regime took over and lets us learn that Ari is bisexual. It’s not super heavily explored or made a major issue, but I liked that it was acknowledged and included all the same).

I was quite taken with the plot; it’s simple enough in the blurb, which helps us keep a clear focus throughout the layers of subplot and character development, but ends up unfolding a bit more complexly. It’s full of action and danger, the pace is fast, the battles are fierce and frequent, and the air of something going wrong at any moment permeates the book’s atmosphere. Even though most of the book is dedicated to them travelling to the alchemist guild, there’s not really a dull moment because along the way—and in between all the face paced action—we spend a lot of time focusing on our characters, who are all equally interesting and enjoyable to read about. They grow and change with one another during this journey to the alchemists. All three of the mains stand in different places—Ari with her secrets, Cvareh with his Nova life and detachment from Loom’s reality, and Florence with her youthful nativity and fears—and this first book spends a lot of time seeing these things unfurl. Ari and Cvareh learn about one another and gain new perspective on each other and the different worlds they come from, while Florence grows up and becomes a more confident, driven person who wants to help bring a new vision of the future to fruition. The character driven plot points are very good at giving the book depth and meaning. It’s easy to care about their plights and respect their goals, which is crucial in a book being enjoyable.

I was a little lost on some of the world building stuff, but just as a heads up there’s a little guide at the end of the book that gives a rundown of the stuff like the guilds and dragon nobility and name pronunciation. I’d recommend book marking it for reference while reading or even reading it through once before you begin the book. It’s a little unconventional for a fantasy to just have a guide and not have lots of exposition in the actual story, but I personally don’t mind it. At the very least, it made it so the book didn’t interrupt its flow every few pages to roll out a few paragraphs explaining every new thing that popped up. Though I also wish it’d been put at the front so I’d have come across it sooner; I didn’t know it was there when I started and it’d have been helpful while reading. I managed to find my footing all the same without a guide’s help, but it took a little while. Also, there’s a lot of supplementary content on Ms. Kova’s website and social media that had been put up prior to the book’s release, so it might be worth it to go look there for more The Alchemists of Loom stuff.

To be honest, I don’t really have anything negative to say. The book does have a little bit of a serial/cliffhanger feel to it, but the ending does wrap up the first arc (getting to the alchemists) so it makes sense that the next big arc would be covered in the next book. I also appreciate that this book, while not beyond what the YA readers of Air Awakens could read an love, was marked as adult literature for its 22 and 40-something protagonists (though dragons age slower and live longer so Cverah isn’t like weirdly older than Ari). I got through the whole 380+ page book in one sitting, didn’t feel like I was dragging myself to the finish, and I feel pretty excited to read book #2 although I wasn’t left with “I NEED IT RIGHT NOW” feelings since the book leaves off on a good point for the readers to take a breath and pause. There’s just a whisper of romance in this one, so if we see more in the next books I’m assuming it’ll be more of a slow-burn than along the lines of insta-love. I recommend this to any reader of fantasy who likes bickering, snarky heroes, steampunk aesthetic, enjoys lots of action, and appreciates themes of overthrowing tyranny and fixing the social ills of the world.

*I was given a free copy of this title via Net Galley, but in no way does that affect my review and the opinions expressed in any way, for better or worse*

This was a strange and original fantasy, think quest style story, that really takes you on a ride. Though it was really fun, I had just a few issues with strange tropes that were being used in even stranger ways. Ari, known as the White Wraith winds up making a deal with a Dragon to transport him to guild known as the Alchemists of Loom who he believes can help him create an item to over throw a tyrannical king. Ari, Cvareh, and her assistant Flor set off to travel across much of what seems like the civilized world to reach this guild. All the while they're being pursued by this tyrannical king's 'elite' guards.

First off, I loved the people of this world. In general it seems that most humans are all of a gray or darker coloration. I'd love to know the reason for this, but it made for a very unique world in my mind. The Dragons, which are not real dragons in the traditional sense (I'm still not a hundred present clear on this), are all varied in color. The most interesting bit of these two races is the ability of one (the humans/Fens) to take aspects and powers of the Dragons. Meanwhile the Dragons rule the Fens, and enforce them into roles. This made for a promising setup. I wish we could have seen more of the politics of what being a chimera means, that you could do it and many people did is obvious. But there wasn't a lot about this in the larger scheme of things. I'm hoping more of this will be obvious in the next book.

The characters, that we got PoVs from, were interesting and varied. Ari was angry, foolishly so, and was often reined in by her assistant or her own common sense. Flor, the assistant, was kind and gentle but could pull out the big guns and really blow through people. And Cvareh managed to bring that culture clash attitude I'd expect from a being that never visited the surface of a world his people ruled. However another small issue I had with this trio was the weird dynamic between them. First off Ari and Flor seem to be in a relationship, and it is even explicitly stated within the first chapter or two that Flor shares Ari's bed. However nearly to the end we have Ari, after being kissed in a weird vampiric sharing of power, states that it's been 'so long' since she's been kissed. I'm still not sure what that was. Also, the love triangle dynamic that's starting seems to be the real romance. The Ari and Flor relationship was so glazed over, expressed only in worried hugs and glances that I felt a little cheated. While the secondary romance between Ari and another is much more explicitly stated and described. The consistency of this was a little odd for me.

Besides this the journey was interesting and fast paced. It went all over the map, changing in types of travel and giving us different views of different parts of the world. The pacing of the book leads me to believe it's not a HUGE world, but there is a lot crammed into it, which helped with the cramped steampunk aesthetic I think Elise Kova was going for. I found the elite guards that were pursuing the trio to be fairly disappointing as nearly all of our antagonists were dispatched with very little lasting harm to the team. I never felt they were in danger from external forces, however they did push at the emotional strings enough that I was more worried there that someone would get punched in the chest and killed.

It's definitely one that will be a strong swinger in the recent crop of YA fantasy novels. It's strong on the emotional talk, the arguing and drama between characters. Besides the small issues I had with gaps in world building, the very weird consistency of relationships, and the risk to the characters it's one I would say a lot of people would enjoy. Seems to fit very well for readers of ACoTaR and lighter and fast paced fantasies. If you're a fan of those it may be worth a read.

My final note, as seems to be the case lately, is to check out that beautiful cover. I didn't find any notes on who the cover artist is, but as soon as I find out I'll be following their work. It's lovely!

I expected great things from this book and it still managed to surprise, it surpassed my expectations and my love for Elise's writing has grown!! I think fans of Elise will truly enjoy her new series and I trust new readers will feel the same.

There's major world building in this book! But this doesn't mean the book is filled with long and tedious explanations or history, my impression was that as you read you get glimpses and bits of information about both worlds (yes, we have two, Loom and Nova) and their inhabitants; and I must say I found this formula to be more engaging as a reader, because unlike with other stories it didn't leave me frustrated that we didn't get the whole picture of what we were dealing with, it actually made me more curious because it lets your imagination run free, you start to wonder about what happened, make up theories.
I was surprised by the universe that Elise created in this book. You have Nova which is located on the sky and is where dragons live, not your regular dragons by the way; and then there's Loom on the ground and where the Fenthri live. Both races are so different, and I don't mean just physical appearance, their whole cultures and way of life were different. It's a very detailed and original universe, you can also find some new terms while you read this book, I quite liked that.

In the matter of characters. The Alchemists of Loom is told in 4 different points of view, which works perfect because you're not limited into the information you get if it was told only by a single character; this way you know what each one is thinking, your perspective is richer. These four characters are also as different as night from day, you have Arianna, Florence, Cvareh and Leona.
Arianna, is such a badass, she's fierce, strong, driven, stubborn, loyal, sassy, she's fantastic. Her past is tragic and it has affected the way she's living now, she can be harsh, but it never gets to a point where I felt annoyed by her attitude. Florence, is a sweetheart, intelligent, kind, so lovable. I loved the relationship between these two, like an older/younger sister relationship, in my opinion it was great that this wasn't a romantic situation because it highlighted their friendship. the bond they share.
Cvareh, who just entered my book boyfriend's list was also incredible, he's certainly different from other male characters I've read, I don't want to give too many details about the book because I just want everyone to be surprised. And Leona, well, she's definitely relentless.

The Alchemists of Loom has a very interesting plot, it's fast paced, with a fluid writing, there's lots of action, some romance as well although it's not one of the central elements, there's certainly bigger things happening, even so those moments where "love is in the air" were incredible. I'd also that that I think the first had of the book moves a bit slower, certainly it is the second half that has the more action and intensity in it but it was still pretty damn good, my congratulations to Elise on this fabulous book, I can't wait for the second one!!

Much like The Alchemists of Loom throws you into the thick of things early on, I have every intention of diving right into this review. There was a LOT going on in this book and the intricate layers to dissect made it all the sweeter a read. Prior to starting this book, I binge-read Elise Kova’s Air Awakens series and fell in love. I knew TAoL was sure to be another success and I wasn’t wrong.

The book begins with Ari, a thief off on a job that no one should be able to do but she can with ease. It brings her into contact with Cvareh, a Dragon and an enemy for being so. But they strike a deal and it starts a chain of events that will have you flying through this book.

To be honest, the beginning was a bit confusing. This book is more akin to the epic fantasies like the later Throne of Glass and Falling Kingdoms books, just without the build of a few books beforehand. You’re thrown right in and making sense of some of the world was somewhat off-putting so early on, but it quickly sped up.

This book has a huge story focus which I loved as I haven’t read one like that in a while, but I don’t think the characters suffered for it, as can be the case sometimes. I loved Ari. When I first met her in the story she reminded me of Inej from Six of Crows (well, more like Inej’s loud, sassy cousin). She can be short and snippy, and her distrust of Cvareh became repetitive at times, but she was also true to her companions.

I also loved her friend and “student,” if you will, Florence. She’s not the primary focus in the story but they have a strong bond that I wanted more of. She’s the balance between Ari and Cvareh who have this “enemies to friends to maybe something more” thing going on.

Cvareh is, not softer exactly, but more accepting and willing to trust than Ari. From the start, while his distaste for the situation is clear, he doesn’t let it stand in his way to the point that he’s spiting himself because of pride. I found him more relatable to read but I still think Ari is my favorite.

One other character gets a few chapters, working against the other three from the Dragon King’s side. Leona definitely had her goals lined up and wasn’t going to let anything stop her I loved that about her.

Now I mentioned the story playing a big role and it does. If you’re familiar with Kova’s other work you will likely find this book a bit shocking in comparison. I read them all back-to-back and the differences were huge. The Alchemists of Loom is unlike a world I’ve ever read about. From the places to the people, each bit of this world requires full imagination. Which, I think, made it harder to immediately fall into it because it’s not as familiar. You’re learning the lay of the land from snippets here and there. It made slow-going for understanding the world more fully but the more I read, the more everything cleared up and started clicking. Loom reminded me a bit of the world in Howl’s Moving Castle, with the combination of technology and magic intermingling.

I don’t really know what I expected coming into this book but it certainly wasn’t what I read and I couldn’t be happier about it. Kova has unleashed yet another amazing title into the world and I can’t wait to see where she takes this series in The Dragons of Nova.

So I have read my first Elise Kova book. I have been eying her work since the Air Awakens series came out last year, but I just have not gotten around to picking up the first book. When I found out she was coming out with another series, I knew I had to get my hands on it, especially when I heard it was steampunk with "warring" cultures.

First off, I just like to say that Elise has amazing writing ability. This book is so well written, I could easily imagine each character, object, and the world. I loved immersing myself in the world and the characters lives and Elise made that easy. It took me about 30 pages to absorb myself within the world and the characters, but after that I was fully invested and wanted to follow them on their journey in Loom. We follow the POVs of each character in this great trio as well as side characters, including those on the "bad" side.

From the beginning, this book was full of intrigue and action as the trio worked to complete their mission and also learn to work together. I really enjoyed the relationships between all of the characters and seeing them evolve over the course of the book. The end of the book left me with a lot of questions and theories about what we can expect in future books and I'm eagerly awaiting being able to read the sequel and see Ari, Cvareh, and Florence again.

*eARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review*

This book was amazing!! Loved everything about it. The world building, the characters, the drama...all of it was outstanding! Would highly recommend to all!

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review, a huge thank you to Keymaster Press

This is unbelievably epic with violent battles and heroic acts. The fight to save Loom and restore it to how it was once before, the struggle for power.

I have read a lot of Fantasy novels but this one is quite different and a first for me. I mean come on its about Dragons!!! I haven't read a Dragon book before so this was definitely a first and a surprise. This also put a lot of conjuring in my head to rest because I was mistaking for Elise's creation to the version in my head. At first I was thinking their appearance is the same to how I have always seen them, creature like. However that isn't the case, they may be called Dragons but their bodies are like humans in the sense they have arms, legs etc. Of course they are NOT HUMANS<----- BIG DIFFERENCE HERE, I MEAN THEIR APPEARANCE RESEMBLES LIKE ONE NOT THAT THEY ARE! Do you understand? Are you just as baffled as I am? I may have just confused myself with that sentence.

Arianna and Cvareh. OOHMYGOSH!!! They are both on fire! And oh my if I thought Aldrik had a tongue on him what about Arianna? She is feisty and fights back, never missing an opportunity to shutting anyone up, I love it. I do secretly wish I had her ability but then again that may land me in uncomfortable situations but I do want her tenacity. Cvareh may seem like a push over but don't judge him before meeting him sister or he may rip your heart out and I mean that literally. I don't know how to describe him really, I mean he is strong (not only because he has Dragon blood in him), loyal and persistent but I also liked how after imbibing (what a word eh? I learned a new word thanks to Elise!) they both seem to develop an intense connection that I could literally feel through the pages of my kindle on my iPhone. This is NO JOKE! Their relationship or likeness for each other was steady as the story progressed. I really liked that it wasn't rushed into, there was more to the story apart from the romance.

Ari and Cvareh have a agreement, if Ari takes Cvareh to Loom she can have his boon (which is like getting your wishes granted from a genie in a bottle). However, their journey is anything but simple. Along the way they face several hardships and maybe a few cleanliness problems too with a couple of moaning and groaning.

I also loved Flor, how can anyone not? I feel like she is just like me but better than me too. She is afraid yet fearless at the same time and this time she gets to travel with the white Wraith and not only does she learn things along the way she also implements change instantly. I was surprised with one choice she made I supposed in a sense she didn't really have much of a choice, I have no idea what I would do if I was in her position. Ari and Flor's relationship is strong, and the love these two share for one another is like anchor holding them on, I loved reading sweet moments between these two it was so adorable #friendshipgoals

From what I understand before Dono took over, people were free to learn from whichever Guild they pleased instead of being inclined to only one which I agree with, why would you only want to learn one skill when you can learn so many?

How did I forget to mention the mystery of what Ari is? She is a enigma.

“The Alchemists of the Loom”, by Elise Kova, which is about to be published in early January, 2017 should be on every fantasy reader’s list of books to purchase in 2017. I scored a copy from net galley, and read, actually devoured this book, in two days . The world building in this steampunk fantasy is impressive as are the characters, but the plot zipped, zipped along propelling this reader on a fun, fun read. Combining magic and engineering, fantastical creatures, artificial beings and nasty human dragons, the story has enough elements to entrance any reader.

Loom is populated by the human Fenthri, who used to belong to five guilds, the Rivets –mechanical engineers, the Revolvers, inventors of guns and developers of magical weapons, the Alchemists, transformers of people are the three are especially prominent in this story. But Loom has been subjugated by the warlike Dragons of Nova, a land above Loom, which has been led for hundreds of years by the Dragon King. The Dragons, magical creatures who look human but have golden blood, claws, and are impervious to most magic and heal themselves of most wounds, unless their heart is ripped from their body or their head is cut off. Plus the Dragons have magic. The Dragon King enforces his will on Loom with his Riders, Dragons who can fly down to Loom on gliders. Chimera, Fenthri who have been transfused with Dragon blood can also do magic.

As we enter the story, Ari, who goes by the nom de guerre, the White Wraith is busy robbing a refinery to obtain reagents, magical chemicals that have a high street value. While escaping she runs into Cvareh, a Dragon, who promises her a boon for her aid in taking him to the Alchemist’s Guild. Cvareh has stolen plans from the Dragon King, which he and his sister, a contender for the Dragon throne, think will be enough to usurp the King. But only the Alchemists' Guild can use the plans and they are all the way on the other side of Loom.

Enlisting the aid of her apprentice Florence, who started life as a Rivet, but is now a Revolver, Ari, Florence and Cvareh must travel across the world, while the Dragon Kin's Riders - three trained Dragons, led by the ruthless Leona, who killed her own sister for an earlier failure to stop Cvareh, will try to stop the quest. Ari is legendary, a famous thief, who uses her magic winch box and skills with blades on her jobs, but she has a backstory, hinted at in the novel, about a time before the Dragons subjugated Loom. Maybe a prior rebellion. Kova only drops a few hints here and there to whet the appetite.

There will be an insane jailbreak of a super secret island prison, a battle on an airship, underground travel on a fast moving Rivet train, and an epic fight between Ari and Leona. Some of Ari's secrets will be revealed early on. In the engine room of a sailship, she will re-engineer the boat's engine, only something a master Rivet could succeed at, but others you will have to learn on your own. Part adventure, part romance, part quest and all a success.

Will they survive to get to the Alchemists' Guild, and if so, will Cvareh be successful. Are the plans enough. Secrets will be spilled. All will be hurt, some killed, others transformed.

Kova's world is real, her characters interesting. The magic, machinery and world meshed together very well.

It is a winner.