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Alchemy
Fourteen year-old Alex Weston has marooned himself and his sassy hamster, Skoodle, onto the magical island of Eridor while seeking his vanished parents. Yet Alex has no magic; he must rely on bravery, quick thinking and a few ounces of rodent as he fights to survive.
Alex, Skoodle and Tariq, a bear, attempt to rescue a wizard boy, Luke, who is trapped on a remote mountainside by merciless, disgusting goblins. Risking his life, Tariq is transformed into a marble statue and held ransom by a vicious gargoyle; the price for his life is for a friend to turn traitor.
Their wizard friend, Zorrin, has his mind corroded by an enchanted sapphire as he attempts to return it to a mountain with a living brain; once loyal, he is now a powerful mortal enemy.
Determined to save Tariq, Alex seeks help from sleeping stone lions, discovering that solving an ancient armadillo alchemist’s puzzle might give them a chance of saving Eridor from destruction by Zorrin. Yet Zorrin outwits them. Betrayed, he’s furious beyond reason; mighty beyond measure.
With no spells, no weapons, Alex must somehow save his dying friends in the few minutes remaining before Zorrin murders them all.
Alex, Skoodle and Tariq, a bear, attempt to rescue a wizard boy, Luke, who is trapped on a remote mountainside by merciless, disgusting goblins. Risking his life, Tariq is transformed into a marble statue and held ransom by a vicious gargoyle; the price for his life is for a friend to turn traitor.
Their wizard friend, Zorrin, has his mind corroded by an enchanted sapphire as he attempts to return it to a mountain with a living brain; once loyal, he is now a powerful mortal enemy.
Determined to save Tariq, Alex seeks help from sleeping stone lions, discovering that solving an ancient armadillo alchemist’s puzzle might give them a chance of saving Eridor from destruction by Zorrin. Yet Zorrin outwits them. Betrayed, he’s furious beyond reason; mighty beyond measure.
With no spells, no weapons, Alex must somehow save his dying friends in the few minutes remaining before Zorrin murders them all.
- GenresMiddle Grade
208 pages, Paperback
Published February 28, 2017
1 person is currently reading
8 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 13, 2017
This is the second in the the fourteen year old Alex Weston fantasy series for children. It is the first one I have read, and I felt as though I had really missed out in not reading the first as I was having to acquaint myself with established characters and previous world building and this took time. Alex with his voluble hamster, Skoodle, is on a quest to find his parents. In this book, a whole set of other events take precedence as Alex, a boy with no magic, and his cohorts aim to rescue Luke, a young wizard boy, whose parents have been killed. However, this is no easy task as they discover to their cost.
Zorrin, a wizard, is part of Alex's group of friends, is on a mission to return the Sapphire of Akan, to the mountain with a living brain. However, the sapphire is enchanted and Zorrin is badly damaged and turns into their enemy. With the thwarted effort of solving the ancient armadillo's alchemist's effort and other setbacks, this is a dangerous mission that is going to test them to their limits. There are evil wizards and gargoyles that stand in their way to save Eridor. Will they manage to rescue Luke? There are wonderful imaginative creatures and characters such as flying silver crocodiles, although they are a trifle uncomfortable to travel by. Great array of characters such as Tariq, the bear, and Ikara, the snake, in Alex's group.
I imagine that children will love this adventurous fantasy, particularly boys. It is full of humour and plenty of action. For me as an adult, it did not entrance me as much. It was an enjoyable read, but the writing could have been smoother, and the humour is more likely to be appreciated by children. However, I thought it was brimful of imagination to capture the hearts of children which Is why I gave it four stars, rather than the three stars from my personal reading experience. A great read for children. Many thanks to Alison Gardiner for an ARC.
Zorrin, a wizard, is part of Alex's group of friends, is on a mission to return the Sapphire of Akan, to the mountain with a living brain. However, the sapphire is enchanted and Zorrin is badly damaged and turns into their enemy. With the thwarted effort of solving the ancient armadillo's alchemist's effort and other setbacks, this is a dangerous mission that is going to test them to their limits. There are evil wizards and gargoyles that stand in their way to save Eridor. Will they manage to rescue Luke? There are wonderful imaginative creatures and characters such as flying silver crocodiles, although they are a trifle uncomfortable to travel by. Great array of characters such as Tariq, the bear, and Ikara, the snake, in Alex's group.
I imagine that children will love this adventurous fantasy, particularly boys. It is full of humour and plenty of action. For me as an adult, it did not entrance me as much. It was an enjoyable read, but the writing could have been smoother, and the humour is more likely to be appreciated by children. However, I thought it was brimful of imagination to capture the hearts of children which Is why I gave it four stars, rather than the three stars from my personal reading experience. A great read for children. Many thanks to Alison Gardiner for an ARC.
October 22, 2017
I felt this was a good book. The magical island of Eridor was an exciting new world for me. I loved the characters and the story as well. I think kids and adults alike will enjoy this story. * I received a free copy of this book and this is my honest review*
December 8, 2017
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Alchemy
Author: Alison Gardiner
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Number of Readers: 18
Stats
Editing: 8/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Content: 8/10
Cover: 6/10
Of the 18 readers:
13 would read another book by this author.
5 thought the cover was good or excellent.
15 felt it was easy to follow.
12 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
16 thought the opening chapter was very exciting.
13 felt this author understands what children enjoy reading.
Readers’ Comments
‘The cover’s sort of odd; I still don’t know what it is. Anyway, the story’s good. Exciting anyway. I liked the adventure the children went on. There was tons happening and I was never bored.’ Boy, aged 11
‘I didn’t like the cover or the blurb. The blurb is so long and complicate. I just got confused reading it. But I read the story anyway and I liked it a lot. The first chapter is exciting. Then it drops off a bit. Then it is exciting all the way to the end. The writing style is easy to follow, and this author is very good at making the adventure really exciting. I will read other books by her.’ Boy, aged 12
‘Exciting and funny in parts. This author has lots of imagination.’ Boy, aged 11
‘Cover needs work and the blurb is so long and complicated even I had problems following it. Short, sharp and persuasive is the way to go. Mostly well written; a bit clumsy here and there but a good editor would sort that out. Kids love this fantasy stuff so, in the right hands, it might sell well.’ Publisher, aged 53
‘I liked all the monsters and nasty wizards. The quest is also interesting and fun to follow. The characters can be funny but that did not always work for me. It felt a bit forced. There are loads and loads of twists and turns which kept me interested till the last chapter. And the last chapter is pretty good. I read Serpent of Eridor and I liked that too. More in fact.’ Girl, aged 11
‘A fast-paced and exciting magical adventure. A Red Ribbon Winner and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Title: Alchemy
Author: Alison Gardiner
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Number of Readers: 18
Stats
Editing: 8/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Content: 8/10
Cover: 6/10
Of the 18 readers:
13 would read another book by this author.
5 thought the cover was good or excellent.
15 felt it was easy to follow.
12 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
16 thought the opening chapter was very exciting.
13 felt this author understands what children enjoy reading.
Readers’ Comments
‘The cover’s sort of odd; I still don’t know what it is. Anyway, the story’s good. Exciting anyway. I liked the adventure the children went on. There was tons happening and I was never bored.’ Boy, aged 11
‘I didn’t like the cover or the blurb. The blurb is so long and complicate. I just got confused reading it. But I read the story anyway and I liked it a lot. The first chapter is exciting. Then it drops off a bit. Then it is exciting all the way to the end. The writing style is easy to follow, and this author is very good at making the adventure really exciting. I will read other books by her.’ Boy, aged 12
‘Exciting and funny in parts. This author has lots of imagination.’ Boy, aged 11
‘Cover needs work and the blurb is so long and complicated even I had problems following it. Short, sharp and persuasive is the way to go. Mostly well written; a bit clumsy here and there but a good editor would sort that out. Kids love this fantasy stuff so, in the right hands, it might sell well.’ Publisher, aged 53
‘I liked all the monsters and nasty wizards. The quest is also interesting and fun to follow. The characters can be funny but that did not always work for me. It felt a bit forced. There are loads and loads of twists and turns which kept me interested till the last chapter. And the last chapter is pretty good. I read Serpent of Eridor and I liked that too. More in fact.’ Girl, aged 11
‘A fast-paced and exciting magical adventure. A Red Ribbon Winner and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
October 31, 2017
Skoodle is amazing. The story was well written and fun, with just the right amount of tension. I know some people who will love this book!
March 28, 2017
Kids will love Alchemy thanks to its fun surprises and intriguing twists and turns. For fans of her Serpent of Eridor, they will find this book equally charming!! This is one of those stories that stays with you, popping into your mind when you least expect it. Gardiner takes you on an unforgettable adventure whose journey concludes in you wishing there was more to come.
Gardiner knows how to write fantastic books that appeal to the right age group desperately in need of some time away from reality.
She has great characters, knows how to write realistic dialogue and smoothe story lines that make sense from page one to the end. It's just a great story that parents can give to their kids and not worry about what they're reading.
Gardiner knows how to write fantastic books that appeal to the right age group desperately in need of some time away from reality.
She has great characters, knows how to write realistic dialogue and smoothe story lines that make sense from page one to the end. It's just a great story that parents can give to their kids and not worry about what they're reading.
May 4, 2017
Alex, his pet hamster Skoodles, Zorrin the wizard, Tariq the bear, Flick Zorrin’s sister, Ikara the snake and Keeko the monkey, were on a mission to find Alex’s parents who are caught in another time zone. Their journey also became one of a rescue mission along the way, when it was quickly realized that a couple of Zorrin the wizard’s friends, a husband and wife team were killed by gargoyles who then kidnapped their son Luke. Rescuing Luke was now the priority, or else he too would be killed. Ikara and Tariq are a very slick duo, I love how they worked over Byloc, their workmanship is quite hilarious, making this book a very entertaining one. The group faced a battle filled with many dangerous mishaps along the way some with fatal consequences, but with their quick thinking and magic, a very exciting and magical adventure was on the way, nicely done.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews