An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors

3.75 out of 5 stars – see this review and others at The Speculative Shelf.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

In a floating world filled with airships and royal sorcerers, Princess Isabelle and her trusty musketeer, Jean-Claude, fight against a sinister plot that has been thousands of years in the making.

I was immediately drawn in by the wondrous setting and Curtis Craddock's beautiful prose. The humor and clever turns of phrase were perfectly matched to such a fantastical story.

Isabelle and Jean-Claude are wonderful protagonists to follow as they are cunning, capable, and easy to root for. Their bond is a joy to witness, so it was a shame that they spent so little time together in the story. To that end, I wish character relationships, in general, were more at the forefront of this novel. The political maneuverings and motivations were a bit hard to follow and full immersion into the political theater becomes difficult when you only have access to the POVs of two outsiders.

These misgivings aside, this was an entertaining adventure in a fresh new setting. I look forward to seeing where Craddock takes the story next, as he has started (world)building a sandbox with loads of untapped potential.

I wrote this three hours ago:

I'm a little more than halfway through “An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors”, a debut novel from Curtis Craddock, and I'm seriously enjoying it. A fantasy based loosely on Europe of the Musketeers era, but the nations are chunks of rock floating in a turbulent sky, with airships plying the traderoutes. Sorcery is reserved for the nobility, and it's all twisted and a bit obscene. The principle characters are a princess of one of the ruling families, born with a deformed hand and a lack of sorcerous ability, and her sworn protector, a musketeer. With no warning, they are thrust into the middle of vast political schemes and machinations, which are igniting sparks that could lead to all out war. There are fascinating mysteries to solve at every turn, and shocking revelations when least expected. And on top of all that, there's a hint the heroine may be part of the fulfillment of prophecy that may mean the end of the world. The world building is turned up to 11, and so far the story is equally vivid. I sure hope it ends as well as it's begun!

Three hours later and I've finished the book. Wow, I so did not disappoint. An absolutely thrilling climax with multiple page-turning escalations. I rarely give books a full five stars. But this novel certainly earned them. I can't wait to read Craddock's next outing!