Mercury Retrograde audiobook

Enjoying this weird, wild west with lots of alchemy storyline. Petra handles quite a bit for being "normal".

This review originally appeared on my blog, Leeanna.me.==As a fan of Laura Bickle, I was excited to see that she was continuing her Dark Alchemy series. Earlier in the year, I read DARK ALCHEMY and enjoyed it, but I wasn’t sure if it was a standalone or not. So I was quite happy to see MERCURY RETROGRADE pop up on my radar. MERCURY RETROGRADE picks up two months after DARK ALCHEMY. Although I recommend reading the first book, I think you could read MERCURY RETROGRADE as a standalone and be okay. The author explains events that happened in the previous book as necessary. But you’ll definitely have a better appreciation of everything if you read book one. In MERCURY RETROGRADE, Petra and her sidekick coyote Sig face off against a gigantic snake that’s turned Yellowstone into its personal hunting ground. But with giant snake videos going viral, they aren’t the only ones in the park — there are plenty of tourists, monster hunters, and even the government. Also on the search for the snake are Gabe and the Hanged Men, who need the snake’s blood to save their tree. As if that weren’t enough, there’s a cult of motorcycle-riding women who worship snakes … and they want to feed everyone to the giant snake. I never know quite what I’m going to get with a Laura Bickle book, which is one of my favorite parts of reading her work. She twists things in ways I don’t expect, and always puts her own spin on traditional fantasy creatures. I was pretty creeped out by the giant snake, but I also sympathized with it by the end of the book. I also enjoy her dark humor and sarcasm, sprinkled at appropriate points. And lastly, she’s ace at writing great animal characters. I was overjoyed to see more of Sig!I enjoyed MERCURY RETROGRADE even more than DARK ALCHEMY, and I can’t wait to see what else is in store for Petra, Sig, and Gabe.==Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I also participated in the blog tour for this book. See more of my reviews:

Lots of stuff happening in this second book. Too much to tell without spoiling it for you. I'll do my best.We're back with Petra and her loyal companion, Sig, and they are quickly drawn into the mystery of a giant serpent slithering through the park, killing in horrific ways. The hunt is on.And Gabe and the other Hanged Men are also hunting the Basilisk. They need its blood to save the alchemy tree that gives them life. It's dying and the serpents blood might be their last chance to save it, and themselves.Something kept me from falling immediately in love with this one. Not sure what, but by the end, the author got five stars out of me. I adore Petra, Sig, and Gabe. And she always gives me the most spectacular villains to vote off the island.I'm in luck and have the third book sitting right beside me. Off to more mad adventures and danger with some favorite characters.

Petra is the strong smart UF heroine done right. This series needs more love.

Love and Loss This second Dark Alchemy centers around loss, as Petra comes to terms with Gabe being lost to her, and her father also being lost in his Alzheimer’s. The book starts out action packed with a death of a camping family which is extremely similar to the one park ranger Mike described in the first book, death by toxic gas from a Yellowstone mudpot. But all is not what it seems and the supernatural is to blame. The book is pretty action oriented, with Cal suffering from mercury poisoning, a girl biker gang and the Hanged Men in the supernatural stew. Really am liking these books, and if you are into good urban fantasy that is pretty unique you really need these books.FYI No Sex.

I give 5 stars to anything I can't put down and this was one of those. I'd call it rural fantasy and it's well done. Weird and different plot with good solid characters.

Good ReadI enjoyed the two books in this series. Just enough weirdness to keep me interested. I am looking forward to the next in the series if there is one!

Summary from Goodreads:"Something venomous has come to Temperance …It's been two months since Petra Dee and her coyote sidekick Sig faced off against Temperance's resident alchemist, but things are far from quiet. When an Internet video of a massive snake in the backcountry of Yellowstone goes viral, a chase for the mythical basilisk is on. Monster hunters swarm into the area, and never one to pass up the promise of discovery, Petra joins in the search.Among the newcomers is a snake cult on wheels―the biker gang Sisters of Serpens. Unlike some, the Sisters don't want to kill the basilisk―they want to worship it. But things get complicated when the basilisk develops a taste for human flesh that rivals the Sisters' own murderous skills.Meanwhile, the alchemical tree of life is dying, and the undead Hanged Men of Temperance who depend on it know the basilisk may be their last chance for survival.With time running out for everyone around her, Petra will be forced to decide who survives and who she must leave behind in this action-packed sequel to Dark Alchemy."My Thoughts:I was absolutely thrilled when I heard that this book was coming out! I had previously enjoyed Dark Alchemy (the first book in this series) so much and had my fingers crossed that the author would be writing a sequel. So you can imagine my surprise and excitement when I got wind of this book. This series is so completely original and is just different from everything out there! I find it a treat to read and this has been my experience with both books in this series. I should say that you need to start off by reading the first book in this series because events in this book are a continuation from book one. Not all of it which means new readers could start with this book if they wanted but I just feel like they would be missing out a bit. And personally I feel like that this is such a great series and shouldn't be missed! I love how the author takes the impossible and makes it possible with these books. I just cannot emphasize enough how fresh and unique these books are. It is a mish mash of genres in the best possible way: a mystery mixed in with fantasy along with some steampunk elements and a western feel all rolled into one. I love it so much for all of these different reasons (and these are the same things that I loved about book one)!In this book Petra once again finds herself caught up in a heap of trouble as she attempts to help investigate the mysterious deaths of a family that have died for no apparent reason. She is looking at the geological features of the area trying to determine if a hot gas spot is the reason behind these deaths or could it be the mysterious snake that was sighted in the area. Almost instantly things start to go wrong and Petra is forced to search for answers while trying to keep herself out of danger. I found myself immersed in this book immediately after starting it....it was just that easy to fall back into the world that Bickle had created in Dark Alchemy. I loved that we had the chance to meet up again with all of my favorite characters from the previous book. I especially loved that this book delved more into the mysterious hanged men and their fate after the way that things had ended in book one (trying not to spoil anything here so sorry if I'm being too vague). This book was just as fast paced as the first book and just as hard to set down. Basically I just loved this book as much as I did the first and am now a huge fan of this series! And the ending- what an ending! I loved that we got some answers but I also really loved the set up for the next book. There is going to be a next book!!! I cannot wait!Overall, I just cannot say enough good things about this series or about this book! I hope that other readers are reading and loving this series as much as I have. Trust this author to take you on a wild ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time. Now I'm just going to have to patiently wait and wish for the next book in this series. Highly recommended!Bottom Line: Such a great follow-up to the first book in this series! I cannot recommend it enough!Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss.

I'm a total fanpiggy when it comes to Laura Bickle, so it might not surprise you I got my trotters on this book as soon as I could. I even debated if I should get the ebook, so I could read it sooner, but I wanted the print version to hug and pet. And this book was worth the extra wait.I love Petra and Sig, they're an awesome team. Petra has had enough happening to her she's sensible and smart. She doesn't just run into things blind. That doesn't mean she's not caught by surprise at times.There's lots going on: a big nasty basilisk, the tree of life is dying, Gabe not recognizing Petra, and lots more. I was hooked from the start. Will Petra be able to defend herself when she encounters the basilisk? Will Gabe recover his memories? Can they help each other stay alive? And what's going on with Cal?This book is action-packed and at times grim. I feared for the life of some of my favorite characters. There are wins and losses along the way, and the ending gives hope and closure on some things, but also gives a glimpse of more nastiness coming Petra's way. You can bet I'll be getting my trotters on the next book!

I actually think the first book in this series is a little better, but this is a solidly enjoyable follow up and it definitely sets things up nicely for a third book. Nothing here is bad, it's just that the character stuff with Petra doesn't feel like it expands on anything much and while the biker gang is fascinating ultimately it feels like more could have been done with them. Or, basically; what's here is good, but like 75% of the way through I realized some of the stuff I thought would get expanded on wasn't going to be. Not necessarily a huge problem (I did still enjoy it), but it made this one feel a bit transitional. I do like what happens with the hanged me, though.

Bickle once again delivers a spine-tingling paranormal adventure story. She provides enough back-story for first time readers and brings in the recurring characters. Of course, she sets up the ending for another installment of Dark Alchemy for fans.Mercury Retrograde has something for every reader; a little magic, some violence, the supernatural world of dreams and spirits, and a little romance. A longer review will appear in Ohioana Library Newsletter http://www.ohioana.org

The sequel to Dark Alchemy, Laura Bickle kicks up the writing a notch or seven. Even better book? Yes, as if you enjoyed the first book, you are already invested in all the quirky characters of Temperance Wy. All women biker gang/snake goddess cults? Check, crazy alchemy emo boy subplots. Romance with a dead zombie tree man in a nice hat? Yes! Giant snake goddess who just wants some adoration? Yup. Looking forward to any more adventures in this weird alchemical western world!