Alchemystic (The Spellmason Chronicles, #1)

Oct 15, 2012 Kat rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-release, format-paperback, where-shelf

Comes out October 2012. The first 3 chapters were in a sampler from Comic-con. I like Lexi so far. She seems interesting...don't know much about Stanis yet cuz he only just woke up. At a panel the author referred to this series as something along the lines of his Gargoyles fan boy moment which immediately got my attention since I loved them! Have pretty good expectations for this series :)

...

Ok finally got to read it. Liked it. Very much reminded me of my love of the Gargoyles tv show :) kinda...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Carmel (Rabid Reads) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

I'm not sure if this book was meant to be cute but that was my overall impression of Alchemystic. Alexandra, the heroine, is young and naive while as Stanis, the gargoyle, is old but has little memory of his past. Together they come across as the blind leading the blind but not in a bad way, this is where that cuteness factor I was talking about comes into play. One character has the will while as the other has the way and together they create a very neat team dynamic. I...more Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

I'm not sure if this book was meant to be cute but that was my overall impression of Alchemystic. Alexandra, the heroine, is young and naive while as Stanis, the gargoyle, is old but has little memory of his past. Together they come across as the blind leading the blind but not in a bad way, this is where that cuteness factor I was talking about comes into play. One character has the will while as the other has the way and together they create a very neat team dynamic. I enjoyed reading the two points of view, uncovering Belarus' secrets and the ending proves that this is just the beginning of The Spellmason Chronicles. Alchemystic has a unique story with delightful characters and plenty of mystery to keep you interested.

The pacing in this book is excellent; there's a nice, balanced ratio of world building to plot development. Strout's concept is well thought out and flawlessly executed. It felt like every word had a purpose and that the story unfurled exactly as planned. The gargoyle wakes up, Alexandra realizes that she inherited some of her great-great-grandfather's Spellmason skills and then the bad guys show up. Anton kept things simple, didn't over-burden readers with unnecessary details and delivered a solid first installment.

I enjoyed experiencing the story from both Alexandra and Stanis' POVs. It kept things fresh and allowed me to see first-hand the development of both characters. One's bubbly and gung-ho while the other is, well, stone-y (for lack of a better word). The gargoyle is pretty indifferent with regards to human society just so long as neither of his two master rules come into play: protect the family and remain unseen. However, as the story progresses, cracks begin to form in Stanis' barriers and he begins to experience emotions. Watching him feel pain, happiness and love for the first time in centuries was truly something to behold. Both protagonists undergo a remarkable amount of growth for just one book. Anton definitely has a knack for writing engaging characters because the minor ones are just as fun to get to know; especially Lexi's two BFFs, Marshall and Rory.

There's a bit of romance in this book which I assume is some good old fashion foreshadowing of things to come on Strout's part. But overall, this story is Urban Fantasy at its best and all about the action. The ending opens up one hell of a can of worms and, as a result, the next installment has made its way onto my 2013 must-read list. Alchemystic is a charming read that even manages to make gargoyles sexy! I loved every minute that I spent inside The Spellmason Chronicles and can't wait for my next visit.

(less)

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Apr 10, 2013 Melanie Rose Meadors rated it 5 of 5 stars

Funny story about this book...I'd have given it at least four stars anyway. I found it to be fun, fresh, and hell, it has GARGOYLES in it. While it had the darkish feeling that an urban fantasy should have, there was plenty of humor that didn't feel forced (forced humor is a pet peeve of mine), and I felt that the characters were relatable--really liked the dynamic between them. All good things. But this happens to be the book I brought with me on a cross-country trip to Seattle a few days befor...more

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Apr 05, 2013 Jamie Zalot rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Sci-Fi Fantasy Goth Fans

Recommended to Jamie by: Auto Recommended

For the Doctor Who fans out there, This is the opposite side of "BLINK". If you're not a Who fan go watch that episode, it's worth it anyway!
But back to the book. This girl, Alexandera, is the typical poor little rich girl who is mad because she can't get her way. She dislikes her brother, who wants her to join the family business. She wants to pursue the family's original trade art and architecture. After a big fight between the two of them, Lexi recieves a call that changes everything...
I f...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-kristie

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: A slow start but some peculiar characters and mythology make this Urban Fantasy a humorous read.

Opening Sentence: Waking was easy.

The Review:

Alchemystic sets up the beginning to an inventive and fun new series. Alexandra Belarus has no desire to go into the family business of real estate. Her family owns quite a few properties in the New York City area and they also have a legacy of amazing artwork created by Lexi’s great-great-grandfather....more

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Jan 15, 2013 Ryan Miller rated it 2 of 5 stars

At first read I thought perhaps my lack of experience with urban fantasy was the problem. There seemed so many holes in the book. So I did some more reading, and I found that the genre isn't to blame. This is a solid 2 star book. It'll keep you turning the pages, but barely.

The problem for this book is the character development, or lack thereof. Anton Strout needs to spend some time reading a few Stephen King novels. Characters drive a good story. This book is what happens when you have an admi...more At first read I thought perhaps my lack of experience with urban fantasy was the problem. There seemed so many holes in the book. So I did some more reading, and I found that the genre isn't to blame. This is a solid 2 star book. It'll keep you turning the pages, but barely.

The problem for this book is the character development, or lack thereof. Anton Strout needs to spend some time reading a few Stephen King novels. Characters drive a good story. This book is what happens when you have an admittedly good story drive your characters. This book reads like a Final Fantasy video game. The plot goes along, the bad guys get stronger and your characters level up suddenly gaining new abilities out of the blue. But in the real world and in the world of novels this doesn't work. The characters have to develop. Sure outside events can push them to become more than they would have normally, but just being around big events doesn't 'level up' your characters.

You have 4 main characters. Marshall is the quirky sidekick who doesn't really do much. (Although I can totally agree with his fear of going to jail because they don't have Magic: The Gathering tournaments there.) Stanis is the gargoyle, or grotesque as he prefers. His development is fine. There's not much that changes for this fellow until right at the end. He's a bit like Data in the Star Trek: TNG movies. He continually gains a little more character as the story progresses. Honestly he's by FAR the best written part of this book.

Lexi development is where things get derailed. At the beginning of the book Lexi is a sheltered artist. Her family is rich so she doesn't need to do much but paint and sculpt to her hearts content. Then her brother dies. Suddenly she's in charge of an empire of real estate. Apparently the author feels this is something that just anyone could do if they were thrust into the role with little to no training. When Lexi finds out that she comes from a line of stone masons she does some self-teaching and just picks it up. Over the course of perhaps a week or two we get to see her go from no believing that magic exists to being rather proficient. Sure she hasn't masters the advanced stuff, but hey, nothing another month of blind effort won't solve right? But as unbelievable as the changes in Lexi are, they pale in comparison to the leaps in character ‘development’ for Rory. Rory is a dancer. She agile and has good balance. That is until the plot needs someone to kick some ass. The suddenly she's disarming hired thugs and knocking them out with commando like moves. if that's not enough she holds off some armed guards with a pole arm. Apparently being in shape as a dancer turns you into a natural fighter. Rory and the others seem surprised at her ability to be the enforcer of the group but that's as far as the author feels they need to go here. Never is there a single discussion of where a willowy girl that spends her time studying dance has somehow become a martial artist.

Who should read this: People in waiting rooms. If you have nothing to do and this book is handy it'll pass the time. But if you're looking for a good book, or even a passingly fair book, look elsewhere.(less)

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Dec 31, 2012 Paranormal Haven rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews-by-ronnie-guest-reviewer

2.5 stars

Alchemystic is the story Alexandra Belalrus, an artist who has been living in New York City until tragedy strikes, and she’s forced to move back home with her parents at the Gramercy Park Building. “Lexi” struggles with doing the right thing and starts to learn the ins and outs of her family’s real estate business instead of pursuing her art career. The secrets behind Lexi’s bloodline and great-great grandfather are revealed pretty early on after being attacked on the street and saved b...more 2.5 stars

Alchemystic is the story Alexandra Belalrus, an artist who has been living in New York City until tragedy strikes, and she’s forced to move back home with her parents at the Gramercy Park Building. “Lexi” struggles with doing the right thing and starts to learn the ins and outs of her family’s real estate business instead of pursuing her art career. The secrets behind Lexi’s bloodline and great-great grandfather are revealed pretty early on after being attacked on the street and saved by the Gargoyle, who we come to know as “Stannis”.Lexi discovers that her great-grandfather, Alexander, was a Spellmason and could work magic on stone and she, too, possesses these particular abilities as well.

The book didn’t work for me on a couple of levels, but I will say that Alchemystic has a unique premise with strongly developed relationships and that is what made me continue on in reading the book. Early on, Lexi establishes what I’d call the embodiment of, “TSTL”. (For those who don’t know – TSTL – Too Stupid To Live) She makes bad choices, starting with not paying attention to where she’s going when she’s walking home alone.She goes out on her own after discovering that the man who held a knife to her throat was killed not far from her family’s home. But the really standout choice that Lexi makes is after she discovers what Stannis is and what his responsibilities entail, she decides to test out that particular theory by jumping off the side of a building. Just because that’s what you do when you find out your family has a protective Gargoyle guardian. I pretty much stopped caring what happened to Lexi right after I read that scene.

This was a book I had a lot of trouble getting through as well. I’d pick it up, read for a bit, then find a chore that took precedence over my reading time. I probably stopped and started the book about 8 or 9 times within a period of a few days. While I didn’t find myself drawn into the story, I did appreciate how the relationships were portrayed within the book. Lexi has two good friends, Marshall and Rory, that frequently come to her aid and question her decisions throughout the whole book. They tease, they fight and get mad at one another, and come to each other’s aid. This was one of the best parts of the entire novel. A lot of UF these days has protagonists that are loners with few, if any, friends. This was not the case with Alchemystic.

By the time the mystery of who is behind the attacks is revealed, I found myself to be rather bored and just wanted to finish the story for the sake of knowing how things are tied up. The supposed “twist” to who was behind the attacks wasn’t surprising and I really wished it had been otherwise. A unique premise in a crowded UF field, but fell short with the execution.
- Ronnie(less)

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Oct 06, 2012 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars

ePub/Urban Fantasy: About a quarter of the way through, I checked Amazon to see if this was a YA book. The book is written like a YA book and the publisher should have marketed as one.

The main character, Alexandra, is a likeable heroine. She even has her own "Scooby Gang" of friends. They are likable too. While there is a lot of exposition at the beginning describing the relationship Alexandra has with her brother, (which should have been done with narration not forced dialogue), there is reall...more ePub/Urban Fantasy: About a quarter of the way through, I checked Amazon to see if this was a YA book. The book is written like a YA book and the publisher should have marketed as one.

The main character, Alexandra, is a likeable heroine. She even has her own "Scooby Gang" of friends. They are likable too. While there is a lot of exposition at the beginning describing the relationship Alexandra has with her brother, (which should have been done with narration not forced dialogue), there is really no back story on any of the characters. Part of the plot I figured out quickly, but there were parts that did surprise me. I really liked that the author did not bog the book down with magic spells in some strange language. In other words, Strout uses exposition instead of phony words.

Our superhero and gargoyle, Stanis, needed more of a physical description, since he does not look like the picture on the front of the book. He doesn't look like a scarey gargoyle, but looks more like a man with long hair, I think. Alexandra is a grown woman, she would be looking a muscle tone, facial features, and frankly, his junk. I wasn't too crazy about Stanis, but the three characters around him made up for his lack of personality.

I felt there were some problems: Lack of consequences and reality completely thrown out the window. After seeing a security camera video snippet of Captain Sully landing a plane on the Hudson, we now know there are cameras everywhere in NYC. How a seven foot gargoyle never gets caught on camera is unreal. Also, Stanis, who probably weighs a ton or two of dead weight, has no problem landing anywhere and not collapsing balconies, roofs, or floors. There were no consequences to finding a dead body in the park. I don't care who her father is, the police would have formally questioned Alexandra and her friends. Alexandra's parents were another problem. I hated them. Strout wrote the parents characters in the eyes of a insolent child.

I know it sound like I didn't like the book, I did. I like when authors have new ideas instead of regurgitating old ones. I just had to read it like a YA book. I do feel that there could have been small changes like, high school instead of work, and it would have been perfect for a younger audience. (less)

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Oct 10, 2012 Spinneretta rated it 4 of 5 stars

Alchemystic is an Urban Fantasy novel, set in a world where Spellmasons (kind of like the Freemasons only with powerful alchemical magic)exist.
The heroine, Alexandra (Lexi) Belarus (Bell-air-us)is a young woman, heavily under the thumb of her father. She is a struggling artist, with a gifted artist of a great-great grandfather to live up to.
When Alexandra's life is suddenly in danger, she is rescued by a Grotesque (gargoyle to the masses) called Stanis, who was left to protect the family by her...more

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Apr 02, 2013 Judith rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, mystery, paranormal

This is the first book in The Spellmason Chronicles by Anton Strout. I picked this book up because I liked the cover and the blurb sounded interesting. I have always had a thing for gargoyles and this seemed a good fit.

The book opens from the point of view of the gargoyle, or as he prefers to be called a Grotesque, Stanis. It seems he only really awakens when the urge to Protect calls him. Otherwise, he is in some kind of half-wake state where he just absorbs and collects the changes going on ar...more This is the first book in The Spellmason Chronicles by Anton Strout. I picked this book up because I liked the cover and the blurb sounded interesting. I have always had a thing for gargoyles and this seemed a good fit.

The book opens from the point of view of the gargoyle, or as he prefers to be called a Grotesque, Stanis. It seems he only really awakens when the urge to Protect calls him. Otherwise, he is in some kind of half-wake state where he just absorbs and collects the changes going on around him without any real comprehension.

The second chapter gives us Alexandra, or Lexi as her friends and family call her, the main protagonist of this book. Her side of the story opens with an argument with her older brother defacing some of her art work. As a sculptor, she believes that their family heritage has more to do with the art and architecture of the Belarus family. Her brother Devon believes that is about managing their real estate holdings. Shortly after the argument, she gets a call from the police that her brother has been killed in a building collapse. He is identified by the family ring he was wearing holding the phone that he had just spoken to Lexi on.

Fast forward a couple of months, and Lexi is now hip deep in the family real estate business. She was forced to start learning as the last remaining Belarus heir. To keep her sanity in the nightmare that is the corporate world, she continues to try to work on her art at night. Unfortunately, she is constantly either late to or missing classes due to the family business commitments. Commitments which she only half-heartedly works at because its not the life she wants. Basically Lexi is a big ole hot mess.

Then, while walking home from class, Lexi is accosted and Stanis is awakened and comes to protect her. After a conversation between Lexi's accoster and Stanis, we find out that someone knows who Stanis is and believes that all the Belarus must be punished for what they did to Stanis. At first Lexi doesn't know how she escapes. Then with the next attempt at her life, she finds out a bout Stanis and his urge to Protect the Belarus family.

This was a very interesting book. I did like the way the story kept changing view points between Lexi and Stanis. There are lots of secrets and puzzles to be revealed and solved. Many go back generations. There were several times in the book I did the "Say what?" or "Really? Truly?" because the characters took huge leaps in faith several times. Things happened that I just could not wrap my head around as everyone just believing in and accepting as okay dokay. But that may just be me. I did enjoy the book and am interested to see where the author is going to go with the next book in the series, so I will be watching for it. I am giving it 3 stars on Goodreads. (less)

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Nov 11, 2012 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, read-and-reviewed

My favorite character:

It would have to be Alexandra (Lexi). She is a struggling artist who has the facets of humanity that I love. Some of these include intelligence, creativity, moral compass, and spirituality.

My thoughts:

The premise of the book is like nothing I've ever read. I like the thought of gargoyle as a real life protector and the elements of alchemy has always fascinated me. To see it brought to life in a book is awesome. This book is a mixture of action speckled with humor and compas...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Hollie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I found this book through Patrick Rothfuss's blog, as he often mentions his humorous professional rivalry with Anton Strout. As such, while this is obviously a more urban fantasy than what Pat writes, I guess I was expecting something equally thought out and eloquent, and this really wasn't. This was on par with most of the urban fantasy hitting the shelves now days, which is to say, mediocre. I really liked the premise, I watched that gargoyle cartoon too ;), but the writing, and ESPECIALLY the...more

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Nov 09, 2012 Theophania Elliott rated it 1 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book had such potential; the idea is original and the sketch of the characters in the blurb seemed to indicate the possibility of something really interesting.

Unfortunately, when I attempted to read it, I loathed this book so much I couldn't bear to finish it.

Usually, I will finish a book just so I can say I gave it every possible chance, just in case it improves drastically in the last four pages. Unfortunately, with Alchemystic, I decided that not only could it not possibly dig itself out...more

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Nov 24, 2012 Ronda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy_and_sci-fi, paranormal_twist, mystery, supernatural, urban-fantasy

Thoroughly enjoyed this story and getting to meet the characters and be introduced to a world that seemed surprisingly homey. I found myself frustrated at times with, what seemed to me, Alexandra's cavalier, spoiled attitude toward her friends, toward magic, and toward Stanis. That said, I suspect this is part of seeing her character grow up. There were some instances where I felt the story pacing was much like that of a graphic novel-some convenient coincidences that might or might not become p...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Tori [Book Faery] marked it as did-not-finish

Shelves: read-in-2012, reviewed

See this review in it's entirety at:
http://www.book-faery.blogspot.com

Alchemystic has an incredibly interesting premise, but I was not a fan of the writing style--which is ultimately why I could not continue reading this piece. I had no issue with the plot, but I also did not read enough of the book to be a good judge of said plot.

The heroine and her gargoyle sounded like the same exact character. In fact, I had a slight problem adjusting to the transitions between characters/chapters because of...more

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Jun 04, 2013 Lígia Bellini rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had so much fun reading the book!! Actually, i was surprised abt how awesome and interesting is the story! Its full of magic blended with creatures and puzzles!! Really cool!! The characters are nice! Actually, i enjoyed much more Rory and Marshall than Lexi, but all of them are really nice!! I just wanted to see more of Stanis! But as the story develops, more curious i felt abt Stanis, his feelings abt the emotions he started to "learn" and also abt his connection with the maker. I didnt expe...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Melinda rated it 4 of 5 stars

What to say about this book . . . .hummmm, yes, I really enjoyed it, but wow, Lexi just starts doing magic without really knowing what the consequences are going to be. Yes, I understand that there is no one to train her, but yikes.

So aside from that, I really am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Will Lexi be able to create others like Stanis?
What direction will Lexi's and Stanis's relationship go?
How are Lexi's friends going to fit into all the "magic"?
Will Lexi's parents...more

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Dec 23, 2012 Steven rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urbanfantasy

[Full disclosure: I know Anton Strout personally.]

Long time readers of my reviews might know that I often name-check Anton as the reason why I feel confident reviewing the works of people I know. I wasn't that kind to his first novel.

This is NOT Anton's first novel. It shows.

There's a good balance of action and humor, with just the right level of snarky asides to keep it from getting weighted down, but still feeling natural and compelling. The first third of the book sometimes slows a tiny bit...more

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Oct 11, 2012 Cathy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban, fantasy, magic-users, twitter-author, read-in-2012, paranormal

I'm sad to say that I didn't love this one. I felt like the main character, Lexi, was oddly detached. There was none of the humor or wryness that I expected from Strout. I didn't get a sense of her as anything other than generic heroine girl. OK fine, she wants to be an artist, she hates being pushed into business by her family, but what's her personality, what's her sense of humor or temper or anything else that makes her different from anyone else in the world? Especially when she's going to b...more I'm sad to say that I didn't love this one. I felt like the main character, Lexi, was oddly detached. There was none of the humor or wryness that I expected from Strout. I didn't get a sense of her as anything other than generic heroine girl. OK fine, she wants to be an artist, she hates being pushed into business by her family, but what's her personality, what's her sense of humor or temper or anything else that makes her different from anyone else in the world? Especially when she's going to be annoyingly suddenly good at magic and have all of the good leadership ideas and be heroically brave and not flipped out about any of this stuff, at the young age of 22, all of the urban fantasy stuff that annoys me; in that case then she really needed a strong personality to balance all of those generic qualities that bug me. And she didn't have them, she was just a blank. Her best friends were more interesting, Rory the dancer, it made bit of sense that she would be coordinated and able to fight using her strong and capable body. And Marshall the gamer, using his theoretical strategic knowledge for the first time in real life situations. Yes, they were both a little too brave to be believable, but they were trying to help defend their friend, and they did occasionally try to express the voice of reason as well. But I just felt like Lexi was a cipher.

The story was ok, but not great. Lexi figures out how to do magic very easily from reading her great-great-grandfather's books, it's just in her blood. She never seems particularly surprised at her new abilities, and her friends take all of this in stride as well. They almost get killed several times and the they pretty much take that in stride too. They're all very brave and heroic, just like I'm sure any one of us would be under the same circumstances. Except me, personally I'm no hero, and I'm well aware of my weakness in this department. You won't see me running onto a boat full of monsters or any other crazy thing that these kids did, but hey, no one is going to write a book about me, either. Anyway, the story proceeds along predictable lines, they achieve their goals step by step, there are no real surprises.

And there was lot of awkward and inconsistent dialog. Like when Stanis was asked if he wounds hurt and he said, "I wish I could say that they do not, but then I would be... What is the word...? Lying?" This was page 248, he's already narrated chapters, been eloquent, made jokes, yes he doesn't know some modern terms, but he certainly knew what lying is. It hadn't been established whether or not he could do it, but he sure as heck had a command of the basic English language, it was just slang that he had trouble with. If he could figure out what"effing" meant then "lying" was just weird.

Overall it was fine, just kind of lightweight and generic. Definitely not what I expected from this author. I don't mind it being something new and different, of course, but I needed more of a connection with the characters and would have enjoyed a more complex plot as well. But the cover is great, it's nice to see a cover that really represents the story inside. And a woman on a cover who isn't in some weird position, thrusting out her hip or holding a dagger in a position that no person would ever actually use.(less)

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Oct 04, 2012 Kt from A Book Obsession.. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: received-for-review

Review originally posted on my blog: A Book Obsession..

Unlike the rest of her real estate mogul family, Lexi Belarus is much more whimsical, preferring to surround herself in art like her great-great grandfather rather than focus on money. But everything changes when she is attacked and saved by a creature beyond imagination. Turns up dear old Grandad was involved in a lot more than just sculpture and real estate as he used alchemy and his Spellmason powers to create a gargoyle named Stanis out...more Review originally posted on my blog: A Book Obsession..

Unlike the rest of her real estate mogul family, Lexi Belarus is much more whimsical, preferring to surround herself in art like her great-great grandfather rather than focus on money. But everything changes when she is attacked and saved by a creature beyond imagination. Turns up dear old Grandad was involved in a lot more than just sculpture and real estate as he used alchemy and his Spellmason powers to create a gargoyle named Stanis out of stone to protect his family and legacy over the ages. Lexi quickly realizes that she has a bit of that same Spellmason power herself, albeit very rough and untrained, it still makes her an even bigger target for those who would seek to bring her family down. With time quickly running out on the protections placed upon her family home, she'll have to learn to master her abilities fast before even Stanis's protection isn't enough.

Lexi's voice in Alchemystic felt very fresh and unique. Although her talking about being a non-violent person at the beginning of the book was rather amusing to me as early on, it became very apparent that she has a rather nasty temper. Aside from that she's a fun and quirky girl who has a penchant for getting herself into trouble more often than not, but luckily she has fiercely loyal friends and her gargoyle protector to get her out of her messes relatively unscathed. In fact, the whole dynamic between the team really sucked me right into the book. Rory is like the sidekick friend everyone needs to have as she is spunky and fun, but also isn't afraid to speak her mind, especailly when she thinks Lexi is headed in the wrong direction. Also she can majorly kick butt, which honestly makes her rather awesome in my book. I even loved how Marshall's uber geekness in his role playing games wound up saving them more often than not. I mean the guy lives and breathes the stuff, but he also finds a way to apply that fantasy world into real life application when it matters most.

Now onto the gargoyle. Honestly, this was the number one factor that drew me to wanting to read this book. I'm still crazy in love with the Urban Fantasy genre, with the vamps, witches, fey, and weres galore, but I have to admit it is always refreshing to read about other types of creatures for a change of pace. I loved Stanis as he was very calm and steady throughout, being much like the stone he is made out of. Of course that does start to change as Lexi seeks to restore him to his full power, and bit by bit he gains a little more humanity. Don't get me wrong, he still is very strong and steady, there is just more emotion behind him rather than simple practicality. I cannot wait to see more of him in future books!

The magic behind Alchemystic was incredibly intriguing. It did take a while for any real answers to happen, but I never felt frustrated with the pace, as just enough was revealed to keep me moving along happily. That being said, I have a feeling the surface has only been scratched, and there will be so much more involved as Lexi learns more about her heritage and abilities. The only thing I could possibly complain about in Alchemystic was the complete lack of romance, which isn't really a complaint, but more of a stylistic preference. I will say that the intrigue of the story and the action kept me more than entertained, so I didn't miss the lack all that much in the end. All in all, Alchemystic was a very solid start to a new series, that will definitely be on my radar for future releases.
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Oct 21, 2012 April rated it 2 of 5 stars

A just OK urban fantasy about a female artist rebelling against the family business...until her brother dies and she is forced into it. Simultaneously, she is being attacked by mysterious strangers and saved by a gargoyle loyal to her family, who's the hunky love interest. My favorite characters were her two "buddies," a plucky diminutive dancer and her loyal but boring geek roomate. Something about this tale just seemed formulaic to me...not Stroudt's fault, but I like a little more humor when...more

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Apr 15, 2013 Coucher de soleil rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy-read

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. In general I enjoyed this one. It was an enjoyable light read.

Good points: The world building was interesting. For instance, I liked the aspect of alchemy/witchcraft as well as the origins of the story in Eastern Europe. The importance of the main character's ancestor to the story was also interesting. I did like the characters, with a caveat which I discuss below. We did learn some interesting details about the characters: for instance the main character wanted to be an artist and found herself...more

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Dec 23, 2012 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-read, series

Positive: A tangled mystery and plenty of puzzles left by Lexi's great-great-grandfather. Who wouldn't want a tower filled with strange puzzle boxes and scrambled texts? And if you decode said information, you just might unlock inherited powers that allow you to manipulate and transform stone itself?

Positive: The Scooby Gang. Lexi, Rory, Marshall and Stanis all work together to figure out the legacy left to Lexi by her G-G-GF and how to put Stanis back together (so to speak) and, as they puzzle...more Positive: A tangled mystery and plenty of puzzles left by Lexi's great-great-grandfather. Who wouldn't want a tower filled with strange puzzle boxes and scrambled texts? And if you decode said information, you just might unlock inherited powers that allow you to manipulate and transform stone itself?

Positive: The Scooby Gang. Lexi, Rory, Marshall and Stanis all work together to figure out the legacy left to Lexi by her G-G-GF and how to put Stanis back together (so to speak) and, as they puzzle out the puzzles, they kind of reminded me of Buffy's Scooby Gang. Lexi's the braun with the humor, Rory's the kick-ass chick, Marshall calls on his geek Dungeons and Dragons skills when needed, and Stanis is the pretty boy (okay, granted, he's stone but he's Angel with wings).

Positive: There's a gargoyle. A gargoyle! Named Stanis, no less! How can you go wrong? Awakened by the drive to protect the family, Stanis flexes his wings for the first time in ages and takes to the skies. He doesn't know who or what he is or any of his history but he's got Lexi, who's determined to help him. I do have a question, though: How does a several-ton creature land on rooftops and other places without collapsing them? Just curious.

Wish: Lexi wasn't so immature. Being in her 20's, Lexi is still allowed to be somewhat immature. However, many times, she behaves more like a petulant child than a young woman. She rushes headlong into situations without thinking, heedless of the danger she could be putting herself or her gang in. She messes with magic and things she doesn't yet understand because, well, because she can and because she always wanted to go to Hogwarts. Grow up, Lexi. (She does a bit better by the end of the book but she still has a long way to go. I'm going to blame her annoying parents and hideous brother for her immaturity. They're horrid.)

Overall: An intriguing addition to a crowded urban fantasy genre, ALCHEMYSTIC delivers on mystery and magic with a great cast of characters to boot.(less)

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Nov 20, 2012 Cheryl rated it 5 of 5 stars

Truly amazing book! I received an early copy of the paperback edition for review from Literal Addiction. I am already a fan of gargoyles. I was a fan of the cartoon and love seeing pictures of them and especially love seen buildings that have gargoyles carved into the architecture. Alchemystic was a great adventure. I loved every page of it. It was the story of Alexandra Belarus who comes from a family with a deep architectural history in Manhattan. The Belarus clan also has a secret which they...more Truly amazing book! I received an early copy of the paperback edition for review from Literal Addiction. I am already a fan of gargoyles. I was a fan of the cartoon and love seeing pictures of them and especially love seen buildings that have gargoyles carved into the architecture. Alchemystic was a great adventure. I loved every page of it. It was the story of Alexandra Belarus who comes from a family with a deep architectural history in Manhattan. The Belarus clan also has a secret which they were not even aware, Alexander Belarus was gifted in magic that could control stone. He did leave them protection from something they are not even aware is a danger to them, something from his past. This protection comes in the form of Stanis, the coolest gargoyle ever!

This book has some wonderful character development. There were times that I wanted to kick Alexandra. She had her moments of being obviously entitled, bossing her friends around as if they were her sidekicks until she was faced with how treating them that way might affect her relationship with them. We watch her grow as a person and as she comes into her gifts. Alexandra's parents have secrets of their own as do most people. What happens when family secrets come to light? Some serious tension which pushes this book's characters stand out more. Alexandra's relationship with her brother is best depicted by the opening scene of the book. Words cannot express my opinion of Devon. He has to be experienced by each reader for themselves.

The action and magic in this book was truly great. The fight scenes were very well written and they did not all involve Stanis, though he was truly bada**. We learn a lot about his background and what his desires and goals are and how he is driven to complete those goals. No other words describe it and I love a well developed action sequence. This book had several exciting action scenes and architectural exploration hunting for hidden items needed to solve a mystery. I loved being introduced to Anton Stout's creatures in this book and his own spin on alchemy and gargoyles. I am totally enthralled by this story and I am really ready to know when book two comes out because it promises to be a serious knuckle biter!

Review can also be seen at Lady Techies Book Musings at http://LadytechiesBookMusings.Blogspo...(less)

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Nov 21, 2012 Michelle Leah Olson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: literal-addiction-books, pub-arc, reviewed

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Guest Reviewer, LadyTechnie:

Truly amazing book! I received an early copy of the paperback edition for review from Literal Addiction. I am already a fan of gargoyles. I was a fan of the cartoon and love seeing pictures of them and especially love seen buildings that have gargoyles carved into the architecture. Alchemystic was a great adventure. I loved every page of it. It was the story of Alexandra Belarus who comes from a family with a deep architectural histo...more Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Guest Reviewer, LadyTechnie:

Truly amazing book! I received an early copy of the paperback edition for review from Literal Addiction. I am already a fan of gargoyles. I was a fan of the cartoon and love seeing pictures of them and especially love seen buildings that have gargoyles carved into the architecture. Alchemystic was a great adventure. I loved every page of it. It was the story of Alexandra Belarus who comes from a family with a deep architectural history in Manhattan. The Belarus clan also has a secret which they were not even aware, Alexander Belarus was gifted in magic that could control stone. He did leave them protection from something they are not even aware is a danger to them, something from his past. This protection comes in the form of Stanis, the coolest gargoyle ever!

This book has some wonderful character development. There were times that I wanted to kick Alexandra. She had her moments of being obviously entitled, bossing her friends around as if they were her sidekicks until she was faced with how treating them that way might affect her relationship with them. We watch her grow as a person and as she comes into her gifts. Alexandra's parents have secrets of their own as do most people. What happens when family secrets come to light? Some serious tension which pushes this book's characters stand out more. Alexandra's relationship with her brother is best depicted by the opening scene of the book. Words cannot express my opinion of Devon. He has to be experienced by each reader for themselves.

The action and magic in this book was truly great. The fight scenes were very well written and they did not all involve Stanis, though he was truly bada**. We learn a lot about his background and what his desires and goals are and how he is driven to complete those goals. No other words describe it and I love a well developed action sequence. This book had several exciting action scenes and architectural exploration hunting for hidden items needed to solve a mystery. I loved being introduced to Anton Stout's creatures in this book and his own spin on alchemy and gargoyles. I am totally enthralled by this story and I am really ready to know when book two comes out because it promises to be a serious knuckle biter!

LITERAL ADDICTION's Guest Reviewer gives Alchemystic 5 Skulls.
(less)

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Oct 04, 2012 Hobart rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads

Yay! Been waiting for this one for too long. Sure, I'd prefer a new Simon Canderous novel, but this makes up for it.

This isn't a conventional UF--your three human heroes are definitely not run-of-the-mill, which is nice; they're all likeable, which is nicer. You want to spend time with them, you want them to come out on top, you want the giant, nigh-humorless and nigh-invulnerable, living statue to come to their rescue. Which works out for everyone, because that's what the statue wants, too.

Sta...more

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Sep 21, 2012 Julie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

Posted at Yummy Men & Kick Ass Chicks

Alchemystic is the first book in the new The Spellmason Chronicles series by Anton Stout. Anton is an author that I have had on my radar for a while now but have yet to find the opportunity (or make the opportunity is more like it) to read him. So when I heard that he was coming out with a new series, I was looking forward to jumping on its first book. Yet as much as I was looking forward to reading this book, I have to say I was a bit disappointed.

This...more Posted at Yummy Men & Kick Ass Chicks

Alchemystic is the first book in the new The Spellmason Chronicles series by Anton Stout. Anton is an author that I have had on my radar for a while now but have yet to find the opportunity (or make the opportunity is more like it) to read him. So when I heard that he was coming out with a new series, I was looking forward to jumping on its first book. Yet as much as I was looking forward to reading this book, I have to say I was a bit disappointed.

This is the first book in a shiny new urban fantasy series so a certain amount of set up is expected, but I didn’t expect the beginning to feel so slow. The first 100 pages I found that hardly anything happened. Okay, yes, we meet the characters and get a feel for the world and we meet Stanis and get an idea about carvings infused with magic and so on…but there wasn’t any real action or anything to keep me glued to the page. Finally some interesting tidbits of information pop up and the main part of the story begins – Alexandra and her friends have to find the parts needed to ‘heal the stone’, basically making Stanis all that he could be and learning about creating more like him. That part of the story is well done.

By the way, Stanis is a gargoyle. Yup. A stone statue that ‘comes to life’ in the night hours in order to help the Belarus family (Alexandra’s, or Lexi’s, family). I enjoyed his character. There is a certain child-like innocence to him that is endearing.

Lexi was a strong character but sometimes, when she started whining about not wanting to be part of the family business, I found her a tad annoying. I don’t really blame her for complaining because her father is frustrating and her family is dealing with the huge tragedy that occurs at the beginning of the book, but still. Enough is enough. And before you ask, no Lexi does not get busy with a stone guy so get that out of your head. I mean…ew. This is not a romance book so for those of you who need romance in their books, this one is not going to be for you.

I really enjoyed Lexi’s friends Aurora and Marshall. They were a hoot together. I especially liked Marshall. He is your typical geek…and thanks to my husband, I understood much of what he was referring too! That alone made me giggle.

Something else I enjoyed was how some of the chapters were told from Lexi’s point of view and others from Stanis’. I liked getting inside both of their heads. Yes the odd time I would forget to read whose pov I was reading and had to go back a page or two to remind myself but that’s just me, being flighty while reading. *grin*

Overall, the premise for this book is great. Such a unique idea! It’s just that the slow beginning was a bit much for me. By the time the action hit, I was too far gone to thoroughly enjoy it. I am assuming that the next book will move along a lot quicker since the world and the characters will have been established but really, it is an interesting book with interesting characters and I’m curious to see where the series is going.

3 stars

And p.s. and totally not about this book, Anton hosts a podcast called Once & Future and it’s amazing. He interviews some of my favorite authors and the conversation he has with them is great. You guys should check it out if you can. :) (less)

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Oct 08, 2012 Christine Rains rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Belarus name is a powerful one in Manhattan. Alexandra has managed to avoid being recruited into the family business until her brother is killed. Giving up her art to help the family might have seemed difficult until she's attacked on the street and she discovers there's far more to her family's heritage than she ever dreamed. Alexandra's great-great-grandfather was a Spellmason and she's inherited his talent to work magic on stone. His last great creation was a gargoyle named Stanis. The gr...more

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Aug 26, 2012 Susan rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: couldn-t-get-through

This book keeps making me laugh in places I'm sure I'm not supposed to.

It's like...the author's trying to write from the perspective of someone centuries old but doesn't quite have the skills to pull it off and ended up sounding like a modern day teenager trying to be gothic and melodramatic. It's kind of hilarious.

Will read blurbs for the LOLZ but will not actually read the book, sorry. I don't think I'm supposed to be driven into fits of giggling over "A hunger awoke in my chest".

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Nov 20, 2012 Katie rated it 2 of 5 stars

This one has all the right elements that usually spell 'instant favourite' to me; strong characters with (mostly) believable talents, mysterious skills coming to light out of family secrets and a strong sense of location.
But somehow it falls flat. I found it hard going to finish and as much as I really wanted to like the characters, I felt like they were a bit wooden and lacking any sort of proper development.
I haven't read any of his other work, and wouldn't hesitate to try it out, but I would...more

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Alchemystic (The Spellmason Chronicles #1)

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