The Alchemy Dirge

A Concerto for the End of Days #2

by Ryan Howse

In Aeon, everything can be had for a price. In this city of guilds, conspiracies, and artifice, the cost can be more than gold. Salai Pavane, alchemist and inventor, wants to create a printing press to lift his fellow citizens to a better world. Desperate to fund his invention, he pushes the boundaries of alchemy to sell on the black market. In doing so, he accidentally produces the most dangerous weapon the world has ever known. Success is more dangerous than failure. Now he’s pursued by anarchists who want his formula, the Ministry who wants him imprisoned, and assassins who want him dead.

253 pages, Paperback

First published April 22, 2019

About the author

I'm funnier without context.

Okay, you want context.

I'm a mid-30s nerd, married, with two kids. Also two cats--Cathulhu and Necronomicat.

I like, in no particular order, tabletop gaming, board games, arguing over books, ancient history and religion, and puns.

I'm unconundrum on reddit.

Reviews

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this is the second book of the A Concerto for the End of Days series, it serves as a standalone piece. It focuses on two characters. Salai is a talented alchemist, living in a slums of a floating city, crafting tools and armor for the local military. He is also nearly finished with his life’s work: an invention that has the potential to change how information is stored and shared across the populace, which could upend society’s class structure. Naturally, there are those who wish to steal and suppress his work. But Salai must also deal with a dangerous alchemical weapon he created by mistake that has fallen into the hands of a terrorist group led by witches and corrupt freedom fighters, all looking to squeeze Salai for everything he is worth.

Ilher is a longtime friend of Salai, a merchant by day and a black-market trader by night, dealing magical items, books, wards, illegal weapons, and information to both the police and criminal organizations. When a foreign ambassador from an enemy country arrives into town, Ihler’s trust and social allegiances are tested, and he finds himself caught in the middle of way more than his job description ever entailed.

This book brought to mind the civil unrest and factional divides found in Robert Jackson Bennett’s "The Divine Cities" trilogy, mixed with the city-as-a-character feel of Gareth Hanrahan’s The Gutter Prayer. It was full of exciting scenes and interesting ideas, and there were some great set pieces that had me fully drawn into the world. The lead characters were painted in detail, and pieces of the world-building had some fine touches. I did, however, feel like there were a few too many ideas introduced that we didn’t get to explore. It felt like Howse bit off a little more than he could chew, especially where the book ended. Apparently there are no plans to continue this thread of the story, so I’m a bit confused as to some decision-making in the final act. Also, there were no female lead characters; there were only two female supporting characters of any note, and we didn’t learn that much about either of them. They served a purpose in supporting the MC’s, but not much else.

This is a fun and fast-paced adventure with an original setting, some unpredictable events, and a hint of something much larger planned ahead. If any of that sounds good to you, then give this one a go!

[Lukasz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

I'll try to write a longer review. Overall, a good book, but with some flaws.

[Kel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Alchemy Dirge is an interesting tale of an alchemist and a merchant who accidentally set their city on the brink of a war. When the impoverished and migraine-prone alchemist, Salai Pavane, sells his merchant friend, Ilher Saligari, a bad batch of an alchemical acid that turns out to be dangerously explosive, agents on all sides of political factions are after the two men, trying to get control of this powerful new weapon. The story is compelling and very well-written. Ilher and Salai are both interesting: flawed and human in their own ways. We don't get a ton of detailed information about the world, or how it got to be the way it is in this book, but there's enough there to be intriguing. Overall, a very enjoyable read.

[Andrey Popov · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked The Alchemy Dirge a lot! Characters of Salai and Ilher are really well done, two sympathetic nobodies trying to do what's right and get in trouble. Give this book a shot you won't be disappointed!