The Alchemist and an Amaretto by Annette Marie – That’s What I’m Talking About…
Audiobook review: The Alchemist and an Amaretto by Annette Marie
The Alchemist and an Amaretto is the eighth book in the Guild Codex universe. For the read-along, we are following the author’s recommended reading order, found HERE.
It’s nearing Christmas time, approximately five weeks since the events of Halloween and the rogue demon hunt. The gang is invited to spend time with Aaron’s family at their elite mage academy and home. However, their quiet holidays are interrupted by a series of werewolf attacks, placing the students and mages in danger. When one of their own is injured, the Crow and Hammer members rally together to save the day.
The Alchemist and an Amaretto is another entertaining entry in the Guild Codex world. I loved seeing the gang work in another setting and outside their normal operations. We know from previous books that Aaron doesn’t get along with his family, but seeing their subtle manipulation and how Aaron acts around them reveals so much about his personality. His parents aren’t bad people and they want what is best for him, but they live in a world of elitism and Aaron doesn’t want to be the person he is when around them.
The mystery of the mutated werewolves is interesting. I enjoyed watching Tori put together the puzzle pieces. She’s smart and is utilizing her learned skills to fight smarter. Her moral compass is strong, as is her love for her found family. She’s come a long way since she first stumbled into the Crow and Hammer.
That said, I’m not happy with how she’s dealing with the fact that Ezra’s demon is taking over his mind and body. I follow her logic and understand why she’s making the choices she does, but that doesn’t mean I’m happy with them. I’m glad the demon storyline is coming to a head, and I hope Tori finds a solution soon because I’m digging their budding potential romance.
Narration: the story is shared via the first person POV of Tori Dawson. Dukehart uses a perky, upbeat feminine voice for Tori. She captures the whip smart, takes-no-crap attitude of the twenty-one year old. Dukehart alters character dialogue based on gender and age with moderate success, making each character fairly distinguishable. Dukehart keeps the story moving forward in a lively manner.
With so much on the line, I look forward to reading more books. Between saving Ezra and an apparent “big bad” out there, I am excited to find out what happens next. One side note: I really hope we see Robin and Tori connect soon!
My Ratings
Story: B+/B
Narration: B+
Jen
About the Book:
As a guild bartender, I can handle pretty much anything—mages, sorcerers, witches, the occasional demon. But show me anything family-related and I’d rather run for the hills. It doesn’t even have to be my family.
So I have no idea why I thought spending the holidays with Aaron’s mom and pop was a good idea.
Meeting his famous parents is already terrifying enough, but I’ve got a bigger problem. Students of his family’s renowned mage academy are being attacked on the grounds–and somehow no one has seen a single assailant? Unexplained tracks litter the nearby woods, rumors of forbidden alchemy are circulating the campus…and Ezra has been acting strangely since we arrived.
Something deadly is brewing in the shadow of Sinclair Academy, and the longer we take to uncover it, the more dangerous it becomes. But no matter the risk, we’ll protect the students.
And Aaron’s parents too, I suppose. If we have to.
Author: Annette Marie
Narrator: Cris Dukehart
Series: The Guild Codex: Spellbound #5; Guild Codex Universe #8
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Audiobook Release Date: January 28, 2020
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Length: 6 hours and 55 minutes
Source: Library
Audio Speed: 1.25x
