A fantastic story about a young man giving everything he can hoping to make sure his younger sister has the best life she can, and trying to find a place for himself. This fantasy story is far from just a repeat of similar tales of magical academies. The relationship between Sam, the main character and his little sister is heavily part of the reason for any of the story happening. Orphaned, he knows his little sister has talent and goes to some extremes to make sure she had a place in the Academy for Arcane Arts.
The world of Alchemist Apprentice is original and well made. There is a lot more than just the tale involving the school here. There are also heavy influences of family, war and friendship. The style of magic and alchemy created for this world is fascinating and I hope they go in to more detail in later books. The first of a series it is clear that the creators of this book have a good grasp on their world.
The characters are realistic and exciting to learn about. They have emotions and flaws in their thinking that make them more interesting than some of the perfect fantasy protagonists that come out of some novels. I look forward to picking up the next novel soon.