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The Arcane
Orphaned science nerd and maths prodigy Alice Valentine wants to ace her studies. She’s spent all her life struggling to make friends, passed between foster families and care homes, isolated and lonely. Losing herself in academia from an early age, she becomes the first sixteen-year-old at her local university. Her whole world changes, but nothing can prepare Alice for the night she’s attacked by a werewolf.
But even that isn’t as strange as discovering she has an identical twin sister, Cassie.
And Cassie kills werewolves. And all the other monsters Alice didn’t believe existed.
Alice and Cassie set off to discover what happened to their parents, a journey that takes them from northern England to the edge of the apocalypse, unsure if they will save the world or destroy it.
But even that isn’t as strange as discovering she has an identical twin sister, Cassie.
And Cassie kills werewolves. And all the other monsters Alice didn’t believe existed.
Alice and Cassie set off to discover what happened to their parents, a journey that takes them from northern England to the edge of the apocalypse, unsure if they will save the world or destroy it.
232 pages, Paperback
Published October 31, 2021
23 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 24, 2021
When a book is sold to me as Buffy meets Supernatural then I am IN!! And it doesn't disappoint and I'm eagerly awaiting the next in the series - a TV show would be nice too!!
Alice is an orphan and is a true science nerd/maths prodigy! She's always felt a bit different and isolated but academia is her thing and saved her and it's when she's at university aged 16, that life starts to take a different turn around her and she's attacked by a werewolf! It's where she also finds out she has an identical sister, Cassie, who is well into the supernatural kind of world and this sets them off on a quest to find out more about the various creatures, along with their parents and to find out why they didn't know about each other before.
What follows is a rollercoaster ride of adventures and quests, and a variety of adversaries to overcome. I loved the mix of history and mythical creatures and it just made it so much fun to read as you never knew who they'd be facing next - Dracula? Medusa? Archangels?! They're all there and add to the Buffy/Supernatural feel which is probably why I enjoyed it so much! I kept waiting for the Winchester brothers to appear!!
There's also time travel thrown in to the mix, and allows them to go back and find out more about their truth and the author has done a brilliant job of setting out a great backstory, alongside taking the story forward with things to look forward to in the next installment! Hurry up already and get Book 2 of the series out! I need to find out what happens to the girls next!!
Alice is an orphan and is a true science nerd/maths prodigy! She's always felt a bit different and isolated but academia is her thing and saved her and it's when she's at university aged 16, that life starts to take a different turn around her and she's attacked by a werewolf! It's where she also finds out she has an identical sister, Cassie, who is well into the supernatural kind of world and this sets them off on a quest to find out more about the various creatures, along with their parents and to find out why they didn't know about each other before.
What follows is a rollercoaster ride of adventures and quests, and a variety of adversaries to overcome. I loved the mix of history and mythical creatures and it just made it so much fun to read as you never knew who they'd be facing next - Dracula? Medusa? Archangels?! They're all there and add to the Buffy/Supernatural feel which is probably why I enjoyed it so much! I kept waiting for the Winchester brothers to appear!!
There's also time travel thrown in to the mix, and allows them to go back and find out more about their truth and the author has done a brilliant job of setting out a great backstory, alongside taking the story forward with things to look forward to in the next installment! Hurry up already and get Book 2 of the series out! I need to find out what happens to the girls next!!
November 28, 2021
They say you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover; 'they' being the type of people who clearly don't read books because I always judge books by their covers. Case in point, I knew I was going to read Andrew S. French's The Arcane the minute I saw that cover, James Helps's design is exquisite and perfect for this book. The good news? I really enjoyed the story too.
Sixteen-year-old child prodigy Alice is studying biology, physics and mathematics at Teesside University when her logical, carefully-curated world of science is turned upside-down. In the course of one particularly life-threatening evening, she learns that the twin-sister-she-never-knew-she-had kills monsters. Cue record scratch.
Part one of the Arcane duology, The Arcane is a young adult, urban fantasy set in the UK. If you're a fan of Supernatural, Buffy, Lucifer or Doctor Who, you'll feel very comfortable with an all-star cast that includes vampires, werewolves, angels, demons and an unexpected encounter with Medusa. There's even some timey-wimey, space travel stuff to add to the madness. I'm definitely not going to spoil more of the story because it was enjoyable letting it unfold. Suffice to say, discovering you have an identical twins raises questions.
The Arcane is a lot of fun. I really appreciated that each twin had a unique voice and personality. It was amusing seeing Alice desperately trying to frame everything she was seeing within logic and science, despite the increasing evidence that physics had left the building. I also loved the pop culture references and the song titles for chapter names.
The only problem I have with The Arcane was that unforgivable cliffhanger. I haven't scrambled that quickly for a sequel in years! The good news, dear reader, is that both The Arcane and sequel The Arcane Identity are out now to buy. I suggest you buy them together. For a wild rollercoaster ride of a book, paranormal shenanigans and making me crave more, I give The Arcane an excellent four out of five stars.
I received an electronic copy of this novel for the purposes of this review. I will always provide an honest review, whether books are provided to me or purchased by me.
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Sixteen-year-old child prodigy Alice is studying biology, physics and mathematics at Teesside University when her logical, carefully-curated world of science is turned upside-down. In the course of one particularly life-threatening evening, she learns that the twin-sister-she-never-knew-she-had kills monsters. Cue record scratch.
Part one of the Arcane duology, The Arcane is a young adult, urban fantasy set in the UK. If you're a fan of Supernatural, Buffy, Lucifer or Doctor Who, you'll feel very comfortable with an all-star cast that includes vampires, werewolves, angels, demons and an unexpected encounter with Medusa. There's even some timey-wimey, space travel stuff to add to the madness. I'm definitely not going to spoil more of the story because it was enjoyable letting it unfold. Suffice to say, discovering you have an identical twins raises questions.
The Arcane is a lot of fun. I really appreciated that each twin had a unique voice and personality. It was amusing seeing Alice desperately trying to frame everything she was seeing within logic and science, despite the increasing evidence that physics had left the building. I also loved the pop culture references and the song titles for chapter names.
The only problem I have with The Arcane was that unforgivable cliffhanger. I haven't scrambled that quickly for a sequel in years! The good news, dear reader, is that both The Arcane and sequel The Arcane Identity are out now to buy. I suggest you buy them together. For a wild rollercoaster ride of a book, paranormal shenanigans and making me crave more, I give The Arcane an excellent four out of five stars.
I received an electronic copy of this novel for the purposes of this review. I will always provide an honest review, whether books are provided to me or purchased by me.
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November 30, 2021
I chose to read and review this book purely based on the cover, because, let’s face it. That’s one AWESOME cover, right? As soon as I opened the book, I was transported to the world of The Arcane and the action and adventure started within seconds. Literally. I had no clue what was going on at all. But, that’s not a bad thing. The author clearly intended for the reader to wonder what the heck was happening. He certainly achieved it. I was confused, but eager to find out who was what and why it was happening to this poor young student.
I was immediately taken by Alice—I loved how her super smart brain worked. The fact that she didn’t believe anything that couldn’t be explained by science was a stroke of genius in itself. It made the story all the more believable (if you know what I mean!).
I mentioned action and adventure, well, this book is full of it, from the very beginning to the very end and it will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. There were moments of intense confusion and disbelief but all in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this story about Alice and Cassie. I’m intrigued to find out what will happen next in their search for the truth.
I was immediately taken by Alice—I loved how her super smart brain worked. The fact that she didn’t believe anything that couldn’t be explained by science was a stroke of genius in itself. It made the story all the more believable (if you know what I mean!).
I mentioned action and adventure, well, this book is full of it, from the very beginning to the very end and it will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. There were moments of intense confusion and disbelief but all in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this story about Alice and Cassie. I’m intrigued to find out what will happen next in their search for the truth.
November 23, 2021
This was a brilliant supernatural thriller, I can say for definite that I need the next book in this series ! Just one book wasn't enough for me
In this book we have Alice Valentine , she is an orphaned science and maths nerd (two things I am terrible at!) That really had been her only constant in her life and her only companion as she got moved from foster home to foster home and she found it hard to make friends. When she gets into university at age 16 everything changes for her... but not in the way she thinks as she gets attacked by a werewolf . The thing is her twin Cassie (who she didn't know existed!) kills werewolves!
The journey were go on with Alice and Cassie to find out what happened too their parents , they face a lot of obstacles , discover things about their past , and many supernatural creatures. The book had me absolutely hooked to see what was going to happen too them , through the book I grew fond of both characters, they were very well described and developed. The book had a good pace to keep you devouring it!
In this book we have Alice Valentine , she is an orphaned science and maths nerd (two things I am terrible at!) That really had been her only constant in her life and her only companion as she got moved from foster home to foster home and she found it hard to make friends. When she gets into university at age 16 everything changes for her... but not in the way she thinks as she gets attacked by a werewolf . The thing is her twin Cassie (who she didn't know existed!) kills werewolves!
The journey were go on with Alice and Cassie to find out what happened too their parents , they face a lot of obstacles , discover things about their past , and many supernatural creatures. The book had me absolutely hooked to see what was going to happen too them , through the book I grew fond of both characters, they were very well described and developed. The book had a good pace to keep you devouring it!
March 31, 2023
this is buffy the vampire slayer meets supernatural and i am here for it!
im not a big fantasy reader, but i saw this somewhere (who knows at this point) and it sat on my tbr shelf for a decade (not really) and i finally picked it up because THAT COVER (i mean- look at it!).
so yeah. i liked this. alice meets cassie who may be her maybe sister and they fight a bunch of supernatural shit. fun times.
only thing is it ends on a cliffhanger and homie ain't a fan of that.
im not a big fantasy reader, but i saw this somewhere (who knows at this point) and it sat on my tbr shelf for a decade (not really) and i finally picked it up because THAT COVER (i mean- look at it!).
so yeah. i liked this. alice meets cassie who may be her maybe sister and they fight a bunch of supernatural shit. fun times.
only thing is it ends on a cliffhanger and homie ain't a fan of that.
December 22, 2021
Alice makes it to university, and finds more than she could have dreamt. A sister she didn't know existed, and strange happenings that can't be paranormal.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
This follows the story of Alice - an orphan raised by the system. They notice how bright she is, and fast-track her to uni. Once there, she is attacked by a random guy with a hairy problem.
It turns out that she has a werewolf-killing doppelganger, Cassie.
The two of them have to work together to find out the truth of their lives, and who is trying to kill them.
Alice and Cassie go on a road trip around the UK, dealing with all manner of magic and monster.
I liked following Alice - a socially-awkward girl who has never had friends, and never relied on anyone but herself. Once she meets Cassie, there's the big mystery of why they look identical. Alice tries to remain impartial, but they can't help but connect. Their lives have been very different, but there are many similarities.
I liked how Alice clung to her science-based beliefs, giving a realistic response to finding monsters in her life.
The not-so-good.
I found the story to have lumps of telling instead of showing. We're told about monsters. We're told about Cassie.
Sometimes it worked, but more often it came across as an unnatural info-dump.
I also thought that the plot was full of short stories instead of an overall arc. They have a mission, which they are completely focussed on until that mission is complete. This leads to the next mission.
I thought that the monsters they met weren't very monstrous, which was interesting and kept you guessing as to who the "bad guys" are. But I felt that the monsters all helped Alice and Cassie in an unbelievable manner. It just happened. And often gave them far more information than was realistic.
Overall, this was an interesting idea, but missed the mark for me.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
This follows the story of Alice - an orphan raised by the system. They notice how bright she is, and fast-track her to uni. Once there, she is attacked by a random guy with a hairy problem.
It turns out that she has a werewolf-killing doppelganger, Cassie.
The two of them have to work together to find out the truth of their lives, and who is trying to kill them.
Alice and Cassie go on a road trip around the UK, dealing with all manner of magic and monster.
I liked following Alice - a socially-awkward girl who has never had friends, and never relied on anyone but herself. Once she meets Cassie, there's the big mystery of why they look identical. Alice tries to remain impartial, but they can't help but connect. Their lives have been very different, but there are many similarities.
I liked how Alice clung to her science-based beliefs, giving a realistic response to finding monsters in her life.
The not-so-good.
I found the story to have lumps of telling instead of showing. We're told about monsters. We're told about Cassie.
Sometimes it worked, but more often it came across as an unnatural info-dump.
I also thought that the plot was full of short stories instead of an overall arc. They have a mission, which they are completely focussed on until that mission is complete. This leads to the next mission.
I thought that the monsters they met weren't very monstrous, which was interesting and kept you guessing as to who the "bad guys" are. But I felt that the monsters all helped Alice and Cassie in an unbelievable manner. It just happened. And often gave them far more information than was realistic.
Overall, this was an interesting idea, but missed the mark for me.
November 25, 2021
I was granted complimentary access to The Arcane by Andrew S. French as part of my participation in a blog tour for this title with Rachel's Random Resources. Thank you to all involved for affording me this opportunity! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.
The Arcane is the story of "maybe sisters" Alice and Cassie and their zero-to-sixty introduction to one another that involves the fighting and killing of a lot of werewolves. Yes, werewolves. Early college student and orphan who has bounced through the system Alice was just settling in at her new dorm and trying to make friends amongst her classmates when a monster attacks and her doppelganger shows up to save the evening. Who is she? Who is Alice, even? Supernatural creatures exist? It's all too much for Alice, but she doesn't have a choice.
I absolutely loved Alice and Cassie as individuals and as a maybe-sister duo. Their dynamic feels so genuine and I love their banter. They might not see it for themselves, but they click so quickly! I also really enjoyed the world-building in this book. This flavour of urban fantasy is right up my alley! I loved Alice's stubborn attempts to scientifically explain it all and Cassie's eye-rolling dismissal of every "anything-but-supernatural" excuse Alice can come up with.
My stumbling point is the pacing. Somewhere around the 65% mark it picked up a lot and felt a little too chaotic and rushed. That doesn't deter me from looking forward to a sequel, I absolutely want to read a sequel, but when Alexa's voice on my Kindle started reading the "ending credits" data at the back of the book I found myself wondering if I should back-track and listen to the last few chapters again in case I missed something, because it went by too fast.
The Arcane is the story of "maybe sisters" Alice and Cassie and their zero-to-sixty introduction to one another that involves the fighting and killing of a lot of werewolves. Yes, werewolves. Early college student and orphan who has bounced through the system Alice was just settling in at her new dorm and trying to make friends amongst her classmates when a monster attacks and her doppelganger shows up to save the evening. Who is she? Who is Alice, even? Supernatural creatures exist? It's all too much for Alice, but she doesn't have a choice.
I absolutely loved Alice and Cassie as individuals and as a maybe-sister duo. Their dynamic feels so genuine and I love their banter. They might not see it for themselves, but they click so quickly! I also really enjoyed the world-building in this book. This flavour of urban fantasy is right up my alley! I loved Alice's stubborn attempts to scientifically explain it all and Cassie's eye-rolling dismissal of every "anything-but-supernatural" excuse Alice can come up with.
My stumbling point is the pacing. Somewhere around the 65% mark it picked up a lot and felt a little too chaotic and rushed. That doesn't deter me from looking forward to a sequel, I absolutely want to read a sequel, but when Alexa's voice on my Kindle started reading the "ending credits" data at the back of the book I found myself wondering if I should back-track and listen to the last few chapters again in case I missed something, because it went by too fast.
November 22, 2021
Firstly, the cover is stunning which made me apply for this tour. Second and important thing the book is brilliant as well. A perfect combo of awesome cover plus story.
Alice is a science nerd and math prodigy. Cassie is the one who kills monsters. Alice's academic world changes when she is attacked by a werewolf and think how hard it will be for a science nerd to accept supernatural beings. To top all this she comes face to face with her twin sister Cassie, whose existence she wasn't aware of.
The characters and plot is well developed to keep you on edge with the turn of events. Alice and Cassie's journey to know about their past is beautifully written and well paced to keep you hooked. This book is intriguing with all the supernatural beings you can have. Vampires, zombies, werewolves, Dracula, angels, demons and also Medusa. This is the second book where I came across seer and I really like them. This story is intricately woven around all of them.
What is their past if not shocking and more so when they are moving towards an apocalypse and are supposed to save the world. Let this story take you through an adventurous and rollercoaster ride, one that I definitely recommend. I can't wait to read the next in the series.
Thank you @rachelsrandomresources for a chance at reading this.
Alice is a science nerd and math prodigy. Cassie is the one who kills monsters. Alice's academic world changes when she is attacked by a werewolf and think how hard it will be for a science nerd to accept supernatural beings. To top all this she comes face to face with her twin sister Cassie, whose existence she wasn't aware of.
The characters and plot is well developed to keep you on edge with the turn of events. Alice and Cassie's journey to know about their past is beautifully written and well paced to keep you hooked. This book is intriguing with all the supernatural beings you can have. Vampires, zombies, werewolves, Dracula, angels, demons and also Medusa. This is the second book where I came across seer and I really like them. This story is intricately woven around all of them.
What is their past if not shocking and more so when they are moving towards an apocalypse and are supposed to save the world. Let this story take you through an adventurous and rollercoaster ride, one that I definitely recommend. I can't wait to read the next in the series.
Thank you @rachelsrandomresources for a chance at reading this.
November 27, 2021
Alice went to the bar to try and fit in and maybe find a friend. What she ends up with is almost being killed by a werewolf and a girl that could be her twin sister, Cassie. Although she is a genius she thinks she can rationalize the supernatural creatures that her and Cassie keep running into. But she is determined to find out who killer her neighbours and ultimately who her mother is and how she might be related to Cassie.
Cassie has been hunter monsters for the last couple years and wants to know why there is a price on her head and how she is related to Alice. Both girls find themselves in confrontations with various creatures on their wait to find what happened on the day of their birth.
I really enjoyed this story. Both girls have been orphaned since birth with very different childhoods. I liked both girls and all the creatures they run into. I couldn’t wait to find out what happened on their birth and was not expecting the results.
If you like paranormal stories you need to get yourself a copy of this book. I was just glad to see that book two was released October 31, 2021. After posting my reviews I will definitely be downloading the next book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
Cassie has been hunter monsters for the last couple years and wants to know why there is a price on her head and how she is related to Alice. Both girls find themselves in confrontations with various creatures on their wait to find what happened on the day of their birth.
I really enjoyed this story. Both girls have been orphaned since birth with very different childhoods. I liked both girls and all the creatures they run into. I couldn’t wait to find out what happened on their birth and was not expecting the results.
If you like paranormal stories you need to get yourself a copy of this book. I was just glad to see that book two was released October 31, 2021. After posting my reviews I will definitely be downloading the next book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
November 28, 2021
The Arcane by Andrew S. French
I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily
Orphaned science nerd and maths prodigy Alice Valentine wants to ace her studies. She’s spent all her life struggling to make friends, passed between foster families and care homes, isolated and lonely. Losing herself in academia from an early age, she becomes the first sixteen-year-old at her local university. Her whole world changes, but nothing can prepare Alice for the night she’s attacked by a werewolf.
The first thing that drew my attention to this book was the cover, the second was the blurb. Personally I think it managed to live up to both. This is a rollercoaster ride complete with adventure and plenty of adversaries to overcome. I really enjoyed the supernatural aspect of this book, especially the doppelgangers.
Such an intriguing premise - with pacing that adds to the anticipation. I read this book in one sitting as I was hooked from the very beginning.
Rating: 4/5
I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily
Orphaned science nerd and maths prodigy Alice Valentine wants to ace her studies. She’s spent all her life struggling to make friends, passed between foster families and care homes, isolated and lonely. Losing herself in academia from an early age, she becomes the first sixteen-year-old at her local university. Her whole world changes, but nothing can prepare Alice for the night she’s attacked by a werewolf.
The first thing that drew my attention to this book was the cover, the second was the blurb. Personally I think it managed to live up to both. This is a rollercoaster ride complete with adventure and plenty of adversaries to overcome. I really enjoyed the supernatural aspect of this book, especially the doppelgangers.
Such an intriguing premise - with pacing that adds to the anticipation. I read this book in one sitting as I was hooked from the very beginning.
Rating: 4/5
November 23, 2021
Admittedly, I wanted to read this book when I saw the cover. It looked amazing and I just had to know the story inside. Thankfully, the story is just as incredible and I’m so happy I read this!
The Arcane has a really intriguing premise and the writing carries it our beautifully. I love the pacing. I was engulfed in this story from page one and had a lot of trouble putting it down. I already need more.
Alice and Cassie are very well-developed characters. I think each have qualities that are relatable for teens and adults, alike.
What an adventure! If you’re looking for an intriguing thrill ride, The Arcane has you covered. Give it a try!
Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for the free review copy. All opinions are my own and unbiased.
The Arcane has a really intriguing premise and the writing carries it our beautifully. I love the pacing. I was engulfed in this story from page one and had a lot of trouble putting it down. I already need more.
Alice and Cassie are very well-developed characters. I think each have qualities that are relatable for teens and adults, alike.
What an adventure! If you’re looking for an intriguing thrill ride, The Arcane has you covered. Give it a try!
Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for the free review copy. All opinions are my own and unbiased.
November 24, 2021
I am absolutely obsessed with series so far and I cannot wait to find out what happens in the next book. This story follows lookalike, doppelgänger, maybe-sisters Alice and Cassie. I really liked the fact that these characters had totally different personalities and mannerisms because it made them more intriguing.
I love Alice’s quirky personality and her rationality when it came to what was happening. She definitely created some very humorous moments. Cassie was definitely a headstrong character that wanted to kill everything. I don’t feel like I connected with her as much because it felt like there was a wall between us. I saw glimpses of who she is and I hope there’s more to her in the next book.
I love Alice’s quirky personality and her rationality when it came to what was happening. She definitely created some very humorous moments. Cassie was definitely a headstrong character that wanted to kill everything. I don’t feel like I connected with her as much because it felt like there was a wall between us. I saw glimpses of who she is and I hope there’s more to her in the next book.
September 20, 2023
OMG I REALLY LOVED THIS BOOK! Look, I got the book because you mention 'Buffy' and 'Supernatural' together and I'm so there and it was a bit like both but original enough to thoroughly enjoy the story! I'm really busy in my real life but managed to devour this book almost in one sitting! I never finish books in 24 hours! lol But this book was just that good and now I cannot wait to read the rest of the series! I'm HOOKED!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews