A Conspiracy of Alchemists (The Chronicle of Light and Shadow, #1)

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A Conspiracy of Alchemists (The Chronicles of Light and Shadow #1)

by Liesel Schwarz (Goodreads Author)

3.46 of 5 stars 3.46 · rating details · 404 ratings · 214 reviews

LEAVE IT TO CHANCE.

Eleanor “Elle” Chance, that is—a high-flying dirigible pilot with a taste for adventure and the heroine of this edgy new series that transforms elements of urban fantasy, steampunk, and paranormal romance into pure storytelling gold.

It is 1903, and the world is divided between light and shadow. On the side of light is a wondrous science that has transfor...more

Hardcover, 352 pages

Published March 5th 2013 by Del Rey (first published January 29th 2013)

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Mar 10, 2013 Maja rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-2012, favorites, historical-fiction, just-another-book-crush, romance, steampunk, so-many-vampires, the-fae-are-so-scary, totally-saw-that-coming, urban-fantasy, reviewed-in-2013

A Conspiracy of Alchemists is a surprisingly fun debut, a wonderful blend of steampunk, urban fantasy and paranormal romance. It’s perfect for fans of Meljean Brook’s Iron Seas series. The worldbuilding may be slightly inferior in comparison, but that’s only because Meljean Brook is the untouchable queen of the genre. Leisel Schwartz did not disappoint with her fabulously imaginative world full of alchemists, Nightwalkers, absint fairies and warlocks. The steampunk elements were great (gyrocopte...more

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Feb 24, 2013 Snuggles with Rainbows rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: haters, posers, and kittens

Shelves: absolute-trash, arc-review, dazed-and-confused, dropped-like-a-hat, lame-writing, meh, not-worth-the-hype, pie-time, waste-of-my-time

Oh how painful this book was. Sorry guys I’m too cranky to make this a long, and drawn out affair. So this will be a short and hopefully civil review.

Let’s cut to the chase, so here is the run down on all its shortcomings:

1. The main character is SO boring. She has no personality what so ever. The people around her were more fun than her. It would have been kind of nice if this was Ernest Hemingway doing his fly-on-the-wall story thing…but it’s not and this was lame at best.

2. The story was just...more

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Mar 08, 2013 Vincent Ripley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

On a recent trip to Paris, I visited my favourite Parisian bookshop, Shakespeare & Company, situated in the breath-taking region of Notre Dame Cathedral. It was an especially welcomed visit on a particularly cold and rainy day. This was the first book that I selected fron the vast shelves of books. The cracking book cover first drew me in. However, it soon turned out to be a book that I particularly liked the sound of. Interestingly, the book begins in Paris in 1903 - that'sfate if you ask m...more On a recent trip to Paris, I visited my favourite Parisian bookshop, Shakespeare & Company, situated in the breath-taking region of Notre Dame Cathedral. It was an especially welcomed visit on a particularly cold and rainy day. This was the first book that I selected fron the vast shelves of books. The cracking book cover first drew me in. However, it soon turned out to be a book that I particularly liked the sound of. Interestingly, the book begins in Paris in 1903 - that'sfate if you ask me! It will come as no surprise that I really needed to read this book during my wonderful stay.

This is the first book in The Chronicles of Light and Shadow series. It is a brilliant debut book that encompasses so many fantastic elements into one book. It is based around a nineteenth century gothic setting which is particularly mesmerising to read. It has so much distinctive details that it will take your breath away. The fantastic steampunk elements are set in the golden age of steam with spark reactors powering nearly everything from airships to the coffee machine on the Orient Express.

The Light and Shadow realms are weaved into the real world - spirited fairies mingling with the Nightwalkers. This brings a much needed supernatural element to the book that will give readers a lot of enjoyment. Blood-thirsty in nature, they roam the dark hours of the night and walk openly among the unsuspecting populace reeking havoc.

The mysterious Mr March is a human Warlock who lives for centuries. However, he showed no particular magical powers throughout the book and, in my opinion, needed perhaps a little bit more spark to do the role justice. The Alchemists on the other hand were great fun to read about as they plotted to unleash a magical apocalypse. Stylishly written in a particularly imaginative and creative way they really add to the story.

Elle Chance is the main character - she shares her perspectives and feelings throughout the story. She creates an inner glow that is radiated through every page and leaves you feeling very content. She's a particularly feisty female in charge of her own business - a small flight freight service. However, one day, a cargo that was supposed to be delivered sends her life through a changing set of events. These prove to be pretty spectacular events that hold some punchy twists and turns.

The books attention to detail really makes it stand out and makes for a fantastic reading experience. The only thing that perhaps let this book down was the romantic liaison between the two lead characters. It got a little too much towards the end of the book. I would have preferred to have seen a different approach as it spoilt it a little bit. Nevertheless, this book is a fantastic read full of surprises. As part of a series, I hope that the next book will deliver another eclectic mix of all things good.
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May 09, 2013 Julia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy, new-to-me-2013, 2013-completed

An entertaining, imaginative steampunk-fantasy mashup. Although the main character's mood swings were occasionally offputtingly abrupt, and at certain times the dialogue was of a sort of Dick-Van-Dyke-as-a-Cockney twee-ness, overall I enjoyed it. And I actually will read the next one when it comes out!

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Dec 19, 2012 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, owned, to-file

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for reviewing purposes.

Conspiracy of Alchemists is a refreshing change to the current spate of urban fantasy. As the first novel in what I hope will be a series, the readers are introduced to a unique world where steampunk and magic are mixed into a delightful universe. The heroine, Elle Chance, has a strength and vulnerability that I Iook forward to seeing develop as the character matures. I also enjoyed the way the major and minor suppor...more

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Feb 28, 2013 Hazel G. (I ♥ Mr. Grey) *Craves the Angst Reviews* . rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fantasy, Steampunk, Paranormal, Romance Lovers

Recommended to Hazel G. (I ♥ Mr. Grey) *Craves the Angst Reviews* by: NetGalley

Shelves: action-adventure, fantasy, historical-romance, paranormal, romance, science-fiction, steampunk

Find This and Other Reviews At Craves The Angst.

4.5 Big Magical Stars!
This book Completely Blew Me Away! Fun, exciting and different – A Must Read!

A Conspiracy of Alchemists is the first book in The Chronicles of Light and Shadow Series and is a Fantasy Steampunk, Paranormal Romance written by Liesel Schwarz. I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review by Random House Publishing Group through NetGalley.

The Review:
This read was fantastic! I had so much fun reading it and was amazed at...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Liza Barrett rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk

A Conspiracy of Alchemists was a very intriguing read on the whole. I didn't immediately care for the characters, in spite of Elle's avant-garde attitude I normally quite enjoy, but as the story unfolded, I found myself more and more engaged in their lives. As a female aircraft pilot, she naturally has a certain amount of attitude towards women's rights in a time where they are not automatically assumed. And when asked to deliver a special package off-the-books, Elle hesitates, but accepts. Unbe...more

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Mar 07, 2013 Karissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a debut novel by Schwarz and the first book in The Chronicle of Light and Shadow. This second book will be titled A Clockwork Heart and is scheduled for an August 2013 release. I really enjoyed this book. It was an entertaining and fun Victorian steampunk read.

Elle is a lady pilot who has trouble getting jobs because she is female. As a result she does some less than savory work for Patrice delivering packages that need the utmost discretion. When Patrice asks her to deliver a small box,...more This is a debut novel by Schwarz and the first book in The Chronicle of Light and Shadow. This second book will be titled A Clockwork Heart and is scheduled for an August 2013 release. I really enjoyed this book. It was an entertaining and fun Victorian steampunk read.

Elle is a lady pilot who has trouble getting jobs because she is female. As a result she does some less than savory work for Patrice delivering packages that need the utmost discretion. When Patrice asks her to deliver a small box, something warns her that this isn’t going to go well. Accompanying her is the devilishly handsome (and probably just as troublesome) Mr. Marsh. Before the delivery is complete Elle will find herself plunged into the world of Shadow and hunted for strange abilities she doesn’t even know she has.

This was a fast-paced and well written read. Elle is a spunky, yet sometimes vulnerable, female lead who is tons of fun to read about. I really enjoyed her. As the book progresses Elle develops interesting powers. I am very curious to see what happens with her abilities in future books.

Marsh is a wonderfully complex character as well, full of many hidden secrets. He is also absolutely to-die-for handsome and respectful and supportive of Elle. He was a wonderful male lead, and great fun to read about.

There are tons of nifty steampunk devices throughout this novel, Schwarz did an excellent job describing and researching all of this. Schwarz is obviously a huge steampunk fan and describes her steampunkish devices in wonderful detail. I really enjoyed reading about them.

The novel is a wonderful blend of steampunk, mystery, and a bit of romance. There is a lot of action and the novel is very fast-paced. I had trouble putting it down and was completely drawn into to this world where Light (tech) battles Shadow (magic).

The book was well written and easy to read. I also enjoyed that this was a well done and complete story. The Epilogue starts a little storyline that will be addressed in the next book.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, is was pure fun to read. There is lots of witty banter and humor in here, as well as an intriguing world and engaging characters. So if you enjoy steampunk, faeries, and some romance this is definitely a book you don’t want to miss. I really enjoyed it and will definitely be reading the next one in the series.(less)

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Feb 05, 2013 Christal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs, steam-punk, 2013-rlftci-book-count, 2013-rlftci-covers, alt-history, fae, lesser-known-creatures, magic, magical-or-paranormal, multiple-leads, vampires, witches-warlocks-and-mages, 2013-nbrc

See this review and others like it at BadassBookReviews.com!

I was originally drawn to his book because of the stunning cover, but A Conspiracy of Alchemists proved to be a really fun start to this new steampunk series. Liesel Schwarz has created a novel filled with quirky and humorous characters. It seems like they could fill many more books with the troubles… I mean adventures… they are sure to find themselves in!

Eleanor “Elle” Chance was wonderful as the lead female character and I liked her i...more See this review and others like it at BadassBookReviews.com!

I was originally drawn to his book because of the stunning cover, but A Conspiracy of Alchemists proved to be a really fun start to this new steampunk series. Liesel Schwarz has created a novel filled with quirky and humorous characters. It seems like they could fill many more books with the troubles… I mean adventures… they are sure to find themselves in!

Eleanor “Elle” Chance was wonderful as the lead female character and I liked her immediately. She wasn’t toned down by society and instead chose to like her life in her own way. She was smart and very resourceful when it came to flying machines. She was very strong, yet we saw a gentle vulnerability in her character due to some things in her past. Hugh Marsh on the other hand, the male lead, took me a while to warm up too. He came off as very gruff and at times condescending at the beginning, but it was nice to see his character slowly evolve as they story went along. He gradually opened himself up to both the reader and Elle and proved to be a sensitive, thoughtful man. I liked their playfulness together and I am eager to see how they develop as a couple.

The supporting characters were also well-done in this book, but my favorite has to be Louisa. Though she is a vampire, she was still polite and playful with Elle and I could see them developing into good friends. I do think she has more going on than we know though and I am eager to learn more about her. I am also interested in learning more about the faeries, especially Adele the absinthe faerie that made a home in Elle’s bracelet. I have to say that Ms. Schwarz fooled me in the end with one character; I completely did not see their betrayal coming.

The world-building was fairly well done, but I hope that it continues to develop in future books. I feel like we don’t know everything we need to about the magical world, called the Shadow world. The war between Light and Shadow was touched on but I think there is still a lot of history to be unveiled. The Warlock council and the Alchemists also still need a little more elaboration. The Oracle plot point is off to a good beginning, but I feel like we will learn more about it as Elle does in future books. I did like all the flying technology that the author incorporated, but I would like to see those steampunk elements spread into other layers of the story as well.

I know I will definitely continue with this series as I found the story enjoyable and the characters just plain fun. If you’re a fan of steampunk or historical fiction with touches of the paranormal, give this series a try. I also think this one would be appropriate for the YA bracket.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Del Ray for providing an ARC copy of this book!(less)

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Feb 21, 2013 Kara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, blog-tour, didn-t-live-up-to-expectations, fae, for-review, historical, magic, paranormal, steampunk, tlc-book-tours, vampires, witches, wow-worldbuilding

In theory, A Conspiracy of Alchemists has all the elements of a book I should love. And I did like quite a bit of it. But there were several issues that kept this from being a favorite of mine. I'll get to those in a minute, but first I need to applaud the author for getting all things steampunk right. No, seriously. Some books claim they are steampunk but there is very little actual steampunk in the novel. This book has airships, automatons, sky pirates, bad-ass inventions, appropriate fashions...more In theory, A Conspiracy of Alchemists has all the elements of a book I should love. And I did like quite a bit of it. But there were several issues that kept this from being a favorite of mine. I'll get to those in a minute, but first I need to applaud the author for getting all things steampunk right. No, seriously. Some books claim they are steampunk but there is very little actual steampunk in the novel. This book has airships, automatons, sky pirates, bad-ass inventions, appropriate fashions, and all manner of other things. And lots of tea. Because tea is awesome, you know.

What this book is is a mash-up of paranormal and steampunk. It's detailed (but not overly detailed), and filled with gorgeous imagery and sense of place. I adored the flow of the writing and the author's word choices. The paranormal creatures are interesting and added some exciting spice to the story. I have quite a soft spot for the absinthe fairy named Adele.

Elle Chance is an airship pilot. And she is pretty skilled and awesome at it. She gets into a bit of trouble though when a man named Marsh comes into her life and her inventor father is kidnapped. From there, it is a race to save her father, face her true destiny, and stop the alchemists from blending shadow and light and taking over the world.

Elle is strong, but she is stubborn. And...there were times she got on my nerves. One of my least favorite plot devices is when a character tries to tell another character something important, but they refuse to hear it just to drag out the plot. That happened in this book when Marsh tried to tell Elle something about her destiny but she was too stubborn to listen and she stormed off. Okay, no. That is sooo frustrating as a reader, and in my honest opinion, is completely lazy writing. It only happened once, but it was enough for me to knock off a half star.

And then I also had issues with the pacing. Or plot events, rather. It's a bit difficult to explain, but there were a couple of times when I got bored because I thought there was excessive dialogue and not much was going on. There were quite a few conversations that I felt could have been shortened up. There were even some characters that were introduced that I felt could have been left out of the plot entirely. It just moved a bit to slow for me. I like my dialogue very balanced in my books and it was just a bit too much. I wanted the plot tightened up a bit.

That said, now that it is a couple of days since I have finished, I have come to the conclusion that I liked this book a little better than I thought I did. And the main reason is Elle. I simple liked her personality. Except for that one incident I mentioned, I liked how determined she was in everything she did. She's a memorable heroine. Flawed but not unlikable. And not only was she memorable, but so was the world that Liesl Schwartz created. She managed to introduce some historical events to the narrative and it brought some brilliant realism to the story.

I wished I like this book as much as many of my friends have, but I did still like it even though it wasn't a favorite. I'm not sure if I will be sticking around for the sequel, but I think I might. It all entirely depends on what the book is about, and as of now there is no blurb. If you are a fan of steampunk and strong world-building, I would recommend A Conspiracy of Alchemists for you.
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Feb 20, 2013 Tim Roast rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book starts off at a great pace with much intrigue surrounding a box that Eleanor (Elle) Chance, a female dirigible pilot, has been tasked with transporting. But straight away there is a chase as the box obviously contains something of value.

And after a rip-roaring start the pace slows a bit and Elle manages to escape to Oxford with her companions Patrice and Mr Marsh but finds out that her father has been kidnapped. Bit-by-bit, with the help (or hindrance) of Mr Marsh or Lord Greychester a...more

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Jun 08, 2013 Rayven rated it 5 of 5 stars

Steampunk as a genre itself has taken off like gangbusters and we have seen an influx of stories being published and not all of them good. However Steampunk author Liesel Schwarz has done a fantastic job with “The Conspiracy of Alchemists”. Keeping true to the genre this story is full of swashbuckling adventure, Intrigue, steam powered flying machines, myth and magic! What more could one ask for?

The story follows the spirited heroine Eleanor Chance, who is in a class all her own. Captain of her...more Steampunk as a genre itself has taken off like gangbusters and we have seen an influx of stories being published and not all of them good. However Steampunk author Liesel Schwarz has done a fantastic job with “The Conspiracy of Alchemists”. Keeping true to the genre this story is full of swashbuckling adventure, Intrigue, steam powered flying machines, myth and magic! What more could one ask for?

The story follows the spirited heroine Eleanor Chance, who is in a class all her own. Captain of her own airship the “Water Lilly” she takes cargo from one city to the next. She lived a fairly adventurous life until the fateful day when her friend Patrice asked Elle to transport a special cargo and her whole life turned upside down, and much to her surprise her father the professor has been kidnapped. Ellie is thrown together with Viscount Greychester (Marsh) and the two of them embark on adventure that unknowing could result in the end of the world as we know it.
As with most Steampunk adventures I have read, the one thing that all the good stories have are well thought out plot lines. You can tell that Liesel Schwarz knew exactly where the story was going even with the multiple subplots throughout the book the author had one destination and that was to keep you on the edge of your seat and keep you guessing. I will say there was a slight twist at the end that I did not see coming!

As much as I loved the story, I found myself loving the characters as well. The Heroine Elle is complex and is full of spunk and determination and clearly has a mind of her own. Ellis is trusting and this I fear may be her one downfall, trusting the wrong people put her in danger. She is the only character that is fully fleshed out, but then again the series is about her. The supporting characters were two dimensional and could have been fleshed out more, however they brought much to the story. We get a glimpse of the kind of man Viscount Greychester is though out the story, how he is being driven by his feelings for Elle and throws caution to the wind to keep her safe from the Council and the Alchemists.

The book is extremely well written and I enjoyed the authors writing style, she kept me engaged and sometimes on the edge of my seat. My favorite part of this story, was the feeling of intrigue and mystery. So if you are up for a very exciting read then I highly recommend this book!

The Conspiracy of Alchemists can be found on Amazon for $7.99 for the kindle version and is 352 pages long. Though it may seem a bit pricey for a Kindle book you are getting your money’s worth. With that said I give this book 5 Stars! Liesel Schwarz is definitely an author worth watching. I am looking forward to reading more of her work.

Reviewed for DarkissReads. www.darkissreads.com (less)

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May 14, 2013 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-angelica

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.

Quick & Dirty: Elle’s hidden gift is all that can keep the world in balance and running from her destiny could prove more dangerous than embarrassing who she really is.

Opening Sentence: This was the place where people came to give their souls to fairies.

The Review:

Schwarz has created an amazing universe in this book. The world is divided into Light and Shadow. Everything in the Light believes only in science and solid fact while the Shadow is made up of a...more

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Apr 11, 2013 Ellen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. Let's put it this way: I tried out a Kindle sample and thought it was all right, but I didn't want to buy it. When I saw it at the library, I checked it out.

Two stars or three stars? I have a feeling I would have rated it with only two stars had I paid for it. As it was a free read from the library, I went higher.

See, the steampunk elements in this paranormal steampunk romance are fun. Everything is steam powered, and rather than pollute with co...more

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Mar 22, 2013 Paranormal Haven rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews-by-ronnie-guest-reviewer

3.5 stars

When I first came across the blurb for Liesel Schwarz’s A Conspiracy of Alchemists, I got really excited. Talk about a blending of some of my favorite genres. Urban fantasy, steampunk and paranormal romance all mixed into one. There are lots of ideas that get tossed around in the book, so it took me a little while to get through the novel, but the visual imagery and creativity get high marks from me.

Eleanor Chance or “Elle” is a young pilot who is hired by her docking agent Patrice, to...more 3.5 stars

When I first came across the blurb for Liesel Schwarz’s A Conspiracy of Alchemists, I got really excited. Talk about a blending of some of my favorite genres. Urban fantasy, steampunk and paranormal romance all mixed into one. There are lots of ideas that get tossed around in the book, so it took me a little while to get through the novel, but the visual imagery and creativity get high marks from me.

Eleanor Chance or “Elle” is a young pilot who is hired by her docking agent Patrice, to fly a very important parcel to England. Against her better judgment, she agrees to carry the package, while not knowing what exactly is inside the box itself. Almost as soon as Elle has custody of the parcel, there is an attempted abduction and the box ends up being stolen, while Elle is rescued by a gentleman that goes by the name of Hugh Marsh. They encounter a bit of trouble after Elle lands her airship at the agreed upon destination of her passengers and Elle, along with her airship, lands in the care of Hugh Marsh. When Elle returns home, she finds that her father has been kidnapped and insists upon setting out to rescue her father. At this point in the story, you can tell that Marsh is deliberately keeping information about Elle to himself, but the author does a nice job with having Marsh reveal various pieces of information throughout the story.

While Elle comes across as a competent character, she also seems very young. Although she flies her ships and is the daughter of this genius inventor, she’s also very sheltered, and it comes across with her interactions with Marsh. In some ways, this reads very much as a Young Adult novel and it did frustrate me a bit while I was reading. The author takes great pains in setting up the Light and Shadows and makes the reader want to know more about the Nightwalkers and Alchemists. There is also an alternating viewpoint from an absinthe fairy that starts before every other chapter or so that adds another layer to the story that I found intriguing.

Now there are parts that meander something fierce and I did find myself skimming at times when the book would get bogged down in descriptions, but this may be attributed to being book # 1 within the series. The relationship that develops between Elle and Marsh was also a high point for me, with both them slowly learning about one another with revelations being made all throughout the book. By the author’s own description, the double cross that occurs does not come as any great surprise, but that’s a small quibble with a book that I enjoyed immensely. If you like a book with great visual imagery, unique world building, and a somewhat muted romance, then A Conspiracy of Alchemists may be the book for you.
- Ronnie(less)

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Mar 20, 2013 Midwinter rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-books

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 12, 2013 Drennan Spitzer rated it 3 of 5 stars

In A Conspiracy of Alchemists: Book One in the Chronicles of Light and Shadow, author Liesel Schwartz writes a steampunk fantasy about the adventures of Elle Chance. Elle, a airship pilot, is given a mysterious and dangerous cargo to transport from Paris to London. She encounters the mysterious and seemingly-dangerous Mr. Marsh and a world of supernatural creatures, fairies, and alchemists. These "shadow" dwellers are in contrast to Elle and her family who inhabit the world of the "light" in the...more In A Conspiracy of Alchemists: Book One in the Chronicles of Light and Shadow, author Liesel Schwartz writes a steampunk fantasy about the adventures of Elle Chance. Elle, a airship pilot, is given a mysterious and dangerous cargo to transport from Paris to London. She encounters the mysterious and seemingly-dangerous Mr. Marsh and a world of supernatural creatures, fairies, and alchemists. These "shadow" dwellers are in contrast to Elle and her family who inhabit the world of the "light" in the novel. Elle is forced to rely on Marsh when she discovers that her father, an important inventor, has been kidnapped.

Schwartz provides an entertaining, engaging introduction to steampunk as a genre. Here, we have an alternative early 20th Century Europe, one in which steam, rather than coal or electricity, seems to be the primary source of power, hence the "steam" in steampunk. But steampunk as a genre is interesting because it allows us to explore the possibility of alternative pasts, which provides a lens for thoughtfully considering our own present.

Schwartz's novel also explores the relationship between good and evil. Although this is a theme that comes up so frequently in literature, particularly in fantasy and science fiction. However, because it's such a basic human concern, another look at the theme seems warranted. And certainly Schwartz looks at it in some interesting ways. In the world in which Elle lives, things are not always what they first appear to be, and this is true also of good and evil. Further, Schwartz explores the topic of power and its relationship to good and evil, another theme that warrants thought.

This novel is suitable for young adult readers, although seems to be pitched towards a slightly older audience. While the novel isn't particularly brilliant, it's certainly entertaining and provides the reader with more than just escapism.

This review originally posted at Speaking of Books, a site devoted to book reviews and discussions of literature and culture. Visit us online at www.drennanspitzer.com

NOTE: A review copy was provided by the publisher. No monetary and other compensation was received.(less)

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Mar 07, 2013 Stacey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk, paranormal, urban-fantasy, romantic-fantasy, alternate-history, 2013-challenge, edelweiss-arc

A Conspiracy of Alchemists follows Elle Chance, female dirigible pilot in an alternate early 20th century. In this world, alchemists and warlocks subtly grapple for the limited magical power that remains. Vampires and alchemists are allies, and absinthe fairies are sustained only by alcohol, preferably absinthe. Light - technology, science, and reason - is echoed and opposed by Shadow, the magical forces and beings in the world.

The novel opens with a new commission for Elle, who is given a myste...more A Conspiracy of Alchemists follows Elle Chance, female dirigible pilot in an alternate early 20th century. In this world, alchemists and warlocks subtly grapple for the limited magical power that remains. Vampires and alchemists are allies, and absinthe fairies are sustained only by alcohol, preferably absinthe. Light - technology, science, and reason - is echoed and opposed by Shadow, the magical forces and beings in the world.

The novel opens with a new commission for Elle, who is given a mysterious fair by her friend and client in Paris. This box, unknown to Elle, is coveted by the alchemists and warlocks both. Before she even reaches her dirigible for the commissioned trip to London, she becomes embroiled in the chaos surrounding the Shadow power struggle.

The prologue is narrated in first person by an absinthe fairy, who plays a secondary role as the plot moves along. It is abrupt and bluntly foreshadowing. I found the fairy-narrated interludes more distracting than anything else, although they did provide contextual information about the plot.

The plot is very fast-paced and action-packed, beginning from the opening of the first chapter and continuing throughout the book. It includes a romantic development, international travel (in dirigibles, trains, and the first-ever 'copter). I couldn't put it down.

I enjoyed the characters. Except for the occasional jarring note (there is no explanation of why Marsh goes from hating beautiful women to being in love with Elle, and Elle's development as the Oracle could have been give more space), they were believable and well-drawn. I especially liked Elle's determined, flying in the face of convention attitude toward achieving her dream of flying. Marsh is a solid hero, and although done before, Elle's absentminded, genius father is delightful.

The world-building is good, for the most part. I found the conspiracy unmemorable, and the descriptions of some of the magical events (especially the ending) were sketchy. Sometimes the different magical elements didn't seem to mesh very well. Overall the world is a very interesting, unique take on steampunk alternate histories, and I look forward to discovering more about the world and the magical rules in the next volume.

I will definitely read the next one, especially hoping to find out more about the laws of this universe, and what happens next. This is a great entry into the paranormal/urban fantasy/steampunk/alternate history mesh of genres, and fans of Gail Carriger and Meljean Brook should be delighted.

*Review copy provided by the publisher via Edelweiss.(less)

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Mar 06, 2013 Taylor rated it 2 of 5 stars

Two stars seems a little harsh for this book, but really was just OK. The book read like a first draft, not anything close to polished and ready to go out into bookstores. To be fair, I received an advance copy, and I'm sure that this is part of the problem. But there were too many plot holes and inconsistencies for me to ignore. Most of them weren't serious, but there were a lot of them and it detracted from the story.

The main characters have a very strange relationship: it's the typical "I lik...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Sue rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book has it all and knows how to use it. A Conspiracy of Alchemists is a historical fantasy of the steampunk type where magic and science co-exist in a delicate balance. Romance, adventure and humor are also mixed in, and the overall effect is dazzling storytelling. The book begins in Paris with fairies who live in, and live on, the bottles of absinthe found in a bar run by a vampire. There are mysterious boxes, sinister strangers, scheming alchemists, flying machines, and Eleanor Chance--p...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Michael rated it 1 of 5 stars

I’ll say first off that A Conspiracy of Alchemists is not targeted for the mid-20’s male audience. That was plain from the beginning, but I gave to book a fair shot.

Unfortunately, giving the book that shot proved difficult. The characters proved to be shallow caricatures of the different philosophies they were meant to represent. They stated their thoughts without explaining why they thought them, and their actions did not match their indicated beliefs. The main character, Elle, was the worst of...more I’ll say first off that A Conspiracy of Alchemists is not targeted for the mid-20’s male audience. That was plain from the beginning, but I gave to book a fair shot.

Unfortunately, giving the book that shot proved difficult. The characters proved to be shallow caricatures of the different philosophies they were meant to represent. They stated their thoughts without explaining why they thought them, and their actions did not match their indicated beliefs. The main character, Elle, was the worst offender: she plays feminist and atheist without really exploring the reasons she holds these beliefs, throws out straw-man attacks against those who question her, and comes off as whiny and difficult to talk to instead of intelligent. Yet, the reader is meant to think her sophisticated and worldly. Show vs. tell is at work here, and I was constantly shown one thing while told another throughout the book.

As for the plot, I found it cliché and unfocused. The romance arc was tiresome and rather annoying. How many times must a reader suffer thoughts of anger that ‘he’s so handsome and perfect, yet I hate him for superficial reasons so it will never work out,’? The main plot held some promise, but the romance and the characters themselves got in the way.

The one thing that kept my attention was the setting. I do feel that an interesting world has been created, if spread a little thin between different mythologies and not tied together well enough. My only problem here again resides in superficiality. The steampunk aesthetic is shoved down the reader’s throat, gear by gear. It was almost as if the writer had a list of steampunk-sounding words that she drew from whenever a description of an item was needed.

All-in-all, I feel the book to be good for one thing: drawing in teenage readers with a cursory interest in fantasy and sci-fi into the world of speculative fiction. Children who have not spent much time reading these types of books and yet have been drawn in by the current media trend towards the fantastic might use this book as a gateway towards deeper, better examples.
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Feb 24, 2013 Sarah rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk

I wanted to like this. I did. The fundamental problem is that it read like a cross between extremely bad fanfiction and wanna be erotica - with questionable editing. You know, just to add insult to it all.

Ok, here is an example: Marsh, you honestly don't think that I am going to swallow all this wibble about magical women who rule the world?

Wibble?! I am supposed to give her bonus points for working in a partial Dr. Who call out in a book? Oh wait. Victorian era steampunk. No.

And this take pla...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Chiara rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book shows, in my opinion, very good ideas: alchemists, warlocks, absinth fairies, nightwalkers and oracles live and fight in a steampunk world. From Paris to Oxford, to Genoa, Venice, Vienna, Bucharest and finally to Constantinople a two-hundred-year-old warlock tries to save the oracle from the Alchemists who want her for dark purposes.
Anyway, I think the story was a bit too predictable and I did not like very much the fanfiction style of the novel. Moreover, my copy was full of mistakes....more

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Feb 04, 2013 Tahlia Newland rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk

I loved this book. It had everything I need for an enjoyable read, a plucky heroine, a handsome warlock with an air of mystery, a cute small helper—in this case a fairy—and a great story full of action, intrigue and surprises.

How well we like the characters often makes the difference between liking and loving a book, and the characters in this were the kind I love. Elle wasn’t going to let anyone push her around, or wait for a rescue that might never come. Her stubbornness was both a flaw and a...more I loved this book. It had everything I need for an enjoyable read, a plucky heroine, a handsome warlock with an air of mystery, a cute small helper—in this case a fairy—and a great story full of action, intrigue and surprises.

How well we like the characters often makes the difference between liking and loving a book, and the characters in this were the kind I love. Elle wasn’t going to let anyone push her around, or wait for a rescue that might never come. Her stubbornness was both a flaw and a strength. Hugh—handsome, of course—was charming and somewhat conflicted about where his allegiances lay, until the end when it became obvious. Instead of the usual powerful hero, he was a man whose power, like all the warlocks in this story, was on the wane. This gave him a vulnerability that he had to work around, but he showed us that even as an ordinary man, he was highly resourceful.

Secondary characters were also delightful. Elle’s housekeeper was a beautifully rendered character as was her father, though we only met him briefly, and the fairy’s perspective added a unique and charming touch. The Nightwalker Elle meets on the train was another terrific character and I hope we get to see more of her in future books in the series.

The concept of the book, the balance between the worlds of light and shadow, and the role of the Oracle in maintaining that balance was interesting, if not entirely comprehensible. It wove ancient history into this alternate steampunk reality where shadow creatures (warlocks, fairies, vampires etc) are recognised by the general population and live within normal society.

Ms Schwarz writes well, but I do wish that the major publishers would save their ARCs (I got this one through Netgalley) until they have been copy edited. I get sick of the errors that, though we are assured will not be in the final publication, make the book feel tacky. The structure and pacing are excellent, however as is the quality of the prose. The descriptions of the ‘otherworld’ experiences were highly evocative.

The end is everything I wanted, and the epilogue opened the story up for another instalment. I certainly could do with seeing more of Elle and Hugh.
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Jan 08, 2013 Fangs for the Fantasy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Though society would much prefer that Eleanor Chance to remain docile, akin to all women of good breeding, Eleanor refuses to live such a confined life. Having turned her back on a making a good match at her debut, Eleanor now supports herself as a dirigible pilot transferring freight. Things were going well for Eleanor until Patrice, an acquaintance, arranged for Eleanor to fly a small package from France to England, much to the distress of Mr. Hugh Marsh. From the moment Hugh and Eleanor meet...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Brandy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: action-adventure, fantasy, netgalley, nook, paranormal, steampunk

Fantasy meets Steampunk meets Historical Fiction!

Eleanor "Elle" Chance doesn't live her life according to society's expectations. She would much rather be flying her airship and having adventures than finding a suitable match in fashionable London society and settling down. Little does she know that this latest job will turn her well-ordered, scientific world on its head. Accepting a job from Hugh Marsh, a mysterious member of the nobility, and an attempted kidnapping puts Elle in the middle of...more

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Jan 14, 2013 PhoenixFantasy rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This keeps happening to me lately. The blurb of a book sounds absolute genius, but the book itself falls far short of the mark. I’m the first to admit that the publishing world often baffles me, and I could be miles out here, but I’m assuming that the marketing wiz writes the blurb? Seems to me, more and more, that the blurb wizmasters should be the ones doing the writing.

In fairness, I’ve read a lot worse, but as a Steampunk fan who enjoys the likes of Carriger, Priest and KW Jeter, this really...more This keeps happening to me lately. The blurb of a book sounds absolute genius, but the book itself falls far short of the mark. I’m the first to admit that the publishing world often baffles me, and I could be miles out here, but I’m assuming that the marketing wiz writes the blurb? Seems to me, more and more, that the blurb wizmasters should be the ones doing the writing.

In fairness, I’ve read a lot worse, but as a Steampunk fan who enjoys the likes of Carriger, Priest and KW Jeter, this really doesn’t compare. The ambitious mix of genres didn’t work at all for me, but maybe that’s just because I’m a bit of a Steampunk purist at heart and have little time for fairies and trite romance with hot Warlocks. In fact, if the word “fairy” had been mentioned anywhere in the blurb, I’d have passed on this altogether. It’s too YA for my taste, I struggled to take it seriously. For me it read as the kind of YA that you need to be somewhere around 13 or 14 to properly enjoy.

The main issue I had was that nothing felt authentic here, there were so many little hiccups that I couldn’t lose myself in Schwarz’s world, try as I might. Cafe ‘du’ Aleix? ‘Gov’ a supposed strong cockney accent? And once we get to Oxford..the House Goblins..avoidance thereof, I had flashes of Hermione with her SPEW badges that just wouldn’t shift. They’re all little, inconsequential things, but they amass, and irritate, and this very much wasn’t for me. I mean, the tea thing…pouring tea without giving it even a moment to brew? Yes, dammit, I’m a tea purist as well.

http://phoenixfantasyreviews.com/2013...

The plot was too simplistic, the romance was too trite, and the world building was too weak for me. Childlike execution is the best way I can think to describe it. I can let one, or even two of the three go if whatever’s left is outstanding, but sadly in this case there was nothing I felt I could engage with. If you like your Paranormal Romance though, and aren’t hardcore Steampunk or haven’t read much around the genre, you might well enjoy this. Sadly, ’twas not for me. My advice would be to save your hard earned and go and buy Soulless instead.(less)

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Jan 02, 2013 Jaclyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, arc, fae, historical, magic, net-galley, steampunk-gaslight, vampires, fantasy

A Conspiracy of Alchemists is a steampunk novel. Elle Chance is a pilot and has come to Paris to transport some cargo via her regular contact, Patrice. The cargo turns out to be a mysterious box and it comes with a passenger, the irritating Mr. Marsh. Before she leaves Paris, Elle is attacked and rescued by Mr. Marsh leading them to race to England to evade the forces that have targeted Elle.

The world building in this novel was pretty interesting with fairies and other mythical creatures being...more A Conspiracy of Alchemists is a steampunk novel. Elle Chance is a pilot and has come to Paris to transport some cargo via her regular contact, Patrice. The cargo turns out to be a mysterious box and it comes with a passenger, the irritating Mr. Marsh. Before she leaves Paris, Elle is attacked and rescued by Mr. Marsh leading them to race to England to evade the forces that have targeted Elle.

The world building in this novel was pretty interesting with fairies and other mythical creatures being commonplace in this alternate version of 1903. This magical society is divided into the Light and the Shadow, with the alchemists of the Shadow being the villains of the novel. The leader of the alchemists, Abercrombie, wants to unleash the power from an in-between plane through an Oracle in order to break all those of Shadow’s bond with the Nightwalkers (ie. vampires).

Unfortunately for Elle, her mother was the Oracle, and Elle is discovered to be the next one. Both sides of the struggle want to have Elle in their court since she will provide them great power with the dwindling of magic in the world. Marsh believes that Elle should join forces with the Council of Warlocks, which he is part of, where she will live a life of luxury and isolation. Elle, a modern girl for the times, is understandably irritated by Marsh and his suggestions and fights his assertions of her power at every point. However, Elle ultimately has to face the fact that her mother’s blood runs in her veins and she will have to acknowledge her power.

Overall, I liked the plot of A Conspiracy of Alchemists; it was an interesting concept in an interesting alternate world. I liked the combination of the Oracle mythology and the steampunk genre and it really demonstrates the versatility of steampunk as a genre. At times I found the pacing a little slow, especially considering there were pretty intense things happening. For example, when Elle learns her father has been kidnapped, it takes her a few days to start her search for him. I felt the pacing was at odds with what was happening in the novel.

My other issue with the novel was the insta-romance between Elle and Mr. Marsh. I liked each character individually but I didn’t buy the romance between them. They went from blatant antagonism to love fairly quickly. There was more about Elle’s thought process and her progression of feelings towards Mr. Marsh, but when it came to Marsh, I didn’t really buy his feelings for Elle; it seemed very sudden.

Lastly, I was a little confused about the whole Oracle thing. Is becoming an Oracle a hereditary trait; the fact that Elle’s mother was an Oracle seems to suggest that it is something inherited by from a parent? If being an Oracle is hereditary, then I do not know why the Council of Warlocks would be isolating the Oracle from everyone, wouldn’t the Oracle’s need to go out, marry and have kids? I just felt that this was a hole in the story and I think it should have been addressed.

Ultimately, I did enjoy the novel, and I would probably read the next one in the series because of the cliffhanger ending and the reveal about the true conspiracy. I think A Conspiracy of Alchemists would be a good book that could be read by an adult or teen audience. I wouldn’t blatantly call it a teen book, the age of the characters seem to suggest that it is not a teen book, but I think it has versatile appeal.

*Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
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Mar 05, 2013 Heidi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars: A smart blend of steampunk, historical and paranormal.

Elle is anxious to board her airship and be on her way. Her friend Patrice corners her in the tea shop and asks her to transport a small box for him. He is tight lipped about the contents of the box. Her payment is a lovely diamond bracelet that Elle snaps on her wrist, only to find that the clasp won't undo. A small absinthe fairy, immediately flies into the bracelet and takes up residence inside the diamonds. Elle fi...more

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Feb 02, 2013 Nathan rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, author-female, historical-fantasy, rated-2-star, read-2013, read-on-kindle, steam-punk, wwe-2013-challenge

Fantasy Review Barn

This review may contain minor spoilers. Couldn’t express my thoughts without them. Sorry.

Well I finished this book. I am not sure why I was so determined to do so; I guess the short length played a part in it, and a hatred of not knowing how a story ends played its part to. I knew the book wasn’t for me, but I kept reading thinking that maybe, despite that, there was something to the book anyway. I don’t really think there was, the book will fill a niche for some paranormal ro...more

1 like · like · see review

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About Liesel Schwarz

Liesel Schwarz has an MA in creative writing and is currently completing her doctorate in English and creative writing at Brunel University.

A life-long fan of 19th Century Gothic literature, she is a hopeless romantic and loves Victorians, steampunk, fairies, fantasy monsters, the Fin de siècle, and the correct way to drink absinthe. She also likes Medieval stuff, pirates, zombies, space operas a...more

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Books by Liesel Schwarz

A Clockwork Heart (The Chronicle of Light and Shadow, #2)

Sky Pirates (The Chronicles of Light and Shadow, #3)

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“Of all the arrogant men in this world, you are possibly the worst.” — 3 people liked it

“Their mouths met. The touch of his lips sparked an energy that plunged to the very depths of her. In that moment, she knew that this was the one kiss of her life. It was the touch of him she would remember forever. The kiss she would dream of when she was lonely. It was the kiss she would relive when she was alone. It would transcend the physical, the realms of Shadow and Light. All other kisses that followed, if there ever were any, would not compare.” — 2 people liked it

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A Conspiracy of Alchemists (The Chronicles of Light and Shadow #1)

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