Official Review: Alkhemia by Manny Alva

[BookWorm07]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Alkhemia" by Manny Alva.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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Alkhemia is unique kind of magic or energy, where a person offers something in return for anything else. But, just like everything in this world, there is a price to be paid for using it and that price is blood. Yes, every time a person uses the magic, they pay for it in blood. However, Alkhemia isn't just a means of gaining wealth or material things; it can be used for combat and for stealing lives. It can be used as a means of extending one's mortality too.

Aiden’s father, Nebi, first learns of this magic in a book called Alkhemia and nearly dies in an attempt to use its magic due to massive blood loss. As Nebi accidentally transfers some of his powers to Aiden before his birth, he is born with the powers of Alkhemia within him. Neither father nor son age at the same pace as normal humans.

Unknown to the happy family, a man is hunting for them. By the time they find out about him, it’s too late. Nebi dies in a vain attempt to save his wife after telling Aiden to get away. Though Aiden manages to escape, he knows he’s still being hunted.

The novel is set in both France and America and spans across two hundred years due to the long life span of the duo. I found the plot was very well thought out and was hooked on to the story almost from the beginning.

Love, family and respect for every living being are the themes in the book. In essence, it was a story of how the power of love triumphs over evil. The magic in Alkhemia was different from that I've ever read before. I liked that it seemed to represent how great power can come only at a great price.

Also, kudos to whoever designed the cover, because it is gorgeous and I’d buy the physical copy of the book just for the sake of the cover.

My biggest issue with the book was the writing style. The author does too much telling instead of showing the readers what happened and this style of writing is tedious to read after a while, especially when most of the story is descriptive in nature. It also made it hard for me to connect with the characters, even in terribly emotional scenes. Apart from this, there were grammatical errors in enough numbers to distract me from the plot.

The book ends on a cliffhanger of sorts and Manny Alva mentioned that he is writing another book in his blog, but whether Alkhemia will turn into the first book in a series, I’m not sure. I’d also say the book was more for a younger audience because it does have some cliché scenes and a bit mushy dialogue.

I'd rate the novel as 2 out of 4 stars.

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Buy "Alkhemia" on Amazon

[Kappy]

Good review. It sounds as if the author's creativity far exceeds his technical writing abilities.

[BookWorm07]

Good review. It sounds as if the author's creativity far exceeds his technical writing abilities.

Unfortunately, you are right. The story had so much potential and I thought it was very well thought out. If the writing had been better, it could have easily been a 3.5 stars at least.