Review ~ The Alchemist War…The Time Tripping Faradays

Posted May 23, 2013 by Michelle in Review / 2 Comments

Every so often you come across a book that you read and by the time you are finished with it you are like. What the hell did I just read?

I REALLY wanted to like this book. Having never really read a Time Travel story before I thought this is a great introduction to it. The synopsis sounded so interesting. 


The Alchemist War
by John Seven

Book received from Netgalley
The review is my opinion and honest review of the book
NO compensation was give for reviewing this book

Hardcover, 160 pages
Expected publication: July 1st 2013 (approx) by Capstone Children’s


“Two free-range 25th-century children get into and out of pickles while tagging along with their research-scientist parents to various past eras.

In this series opener, a prank involving Hannibal’s elephants and a mouse lands the Faradays in hot water with their employer, the Cosmos Institute. They are consequently sent for punishment to 1648 Prague to educate Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III about fashions in footwear. Instantly bored for understandable reasons, teenage sibs Dawkins and Hypatia fall in with Jan Richthausen, an alchemist who actually can turn mercury into gold—using found technology more advanced than the Faradays’ own. Somebody is meddling dangerously. In sharp contrast to most authors who try their hand at time-travel tales, Seven has plainly thought out consistent and (reasonably) plausible ways for his characters to interact with the past without causing paradoxes or catastrophic changes to the future. Though everyone in every era speaks the same colloquial English and the source of the futuristic devices and substances is never revealed in this setup episode, the author does propel Dawk, Hype and his other lively characters through a rousing multicentury chase that loops back around to close with tantalizing hints of adventures to come.

2/5 stars

I hate writing reviews like this so this is going to be short.

Maybe it was just me, I am not saying if you read it you will not like it, but when I started the book I actually thought the book was missing the first 5 chapters like it started in the middle. The terminology was so confusing and I feel like I missed an entire back story. Have you ever told a story to someone and they kind of looked at you like what the hell are you talking about but you understood since you know the whole story. Well this was sort of like the Author knew what was going on and just figured you did too.

The characters were just there and the actually story had good potential if it didn’t have so many wholes in it. When it came to the end I was like WHAT!!!! It just ended

But please believe me when I say it might be me maybe Time Travel books just aren’t my thing. Maybe if I read a lot more I would have understood this a lot better.

It upsets me when I read something that sounds awesome but just isn’t for me. Why did I give it 2 stars and not 1? because I really feel it wouldn’t be fair since this is my first Time Travel book I have ever read and it could possibly just not be my kind of read.

Recommendation? Try it and see. I may just not have connected with the story/characters but you might.

About Michelle

I am a mom to two pretty amazing kids, four pretty cute fluffy children and a wife to one adorable husband. I am a gamer, reader and a graphic designer with 20 years experience. I recently started my own business "Limabean Designs" to help other bloggers, authors and anyone else create amazing things that they would be proud to show off. I have been reading since forever and started blogging because I love sharing all the awesome books this world has to offer. I am also the co-host for the COYER Challenge, Reading Assignment Challenge and the Bookish Resolutions Challenge. I try to create a warm welcoming environment on my blog where authors, readers, and bloggers will have a great time. Let’s chat books, games, blogging, recipes, design, or family over a cup of coffee and a glass of wine!

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2 responses to “Review ~ The Alchemist War…The Time Tripping Faradays

  1. I understand what it is like to review a book you have read that you did not like. You want to be fair about the book because maybe it was just a type of book you did not connect with but others might. I did like your recommendations at the endof this review.