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The Mercian Trilogy #2
Alchemy
The second gripping instalment of The Mercian Vampire Trilogy.
The vampire William of Mercia continues to search for answers about his long, undead life, together with Eloise, the girl with whom his fate is entwined.
But the darkness doesn’t yield its secrets easily. As they edge closer to the truth, it becomes clear that something evil knows their every move, and this time it’s targeting the person Will needs most of all. Lost in a frozen landscape, powerful adversaries are locked in a battle that not everyone can survive, as destiny collides with a sorcerer’s dark arts . . . this is Alchemy.
To find out more about the trilogy visit www.kjwignall.com
The vampire William of Mercia continues to search for answers about his long, undead life, together with Eloise, the girl with whom his fate is entwined.
But the darkness doesn’t yield its secrets easily. As they edge closer to the truth, it becomes clear that something evil knows their every move, and this time it’s targeting the person Will needs most of all. Lost in a frozen landscape, powerful adversaries are locked in a battle that not everyone can survive, as destiny collides with a sorcerer’s dark arts . . . this is Alchemy.
To find out more about the trilogy visit www.kjwignall.com
253 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2012
11 people are currently reading
318 people want to read
About the author
K.J. Wignall
3 books35 followersK.J. Wignall is the author of "The Mercian Trilogy", the first book of which, "Blood" (September 2011 in the USA and UK), will be followed by "Alchemy" in 2012.
He is also the author of several adult thrillers and short stories, and has been nominated for awards in both America and the UK. His works have also been published in Germany, Finland, Japan, Russia and Poland.
You can find out more (crypts, ghosts, all the usual stuff) on his website and visit KJW on Facebook -
http://www.facebook.com/pages/K-J-Wig...
He is also the author of several adult thrillers and short stories, and has been nominated for awards in both America and the UK. His works have also been published in Germany, Finland, Japan, Russia and Poland.
You can find out more (crypts, ghosts, all the usual stuff) on his website and visit KJW on Facebook -
http://www.facebook.com/pages/K-J-Wig...
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 12, 2012
Characters: We are continuing the story of the vampire Will as he is looking deeper into his past as well as current day to figure out why exactly Wyndham is out to kill him. We mostly focus on Will and Eloise again, very little of Wyndham, he is still to be seen as he is using his magic to use others to spy on the them.
Plot: All of their stories, Will, Eloise and Wyndham have started to come to a head. Will must find the answers in the secrets hidden in Marland Abbey before harm is done to him or Eloise. He has no idea why the sorcerer is trying to kill him and now that he has Eloise. He will do anything to keep her.
Originality: Vampires, lets face it are nothing new to literature, and perhaps getting harder to put a unique twist on their stories. But KJ Wignall brings something different to his stories that are reminicent of the older styles of literature. They are atmospheric and bring in the setting of the buildings and history of generations and a little different twist of having a sorcerer as the villian instead of another creature, or vampire.
Writing: As I said before the writing represents a very precise atmosphere to the story. As our MC is a vampire it takes place at night. It's quiet, dark and gives that feeling of something always watching you behind the shadows. There is not a lot of fast paced or action packed scenes. Most of this book, the second in a series could be referenced as an info dump. We get a lot more history of Will, his heritage and again the setting of the school and underground tunnels of the Abby.
Krista’s Review: What drove this story for me was learning more about Wyndham and Will's pasts. The interweaving storylines of their families and their history is intriguing. As Wyndham is acting by using others' bodies to spy on Will we still have so much to learn about him. We just get these little bits and pieces of his story and I love it! I was hoping for a little bit if a faster pace and more events happening in this second book, but I love the feeling I get while reading these books, it takes me to a whole different time and world, dark and menacing. Magic, ghosts and vampires in this one!
Plot: All of their stories, Will, Eloise and Wyndham have started to come to a head. Will must find the answers in the secrets hidden in Marland Abbey before harm is done to him or Eloise. He has no idea why the sorcerer is trying to kill him and now that he has Eloise. He will do anything to keep her.
Originality: Vampires, lets face it are nothing new to literature, and perhaps getting harder to put a unique twist on their stories. But KJ Wignall brings something different to his stories that are reminicent of the older styles of literature. They are atmospheric and bring in the setting of the buildings and history of generations and a little different twist of having a sorcerer as the villian instead of another creature, or vampire.
Writing: As I said before the writing represents a very precise atmosphere to the story. As our MC is a vampire it takes place at night. It's quiet, dark and gives that feeling of something always watching you behind the shadows. There is not a lot of fast paced or action packed scenes. Most of this book, the second in a series could be referenced as an info dump. We get a lot more history of Will, his heritage and again the setting of the school and underground tunnels of the Abby.
Krista’s Review: What drove this story for me was learning more about Wyndham and Will's pasts. The interweaving storylines of their families and their history is intriguing. As Wyndham is acting by using others' bodies to spy on Will we still have so much to learn about him. We just get these little bits and pieces of his story and I love it! I was hoping for a little bit if a faster pace and more events happening in this second book, but I love the feeling I get while reading these books, it takes me to a whole different time and world, dark and menacing. Magic, ghosts and vampires in this one!
August 17, 2012
Amazing!!! Review soon! I am in love with Will and CAN'T wait for book 3!
The writing is amazing and we get to dive deeper in the destiny Will is searching for....OOOO and a sorcerer thrown in...
Another one of my favorites!!
In fact I will be re-reading book 1 and 2!
=)
The writing is amazing and we get to dive deeper in the destiny Will is searching for....OOOO and a sorcerer thrown in...
Another one of my favorites!!
In fact I will be re-reading book 1 and 2!
=)
May 10, 2020
I m in love with this book. Its author should become very famous n the book should become a movie because its spectacular!! 😍
February 7, 2021
2.5 – 3 stars
March 15, 2023
Too slow for my liking.
May 20, 2013
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.
Quick & Dirty: A sequel a little better than the first, but just didn’t grab my attention.
Opening Sentence: A demon ended my childhood.
The Review:
K.J. Wignall brings us back to the Merican Trilogy with Alchemy. The story begins shortly after the end of Blood. Eloise has returned to school with the purpose of investigating Will’s past. Only visiting Eloise in the evening, Will has inhabited his family’s property. But danger has risked Eloise’s safety, forcing Will to keep her safe. A sorcerer named Wyndham is a threat, keeping watch over their actions. The plot progresses and the momentum moves forward. Can Will keep Eloise safe? And will they find what they’re looking for?
Each moment is cataloged in a journal-style entry with a third-person narrative. Wignall changes Will’s voice, which makes him a little more appealing. It was hard for me to connect to him in Blood, but that changes a bit in Alchemy. Will is a little more believable, a little more human. Will’s emotions, his vulnerabilities and fears were the one thing that allowed me to connect to him. There was a moment of disparity that made me long for his well being.
It’s rare that I would like a sequel over a debut, but that is the case for Alchemy. The writing seemed to have developed into something more natural, whereas Blood had a more forced plot. The depth of the characters were more substantial, easy for me to form tangible people rather than just words on a page. Wignall’s world was a little more believable, but there was something about it that I just couldn’t connect to.
It’s difficult to be a book in the sea of young adult paranormal stories, I felt that there were too many things already done before. I felt that the characters’ chemistry was too easy. The romance, which should have been complex and complicated, was actually fast and cliche. An arch nemesis was introduced, a rival to be defeated.
I wanted to love this book, and maybe I would have if I just didn’t read another amazing book previous to this. The world and the history of Will seems well-thought out with substance. But I couldn’t connect, and simply, I didn’t love. There were a few mistakes, but they were easy to look over.
It’s sad when my heart isn’t in a book. I hope that you’ll give it a try and maybe it will work for you.
Notable Scene:
Will thought of her clutching the pendant round her neck, but he had not seen the item of jewelry and could not now know what it had signified. Unless . . . He reached up and held the broken medallion round his own neck, wondering if this was what she’d been trying to tell him, to think on this medallion and all it promised. It was cold in his hand now, but it had been warm, and somewhere else its twin was warm against Eloise’s skin. It promised a different future to the one painted by Fairburn, and that different future was the only one Will dared imagine.
FTC Advisory: Egmont USA provided me with a copy of Alchemy. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: A sequel a little better than the first, but just didn’t grab my attention.
Opening Sentence: A demon ended my childhood.
The Review:
K.J. Wignall brings us back to the Merican Trilogy with Alchemy. The story begins shortly after the end of Blood. Eloise has returned to school with the purpose of investigating Will’s past. Only visiting Eloise in the evening, Will has inhabited his family’s property. But danger has risked Eloise’s safety, forcing Will to keep her safe. A sorcerer named Wyndham is a threat, keeping watch over their actions. The plot progresses and the momentum moves forward. Can Will keep Eloise safe? And will they find what they’re looking for?
Each moment is cataloged in a journal-style entry with a third-person narrative. Wignall changes Will’s voice, which makes him a little more appealing. It was hard for me to connect to him in Blood, but that changes a bit in Alchemy. Will is a little more believable, a little more human. Will’s emotions, his vulnerabilities and fears were the one thing that allowed me to connect to him. There was a moment of disparity that made me long for his well being.
It’s rare that I would like a sequel over a debut, but that is the case for Alchemy. The writing seemed to have developed into something more natural, whereas Blood had a more forced plot. The depth of the characters were more substantial, easy for me to form tangible people rather than just words on a page. Wignall’s world was a little more believable, but there was something about it that I just couldn’t connect to.
It’s difficult to be a book in the sea of young adult paranormal stories, I felt that there were too many things already done before. I felt that the characters’ chemistry was too easy. The romance, which should have been complex and complicated, was actually fast and cliche. An arch nemesis was introduced, a rival to be defeated.
I wanted to love this book, and maybe I would have if I just didn’t read another amazing book previous to this. The world and the history of Will seems well-thought out with substance. But I couldn’t connect, and simply, I didn’t love. There were a few mistakes, but they were easy to look over.
It’s sad when my heart isn’t in a book. I hope that you’ll give it a try and maybe it will work for you.
Notable Scene:
Will thought of her clutching the pendant round her neck, but he had not seen the item of jewelry and could not now know what it had signified. Unless . . . He reached up and held the broken medallion round his own neck, wondering if this was what she’d been trying to tell him, to think on this medallion and all it promised. It was cold in his hand now, but it had been warm, and somewhere else its twin was warm against Eloise’s skin. It promised a different future to the one painted by Fairburn, and that different future was the only one Will dared imagine.
FTC Advisory: Egmont USA provided me with a copy of Alchemy. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
February 10, 2013
I worry about the sophomore slump when reading series. I've been burned too many times. Luckily, I actually enjoyed Alchemy more than the first book in The Mercian Trilogy series, Blood. The characters that were introduced in the first book are given much more depth here, and we have the added bonus of the villain's backstory, giving insight into why Wyndham is after the vampire William of Mercia, and the history of Wyndham's alchemical experiments in an effort to live long enough to destroy Will. There's also plenty of action to keep the reader interested.
Something that bugs me in young adult novels is when the romance is too easy. Often, stress on relationships is introduced through a third romantic party, acting as a rival to be overcome in order to demonstrate the truth of the love. Otherwise, the heroine never doubts her love of the hero, even if he is of questionable character or does bad things. However, Wignall allows Eloise to actually glimpse into the true nature of Will's vampiric life, and the evil that he's done over many centuries. This is the crack in their relationship, and will eventually lead to a deeper understanding and compromise between the two of them. I'm really happy to see this kind of thought and character development in young adult writing, bucking the trend of the easy love triangle.
Sadly, this is another book where I need to bring up my anachronistic language beef. During Wyndham's exposition of his life, he recounts fighting a vampire in 1791. During this episode, they say not to look in its eyes to avoid "the demon's hypnotic spell". This word jumps out at me because I know that hypnosis, as he means it here, wasn't a thing until the mid-1800s. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (yes, I just went there), prior to 1843, when the term gained its modern meaning from the work of James Braid, hypnotic simply meant something causing sleep, not really to put in a trance where the person could be influenced. The same page uses the term "mesmerising," which is a term that doesn't appear in English until 1829. Obviously, this bugs me, but I'm probably alone in that.
Other than the historical language mistakes, I enjoyed this book and am pleasantly surprised with the series. There's real intrigue, a mysterious prophecy that needs to be fulfilled, and vampires. What else could you want?
On an unrelated note, I think the publisher could do much better with the cover for these books. If I were basing my reading on the cover alone, I'd pass it by. The story is much more distinguished than the half-naked, over the shoulder smoldering glance suggests.
Something that bugs me in young adult novels is when the romance is too easy. Often, stress on relationships is introduced through a third romantic party, acting as a rival to be overcome in order to demonstrate the truth of the love. Otherwise, the heroine never doubts her love of the hero, even if he is of questionable character or does bad things. However, Wignall allows Eloise to actually glimpse into the true nature of Will's vampiric life, and the evil that he's done over many centuries. This is the crack in their relationship, and will eventually lead to a deeper understanding and compromise between the two of them. I'm really happy to see this kind of thought and character development in young adult writing, bucking the trend of the easy love triangle.
Sadly, this is another book where I need to bring up my anachronistic language beef. During Wyndham's exposition of his life, he recounts fighting a vampire in 1791. During this episode, they say not to look in its eyes to avoid "the demon's hypnotic spell". This word jumps out at me because I know that hypnosis, as he means it here, wasn't a thing until the mid-1800s. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (yes, I just went there), prior to 1843, when the term gained its modern meaning from the work of James Braid, hypnotic simply meant something causing sleep, not really to put in a trance where the person could be influenced. The same page uses the term "mesmerising," which is a term that doesn't appear in English until 1829. Obviously, this bugs me, but I'm probably alone in that.
Other than the historical language mistakes, I enjoyed this book and am pleasantly surprised with the series. There's real intrigue, a mysterious prophecy that needs to be fulfilled, and vampires. What else could you want?
On an unrelated note, I think the publisher could do much better with the cover for these books. If I were basing my reading on the cover alone, I'd pass it by. The story is much more distinguished than the half-naked, over the shoulder smoldering glance suggests.
May 16, 2013
Posted on Dark Faerie Tales.
K.J. Wignall brings us back to the Merican Trilogy with Alchemy. The story begins shortly after the end of Blood. Eloise has returned to school with the purpose of investigating Will’s past. Only visiting Eloise in the evening, Will has inhabited his family’s property. But danger has risked Eloise’s safety, forcing Will to keep her safe. A sorcerer named Wyndham is a threat, keeping watch over their actions. The plot progresses and the momentum moves forward. Can Will keep Eloise safe? And will they find what they’re looking for?
Each moment is catalogued in a journal-style entry with a third-person narrative. Wignall changes Will’s voice, which makes him a little more appealing. It was hard for me to connect to him in Blood, but that changes a bit in Alchemy. Will is a little more believable, a little more human. Will’s emotions, his vulnerabilities and fears were the one thing that allowed me to connect to him. There was a moment of disparity that made me long for his well being.
It’s rare that I would like a sequel over a debut, but that is the case for Alchemy. The writing seemed to have developed into something more natural, whereas Blood had a more forced plot. The depth of the characters were more substantial, easy for me to form tangible people rather than just words on a page. Wignall’s world was a little more believable, but there was something about it that I just couldn’t connect to.
It’s difficult to be a book in the sea of young adult paranormals. I felt that there were too many things already done before. I felt that the characters’ chemistry was too easy. The romance, which should have been complex and complicated, was actually fast and cliche. An arch nemesis was introduced, a rival to be defeated.
I wanted to love this book, and maybe I would have if I just didn’t read another amazing book previous to this. The world and the history of Will seems well-thought out with substance. But I couldn’t connect, and simply, I didn’t love. There were a few mistakes, but they were easy to look over.
It’s sad when my heart isn’t in a book. I hope that you’ll give it a try and maybe it will work for you.
K.J. Wignall brings us back to the Merican Trilogy with Alchemy. The story begins shortly after the end of Blood. Eloise has returned to school with the purpose of investigating Will’s past. Only visiting Eloise in the evening, Will has inhabited his family’s property. But danger has risked Eloise’s safety, forcing Will to keep her safe. A sorcerer named Wyndham is a threat, keeping watch over their actions. The plot progresses and the momentum moves forward. Can Will keep Eloise safe? And will they find what they’re looking for?
Each moment is catalogued in a journal-style entry with a third-person narrative. Wignall changes Will’s voice, which makes him a little more appealing. It was hard for me to connect to him in Blood, but that changes a bit in Alchemy. Will is a little more believable, a little more human. Will’s emotions, his vulnerabilities and fears were the one thing that allowed me to connect to him. There was a moment of disparity that made me long for his well being.
It’s rare that I would like a sequel over a debut, but that is the case for Alchemy. The writing seemed to have developed into something more natural, whereas Blood had a more forced plot. The depth of the characters were more substantial, easy for me to form tangible people rather than just words on a page. Wignall’s world was a little more believable, but there was something about it that I just couldn’t connect to.
It’s difficult to be a book in the sea of young adult paranormals. I felt that there were too many things already done before. I felt that the characters’ chemistry was too easy. The romance, which should have been complex and complicated, was actually fast and cliche. An arch nemesis was introduced, a rival to be defeated.
I wanted to love this book, and maybe I would have if I just didn’t read another amazing book previous to this. The world and the history of Will seems well-thought out with substance. But I couldn’t connect, and simply, I didn’t love. There were a few mistakes, but they were easy to look over.
It’s sad when my heart isn’t in a book. I hope that you’ll give it a try and maybe it will work for you.
September 4, 2012
Alchemy picks up the story not long after the ending of Blood and I would recommend reading this series in order to make the most of the ongoing story line. Eloise has returned to her school to investigate the links to Will's past and Will is staying nearby in a property that used to belong to his family. It appears that there are enemy spies surrounding them though and it could put Eloise's life at risk. Can Will keep her safe as they work together to uncover the truth about his destiny?
I enjoyed the first book in this series and was looking forward to finding out more about the prophecy surrounding Will and Eloise, although I'm still left with a lot of questions we did make a few interesting discoveries in this instalment. We get to find out the motives behind sorcerer Wyndham and we learn exactly what he holds against Will. Although Wyndham started out trying to destroy evil it was interesting to see how his actions have evolved and the way he now blurs the lines and carries out some very questionable actions in the name of good. It makes for an interesting contrast between him and Will, Will is a vampire and he freely admits that he murders people to survive but in a lot of ways he has more good in him than the self professed good guy does.
I have to admit I'm still not the biggest fan of Eloise, she isn't a bad character but she isn't someone that stands out in my mind and I still don't understand the burgeoning romance between her and Will. I can see why she would want to help him but I'm not convinced she'd be attracted to him or he to her. Having said that the romance still remains firmly in the background of the story which is what I was hoping for so it didn't cause me any problems. It will be very interesting to see how things continue in the next book Death. I have a lot of questions that I'm hoping to get answers to and I'm very curious to find out more about the prophecy and what Will and Eloise will need to do to fulfil it.
I enjoyed the first book in this series and was looking forward to finding out more about the prophecy surrounding Will and Eloise, although I'm still left with a lot of questions we did make a few interesting discoveries in this instalment. We get to find out the motives behind sorcerer Wyndham and we learn exactly what he holds against Will. Although Wyndham started out trying to destroy evil it was interesting to see how his actions have evolved and the way he now blurs the lines and carries out some very questionable actions in the name of good. It makes for an interesting contrast between him and Will, Will is a vampire and he freely admits that he murders people to survive but in a lot of ways he has more good in him than the self professed good guy does.
I have to admit I'm still not the biggest fan of Eloise, she isn't a bad character but she isn't someone that stands out in my mind and I still don't understand the burgeoning romance between her and Will. I can see why she would want to help him but I'm not convinced she'd be attracted to him or he to her. Having said that the romance still remains firmly in the background of the story which is what I was hoping for so it didn't cause me any problems. It will be very interesting to see how things continue in the next book Death. I have a lot of questions that I'm hoping to get answers to and I'm very curious to find out more about the prophecy and what Will and Eloise will need to do to fulfil it.
September 1, 2012
I received this book from the Publisher for my honest review.
In this story we have Will who is a child who has lived for hundreds of years. He is a vampire and one who is foretold to be the Vampire King. He of course has a girl, Eloise who he likes and who actually likes him in return and who is necessary to complete his journey. Sounds like a plain old vampire book right? Well what we have in this one is an arch enemy who has figured out how to remain alive. Wyndham is a man whose mother saw the young Will as a child and again as an adult and basically went a bit nuts and thought he was a demon and sets her son on the path to immortality and a hunt for the young boy Will. Will isn’t an evil vampire he is a young boy in many ways even though he has lived hundreds of years. He kills to survive not because he wants to; he also tries to kill those who are not needed by society because of one thing or another. Usually he preys on the poor and downtrodden although a thief or two is always a good mix.
We spend a lot of this book searching for Will’s destiny. And even more time trying to figure out what is behind the entire plot to destroy him that goes far beyond a man trying to kill a vampire and is oh so personal.
You feel bad for Will because he is a vampire, but you also feel bad for Wyndham who had his entire childhood stolen from him by his crazy mother. The story ends as many good stories do with a cliff hanger. Which made me go “oh you got to be kidding me.” Especially since the action in the finale is great!
So take a bit of blood and death, add vampires, a love interest, a crazed enemy, and a mystery and what we have is a very good read which will keep you going until the very end. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in a fun filled read.
In this story we have Will who is a child who has lived for hundreds of years. He is a vampire and one who is foretold to be the Vampire King. He of course has a girl, Eloise who he likes and who actually likes him in return and who is necessary to complete his journey. Sounds like a plain old vampire book right? Well what we have in this one is an arch enemy who has figured out how to remain alive. Wyndham is a man whose mother saw the young Will as a child and again as an adult and basically went a bit nuts and thought he was a demon and sets her son on the path to immortality and a hunt for the young boy Will. Will isn’t an evil vampire he is a young boy in many ways even though he has lived hundreds of years. He kills to survive not because he wants to; he also tries to kill those who are not needed by society because of one thing or another. Usually he preys on the poor and downtrodden although a thief or two is always a good mix.
We spend a lot of this book searching for Will’s destiny. And even more time trying to figure out what is behind the entire plot to destroy him that goes far beyond a man trying to kill a vampire and is oh so personal.
You feel bad for Will because he is a vampire, but you also feel bad for Wyndham who had his entire childhood stolen from him by his crazy mother. The story ends as many good stories do with a cliff hanger. Which made me go “oh you got to be kidding me.” Especially since the action in the finale is great!
So take a bit of blood and death, add vampires, a love interest, a crazed enemy, and a mystery and what we have is a very good read which will keep you going until the very end. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in a fun filled read.
December 1, 2012
I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review. Will is a vampire who has been alive for hundreds of years. There is a prophecy that he is the Vampire King and he is trying to find all he can about it. Wyndham is a manwhose mother was drove crazy by what she thinks are demon but are really vampires. He has spent centuries hunting vampires and is after Will. Eloise is the girl Will is in love with and she does everything she can to help him solve the mystery of what he is and who he will be. They are also trying to find Wyndham and figure out just what is going on and why he seem to be after Eloise. They are trying their best to stay alive and what the future will bring.
I will say I didn't love any of these characters. I like some of them but they don't stick out in my mind a whole lot. Eloise even knowing Will is a vampire falls for him. Sometimes I wanted to knock her out myself. She doesn't like it when he has to feed but I guess she forgets he is a vampire he has to have blood. Will was a little better character. He tries to protect Eloise but isn't over bearing towards her. He doesn't like that he has to kill to survive but does try to only feed from the worst from society.
This book is a slow read. It drags on several times to were I just wanted it to speed up and something to happen. It took me a while to get into this book and several times I put it down and had to go back and reread to remember the characters and what was going on. It did pick up and that is what kept it from being a lower rate from me. I like the background into the vampires but really I wanted more of them. It bounced around quite a bit from past to future but not in a way that kept my attention. If you like a book that will take a bit to read and you may enjoy this one. For me it was just ok.
I will say I didn't love any of these characters. I like some of them but they don't stick out in my mind a whole lot. Eloise even knowing Will is a vampire falls for him. Sometimes I wanted to knock her out myself. She doesn't like it when he has to feed but I guess she forgets he is a vampire he has to have blood. Will was a little better character. He tries to protect Eloise but isn't over bearing towards her. He doesn't like that he has to kill to survive but does try to only feed from the worst from society.
This book is a slow read. It drags on several times to were I just wanted it to speed up and something to happen. It took me a while to get into this book and several times I put it down and had to go back and reread to remember the characters and what was going on. It did pick up and that is what kept it from being a lower rate from me. I like the background into the vampires but really I wanted more of them. It bounced around quite a bit from past to future but not in a way that kept my attention. If you like a book that will take a bit to read and you may enjoy this one. For me it was just ok.
December 12, 2012
After reading the first book in the series, Blood, I was interested enough to carry on to read Alchemy. I'm glad I did because Alchemy really raises the bar.
Eloise returns to her old school and Will stays close, visiting her at night and continuing to research his history and the mysterious forces of a sorcerer named Wyndham. But every step they take, they are being watched. And not by forces that intend to help them.
Alchemy's fast pace drew me in and kept me reading. There are some scary scenes, reminding me of older vampire stories where the vampires do not sparkle. And that's one of the best things about this series. These people are dangerous. Like in book one, there is a strong sense of unease and darkness waiting for them everywhere.
The third person narrative worked nicely in this story, as the first person was NOT Will but.... Wyndham. Yes, reader. You get a small peak into the inside of the sorcerer's mind. Fun, well done and it played really well off of Will and Eloise's adventures. It also gave more depth to Wyndham as a character and didn't leave him as this flat, big baddie no one understands.
I still think Eloise and Will's romance is a bit of a stretch. I don't really feel the chemistry between them, and for Eloise to back up Will in these life and death scenarios seem far fetched. Yes, Will is dark, mysterious and sexy, so naturally all girls are going to fall for him. But the relationship still feels a little forced.
Some questions are answered and more are revealed. I am now looking forward to reading Book Three.
If you like old fashioned vampire stories, real danger and creative scares, this is a great book for you!
Eloise returns to her old school and Will stays close, visiting her at night and continuing to research his history and the mysterious forces of a sorcerer named Wyndham. But every step they take, they are being watched. And not by forces that intend to help them.
Alchemy's fast pace drew me in and kept me reading. There are some scary scenes, reminding me of older vampire stories where the vampires do not sparkle. And that's one of the best things about this series. These people are dangerous. Like in book one, there is a strong sense of unease and darkness waiting for them everywhere.
The third person narrative worked nicely in this story, as the first person was NOT Will but.... Wyndham. Yes, reader. You get a small peak into the inside of the sorcerer's mind. Fun, well done and it played really well off of Will and Eloise's adventures. It also gave more depth to Wyndham as a character and didn't leave him as this flat, big baddie no one understands.
I still think Eloise and Will's romance is a bit of a stretch. I don't really feel the chemistry between them, and for Eloise to back up Will in these life and death scenarios seem far fetched. Yes, Will is dark, mysterious and sexy, so naturally all girls are going to fall for him. But the relationship still feels a little forced.
Some questions are answered and more are revealed. I am now looking forward to reading Book Three.
If you like old fashioned vampire stories, real danger and creative scares, this is a great book for you!
September 6, 2012
The tone of this book is very serious. It reminded me very much of The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. Dark, mostly explainable material with a hint of otherworldly magic. The romance was a little confusing to me. The characters mention it as if it is so very important but it didn't quite feel that way to me. Will is a bit hard to get behind. He can often be so very detached emotionally and also very lordly. As if he hasn't a care in the world for himself or what others think. There was a lot of misdirection going around with their tiny team. Like a ping pong match for one of the crew in particular. When the whole book came to an end I felt a bit apathetic to the big reveal and the new immense danger.
I wasn't as in the mood for this book as I should have been. I don't think I will pick up the next book unless I am in the mood for a serious vampire book.
Content:
Language: Moderate
Sexual: Mild
I wasn't as in the mood for this book as I should have been. I don't think I will pick up the next book unless I am in the mood for a serious vampire book.
Content:
Language: Moderate
Sexual: Mild
January 18, 2013
This is the fantastic sequel to Blood and second in the Mercian Trilogy. Vampire William of Mercia is on a quest to discover the truth about his destiny and the reasons behind his turning over seven centuries ago. He is helped by the human girl, Elouise and hindered by Windom, a sorcerer bent on Will's destruction. Windom will stop at nothing to destroy Will, including imprisoning others of Will's kind to learn what he can of Will's weaknesses. Will, too, must find these vampires and learn what he can, but a confrontation with the sorcerer is inevitable, and as Will and Elouise grow closer, she becomes the object of Windom's sinister attention. This is an excellent gothic mystery, brim full of supernatural chills and spiced with a dash of romance. Fans of Blood will be desperate to sink their teeth into it.
August 17, 2015
I consider this book better than the first HOWEVER nothing has changed with how distant the characters feel to me, I don't have a love or hate relationship with any of them and I truly hoped that would've happened.
I do like that the flashbacks and personal experiences were from someone else's view. So, it's still an interesting story, there is by far more suspense and mystery within this part of the trilogy.
I do like that the flashbacks and personal experiences were from someone else's view. So, it's still an interesting story, there is by far more suspense and mystery within this part of the trilogy.
Read
January 14, 2013Blood series
Blood
Alchemy
Blood
Alchemy
June 14, 2013
A more explained part of the life of William
August 25, 2016
read through ch. 3 and then sped through remainder of the book and the second book. Had a hard time getting into this series.
September 12, 2015
“Era sublime estar vivo naquela aurora, Mas ser jovem era o próprio Paraíso!"
November 1, 2015
3.5 rounded down.
More info on Will and less action...I'm sad.
Someone hold me. (Either that or give me a thriller recommendation.) T-T
More info on Will and less action...I'm sad.
Someone hold me. (Either that or give me a thriller recommendation.) T-T
January 31, 2015
I still do not understand why this book is called Alchemy
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