a conspiracy of alchemists by liesel schwarz

It is full of intrigue and excitement that constantly twists and turns, all whilst offering charm, wit and humour. If she has a destiny, then she will jolly well choose which parts of it she will accept and those that will have to merely jump off the next dirigible.Ī Conspiracy of Alchemists is an adventure of a story that never stops. She is a bright young lady and she will not go quietly-whatever it is these people have planned.

Of course, being the daughter of a genius scientist does have its perks and Elle is definitely not without her wiles, feminine or otherwise.

With or without her consent, things are set to change. Elle is in serious trouble and those after her do not necessarily need her consent to use her for their ends. The darker beings of the Shadow realm don’t seem to agree, however. Something is changing in her and she’s not sure what it is… It might have something to do with her lineage and the strange bracelet that won’t come off… and yet surely not? She’s a sensible, normal girl and that’s that. Under normal circumstances, she would follow her instincts… but since all this started, they’re not quite what they used to be. He is a conundrum-a handsome one, at that-and Elle simply isn’t sure what to do. And then there’s Marsh, who never quite seems to tell her the truth, yet doesn’t really lie to her either. Then, of course, she needs to reassess and put aside all the logical thoughts and rationality that comes from the Light and embrace the Shadow that runs deep in her family. Until it does concern her-and those closest to her. She lives for flying and sure, she might not be cut out for the regular married life of her peers-in fact, although she was educated in etiquette and even débuted, her heart was scarcely in it-but she is still an exceedingly normal woman with no need to concern herself with the mysterious box that has landed in her hands, the absinthe fairy in the café she’s meeting at, or the presence of Nightwalkers and Warlocks.

She is a perfectly normal young woman merely going about her business, which just happens to be flying her own small freight service craft and studying physics. There is great power locked away in the Shadow realm but as the Light grows stronger and logic and reason banish its hold, draining its power, the power of all who rely on the darker realm ebbs away to nothingness. In a world where the Light and the Shadow realms weave and melt into the real world, where absinthe fairies and Nightwalkers mix with Alchemists, and human Warlocks live for centuries, the balance is tipping with the growing use and power of spark and science. There’s something different about this story and whatever it is, it makes it a definite winner. Requested on a whim via NetGalley, I clicked through the eARC and within minutes I was hooked.

I’m pleased to say it was a good choice to begin with. A Conspiracy of Alchemists is my first steampunk novel.

A conspiracy of alchemists by liesel schwarz