|summary=A rather unique historical fantasy, well-researched and bursting with fascinating detail. It won't appeal to everyone, but those with a taste for colourful and slightly gothic folklore will love it. Joanne Owen was kind enough to be [[The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Joanne Owen|interviewed by Bookbag]].
I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to The Bookbag.
Further reading suggestion: ''Alchemist'' reminded me a lot of Marcus Sedgwick's terrific ''Book of Dead Days'' duology, with its gloom, and doom, and creepy plot-turns. ''Dead Days'' hasn't been reviewed by Bookbag, but you can check out our reviews of [[Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick|Revolver]] and [[The Kiss of Death by Marcus Sedgwick|The Kiss of Death]] to get a taste for his style. For another book with a hint of folklore to it, try Livi Michael's [[Faerie Heart by Livi Michael|Faerie Heart]], a gloriously original fantasy set in the the distant past.