Inkpot Gods by Seanan McGuire takes us back to the world of the Alchemical Journeys series. This is the fourth novel in this fantasy series that has held me captive from the dark alchemy to the Impossible City. An addictive installment with an ending that left me screaming for the next novel.
by Seanan McGuire
Series: Alchemical Journeys #4
Genres: Fantasy
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
The New York Times bestselling author takes us back to the world of the Alchemical Journeys in this action-packed follow-up to Middlegame, Seasonal Fears, and Tidal Creatures.
The gods live and die at our whim.
More than a century has passed since Asphodel Baker refined the process allowing her to imbue alchemically created life with power in a way no one else had ever been able to achieve. More than a century since she built the Impossible City on the ruins of Olympus, forging it from nothing more than imagination and spite, and penned it in plain view, enabling it to be read and cherished and believed by children the world over.
And now, so long after her exit from the world, the descendants of her dark alchemy―who exist in a reality that inches ever closer to the hellscape of her imagination―step into a place of birth, of discovery, of horror, to make amends for the sins of the past.
Can the gods of today defeat the evils of their maker, or will the legacy of the most powerful alchemist the world has ever known prove to be their undoing?
While McGuire does a lovely job of recapping, I highly recommend that these novels be read in the order of their release. Events, characters, and understanding are deepened by fully investing in the series. Seanan McGuire is a favorite author, from her October Daye series to her Mira Grant books.
In Inkpot Gods we get Asphodel Baker’s origin story and spend time at Berkeley College with Kelpie, the incarnate moon goods and Rodger and Dodger, the living embodiments of the Doctrine of Ethos.
Our story begins in 1865 in a small village. A local woman, Elizabeth Turner (Baker) is with child. The villagers find this strange because she socializes with no one. This is where Asphodel’s story begins; we follow her childhood and introduction to alchemy. It was horrifyingly delicious.
We then head to August 2018 at Berkeley College and meet a young woman from Alabama named Lilianne. She is interested in alchemy and is searching for the abandoned labs of the American Alchemical Congress. She also believes the cuckoos are here. Lilianne is a little odd and feels like she has stood out all her life, but here she feels comfortable. She lives off-campus with other students. She doesn’t discuss alchemy, but David, who is an incarnate of Máni, suspects Lilianne is an alchemist. He sets out to alert Judy, the senior Lunar leader.
The tale that unfolded was suspenseful, provided answers, and kept me engaged. I love the world McGuire has created and the way she ties things together and weaves a story. Once the gang is involved and we find ourselves below ground, I could not put this down. The ending, though, killed me. It’s a cliffhanger in that we know danger is growing and our motley crew has been left at a disadvantage. Which means I am now counting down the days to devour the next novel.
About Seanan McGuire
Seanan McGuire is a native Californian, which has resulted in her being exceedingly laid-back about venomous wildlife, and terrified of weather. When not writing urban fantasy (as herself) and science fiction thrillers (as Mira Grant), she likes to watch way too many horror movies, wander around in swamps, record albums of original music, and harass her cats. Seanan is the author of the October Daye, InCryptid, and Indexing series of urban fantasies; the Newsflesh trilogy; the Parasitology duology; and the "Velveteen vs." superhero shorts. Her cats, Lilly, Alice, and Thomas, are plotting world domination even as we speak, but are easily distracted by feathers on sticks, so mankind is probably safe. For now.
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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram
