Mercury Retrograde
A Dark Alchemy Novel
Book Two
Laura Bickle
On-Sale 10/27/2015
ISBN: 9780062437617
About the Book:
Geologist Petra Dee and the citizens of Temperance, Wyoming come up against a venomous enemy, not to mention a biker gang that’s hell on wheels, in the second book in Laura Bickle’s Dark Alchemy series.
Something venomous has come to Temperance…
It’s been two months since Petra Dee and her coyote sidekick Sig faced off against Temperance’s resident alchemist, but things are far from quiet. When an Internet video of a massive snake in the backcountry of Yellowstone goes viral, a chase for the mythical basilisk is on. Monster hunters swarm into the area, and never one to pass up the promise of discovery, Petra joins in the search.
Among the newcomers is a snake cult on wheels - the biker gang Sisters of Serpens. Unlike some, the Sisters don’t want to kill the basilisk - they want to worship it. But things get complicated when the basilisk develops a taste for human flesh that rivals the Sisters’ own murderous skills.
Meanwhile, the alchemical tree of life is dying, and the undead Hanged Men of Temperance who depend on it know the basilisk may be their last chance for survival.
With time running out for everyone around her, Petra will be forced to decide who survives and who she must leave behind in this action-packed sequel to Dark Alchemy.
Publishers Weekly Starred Review!
“This wonderfully unusual Weird West novel combines the best of contemporary fantasy with metaphysical magic and mayhem, and even a bit of romance. Bickle has a knack for creating atmosphere, and she fills the fast-paced narrative with vivid scenes of wonder and a poignant story of death and rebirth. Fans of the first book will be enthralled, and new readers will easily fall into the quirky, dusty land that Petra and her unusual friends inhabit.”
My ReviewI love Laura Bickle! She is just fantastic, and I love that she is so different from any other author on the planet. I have read just about everything from her, and when I read the first book, I was really hoping I would get more. And yes I did! Book two may be just as good if not better as book one! There's a little time that has past since book one, and there's a little recap from book one in case you haven't read it. But I so vote to read book one, not because you would be confused but because you would be missing out on great story telling by Ms Bickle! And I love Sig LOL
So, Petra and Sig are back, and there's a snake... a freaking big snake... and it's taken over Yellowstone. Oh, and someone decided to take videos and put them all over the internet, so now, tourists are showing up in hoards, and even monster hunters are tagging along, everyone wants a video for themselves, or the "say" of catching it. Now, with all these other people come Gabe and his Hanged Men tribe, who are looking for the snake, not for fame but for life. They need the snake to help them save their tree. And to help keep them on their toes are a women run biker gang who worship snakes and they think the snake should be fed, not killed... So, they will use people as food. EW! And WOAH!
I love the characters in here. All of Ms Bickle's characters are so well written and in depth. They have the complexity that makes them feel so real. And you never can predict exactly what they are going to do next. And the world building and supernatural parts are always so unique and creative. There's so much goodness about this book, and this series. I think you should read this one! NOW! LOL 5 PAWS!!! I can't wait for more, please say their will be more!
About the Author:
Laura Bickle grew up in rural Ohio, reading entirely too many comic books out loud to her favorite Wonder Woman doll. After graduating with an MA in Sociology - Criminology from Ohio State University and an MLIS in Library Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, she patrolled the stacks at the public library and worked with data systems in criminal justice. She now dreams up stories about the monsters under the stairs. Her work has been included in the ALA’s Amelia Bloomer Project 2013 reading list and the State Library of Ohio’s Choose to Read Ohio reading list for 2015-2016.
More information about Laura’s work can be found at www.laurabickle.com
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