false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1256075187m/2412562.jpg 2412562 2 Mattie, an intelligent automaton skilled in the use of alchemy, finds herself caught in the middle of a conflict between gargoyles, the Mechanics, and the Alchemists. With the old order quickly giving way to the new, Mattie discovers powerful and dangerous secrets - secrets that can completely alter the balance of power in the city of Ayona. However, this doesn't sit well with Loharri, the Mechanic who created Mattie and still has the key to her heart - literally! A steampunk novel of romance, political intrigue, and alchemy, <i>The Alchemy of Stone</i> represents a new and intriguing direction by the author of the critically-acclaimed <i>The Secret History of Moscow</i>. 2419739 4 7 2008 The Alchemy Of Stone total:133|5:29|4:56|3:35|2:12|1:1| 133 499 396 50 4 3 false false Thu Oct 16 13:18:14 -0700 2008 Thu Oct 16 13:18:40 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 1 false false Fri Sep 05 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Jun 14 22:21:44 -0700 2008 Fri Sep 05 07:52:40 -0700 2008 This was a very different read from what I expected so at first I thought that it sets up a great storyline/world and then fails somewhat to live to that potential, but the last 3rd or so of the book and especially its poignant ending made me reconsider and appreciate this one as what it trul...more...]]> 4 1 false false Sat Nov 15 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Fri Nov 28 01:19:58 -0800 2008 Fri Nov 28 01:22:42 -0800 2008 1 China Mieville's dark, smoky steampunk cityscapes invite comparison. Sedia's work is her own, though. Her p...more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Nov 16 07:14:50 -0800 2009 Mon Nov 16 07:17:23 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Oct 02 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Oct 14 13:04:42 -0700 2009 Wed Oct 14 13:05:07 -0700 2009
I've been hearing wonderful things about The Alchemy of Stone since long before it came out, but it took me a while to track a copy down. And while it got off to something of a slow start, once it grabbed me, it didn't let go until the fin...more...]]> 4 1 false false Sat May 09 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon May 11 08:39:58 -0700 2009 Mon May 11 09:05:16 -0700 2009 more...]]> 2 0 false false Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Jul 13 14:14:30 -0700 2009 Fri Jul 17 09:06:33 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun May 24 11:53:32 -0700 2009 Tue May 19 10:52:25 -0700 2009 Sun May 24 11:53:32 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Aug 06 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 28 11:53:34 -0700 2009 Thu Aug 06 12:45:34 -0700 2009 1 more...]]> 2 0 false false Sun Jun 21 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Jun 04 11:52:00 -0700 2009 Sun Jun 21 14:08:24 -0700 2009
So the author made up this world and decided to categorize the people that live in it: automaton...more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Aug 17 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 17 10:27:07 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 17 10:27:19 -0700 2009 The Alchemy of Stone was one of the most beautiful and heart breaking books I have ever read. Sedia's character of Mattie was fanta...more...]]> 4 2 false false Wed Oct 14 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Dec 20 17:22:42 -0800 2008 Thu Oct 15 12:29:05 -0700 2009 The Alchemy of Stone. It's a sombre symphony of motifs, ranging from women's independence and sexuality to the ramifications of rapid industrialization. And deceptively so—despite the intriguing back cover copy and the seductive tagline, "a...more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Apr 27 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Nov 13 05:53:16 -0800 2008 Mon Apr 27 15:46:50 -0700 2009 A novel of automated anarchy and clockwork lust.

Sedia's books are fascinating. Last year I read The Secret History of Moscow and then stumbled across this book later in the year. I've only just now gotten around to reading it, but it's been quite the literary delight.

Unlike m...more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat Nov 15 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sun Sep 14 14:42:36 -0700 2008 Sat Nov 15 08:39:17 -0800 2008 Amazon.com kept recommending me this book so I finally checked it out from the library. (Yay for inter-library loans!)

I liked this book. Mattie, an emancipated automaton is also an Alchemist and the city she lives in (which I believe is unnamed) is caught between the Alchemists, the ...more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Sep 23 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Sep 02 07:02:43 -0700 2008 Tue Sep 23 18:40:09 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Nov 19 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Tue Aug 19 18:32:51 -0700 2008 Wed Nov 19 10:32:00 -0800 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Wed Jul 01 12:48:12 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 01 12:51:03 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Nov 18 15:25:17 -0800 2009 Wed Nov 18 15:25:17 -0800 2009
I enjoyed the different world created by Ekaterina Sedia. Not a traditional fantasy novel and certainly not science fiction, the book had the feel of Victorian Europe but much grittie...more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Sep 10 18:19:36 -0700 2009 Thu Sep 10 18:19:36 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu Oct 01 19:33:10 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 01 19:34:57 -0700 2009 more...]]> http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=2412562