Mark of Blood and Alchemy

Curio #0.5

by Evangeline Denmark

In this novella prequel to Evangeline Denmark's YA fantasy novel Curio, Olan Havardsson flees a devastating plague that took his family only to be saved by a mysterious group of "magickers" with healing powers. But as he accompanies his rescuers to their alpine enclave, mysteries arise surrounding their potions and powers of alchemy. Questions mount when Olan observes a deep division forming between those who seek to defend the purity of the healing alchemical work and those who would wield it as a powerful weapon.

Olan is thrust into the midst of this dissention after he discovers he is somehow special--chosen as a guardian like the enclave's founder. As he spends time with two of his rescuers--Auriana, a clever and captivating inventor, and Alaric, a brooding young man wrestling with his father's cruel beliefs--Olan realizes he may have the power to direct the course of blood and alchemy.

Introducing readers to the fantastical world of Curio, this novella is wrapped in adventure, romance, and intrigue.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Steampunk, Ebooks

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 29, 2015

About the author

Evangeline writes fiction with hints of whimsy, glimmers of fantasy, and strokes of the supernatural. Her debut novel CURIO was an RT Reviews Top Pick for February 2016, and USA Today’s HEA blog called the world-building “two levels of genius.” A Young Adult Steampunk Fantasy with shades of The Wild, Wild West and The Wizard of Oz, CURIO sets coming of age and first love against a backdrop of steam-propelled greed and societal repression. Hypable included CURIO on it's list of 10 Books that Celebrate Girl Power. http://www.hypable.com/girl-power-boo...
Evangeline lives in Colorado in a house stuffed full of animals and creative people that would surely go to ruin were it not for the watchful eye of a cattle dog named Willie.

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm really confused with Blink publisher. I could have SWORN they were part of Zondervan and therefore, Christian and that would imply that what they were responsible for publishing would also be religious.

After having read three Blink books, I would say maybe I'm wrong in my assumption? Because this didn't really seem to have much of God in it at all. Maybe a mention here and there.

That is not the reason for the one star however. The insta-love that had my eyes rolling and gag reflex going, as well as the lack of understandable world building (are we in a post-disaster Earth? A pre-modern Earth? A similar to, but not quite Earth? Something completely different?) and complete confusing it creates, as well as the characters being very poorly explained. The ones we are introduced to in the beginning act like they are in their 30-40s, but are described as being young, like young 20s or even upper teens. I just don't GET it.

Then the alchemy and steam punk stuff and the going back in time was all just too much. I quit at 57%, though did skip ahead to the epilogue and last bit before it. And that also made NO SENSE. I doubt reading it all would have cleared things up for me.

I'm still going to try to push through and read Curio (that cover is GORGEOUS), but the male MC in this one is a grandfather in that one, so I don't know how much hope I can hold for it.

One star as I really did dislike this, couldn't force myself to finish this on a plane ride with nothing else to read and wouldn't recommend it unless you have read Curio and wanted some back story on the grandfather character in it and you were OCD on completing story lines.

This isn't going to stop me from reading Curio, but it is making me feel rather nervous about it.

[Melanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, I'm glad I finally read this and got it off my TBR. It was not a story for me. I found the alchemy part weird and I had a difficult time following the storyline. I don't have any plans on continuing the story. The cover is gorgeous and I did like the avalanche scene, but overall I didn't like the book (and that is why I rated it 1 star per Goodreads' rating scale).

[Hayden · Rating 3 out of 5]

I suppose my many questions will be answered in Curio? This novella was entertaining, although there were some things that were confusing and some of the romance/attraction bits were a little much for me.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need Curio!! I want Curio now!!!

[David Bergsland · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is not Christian fiction. It's a worldly attractive ?punk fantasy with no spiritual level at all. The story will undoubtedly sell well. But it left me quite depressed. It's quite dark and hopeless. As a reviewer of Christian fiction and a publisher claiming to produce subtilely Christian books, this one misses the mark.

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 1 out of 5]

{{This is a Goodreads Only Review! Meaning, this review will not be posted on 'Books for Christian Girls'. }}


About this book:

“In this novella prequel to Evangeline Denmark's YA fantasy novel Curio, Olan Havardsson flees a devastating plague that took his family only to be saved by a mysterious group of "magickers" with healing powers. But as he accompanies his rescuers to their alpine enclave, mysteries arise surrounding their potions and powers of alchemy. Questions mount when Olan observes a deep division forming between those who seek to defend the purity of the healing alchemical work and those who would wield it as a powerful weapon.
Olan is thrust into the midst of this dissention after he discovers he is somehow special--chosen as a guardian like the enclave's founder. As he spends time with two of his rescuers--Auriana, a clever and captivating inventor, and Alaric, a brooding young man wrestling with his father's cruel beliefs--Olan realizes he may have the power to direct the course of blood and alchemy..”


Series: Considered Book #.5 and connected to the author’s new book, “Curio”.


Spiritual Content- A mention of thanking God; A mention of God’s green earth; A couple mentions of prayers; A couple mentions of church; A mention of a monk believing the natural state of our bodies is dust; Mentions of monks;
*Note: All about a man who’s called a Saint & the miracles he performed; All about dark (blood) magic & evil practices; Mentions of witches & witchcraft; Mentions of gods, goddess, demons & spirits; A mention of dark angels becoming humans; A mention of d*mning a soul & another realm; A mention of Hell’s gate.


Negative Content- All about blood & bleeding people (semi-detailed to detailed); Lots of blood, fighting, & pain (semi-detailed); Thinking you’re dying (semi-detailed); Many mentions of drinking & brandy (semi-detailed); Mentions of injuries (semi-detailed); Mentions of hitting (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of throwing up; A couple mentions of murder (up to semi-detailed); A mention of a picture of animals eating each other (barely-above-not-detailed).


Sexual Content- a forehead kiss, a semi-detailed kiss & a boarder-line semi-detailed // detailed kiss; Lots of Warmth, Nearness, Holding & Touches (semi-detailed); Noticing & Staring (semi-detailed); Olan has a yearning to find a wife; Olan has visions of making Auriana his wife, kissing her, exploring & studying her; Mentions of kisses; Love & love at first sight.

-Olan Havardsson
P.O.V. of Olan
Steampunk
112 pages

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- One Star
Older High School Teens- One Star
My personal Rating- One Star
Well. That was interesting, I’m not sure what I just read. I feel very lost & confused. This wasn’t a very happy prequel. Lots of blood, pain, bleeding, dark (blood) magic & drinking other people’s blood. See a theme? Lots of blood! I think I understood most of what I read, but I’m not a-hundred-percent-sure on that. The word building & describing things other than a woman's body was lacking. I didn't feel like I was actually there, just looking in. The epilogue was quite depressing. No actually Christian content, which wasn’t surprising. I don’t like the whole ‘love at first sight’ thing and I personally found some parts to be lust. I don’t have high hopes for “Curio” now, but I still plan to read & review it.


View other detailed reviews like this one Here:
http://booksforchristiangirls.blogspo...


*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Olan Havardsson fled to the mountains when plague took his family and destroyed his village. Weak from the disease, he is saved from meeting his death by by a mysterious, secretive group whose healing elixirs bring him back from the brink of death. His mind clearer, he begins to suspect that his newfound friends are secret "magickers," but unwilling to believe that the beautiful and compassionate Auriana could be a witch, he accompanies them to their mountaintop, hospice haven. There he learns the history of the hospice, founded by the legendary Saint Gerodi, who sought through alchemical research to bring hope and healing to all he encountered.

But dissention runs deep among Gerodi's heirs, a line drawn between the brothers who welcomed him to their order and the Regians, who, in seeking to master the elements and discover the elixir of life, would claim mastery over others. When those who call the hospice home fall ill, Olan discovers that he, an outsider, may hold the key to bringing the balance to the order. For within his blood lies the key to continuing Gerodi's work -- the fusion of blood and alchemy.

Denmark's debut is an interesting slice of steampunk-driven fantasy, a unique and colorful entry in within Blink's publishing ranks. Denmark knows her creation, from the personality tics that maker her characters unique to the methodology of the alchemy that infuses every aspect of her steampunk-driven world. This is a welcome entry in inspy-flavored fiction (though the faith element is so faint here as to be non-existent, and as such should find a home on mainstream readers' shelves), but despite its unique premise and colorful execution, the result fell somewhat flat for me.

Denmark does a fantastic job dropping readers into the action of the story, but that said as a prequel, there is almost too much going on here for my tastes. The simmering conflict between the Regians and Gerodi's followers is so rich in history and so massive in portent for future volumes in the series that it felt a disservice to gloss over such a potentially rich slice of this world's history. I also had issues relating to Olan, the reader's gateway into the hospice's alchemic war. He's honorable to be sure, but his everyman quality is a little..bland?...particularly when he is revealed as the Great Nordic Savior..for no particular reason I could fathom other than he was simply to plainspoken and forthright to be duplicitous and thus compromised by the Regians' cause. (Side note: Until this book I've never come across the phrase "tea-stained lace" used to describe someone's complexion, and I hope I never do again. Also, this novella has the longest chapters of all time...when my Kindle tells me that chapter one is going to take me 40 minutes -- and I'm a fairly fast reader -- I kind of want to give up on life.)

The Mark of Blood and Alchemy is an action- and lore-packed introduction to Denmark's first full-length steampunk title, Curio. Denmark's absolute confidence in her characters and storytelling shine here -- this is an author who knows her world inside and out -- but ultimately there was a bit too much going on here, and too little compelling character development -- to leave me fully invested in this world. That said, there is a lot of potential within these pages and I look forward to seeing Denmark's imagination given free range within the parameters of a full-length novel.

[Fire · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting story and sets the stage for the books to come. The characters are well developed and the story is interesting. My big complaint with this is that with being listed as Christian Fiction there is nothing worthwhile to glean from the story. I'm going to give the next book a chance thinking that this prequel is just trying to set the stage for the rest of the story, but I'm really hoping that the rest of the series will have some deeper meaning since it is Christian fiction. Had it not been for that let down I would have rated this as 4 stars because the writing is really good and the characters are interesting, and the story intrigued me, but with the let down of not really having any clear message with a Christian theme, I was left a little disappointed.

[Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really REALLY intrigued!
Although fantasy is not my favorite reading, I enjoyed every word of this short story and I cannot wait for Curio!

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Curio several years ago and really liked it, but was always curious about where Olan came from, who the Guardian's are and who the guys with the green glow are! Well, this Novella gave me all the answers that I needed - except left me a wee bit confused at the end. Was the girl at the end of the story the one he loves throughout the story, just coming back by a different name???

This is a clean read.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first glance, this seems to be set on our world; it mentions Vikings, Scandinavians, and Italians, among other things. But it is a very different world, where Alchemy, not Science, reigns supreme, and some men live for hundreds of years.

Into this world comes young Olan Havardsson, the only survivor of a plague that has devastated his family and his community. He seeks refuge at St. Gerodi's hospice in the Alps, but finds much more as well...

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed and love this book about a young man, his friendship with a young woman, and the fight of good versus evil that they are a part of. The author has done a great job of creating characters the reader can sympathize with and relate to.

[Jennifer Slusher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Beginning

I always comment on world building because a truly fantastic story always takes you some place new, amazing and absolutely believable. As a prequel this is a fantastic beginning

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read an advance copy of Curio and was sent the prequel by the publisher. This story goes back to the very beginning and the events that began the struggle between the Chemists and the Defenders. It also shows the cause of the problems shown in Monument City during the first book and why everyone there is dependent on potions from the Chemists to get any nutrition from their food. There is plenty of intrigue, and enough action to keep the story moving along, and we meet some of the characters we already know, like Alaric and Olan, but they are much younger than during the events in Curio and there are still unanswered questions and a gap between the end of this book and the beginning of the next.

[C.O. Bonham · Rating 4 out of 5]

To anyone wondering, yes do read Curio first. This story is the origin of the Defenders and the Chemists. But I don't think it works without the knowledge gained from reading the novel first.

This story features Olan, the grandfather character fom Curio, as a young man. After leaving home to out run a deadly plauge, he heads toward the home of a legendary saint. What occurs there is the beginnings of the unique magic system found in Curio.

I thought this story was a little darker that the steampunk whymsy of Curio. Also the ending isn't very satisfying. But it doess leave me wanting more from the curious world of Curio.

[Ramya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed Curio more than I enjoyed this novella for a couple of reasons.
1. The backstory and explanation was not nearly as through as I would have liked, I really wanted to know more about the porcelain world.
2. The way the backstory was explained was also really confusing, I still don't really understand how the Chemists came to be and I really don't get the water time travel thing that Auriana was talking about.
3. The ending was way to abrupt, the novella just stops at the climax, and it's really disappointing.

I am looking forward to the next book in this series though!

[Dianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome awesome awesome. I read Curio for Blink already. The review will be posted on my blog and here for that one by the end of January. I was anxious to read the prequel because the story so captivated me. I've never read any steampunk genre stories before and I must say that I was quite pleased with it. The story is well written and captures your attention immediately. Well done Ms. Denmark, well done.

[Toni Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 3.75
I really really liked this setting and this set of characters. A lot was happening that I didn't quite understand and it took me so long to read for some reason! The chapters were quite long haha. But it was good and worth it. When reading Curio I wanted to know more about this defenders VS Chemists thing and I got a lot of backstory. The ending didn't really have everything I wanted, but I still enjoyed it.

[Coryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually read this after Curio because originally I didn't know there was a prequel. I was glad to read about Olan's past, as it helps fill in some of the gaps I had from Curio and I loved connecting the dots. I really enjoyed this and the story is great, but I still feel like there's some answers left to be explained. Overall the story is beautifully descriptive and a fantastic read.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whet Your Appetite for Curio

I'm excited about the release of Curio. Mark of Blood and Alchemy is a great introduction to the mythology of the world of Curio. It explains those like Olan versus the ruling class of alchemists.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot wait for Curio!

Mark of Blood and Alchemy is unlike anything I have read before. This was my first foray into steampunk literature and I love it. I am so excited for its following book Curio.

[Avily Jerome · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the world and the characters, but I felt like there were a lot of loose ends that weren't tied up. I know it's a prequel, so perhaps they'll be answered in Curio (which I haven't read yet), but I really wanted more resolution.

[Kory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! The stage is set! Can't wait for Curio!

[Melony · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Olan was a wonderful prelude to Curio, although also a stand alone. You do not have to have read Curio to understand it. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this preview into the world of Curio. Although the insta-love was a little much, it was still fun and worth the read :)

[Dawn]

I'm really glad to have discovered this novella as it is helping me understand Curio.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bit slow to start, and was dragged out in some places. I hope Curio is slightly better

[Haley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the world and concept interesting. Hard to follow at times and I felt like it did drag quite a bit. It was, however, enough to peak my interest in Curio!

[Rachel's Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

RTC

Lacked in several departments