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The Alchemancer #1
Engines of Alchemancy
*** Originally published as The Five Elements. ***
Infernal engines consume the world and only a sorcerer's apprentice who knows nothing about magic can stop them. The Alchemancer series begins.
Chaos erupts in the Barony of Fallmere when a surprise elemental attack destroys Norwynne Keep. Aaron Shepherd and Shanna Bonnerman survive, but Shanna is soon lost in the fallout of the keep's destruction while Aaron is forced to flee for his life.
Unbeknownst to Aaron, Shanna becomes a captive of the enemy who destroyed their home. This enemy, a savant who claims to follow the path of science, speaks of ancient, infernal devices and a quest to reclaim the greatest of them all. Certain the savant means to kill her, Shanna is instead surprised when she finds herself embarking upon the adventure of a lifetime.
Meanwhile, only the worst of nightmares awaits Aaron. Pursued by dwarven raiders, mad sorcerers, and a host of demons who will not stop until he is dead, the only thing keeping him alive is his own wits and an eslar mercenary whose reputation as a killer might make him the worst threat of all.
Though Aaron and Shanna travel different paths, their purposes align when they each learn of a mysterious device known as the Fifth Element. Shanna sees it as the final piece of the puzzle that is her destiny. To Aaron's logical mind, it is an impossible ambiguity. Whatever the answer, the Fifth Element draws them back together and into a final confrontation where science and sorcery will collide.
Infernal engines consume the world and only a sorcerer's apprentice who knows nothing about magic can stop them. The Alchemancer series begins.
Chaos erupts in the Barony of Fallmere when a surprise elemental attack destroys Norwynne Keep. Aaron Shepherd and Shanna Bonnerman survive, but Shanna is soon lost in the fallout of the keep's destruction while Aaron is forced to flee for his life.
Unbeknownst to Aaron, Shanna becomes a captive of the enemy who destroyed their home. This enemy, a savant who claims to follow the path of science, speaks of ancient, infernal devices and a quest to reclaim the greatest of them all. Certain the savant means to kill her, Shanna is instead surprised when she finds herself embarking upon the adventure of a lifetime.
Meanwhile, only the worst of nightmares awaits Aaron. Pursued by dwarven raiders, mad sorcerers, and a host of demons who will not stop until he is dead, the only thing keeping him alive is his own wits and an eslar mercenary whose reputation as a killer might make him the worst threat of all.
Though Aaron and Shanna travel different paths, their purposes align when they each learn of a mysterious device known as the Fifth Element. Shanna sees it as the final piece of the puzzle that is her destiny. To Aaron's logical mind, it is an impossible ambiguity. Whatever the answer, the Fifth Element draws them back together and into a final confrontation where science and sorcery will collide.
402 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 8, 2022
41 people are currently reading
328 people want to read
About the author
Scott Marlowe
25 books151 followersScott Marlowe lives in Bentonville, Arkansas, the Mountain Biking Capital of the World, where he drinks extraordinary amounts of coffee, rides his mountain or gravel bike whenever the opportunity arises, and writes stories that often end in wondrous, explosive mayhem.
You can find more information about Scott at scottmarlowe.com.
You can find more information about Scott at scottmarlowe.com.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Want to read
February 1, 2024This is not a full review. I read through the beginning of all 300 SPFBO9 contest entries. This was a book I wanted to read more of.
A young student of sorcery is bullied by a group of rowdy youths who dump him in a catapult to see if he can fly in this YA fantasy.
This is off to an active start. For me, there was a kind of comedy in the oversized bullying of our young sorcerer.
It had a Harry Potter quality to it in the way his ogrish tormentor bundles him out of the market with a hood over his head and dumps him in a disused catapult.
There’s no real sense of danger to it, because our MC mostly just takes his licks, but there’s something believably youthful about that. They’re not REALLY going to launch him in a catapult, are they?
The narrative isn’t in a rush. Our MC takes interest in a market stall of carved figures, buying a protector carving, much to his own surprise. There are other diversions in the action to explain setting details. This adds good context to the story.
The is perhaps a little clunky at times, but it is otherwise clear, avoids being overwritten, and competently moves the story along. The dialogue is also good and to the point.
It introduces its characters well and puts them in motion. This seems like an engaging read, and I recommend it especially for a young audience. 1st in a series off to a competent start! I’m in.
A young student of sorcery is bullied by a group of rowdy youths who dump him in a catapult to see if he can fly in this YA fantasy.
This is off to an active start. For me, there was a kind of comedy in the oversized bullying of our young sorcerer.
It had a Harry Potter quality to it in the way his ogrish tormentor bundles him out of the market with a hood over his head and dumps him in a disused catapult.
There’s no real sense of danger to it, because our MC mostly just takes his licks, but there’s something believably youthful about that. They’re not REALLY going to launch him in a catapult, are they?
The narrative isn’t in a rush. Our MC takes interest in a market stall of carved figures, buying a protector carving, much to his own surprise. There are other diversions in the action to explain setting details. This adds good context to the story.
The is perhaps a little clunky at times, but it is otherwise clear, avoids being overwritten, and competently moves the story along. The dialogue is also good and to the point.
It introduces its characters well and puts them in motion. This seems like an engaging read, and I recommend it especially for a young audience. 1st in a series off to a competent start! I’m in.
October 22, 2023
Great read
I really likd this book . Was hard to put down . . . . . . . . .
I really likd this book . Was hard to put down . . . . . . . . .
April 20, 2025
Engaging fantasy
Aaron and Shanna are good friends, he a wizard's apprentice and she an apprentice soapmaker. But tragedy strikes their home town and the two are separated by a tidal wave and earthquakes. Each follows a path learning about the four elements and the mysterious fifth element, Aaron thinking Shanna is dead. Will they ever be reunited?
I really liked this story, always coming back wondering what happens next. I liked the development of Aaron and his companions, and Shanna coming into her own.
Aaron and Shanna are good friends, he a wizard's apprentice and she an apprentice soapmaker. But tragedy strikes their home town and the two are separated by a tidal wave and earthquakes. Each follows a path learning about the four elements and the mysterious fifth element, Aaron thinking Shanna is dead. Will they ever be reunited?
I really liked this story, always coming back wondering what happens next. I liked the development of Aaron and his companions, and Shanna coming into her own.
May 19, 2024
Took me a while to get into the story and its characters, but once more is revealed, the pace gets better and things get so much more interesting! The ending was a little wild and sad, and the sneak peek for the next book made me glad I already bought book 2.
I like the whole sorcery and alchemy concept, a little different from what I normally read, but in a good way. I also like that the mc is not your typical hero.
I like the whole sorcery and alchemy concept, a little different from what I normally read, but in a good way. I also like that the mc is not your typical hero.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews