Series: Incarnation #1
Publisher: Simon Pulse (Simon and Schuster UK)
First published: April 26th, 2012
Source: Received from publisher
Format: Paperback
Pages: 246
Goodreads Summary:After spending six hundred years on Earth, Seraphina Ames has seen it all. Eternal life provides her with the world's riches but at a very high price: innocent lives. Centuries ago, her boyfriend, Cyrus, discovered a method of alchemy that allows them to take the bodies of other humans from jumping from one vessel to the next, ending the human's life in the process. No longer able to bear the guilt of what she's done, Sera escapes from Cyrus and vows to never kill again.Then sixteen-year old Kailey Morgan gets into a horrific car accident right in front of her, and Sera accidentally takes over her body while trying to save her. For the first time, Sera finds herself enjoying the life of the person she's inhabiting--and falling in love with the boy who lives next door. But Cyrus will stop at nothing until she's his again, and every moment she stays, she's putting herself and the people she's grown to care about in danger. Will Sera have to give up the one thing that's eluded her for centuries: true love?
My Rating: 3.5 / 5
First thoughts:
Incorporating thought-provoking topics like the wish for immortality, the difference of science and spirituality and trying to fight for something you need to believe in, The Alchemy of Forever has the potential to be a mind-blowing read. While I wasn't too happy with some aspects, I definitely enjoyed reading it and after the cliffhanger ending I can't wait for the second book of the Incarnation series.
More detailed:
I had been intrigued by The Alchemy of Forever's synopsis ever since I first read it and am happy to finally have read the novel itself. Alchemy - scientific magic in my eyes - makes it possible for Seraphina to live forever. But to do that she has to take over other people's bodies at regular intervalls, her old ones getting tired very soon.
Sera is also the narrator of this story, enabling us to see the world through the eyes of someone who has lived for centuries. Considering that many YA paranormal stories are told from a "human" protagonist, or at least someone who is completely new to the paranormal aspects, it was refreshing to witness the story from Sera's point of view.
The man who made this possible for her, Cyrus, also ends up being the bad guy in The Alchemy of Forever. Over centuries he's become cold and ruthless, not understanding Sera's hesitance to take over new bodies. While I really like reading about such an development, I would have loved to get to know more of his sides, since I have a hard time believing that there is nothing left of the old Cyrus.
All in all, The Alchemy of Forever was a bit too rushed for me though. Like I said above, the plot line has lots of potential, but with only 246 pages I missed a certain depth to important scenes. It wasn't enough to really connect with the characters and the story. But nonetheless it's a very imaginative story and especially after the cliffhanger I can't wait to get my hands on its sequel!
All in all, The Alchemy of Forever was a bit too rushed for me though. Like I said above, the plot line has lots of potential, but with only 246 pages I missed a certain depth to important scenes. It wasn't enough to really connect with the characters and the story. But nonetheless it's a very imaginative story and especially after the cliffhanger I can't wait to get my hands on its sequel!
Have you read The Alchemy of Forever? What did you think about it?
Do you plan to read it?
Leave your thoughts in the comment section below!
Carina
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