Alchemised

Der Plot ist sehr gut strukturiert in den 3 Teilen und das Worldbuilding ist mega, auch wenn man da sich erst reinfinden muss. Der Schreibstil ist sehr angenehm, dadurch sind die ca. 1200 Seiten gar nicht mehr so viel. Mich hat daher das Buch echt gepackt und kann es sehr empfehlen, vorausgesetzt man ist sich der Triggerwarnungen bewusst.

Foreword: This is one of those stories that will stick with me long after I finish it. I could probably write an entire essay about it and how it made me feel, yet I would still be unsure if my words did it enough justice. This is not a romantic fantasy story. It’s a story about war, sacrifice, love, and tragedy. It is a heartbreaking journey, emotional, profound and unique. At the same time, it is also brutal, disturbing and gory. I had so many conflicting feelings while reading this book, and it is not for the faint of heart. Check your triggers, and if you decide to dive in blind like I did, be prepared for the worst. It’s impossible to write a 100% spoiler-free review, so to avoid spoiling your journey, I’ll include a separate hidden section at the end of my review. Summary: The story is set in a world where all magical beings possess something known as Resonance - a mystical energy that fuels their abilities. Each individual has a unique affinity for a specific type of magic. There are metallurgists, pyromancers, and alchemists, as well as vivimancers who can manipulate life force, necromancers who command death, and animancers who can drain life and energy from enemies to give to allies, and can also alter souls and memories. The city of Paladia is home to an elite academy where gifted students from around the world come to study and refine their talents. Yet, beneath the city’s shining reputation lies deep division and elitism. Paladia’s religious rulers condemn vivimancy and necromancy as corrupt arts, while animancy is strictly forbidden. Once, a devastating war raged between the necromancers and the resistance group known as The Eternal Flame, led by the Holdfast family. Now history threatens to repeat itself. The necromancer lord Morrough is leading an army of the undead to lay siege to Paladia in a new war for domination. When Helena awakens from stasis, she learns that the war she fought in has already been lost. The Resistance has fallen, and the radiant city of Paladia lies in ruins. Everyone she once loved is dead or enslaved and Helena herself is a prisoner. She remembers nothing of her capture. Tests reveal that her neural pathways have been transmuted, erasing the last fourteen months of her memories. All she remembers is her oath to protect Paladia and its leader, her closest friend, Lucius Holdfast. Helena knows that whatever secrets have been locked away in her mind must never fall into enemy hands. She would rather die than betray them. But escape seems impossible. Her captors have bound her in manacles that suppress her healing magic and have handed her over to Kaine Ferron, the High Reeve, Morrough’s most skilled hunter. His mission is to restore Helena’s memories, no matter the cost. Opinion: The worldbuilding in this book is incredibly complex. I actually had to start taking notes just to keep track of the characters, their roles, and their magical abilities. I’ve seen many readers comment that the worldbuilding feels overly detailed and difficult to get into, and I completely understand that. This is, after all, a true work of high fantasy, which means you’ll need to invest some time to fully grasp the setting and systems. But the deeper you get into the story, the easier it becomes to follow, and the worldbuilding gradually takes a back seat to the unfolding plot. From the very first chapter, I had the feeling of oh boy, this is going to be dark and challenging. The tone is established perfectly right from the start. The atmosphere is eerie and foreboding, and Paladia is described like a post-apocalyptic war zone. A dystopian setting that also mirrors many aspects of our modern world. I loved that. Unfortunately, my FairyLoot edition didn’t include a map, and by the time I reached chapter four, I really wished it had. The story is divided into three parts. Part One focuses on the present – roughly the first 30% of the book – centering on Helena as she wakes from stasis, gradually recalls who she is, and faces the personal consequences of a lost war. Part Two takes us back to the beginning, revealing the full backstory of how everything started and filling in the gaps of what Helena couldn’t remember at the beginning of the story. Part Three then returns to the present and brings the story to its conclusion. Many details mentioned early on don’t make much sense at first. I often found myself wondering why I was getting so much information about certain rooms or objects when it didn’t seem like much was happening plot-wise. I even questioned whether these were just unnecessary info dumps. But as the story unfolds in Part Two, everything starts to click. Suddenly, all those earlier details fall into place, and I had so many oh my god, that’s why! moments. It felt as though Part One was sprinkled with hidden Easter eggs, and the way the author connects every thread later on is nothing short of magical. It’s as if the book makes you work for your revelations – and that effort makes the payoff even more satisfying. No gain without pain. The writing itself is captivating and absolutely spectacular. Not many books come even close. The story was absolutely unputdownable. I was totally consumed for days. Many readers have complained about poor editing in the English edition, but I’m happy to report that the German version, with only a handful of minor issues, doesn’t suffer from that problem – thankfully. Helena is an incredibly intelligent and curious character, driven by an insatiable thirst for knowledge. She loves to experiment, to research, to push boundaries — and she has one of the biggest hearts imaginable. She’s such a tragic heroine. Helena sacrifices herself for everyone and everything around her, yet her own dreams and desires are constantly forgotten. She functions like a well-oiled machine until the inevitable happens: she reaches her breaking point, and the toll of endless sacrifice finally catches up with her. Her brilliance is undeniable. She contributes groundbreaking research and technological advances that are crucial to the Resistance’s survival. And yet, very few people in her life treat her with genuine respect. She’s constantly underestimated and looked down upon. No wonder Kaine questions her relentless self-sacrifice — I did too! They can’t win this war without her, and still, she’s treated like a disposable tool. They sell her off like cattle and she even agrees to it… I was furious. With her and everyone else. Kaine, on the other hand, is introduced as the cold, ruthless villain — the overpowered enforcer with emotionless features, always ready to obey Morrough without question. The complete opposite of Helena. Yet early on, I had the sense that there was more to him than met the eye. He’s mysterious, different from the rest of the undead, and as the story unfolds, his layers are slowly revealed. He’s a deeply complex character whose true intentions remain uncertain for a long time, keeping me constantly guessing. All the side characters are exceptionally well crafted and multi-dimensional — some more than others, but none without depth. It shocked me how closely this story mirrors our own world. The bordering nations and their politicians, aware of the horrors unfolding in Paladia yet choosing silence and ignoring it all because it’s profitable to do so! That hit me hard. It was uncomfortable, infuriating, and deeply real. Respect to the author for weaving that theme in so powerfully. It made Helena and Kaine’s suffering resonate on an entirely new level. This book is an outstanding piece of storytelling — equal parts art and heartbreak. It’s a testament to what people are willing to endure for love, loyalty, and survival. I can’t recommend it highly enough. It’s every bit deserving of the hype. Story: ♾️ Spice: 1.5

Ich bin ohne jede Erwartung an Alchemised herangetreten und fand es im Laden zuerst nur hübsch anzusehen und den Buchrücken interessant zu lesen. Ich hätte niemals damit gerechnet, wo ich da hineingeraten. Eine fantastisch geschriebene und detailverliebte Art, in welcher diese Welt in Form gebracht wurde. Die Protagonistin durchlebt einen Albtraum nach dem anderen und zieht den Leser mit durch ihre Gefühlswelt und den Horror den sie erlebt. Man sieht es durch ihre Augen und denkt mit, durch die Informationen, die für Helena vorhanden sind. Es ist wahnsinnig subjektiv und absolut spannend zu verfolgen, wie sich eine Meinung entwickeln kann, wenn man neue Informationen zur Verfügung hat. In dieser Geschichte gibt es keine Helden, die verehrt und idealisiert werden können. Es gibt nur Personen, die versuchen nach einem Krieg zu überleben. Es war mitreißend und atemberaubend, aber es muss im Hinterkopf behalten werden, dass diese Geschichte absolut nicht für junge Leser*innen gedacht ist und die Themen durchaus grafisch beschrieben sind. Es gibt keinen "Spice" in dem Sinne, falls sich hier irgendjemand diese Frage gestellt hat ...

Die Schmuckausgabe steht nun in meinem Regal. Hab ich mir schenken lassen. Sieht super aus. Und fühlt sich wertig an. Bei 1000 Seiten ist das Buch trotzdem sehr schmal, also dünne Seiten. Das Buch hatte ich bereits vorher schon gelesen und bin begeistert vom Aufbau und der Charakter Entwicklung. Mittlerweile höre ich mir dazu auch das Hörbuch an. Lohnt sich das zu lesen!

I took my time to read this book, but it captured my interest so much that I read half the book in two evenings. Love the worldbuilding, the characters, and the whole devastating story of Helena and the High Reeve. Make yourself aware of the Trigger Warnings for this book. It gets very heavy again and again. I wish I could read the story again for the first time. I really recommend reading this story!