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sashapasha's review
4.0
It started off great, but around halfway through, things started getting a little weird and there was a disconnect between the events and the character's emotions. It felt as if the author took a break from writing, pulled her head out of the world, and didn't quite rejoin at the same place when she picked it back up.
Something else confusing was the moment after Addie thought that Rowan had died and Ian had just revealed his involvement, and she didn't express any anger toward him. He'd literally been responsible for killing a bunch of people including Lydia and Rowan, and she just shrugged it off and went with him? I was expecting her to swear his eternal torment or something along those lines.
Also, if her antidote worked all along, why did Lydia die? That was never explained. And I was pretty frustrated that she didn't make the connection between Ian and his licks that he kept in jars when they found out who was committing the murders. How could she not know that he was controlling them? I guessed pretty early on that Ian was involved, but Addie should have at least suspected what was going on when that the lick was revealed.
Nevertheless, it was an extremely engaging novel and a quick read. I really liked Rowan and Addie's relationship and the slow reparation of trust in the first half was incredibly well done.
Spoiler
In particular, after Lydia died, it seemed like everyone just sort of forgot about it. Their reactions were really underwhelming. One of their inner circle had just died and they went to a party?Something else confusing was the moment after Addie thought that Rowan had died and Ian had just revealed his involvement, and she didn't express any anger toward him. He'd literally been responsible for killing a bunch of people including Lydia and Rowan, and she just shrugged it off and went with him? I was expecting her to swear his eternal torment or something along those lines.
Also, if her antidote worked all along, why did Lydia die? That was never explained. And I was pretty frustrated that she didn't make the connection between Ian and his licks that he kept in jars when they found out who was committing the murders. How could she not know that he was controlling them? I guessed pretty early on that Ian was involved, but Addie should have at least suspected what was going on when that the lick was revealed.
Nevertheless, it was an extremely engaging novel and a quick read. I really liked Rowan and Addie's relationship and the slow reparation of trust in the first half was incredibly well done.
calenmarwen's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
singh_reads_kanwar2's review
4.0
Master alchemist Addie Daulton hasn’t always done the right thing. To atone for sins from her forgotten past, and earn back the respect of the people she loves, she decides to show the world that alchemy can be used for good. For healing. But she can’t do anything without a lab. Desperate, she teams up with a new partner whose lab has everything she needs, but does she dare work with a man whose reputation is even darker than her own. As that will malign the reputation but choices are less.
The risk proves worth it when she lands a contract to make burn salve for a local hospital. Things are looking up until Rowan (the fire element), the leader of the magical community and her former lover, returns and demands her assistance. The magical are being gunned down, and cryptic messages are being left at the murder scenes. Messages that point a finger at alchemy—and her. The connection begins to make sense when she discovers that the bullets from the crime scenes have been altered with blood alchemy—and that the design is her own.
Working with Rowan won’t be easy, not just because of their lost love, but because her new business partner once tried to kill him. If Rowan finds out who he really is, Addie’s involvement in the investigation will be over. She can’t let Rowan shut her out again. Not when he might be the killer’s next target.
James the hell hound and his cruel brother they did some savage problems for them but they have to take them. Lydia became the victim and she was not killed by Addie but nobody believes a necromancer. She returned safely and Xander was the most dangerous monster of the story as epilogue came to light.
The risk proves worth it when she lands a contract to make burn salve for a local hospital. Things are looking up until Rowan (the fire element), the leader of the magical community and her former lover, returns and demands her assistance. The magical are being gunned down, and cryptic messages are being left at the murder scenes. Messages that point a finger at alchemy—and her. The connection begins to make sense when she discovers that the bullets from the crime scenes have been altered with blood alchemy—and that the design is her own.
Working with Rowan won’t be easy, not just because of their lost love, but because her new business partner once tried to kill him. If Rowan finds out who he really is, Addie’s involvement in the investigation will be over. She can’t let Rowan shut her out again. Not when he might be the killer’s next target.
James the hell hound and his cruel brother they did some savage problems for them but they have to take them. Lydia became the victim and she was not killed by Addie but nobody believes a necromancer. She returned safely and Xander was the most dangerous monster of the story as epilogue came to light.
mdlaclair's review
3.0
This was a nice read. I really like the chemist aspect of this book. I did not love it as much as the first book. However it still was a nice read
bananatricky's review
4.0
Wow, another great book.
After the end to the last book Addie is pretty much friendless and homeless. She makes a deal with a VERY unexpected person.
Also, there is someone out there killing magical people.
And James's idiot brothers can't keep their noses clean.
I enjoyed this book, I had my suspicions but the identity of the killer(s) was well hidden.
My only (mild) criticism is that Addie seems to cry A LOT and I have difficulty believing that Addie is 42 at times because she acts like 22 - I have the same problem with Rowan.
Looking forward to the next instalment.
After the end to the last book Addie is pretty much friendless and homeless. She makes a deal with a VERY unexpected person.
Also, there is someone out there killing magical people.
And James's idiot brothers can't keep their noses clean.
I enjoyed this book, I had my suspicions but the identity of the killer(s) was well hidden.
My only (mild) criticism is that Addie seems to cry A LOT and I have difficulty believing that Addie is 42 at times because she acts like 22 - I have the same problem with Rowan.
Looking forward to the next instalment.
beardybot's review
5.0
Incredible. I worried that Addie would be crippled by the first book's finale, but by the end of this one all fears were dealt with. Becca Andre writes such powerful, convincing, personal characters. I'm sure many aspiring novelists would be inspired.
lacunaboo's review
4.0
This is a really fun dark paranormal series with some great characters.
The Blood Alchemist tells of more of the (mis)adventures of Addie, the "addled alchemist"; Rowan, the Lord of Flame, along with his fellow Elements; and other various members of both the New and Old Magic factions. I absolutely LOVE James, the hellhound "sidekick". And we get a new(ish) character to get All The Feels about in this installment in Addie's new "lab assistant."
There is plenty of action in these books, and sometimes the action scenes are bit too much for me, but overall the Final Formula books tell a really fun story with wonderful characters and evolving relationships.
The Blood Alchemist tells of more of the (mis)adventures of Addie, the "addled alchemist"; Rowan, the Lord of Flame, along with his fellow Elements; and other various members of both the New and Old Magic factions. I absolutely LOVE James, the hellhound "sidekick". And we get a new(ish) character to get All The Feels about in this installment in Addie's new "lab assistant."
There is plenty of action in these books, and sometimes the action scenes are bit too much for me, but overall the Final Formula books tell a really fun story with wonderful characters and evolving relationships.
helensbookshelf's review
3.0
I was hoping for this to be a little bit more than it was. The first book I enjoyed but I thought it was a little too overly complicated with too much explaining. I wanted this one to pick up the pace and have a more impressive story-line but I found it a little dull.
The characters and the action seemed re-hashed from the first book with nothing new and no villain that I could really point out. The mystery of who was committing the murders was poorly explained and kind of got forgotten about in all Addie's angst.
After the ending of the first book I was expecting more of a redemption ark too, but it seems that Addie tried to heal a few burn victims and that was it, all is forgiven. Though I'm not sure why James is angry with her, I would have thought that Rowan would take more convincing to move past what Addie did before her memory loss. And it was also disappointing that Era was never told, they treat this poor 23-year-old woman like she is 10!
There was a lot I liked in this too, Addie rebuilding her lab and working with a lich was quite fun and the initial murder investigation was interesting but I think it lost its way towards the second half. It needed more alchemy, more murder story and more Addie and Rowan!
Despite this I'm still invested in the series, Addie is a likeable enough character to keep me readying. Hopefully the next one will be the one where it picks up a bit.
The characters and the action seemed re-hashed from the first book with nothing new and no villain that I could really point out. The mystery of who was committing the murders was poorly explained and kind of got forgotten about in all Addie's angst.
After the ending of the first book I was expecting more of a redemption ark too, but it seems that Addie tried to heal a few burn victims and that was it, all is forgiven. Though I'm not sure why James is angry with her, I would have thought that Rowan would take more convincing to move past what Addie did before her memory loss. And it was also disappointing that Era was never told, they treat this poor 23-year-old woman like she is 10!
There was a lot I liked in this too, Addie rebuilding her lab and working with a lich was quite fun and the initial murder investigation was interesting but I think it lost its way towards the second half. It needed more alchemy, more murder story and more Addie and Rowan!
Despite this I'm still invested in the series, Addie is a likeable enough character to keep me readying. Hopefully the next one will be the one where it picks up a bit.
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