The Iron Witch (The Iron Witch Series) (edition 2011)

This was on my TBR list, but Abigail's review makes me think it can wait a bit.

Blech. Teen angst to the max. ( )

Blech. Teen angst to the max. ( )

Blech. Teen angst to the max. ( )

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: A half-fey bad boy and a low self esteem alchemist girl use her “enhancements” to rescue her best friend from Faery.

Opening Sentence: It all started with the party.

The Review:

Seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood has been labeled a freak by herself and her peers. The things that make her different aren’t that she is part of a secret society of alchemists (though that can’t help her social standings), or that she is home schooled; it is because of her “enhancements” made in the form of intricate silver and iron scroll work tattoos along both her hands and forearms. These tattoos are the result of a terrible accident that cost Donna both of her parents when she was just a little girl. They have made her more than human, and it is hard enough to be accepted when you are just a normal teenager. So when one of her only friends, her very best friend, is kidnapped and taken into Faery, Donna will stop at nothing to get him back. But what is she really willing to sacrifice to get Navin? Could she truly give an ancient and rare item of unimaginable power away to insure his release? What would be the consequences of such actions upon both the human and Fey worlds?

Donna Underwood and the Alchemist Society. I hate to say it, but that sounds too close to an 80’s hair band name. Barring that, Donna and the alchemists are an interesting addition to this storyline. Her background is exposed to us, as the reader, at the same time she is explaining it to her best friend, Navin. Alchemists are humans that stand between us and the Fey. Their ultimate goal is transmutation: to seek a way to bestow immortality through the elixir of life. Though there is lots of information to digest, Donna delivers just enough for us to get a feel of things without getting bogged down with details. Donna doesn’t seem all that excited about alchemy in general, so our information seems skewed against it. I am not sure if this is on purpose, or if it is just in the delivery. I can relate to going against authority figure expectations (like joining a secret society that your parents were a part of) in Donna’s defense, but I think that there is still more to uncover. I get the feeling that this expectation-versus-personal-individualism will come up more in future books.

Donna’s character over reacts to things like anyone her age would even with these strange events. Youth is allowed the freedom that age and experience can no longer provide; with intensity and a sense of urgency that gets lost with familiarity. Everything is new and there is no real past experience to draw a calm and thoughtful reaction from. This is both a blessing and a curse, especially in Donna’s case. Because she chose to investigate and solve her problems on her own, she is forced to deal with the consequences alone as well. Had she sought guidance from someone older and wiser, like her Aunt, the outcome could have been much different. I understand her reasoning for going at it alone, but I suppose that is the privilege of hindsight along with separation of events that we as readers enjoy.

It is obvious that Donna has led a secluded life. The fact that she is willing to risk so much for a single friend should attest to that. The loss of her parents has tempered Donna’s ability to trust and accept others into her life, alchemist secrets or not. Her self-depreciating manner doesn’t help her confidence out either. The fact that she found another person to relate to is remarkable, and it is nothing short of a miracle that she learns to trust him as well. Alexander “Xan” Grayson has a bad boy reputation and the good looks to pull it off. Their relationship may seem like opposites attract at first, but I think it has much more to do with similar backgrounds. The fact that they are both privy to the knowledge of “other” gives them more than enough reason to bond. I like that their “relationship” is slow in its infancy. This is a YA novel after all, and there is no reason for rushing things along like we would see in other genres. It’s a little refreshing to read, to be honest. I am not sure if there will be some sort of love triangle between Donna, Xan, and Navin but I hope not. Teenage love triangles are starting to become a cliché.

Overall, not a bad YA book. It’s pacing was good as was its climax. There was nothing that really stood out, except the background story on her tattoos and alchemy heritage. I hope that the next book in this series expands on this new and unique take in the world of magic and fantasy.

Notable Scene:

“We have to get out of here, Now.”

Glancing once more at the door, he joined her at the window and began to unlatch the shutters, swinging them back against the outside wall of the house.

“You first,” she said.

“Don’t be stupid-“ Donna pushed him. Hard. “No time to argue. You. First.” She enunciated each word and glared at him. There was no way she would let someone she cared about get hurt because of her-not ever again.

Then the sound of banging started, from behind the grandfather clock.

The Iron Witch Series:

0.5 The Lost Boy

1. The Iron Witch

2. The Wood Queen

3. The Stone Demon (April 8, 2013)

FTC Advisory: Flux graciously provided me with a copy of The Iron Witch. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. The only payment received came in the form of hugs and kisses from my little boys. ( )

Donna hides her arms under gloves to hide the iron and silver tattoos that gave her back the use of those arms after a faerie creature damaged them when she was young. The same incident where her father died. Her mother is suffering from a mysterious ailment that resembles a mental illness and she lives with her aunt.

Her best friend is Navin who brings her to a party which leads to her meeting with Xan, who it turns out is part-fey.

When faerie kidnap Navin, it's up to her to save him. What she does will have large implications in her life. ( )

I found this in the fiction section, but it most certainly belongs in YA. Especially with the pretty obvious love triangle the Mahoney lays out, this is some pretty cliched paranormal lit, with angsty teenager included. It read like half of the other teen lit supernatural stuff out there, i thought she would have incorporated more of the intriguing science aspects of alchemy, but nope. Finishing the book with a sigh of disappointment from the lazy copy and paste style the author seemed to take. I read the book before reading some pretty negative reviews, but all the same I'm still left not giving a shit about what happens to any of these characters. The angsty teen girl, the misunderstood pretty boy, the nerdy loyal boy next door, and the magical world that seems to be out to get them, but which side should they choose? (i.e. which boy should she choose) lol ( )

Eh. Very short. Nothing extremely good. ( )

This book was a fast read, and it was good but not great. I found the alchemy angle on magic kind of interesting. It is different to have magic that is crafted rather than learned or from an innate power. The plot had some good high points, but the pacing seemed really off and it could jump from very slow to very fast and full of tension without any ramp up which left me kind of distracted and alienated from what was going on.Donna is a well-crafted character, and I really felt for her when she felt alienated from her peers and had only Navin for a friend. Navin was a little two-dimensional to me, though, and Xan barely registered. The love between Donna and Xan didn’t really spark for me either. Xan seemed way too invested in Donna and got nothing really in return. I don’t like it when romances in books cause a character to make huge gestures of undying love that just can’t be present in such a short time. Perhaps that is because Xan was barely present in the book, and as they grow in subsequent books perhaps it will become more convincing. I at least hope that there doesn’t end up to be a Navin-Donna-Xan love triangle, but it doesn’t seem like Mahoney is setting that up. I will pick up the next book in this series and hope for the best.

How would I describe this story in one word? Underdeveloped. It had so much potential that went unrealized. I was rather intrigued by the premise (a girl whose arms have been adorned in iron tattoos as a result of powerful alchemy that saved her life. I mean, sounds kick-ass, right?), but overall the reading experience left me with a very underwhelmed feeling. Although it was well-written, it lacked a degree of freshness and new ideas that made it hard to engage in the story. I had a hard time immersing myself in the story from the very start. I really, really wanted to like it. I had been looking forward to reading this book for quite a while (and the author seems like such a sweetheart!), but unfortunately it just wasn't my cup of tea. I think this book will be better received by readers that are hardcore fans of the genre.

The characters were hard for me to connect with. Donna, the protagonist, has only one friend (who happens to be in love with her), she is viewed as an outcast and a freak, and she has appallingly low self-esteem. I read an entire book about her, and I still don't really know anything about her personality beyond those simple clichés. Xan, her love interest, is handsome, mysterious, aloof, and inexplicably interested in Donna. I liked him, for the most part (so sue me! I don't care how overdone the mysterious, aloof hot guy is, I swoon everytime). I'm interested in learning more about him, at least. I would have liked to see his backstory a little more developed. Nav, Donna's best and only friend, is loyal and likable enough. I never got too invested in him, though. Between the three of them there is, you guessed it, a love triangle! Unlike a lot of readers, I don't mind a good love triangle. As long as it's well-written and relevant to the plot (not just tossed in pointlessly in order to incite readers to pick "teams" or what have you), I'm fine with it. This one felt a little weak to me, and the end result appears to be pretty obvious. Maybe that's because I don't feel strongly for any of the characters involved. I suppose that's the crux of the matter: I just didn't care. I didn't feel any passion for these characters or their stories.

That being said, I am still planning on reading the next book. I have read some of Mahoney's work previously (in Kiss Me Deadly and The Eternal Kiss) and really loved it. I won't rush out to buy the sequel like I did with this one, but I do want to read it at some point in the future. I really feel that if Mahoney had spent a little more time developing her characters and setting and delving into the alchemy aspect of the novel (which was barely touched upon, but supposed to be a major component of the story), this book could have been a great read. I'm very interested in the mythology and the alchemy, and I hope to find out more about them in the second book. The idea is there, it just needs to be fleshed out a little bit more.

CONCLUSION:

A fast, easy read with an interesting premise, lacking in overall development, but still worth a look if you're a fan of the genre. ( )

To read my review:http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/2011/02/22/the-iron-witch-by-karen-mahoney/ ( )

Donna Underwood is a teenager unlike any other. She’s part of a family and group of alchemists, tasked with protecting our world from the dark elves (or wood elves, as they’re often referred to) and guarding the mysterious Elixir of Life. When Donna was younger, she lost both her parents to the wood elves (her father was killed protecting her, and her mother went insane). She was also so badly wounded that a man simply called “Maker” wove iron under her skin in elaborates designs. The purpose of the iron is three-fold- first, it saved her arms from the severe burns she sustained during the battle. Second, it protect her from the elves more or less, as elves hate iron. Third, it enhances her natural gifts, making her stronger than a normal teenager. In a very short span of time, Donna discovers that the wood elves are back, has to explain her secret to her lifelong friend and then has to save that friend from a terrible fate, and meets a mysterious boy with a few secrets of his own. I really wanted to love this book. but the story moved entirely too fast for me to forge a real connection with the characters. But at the same time, it kind of felt like nothing major happened. One minute she’s spilling her guts to her best friend, and the next she’s entering a strange world to save him. It was fairly anticlimatic when all was said and done. The idea is original, the combination of alchemy and elves is something you don’t see every day, but I feel like it was never fully realized or fleshed out. Maybe the second book will tie it all together better and expand a bit more on the story. I’ll probably get it, mostly because I hate leaving a series once I start it, but overall, I really just didn’t feel a connection to this one. ( )

Before reading this book I hadn't come across a book based around faeries that I particularly enjoyed. I wasn't a fan of Wicked Lovely so I was a little apprehensive when it came to reading this.

It definitely didn't disappoint me though, when it came down to it, it was a great read with really great characters and the story line was more than interesting.

I would have liked a little more complexity throughout the story because it became a little bit predictable but no less enjoyable.

Overall though I do recommend this read and I have a feeling it will get even better with book 2 in the series! ( )

A good start to a promising Young Adult fantasy series. Donna is a unique teenager being raised by an ancient order of alchemists and scarred from an elvish attack that killed her father when she was a child. When her close friend is kidnapped by the wood elves, Donna must join forces with a half-fey Xan in order to rescue him while also struggling to understand the values she was raised to believed in. The author has created an interesting and fantastical world in The Iron Witch and I hope to continue this series soon. ( )

Ok, I know it's superficial and whatnot, but this cover is absolutely stunning. Breathtakingly stunning. The golden swirls around what appears to be a terrified girl clutching a... well, it's something gorgeous, whatever it is. Not to mention, the special Waterstones version of this book has gold paper edges. Fierce.

Unfortunately, the book itself is not so fierce.

Let's start off with the good stuff. The beginning of the book is absolutely swoon-worthy. The world and its characters are dark, mysterious, and gothic - rather like its cover. It was like Florence and the Machine put into words. We meet Donna and her (male) BFF heading to a party where she is far from welcome. (Why said BFF would drag her to along to such an event is but one of the plot holes that will become evident soon enough.) There, Donna meets the swoon-worthy Xan, and there's a spark - literally, a spark - between them. It's not insta-romance, but it is insta-connection. But I felt it through the pages, so I was not complaining.

But after that fabulous opening scene, the book starts to show its rather unfortunate flaws. There are absolutely no explanations for anything in this book. For example, the alchemists are seeking out eternal life at any cost. Donna knows this. Donna was taught this. It's basically the bedrock of their alchemist community. And yet, that never bothered her?

Then there are the wood elves - cast as the ultimate creepy villians. And yet, we never find out why they are evil. Why did they kill Donna's parents? What is supposed to be motivating them? And if they're so bad, why is half-fey Xan such a sweetheart? And speaking of sweethearts, was there supposed to be some sort of romantic triangle going on here? Because, if so, I missed that altogether. This is just basic plot stuff that The Iron Witch just doesn't have.

Bottom line? If this book had been about 10x longer - giving the characters, universe, and relationships the fleshing out they deserved - it would have been fantastic. This book is getting 3 stars for its potential, not for its content. Alas.

http://deadbookdarling.blogspot.com/2011/04/review-iron-witch-by-karen-mahoney.h... ( )

I totally love magical stories. You know the ones where you are fighting fairies, running through a forest and searching for your prince charming? I loved this book. I loved the storyline. If anything, it made me feel like I was child again, reading such a magical story that it comes to life right before my eyes.

One thing I enjoyed about this book was the storyline. It was filled with lots of heart breaking pasts, a frightful future, and a friendship worth fighting for. The plot not only took you in, but continued to build up so much so that it left you flipping the pages faster and faster. I also adored the great paranormal twist to the book. It has alchemist in it. It not seen very much in books, but I am glad that in this book it s described well.

The characters, I enjoyed reading. Donna and Navin had a great friendship. I love that their friendship was real. They had something that was built over time and not even elves can ruin that. The love interest I adored. I like that Zan was there for Donna and help her through everything. It was delight to see such a fresh love grow before your eyes.

The Iron Witch was an delightful read. Filled with non-stop action of the fey, alchemy and a great fights, this is one book that kept me entertain. I look forward to reading the next book! ( )

Is it considered poor review etiquette to say in the opening statement that I loved this book? If it is, I don't care. I LOVED THIS BOOK! Karen Mahoney created a world that I absolutely wanted to check into. The Iron Witch was a one-sit-read for me. Nothing could make me put it down.

Donna is an amazing character. The story behind what branded her as a freak to her schoolmates is part of what made me like her. She endured a terrible attack by the same fey who killed her father, and took away her mother's ability to raise her. Add to that being so severely injured that only magical iron tattoos embedded into her skin could save her life, thus causing Donna to wear long gloves in order to hide them and bring on scorn from her peers, and you've got the makings for a scared, weak lead character, right? Wrong.

Donna dealt with all of this with a quiet grace and the help of Navin, a sweet guy friend from childhood. Of course, she had her moments of weakness, and those usually led to her being labeled more of a freak.
The relationship between Donna and Navin was really sweet. Every person should have a friendship like theirs. Even though Donna had to hide quite a bit of her life from him, Navin forgave her and tried to help her when things got crazy. While I did like Navin, he wasn't quite swoon worthy...

Enter Xan. Mysterious rich kid who Donna meets on the roof of his house. This guy had some serious swagger. Wore sunglasses at night, gave a sarcastic reply to every comment sent his way and had parties that he didn't actually attend because he was bored. Considering all that, Donna knew what was going on. She knew that underneath all that arrogance was someone touched by something that made them put up a front. When their relationships grows and they share secrets, I admit that I choked up a little. What the fey did to Xan was horrible.

When the danger and action kicked in, Donna stopped at nothing to save her friends. She began to see that not everyone she thought was on her side really was; that their intentions were not always innocent and good. Xan really stepped up to the plate for me when he aided Donna in her mission even though it meant facing the very fey who stole from and tortured him. Sure, there may have been a chance he could get something out of their triumph over the Wood Queen, but that wasn't really his motivation. He cared for Donna, and what was important to her, was important to him.

Karen Mahoney definitely made an impression on me in The Iron Witch that will keep me wanting more. Her writing was fluid and effortless, and I am greatly anticipating the release of The Wood Queen, slated for publication in February 2012.

All of my reviews can be found at my website, www.violethourbr.com

THE IRON WITCH, by Karen Mahoney, is an intriging fantasy read. I was immediately drawn to the cover (gorgeous!) and the story about a girl who was orpahaned by the Fey.

I enjoyed getting to know Donna and all about her past. I loved the uniquness of her hands and her abilities that came along with them. But I am so torn about this book. There were aspects of it that I loved but at the end of it I had to put it in my 'just liked' stack.

Let me try to explain. I love faerie books. This one had a different folklore to it that I found really fantastic. The intertwining of science and alchemy into the lore was unique and kept me rivited. The relationship between Donna and Xan was really great. They both had some horrible things happen to them in the past and were able to connect on a deeper level because of it. But there were some parts that felt a bit weak and really brought down the calibre for me. Mahoney had my heart pumping at climactic moments but I felt they peaked too soon. The whole book built up to one moment and I felt it was over in a flash. I wish there could have been more to beef up the scenes.

I did enjoy reading the 'Behind the Scenes' section at the end of the book. I think more authors should do this. It gave insight to how Mahoney developed the idea for the story and her thought process while writing. Overall, I did like this book. It fell a little short on my expectations but it was an awesome and unique idea for fey lore. I truly am excited to read the rest of the series to see more of Donna's journey. ( )

I loved this book. I was engrossed from the moment I opened the book. I read this book in one night, I couldn't put it down. I loved how Donna met Zan and how they connected on the roof. I loved the vulnerability of Donna and the straight she gained with Zan. There were some definite questions left unanswered, which I hope are answered in the next book, which unfortunately we have to wait until next year. ( )

I'm so sad I can't give this one a higher rating, but there's nothing really original in The Iron Witch for me to do so. Sure the heroine has those iron tattoos in her hands and arms, but it's as if nothing happens in this story, even concerning the cool tattoos. Donna basically hangs around with her best friend Navin until she meets Xan, and starts hanging around with him too; finally Navin is kidnapped by the fey, and Donna has to steal something to save him. The end. *sigh* I so hate to give a book a 1 star rating. :(

*PT*Cuidado com o Dálmata - The Iron Witch ( )

Rating: 2.5 Stars
Genre: YA Paranormal

Next books in the Iron Witch Series: The Wood Queen (2012) and The Stone Demon (2013)

The Iron Witch, by Karen Mahoney, is the first book in the Iron Witch series featuring Donna Underwood. Donna has iron tattoos branded into her hands and arms after being attacked by a Fey Hellhound known as a Skriker when she was 7 years old. Her father Patrick was killed in said attack, while her mother’s soul went missing from her body, presumably after the Wood Queen stole a piece of her hair, and she remains is a semi vegetable state bare able to discern who is who.

The story is told in the third person point of view, with a peak into Donna’s diary mixed in as we trudge along through her journey.

Donna, the child of alchemists, is expected to follow in their footsteps even though she has no desire to do so. Female Alchemists are called Moon Sisters. Her best friend is Navin Sharma, a boy who lives next door with his father and sister. He is normal, and still goes to the same school, Ironbridge HS, that she was forced to leave after punching her fist into her own locker after being called a freak by the usual annoying mouthpieces. She is now home schooled by the Order of the Dragon. Narvin forces her into going to a party where she meets the mysterious bad boy of the story.

Donna’s arms were remade by an Alchemist known as the Maker. They are infused not only with magic, but with iron as well. Donna has been living with her Aunt Paige Underwood, also a member of the Order, ever since the attack on her parents and her rehabilitation was completed.

Donna later meets 19 year old Alexander Grayson or Xan as he likes to be called. Xan is half human and half fey who once had wings that were torn from his back after being kidnapped by the wood elves. Xan still remembers how to enter the realm of the elves and ends up having to lead Donna there in order to save Navin from the wood elves who took him.

There is absolutely nothing new that you haven’t already read a dozen or more times in the YA genre. The girl goes through a traumatic event in her life that forces her to live with another adult relative. Girl gets treated badly in school, and called a freak, then goes all Karate Chop on her locker which causes her to leave school for the safety of others. Girl is friends with a so called normal, who wanders into a secret world that he knew nothing about and gets himself kidnapped in the process. Girl is then forced to tell him her secret so that he doesn’t blab his mouth all over the place, and break their friendship. Girl then meets handsome, charming, and wealthy boy who has his own place and has a secret of his own. Girl falls hard for boy who spills his secrets to her, and she in turn does the same for him. Girl then ends up rescuing friend from the evil beings who kidnap him in order to force girl into giving up something in return. Girl kills the being responsible for killing her father, but ends up in hot water because she broke the rules of the Order while saving boy and mentor from the Wood Queen.

Then there is the fact that Wood elves kidnapped Donna, who was 7 years old at the time, from a so called warded home where she was sleeping with her family. But, the how or why is never explained in this book. Even the Wood Queen asks Donna if she truly knows the truth about what really happened to her and why they call her the Iron Witch. Can we hope that it’s explained in better detailed next time around?

Yet another complaint of mine is when an Author who is not from this country, tries to actually make us believe that an American Teenager from New England, would be caught dead drinking tea in the middle of the afternoon. I would love to have that explained to me, but will instead, comfort myself in knowing that I'm literally taking this story way too seriously.

In the end, Girl finds out that her so called Order is doing experiments that are downright nasty; she then steals a vial of their elixir that gives immortality to the person who drinks it in order to rescue the boy and mentor. Girl gets into trouble with the Order and is grounded while awaiting trial for her actions in breaking into mad scientist’s lab.

End, Finis, nothing more. ( )

You know, with all of the paranormal-related YA floating around out there as of late, I’ve found that the alchemists have gotten the shaft in terms of equal representation within the genre. But with the release of “The Iron Witch” series, all of that is about to change – and for the better.

My only huge complaint with this book was that it was far too short (hence the lack of the extra star). I found myself jonesing for more tales of Donna, Xav, and the Order of the Dragon (and the Wood Queen, of course, too). The next book isn’t coming out until next year, and I don’t know if I can wait that long, quite frankly, for more of this fabulous story. It’s going to be rough.

I’d never heard of the “handless maiden” legend/trope before this, so I really appreciated Mahoney’s explanation at the end of the book about the source material that inspired “The Iron Witch”. To be honest, I wish more authors would do that when dealing with (possibly) esoteric legends for source material for their books. It makes it all the more accessable to a modern audience, and Mahoney has done this wonderfully.

Otherwise, I’m so glad someone has remembered the alchemists, and mixing it with the world of the fey was just the right combination for a refreshing bite of a read. If you need a break from the real world, try out “The Iron Witch”. You’ll find just the right amount of romance along with the mystery of a hidden past a cool sip of water in a dusty real world. One of my picks for 2011, for sure.

(crossposted to goodreads, shelfari, and witchoftheatregoing.wordpress.com) ( )

http://cloverhillbookreviews.blogspot.com/2011/03/iron-witch-by-karen-mahoney.ht... ( )

Donna Underwood is a student of the Alchemists. She can't help it, it's her family. When she was 7 years old, she was being attacked by wood elves and her Dad died trying to save her. Shortly after that, her Mom got sick and no one knows why or with what. It seems to be mostly mental. Now Donna lives with her Aunt and is home-schooled. She tried public school, but one argument and a ruined locker later...here she is...at home.

See, when Donna was attacked by the wood elves, there was terrible damage done to her arms. But the Maker was able to fix it, using iron and silver. Now she wears long gloves all the time, has to remember to control her strength and feels cold - a lot.

Donna has a best friend, Navin, who knows nothing of what she really is. But he loves her and has stuck by her even when she got kicked out of school. Then Donna meets a boy that, like her, has questions, scars and no parents. Xan, it turns out, is part fae. His wings were ripped off when he was stolen by the wood elves. Together they try to solve some of the mysteries surrounding Donna's life and the Order of the Dragon.

While I like Donna ok, she didn't make me want to cheer her on. Neither did Xan and I'm usually a big fan of the fae. However, Navin made me want to find out more about him. Too bad he's not really a main character. I hope that in the second book we find out more of Donna and Xan's background stories so that I can feel like I 'know' them more. I'll admit it...the cover drew me in! The writing was fair, but I never felt drawn in...which is what says "great story" to me. ( )

I think I need to start by saying how truly disappointed I am with this book. Considering all the hype surrounding its release and how much everyone, myself included, was looking forward to it---it was very much a letdown. While I’ll admit there isn’t anything exactly wrong with it, there isn’t exactly anything about it that stands out.
I felt like the storyline, characters, were all ones I’d seen a dozen times before and there was nothing that was overly unique or that outright captured me. The idea of alchemists is cool, and yet I feel like the author didn’t really do anything with it.
While there was nothing outright wrong with Donna, I felt she was like the typical heroine you see nowadays and I felt like the story was boring most of the time--it was too focused on her trying to rescue Navin and her new relationship with Xan, and even both those things were neither interesting or exactly captivating.
I would have liked more info on the alchemists and things involving them.

All in all a big disappointment and I really doubt I’ll continue on with the series. ( )