Gwenda Bond’s first book Blackwood has been reimagined and brought back to life with new vision. On Roanoke Island, the legend of the Lost Colony—and the 114 colonists who vanished without a trace more than four hundred years ago—still haunts the town. But that’s just a story told for the tourists in Strange Alchemy.

When 114 people suddenly disappear from the island in present day, it seems history is repeating itself—and an unlikely pair of seventeen-year-olds might be the only hope of bringing the missing back. Miranda Blackwood, a member of one of island’s most infamous families, and Grant Rawling, the sherrif’s son, who has demons and secrets of his own, find themselves at the center of the mystery.

As the unlikely pair works to uncover the secrets of the new Lost Colony, they must dodge everyone from the authorities to long-dead alchemists as they race against time to save their family and friends before they too are gone for good. (via Goodreads)

I received an eARC of Strange Alchemy from Netgalley, courtesy of Switch Press, in exchange for an honest review.

I decided to give this book a try because I adore the author on Twitter, and this historical fantastic mystery sounded entirely up my alley.

I was right. This is exactly the kind of mystery I love – characters who think they might be evil incarnate, magic, side characters changing loyalties, wondering if the romance is real at the end of it… I really loved it.

Both Miranda and Grant have really strong voices, which was really important for this book. If they hadn’t been as great, the book really wouldn’t have worked as well as it did.

This book was heart-wrenching in the best way, although I wished there was a little bit more of a conclusion on the changes to their daily lives. I was glad that Grant figured his life out, and that they were together, but no way in hell the government just lets Miranda live on her own until she turns 18 with no job and no family.

Other than those questions, I really enjoyed Strange Alchemy. If you’re into southern mysteries with a historical twist, this is the book for you! You can pick up a copy on Amazon or Indiebound!

Disclaimer: All links to Indiebound and Amazon are affiliate links, which means that if you buy through those links, I will make a small amount of money off of it.