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The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life (Light Novel) #2
The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life, Vol. 2
Everyone has their secrets...
Teen alchemist Mariela's new life in the Labyrinth City is going swimmingly so She's purchased a home of her own, opened an apothecary, and befriended people from all walks of life, starting with a former penal laborer named Sieg. Only a select few know she's one of the last remaining alchemists, but that secret's proving harder and harder to keep under wraps...
Between a startling discovery about the fearsome Labyrinth and the emergence of a powerful family of potion researchers, a quiet city life is easier said than done!
Teen alchemist Mariela's new life in the Labyrinth City is going swimmingly so She's purchased a home of her own, opened an apothecary, and befriended people from all walks of life, starting with a former penal laborer named Sieg. Only a select few know she's one of the last remaining alchemists, but that secret's proving harder and harder to keep under wraps...
Between a startling discovery about the fearsome Labyrinth and the emergence of a powerful family of potion researchers, a quiet city life is easier said than done!
346 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 28, 2017
158 people are currently reading
180 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
January 28, 2022
Dark! But Sieg’s my BAE. Fight me. Need more of him in the next one. 4, I really am enjoying this series, stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2020
I really loved the first volume. It was very calming and it took me to a journey that I couldn't get enough of. Coming into the second volume, I was afraid that the slow-pace would either be: even slower or change dramatically into some action-packed nonsense. Good golly, none of that happened and was I happy.
What I find so charming about this book is how much it takes away my stress. It's lovely to read something that isn't flashy or stressful but somehow still grips me. Reading the wholesome daily life of Sieg and Mariela and watching their relationship grow into this... dysfunctional friends/more than friends is extremely fun. While there are some graphic description of body horror, it wasn't jarring because the first book has already established that this world is a brutal one. Sieg, Lynx and Mari are truly the dynamic trio!
All in all, I'm looking forward to the next one in April!
What I find so charming about this book is how much it takes away my stress. It's lovely to read something that isn't flashy or stressful but somehow still grips me. Reading the wholesome daily life of Sieg and Mariela and watching their relationship grow into this... dysfunctional friends/more than friends is extremely fun. While there are some graphic description of body horror, it wasn't jarring because the first book has already established that this world is a brutal one. Sieg, Lynx and Mari are truly the dynamic trio!
All in all, I'm looking forward to the next one in April!
December 30, 2024
Couldn’t get past part one 😔
Spoilers and TW for slavery 👇
I really liked Sieg and Mariela and thought their dynamic was interesting since she’s doing the best she can for him in a tough situation!
BUT they continue to be CLOSE FRIENDS with the black iron corps. Not only is the corps irrevocably slavers and treat and speak to slaves horribly, but it’s revealed that the corps INTENDED for Sieg to DIE TO BE MADE AN EXAMPLE OF FOR THE OTHER SLAVES. WTF. It’s all “captain dick is such a good person! More people should be like him”
🤓☝️actually *no* 🙂
I was really trying to give the benefit of the doubt since it’s a different culture and maybe the characters would grow but I just couldn’t get past so much pro slavery 🥴 rip cause I really liked the premise and Sieg and Mariela 😔
Spoilers and TW for slavery 👇
I really liked Sieg and Mariela and thought their dynamic was interesting since she’s doing the best she can for him in a tough situation!
BUT they continue to be CLOSE FRIENDS with the black iron corps. Not only is the corps irrevocably slavers and treat and speak to slaves horribly, but it’s revealed that the corps INTENDED for Sieg to DIE TO BE MADE AN EXAMPLE OF FOR THE OTHER SLAVES. WTF. It’s all “captain dick is such a good person! More people should be like him”
🤓☝️actually *no* 🙂
I was really trying to give the benefit of the doubt since it’s a different culture and maybe the characters would grow but I just couldn’t get past so much pro slavery 🥴 rip cause I really liked the premise and Sieg and Mariela 😔
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2022
A fun shift from volume one. However, another "quiet life" LN that's not so quiet.
January 30, 2023
Mariela, the main character, an archaic alchemist, lacks vision and ambition (thanks to the author) Instead of creating a brand franchise for medicines and beauty products, Mariela trains her competitors and empowers them. She should have trained her own personnel and created stores all around this other world. It was the only way to have the competitors stop their harrassment. Giving in, giving up and giving them the recipes is the worst possible outcome because, the competitors sell the same exact recipes, potions, salves at higher prices and thus "punish the consumers" without there being a way to "lower the prices"...
The author is "filling the story" with action that doesn't really have anything to do with the Alchemy shop, Alchemy or the main character... The Slime stampede or the competitions do not push the story along.
The quality of the illustrations, explanations of the recipes, and summaries of the characters are better than the story. This is a slow, slice of life story of a person that is not that smart, has no vision or ambition and even though she wants to help, her myopia makes her help only a few people versus helping a whole lot of people (or everybody),,, I think the story has reached its climax/highest point of plots, and there will not be anything new or interesting in this story in the following volumes (unless, Mariela, main character, gains the ability to go back or travel in time)...
The author is "filling the story" with action that doesn't really have anything to do with the Alchemy shop, Alchemy or the main character... The Slime stampede or the competitions do not push the story along.
The quality of the illustrations, explanations of the recipes, and summaries of the characters are better than the story. This is a slow, slice of life story of a person that is not that smart, has no vision or ambition and even though she wants to help, her myopia makes her help only a few people versus helping a whole lot of people (or everybody),,, I think the story has reached its climax/highest point of plots, and there will not be anything new or interesting in this story in the following volumes (unless, Mariela, main character, gains the ability to go back or travel in time)...
Currently reading
April 15, 2024Anna Ngọc: Tạo Nên Phong Cách Tinh Tế tại Kiểu Tóc Net
Nhìn lại quãng đường đã qua, tôi không thể không ngạc nhiên về những điều mà nghề thợ uốn tóc đã mang lại cho cuộc sống của mình. Tôi là Anna Ngọc, một người trót yêu thích nghệ thuật tạo kiểu tóc và từng bước khám phá, chinh phục con đường nghề nghiệp này.
Cuộc hành trình bắt đầu từ những bước đầu tiên của sự nhiệt huyết, khát khao, và quyết tâm không ngừng. Sinh ra và lớn lên trong không khí trầm lặng và cổ kính của Thành phố Huế, tôi luôn bị cuốn hút bởi vẻ đẹp của nghệ thuật, đặc biệt là trong việc biến những sợi tóc thành những kiệt tác sống động.
Tôi bắt đầu học nghề tại Viện Tóc SEBUSAN, nơi mà tôi đã được hấp thụ kiến thức từ những bậc thầy có kinh nghiệm. Trải qua những ngày học tập và thực hành không ngừng, tôi đã nắm vững kỹ thuật và bí quyết để tạo ra những kiểu tóc ấn tượng và phong cách.
Sau khi hoàn thành khóa học, tôi quyết định mở rộng tầm nhìn và đến Hà Nội, thành phố nghệ thuật nổi tiếng, để tiếp tục học tập và hoàn thiện bản thân. Tại Đại học Nghệ thuật Hà Nội, tôi được hòa mình vào môi trường sôi động và trí tuệ, nơi mà tôi có cơ hội trau dồi kỹ năng, khám phá thêm về ý tưởng và phong cách mới.
Không chỉ dừng lại ở việc học hỏi, tôi còn tham gia làm việc tại Salon Kiểu Tóc Net, nơi mà tôi thực sự cảm nhận được niềm đam mê của mình được thăng hoa. Tại đây, tôi không chỉ là một thợ uốn tóc, mà còn là một nghệ nhân, tạo ra những kiệt tác trên đầu mỗi khách hàng, mang lại sự tự tin và hạnh phúc cho họ.
Mỗi ngày là một cơ hội để tôi thể hiện sự sáng tạo và tinh thần nghệ sĩ của mình. Tôi không chỉ làm việc với sợi tóc mà còn làm việc với trái tim, đem đến cho mỗi người một phong cách riêng biệt và độc đáo. Đó là niềm vui và hạnh phúc lớn nhất của tôi, khi nhận được nụ cười hài lòng từ khách hàng.
Với lòng đam mê không ngừng, tôi không ngừng khát khao học hỏi và trưởng thành hơn trong nghề nghiệp của mình. Tôi tin rằng, qua từng bước đi và những kiệt tác tóc, tôi sẽ tiếp tục ghi dấu ấn và trở thành một phần không thể thiếu của ngành công nghiệp làm đẹp.
Với tôi, uốn tóc không chỉ là công việc, mà là một nghệ thuật, là cuộc đời, là đam mê mãnh liệt. Và tôi tự hào được gọi là một thợ uốn tóc, một nghệ nhân của kiểu tóc.
👩🎨 Thợ uốn tóc | Anna Ngọc | Kiểu Tóc Net
📅 Sinh ngày 10/09/2002
🏠 14 Hùng Vương, Thành phố Huế, Thừa Thiên Huế
📞 Số điện thoại: 0973 654 321
💇♀️ Salon: Kiểu Tóc Net
🏫 Trường: Đại học Nghệ thuật Hà Nội (Hanoi University of Art)
🌟 Thợ uốn tóc tại Kiểu Tóc Net
🔗 Website: https://kieutoc.net
Nhìn lại quãng đường đã qua, tôi không thể không ngạc nhiên về những điều mà nghề thợ uốn tóc đã mang lại cho cuộc sống của mình. Tôi là Anna Ngọc, một người trót yêu thích nghệ thuật tạo kiểu tóc và từng bước khám phá, chinh phục con đường nghề nghiệp này.
Cuộc hành trình bắt đầu từ những bước đầu tiên của sự nhiệt huyết, khát khao, và quyết tâm không ngừng. Sinh ra và lớn lên trong không khí trầm lặng và cổ kính của Thành phố Huế, tôi luôn bị cuốn hút bởi vẻ đẹp của nghệ thuật, đặc biệt là trong việc biến những sợi tóc thành những kiệt tác sống động.
Tôi bắt đầu học nghề tại Viện Tóc SEBUSAN, nơi mà tôi đã được hấp thụ kiến thức từ những bậc thầy có kinh nghiệm. Trải qua những ngày học tập và thực hành không ngừng, tôi đã nắm vững kỹ thuật và bí quyết để tạo ra những kiểu tóc ấn tượng và phong cách.
Sau khi hoàn thành khóa học, tôi quyết định mở rộng tầm nhìn và đến Hà Nội, thành phố nghệ thuật nổi tiếng, để tiếp tục học tập và hoàn thiện bản thân. Tại Đại học Nghệ thuật Hà Nội, tôi được hòa mình vào môi trường sôi động và trí tuệ, nơi mà tôi có cơ hội trau dồi kỹ năng, khám phá thêm về ý tưởng và phong cách mới.
Không chỉ dừng lại ở việc học hỏi, tôi còn tham gia làm việc tại Salon Kiểu Tóc Net, nơi mà tôi thực sự cảm nhận được niềm đam mê của mình được thăng hoa. Tại đây, tôi không chỉ là một thợ uốn tóc, mà còn là một nghệ nhân, tạo ra những kiệt tác trên đầu mỗi khách hàng, mang lại sự tự tin và hạnh phúc cho họ.
Mỗi ngày là một cơ hội để tôi thể hiện sự sáng tạo và tinh thần nghệ sĩ của mình. Tôi không chỉ làm việc với sợi tóc mà còn làm việc với trái tim, đem đến cho mỗi người một phong cách riêng biệt và độc đáo. Đó là niềm vui và hạnh phúc lớn nhất của tôi, khi nhận được nụ cười hài lòng từ khách hàng.
Với lòng đam mê không ngừng, tôi không ngừng khát khao học hỏi và trưởng thành hơn trong nghề nghiệp của mình. Tôi tin rằng, qua từng bước đi và những kiệt tác tóc, tôi sẽ tiếp tục ghi dấu ấn và trở thành một phần không thể thiếu của ngành công nghiệp làm đẹp.
Với tôi, uốn tóc không chỉ là công việc, mà là một nghệ thuật, là cuộc đời, là đam mê mãnh liệt. Và tôi tự hào được gọi là một thợ uốn tóc, một nghệ nhân của kiểu tóc.
👩🎨 Thợ uốn tóc | Anna Ngọc | Kiểu Tóc Net
📅 Sinh ngày 10/09/2002
🏠 14 Hùng Vương, Thành phố Huế, Thừa Thiên Huế
📞 Số điện thoại: 0973 654 321
💇♀️ Salon: Kiểu Tóc Net
🏫 Trường: Đại học Nghệ thuật Hà Nội (Hanoi University of Art)
🌟 Thợ uốn tóc tại Kiểu Tóc Net
🔗 Website: https://kieutoc.net
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July 16, 2024At least this provided a reason that for Alchemists needing a master to introduce them to the ley line. It’s not a great explanation but it works. It also goes more into how there are still potions now, when it should have run out. The alchemists were quite determined, and pretty admirable. It makes me more curious about Mariela’s master, since clearly they borrowed that suspended animation spell from them…so that’s the second one she made ended up. I really wonder if her master will turn out to be a god or some other being that can see the future.
Now that they’ve explained alchemists more, I think it’s even weirder that they would strong arm her into providing bulk potions for cheap. Who cares if your family rules the land, this is the last hope of your land to have potions…
I do think it’s stupid and needlessly cruel to buy slaves for confidential work and then crush their vocal cords like that’s going to solve the problem. With healing magic and potions can’t they just be restored to health? Not to mention bitter and willing to give info on you to the person that healed them? It’s very obvious Jay is going to be a problem eventually.
Now that they’ve explained alchemists more, I think it’s even weirder that they would strong arm her into providing bulk potions for cheap. Who cares if your family rules the land, this is the last hope of your land to have potions…
I do think it’s stupid and needlessly cruel to buy slaves for confidential work and then crush their vocal cords like that’s going to solve the problem. With healing magic and potions can’t they just be restored to health? Not to mention bitter and willing to give info on you to the person that healed them? It’s very obvious Jay is going to be a problem eventually.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2020
Better story than volume 1. It also focusing more on the role of potions and medicine in the dungeon of labyrinth city. More characters introduced thankfully not s much world building was needed this time due to how much was done in volume 1. So if you did not read volume 1 many things in it will not make sense .... maybe. The places is the main part that will not make sense but besides for that the rest is reexplained if important though simplified down if in volume 1.
The overall story it felt like it had 2 stories like the first one felt like it had 3 stories in it. The first connecting to the second connecting to the third and of course some foreshadowing happening. Foreshadowing happened for what will happen in volume 2 in volume 1.
The overall story it felt like it had 2 stories like the first one felt like it had 3 stories in it. The first connecting to the second connecting to the third and of course some foreshadowing happening. Foreshadowing happened for what will happen in volume 2 in volume 1.
May 2, 2022
DNF. Stopped at 68%. I desperately wanted to like this book and I hoped it would improve on the faults of the previous book. If anything, it made them much worse. I love the characters but the story and pacing is so dreadful I can’t even focus on the book. Will NOT be reading more of this series. May check out the manga in hopes it pacing is better but that’s still a BIG maybe.
December 16, 2024
What happened??? The first one was so good, but this one is just a bunch of politics crap and the introduction of petty, gossipy, meddling characters....hate it, it felt like a completely different story. Then to make it even worst they have the human testing and blah blah blah.....and now it is a SCI-FI! This book suffers from mayor bipolarity, dropping the series, I just want it a low angst alchemy series! Onto my next adventure, Happy Readings!!!
February 3, 2020
Cute mostly fluffy fantasy. More story in this volume and a few new characters. The thing that bugs me a little though is the lack of character development in Mariela and she’s supposed to be the heroine.
May 9, 2020
A really bad translation that doesn't flow and has lots of awkward sentences. I wish someone took the time to polish this series up a bit. Still, a fun time with fun characters that I adore. Despite my gripes, this is something I'll continue reading.
July 19, 2022
I enjoy the world the author has built except for the love interest with the alchemist. It seems slightly forced to me. However, there is an overarching plot developing and it is entertaining. This made for good casual reading. I have the third and forth book ready for a rainy day.
December 12, 2019
Probably more of a 3.5, but the final chapters worked so well that I'm giving it the up rather than down rating.
Full review eventually appearing on ANN.
Full review eventually appearing on ANN.
January 18, 2020
This volume is now more laid back than the first one, but still interesting. Now it's more of building a life in town than searching for a way to survive in it.
April 20, 2020
Good series
I’m liking this series and I can’t wait for more. Unfortunately I’m going to have to wait a little bit longer.
I’m liking this series and I can’t wait for more. Unfortunately I’m going to have to wait a little bit longer.
May 11, 2020
It was a bit darker than the previous installment, but also a lot more action. It's fun to see meriala and Seig settledown in a quiet life. Also a bunch of new characters showed up.
February 24, 2021
The last chapter is bad. It drags the whole book down a peg
3,5
3,5
June 27, 2021
ดูเหมือนสถานการณ์ในเรื่องจะไม่ชิวเท่าตัวนางเอกอีกแล้ว - -
March 21, 2022
An enjoyable light read, though it has a hard time getting started
May 10, 2022
Solid 4* novel. Very entertaining story.
Want to read
December 2, 2022chapter 29 april 12 2022 fan translation of novel
based off of amazon sample page table of contents
vol 1. prolongs + chapters 1-6 + epilogue + bonus chapter
based off of amazon sample page table of contents
vol 1. prolongs + chapters 1-6 + epilogue + bonus chapter
January 12, 2023
Okay so I really enjoy this series now. It's nice to see these characters develop as far as they have just by the second book.
April 1, 2024
Not a bad story, but slow-paced in a way that can be monotonous. I suspect I'd get more enjoyment of the manga version of this story (even anime would probably work better).
February 10, 2020
Now I really REEEEELLY wanna know who Mariela's master is/was.
March 27, 2020
The Aguinas alchemists history wasn’t as compelling as Sieg’s story last volume, so this one wasn’t quite as interesting a read. The loud-mouthed bureaucrat responsible for exploring the slums and the main villain of this volume are very superficial characters. I did enjoy the idea of the dungeon combat bits, but there was little real description of the battles. More time is spent describing the repetitive kneading of wheat than a pivotal battle scene. Not the best light novel, but still approaching mediocrity. My ten-year old seems to love these, so I expect I will be compelled to read more.
January 2, 2020
I'd say it's so - so, but I did just read the whole thing in one sitting.
It strikes me as a pleasant slice of life with fun fantasy ideas. Not quite as exposition heavy as the first volume, but I would only recommended this to those who are adapted to the wandering narratives more common in slice of life stories.
It strikes me as a pleasant slice of life with fun fantasy ideas. Not quite as exposition heavy as the first volume, but I would only recommended this to those who are adapted to the wandering narratives more common in slice of life stories.
October 30, 2024
Better than the first. Very silly plot lines, very easy read. Nothing ground breaking. Pushed the actual issue at hand to the last 20% of the book, but was quickly resolved. Enjoyable characters and villains alike.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews