9780062936493
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Dark Alchemy audiobook

  • By: Laura Bickle
  • Narrator: Nicol Zanzarella
  • Category: Dark Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction
  • Length: 10 hours 8 minutes
  • Publisher: HarperAudio
  • Publish date: February 26, 2019
  • Language: English
  • (381 ratings)
(381 ratings)
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Dark Alchemy Audiobook Summary

Stephen King’s The Gunslinger meets Breaking Bad in Laura Bickle’s novel Dark Alchemy.

Some secrets are better left buried …

Geologist Petra Dee arrives in Wyoming seeking clues to her father’s disappearance years ago. What she finds instead is Temperance, a dying western town with a gold rush past and a meth-infested present. But under the dust and quiet, an old power is shifting. When bodies start turning up–desiccated and twisted skeletons that Petra can’t scientifically explain–her investigations land her in the middle of a covert war between the town’s most powerful interests. Petra’s father wasn’t the only one searching for the alchemical secrets of Temperance, and those still looking are now ready to kill. Armed with nothing but shaky alliances, a pair of antique guns, and a relic she doesn’t understand, the only thing Petra knows for sure is that she and her coyote sidekick are going to have to move fast–or die next.

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Dark Alchemy Audiobook Narrator

Nicol Zanzarella is the narrator of Dark Alchemy audiobook that was written by Laura Bickle

Laura Bickle grew up in rural Ohio, reading entirely too many comic books out loud to her favorite Wonder Woman doll. After graduating with an MA in Sociology-Criminology from Ohio State University and an MLIS in Library Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, she patrolled the stacks at the public library and worked with data systems in criminal justice. She now dreams up stories about the monsters under the stairs. Her work has been included in the ALA’s Amelia Bloomer Project 2013 reading list and the State Library of Ohio’s Choose to Read Ohio reading list for 2015-2016. More information about Laura’s work can be found at www.laurabickle.com.

About the Author(s) of Dark Alchemy

Laura Bickle is the author of Dark Alchemy

Dark Alchemy Full Details

Narrator Nicol Zanzarella
Length 10 hours 8 minutes
Author Laura Bickle
Category
Publisher HarperAudio
Release date February 26, 2019
ISBN 9780062936493

Subjects

The publisher of the Dark Alchemy is HarperAudio. includes the following subjects: The BISAC Subject Code is Dark Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction

Additional info

The publisher of the Dark Alchemy is HarperAudio. The imprint is HarperAudio. It is supplied by HarperAudio. The ISBN-13 is 9780062936493.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Ben

July 06, 2015

4.5 StarsYet again Laura has completely outdone herself. An absolute stunner of a book. Twists and turns that leave you thirsting for more.A adventure fantasy set in the wild wild west, something you can not miss!

Bonnie

May 14, 2015

My rating: 3.5 of 5 starsPetra Dee is a woman running from the past and all the memories that haunt her dreams. She seeks distraction in the form of small-town Temperance, Wyoming where her father was last heard of years past and she intends on searching for him. This small-town is far from ordinary and she quickly realizes that law enforcement has no hold on the town but instead local land owner Sal Rutherford seems to be the one in control. There’s another powerful man that goes by the name of The Alchemist who seems to aid in the areas drug habit. Petra quickly ends up right in the dangerous path of both Sal and The Alchemist when she uncovers a magical artifact that is somehow tied to both men and the mysterious story behind the origins of this mysterious small-town.Alchemy is the reason surrounding this strange towns existence and involves a mysterious figure by the name of Lascaris that during the Gold Rush, as rumor has it, figured out how to transform simple rocks into gold. His experiments were conducted in secret and he was never questioned since he was the sole reason the town was thriving, so why question anything when it’s working so well? After his supposed death in a mysterious fire, new figures rose in hope to take his place. Sal Rutherford, who currently owns the land where The Lunaria, the Alchemical Tree of Life, resides (in addition to the undead ranch hands that call themselves The Hanged Men) and Stroud/The Alchemist, a man that can trace his lineage back to Lascaris himself. The aspects of alchemy were explained sufficiently and incorporated well into the story, however, as the story drew to a close it lacked a necessary conviction when it came time for solid answers.This one generated a lot of discussion for me when all was said and done and there is much to love but also much that left me in confusion. First and foremost, Sig the coyote, Petra’s “animal familiar” was the true highlight of this story for me. Sig possessed more personality than some of the side characters without having to say a single word. He was her first ally in Temperance and he quickly took to her and became her self-appointed guardian before she even knew she needed help. He became incredibly docile by the end and as much as I loved his addition to the story it did seem incredibly unlikely. Still, this story would not have been the same without Sig. There were many other additional loose ends that I felt should have been addressed, most are spoilery so I’ll avoid going into detail. Whether this is because the author wanted to leave some things in the ‘unknown’ so as to maybe turn the story into a series I’m not sure but this being the start of a new series seems like a definite possibility.Possessing an interesting blend of mystery and magic, Dark Alchemy is an eerie and most inventive tale that kept me completely spellbound.I received this book free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Christy

December 03, 2015

I almost kept scrolling when I first came upon Dark Alchemy, but then I noticed Laura Bickle is the author and immediately knew I had to read it. I friggin’ love her Hallowed Ones series, so had high hopes for this. There’s mystery and magic and mayhem. Oh, my! Can’t go wrong with that.Petra is a geologist who arrives in in Wyoming after a horrific accident at her last job. She has ulterior motives for picking this place, though. It is where her father’s trail goes cold. She soon finds herself facing some pretty weird and unexplainable stuff that turns deadly.I like Petra. She’s a tough cookie who looks at thing logically, and she doesn’t back down from much. There are some great secondary characters too. Maria is a strong female presence, and I love how she and Petra kind of bond and become quite a formidable duo. Of course, there’s also Sig the coyote, who definitely lives up to the trickster reputation.I’m not really sure how to describe this book. I know the cover makes it look like it is set in the old west or something, but it isn’t. However, the tiny Wyoming town with a population of 412 kind of gives off that vibe. Only slightly, though. So it’s kind of like an urban fantasy sans the urban. And for such a small town, there’s some crazy stuff going on.There’s a creepiness to Dark Alchemy that Bickle does so well, but it’s subtle. Well, mostly subtle. There’s the mystery of Petra’s dad, but also another mystery of calcified bodies popping up. Then some crazy magic dude wants something of Petra’s by any means necessary. Oh, can’t forget The Hangman’s Tree! *shivers* Bickle did a great job weaving everything together and bringing all the treads around for a very intriguing story. Dark Alchemy is a fairly quick read, yet totally satisfying. Plus, it’s a standalone! I’m just so glad I didn’t miss out on this book. You shouldn’t either!**Update** This has turned into a series, but this book totally works as a standalone.

T.

July 13, 2015

Petra Dee's skills as a geologist come in handy when she moves to Wyoming for the dual purposes of escaping her past while looking for clues that will lead her to her missing father. What she finds is an alchemist disguised as a meth dealer and a rancher with a deadly secret growing on his farm.Bickle creates memorable characters and a genuinely creepy setting to deliver a fast-paced story filled with mystery and other worlds overlapping our own. I can't give the ending away without spoilers, so I'll just say the ending had some truly horrific moments, and those I always enjoy. If you're into dark fiction with a contemporary edge, give Dark Alchemy a read.

Dark Faerie Tales

September 25, 2016

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: A woman comes to a small town looking for her father but ends up finding much more than she bargained for in this enthralling first book in Laura Bickle’s new series.Opening Sentence: The raven saw it first.The Review:After experiencing a trauma on her last job, geologist Petra has come to the town of Temperance to search for her missing father. Little does she know this trip will open her eyes to the supernatural. Shortly after arriving in town, Petra saves a man, Gabe, from a vicious beating, only to discover the next day that he looks as if nothing had happened. She’s also come under the scrutiny of the local drug lord, known as the Alchemist. He believes she has something that belongs to him, and he won’t rest until it’s in his possession. Has Petra escaped one trauma only to become the victim of another? Will she find her father? Only time will tell . . .I had read a book by Laura Bickle a long time ago and remember enjoying it, but for one reason or another, I never picked up the second book. So I was hesitantly positive about the prospect of reading this book. Can I just tell you, from the moment the book started, I was completely hooked! It starts off with some very creepy goings-on, and that just immediately caught my attention, and I wanted to know more about what was going on in this town. The pace of the book was really good, and my interest never really waned.While I wouldn’t necessarily classify this book as horror, the creep factor is certainly high, as is the gore factor at times. If you’re a little faint of heart, this might not be the right book for you. As someone who loves Stephen King though, this was right up my alley! Laura Bickle definitely knows how to ratchet tension up and leave you on the edge of your seat.As for our main character, I absolutely loved Petra. She’s strong, smart, and doesn’t need a man to get her out of tough situations. She doesn’t do stupid things, which is one of my biggest pet peeves about some heroines. In a word, Petra’s awesome. Plus she has a coyote sidekick named Sig. What’s not to love?The one problem with the book though hinges on the romance. It kind of feels shoehorned in and isn’t necessary to the plot at all. Part of the problem is while we get to see some events from Gabe’s point of view, we don’t see enough to really give a good feel for his character, which makes it hard to connect to him. I liked the guy fine, but I really wasn’t invested in him as a character. Plus, the romance seemed to just pop up out of nowhere, and it left me feeling like I’d missed an important chapter where more development was given to their feelings for each other.All in all though, I think this was a great first book in a series, full of creepiness, tension, and well-paced action. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely be checking out the next book!Notable Scene:She paused in climbing to her feet, squinting at something pale and splintered below the pines. Her GPR cart had rolled away into the soft bed of pine needles. The shape beyond it looked like a piece of the petrified forest. Had the ridge eroded on this slope enough to reveal another, older incarnation of the forest?Her curiosity piqued, Petra crawled forward on her hands and knees. Pinesap stuck dried needles to her palms.Sig growled. Petra looked back at him. His fur bristled, and he crouched close to the ground.“You need to get over the squirrels. Really.”But Sig wasn’t looking up. He was looking past her, at the petrified specimens. His nose flared and shivered.Petra reached into her pack for a pick. Was Sig sensing a snake . . . or . . . God forbid, a larger predator? A bear?A thin, reedy moan echoed from the foot of the pine.Petra scrambled back, heart hammering. She dropped the pick and reached for the bear spray.The moan sounded again. It didn’t sound like a bear. It sounded . . . human.Petra crept toward the sound, expecting to find an injured hiker. The pine needles were soft underfoot, muffling her steps. Sig slunk before her. But he didn’t go beyond the tree. He stopped at the jagged piece of petrified wood, whimpered, circled it.Petra peered at what she’d assumed to be a centuries-old tree. Something dead and silent. She pressed her hand to her mouth. “Oh, my God . . .”It wasn’t a tree. This thing was horribly, horribly alive. Bones were warped and twisted, calcified around what was unmistakably a human face. She saw no evidence of eyes in the sockets, but she did see teeth in a jagged, frozen jaw. A thin, wordless keening flexed the ribs.Her hands scrabbled in the pine needles for her pick. “Hang on. I’ll get you out of there.” She swung awkwardly with the pick, splintering away pieces of petrified material and summoning blood in the jagged surface. The thing shrieked.Petra recoiled. This wasn’t someone encased in a prison of petrified wood – the prison was the person.A prison of bone.FTC Advisory: Harper Voyager Impulse/HarperCollins provided me with a copy of Dark Alchemy. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

Lily (Night Owl Book Cafe)

April 03, 2015

3.5 Solid Stars!I was always the curious one standing on the outside looking in when it came to Laura Bickle books. I have never read her other series, but have read so many wonderful reviews on it from friends that I have wished for more time in order to read them. When Dark Alchemy was bought to m

Katyana

March 06, 2021

It's hard to know how to classify this book. Not entirely UF, not entirely fantasy, it's a modern setting with sciencey-magic. But Petra is a great character, and now I want a coyote.I'm definitely interested - I want to know more about how all this works, how she can find her father for real, how she can restore the Lunaria. And what will happen to Gabe.Someone needs to kill Cal and Sal both though. Cal the spineless betrayer, and Sal who is a complete monster.

Melliane

March 24, 2015

Mon avis en FrançaisMy ENglish reviewInitially I was not sure that the book would be for me when I heard about it. But it is Laura Bickle we’re speaking about and so far I have not been disappointed by one of her novels. It was finally a good thing to try this adventure as the author conquered me again. Here we find a very original story mixing alchemy, mystery, murder, and magic.Petra went to Temperance after a difficult history that left her a little disoriented. This city is the last known place of her father years before and the young woman hopes now to find him. Yet her research will quickly get complicated when she realizes that this place contains many secrets. Two powerful characters of the city compete in secret. It’s quite difficult to identify exactly what they are and what they really want to achieve, but one thing is sure, they are ready to do anything to achieve their goals. Accompanied by a coyote with whom she befriended, Petra finds herself in the middle of the intrigues of the city. Indeed, she finds a kind of compass on her land and it seems that the boy who calls himself the Alchemist is determined to get it back! But on top of that, she is interested in Gabriel and tries to understand him. This is a man who works for Sal and it looks like everyone avoids these people at all costs. The guy has many secrets and even though she knows that discovering everything could be dangerous, Dee is determined to understand what’s going on, especially when bodies start to appear all over town.I enjoyed discovering our heroine, she tries to understand what is happening in this strange city, without forgetting that her primary purpose is to find her father. She will end in a story completely beyond her but always accompanied by her friends. I loved her relationship with coyote, this animal who appreciates her but who is not so ordinary. It’s funny to see how the two will become inseparable over the chapters. And then there was this man … Oh Gabe is very difficult to define and to understand. He’s hiding something and has some quite extraordinary powers and I was very curious to learn the truth about him. Besides, I have to say I was very surprised because the author had some very interesting and different ideas while creating a new myth.I will not say more because we discover many things in the story, but in any case I was very interested from beginning to end and I hope we’ll have a sequel soon because I’m curious to see what happens to the characters after that. Laura Bickle once again presents a book at the height of her previous writings.

Mandy

April 09, 2015

I received Dark Alchemy in return for an honest review from the publisher. Petra is a geologist running from an accident that happened six months earlier that changed her life. She’s hoping to find her father who went missing back in the 90’s. Petra has moved to far away from the ocean where she used to live to Temperance a western town in Wyoming near Yellowstone where her dad last was. Petra is quickly sucked into the small town life, picking up an old vehicle and adding pair of old pearl handled guns she’s fitting right in.As Petra digs deeper into what happened to her father she is pulled into a mystery with the ranch hands and the goth kids that hang out in the garden. Soon strange bodies are piling up and only Petra seems to be connected to them. She befriends a social worker from the local reservation who’s uncle thinks that Petra is the answer to stopping the hungry one. At least Petra won’t have to go it alone as she’s befriended a coyote who’s taken it upon himself to move right in. Will Petra find what happened to her father? What’s really going on with the ranch hands?I really liked Petra she’s a smart character who’s moving on after tragedy and handles the unusual things happening in Temperance very well. I found her to be an interesting character she doesn’t rely on men she handles her own trouble and reminds me very much of an old west cowgirl. I liked several of the supporting characters like Gabe, Mike, Maria and even Frankie they enhanced they added to the Petra’s new life. However my favorite character aside from Petra was Sig he just grew on me through the whole story and I think I need one of my own Sig’s.I didn’t even read the synopsis when I requested Dark Alchemy because I’ve read all the authors’ books so I knew that it would be good. The characters are easy to connect with I found the memorable they captured my heart. Since I didn’t read the synopsis other than assuming it was a Wild West story I didn’t know what to expect and found it doesn’t disappoint. Dark Alchemy is fast paced loaded with mystery and intrigue a perfect mix of fantasy is thrown in creating an intricate story. The concept I found new and exciting it’s not often I find an urban fantasy that reminds me of the old west but with a modern twist. I really enjoyed the authors writing style it flowed smoothly from start to finish and I think she did a great job creating a captivated story. I enjoyed Dark Alchemy it was hard to put down I was drawn into Petra’s story and had to know how it would play out. As far as I know Dark Alchemy is a standalone but I wasn’t ready for it to end so I’m crossing my fingers for more. I look forward to seeing what the author has planned for next.

Roxanne

May 31, 2015

I absolutely loved this book- for so many reasons. The main reason being it was different, so wildly different than the usual urban fantasy. The characters were fresh, the mythology exciting, and the setting unusual. Plus it is a mix of urban fantasy, fantasy, magic, horror, adventure, plus a touch of mystery with a possible budding romance thrown in just to make it a little more interesting.From the very first page I was hooked- Bickle introduces us to odd characters and an even odder setting- the crazy old western town of Temperance, Wyoming which seems to be one step away from being a ghost town. If it wasn't for Yellowstone National park, the Native reservation and the Alchemist who keeps the tweaking "meth" heads dazed and confused it probably would have disappeared into dust ages ago.Petra is a geologist running from her past and hunting for her father who disappeared many years ago, Temperance was the last place he sent a postcard from.The action starts right from the beginning- Petra sure has a way of finding trouble- or it finds her. It doesn't take long for her to settle in with an old truck, a couple guns, and a coyote sidekick that digs up a mystery gift for her. That mystery gift, the calcified bodies, Alchemy, and Petra's hunt for her missing father are all tied together, but how?It's an odd tale full of eerie twists and turns. Bickle does a wonderful job of creating a subtlety chilling and creepily dark story that keeps you wondering what will happen next.That end...such mixed feelings.I am thrilled to learn that book two is in the works because the dark and twisty ending left me aching for more.

Melindeeloo

October 17, 2015

3.5 stars - I found Dark Alchemy very odd but interesting and, with touches of strange magic and its macabre aftermath, very different too.Geologist Petra, after a horrific accident at her former job, has found a new position on the outskirts of Yellowstone, in the area where her father disappeared many years ago. But the town is has some weird stuff going on that has a lot to do with two even weirder groups, one, associated with the rancher who has secrets buried in his property and a group of dangerous ranch hands and law enforcement in his pocket to help keep those secrets, and another, associated with the Alchemist and his group of meth heads.I liked Petra, for the most part she comes off as competent and intelligent though for a scientist she does accept the woo woo stuff fairly easily, I also liked the unusual pet who adopts her. Also very interesting is one of the cursed ranch hands, Gabriel, after all is said and done I still want to know what happens to him next. In some ways the story felt finished at the end, but there were enough threads left, not really dangling, but waiting to be pulled that I had to email author Bickle to find out if there would be more. Though she didn't exactly say yes, she did say news was forthcoming, so I am very hopeful for seeing more of Petra and Gabriel in this very different world.

*Suzy (ereaderuser)*

June 15, 2017

Super interesting and unlike anything I've ever read before. Fast paced. Loved the characters.

Danya

April 21, 2015

3.5 starsPrepare for some serious creepiness and an unbelievable number of shoot-outs, because DARK ALCHEMY is not your typical urban fantasy: this is UF meets the Wild West. Protagonist Petra Dee flees rolls into Temperance, Wyoming intending to put the tragedy and violence of her past behind her. Unfortunately for Petra, the former gold rush town isn't exactly the safest place for someone with a nose for trouble.Petra is a scientist and completely uninterested in things that cannot be seen and measured. New Age spirituality, the supernatural, and what I personally like to call “juju” are all bogus, as far as she’s concerned. So when a series of strange and unexplainable incidents occur shortly after her arrival in Temperance, Petra is understandably thrown. In the “weird supernatural occurrences” column we have: a coyote who follows Petra around like a highly intelligent domesticated animal, a man who can be beaten within an inch of his life without any visible evidence of it the next day, and the discovery of horribly twisted human remains. Add to that a run in with the local meth heads and Petra’s stay in Temperance is shaping up to be a grand ol’ time.Petra is tough, smart, and resourceful – all character traits that I admire in a UF protagonist. In one particularly “do or die” scene, she pulls a MacGyver and assembles a flamethrower from the body of a vacuum, a seat belt, and a bird’s nest. I mean…hell yes! It didn’t even require that much suspension of disbelief because Petra pulls together a few makeshift tools of necessity throughout DARK ALCHEMY, including a crude spectrometer. Her technical know-how and scientific background definitely came in handy going up against the majorly creepy baddies running amok in Temperance. Sal Rutherford works his ranch hands into the ground and exploits their otherworldly abilities in an effort to maintain his iron grip on Temperance. He has law enforcement in his back pocket and has intimidated half the town into thinking they have no choice but to submit to his dictatorial rule. The other half of the town worships at the altar (figuratively) of a shady figure known as the Alchemist, the local drug kingpin. But as Petra soon finds out, the Alchemist is cooking up a lot more than meth…Laura Bickle impressed me with her ability to write convincing and multi-faceted characters while still maintaining a good deal of plot. Temperance abuts a Native American reservation and tensions between the two populations are pretty evident. Petra gets a front-row seat to the conflict when she befriends Maria Yellowrose, a tough as nails social worker, and by extension her uncle Frankie. Frankie is infamous for being a boisterous alcoholic who’s convinced that he has shamanistic powers.I will say that one character seemed completely out of place and somewhat useless: the overbearing and somewhat chauvinistic Park Ranger, Mike. This guy seemed to show up everywhere – especially when he wasn’t wanted – and was clearly trying to get with Petra despite her obvious disinterest. His repeated offers that she move out of her trailer and into the lodge in the national park came off a bit weird in a “women living alone are unsafe so why don’t you come live closer to me, a complete stranger who’s large, physically fit, and sexually attracted to you” kind of way. Call me paranoid (fair point) but that just doesn’t add up. The prevalence of guns and the frequency of gun violence also made me a little uncomfortable. I realize that DARK ALCHEMY is an urban fantasy/western mash-up, but personally I found people’s attitudes towards guns to be too cavalier. Obviously there’s a lot of tussling and violence in urban fantasy, but it’s not often done with guns and when it is there’s usually a more serious tone. Maybe if I read more westerns I’ll get used to it – there does seem to be an awful lot of western SFF releasing over the next year!Despite some quibbles, I quite enjoyed DARK ALCHEMY and Bickle’s quick pacing impressed me. This book has an open ending that leaves room for a sequel; if there is one in the works, then sign me up!

Laura

April 02, 2015

This was one wild, weird experience. With a little imagination, it was more like I was watching this then reading it. I drew my visuals from the many science fiction, fantasy, and horror movies I’ve watched. All of those genres rolled up into one fantastic book was such a treat.Petra came to Temperance to find her missing father. It’s also far away from the sea and a tragedy she can’t bear. Her training as a geologist is put to the test with the strange bodies, the otherworldly Gabriel, and the power that seems to live beneath the surface of the town.There’s one heck of a mystery. Why are the bodies calcified? Who is behind it? What is Gabe and his Hanged Men? And what’s with the ravens?Next is the originality. This story reeks of the old west but takes place in the present. I kept thinking of the movie Wild, Wild West with Will Smith. It’s not so much steam punk as magic, with weird devices and rituals. It feels hot, dusty, and otherworldly.There’s also a bit of Native American lore laced into the story. I think that added to the western atmosphere and made it strange and creepy.Now we come to the characters.Petra is a mix of Annie Oakley and a female Clint Eastwood. She has this really cool leather duster and slings a pair of antique pearl handled .44s. She’s weighted down with some guilty baggage, yet she’s tough as a cactus and just as prickly. She’ll ‘make your day’.With so many characters I can’t break each one down for you. There are the meth heads, in a delusional thrall to Stroud. There’s Sal and his insatiable desire for eternal life. All of these characters are dangerous. All of them want something Petra has discovered. All of them are gunning for her.Then there’s the non human characters. Gabriel and his group of Hanged Men. They might once have been human, but not anymore. I don’t want to say they are evil so much as they ‘do’ evil. And there’s a weird connection between them and the ravens.My favorite of all the non human characters was Sig, Petra’s coyote. He attached himself to Petra and became her companion, protector, and early warning system. Kind of like a familiar. He was my hero.As for romance, there’s none. Well, there’s a spark but I don’t see where it could work.Last but not least is the horror. It’s subtle, quiet, then it strikes. So unusual, steeped in magic and something ancient. How do you fight it? How can you stand against it?I loved Laura’s The Hallowed Ones Series and her Anya Kalinczyk Series so there was no question about reading Dark Alchemy. It’s listed as a stand alone but the ending could lead to more adventures with Petra and her side kick, Sig. It would be great to meet these guys again.I received this book for my honest review.

Craig

September 04, 2016

This is a fun fantasy adventure with lots of little interesting details. It took me a little while to get fully involved, but everything finally came together nicely. The protagonist is a geologist who approaches the supernatural things that confront her with a convincingly scientific attitude, even after she's adopted by a wild coyote and one of her new friends turns into a murder of crows. (Oh, and the evil meth-cooking alchemist has a salamander... could it be a cousin of Sparky from Embers and Sparks?) Don't be put off by the poor cover; this is a fun book, and I'll pick up the sequel.

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