Friday 16 May 2014

Alchemystic - Book Review


Alchemystic (The Spellmason Chronicles #1)
by Anton Strout


What is it about:
AN OLD FRIEND OF THE FAMILY…
Alexandra Belarus is a struggling artist living in New York City, even though her family is rich in real estate, including a towering Gothic Gramercy Park building built by her great-great-grandfather. But the truth of her bloodline is revealed when she is attacked on the street and saved by an inhumanly powerful winged figure. A figure who knows the Belarus name…

Lexi’s great-great-grandfather was a Spellmason—an artisan who could work magic on stone. But in his day, dark forces conspired against him and his, so he left a spell of protection on his family. Now that Lexi is in danger, the spell has awoken her ancestor’s most trusted and fearsome creation: a gargoyle named Stanis.

Lexi and Stanis are equally surprised to find themselves bound to each other. But as they learn to work together, they realize that only united can they save the city they both love…


What did I think of it:
I tried to read this book back in 2012 and wasn't able to finish it. I just really, really disliked Lexi and her friends. A comment by Strout (which showed humor) on my DNF review however, decided to not immediately banish the book to my attic, but to give it a second try eventually.

So I finally picked this book up last month, and this time I read it all the way through.

It is a nice read.

I will confess I still really, really disliked Lexi and her friends. Lexi especially is bratty and obnoxious, and the way she treats her friends and Stanis is often horrible.

But this time I decided to try to keep my calm and read on, even though the urge to punch Lexi was overwhelming at times.

And I discovered that I really liked the story. At my first try to read this book, I was very intrigued by Stanis, and curious to find out more about him. This time was no different. I found myself drawn into the story and rooting for Stanis. I kept getting annoyed by Lexi and her two friends (who all acted like a bunch of loons, instead of their age) but not enough to toss the book again.

At the end of the book I even got the feeling Lexi and her friends might be learning, although maybe I just got used to their obnoxiousness. I will have to say I'm even tempted to try the next book in this series, something I would never have thought would ever happen back in 2012.

Why should you read it:
It's a nice Urban Fantasy read.


buy the book from The Book Depository, free delivery

4 comments:

B.E. Sanderson said...

I love Anton, but yeah, I couldn't finish that one either. I really wanted it to be like his Simon Cadaverous series, though, and it wasn't. So maybe that was my problem.

Melliane said...

wow you"re better than me, when it's not ok once I don't try more... But I'm glad it was better this time.

Aurian said...

I am glad you tried again and now enjoyed it enough. I had that problem with Dark Prince by Christine Feehan the first time I tried. The second time, I fell in love with the book, the series, and am glad I still read all her books.

miki said...

Sometimes we are not in a mood for a book at a time and it works better at another, i'm glad you enjoyed the story even if a character was irritating^^ i had this book on my radar too so it won't be a priority but i won't delete it from it either^^