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The Alchemist’s Revenge
In a 17th century that didn’t quite happen, a nation is torn apart by civil war.
When an embittered mercenary agrees to escort a grieving widow to visit her husband’s grave, little does he realise the dangers they will face. This is the story of their struggle through a country divided. As they journey through tainted lands, ravaged by alchemical magic and giant clockwork war machines, they are reunited with old friends and stalked by sinister foes. The reluctant heroes band together in this tale of loss and despair, of redemption and friendship, and ultimately, of retribution and revenge!
The Alchemist’s Revenge is the first volume in the Companie of Reluctant Heroes series.
The first novel by the co-author of the multi-award winning Abney Park’s Airship Pirates RPG and the Clockwork & Chivalry RPG.
When an embittered mercenary agrees to escort a grieving widow to visit her husband’s grave, little does he realise the dangers they will face. This is the story of their struggle through a country divided. As they journey through tainted lands, ravaged by alchemical magic and giant clockwork war machines, they are reunited with old friends and stalked by sinister foes. The reluctant heroes band together in this tale of loss and despair, of redemption and friendship, and ultimately, of retribution and revenge!
The Alchemist’s Revenge is the first volume in the Companie of Reluctant Heroes series.
The first novel by the co-author of the multi-award winning Abney Park’s Airship Pirates RPG and the Clockwork & Chivalry RPG.
- GenresFantasy
220 pages, ebook
First published April 3, 2013
About the author
Peter Cakebread
25 books8 followersI'm a partner in a small company called Cakebread and Walton. Since 2009 I have written, or co-written, over fifteen books. Most of my material has been for roleplaying games, but I have written two novels, The Alchemist's Revenge (an alternate history/fantasy book, set in the English Civil War) and The Morecambe Medium (a cozy murder mystery, set in the Victorian era). I'm the co-author of the multi-award winning Abney Park's Airship Pirates RPG and the Clockwork and Chivalry RPG.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 5, 2013
(Disclaimer: I was given a complementary copy of the kindle edition for review purposes.)
As a long time roleplayer (of the Dungeons & Dragons variety rather than computer gaming) I was brought up with the understanding that all good quests begin with a group of adventurers being approached by a stranger in a pub with the offer of a reward in return for their service. The Alchemist's Apprentice begins in a similar fashion with William Pilling coming upon Belinda Stobbard, wife of the late Sir Francis Stobbard, who is in 'The Throttled Pig' seeking help. In exchange for coin would he drive a cart and escort her on a journey north? As with all good quests, nothing is quite as it seems, and complications are a plenty. As you might have worked out from the names, this is not set in your traditional quasi-medieval setting for fantasy quests; instead it is set in England during the civil war.It is the story of the coming together of a disparate bunch of characters on a journey to discover the fate of a casualty in the strife, exploring on the way their different motives and beliefs.
The Alchemist's Revenge is a highly enjoyable romp of a book. It was a quick read, and, to use the oft used cliche but here appropriate, 'un-put-downable'. The story was fun in its own right, if not overly complex or literary, but the real hero of the piece is without a doubt the setting which I found to be rich in shade and detail. Alongside the basic twists and turns of the plot, you have the additional tension introduced by the various layers of factions and faiths of that time. There are the Royalists and Parliamentarians, the political factions, and the religious divide of Catholic and Protestant. Each of these have their extremists too, driven by their beliefs to desperate measures. Then you have the likes of The Diggers, people seeking a new way of life, tired by the strife that their world has become stuck in. Not all are driven by doctrine and philosophy though, as always there are those whose motivation is greed and wealth. What a wonderful backdrop this setting provides! I can't help but wonder why more have not exploited it.
This rich context is not enough to satisfy Cakebread, however. Applying a dash of the fantastical he whips up an alternative take on real life. No longer are the combatants armed with merely swords and blackpowder weapons, but the Royalists call upon the power of their philosophers' stones to summon elementals and other magick, and the Parliamentarians harness the discoveries of science and engineering to devise clockwork automata and warmachines. With these dreadful weapons unleashed against each other the country stands reeling from the bloodshed and in an uneasy state of stalemate. There is so much to intrigue and spark the imagination and plenty hinted at and laid down for future volumes of 'Companie of Relutant Heroes' series to explore. I for one will look forward to these works as I can't help but feel this book only scratches the surface of Peter Cakebread's creation.
Of course, if like me you are a keen roleplayer, you will be pleased to discover at the back of the book that it is based upon another work by Peter Cakebread along with Ken Walton, the roleplaying game 'Clockwork and Chivalry' (C&C). I wish I had read the book before first playing the game as it brilliantly brings it to life. Having read the book I am now better able to grock the setting and what it is capable of. I would recommend it to any players of C&C. Equally, if you can't wait for the next book, grab some dice and a copy of C&C and make up your own tales in this wonderfully original world.
I've awarded this 4 out of 5 stars. If I could I'd have given it 4.5. In the copy I was sent there were a few little typos, and the basic plot is of itself not highly original nor demanding, but the delightful setting by far compensates for this. Wonderful!
As a long time roleplayer (of the Dungeons & Dragons variety rather than computer gaming) I was brought up with the understanding that all good quests begin with a group of adventurers being approached by a stranger in a pub with the offer of a reward in return for their service. The Alchemist's Apprentice begins in a similar fashion with William Pilling coming upon Belinda Stobbard, wife of the late Sir Francis Stobbard, who is in 'The Throttled Pig' seeking help. In exchange for coin would he drive a cart and escort her on a journey north? As with all good quests, nothing is quite as it seems, and complications are a plenty. As you might have worked out from the names, this is not set in your traditional quasi-medieval setting for fantasy quests; instead it is set in England during the civil war.It is the story of the coming together of a disparate bunch of characters on a journey to discover the fate of a casualty in the strife, exploring on the way their different motives and beliefs.
The Alchemist's Revenge is a highly enjoyable romp of a book. It was a quick read, and, to use the oft used cliche but here appropriate, 'un-put-downable'. The story was fun in its own right, if not overly complex or literary, but the real hero of the piece is without a doubt the setting which I found to be rich in shade and detail. Alongside the basic twists and turns of the plot, you have the additional tension introduced by the various layers of factions and faiths of that time. There are the Royalists and Parliamentarians, the political factions, and the religious divide of Catholic and Protestant. Each of these have their extremists too, driven by their beliefs to desperate measures. Then you have the likes of The Diggers, people seeking a new way of life, tired by the strife that their world has become stuck in. Not all are driven by doctrine and philosophy though, as always there are those whose motivation is greed and wealth. What a wonderful backdrop this setting provides! I can't help but wonder why more have not exploited it.
This rich context is not enough to satisfy Cakebread, however. Applying a dash of the fantastical he whips up an alternative take on real life. No longer are the combatants armed with merely swords and blackpowder weapons, but the Royalists call upon the power of their philosophers' stones to summon elementals and other magick, and the Parliamentarians harness the discoveries of science and engineering to devise clockwork automata and warmachines. With these dreadful weapons unleashed against each other the country stands reeling from the bloodshed and in an uneasy state of stalemate. There is so much to intrigue and spark the imagination and plenty hinted at and laid down for future volumes of 'Companie of Relutant Heroes' series to explore. I for one will look forward to these works as I can't help but feel this book only scratches the surface of Peter Cakebread's creation.
Of course, if like me you are a keen roleplayer, you will be pleased to discover at the back of the book that it is based upon another work by Peter Cakebread along with Ken Walton, the roleplaying game 'Clockwork and Chivalry' (C&C). I wish I had read the book before first playing the game as it brilliantly brings it to life. Having read the book I am now better able to grock the setting and what it is capable of. I would recommend it to any players of C&C. Equally, if you can't wait for the next book, grab some dice and a copy of C&C and make up your own tales in this wonderfully original world.
I've awarded this 4 out of 5 stars. If I could I'd have given it 4.5. In the copy I was sent there were a few little typos, and the basic plot is of itself not highly original nor demanding, but the delightful setting by far compensates for this. Wonderful!
May 12, 2013
Firstly I should declare that I received a review copy of this book. But I didn't expect to enjoy it nearly so much, indeed it's the most enjoyable new book I've read for a very long time.
For a first novel it is remarkably strong. A large part of this results from the imaginative world in which it is set: an alternative seventeenth century England where magic-wielding alchemists and clockwork machines of war are mixed up with the turmoil of Civil War. The world is one the novel shares with the Clockwork & Chivalry roleplaying game which the author created, but the novel works as a stand-alone piece of fiction, and, encouragingly, is the first in a possible series of fiction books.
The writing is engaging and gripping, the descriptions of the world often visceral in their detail, but all the better for this. The characters are well fleshed out, rich, complex individuals, and the further the reader gets into the book the more it becomes a page-turner.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It should appeal to fans of historical fiction, and also fantasy, but really to anyone who enjoys a gripping adventure tale told well.
For a first novel it is remarkably strong. A large part of this results from the imaginative world in which it is set: an alternative seventeenth century England where magic-wielding alchemists and clockwork machines of war are mixed up with the turmoil of Civil War. The world is one the novel shares with the Clockwork & Chivalry roleplaying game which the author created, but the novel works as a stand-alone piece of fiction, and, encouragingly, is the first in a possible series of fiction books.
The writing is engaging and gripping, the descriptions of the world often visceral in their detail, but all the better for this. The characters are well fleshed out, rich, complex individuals, and the further the reader gets into the book the more it becomes a page-turner.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It should appeal to fans of historical fiction, and also fantasy, but really to anyone who enjoys a gripping adventure tale told well.
May 23, 2013
I really enjoyed the Alchemist's Revenge. I'm a big fan of reimagined history where magic is real, and this didn't disappoint.
If you think about how the English Civil War might have been, had magic and advanced clockwork existed then, then it totally works that the Royalists had alchemy and the New Model Army were accompanied by clockwork automata - it's a really fun and interesting alternative history.
But beyond just the setting, which I very much enjoyed, were the equally enjoyable story and characters. As an introduction to the world, the plot worked very well, and the characters were interesting and full of depth.
There was a good mix of somewhat gory descriptions of war and lighter-hearted scenes where the characters are able to exchange banter.
If it's a sign of a good novel that I came away from it both entertained and also curious to read up more on the actual historical setting, then this book is definitely a success.
I look forward to reading more in the series.
If you think about how the English Civil War might have been, had magic and advanced clockwork existed then, then it totally works that the Royalists had alchemy and the New Model Army were accompanied by clockwork automata - it's a really fun and interesting alternative history.
But beyond just the setting, which I very much enjoyed, were the equally enjoyable story and characters. As an introduction to the world, the plot worked very well, and the characters were interesting and full of depth.
There was a good mix of somewhat gory descriptions of war and lighter-hearted scenes where the characters are able to exchange banter.
If it's a sign of a good novel that I came away from it both entertained and also curious to read up more on the actual historical setting, then this book is definitely a success.
I look forward to reading more in the series.
July 24, 2013
I had so much fun reading this book, and it made me want to learn more about the English Civil War - there aren't many books that make me want to learn more about a particular period of history!
One thing that I particularly appreciated was that the 'alternate history' elements of the story (not giving nowt away) were seamlessly woven in, and had me a little confused at first (which century again?) but once I had got my head round it I was away - these elements never felt forced and always served the plot.
And great characters - I really want to meet them again and see what happens next!
One thing that I particularly appreciated was that the 'alternate history' elements of the story (not giving nowt away) were seamlessly woven in, and had me a little confused at first (which century again?) but once I had got my head round it I was away - these elements never felt forced and always served the plot.
And great characters - I really want to meet them again and see what happens next!
April 25, 2013
There was a lot about this book that i really enjoyed. Magic, alchemy, clockwork contraptions, adventure, well-rounded characters. And in that regard, it was a wonderful read.
The setting is a country divided, with one side favouring the crown with its magic, while the other is behind parliament and its clockwork machines. The protagonist, William, is on no-one’s side but his own, and i really got behind that. He’d seen war before and has since decided he wants no part in it; let them fight it out without him. I liked him.
Where the books falls down for me is plot. For the first half, it lacks one. William agrees to accompany Belinda to the place her husband died during battle, and they go. Despite being sure something else must be going on, that something else needed to happen, nothing does until the characters find out what happened to Belinda’s husband and, as the title suggests, she seeks revenge. While i enjoyed reading, with so little plot until halfway through the book, there was nothing to drive my reading.
While i loved a lot of what this book contained, i couldn’t help thinking to myself how what i was reading could be improved. It’s a lovely world, with some great characters, and it has the potential to be so much more than it is.
A longer review can be read at my book blog: Marvel at Words.
The setting is a country divided, with one side favouring the crown with its magic, while the other is behind parliament and its clockwork machines. The protagonist, William, is on no-one’s side but his own, and i really got behind that. He’d seen war before and has since decided he wants no part in it; let them fight it out without him. I liked him.
Where the books falls down for me is plot. For the first half, it lacks one. William agrees to accompany Belinda to the place her husband died during battle, and they go. Despite being sure something else must be going on, that something else needed to happen, nothing does until the characters find out what happened to Belinda’s husband and, as the title suggests, she seeks revenge. While i enjoyed reading, with so little plot until halfway through the book, there was nothing to drive my reading.
While i loved a lot of what this book contained, i couldn’t help thinking to myself how what i was reading could be improved. It’s a lovely world, with some great characters, and it has the potential to be so much more than it is.
A longer review can be read at my book blog: Marvel at Words.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews