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Prophecy Breakers #1
Alchemy
"Do you want me to be dangerous?" he asked, his voice husky and low.
I gulped, and for a moment I was incapable of speech. But he was quiet, waiting. "No. I don't."
"Then I'm not dangerous at all," he murmured. His gaze moved from my eyes to my mouth. "You've never been safer than you are at this moment." I shivered as his breath tickled my skin. Our lips were mere millimeters apart when the sky shattered in a kaleidoscope of colored light.
We didn’t know how much we had to lose until we were infected with magic. Sam was in love, Juliette was the main caretaker for her siblings, and Ana and her dad planned the best parties in New York. But we lost it all when we were shipped to Chebeague, an exclusive school for newly infected mages.
Everyone knows about the mages, those who survive the infection and end up with magical abilities. We’ve seen the power of magic, the high-paying jobs, and the world fame. But we never saw the cost. We didn’t know we’d be forced to give up everything: sanity, family, even the right to talk on the phone.
We didn’t know mage was just another word for prisoner.
I gulped, and for a moment I was incapable of speech. But he was quiet, waiting. "No. I don't."
"Then I'm not dangerous at all," he murmured. His gaze moved from my eyes to my mouth. "You've never been safer than you are at this moment." I shivered as his breath tickled my skin. Our lips were mere millimeters apart when the sky shattered in a kaleidoscope of colored light.
We didn’t know how much we had to lose until we were infected with magic. Sam was in love, Juliette was the main caretaker for her siblings, and Ana and her dad planned the best parties in New York. But we lost it all when we were shipped to Chebeague, an exclusive school for newly infected mages.
Everyone knows about the mages, those who survive the infection and end up with magical abilities. We’ve seen the power of magic, the high-paying jobs, and the world fame. But we never saw the cost. We didn’t know we’d be forced to give up everything: sanity, family, even the right to talk on the phone.
We didn’t know mage was just another word for prisoner.
427 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 11, 2013
7 people are currently reading
411 people want to read
About the author
Sheena Boekweg
9Ìýbooks113ÌýfollowersSheena Boekweg grew up reading books with tree branches peeking over her shoulder. Her novels Glitch Kingdom and A Sisterhood of Secret Ambitions, both with Feiwel and Friends/Macmillan, feature fat positive girls with ambitions, love stories, and sometimes battle axes. She's a contributor to Every Body Shines, a fat-positive anthology publishing May 2021 with Bloomsbury, and is an alumni of the 2015 Pitch Wars Program and was a Pitch Wars mentor in 2017, 2018, and currently in 2020. Sheena believes that beauty is intrinsic and worth is unquestionable, and thinks you can't solve all problems with food, but it will always help.
She is well loved by a tall man with a great beard, her three kids, and the world's most spoiled puppy. Visit her online at boekwegbooks.com, or follow her on Twitter and Instagram @SheenaBoekweg. She's represented by Jessica Sinsheimer at Context Literary.
She is well loved by a tall man with a great beard, her three kids, and the world's most spoiled puppy. Visit her online at boekwegbooks.com, or follow her on Twitter and Instagram @SheenaBoekweg. She's represented by Jessica Sinsheimer at Context Literary.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 20, 2013
WOW! I loved every minute of this book, and I'm not just saying that because I was able to read a free demo copy (or whatever the technical term for that is). I was through it in two days, which included two very late nights. Now I can't wait for the next book!!
Believable, yet complicated, characters made this book a joy to read. Not one voice lacked in any way. In fact, switching between voices helped to heighten the suspense at times (although Juliette is my personal favorite).
Alchemy has the right amount of suspense, humor, and downright impudence that I just couldn't put it down. The sweet, yet, tangled up relationships were just an added bonus.
Now, I need to purchase a copy of this while eagerly anticipating Prophecy Breakers: Book 2!
Believable, yet complicated, characters made this book a joy to read. Not one voice lacked in any way. In fact, switching between voices helped to heighten the suspense at times (although Juliette is my personal favorite).
Alchemy has the right amount of suspense, humor, and downright impudence that I just couldn't put it down. The sweet, yet, tangled up relationships were just an added bonus.
Now, I need to purchase a copy of this while eagerly anticipating Prophecy Breakers: Book 2!
October 31, 2014
First of all, I loved this book. I loved the three distinct, but well matched, voices of Sam, Juliette and Ana. I loved the idea, the story and the pacing. I loved the way this book made me LAUGH out loud, feel angry and go a bt mushy at times.
(I REALLY feel that the blurb doesn't do it justice, even a little bit. It's a nice passage, sure, but it doesn't feel suitable as an example of the story. At all.)
The humour of this book is remarkable and I have highlighted and bookmarked SO many spots in my Kindle - and I even made my husband laugh by reading some out loud.
There were a few minor mistakes, like when than/then had been mixed up - and one spot where people "poured over" (as opposed to pored over) their books, which I found strange and wasteful, unless they were making papier-mâché bowls or something...? ;)
All in all it felt well edited and well written.
The balance between outsider and fitting in was nicely showcased throughout the book.
Sam is a fantastic character. He is a player and a hopeless flirt, but he has a backstory that makes me root for him no matter what - and the way he mans up to his issues is just fantastic. Even if he has a bit of a problem keeping his shirt on and I would maybe have preferred a little less "ab-flexing moments". (And oh my heck, I laughed so hard at his report on the several miserably failed attempts at using magic as a means to romance... So wonderfully silly!)
Juliette is my other favourite. She's funny, strong, fiercely loyal and very clever. It's very easy to relate to Juliette, even if her problems are far from my world. I also have a slight crush on her taste in music. It's a very nice touch that makes her all the more of a full person, instead of a cartoony character.
...but sadly - I must admit that I found Ana rather bland and tedious. I found her less engaging, less of a person and more of a "any teenage chick-girl". The fact that she just kind of assimilated even while being given the hugest of obstacles just felt a bit off.
Seb was fantastic in the beginning (and I crushed SO much on Sam in the scene where he first meets Seb and makes him laugh. �), but felt less real towards the end and I would have liked a bit more flesh to the story about James and what happened to him.
I also didn't love the ending, as it felt rushed and finished too quickly without real explanations to what was happening.
I am definitely looking forward to the next book!
This one, I got for free and read on Kindle, but I am DEFINITELY prepared to pay for the next one. In fact, if they stay still good, I'll probably buy the whole series in paperback form.
All in all: WELL DONE, ladies! I applaud you and hope to read more from you soon. :)
(I REALLY feel that the blurb doesn't do it justice, even a little bit. It's a nice passage, sure, but it doesn't feel suitable as an example of the story. At all.)
The humour of this book is remarkable and I have highlighted and bookmarked SO many spots in my Kindle - and I even made my husband laugh by reading some out loud.
There were a few minor mistakes, like when than/then had been mixed up - and one spot where people "poured over" (as opposed to pored over) their books, which I found strange and wasteful, unless they were making papier-mâché bowls or something...? ;)
All in all it felt well edited and well written.
The balance between outsider and fitting in was nicely showcased throughout the book.
Sam is a fantastic character. He is a player and a hopeless flirt, but he has a backstory that makes me root for him no matter what - and the way he mans up to his issues is just fantastic. Even if he has a bit of a problem keeping his shirt on and I would maybe have preferred a little less "ab-flexing moments". (And oh my heck, I laughed so hard at his report on the several miserably failed attempts at using magic as a means to romance... So wonderfully silly!)
Juliette is my other favourite. She's funny, strong, fiercely loyal and very clever. It's very easy to relate to Juliette, even if her problems are far from my world. I also have a slight crush on her taste in music. It's a very nice touch that makes her all the more of a full person, instead of a cartoony character.
...but sadly - I must admit that I found Ana rather bland and tedious. I found her less engaging, less of a person and more of a "any teenage chick-girl". The fact that she just kind of assimilated even while being given the hugest of obstacles just felt a bit off.
Seb was fantastic in the beginning (and I crushed SO much on Sam in the scene where he first meets Seb and makes him laugh. �), but felt less real towards the end and I would have liked a bit more flesh to the story about James and what happened to him.
I also didn't love the ending, as it felt rushed and finished too quickly without real explanations to what was happening.
I am definitely looking forward to the next book!
This one, I got for free and read on Kindle, but I am DEFINITELY prepared to pay for the next one. In fact, if they stay still good, I'll probably buy the whole series in paperback form.
All in all: WELL DONE, ladies! I applaud you and hope to read more from you soon. :)
January 28, 2014
Alchemy is a joint venture between three different authors, who each tackle one point of view throughout the story. I’ll admit to being a bit worried when I saw the three names at the top of the cover. I rarely read books with more than one author because I can usually tell when one person’s work ends and the other’s begins…in the case of Alchemy it turned out to be a plus.
Alchemy takes that normally pleasant magic boarding school idea and turns it on it’s head. Chebeague holds a ton of potential for being a fantastic place however there is a fog of unease and imprisonment that settles over everything and lends a different feel. Add that with the rather interesting magic system and we have a winner. The mages in Alchemy are not your typical run of the witches and wizards, instead they are people who have become infected by the magic and must learn to control it or they run the risk of loosing their minds. I also really loved the interesting variety of magic, which include things like: Temperature Control, Super Senses, Healing, and Alchemy. However despite the innate coolness of mages, most people in this world fear them and with good reason. Magic can be spread like an illness not to mention the mages who go off the deep in and destroy innocent people. I think that underlying sense of danger is one of the many things I enjoyed about this one, because as I learned more about the characters I came to fear the possibility that the tables could turn.
As I mentioned before each author handles a different point of view, which lends each character a wholly different voice. The chapters are written as journal entries which I wasn’t really sure about in the beginning but I came to like being privy to the ‘inner� most thoughts. Sam Ryan is use to attention and he’s a complete flirt, which did him no favors in the beginning but over the course of the novel he matured and I came to like his quirks. Once I got to know the reasons behind the things he did and especially once he realized what he was doing, I ended up liking him quite a lot. Juliette was the one that had me going back and forth between liking her and hating her. She’s a emotional mess and sometimes it’s downright volatile, but like Sam she grew on me and I definitely think she grew as a character. I’d have to say she’s probably my favorite character too, despite the rocky start. Ana is the one that surprised me the most. From the beginning she’s sort of surrounded by a sense of mystery, we know her background and her personality…but something is off about her. These three have an odd sort of friendship that is really cute and reminded me a lot of the circles of friends I hung out with in high school. There is some romance in this but it doesn’t dominate the story. Overall I think that all of the characters these three ladies created were incredibly believable and thanks to the added pressure of magic and school they become a bit more complex.
Alchemy turned out to be a great start to a series, from the fun and detailed characters to the intriguing magic system. I’m looking forward to seeing how the rest of the Prophecy Breakers series turns out and just what Sam, Ana, and Juliette will have to deal with next.
Alchemy takes that normally pleasant magic boarding school idea and turns it on it’s head. Chebeague holds a ton of potential for being a fantastic place however there is a fog of unease and imprisonment that settles over everything and lends a different feel. Add that with the rather interesting magic system and we have a winner. The mages in Alchemy are not your typical run of the witches and wizards, instead they are people who have become infected by the magic and must learn to control it or they run the risk of loosing their minds. I also really loved the interesting variety of magic, which include things like: Temperature Control, Super Senses, Healing, and Alchemy. However despite the innate coolness of mages, most people in this world fear them and with good reason. Magic can be spread like an illness not to mention the mages who go off the deep in and destroy innocent people. I think that underlying sense of danger is one of the many things I enjoyed about this one, because as I learned more about the characters I came to fear the possibility that the tables could turn.
As I mentioned before each author handles a different point of view, which lends each character a wholly different voice. The chapters are written as journal entries which I wasn’t really sure about in the beginning but I came to like being privy to the ‘inner� most thoughts. Sam Ryan is use to attention and he’s a complete flirt, which did him no favors in the beginning but over the course of the novel he matured and I came to like his quirks. Once I got to know the reasons behind the things he did and especially once he realized what he was doing, I ended up liking him quite a lot. Juliette was the one that had me going back and forth between liking her and hating her. She’s a emotional mess and sometimes it’s downright volatile, but like Sam she grew on me and I definitely think she grew as a character. I’d have to say she’s probably my favorite character too, despite the rocky start. Ana is the one that surprised me the most. From the beginning she’s sort of surrounded by a sense of mystery, we know her background and her personality…but something is off about her. These three have an odd sort of friendship that is really cute and reminded me a lot of the circles of friends I hung out with in high school. There is some romance in this but it doesn’t dominate the story. Overall I think that all of the characters these three ladies created were incredibly believable and thanks to the added pressure of magic and school they become a bit more complex.
Alchemy turned out to be a great start to a series, from the fun and detailed characters to the intriguing magic system. I’m looking forward to seeing how the rest of the Prophecy Breakers series turns out and just what Sam, Ana, and Juliette will have to deal with next.
January 25, 2014
I received this book from the authors in exchange for an honest review.
Interesting thing about Alchemy...what I thought I'd dislike the most turned out to be the best part. This novel has three authors. The story is told from three different characters' POV, each author writing a different character. What I was worried would be incongruous, was in actuality intriguing. The three writing styles mesh so well, their voices so similar. I was pleasantly surprised.
This story follows three characters sent to the Chebeague school for newly infected mages. Sam, Ana, and Juliette all have different and interesting stories. The chapters alternate between these three characters as they learn and adjust to their new situation. I loved the fact that all three had unique and individual voices. In a way, it was almost like reading three novels pooled (rather seamlessly) into one.
The plot is interesting. Magic is a virus; individuals become infected when directly exposed to it. In some people it causes madness. The young infected are taken to a school to learn to control their new abilities. These authors do an amazing job explaining and describing this unusual world. I loved the vivid imagery that flowed throughout the story. So many scenes just seemed to leap off the pages and into the mind's eye.
I recommend Alchemy for everyone high school and up that enjoys an unusual paranormal romance. The characters are fun, the plot interesting. They say too many cooks spoil the broth, but in this case three authors were better than one, creating a unique story with three great characters.
Interesting thing about Alchemy...what I thought I'd dislike the most turned out to be the best part. This novel has three authors. The story is told from three different characters' POV, each author writing a different character. What I was worried would be incongruous, was in actuality intriguing. The three writing styles mesh so well, their voices so similar. I was pleasantly surprised.
This story follows three characters sent to the Chebeague school for newly infected mages. Sam, Ana, and Juliette all have different and interesting stories. The chapters alternate between these three characters as they learn and adjust to their new situation. I loved the fact that all three had unique and individual voices. In a way, it was almost like reading three novels pooled (rather seamlessly) into one.
The plot is interesting. Magic is a virus; individuals become infected when directly exposed to it. In some people it causes madness. The young infected are taken to a school to learn to control their new abilities. These authors do an amazing job explaining and describing this unusual world. I loved the vivid imagery that flowed throughout the story. So many scenes just seemed to leap off the pages and into the mind's eye.
I recommend Alchemy for everyone high school and up that enjoys an unusual paranormal romance. The characters are fun, the plot interesting. They say too many cooks spoil the broth, but in this case three authors were better than one, creating a unique story with three great characters.
January 20, 2014
At first I thought I would get dizzy and get my facts mixed up when I discovered there where 3 voices we follow as the story develops, but luckily each author brought to the table a unique personality with a narration that seemed to be enough to give each character its own but in a way that let the narration flow as you change from one character’s point of view into the next’s.
Although I had to admit that in the fast scenes I would get a little lost for a couple of lines, but luckily the character’s personality jumped at me and I got my senses back on track.
The world seemed to remind me at first of Laura Powell’s Witch Fire, a world where witches would still be burned if it wasn’t for the government trying to “protect� them. I was glad to see this story only resemblance is that they are both about witches. This world more like Professor Xavier’s Academy gone wrong.
I loved how I got lost in this story, I suspect a great part is that I saw parts of people that I love in the main characters that made me get sucked into the story. Don’t get me wrong that doesn’t mean that I didn’t got mad at them or frustrated but they made the story more believable and made my brain and imagination want to cooperate even further at bringing this story to life.
I do recommend that if you are in the market for a story filled with more than two P.O.V.’s, magic, mystery and three authors injecting life into a book you give this one a chance.
Although I had to admit that in the fast scenes I would get a little lost for a couple of lines, but luckily the character’s personality jumped at me and I got my senses back on track.
The world seemed to remind me at first of Laura Powell’s Witch Fire, a world where witches would still be burned if it wasn’t for the government trying to “protect� them. I was glad to see this story only resemblance is that they are both about witches. This world more like Professor Xavier’s Academy gone wrong.
I loved how I got lost in this story, I suspect a great part is that I saw parts of people that I love in the main characters that made me get sucked into the story. Don’t get me wrong that doesn’t mean that I didn’t got mad at them or frustrated but they made the story more believable and made my brain and imagination want to cooperate even further at bringing this story to life.
I do recommend that if you are in the market for a story filled with more than two P.O.V.’s, magic, mystery and three authors injecting life into a book you give this one a chance.
September 27, 2013
I got a chance to read this early. I loved it.
Such truly different characters thrown together in a very challenging environment, where they not only have to find a way to survive, but also figure out who they can trust and who the really bad guys are. I loved them all. And it's clear their adventures aren't over yet. :)
Can't wait to find out what they're up agains in Book 2.
Such truly different characters thrown together in a very challenging environment, where they not only have to find a way to survive, but also figure out who they can trust and who the really bad guys are. I loved them all. And it's clear their adventures aren't over yet. :)
Can't wait to find out what they're up agains in Book 2.
November 22, 2013
I loved this book! I couldn't put it down. I loved that the main characters in the book are each written by different authors.
I received a copy of this book as free feedback from one of the authors. Thank you so much for sending it to me. I look forward to reading the other books in this series.
I received a copy of this book as free feedback from one of the authors. Thank you so much for sending it to me. I look forward to reading the other books in this series.
July 24, 2018
Minor spoilers
This is a fresh take on a familiar (by now) genre. I really liked each author taking a different character. It helped distiguish the characters' voices. My only complaint is that there were a few spots that could stand more clarification. For example, Ana's magic. I still am not totally sure how it works. Or what Dr Child was doing during the showdown. However, I will still recommend.
This is a fresh take on a familiar (by now) genre. I really liked each author taking a different character. It helped distiguish the characters' voices. My only complaint is that there were a few spots that could stand more clarification. For example, Ana's magic. I still am not totally sure how it works. Or what Dr Child was doing during the showdown. However, I will still recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2020
Not terrible, characters were under developed and story predictable, but I finished it.
January 23, 2014
The idea of multiple authors for one story really threw me for a loop, I won't deny that. How would it work? Would it feel disconnected and confusing? Would I find myself wondering who wrote what part? well... I still Wonder that.. I'm going to have to go ask the authors.. as for the rest. It worked wonderfully!
The story is told in 3 different POV's. Usually, I am not a fan of multiple POV's. If you read other reviews of mine with the same element you will find that usually I feel like the characters didn't have a separate voice, that they blended together and got lost in the shuffle. Or that I constantly found myself wanting to know more about one character than the other. In Alchemy, each character's POV was written by a different author, each had a completely unique voice and personality that made it to where I could easily tell them apart. Their stories are told through journal entries, and while sometimes the inner monologue style irritated me, for the most part I found it interesting and entertaining.
The world of Alchemy was very interesting and had it's own unique take on magic. Magic is like a disease and one can be infected, while it is recognized that Mages can be very helpful to society with what they can do, for the most part they are feared, called freaks and disgusting. Like any group of people there are good and bad sides, some of the infected turn crazy and go on rampages that further scare the masses.
Full review found on the blog during a blog tour!
The story is told in 3 different POV's. Usually, I am not a fan of multiple POV's. If you read other reviews of mine with the same element you will find that usually I feel like the characters didn't have a separate voice, that they blended together and got lost in the shuffle. Or that I constantly found myself wanting to know more about one character than the other. In Alchemy, each character's POV was written by a different author, each had a completely unique voice and personality that made it to where I could easily tell them apart. Their stories are told through journal entries, and while sometimes the inner monologue style irritated me, for the most part I found it interesting and entertaining.
The world of Alchemy was very interesting and had it's own unique take on magic. Magic is like a disease and one can be infected, while it is recognized that Mages can be very helpful to society with what they can do, for the most part they are feared, called freaks and disgusting. Like any group of people there are good and bad sides, some of the infected turn crazy and go on rampages that further scare the masses.
Full review found on the blog during a blog tour!
December 1, 2013
So, Alchemy is the first of a new series written by three very talented women. Each author took one main character, and wrote those chapters. It gave the characters distinctive voices.
The reality in this book is kind of gritty. In parts of the book, I wasn't sure what was true and what wasn't. Frankly, I love that. I enjoy going back and trying to figure out exactly what was happening for any particular person, especially if they appear to be different from how they have been acting. The fact that part of the effects of being infected with magic includes insanity, to one extent or another, plus having a conspiracy theorist among the cast, and it can be hard to figure out which character to believe sometimes.
All in all, a good first book of a series that I will look forward to reading.
The reality in this book is kind of gritty. In parts of the book, I wasn't sure what was true and what wasn't. Frankly, I love that. I enjoy going back and trying to figure out exactly what was happening for any particular person, especially if they appear to be different from how they have been acting. The fact that part of the effects of being infected with magic includes insanity, to one extent or another, plus having a conspiracy theorist among the cast, and it can be hard to figure out which character to believe sometimes.
All in all, a good first book of a series that I will look forward to reading.
August 20, 2014
All three authors have a fantastic voice. I enjoyed the writing style, which was humorous yet flirted with deeper emotions. Each character was well-developed and likable. While the content was more suited for a young adult, I was highly entertained throughout and it could certainly appeal to more mature readers. It did remind me of the X-men series, but with an interesting twist (and humorous allusions to the popular series).
Normally I don't care for the "journal entry" book, as it seems to be too passive and not as involved in the action as I would prefer. But this book moves quickly and I frequently forgot it was a journal entry and not the actual events taking place. I'm looking forward to future books, and I will be recommending this one to my mailing list.
Normally I don't care for the "journal entry" book, as it seems to be too passive and not as involved in the action as I would prefer. But this book moves quickly and I frequently forgot it was a journal entry and not the actual events taking place. I'm looking forward to future books, and I will be recommending this one to my mailing list.
January 23, 2014
I received a free copy of this book for an honest review.
This world of magic is different than any other I’ve read about before. Someone is infected with magic, gets crazy for a while, and then ends up with powers. Anyone who is infected is considered an outcast.
I like how Alchemy is in journal form and the reader can follow what each character is thinking by reading those journals. The main characters are unique, they each bring a different point of view, and I liked all three of them.
This story is well written and full of magic, suspense and humor. it is a good book not only for young adults but adults as well.
This world of magic is different than any other I’ve read about before. Someone is infected with magic, gets crazy for a while, and then ends up with powers. Anyone who is infected is considered an outcast.
I like how Alchemy is in journal form and the reader can follow what each character is thinking by reading those journals. The main characters are unique, they each bring a different point of view, and I liked all three of them.
This story is well written and full of magic, suspense and humor. it is a good book not only for young adults but adults as well.
December 4, 2013
I was nervous about reading this because one of the authors is a good friend. I'm so happy to say that I really enjoyed it! Each character was different and unique, and the plot left me questioning until the end. I can tell when I've enjoyed a book because I keep reading everything all the way to the end, author's notes, acknowledgements, etc.. I also keep thinking about the story and what I would do, how I would react. This book got me doing it all! I'm looking forward to the next one.
January 29, 2014
First, I would like to thank the authors Sheena Boekweg, Sabrina West and Melanie Crouse for giving me this book for an honest review. I loved reading this story, at first I wasn't sure how it was going to go being written by three different authors, but they did great and meshed well together. The characters are very well written and the world building is very good. I look forward to reading more from these authors and more from of this series.
March 24, 2014
I think this is the only book that I've read that was written by three authors. And it really worked. Each author wrote the diary of one of the main characters. I liked how this really gave the characters different voices. The world building was well done - it was really interesting to think of magic as a disease that you could catch. There was plenty of suspense driving the book and then the cliff-hanger at the end ensures that I'll be reading the next book when it comes out.
January 17, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. It is appropriate for all ages. It is a fun view with magic. I love that it is an infection. The characters are so great. I love that this is a book I can recommend to my nieces and nephews and won't be embarrassed to discuss it with them. I am really looking forward to the next book.
May 20, 2014
It was amazing and I would get everyone to read it.
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