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4.0 

Mercury Retrograde

By Laura Bickle
Mercury Retrograde by Laura Bickle digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

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.

6 Reviews

4.0
“Mercury Retrograde by Laura Bickle Wildlands #2 Urban Fantasy Everand (Scribd) Audio Ages: 16+ After a blurry video of a giant snake goes viral on the internet, monster hunters outnumber the tourists in Yellowstone. Petra finds herself heading into the backcountry with a group of biologists, but The Hanged Men are also looking for the snake because they know the snake is a basilisk and its blood may be their only hope to keep the tree, and themselves, alive. Then there is the violent biker gang, Sister of Serpens, who will do anything to keep the snake alive. It is a great story that kept at a decent slow/medium pace, though I found the reasoning for opening the story with Petra working on a motorcycle was only to give her a small way to relate/foreshadow the biker gang, who scared me more than the snake. I get them, but they were extreme. The snake was an interesting 'villain', but more from the snake's 'point of view' could have helped the ending more. Which... spoiler... And I'm starting to wonder if the author has a beef with goth kids, because of what she is putting poor Cal through! That kid has been beaten in both books. Or.... I listened to the audio version of this book and the narrator did a great job with the characters and their voices. This book has a lot of violence and gore so it's not suitable for readers under 16, but it's a great story and a great second book of the series, which I recommend, but this book just missed the next star. 3 Stars”
“(4.5) I was hooked from the first chapter just like I was in the first book. I really enjoyed this storyline with the basilisk, even though I am tariffed of snakes, but by the end I got a somewhat new appreciation for them. While I don't condone the m*rders that happens at the hands of the Sisters of Serpens, but that's just a minor complaint compared to the story itself. Overall a great storyline and continuation of the series and Petra's search for herself and her father. Can't wait to get to book three.”

About Laura Bickle

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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