The Alchemists of Loom by Elise Kova Pages: 395
Published by Keymaster Press on January 10, 2017
Series: Loom Saga #1
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Young Adult
Source: Bought
Her vengeance. His vision.
Ari lost everything she once loved when the Five Guilds’ resistance fell to the Dragon King. Now, she uses her unparalleled gift for clockwork machinery in tandem with notoriously unscrupulous morals to contribute to a thriving underground organ market. There isn’t a place on Loom that is secure from the engineer turned thief, and her magical talents are sold to the highest bidder as long as the job defies their Dragon oppressors.
Cvareh would do anything to see his sister usurp the Dragon King and sit on the throne. His family’s house has endured the shame of being the lowest rung in the Dragons’ society for far too long. The Alchemist Guild, down on Loom, may just hold the key to putting his kin in power, if Cvareh can get to them before the Dragon King’s assassins.
When Ari stumbles upon a wounded Cvareh, she sees an opportunity to slaughter an enemy and make a profit off his corpse. But the Dragon sees an opportunity to navigate Loom with the best person to get him where he wants to go.
He offers her the one thing Ari can’t refuse: A wish of her greatest desire, if she brings him to the Alchemists of Loom.
The Alchemists of Loom is the first book in the Loom Saga by author Elise Kova. The Loom Saga is a young adult high fantasy series that I have completely fallen in love with. You know the feeling you get when you pick up a book by a new to you author- you are excited and hopeful that the book will be excellent. (but also a little nervous because you want to enjoy the novel so badly…and what if you don’t. What if you are the person that the book didn’t work for.) But then, as you read, the story exceeds all of your expectations. You completely fall in love with the characters and the story and the world. And then you finish the book and you find out that the author has SO MANY OTHER BOOKS! Multiple series with multiple books written. It is like stumbling on to a gold mine. That is what discovering Elise Kova felt like to me. She dropped a gold mine in my lap! And I couldn’t be happier about it.
I loved everything about The Alchemists of Loom. I loved the characters. I loved that it was written in multiple perspectives. I beyond loved the world and the magic system. I even loved the tiny speck of romance to come. (which by the way is huge for me. For me to love a book that has little to no romance in it is a big deal for me as a reader.) The Alchemists of Loom was a complete hit for me. I am already reading book 2, The Dragons of Nova and loving it as well.
In the Alchemists of Loom we are introduced to two worlds. The sky realm of Nova and the ground world of Loom. Dragons inhabit Nova and Fenhri, Chimera and Alchemists inhabit. The Dragons of Nova rule over both of the worlds. I loved the complex world, magic and caste system put in place. And it was pretty complex. In Nova there are different dragon houses and many different levels within each house. In Loom, the alchemists are divided into different guilds, which are linked to different trades. The guilds are branded into the Fen’s faces. Our main characters are Ari, an unmarked chimera known as the White Wraith. And Cvareh a dragon on a secret mission. I am not going to tell you anything more than that because The Alchemists of Loom was really a delight to read and discover for myself. I love Elise Kova’s writing style. She does drop you in the middle of this intricate world, but she shows it to you in really organic bits and pieces.
Ari and Cvareh are fantastic. I loved watching the development of their relationship. It was so fantastic. I am rooting so incredibly hard for these two, you have no idea. I especially loved their stark differences, which turned into similarities as the book progressed. It was really something to behold. Dragons are very showy. They love bright colors and are very fashion forward. Ari on the other hand, is not. She is as her name suggests- white and grey in everything about her. Ari and Cvareh are so special, both in their unique abilities but also in their fierceness. I love how badass Ari is. It is so nice to see such a strong female character.
It is really hard to do justice to this book in a short review. The adventure Ari, Florence and Cvareh set out on is so exciting, the magic fascinated me and I love the politics of the two worlds. I am itching for more in this series and more from Elise Kova in general. I need to buy all of her Air Awakens series because I am addicted to her writing. The Loom Saga is shaping up to be on of my favorite fantasy series. This is a book you do not want to miss.
About Elise Kova
Elise Kova has always had a profound love of fantastical worlds. Somehow, she managed to focus on the real world long enough to graduate with a Master’s in Business Administration before crawling back under her favorite writing blanket to conceptualize her next magic system. She currently lives in St. Petersburg, Florida, and when she is not writing can be found playing video games, watching anime, or talking with readers on social media. She is the USA Today bestselling author of the Air Awakens Series as well as the upcoming Loom Saga (Keymaster, 2017).
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
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