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Welcome to my place in the blogosphere!
feel free to explore the Flight Deck and check out my books and website.
Then fasten your seatbelts, sip a glass of something sparkling and let's chat awhile!
I hope you'll stop by again for guest authors and spotlights from time to time.

Beloved Enemy joined Starquest and Children of the Mist to continue the Destiny Trilogy and I'm thrilled to announce was shortlisted for the R.N.A. RoNA Awards 2017, awarded 2nd Runner up in the RONE Awards 2017 and was the winner in the SF/Fantasy category of the 'Best Banter Contest'.

Wednesday 1 April 2015

Dark Alchemy by Laura Bickle - Spotlight and Review

It's a real pleasure to welcome Laura back to the Flight Deck and to congratulate her on her new release 'Dark Alchemy'.  (And isn't that one stunning cover!)
Dark Alchemy
Laura Bickle

On-sale: 3/24  
ISBN: 9780062389862

Stephen King’s The Gunslinger meets Breaking Bad in Laura Bickle’s novel Dark Alchemy.

Book Description:
Some secrets are better left buried…

Geologist Petra Dee arrives in Wyoming looking for clues to her father’s disappearance years before. What she finds instead is Temperance, a dying Western town with a gold rush past and a meth-infested present.

But under the town’s dust and quiet, an old power is shifting. When bodies start turning up - desiccated and twisted skeletons that Petra can’t scientifically explain - her investigations land her in the middle of a covert war between the town’s most powerful interests. Petra’s father wasn’t the only one searching for the alchemical secrets of Temperance, and those still looking are now ready to kill.

Armed with nothing but shaky alliances, a pair of antique guns, and a relic she doesn’t understand, the only thing Petra knows for sure is that she and her coyote sidekick are going to have to move fast, or die next.

About the Author:

Laura Bickle grew up in rural Ohio, reading entirely too many comic books out loud to her favorite Wonder Woman doll. After graduating with an MA in Sociology – Criminology from Ohio State University and an MLIS in Library Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, she patrolled the stacks at the public library and worked with data systems in criminal justice. She now dreams up stories about the monsters under the stairs, also writing contemporary fantasy novels under the name Alayna Williams.

Her work has been included in the ALA’s Amelia Bloomer Project 2013 reading list and the State Library of Ohio’s Choose to Read Ohio reading list for 2015-2016. THE HALLOWED ONES and THE OUTSIDE are her latest young adult novels.




MY REVIEW

Wow! That was my feeling on finishing Dark Alchemy. I actually felt quite breathless. This is certainly one of the most unusual books I've read, reminiscent of Stephen King or Ray Bradbury.  It starts out almost like a rather dark western, then introduces Petra, a geologist with a heartbreaking secret in her past, on a quest to find her father. The characterization in this story is skilfully done, I felt I was with each character when they had their own point of view, but in particular Petra herself. She is strong, and at the same time vulnerably, and also very resourceful when it comes to creating useful and sometimes dangerous tools out of whatever happens to be at hand! This is essentially a horror story with dark magic and the alchemy of the title, but there is also a hint of romance, with two possible suitors, although I have to say the outcome was not quite what I expected. 

The discoveries Petra makes, and the danger these discoveries put her in will have you turning the pages in quick succession. It's a thrilling ride, with one surprise after another and had me on the edge of my seat.

I have to say there is a fair bit of 'language' but it is keeping with the nature of the story. There is also a good sprinkling of 'blood and gore' but there are also some beautifully descriptive passages, and some almost poetic phrases at times.

If you enjoy a good horror story with likable main characters and some pretty revolting villains, not to mention a rather adorable pet coyote, I can thoroughly recommend this highly original and unusual novel.

NB: I received this book free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review

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a Rafflecopter giveaway


 
 

9 comments:

  1. This one sounds very interesting. Thanks for the review.
    Sue B

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    1. Hi Sue

      Thanks for stopping by, this is a great story!

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  2. I so loved this book! Seriously haunting story. I still see the tree when I close my eyes. :)

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    1. Thanks, Marcella! So glad that you liked it! :-)

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    2. Hi Marcella, thanks for checking this out! That is one of the most beautiful parts of the book, isn't it, and the crystal pool. These lovely sequences perfectly balance the darker aspects of the book.

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    3. P..S. thanks for joining my blog Marcella. I feature lots of fellow auithors here and occasionally news of my own writing, or stories from my homeland of Wales.

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  3. Whoops! Punched the wrong button!

    Thanks so much for taking the time to read and review my book, Hywela! I appreciate it.

    katsrus, thanks for stopping by! I had a lot of fun writing this one - the weird west was an exciting place to be.

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    1. Hi Laura, it's a pleasure to feature you here today, and I really did enjoy your book - it's a real pageturner!

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    2. Thanks so much! I'm thrilled that you enjoyed it! :-)

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