England 1913, but an alternative earth where things are achingly familiar but also very different. King Rudolph, a Tudor, is on the English throne, the American War of Independence did not occur and neither did Bismarck’s Prussia. The sprawling British Empire includes Canada which stretches from the Artic to the Mexican border, India (which includes Pakistan and Sri Lanka), Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and many parts of Africa. England is a superpower and only The Austrian-Hungarian Empire with its spread over much of Europe, Africa and parts of Asia rivals its strength and military forces. In this parallel world, alchemy – the power to transmute metals and flesh - is a skill used by the alchemists who occupy privileged positions in the royal courts. Alchemy is a science that is practically restricted to the ruling class. The Royal Alchemist is a potent weapon in diplomacy and politics and Lord Oscar Hawthorne discovers Royal Alchemy changes his life forever.