Alchemy of Glass

by Barbara Barnett

Overview

The Alchemy of Glass weaves a tale magical as spun glass and terrifying as a shattered mirror, drawing upon cutting edge science and the most ancient of Celtic mythology, intertwining the magic of fairy lore and the harsh reality of difficult choices, returning us to the world of immortal apothecary Gaelan Erceldoune, as his past, present and future collide, in an attempt to prevent a catastrophic future.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781645060130
Publisher:	Pyr
Publication date:	04/21/2020
Pages:	376
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Barbara Barnett is publisher and executive editor of Blogcritics Magazine and the author of Chasing Zebras: The Unofficial Guide to House, M.D. Barbara has won several awards for her writing, spanning from technical writing achievement to her writing on spirituality and religion. Barbara has a degree from the University of Illinois in biology/chemistry and has worked as a microbiologist. She is the current president of the Midwest Writers Association.

Editorial Reviews

02/17/2020

Barnett follows 2016’s The Apothecary’s Curse with this well-researched but convoluted sequel about the ways in which an alchemist’s attempts to free himself from the curse of immortality cause dangerous ripple effects through the centuries. Scenes set in 1826—told in ornate, period-accurate language—see immortal apothecary Gaelan Erceldoune resettle in a town just outside of London. Soon Gaelan becomes embroiled in local drama, saving the life of a young woman who took a risky measure to end her pregnancy and hiding her from her angry family. At the same time, an illness thought to have been eradicated sweeps through town and the only cure is somehow linked to the immortality curse. Alternating sections set in present-day Chicago demonstrate how a mishap while curing the illness led to a catastrophic future. Barnett overloads her tale with historical and medical detail, delving into worldbuilding minutiae at the expense of narrative momentum. This ambitious fantasy is strictly for series completionists; new readers will be lost. Agent: Katharine Sands, Sarah Jane Freymann Literary. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

Myth, medicine, and immortality, braided together like the border of an illuminated manuscript.

Doris Egan

Anne Rice meets Michael Crichton in this fever dream of a fantasy. Richly textured, terrifying, and somehow timely, Barbara Barnett’s time-jumping tale will keep readers up well past their bedtime. Highly recommended!

Jay Bonansinga

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