Set in an alternate, steampunk 1903 where warlocks rule the world, 'Nightwalkers' (vampires) are governed by alchemists, and people fly around in spark reactor powered dirigibles, A Conspiracy of Alchemists will grab your attention immediately. As I mentioned a while ago, even though the plot was a little thin, I couldn't put it down because the world Liesel Schwarz has created is so vivid.
Eleanor "Elle" Chance stubbornly refused all the offers of marriage she received during her London Season in order to become a dirigible pilot. Her eccentric father, a brilliant physicist, has essentially let her do whatever she wants, and her high society aunt has washed her hands of Elle.
Elle heads to Paris on what should be a simple task - picking up a wooden case and bringing it back to England. But she's attacked by Nightwalkers, and ends up on the run with a mysterious (and handsome) man named "Mr. Marsh". When Eleanor and Marsh arrive in Oxford, they discover that Elle's father has been kidnapped. Marsh reveals two big secrets about himself: (a) he's a warlock that's hundreds of years old, and he's (b) Viscount Greychester, and then he and Elle set off on a chase across France, Italy, Austria, and Turkey in an attempt to find the Nightwalkers that they suspect of having kidnapped Elle's father. (Spoiler alert! Text is in white, highlight the blank space if you want to see Marsh's secrets).
Along the way they wreck a dirigible, helicopter, and train, are attacked by alchemists, air pirates, and Nightwalkers, and separated by scheming factions of warlocks.
A Conspiracy of Alchemists is one of those books that you can't think too hard about. You have to just accept Liesel Schwarz's crazy world on faith, or you'll spend the whole time saying, "But why would the warlocks do ( ____ )?" And "Absinthe fairies? What?" Or "Wait, Marsh is HOW old?" Or "Seriously Elle, does that seem like a good idea? Really?"
But as long as you're not thinking too hard, it's a fun, fast adventure; with a little bit of romance thrown in for good measure.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Should I recommend this to my grandma? Uh, I wouldn't recommend it to my grandma. But if your grandma likes vampires, go for it!
WIN IT! One of you can win a copy of A Conspiracy of Alchemists
. To enter to win just leave a comment telling me if you're a fan of steampunk novels or not. Comments close at midnight on Monday 4/8, then I'll randomly choose the winner and contact you for your mailing info. Entries from USA and Canada only please. This post contains Amazon affiliate links, thanks for supporting Quirky Bookworm! And I received a copy of this book in exchange for participating in the TLC Book Tour.
Update: The winner of A Conspiracy of Alchemists is commenter #3 - Ryann. Congrats Ryann, I'll be contacting you!
