Review: The Alchemists of Loom

Author Elise Kova

Format e-ARC

Print Length 380 pages

Publisher Keymaster Press

Published January 10, 2017

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 Opinion

Years ago dragons came down to the Loom and took over. They decided who lived and who died, they organized the people based on areas and those born into those areas had to pass a set of test. To fail the test meant certain death. The Alchemist of Loom begins with a heist, performed beautifully by the White Wraith. The White Wraith’s identity is known by two, and they aren’t telling anyone else. During the heist the thief discovers a dragon who makes a deal take him to the Alchemists and he will grant the White Wraith something. It was too good of a deal to pass up. Only later does the thief find out what the dragon is being hunted by the dragon king.

Ari is the White Wraith, born of a time before the dragons. She remembers the world the way it was, the way it should be. This causes a lot of animosity between her and the dragon Cvareh. Ari keeps her distance from others, except for maybe Florence, her apprentice. She is mathematical, precise and tries to keep emotional entanglements to a minimum. She has been hurt in the past and there was never much closer.

Cvareh is the brother of the ruler the Dragon house of Xin. He should not have been able to take something of the kings from Nova. He should not have been able to escape the Riders, the dragon king’s assassins. Yet, he did and as luck would have it he found the White Wraith. Who is not what he or the rest of the world expected. Cvareh is open-minded, willing to sacrifice himself for the better good and for the most part even tempered. (Although he does have his moments.)

A romance may be a brewing although one can never been too sure. Ari and Cvareh spend a lot of the book learning to trust each other. A task at times that is extremely difficult. The secrets that they keep hurt their growing trust instead of helping it.

The Alchemists of Loom is an adrenaline inducing adventure filled rollercoaster ride from start to finish. Both Ari and Cvareh are heroes that you can rally behind. Florence ends up being the glue that holds them together.

My Rating 4 out of 5 stars

Favorite Quote “And because I want to know why I can’t seem to stop thinking about you at every turn.”

Other People

Florence- Ari’s apprentice

Leona- Commander of the Riders

Petra- Cvareh’s sister

Yveun Dono- Dragon King

Sophie-Vicar, unsure of her