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WORK TITLE: The Alchemists of Loom
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://elisekova.com/
CITY: St. Petersburg
STATE: FL
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
LC control no.: no2015154093
LCCN Permalink: https://lccn.loc.gov/no2015154093
HEADING: Kova, Elise
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008 151117n| azannaabn |n aaa c
010 __ |a no2015154093
035 __ |a (OCoLC)oca10323416
040 __ |a NN |b eng |e rda |c NN |d DLC
053 _0 |a PS3611.O749416
100 1_ |a Kova, Elise
370 __ |e Saint Petersburg (Fla.) |2 naf
372 __ |a Young adult fiction |a Fantasy fiction |2 lcsh
375 __ |a female
377 __ |a eng
670 __ |a Kova, Elise. Air awakens, 2015: |b title page (Elise Kova) colophon (lives in Saint Petersburg Florida; writes YA fantasy)
PERSONAL
Female.
EDUCATION:M.B.A.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Elise Kova earned her master’s of business administration before turning her hand to writing. She is the author of several young adult fantasy series. Her first serial, “Air Awakens,” begins with the eponymous first installment, published in 2015. The book was followed by four additional installments, all released in 2016: Fire Falling, Earth’s End, Water’s Wrath, and Crystal Crowned. Kova next authored the “Golden Guard” trilogy. The first installment, The Crown’s Dog, came out in 2016. The series continues with The Prince’s Rogue and The Farmer’s War, both published in 2017. For her third series, Kova presents the “Loom Saga,” beginning with the 2016 novel The Alchemists of London. The second “Loom Saga” installment, The Dragons of Nova followed in 2017.
The Alchemists of London
In The Alchemists of London, Kova introduces readers to Arianna, a member of the Fenthri people. The Fenthri have been trapped in the subterranean world of Loom by the Dragons, a magical people who live on the surface on the Floating Isles of Nova. Arianna remembers when her people were free, and she has vowed to take revenge on the Dragons and free her people once more. Arianna is a chimera who has absorbed the body parts and the blood of dragons in order to absorb their powers, which means she may just succeed in achieving her goal. As she trains and prepares to take on the Dragons, she meets Cvareh, a Dragon who agrees to help Arianna free her people on the condition that she travel with him to the Alchemists of Loom. Arianna agrees to the deal, and she asks her friend , Florence, to join the. The Dragon Riders are then sent to stop the small band of rebels, and the tale of their trials is told from the alternating perspectives of Arianna, Cvareh, Florence, and a Dragon Rider named Leona.
Reviews of The Alchemists of London were mostly positive, and critics praised Kova’s detailed world-building, as well as her imaginative writing. For instance, a Publishers Weekly correspondent announced that “the steampunk technology of the Fenthri and magic of the Dragons are nicely depicted, making up for the rather large holes in plotting and consistency.” Lynnanne Pearson, writing in Booklist, was even more impressed, calling The Alchemists of London The Alchemists of London a “fantasy-adventure that mixes elements of steampunk, fantasy, and romance into an enjoyable read.” In the words of online RT Book Reviews contributor Ian Mathers, “the four viewpoint characters are all delightful in different ways and collide in intriguing fashion.” Becky Vosburg in the online San Francisco Book Review offered further applause, advising that “the world of Loom manages to be both dark and sparkling.” Vosburg then went on to commend “Kova’s incredibly creative writing.”
The Dragons of Nova
Arianna’s adventures continue in The Dragons of Nova, and this time around Arianna and Cvareh escape Loom on a glider. Arianna sees the Floating Isles of Nova for the first time, and witnesses the wealth and magic that the Dragons have denied the Fenthri. Arianna, however, is focuses on her mission. In order for her and Cvareh to secure the Fenthri’s freedom, the intrepid protagonists must locate the Philosopher’s Box. They can harness the artifact’s power to achieve their goal, but if the Dragon king, Yveun Dono, learns of Cvareh’s betrayal, both Cvareh and Arriana are doomed . . . and so are the Fenthri.
Unfortunately, The Dragons of Nova did not fare as well as the first “Loom Saga” installment, and a Publishers Weekly critic warned that the story “lags into dreary repetition.” The critic then concluded that “too much of the story is spent waiting for something to happen.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, December 15, 2016, Lynnanne Pearson, review of The Alchemists of Loom.
Publishers Weekly, October 17, 2016, review of The Alchemists of Loom; May 22, 2017, review of The Dragons of Nova.
ONLINE
Elise Kova Website, http://elisekova.com (July 12, 2017).
RT Book Reviews, https://www.rtbookreviews.com/ (January 10, 2017), review of The Alchemists of Loom.
San Francisco Book Review, https://sanfranciscobookreview.com/ (January 10, 2017), review of The Alchemists of Loom.*
Elise Kova has always had a profound love of fantastical worlds. Somehow, she managed to focus on the real world long enough to graduate with a Master’s in Business Administration before crawling back under her favorite writing blanket to conceptualize her next magic system. She currently lives in St. Petersburg, Florida, and when she is not writing can be found playing video games, watching anime, or talking with readers on social media. She is the USA Today bestselling author of the Air Awakens Series as well as the Loom Saga.
Follow Elise Kova on Goodreads
Follow Elise Kova on Amazon
Elise is currently unrepresented by any agency. Her Air Awakens series is self published and inquiries regarding translation rights, literary representation, or other business matters should be directed through the form on her contact page.
Her Loom Saga is published through Keymaster Press.
7/2/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
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Print Marked Items
The Dragons of Nova
Publishers Weekly.
264.21 (May 22, 2017): p78.
COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
The Dragons of Nova
Elise Kova. Keymaster, $23.99 (320p) ISBN 978-1-61984-553-4
In this muted second book in the Loom trilogy (following The Alchemists of Loom), Kova's steampunk-edged fantasy
lags into dreary repetition. Above the world of Loom float the Islands of Nova, home of the dragons that rule over the
earth bound humans called Fenthri. The Fenthri have advanced mechanical knowledge, but their guns and bombs are
no match for dragon magic. Fenthri Arianna and dragon Cvareh have made an abrupt departure from Loom via glider,
and now Arianna is learning what the higher half of the world looks like. The islands are brilliantly light-bathed, and
their architecture defies gravity, but Arianna is allowed to see little of them. She and Cvareh are here to find the
essence that powers the Philosopher's Box, which will help them liberate the Fenthri from dragon rule, but they must
conduct their search while concealing Cvareh's trip to Loom from dragon king Yveun Dono, who kills on a whim. Too
much of the story is spent waiting for something to happen, and both dragon and Fenthri characters tend toward the
insufferable. (July)
Source Citation (MLA 8
th Edition)
"The Dragons of Nova." Publishers Weekly, 22 May 2017, p. 78. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA494099067&it=r&asid=9a7536fd20ebf6679d5b34d3293da1d8.
Accessed 2 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A494099067
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The Alchemists of Loom
Lynnanne Pearson
Booklist.
113.8 (Dec. 15, 2016): p32.
COPYRIGHT 2016 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
Full Text:
The Alchemists of Loom.
By Elise Kova.
Jan. 2017.384p. Price World, $23.99 (97816198444141.
Arianna is the White Wraith, a criminal with a fearsome reputation. While on a job, she encounters a wounded Dragon.
Knowing the value of a Dragon's heart on the black market, Arianna attempts to harvest it. The Dragon, Cvareh, has
other ideas and offers her any wish that she wants, to be granted once Ari escorts him to the Alchemists of Loom.
Along with Ari's friend and assistant, Florence, they set off for the Alchemists. Chasing them are the Dragon Riders,
loyal soldiers of the Dragon King. Cvareh hopes to overthrow the king and needs the help of the Alchemists.
Alternating POV from Arianna, Cvareh, Florence, and the Dragon Rider Leona, this first book in the Loom Saga is
heavy on the world building. The story is action packed but oftentimes feels like a second book in the series. The world
isn't complicated, but Kova does not do the best job of explaining the varied character types or rules to this world.
Readers willing to just go with the flow will enjoy this fantasy-adventure that mixes elements of steampunk, fantasy,
and romance into an enjoyable read. --Lynnanne Pearson
Source Citation (MLA 8
th Edition)
Pearson, Lynnanne. "The Alchemists of Loom." Booklist, 15 Dec. 2016, p. 32. General OneFile,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA476563498&it=r&asid=1d9296ac4e1f2efdfc302c454daef24b.
Accessed 2 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A476563498
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The Alchemists of Loom
Publishers Weekly.
263.42 (Oct. 17, 2016): p55.
COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
The Alchemists of Loom
Elise Kova. Keymaster, $23.99 (380p) ISBN 978-1-61984-441-4
Kova (the Air Awakens series) crafts a fascinating divided world and a more threadbare plot for her Loom epic fantasy
series launch. Arianna is a young woman out for vengeance. Her people, the Fenthri, have been subjugated by the
magic users called the Dragons, who live above the surface of the world of Loom on the floating Isles of Nova. Ari is
old enough to remember a time when the Fenthri were free and able to choose their own paths, and she aches to toss
the hated Dragons out of Fenthri lands. Ari is a chimera, a Fenthri who has absorbed body parts and blood of Dragons
and become imbued with Dragon magic. With that magic and the skills she's learned, Ari has every intention of
destroying all the Dragons--until the Dragon Cvareh Xin 'Ryu Soh drops at her feet and offers her a boon if she'll take
him to the Alchemists' Guild, where he hopes to help the Fenthri liberation cause, for reasons that remain opaque. Ari's
rationale for accepting the task rather than killing this representative of her most despised enemies is likewise unclear.
The steampunk technology of the Fenthri and magic of the Dragons are nicely depicted, making up for the rather large
holes in plotting and consistency. (Jan.)
Source Citation (MLA 8
th Edition)
"The Alchemists of Loom." Publishers Weekly, 17 Oct. 2016, p. 55. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA468700042&it=r&asid=43debafc17a0b48197bcf48bfc19ecf1.
Accessed 2 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A468700042
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The Alchemists of Loom
We rated this book:
$23.99
The Alchemists of Loom is the first installment in an exciting new fantasy series from bestselling author Elise Kova. The fierce and head-strong heroine, Arianna, prowls the night disguised as the White Wraith, fighting for vengeance and justice against the dragons that have turned her world upside down. When she crosses paths with an injured dragon and spares his life, she sees her chance to hold him for a boon that will further her cause. With her student, Florence, the three set out on a dangerous journey to The Alchemists Guild.
With dragons in the sky, chimera and humans on the ground, and an arsenal of magically-fueled steampunk weaponry, the world of Loom manages to be both dark and sparkling. Kova’s incredibly creative writing lets the details of her world bloom slowly around the story’s main players, unfolding gracefully alongside the plot lines and through the alternating points-of-view. Each character captures the reader with their complexities and passions, both good and bad. The relationship that grows between Arianna and Cvareh is slow-burning and fragile, a trust that strengthens and snaps at every page but that will undoubtedly have readers anticipating its outcome in future books. Fantasy fans, this is not to be missed.
Reviewed By: Becky Vosburg
Author: Elise Kova
Star Count: 5/5
Format: Hard
Page Count: 380 pages
Publisher: Keymaster Press
Publish Date: 2017-Jan-10
ISBN: 9781619844414
Amazon: Buy this Book
Issue: January 2017
Category: Young Adult
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Genre:
Fantasy
Published:
January 10 2017
Publisher:
Keymaster Press
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5 GOLD: Phenomenal. In a class by itself.
4 1/2: TOP PICK. Fantastic. A keeper.
4: Compelling. A page-turner.
3: Enjoyable. A pleasant read.
2: Problematic. May struggle to finish.
1: Severely Flawed. Pass on this one.
THE ALCHEMISTS OF LOOM
Author(s): Elise Kova
Kova does an excellent job making Loom and Nova both distinctly fresh and interesting; either would have been a fascinating setting for a story, and the combination of the two and their people (and the tragic way they are currently interacting) makes for some extremely rich possibilities. The four viewpoint characters are all delightful in different ways and collide in intriguing fashion, and the increasingly romantic connection between two of them is compellingly written. The story moves well, with real and clear stakes, and there’s a good balance between exploring this intriguing setting and having our heroes move toward significantly changing it.
Loom and Nova, one hidden beneath an endless maelstrom of clouds, the other floating above them, might as well be different worlds. Unfortunately, ever since the combination of Loom’s technology and Nova’s magic has made transit between the two possible, the Dragons of Nova and their King have ruled Loom with an iron fist, subjugating the Five Guilds. Now Cvareh, scion of one of the lesser families, will fall to Loom on a desperate quest to usurp the order of things. Normally, encountering the engineer-thief Arianna, the dreaded White Ghost, would be the end of his life, but it turns out she might be the only one who can help him change their worlds forever. (KEYMASTER PRESS, Jan., 380 pp., $23.99)
Reviewed by:
Ian Mathers