This was a very intriguing story. I will admit I didn’t know much about the historical period this story took place in but I was very intrigued by the alchemists. The characters were interesting, but I didn’t really like any of them and I think none of them were as fullly developed as I would like. There was a lot of potential in them and the idea though. The concept of you can’t create good without creating evil was interesting and I was fascinated by the main character being able to resurrect people but not being sure of all of the consequences. I wasn’t as interested in the mysterious rich stranger offering to throw money at the poor but talented Scarlet Alchemist as I feel like that storyline didn’t feel as interesting or unique to me. The ending was a bit of a surprise and I am now very interested in the next book and where this series will be going. Overall I enjoyed the book and definitely will be keeping an eye out for the next one.