REVIEW: A Conspiracy of Alchemists by Liesel Schwarz

In A Conspiracy of Alchemists by Liesel Schwarz, Eleanor “Elle” Chance has been told that flying a dirigible airship is no job for a lady. Good thing she doesn’t consider herself one of the standard, daft women of society. She survives by using her wits and the incredible wealth of information her father, a professor, has shared with her. So when her beloved father turns up missing and is believed to be kidnapped, Elle begins an adventure that will take her far across Europe in her search.

‘The corners of his mouth curled up into a little smile and she felt something inside her quicken. It would be so easy to fall in love with a man like him. He was absolutely mesmerizing. But he was a liar and a manipulator too.’

Elle also meets Mr. Marsh, a Warlock, along the way who is hiding something from her. He seems to have a lot of helpful information that he shares at the most opportune times. Elle isn’t sure if she should trust him or not. Especially since there is an attraction between them that won’t go away, no matter how devious and frustrating she finds him to be. When they both become entangled in the worlds of Light and Shadow, Elle may find out secrets about herself and her family that could change her life forever.

“I’ve wanted to do this since I laid eyes on you.” With a gentle movement, he lifted her face to his and kissed her.
‘Oh, blast, he’s right. And I do want him. How annoying.’ Those were the last few logical thoughts that fluttered out of her brain as a wave of desire took her.

A Conspiracy of Alchemists is a wonderfully engaging Steampunk adventure full of twists and turns, action, and magic.

Author Liesel Schwarz has created an intricate story that had me hooked from page one with its almost poetic writing and thread of humor woven in. Of course there were all imaginable types of gadgets and creations described…what would a Steampunk story be without them? But I think my favorite part of the book was Elle herself. She was a highly intelligent, brave, caring woman who stood up for herself in what at the time was a man’s world. A female pilot was unheard of in the early 1900s, yet Elle made her living as such. Quite an accomplishment, I thought.

As for the storyline itself, my interest was held up to the very end. The growing love match between Elle and Mr. Marsh was fun to read. They were both witty and so smart that I loved their dialogue. And the secondary characters more than held their own. It was interesting to try and decipher who could be trusted and what the final outcome would be. I especially liked the bits of the story that was told from Adele the faerie’s POV. It was really interesting to get a firsthand account of some of the events from a fantasy creature instead of a human. The complexity of the plot was also very enjoyable and I thought the pacing of the story was just right.

I think fans of Steampunk will be excited with this new series. Hopefully you like Elle and Hugh’s happily-for-now as much as I did.

Book Info:

Published March 5th 2013 by Del Rey

LEAVE IT TO CHANCE.

Eleanor “Elle” Chance, that is—a high-flying dirigible pilot with a taste for adventure and the heroine of this edgy new series that transforms elements of urban fantasy, steampunk, and paranormal romance into pure storytelling gold.

It is 1903, and the world is divided between light and shadow. On the side of light is a wondrous science that has transformed everyday life by harnessing magical energies to ingenious new technologies. But each advance of science has come at the expense of shadow—the traditional realm of the supernatural.

Now two ancient powers are preparing to strike back. Blood-sucking immortal Nightwalkers and their spellcasting Alchemist allies have a plan to cover the whole world in shadow. All they require is the sacrifice of a certain young woman whose past conceals a dangerous secret.

But when they come after Elle, they get more than they bargained for. This enterprising young woman, the daughter of a scientific genius, has reserves of bravery and determination that even she scarcely suspects. Now she is about to meet her match in more ways than one: a handsome yet infuriating Warlock named Hugh Marsh, whose agenda is as suspect as his charms are annoyingly irresistible.