Review: The Alchemists of Loom (Loom Saga #1) by Elise Kova

Title: The Alchemists of Loom

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.

MY REVIEW

I received an Advance Reader Copy at no cost from the publisher/author.

This review MAY contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.

I admit to being a little nervous before reading this. Elise Kova's Air Awakens series was her first series, and it holds such a special place in my heart. I feared that because of Kova's change from young adult fantasy fiction to adult fantasy fiction with this series that I would somehow not get the same spark that I got with her first series. I feared for naught. That spark was there and more. Go ahead and declare me a phoenix because I feel like that spark will continue to delight me and then make me reborn with everything that Kova writes.

If you are familiar with Kova's young adult books, the first thing that you may notice is the different feel of this book. I definitely felt it. It was something new and curious and absolutely enchanting. This series really is adult fiction....and what is this...I like it! A lot! I am a woman in my early thirties that reads primarily young adult fiction. I love it, so I read it. (No matter how much my husband teases me. =P) I have always wanted to branch out more and read more adult titles, but I hardly ever do. At least not as much as I would like to. This book really opened my eyes to the plethora of possibilities out there in fantasy fiction. I have been limiting myself to mostly young adult, but I could be experiencing so many more epic stories. So that fear that I was talking about in the first paragraph...it's gone! I now embrace adult fantasy fiction.

One of the things that made the adult label stand out more to me is the incredible world building. I mean, really, this world building is boss. I admit that I had to reread the first chapter three or more times before I felt like I could go on because there is so much world building to grasp on to before moving forward. Once I got that first chapter down and got used to it, I was golden. The world building just flowed off the page after that. And it is so impressive. I love the dragon and chimera aspect. The dragons have magic and different kinds of magic is housed in different organs. So there is a black market organ trade for dragon parts. The dragon blood and organs also help them to refine metal with magic in it. It's really complex. So not only can you buy dragon organs and have them implanted inside you so that you can have magic, but you can also have magic objects made from gold- which is made from dragon blood/organs. The emergence of dragons has really made this steampunk world evolve. It's amazing. And the distinction between the different races is so well written. The way they dress, their names, the dragon hierarchies, the way that dragons challenge one another to gain rank in society, the guilds and the way that the Fenthri are made to wear their guild tattoos on their faces. Everything is so perfect in the world building and so completely original.

The writing itself is magical. I was invested in the story from the very beginning. I love the way that Kova grabs your attention and keeps it honed in on the story. This book seems more fast-paced than her other books, but it certainly doesn't lack anything for it. The writing is beautifully constructed.

These characters had to grow on me a little, but in the end, I loved them. The way that Kova writes her characters is incredible. You get to know them right from the start and it keeps building up as the story progresses. There are small details about their pasts or their personalities that all adds up. The relationships that are formed by the characters as the story goes on is amazing too. There are so many emotions and Kova makes you feel all of them along the way. The way that the characters come together and learn to trust one another is invigorating. I especially loved how Ari and Cvareh come together in the end.

There was not really much romance in the book, but I actually didn't like the book any less for it. Which is rare for me. Normally without some romance, I won't like a book at all. But I think that the way Ari and Cvareh go from hating one another to trusting one another to pretty much being friends was such a journey. It really felt like the start of what could potentially be romance, and it was awesome! I have high hopes for Ari and Cvareh in this series. I may be wrong, but grinding gears it feels so right!

Overall, this is another epically fantastic release from Elise Kova. She has proven that she isn't tied down to a single genre and can conquer the mountain of any genre he brilliant little mind can conjure a story from. I really am so impressed! I recommend this book for any fans of Kova's previous works, and anyone that loves a good fantasy story. I think that steampunk fans will love it as well! This is another home run for you, Elise. Congratulations!