The Five Elements (The Alchemancer: Book One) [Kindle Edition]

Scott Marlowe (Author)

Book Description

Aaron--scholar, alchemist, and sorcerer's apprentice--wants nothing more than to study his tomes, perform his experiments, and spend time with his closest friend, Shanna. Substitute the occasional romp about the city for the books and plenty of games of crutchit for the smelly alchemicals, and Shanna is just fine with that too.

Their routines--and their lives--are thrown into chaos when an elemental attack is launched against their home. Aaron thinks Shanna killed, while Aaron himself is forced to flee for his life. For Shanna, who survives that fateful night, the greatest adventure of her life is about to begin. Only the worst of nightmares awaits Aaron: pursued by dwarves, hell hounds, and a demon who will not stop until he is dead, the only thing keeping him alive is his own resourcefulness and an eslar mercenary whose reputation as a killer might make him the worst threat of all.

Though Aaron and Shanna travel different paths, their purpose is joined when they individually learn of the mysterious Fifth Element. Shanna sees it as the final piece in the puzzle that is her destiny. To Aaron's logical mind, it is an impossible ambiguity. Whatever the answer, the Fifth Element draws them back together and into a final confrontation not as allies, but as adversaries.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

The Five Elements is the first book in The Alchemancer series. Although the beginning of a series, I feel that this first novel comes to a satisfying conclusion. Certainly no cliffhangers!

Book Two, called The Nullification Engine, is scheduled for a Fall 2013 release. I hope you enjoy The Five Elements enough to want to give this next book a try as well.

Best wishes,
Scott

About the Author

Scott Marlowe divides his time between writing fiction, mountain biking, and designing software systems for the accounting and medical industries. He currently lives in Texas with his wife and two crazy dogs.

Product Details

• File Size: 898 KB
• Print Length: 341 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1456504851
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Umberland Press; 1 edition (May 5, 2013)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0044KM17C
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #251,356 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #48 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy > Myths & Legends > Greek & Roman

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars An awesome andventrue May 5, 2012

By Ritesh Kala

Format:Kindle Edition

Shanna and Aaron are best friends who like nothing more than being in each other's company. The relationship between the two was wonderful to read about. They seemed to be at ease when they were with each other and relied on each other completely. There was no competition to outdo each other, nor was there a feeling of superiority in Aaron, even though he knew so much more than Shanna and was a sorcerer's apprentice. Their carefree life is soon turned upside down when an elemental attack on their home leaves it devastated and throws them on two separate paths, with both running away from the attackers.

The mystery of why the city is attacked, by whom, and what they are after is closely guarded by the author until much later in the story. The attack on the city has been perfectly choreographed by the author. The devastation was portrayed in such a stark manner that I could feel it happening. Each part of it is clearly thought out and it sets off, both Shanna and Aaron on their separate quests. This is also a moment in which both characters get developed immensely. The way in which they escape, the things they do to help others in need and their reactions to the tragedy define how they will react to situations they will face later in the book. This part is what helped me understand the characters and their motivations at the end of the book, when the time comes to make the tough decisions.

There are some really powerful characters in the book, even though quite a few of them end up dead when the book is finished. I clearly have feelings for each of them, whether good or bad. Shanna and Aaron are of course the protagonists of the book. Then there is Ensel Rhe, a warrior and mercenary who has a lot of history which is not explored in the book. He is extremely powerful, resourceful and talented, and cannot be taken lightly. Erlek Abn Nee is the person who creates all the problems in the book in his quest to harness the elemental magic which the Elementalists had access to. He is ruthless and someone who I found to be disgustful. I am sure this is exactly the reaction the author was hoping for. The wizards, Elsanar and Ansanom are part of the larger conflict between the Druids and the Elementalists. And finally, there is Serena, who has a small, but really important role to play in helping Aaron in put an end to the conflict. The characters are all terrifically developed, and are still fresh in my mind, days after I finished reading this book.

The history of the world in which the story is based revolves around to classes of people, the Druids and the Elementalists. Both of these, can wield elemental magic, but the Druids are more powerful, and do not depend on any external objects for their magic. The Elementalists are a faction who broke away from the Druids, and who were opposed to the restrictions they placed on using elemental magic. This war is still raging, and the Druids are bent on eradicating all Elementalists and their descendants from the face of the earth. This is the conflict in which both Aaron and Shanna find themselves embroiled.

The story moves along two completely separate paths which only meet at the end. In one, Shanna and Erlek Abn Nee are on a quest to retrieve the four elements created by the Elementalists, which will allow them to access the elemental magic which the Elementalists and Druids had on hand. The ruthlessness of Erlek and the change in Shanna's attitude during the quest is something that kept me turning the pages with urgency to find out what would happen next, and what they would have to face in order to get to the next element. Also, it clearly brought out the greed for power which comes from having such a huge source within grasping distance. The growth of Shanna's character as she realizes her destiny and what exactly she has access to was mesmerising. But, it was kind of disheartening to see the change in Shanna from the carefree girl to someone drunk on power.

On the other hand, Aaron is on the run along with Ensel Rhe as he is pursued by dwarfs and hell hounds who want to kill him. He remains just out of reach and seems to reach safety at last. This is where he meets Serena, another wizard's apprentice. I was surprised to see a new and very important character being introduced this late in the book. But, considering this is a series, it seems to be fine. I do think that Serena will play a really important role going forward in the series.

There is of course an inevitable showdown between the Druids and the Elementalists in the end. This was actually difficult to read because Aaron is forced to make a decision which goes against everything he holds dear. The strength of his character clearly shone through in the end. He had an amazingly tough decision to make, and he ends up doing the right thing even though it is extremely painful for him. I wonder what I would have done if I were in his place. Would I have chosen the easy way out and decide to procrastinate the inevitable, if I were in his place? I really don't know.

I loved the story and it was the perfect combination of elemental magic and adventure. But, the ending of the book is just a bit too perfect for me. It seems as if the author has made this book into a series as an after-thought, after this book was already released. The story ends at a place where we can't see any villain in sight, and the protagonists are now as happy as you can expect them to be. The central conflict of the book also seems to have been resolved. I have no clue what the author will be writing about in the remaining books in the series. There are no plots or story lines which are left unexplored to really keep me interested. This is something that really puts me off. I don't really have anything to look forward to now. Will I read the next book in the series? I think so, but just to see what the author has come up with to extend the story. Unless he can pull the proverbial rabbit out of the hat, I may be done.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book! February 16, 2011

By PSheehy

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a very good book that is a fun quick read. The characters are very well developed and believable. The plot is very well developed and the world that Mr. Marlowe has created is rich and complex. With surprising twists in the story and a climactic ending, I strongly recommend this book to anyone. I eagerly await Mr. Marlowe's next book.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful adventure! April 28, 2011

By Benjamin Hughes

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Scott Marlowe has created some straight-forward, fast paced escapism. This is a skillfully written fantasy adventure that gallops along to a satisfying conclusion. The characters are expertly crafted and the fast moving action takes place in an ever-changing imaginative world that keeps you entertained. If you like to be pulled off into another world with a highly unique cast of characters that bounce in and out of the action, then you will enjoy this read.

More About the Author

Scott Marlowe divides his time between writing fiction, mountain biking, and designing software systems for the accounting and medical industries. He currently lives in Texas with his wife and two crazy dogs.

You can find more information about Scott online at scottmarlowe.com.