Many people know about the Lost Colony on Roanoke Island where 114 colonists disappeared, but what about the 114 present day residents who have recently vanished? Miranda comes from a long line of “cursed” family members and the island’s residents don’t let her forget it. Grant may be the sheriff’s son, but he has a family secret that he is trying to keep hidden. These two unlikely teenagers decide that their family secrets might just be what is needed to uncover the secret about both disappearances.

Strange Alchemy is a stand-alone novel that defies one genre label. There is a bit of supernatural and/or fantasy involved with the family secrets and disappearances, but overall the pair uses deductive reasoning to uncover the truth. Bond has taken a historical period of America’s past and re-envisioned it for today’s readers. I hope most readers, when finished with this book, will look for more stories or non-fiction accounts about this period of time.

I admit it. I'm not a history buff. I first heard of the lost colony of Roanoke and the word 'Croatoan' while watching one of the later series of Haven, which is loosely based on Stephen King's The Colorado Kid. I became fascinated by the mystery behind the disappearance of over 100 people. It was this fascination that led me to want to read Strange Alchemy. Before I started this novel I read some more about the history and the theories surrounding the lost colony.

I loved the first half of the book and enjoyed the alternating chapters showing Miranda and Grant's points of view. Sometimes I find books with different points of view fragmented but felt the story flowed well from chapter to chapter. I liked both of the main characters who, for different reasons, long to be normal and not be defined by their reputations.

Almost exactly at the halfway mark the story seemed to fall apart for me. There was a lot happening to keep my attention and I still wanted to keep reading until the end but the explanations fell flat for me. I spent a lot of time questioning the characters' choices and the series of events. I don't understand, if Grant hearing the voices of the spirits is supposed to be a gift, why he spends most of the book trying to push them into the background. I waited patiently for the author's explanation of the word 'Croatoan' being carved on a post and it never came. I didn't mind that some people had to die at the end but was it really necessary to hurt adorable Sidekick?

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley (thank you very much to NetGalley and Capstone) in exchange for honest feedback. I think young teenagers who are interested in starting to get their teeth into books that have a supernatural element will enjoy this book.

Y'all know I love Gwenda Bond AND the Roanoke Island mystery, right? So it's not surprising that I LOVED Strange Alchemy. Woo!

At the start colonial America, a whole colony of people just disappeared. Some speculate the colony died of illness, others say they just left the area, and the really creative look toward alien abduction. If you're a Supernatural fan, you know they became zombies. Gwenda gives us another theory of the more paranormal variety.

Miranda and Grant both have longstanding history (ahem, legacy) on Roanoke Island, both descendants from the historical colonists. Miranda's family are the town outcasts thanks to some unfair shaming and Grant hears the voices from the past. As you can imagine, this puts them square in the middle of trying to solve a mystery when the same number of current day residents goes missing as their ancestors did many years ago.

To say it doesn't happen easily is an understatement. Together they work as the mystery deepens and more lives, including their own, are at stake.

I enjoyed Gwenda's take on the mystery and how she linked it to the modern day world. I mean, if aliens are on the table, why not alchemy? I won't say more but I enjoyed the paranormal and fantasy elements of the story as much as I enjoyed the characters.

PS Gwenda really likes writing kissing scenes...and she's pretty dang good at it.

I have mixed feelings about Bond's work. My previous experiences with it had me loving one book (Girl on a Wire) and disliking the next (Girl in the Shadows) so I wasn't sure what to expect from Strange Alchemy, especially as it's listed as a revised version of her first book.

I'll say this for it: this book is certainly different from the usual YAs I've read. I liked that it included paranormal elements without falling into the cliches I see in a lot of urban fantasies. The lost colony of Roanoke is a part of history that I never learned a lot about beyond mentions in history class but I found myself looking more into it after starting this book. This brings the legend into the modern day with another population disappearing, curses, and all sorts of mystery abounding.

The writing wasn't as clean as the other books I've read by her but the story was fairly interesting. Though I'm not big on thrillers and I wouldn't necessarily classify this book as such, there was a feel to it that gave me horror movie vibes at times as the tension continued to build. And then... I'm not sure what happened. The pace slowed as details were flung out left and right, breaking down a lot of that previous tension and causing me to lose interest.

There were also a few questions I had throughout the story that were never really addressed and that took away from the experience. I really am not a fan of stories that leave me with too many questions and not enough answers (side-eyes the ReMade serial...). 

Miranda and Grant were alright protagonists. Miranda's tough (and cursed) while Grant as some interesting abilities, but neither jumped off the page for me. I felt like they served more for the plot's purpose, that it was the primary driver, than the characters. Which is fine. I tend to find I enjoy character-driven stories more, personally, and didn't really feel much for either of these two, but it wasn't badly done. Though the little romance subplot wasn't working for me. 

Strange Alchemy had a little bit of everything in it and I both liked and disliked that. There's a decent amount going on and, at times, I had to backtrack because I thought I missed something (and sometimes there was nothing to miss and the plot just lacked the details to support a particular point). 

If you don't mind having a few questions at the end of a novel, and enjoy an interesting take on a historical mystery brought into a new light, then I'd recommend Strange Alchemy to you. It was missing a few things for me but was, overall, an interesting read.

I'd never read Ms. Bond before so I guess it was only fitting that I started with a re-write of her first published novel. Based on the lost colony of Roanoke Island, one of the parts of colonization mystery that I find the most intriguing, I knew I had to read it. I was pleasantly surprised by the result. I can say that I'll be checking out more of her catalogue and that the book is definitely worth the read!

When I first got approved for this one Netgalley I was like OOOOH a new Gwenda Bond book. I was a little disappointed when I realized that it was just Blackwood redone. That being said I have been totally blown away with the updated version. Which I now need LOL.
This book is like a slow but fast burn. You get a ton of mystery and then the fantasy aspect starts unfolding and the book just grows to become something totally and truly amazing. I couldnt put it down and I really hope we get more from this author and this new reimagined world she has created.

Miranda has never cherished her family's name. Blackwood held something sinister within its ancestry, but no one really knew what. Because of her last name, Miranda is accustomed to being ostracized---no thanks to the help of Grant Rawling's accusations towards her openly at school.

When 114 islanders go missing---the same amount of settlers who had originally vanished from Roanoke Island back in the 1500's---her path will be intertwined with Grant's in ways that she, or he, doesn't expect.

Caught up in the mysterious disappearances, the two quickly realize that they are part of a plot much bigger than themselves.

----------------------------------

This is a re-imagining of the author's first book, Blackwood.

The first half of this book was absolutely arresting. I was so intrigued with the way the story was headed, and I needed to know what was going to happen!

Based upon the historical mystery of Roanoke Island's (and North America for that matter) first settlers, who all but vanished into thin air. It is speculated that they simulated into various Native American tribes, but no one knows for sure. It was also one of America's first colonial mysteries throughout the influx of European immigrants!

The cover is just as ominous and threatening as the tale being told. (I think it perfectly reflects it's contents.) From afar, the treeline looks like silhouettes of colonial-style homes along the shoreline. I don't know if this was the intended visual effect, but it works.

I think this book made me realize how much I enjoyed the mystery portion of it, because when the "fantasy" began appearing more and more, my interest level diminished---which is odd for me, because I love fantasy. I felt that the further the plot went into revealing the truth behind the mystery, the less detail and clarity accompanied it. This does not go to say that the backstory was bad, because it wasn't. I felt that it needed a lot more detail.

With that being said, I appreciate the author's interpretation on this colonial mystery. I could tell that she did her research, and combined it well with the story that she manifested. It was an interesting read.

Vulgarity: Minimal.
Sexual Content: Besides some flirting and kissing, not much.
Violence: Some, including "soul sucking."

3.5 stars.

A big thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!

This is a good mystery to read for adults and teenagers.

Gwend Bond was in my authors' list of to be read since a long time. I catched few details of some of her books on Goodreads, so when I saw that Netgalley was offering this title, I didn't say no.
And it was a wise choice, since I enjoyed Strange Alchemy quite a lot.

Firs of all, I need to write that the novel isn't a masterpiece, yet it was a refershing read regarding YA's panorama. I love the genre, so I tend to like everything inside it - bad and good things - but still, this book lack of:
- instalove
- useless romance angst
- abusrd hyper poetic physical descriptions
- other YA rubbish
- smells ( why everyone natural smell of citrus or jasmine, even in the middle of a bloody battle?)
Basically: that's great!
Also, this is a paronarmal with ghosts. No vampires, werewolfs, fallen angels... ghosts! It's something that shouldn't be so diffucult to read in book that her etiquetted as paranormals.

Miranda and Grant are great protagonist.
First of all, Miranda is strong but no a Mary Sue and don't need to act like a "bad girl" to be so. She endure many things - all along with her labradore Sidekick (Love the name) - from and for her family, listening to the whispers of Roanoke's people.
I have to say that at the start the fact that people looked at Blackwoods just because of their bad luck and not certain curse, well it was strange but it soon reminded me that people grab everything they can just to talk ill, so it was quite normal in the end.
Grant was precious. He's gentle, genuine, he speaks the truth. He doesn't act like a bad boy and he seriously concern about the safety of other people. He knows how to say: I'm sorry. It's something that I don't take for granted in real life, neither in the books I read.
I needed a guy like Grant in a novel.

The way how him and Miranda interact is also great. First: they're nerdy. It's just lovely, even if I'm not part of the fandom they love. Anyway, Grant and Mirand are sincere to each other. They don't keep secrets, they take care and try their best to watch eachother back.

Bad points of the novel are parts of the plot, few historical details and the bad guys.
To be totally fair, I liked all the bad points, even if they're what they are. But still, I'm that kind o reader that need information.
The curse, the alchemy, the process behind it, the ghosts and the magic, they way certain minor characters are handled... details, please.
I need to know how the alchemy works, how the bad guy managed to reach that level of power, of everything works, why tha ancestors did that they did and why the curse works in tha way, how goes on generation after generation.

Anyway, Strange Alchemy is a novel that I would suggest to everyone that wants to read and adventure book, with magic, mystery, curse, spirits, nice protagonists, depraved villain, and perfect for a relaxed summer read

Mini review to come on my blog on June 12 2017. Link will be provided once post is live.

I had no idea what sort of book this was going to be, if I would like it or not. I went into it totally blank and did no research on it, but read it because I have love, love, loved Gwenda Bond's Lois Lane series so much.

I also haven't read any YA book (I think) in quite a while (excluding comic book trades/graphic novels). I'm glad that this was what I broke my streak of 0 on.

It's the story of Roanoke Island. We meet Miranda and Grant. And then they switch off telling the story.

Miranda is the black sheep of the island, a Blackwood, and considered a freak. Grant has been off the island because when he's on the island his mind is besieged by some sort of very insistent spirits.

Then a bunch of people disappear and Miranda's Dad is one of them. Miranda and Grant are on the case. Trying to get answers about what's going on with those on the Island ans well as what's going on with Miranda too.

Gwenda weaves together history and fantasy and teenage angst with a great deftness that kept me 'turning' the ebook pages until the very end.

Oh, and then there was Sidekick, Miranda's dog. He was one of my favorite characters in the book. Perfectly written dog character for sure!

I got this ARC through Netgalley on behalf of Capstone and Switch Press.

This is a fun, mysterious, magical YA book that focuses on the legend of Roanoke Island. While it is, I suppose, technically historical fiction it is much more fiction than history. I found the book to be a fun read, intriguing and interesting enough to keep me reading. The characters that we alternate between are both well developed and strong. A fun read for any YA lover.

This is Bond's first book, and it does show, even though it has obviously been heavily revised and edited. There's an unpolished feel to the storytelling that isn't evident in her later books. That said, this was still a compelling read and I read it over the course of two nights.

Bond takes the historical Lost Colony of Roanoke and infuses it with sinister magic and centuries-long plots. Miranda and Grant are both legacies of the Roanoke colony, and are pulled into the mystery in the present-day as history repeats itself and 114 people disappear from the island.

I enjoyed this. The plot was really interesting and well-done. However, I never really got a clear sense of either Miranda or Grant's personalities or characters. They were nearly blank slates who, if it weren't for Grant's abilities or Miranda's curse, would be fairly boring characters with no distinguishing characteristics or personality traits. They served more as vehicles for the plot than fully fleshed out characters. This was especially telling since the chapters switched POV between the two of them, and yet I sometimes forgot who was narrating because neither had a unique voice.

This isn't a dealbreaker, but just something that kept me from connecting with the characters, and thus the story.

*E-ARC PROVIDED BY NETGALLEY FOR AN HONEST REVIEW*

2.5 stars.

Faye has an ability where she can see someone at the moment of their death, and when she sees the murder of someone she knows, she has to decide whether to tell her or not, and try to stop her murder from happening.

I'm a little disappointed, this story started out so intriguing, and had so much potential, but there were a few things that didn't work well.

Firstly I noticed several continuity errors, which is jarring and ruins the flow of the story.

Also Faye and her friends seem to make huge leaps in knowledge from one or two flimsy clues. For example <spoiler> Faye leaping to the conclusion that the author of a diary from the 1600's (Genevieve) must have been a distant relative to her friend Hannah because Genevieve could control animals and Hannah can control water and earth. It's a stretch at best, but next thing you know Faye is telling everyone with certainty that Genevieve is Hannahs ancestor. </spoiler> You can see the author is trying to keep the story moving, but it really could be handled more smoothly.

This review will be posted on The Crown of Books on June 10th around 10:30 AM EST.

In Strange Alchemy, history is repeated when 114 citizens in a town suddenly disappears in the same location where it first happens many years ago on the same island of Roanoke. I stumbled across this book randomly on NetGalley while I was binge watching American Horror Story. Any AHS fan knows that the latest season involved with the Roanoke story. I think was in a moment of being slightly obsessed with the show that I wanted to read more.

I remember when I first got into this book, I started thinking that this was different and interesting. There were talks of a curse surrounding a certain family while theres another family dealing with a gift that can see spirits affected by the curse on the island. It was an interest play on a legend that almost everyone knows. The more I got into, the less interested I became.

I felt that certain scenes and parts were being dragged out where it could be summed up or written quicker. It was mainly playing around with history and finding important pieces that could help with what was going on in the present day when citizens went missing, During the middle of the books, I felt that some of the same information kept being repeated over and over again. It was not to repetitive, but to an amount when you start thinking that you already knew that and want something new.

In the ending of the book, everything started going in a faster pace as everything fell into place and information started coming from everything. I was able to understand it, but I felt that to many things were happening at once. I knew that this was sudden part of the story and every character did not expect it. I tried following the characters' action, but there were bits that happened and I had to think "When did that happen?" I was not sure if it was recent, or a couple of chapters back because I ended up taking a break from this book unintentionally. Due to that reason, I decided to let this this part go a little. It may have been my fault for forgetting some pieces after al.

Overall, this is an easy book, but requires certain focus to follow up on everything. I loved the fact that this was based on Roanoke and for that I enjoyed part of this book. However, I just could not get into the story as much as I thought I would.

I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley. First of all, let me say that I am reviewing this book from the perspective of a young adult reader.

I was super excited to see a book about the Lost Colony. I am from North Carolina and this part of history has always intrigued me. Unfortunately, I haven't found a lot of books concerning the Colony. I don't want to say that this book was a disappointment. If this book had been written for adults, I would say it would have been a disappointment. Knowing that it is a YA book, I had to read it with that in mind.

There were some facts about the Lost Colony embedded in this book that I had never learned. That was great! The book mainly stayed in perspective of the two main characters. I feel like the author chose a perspective that would be very appealing to YA. One character is a boy and the other a girl. There is a relationship that developed between the characters, but it was totally appropriate to the age group.

I personally did not care for the Sci-Fi aspect of the book. I would have enjoyed reading more of a historical fiction mystery about the Lost Colony, but I believe the Sci-Fi aspect would appear to younger readers. Overall, I would recommend this book for YA readers.

A reworking of Bond's debut book, Blackwood, is an intriguing young adult novel about an island haunted by the strange disappearance of 114 colonists more than 400 years ago. But when history repeats itself an unlikely pair of teens find themselves drawn into a dangerous mission to save the townsfolk and unlock the island's mysterious past.
Strange Alchemy is a story with a lot of promise, that bursts out of the blocks and ticks along nicely thanks to its overarching mystery and two interesting protagonists. But after a strong first 150-odd pages, it gets bogged down with exposition and sloppy reveals that almost grind it to a halt.
Bond somewhat recovers for a thrilling final act but it's a middle section is a bugbear that holds it back as a good read rather than a great one.

The mysterious of Roanoke Island have always captivated me. Unfortunately, I wish I could say the same for Strange Alchemy. Don’t get me wrong, the book did have its moments. The premise was interesting and captivating (to a point).
In all honestly, I struggled to get through this book. There were far too many unanswered questions. Either the answers went right over my head or I failed to make obvious connections. But honestly, how could a family not know the reason behind their curse.
The added romance was not my favorite. But then again, I’m not the biggest fan romances in the first place. Insta-love at it’s finest.
The. Plot. Holes. I understand that this book is realistic fiction/fantasy, but being unable to explain certain ordinary occurrences blows my mind.
Overall, this book was a bit of a let down for me. There was a good chunk of mystery but not the kind that will leave you lying awake at night to want to continue reading.

I didnt finish the book.It was too slow for me and I was hoping for something like Lois Lane :(

I fell in love with Strange Alchemy. It is truly original story built on the legends surrounding Roanoke Island and the 115 colonists who disappeared in 1590.
Gwenda Bond weaves true magic with genuine characters and an ending you will not see coming.