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Interviews | January 24, 2012

Jill Owens: IMG Ben Marcus: The Powells.com Interview

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Ben MarcusBen Marcus's books The Age of Wire and String and Notable American Women were considered "experimental" fiction because of his unconventional use of... Continue »
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    The Flame Alphabet

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The Alchemy of Stone

by Ekaterina Sedia

The Alchemy of Stone Cover

ISBN13: 9780809572847
ISBN10: 0809572842
Condition: Standard
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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Mattie, an intelligent automaton skilled in the use of alchemy, finds herself caught in the middle of a conflict between gargoyles, the Mechanics, and the Alchemists. With the old order quickly giving way to the new, Mattie discovers powerful and dangerous secrets - secrets that can completely alter the balance of power in the city of Ayona. However, this doesn't sit well with Loharri, the Mechanic who created Mattie and still has the key to her heart - literally! A steampunk novel of romance, political intrigue, and alchemy, The Alchemy of Stone represents a new and intriguing direction by the author of the critically-acclaimed The Secret History of Moscow:

Review:

"Sedia's evocative third novel, a steampunk fable about the price of industrial development, follows Mattie, an emancipated automaton, as her home city is rent by conflict between alchemists and the mechanics whose clanking, steaming inventions are changing society. Though created by a leader of the mechanics, Mattie chose to join the alchemists, but her creator still holds the key that winds her up. When a terrorist bombing and an assassination touch off all-out war between the two factions, she discovers the ugly secrets and exploitation that keep the city supplied with food and coal. Sedia's exquisitely bleak vision deliberately skewers familiar ideas from know-it-all computers to talking statues desperate for souls, leaving readers to reach their own conclusions about the proper balance of tradition and progress and what it means to be alive." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:
Pandababy, May 24, 2009 (view all comments by Pandababy)
Call it science fiction, steam punk, magical realism, fantasy or subversive feminist literature - whatever you call it, call The Alchemy of Stone good reading. The excellent and original quality of the story, the characters, the setting, the dialog would be enough to recommend this novel, but Ekaterina's deft handling of symbolism and fairy tale elements make it memorable, and a highly satisfying experience. This is a keeper.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780809572847
Author:
Sedia, Ekaterina
Publisher:
Prime Books
Author:
Prime Books
Subject:
Anthologies (multiple authors)
Subject:
Fantasy - General
Subject:
Androids
Subject:
Fantasy fiction
Subject:
Science Fiction and Fantasy-Fantasy
Copyright:
2008
Publication Date:
20080831
Binding:
TRADE PAPER
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Pages:
301
Dimensions:
8.18x5.26x.82 in. .50 lbs.
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The Alchemy of Stone Used Trade Paper
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Product details 301 pages Prime Books - English 9780809572847 Reviews:
"Publishers Weekly Review" by , "Sedia's evocative third novel, a steampunk fable about the price of industrial development, follows Mattie, an emancipated automaton, as her home city is rent by conflict between alchemists and the mechanics whose clanking, steaming inventions are changing society. Though created by a leader of the mechanics, Mattie chose to join the alchemists, but her creator still holds the key that winds her up. When a terrorist bombing and an assassination touch off all-out war between the two factions, she discovers the ugly secrets and exploitation that keep the city supplied with food and coal. Sedia's exquisitely bleak vision deliberately skewers familiar ideas from know-it-all computers to talking statues desperate for souls, leaving readers to reach their own conclusions about the proper balance of tradition and progress and what it means to be alive." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
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