Sunday, May 31, 2015

A Review of Dark Alchemy by Laura Bickle

Dark AlchemyDark Alchemy by Laura Bickle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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.

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2 comments:

Deborah Blake said...

Oooh, sounds intriguing! I read Laura's first book and really liked it, and have another one languishing on my TBR shelf. Thanks for reminding me to pull it out, and also, to look for this one.

Roxanne Rhoads said...

Her books are so good.

 
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