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Spellmason Chronicles series

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Alchemystic (The Spellmason Chronicles -1)

Alchemystic (The Spellmason Chronicles #1)

The Spellmason Chronicles series by Anton Strout. 

Genres and Sub-Genres[]

Urban Fantasy / "Para-urban Rom-antasy"

Series Description or Overview[]

Follows the life of Alexandra Belarus, a struggling artist in New York City forced to return to her family’s real estate business, and Stanis, a gargoyle created by Alexandra’s ancestor. Both characters are trapped by the circumstances of their present, while discovering (and rediscovering) family history in hopes it will save Alexandra and her family from the attack of a tyrant. The Spellmason Chronicles are excellent urban fantasy that combine sculpture and architecture with magic, mystery and mayhem. ~ Interrogate the Author: Starring Anton Strout #alchemystic #stonecast #spellmason | (the original) Urban Fantasy Land

What Sets it Apart[]

Gargoyles and alchemy used as the main supernatural elements—and Spellmasons (magic on stone). And, we see the moment that magic is revealed to the world.

Narrative Type and Narrators[]

The book is written in the first person voice with chapters alternating between Lexi and Stanis.

✥ Be sure that you pay attention to the chapter titles, each of which lets you know which character is speaking. This dual-voice approach means that the plot has two separate story arcs. ~ Fang-tastic Fiction

Books in Series[]

Spellmason Chronicles series (trilogy):

  1. Alchemystic (2012)
  2. Stonecast (Sept 24, 2013)
  3. The Incarnate (Sept 30, 2014) ~ Final

Shorts, Anthologies and Guides[]

none yet

Other Series by Author[]

Simon Canderous series

World Building[]

Setting[]

Alternate Manhattan

Places:

  • Gothic Gramercy Park building: built by Alexander Belarus (Bell air' us), Alexandra Belarus's great-great-grandfather. Stanis perches on it in Gargoyle form.

Supernatural Elements[]

✥ Gargoyle, Spellmason (magic on stone), Mages, witches, warlocks, ancient artifact, , ,,

Glossary:[]

  • Spellmason: an artisan who could work magic on stone—a mage with the ability to work magic on stone to the point of transmuting stone into a living thing.
  • Soul Stones: may give Stanis more power so that she can somehow restore strength to the protection spell.

Groups & Organizations:[]

  • Libra Concordia: quasi-religious organization—collects information on questionable miracles that are generally connected to magic. Desmond Locke is connected to it.

World[]

✥ This world is mostly human. In fact as the series opens, the only supernatural creatures that exist in this alternate Manhattan are stone men—gargoyles, or grotesques. In the series opener, the gargoyle who is at the center of the story, Stanis (aka Stan, aka Stanislav), perches on the roof of a privately owned building overlooking Gramercy Park. This gargoyle isn't the usual ugly, misshapen waterspout statue, however. Check out the cover art—he's a handsome young man even if he is made of stone.

The building that houses Stanis is owned by the Belarus (pronounced Bell air' us) family, whose ancestor, Alexander, was a great stonemason and architect who built a real estate empire in Manhattan decades ago. Actually, Alexander was more than a stonemason. He was a Spellmason, a mage with the ability to work magic on stone to the point of transmuting stone into a living thing. The residents of Gramercy Park building are Alexander's descendants: his great-great-granddaughter, Alexandra (Lexi); her parents; and her brother, Devon. Devon is the heir apparent for the real estate business, and Lexi dabbles in the arts, particularly sculpture.

The supporting characters include Lexi's two friends: Aurora (Rory) Torres, a dance student who has been Lexi's BFF since they were children, and Marshall, a geeky gamer who lives in a world of Dungeons and Dragons. Marshall has just become Rory's roommate, although he and Rory are not a romantic couple.

Strout also writes the SIMON CANDEROUS series, which tells the story of a talented psychometrist who has decided to go straight after years of using his magical talents in illegal ways. Click HERE to read my review of that series (which I like a lot better than this one). ~ Fang-tastic Fiction: Anton Strout: THE SPELLMASON CHRONICLES

Protagonists[]

✥ Alexandra "Lexi" Belarus:

✥ Stanis: (aka Stan, aka Stanislav—gargoyle) Awoken by a spell of protection cast by Lexi's great-great-grandfather when she became endangered. Stanis was Alexander Belarus's most trusted and fearsome creation. The spell also binds Stanis and Lexi together.

Sidekick[]

  • Rory Torres: dance student — Sidekick-to: Lexi Belarus — Lexi's BFF since childhood
  • Marshall Blackmoore: geeky gamer —Sidekick-to: Lexi Belarus — into Dungeons and Dragons

Characters[]

Characters What About
Alexandra "Lexi" Belarus artist, Spellmason
Stanis (aka Stan, aka Stanislav) gargoyle Alexander Belarus's most trusted and fearsome creation. Created to protect his family. Awoken when Lexi is in danger and the spell binds him to Lexi.
Alexander Belarus Spellmason; Lexi's great-great-grandfather had the ability to transmute stone into a living thing. Cast a spell of protection on his family that has awoken Stanis, now that Lexi is in danger. Awoken by a spell of protection cast by Lexi's great-great-grandfather when she became endangered.
Rory (Aurora) Torres dance student Lexi's BFF since childhood;
Marshall Blackmoore geeky gamer; Rory's roommate into Dungeons and Dragons; just become Rory's roommate, though not a romantic couple;
Kejetan Ruthenia Stanis villainous father promised not to harm Lexi and her family if Stanis would agree to surrender himself and reveal some magical secrets. Leads gargoyle troops;
Devon Belarus Lexi's me brother mean-spirited, greedy; allowed Kejetan to turn him into a gargoyle based on promises of immortality, power, and wealth; killed in a building collapse
Desmond Locke her father's sleazy spiritual advisor involved in a quasi-religious group: Libra Concordia; intent on capturing Stanis to study;
Caleb Kennedy alchemist young and handsome;
Emily gargoyle Stanis’ gargoyle friend, Lexi is jealous of her;

To expand the table, in Edit–Visual mode, right-press on a Row of the table or Column (Control-press on a Mac)—choose add Row or Column.

Anton Strout

Anton Strout

Author[]

Anton Strout

Official Website: Ant-ology

Cover Artist[]

Artist: Blake Morrow — Source':  ISFdb: Blake Morrow - Summary Bibliography

Publishing Information[]

Publisher: Ace

Book Cover Blurbs[]

✤ BOOK ONE BLURB—Alchemystic (2012): Alexandra Belarus is a struggling artist living in New York City,even though her family is rich in real estate, including a towering Gothic Gramercy Park building built by her great-great-grandfather. But the truthof her bloodline is revealed when she is attacked on the street and saved byan inhumanly powerful winged figure.

A figure who knows the Belarus name. Lexi's great-great-grandfather was a Spellmason—an artisan who could work magic on stone. But in his day, dark forces conspired against him and his, so he left a spell of protection on his family. Now that Lexi is in danger, the spell has awoken her ancestor's most trusted and fearsome creation: a gargoyle named Stanis.

Lexi and Stanis are equally surprised to find themselves bound to eachother. But as they learn to work together, they realize that only united canthey save the city they both love. ~ Alchemystic (Spellmason Chronicle, book 1) by Anton Strout - Fantastic Fiction

✤ BOOK TWO BLURB—Stonecast (2013): The adventures of a girl and her gargoyle continue in the second installment of this “thrilling, funny and eerie” fantasy series. —Romantic Times on Alchemystic — No Stone Unturned…

Alexandra Belarus was an artist stuck working in her New York family’s business…until she discovered her true legacy—a deep and ancient magic. Lexi became the last practicing Spellmason, with the power to breathe life into stone. And as her powers awoke, so did her family’s most faithful protector: a gargoyle named Stanis. But when a centuries-old evil threatened her family and her city, Stanis sacrificed himself to save everything Lexi held dear.

With Stanis gone, Lexi’s efforts to master Spellmasonry—even with the help of her dedicated friends—are faltering. Hidden forces both watch her and threaten her, and she finds herself suddenly under the mysterious wing of a secret religious society determined to keep magic hidden from the world.

But the question of Stanis’s fate haunts her—and as the storm around her grows, so does the fear that she won’t be able to save him in her turn. ~  All Things Urban Fantasy

✤ BOOK THREE BLURB—Incarnate (2014): HITTING ROCK BOTTOM

When Alexandra Belarus discovered her family’s secret ability to breathe life into stone, she uncovered an entire world of magic hidden within New York City—a world she has accidentally thrown into chaos. A spell gone awry has set thousands of gargoyles loose upon Manhattan, and it’s up to Lexi and her faithful protector, Stanis, to put things right.

But the stress of saving the city is casting a pall over Lexi and Stanis’s relationship, driving them to work separately to solve the problem. As Stanis struggles to unite the gargoyle population, Lexi forges unlikely alliances with witches, alchemists and New York’s Finest to quell an unsettling uprising led by an ancient and deadly foe long thought vanquished.

To save her city, Lexi must wield more power than ever before with the added hope of recovering a mysterious artifact that could change her world—and bring her closer to Stanis than she ever thought possible. ~ Goodreads | Incarnate (The Spellmason Chronicles, #3) by Anton Strout

First Sentences[]

  1. Alchemystic (2012) — Stanis — Waking was easy. Something primal in the night sky called out to me like a banshee at the witching hour.
  2. Stonecast (Sept 24, 2013) — "For the record, I hate running," Marshall Blackmoore huffed, his shaggy brown mop of hair stuck to his forehead with sweat, covering part of his eyes. "Especially after creepy monsters."
  3. The Incarnate (Sept 30, 2014) — Alexandra — "You know, online, the visitors' guide said 'Fort Tryon Park on Manhattan's Upper West Side was a sight worth taking in," Aurora "Rory" Torres said as she trudged up the slippery slope of the dark, tree-covered hill, soaked to the bone from the rain. "I gotta say I'm not feeling it."

Quotes[]

Read Alikes (suggestions)[]

Trivia[]

Lists: 

Awards[]

Notes[]

See Also[]

External References[]

Books:

Summaries, Reviews, Articles:

The World, Characters, etc:

Reviews: 

Interviews: 

Artist: 

Author:

Community, Fan Sites:

Gallery of Book Covers[]

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