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The Alchemist #1
The Apprentice's Path
I might be the best alchemist in my study year, but that doesn't make it easier to find an internship. Because as a dark magical, I have to face discrimination. I'm Dana Bedwen, a fourth year student in Alchemy. Yes, I'm a dark arall. No, I'm not interested in magic. I don't want to go through Initiation. The money would be good, sure, but I can earn it myself. Not that I wouldn't try to get it from my newfound Grandfather. I shouldn't be the only one financing my brother's education, after all. Book one of the Alchemist series, which will take you through Dana's personal growth story, as she accepts her destiny and matures to become the great woman she will become. Without forgetting alchemy, of course.
- GenresFantasyYoung Adult
438 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 23, 2020
88 people are currently reading
124 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 28, 2021
Next book please
First book by this author. Definitely enjoyed. So many layers. Like the main character a lot. Young and old at the same as well as educated and naive. Secondary characters and world are quite interesting. Looking forward to book two to see where the story goes next.
cross posted goodreads, bookbub, amazon
First book by this author. Definitely enjoyed. So many layers. Like the main character a lot. Young and old at the same as well as educated and naive. Secondary characters and world are quite interesting. Looking forward to book two to see where the story goes next.
cross posted goodreads, bookbub, amazon
May 24, 2021
Stay with it....it gets better. 3-1/2 Stars.
I had to force myself through the beginning part of this book. For me, it was a confusing overload of information dumped onto the reader all at once. The good news is that the second half was worth the wait.
I enjoyed this fantasy world that blended alchemy and magic. I liked the blunt and forceful Heroine, although she could use a bit more character depth. The plot is interesting as far as it went in this first book, but there were hints concerning the Heroine's background that promises a more involved plotline. Because the first part of the book wasn't all that interesting for me, I was daydreaming a little while reading. So I can't say that there were numerous editing/proofreading errors in the beginning. But I can say that the second half had issues.
Regardless, I did end up enjoying this book in spite of the slow start.
I had to force myself through the beginning part of this book. For me, it was a confusing overload of information dumped onto the reader all at once. The good news is that the second half was worth the wait.
I enjoyed this fantasy world that blended alchemy and magic. I liked the blunt and forceful Heroine, although she could use a bit more character depth. The plot is interesting as far as it went in this first book, but there were hints concerning the Heroine's background that promises a more involved plotline. Because the first part of the book wasn't all that interesting for me, I was daydreaming a little while reading. So I can't say that there were numerous editing/proofreading errors in the beginning. But I can say that the second half had issues.
Regardless, I did end up enjoying this book in spite of the slow start.
July 9, 2022
I have very mixed feelings about this book. The world-building was pretty good and was interesting. The main character was annoying and the book desperately needs an editor.
There were lots and lots of problems that a good editor -- even a bad editor -- could have helped with. Words were misused all over the place.
The main character was supposed to be snarky and sassy, but came off as petulant and juvenile.
There was enough in this that I'm hopeful things will improve between book 1 and book 2. I'll probably read 2 eventually.
There were lots and lots of problems that a good editor -- even a bad editor -- could have helped with. Words were misused all over the place.
The main character was supposed to be snarky and sassy, but came off as petulant and juvenile.
There was enough in this that I'm hopeful things will improve between book 1 and book 2. I'll probably read 2 eventually.
September 20, 2021
While I commend our author on her courage in publishing a book, this book is in dire need of an editor. At the barest minimum, the author should have taken the time to proofread before publication. This book reads like an early draft rather than a finished novel.
January 13, 2022
Abandoned after 33%. Childish YA fantasy that will make you cringe. There are 2 major flaws for me in this book.
(1) The main character has no credibility. It is an immature Uni student with a big mouth and an even bigger ego. I can live with that. What I can't live with is that the adults around her all cowcow to her like she is the leader, the boss, the one they all want to follow.
(2) The plot is thin and again with no credibility. Here is the MC doing a "presentation" to an obscure student group of 10, and bam - the room is packed, the whole Acadamia is present and the Q&A time lasts for hours afterwards. Here is the MC who can read a book written in an old language that nobody in the country can read anymore. Here is the MC who undertakes a project to find the key to mental magic that the "inquisition" couldn't find in centuries. And so it goes on.
And on a side note : I agree with the others commenting about the poor editing of this book. Plenty of typos, grammatical errors and annoying repeated words in the same paragraph.
(1) The main character has no credibility. It is an immature Uni student with a big mouth and an even bigger ego. I can live with that. What I can't live with is that the adults around her all cowcow to her like she is the leader, the boss, the one they all want to follow.
(2) The plot is thin and again with no credibility. Here is the MC doing a "presentation" to an obscure student group of 10, and bam - the room is packed, the whole Acadamia is present and the Q&A time lasts for hours afterwards. Here is the MC who can read a book written in an old language that nobody in the country can read anymore. Here is the MC who undertakes a project to find the key to mental magic that the "inquisition" couldn't find in centuries. And so it goes on.
And on a side note : I agree with the others commenting about the poor editing of this book. Plenty of typos, grammatical errors and annoying repeated words in the same paragraph.
August 30, 2022
It was difficult to give this story three stars instead of five. The story itself is riveting, the characters well done and Stacey Keystone avoids most tropes. The problem? The editing is awful. There are so many examples "antiques" instead of "antics", "placing an add" instead of "placing an ad", and it continued. I started a list but stopped. Then I got to chapter 9 and it was a repeat of the last page of chapter 8. Hopefully these have been caught and fixed. That was a one star issue. The second was the mix of archaic and modern. We have carriages and courting but then the protagonist, continues to use the word "gramps" to an established, wealthy and dangerous lawyer. I don't want to give away elements of the story, but each time I read it, it was jarring. It just didn't fit the world the author created. It made her seem like a bubble gum-popping street brat. It took me out of the story when it was done. The infuriating part is how good the story is. It is just let down by the editing.
September 14, 2021
A good beginning
I originally got this book because it was free, but since then I have paid full price for the sequels. The world-building is well worked out and the viewpoint character's voice reminds me somewhat of that in Naomi Novik's "Deadly Education." I take a star away partly for a little clumsiness at the edges, and also for the proof-reading problems. Some of the infelicitous substitutions made me think of machine translations.
I originally got this book because it was free, but since then I have paid full price for the sequels. The world-building is well worked out and the viewpoint character's voice reminds me somewhat of that in Naomi Novik's "Deadly Education." I take a star away partly for a little clumsiness at the edges, and also for the proof-reading problems. Some of the infelicitous substitutions made me think of machine translations.
December 30, 2022
Unique and enjoyable
I like descriptions of magical settings, so I'm surprised that I
enjoyed this story so much. It reminds me of the p!at Our Town that's performed on an empty stage. But the characters carries it along at a good pace with many sudden revelations as necessary for the narration. nothing is ever over explained but never under explained either. Will look forward to the next installment.
I like descriptions of magical settings, so I'm surprised that I
enjoyed this story so much. It reminds me of the p!at Our Town that's performed on an empty stage. But the characters carries it along at a good pace with many sudden revelations as necessary for the narration. nothing is ever over explained but never under explained either. Will look forward to the next installment.
May 30, 2021
Excellent areas
Story line interesting and moves along at tempo. The author needs a proof reader. Spell check doesn’t work catching wrong words spelled correctly. It also doesn’t catch the wrong tense. The errors were puzzling until I figured out what was happening. I bought the next book and am looking forward to reading it.
Story line interesting and moves along at tempo. The author needs a proof reader. Spell check doesn’t work catching wrong words spelled correctly. It also doesn’t catch the wrong tense. The errors were puzzling until I figured out what was happening. I bought the next book and am looking forward to reading it.
June 12, 2021
Really good book! Magic, alchemy, balancing dark & light energies with neither being good or bad yet oh so different. I dislike the romance & wish authors would let women have adventures without it like men get to do - almost gave it a 4 because of that but so far, it hasn't harmed her. Love the strong female lead - now if she can manage not getting stupid or weak due to romance i will be happy.
February 3, 2022
What a great read.
I started it on Tuesday morning and stayed up to way too late to finish it on Wednesday. I love the Dana the main character and her 'grampa' is a hoot. Follow her as she tests her limits and finds her path in a challenging world.
What a beautiful world the story is set in. The late 1800's with a steampunk twist. The
I started it on Tuesday morning and stayed up to way too late to finish it on Wednesday. I love the Dana the main character and her 'grampa' is a hoot. Follow her as she tests her limits and finds her path in a challenging world.
What a beautiful world the story is set in. The late 1800's with a steampunk twist. The
October 22, 2022
I didn't want this book to end. The author has created an interesting alternate world with a rich history. There are spies, murder, and magic. Amid the action there are secrets discovered and some that remain hidden. The heroine has perhaps three maybe four people in her life that she can trust and it's possible that more than one of them will betray her in a grand scale. She knows what she wants, but what will others do for what they want?
November 21, 2021
In spite of the slow start and the dump load of information in the beginning of the book, I did enjoy the story! A lot of patience is needed to go through the first part of it, but the second one is worth the time!
Deserves a try!
Deserves a try!
July 7, 2021
A Great First Draft
The story and characters are first rate but the book really needs a good editor to reach its full potential.
The story and characters are first rate but the book really needs a good editor to reach its full potential.
December 1, 2021
Absorbing and entertaining
The magic systems are not fully explored, but they seem very interesting. The MC is flawed, funny and enjoyable. Highly recommended.
The magic systems are not fully explored, but they seem very interesting. The MC is flawed, funny and enjoyable. Highly recommended.
February 2, 2024
Enjoyable book
Kept you on your toes trying to figure out who done it. Lots of twists and turns. Just a little magic though.
Kept you on your toes trying to figure out who done it. Lots of twists and turns. Just a little magic though.
February 21, 2024
Five star story. Even ending too good or some misteries left with no answer.
April 23, 2024
Read Kindle book using Alexa audio asset. A smart woman with a magical chip on her shoulder perseveres in her studies. Purchased this edition on January 26, 2024. , from Amazon for free.
July 30, 2021
Great story, I can’t wait to read the next parts.
I think that it’s a really good story, and it’s one that keeps you interested, just trying to get to the next step. I like this kind of story and it’s a good strong story to follow.
I think that it’s a really good story, and it’s one that keeps you interested, just trying to get to the next step. I like this kind of story and it’s a good strong story to follow.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews