Review: Gunpowder Alchemy by Jeannie Lin


Gunpowder Alchemy is an excellent steampunk book set in 1800s China. In the midst of the Opium war a young woman named Soling, who is working as an assistant to a physician in a small town and trying to keep her family fed, ends up getting embroiled in the war between the Empire, the English, and a band of rebels that is growing into a dangerous army. She has to confront her past, her father's old position in the court, and her family's current disgrace. 


It's an immersive, well-told tale with amazing characterization at the heart of it that drives the story. It's so rare when a protagonist's family relationships feel real. She goes on an adventure that takes her away from them, but she thinks about them and tries her best to make sure they're safe and to contact them and that makes all her interactions feel real and genuine. 


There's action, there are interesting clockwork contraptions, gunpowder warfare, ships, and so many other exciting things. The story moves along quickly and is gripping. It's the first in a series, but the main short-term conflicts and issues are resolved well while at the same time setting up a greater conflict for the whole series. 


I highly recommend this story and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series. 

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