3.25 stars ARC provided through NetGalley by Wednesday Books (St.Martin's Press) for honest review When I saw the word "alchemist" it got me so excited for this. Thought the synopsis was interesting and had me very intrigued to find out what this book was about. Was hoping I would get some FMA: Brotherhood vibes from this (I didn't) but it did have a somewhat of a "heist vibe" with all the running around the characters did. Reasons I didn't fully like this book were the characters and the pacing of the novel. The characters were mostly flat and not interesting (except for Valentin and Rahel) and felt like the book could've moved over some parts faster and others that needed more time to develop. Trigger Warnings: Anti-Catholicism, alcoholism, death, loss of a loved one, blood, gore, graphic injuries, self-harm, gas-lighting, hallucinations, manipulation, and drowning
Not a bad read. It's fast paced and had little character development. I couldn't connect with Thea, but she has a strong will and cares deeply for others, even if they don't treat her in kind. There wasn't much background on the alchemist profession other than trying to make the Philosopher's Stone, which that knowledge and attempting to make it caused people to go mad. I'm indifferent about the book. I liked the writing but the story was lacking.
A Golden Fury is the debut book from Samantha Cohoe, and I really enjoyed it. It combines YA fantasy, historical fiction, alchemy, and the Philosopher Stone legend for a quick-paced, well-written adventure.
Thea longs to be an alchemist and stand apart from her mother, who is a well known alchemist in France. Upon finding it too dangerous to remain in France with the onset of the Revolution, Thea is sent to her father in England. Now, more than ever, she is determined to create the Philosopher's Stone but finds danger the minute she lands in England from those also seeking the stone for their personal use.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. I thought that the plot, the characters, and the action were all well written. I also loved the take on alchemy and the stone and everything that came with that. More importantly, I absolutely loved Thea and her strength and determination. She was clever and I enjoyed her very much. I also enjoyed the other characters - how there were some good traits within the enemies, and some questionable aspects with who were were supposed to root for. I also appreciated that this didn't fall into the trap of a love triangle, as well (because for the first third of the book, I thought that's where we were headed.)
I do feel like the ending struggled a little bit? And honestly, I would really love an epilogue to give the book just a little bit more of a full closure since it is a standalone.
I think this author did a wonderful job with this story and I look forward to her next book!
I received an arc from Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.
If you liked And I Darken by Kiersten White, this book might be for you. It has a complex, prickly female main character with quite a voice. The setting is an alternate history version of the French Revolution if alchemy existed, though that event takes a background seat in this particular plot. This was a very quick read, and highly plot-driven if that is what you're after.
However, despite the strong start and an interesting premise, I think this failed to live up to that promise. I quite liked the main character, Thea Hope. I'm a sucker for the kind of fiercely intelligent, practical, sharp girl that she is. Her drive and ambition are second perhaps only to her mother, Marguerite, who is just as complicated a character that I wish we were able to spend a bit more time with in the story. The idea of two women being the most adept, most capable alchemists in such a male-dominated field—and the complex relationship between mother and daughter that oscillates between pride and jealousy, love and hatred—was so incredibly appealing to me, and I was quite disappointed to see it fizzle out within the first few chapters. Especially when it was replaced by a story ultimately about men—Thea's relationships with men, what men want to do with her, how men want to use her—instead of a badass story about a mother and daughter, and the sacrifices they make of and for each other.
There was a bit of self-awareness re: this point in the character of Rahel, but she was high-handed and overly preachy about her sense of morals. More a caricature than a character, which is something you could say for all but Thea and Marguerite. I felt like Will could also have been a more complex characters, with more interesting motives; not that saving your own skin isn't interesting, but little of his choices beforehand did anything to deepen him as a character. A typical "nice guy" with all the pomp included, and he's supposed to be the biggest villain here? (Not counting the curse itself, of course.)
Overall, I really enjoyed the beginning for its strong characters, but the stakes never really escalated. The middle flagged and the end became a little too saccharine and neat for me—with so-called bad guys having changes of heart, and everyone lives, and it all works out, etc.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for providing this free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Set in 18th century Europe, it’s the story of 17 yo Thea, an alchemist whose mother is jealous of her abilities and whose father never knew she existed. Thea is obsessed with creating the Philosopher’s Stone and harnessing its limitless power without invoking its Alchemist Curse which rendered her mother and friend Dominic insane, but can she trust those she meets along the way to help her in her quest?
A story of loneliness, of searching for a way to be accepted and admired. But also a journey to discover if what one really desires is worth the price of losing one’s self in the process.
My issue was mostly not connecting well with the characters, and I can’t really say why. Maybe I just didn’t feel invested? The writing was fine (the pace maybe a little slow in places), but there were some unfinished/unexplained parts left hanging for me. Fans of YA fantasy will probably enjoy.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #WednesdayBooks for providing me the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.
"His shame is no use to me if it doesn't change his actions"
A Golden Fury was an enthralling debut by [a:Samantha Cohoe|18313531|Samantha Cohoe|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1536025611p2/18313531.jpg]. The writing flowed so smoothly and the world was packaged so neatly that I was absolutely shocked when I reminded myself that this was a debut novel.
TW: Madness, Death, Self-Harm (briefly occurs during madness), Torture (mentioned, not witnessed), Mention of Suicide Attempt
Thea's story was one of a young woman trying to find her place in this world with her talents and knowledge being her own, not being manipulated or used for others benefits. She starts off being encouraged to be scholarly and pushed to her potential, as long as the potential doesn't outshine that of her mothers. This seems to be a common theme throughout the book, she can be good - but ultimately someone else wants to reap the rewards of her efforts.
It is evident that the author has done a lot of research into the philosophers stone and alchemy as a whole, due to the amount of knowledge imparted by Thea throughout the novel which is seen as an "obviously, why would you not know this".
"He's not a bad man, Thea ... You saw him at his worst" "What better time is there to know a man than at his worst?"
I don't want to delve too much into the other characters of this novel, as I don't want to inadvertently spoil anything, as the character development is an important plot progression and you want the full experience of discovering things at the same time that Thea does. I will say, that I was pleasantly surprised by two characters and disappointed in two more.
If Cohoe's debut is indicative of their future works, I will be an avid reader as I'm looking forward to seeing what other worlds I am taken to.
Thank you to NetGalley & Wednesday Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
My Thoughts
First, why are there not more books about alchemy? And if there are, why have I not read them? I find alchemy utterly fascinating with its intriguing blending of science and magic. It so speaks to my witchy scientist soul. If you are a lover of alchemy, PICK A GOLDEN FURY UP!
Alchemy, Feminism and Badassery
A Golden Fury is one of those books you can absolutely binge in a day. The story starts of strong with our main character's mother going mad while seeking to create the Philosophers Stone. Does it get better than that my friends? I really enjoyed reading from Thea's perspective. She is wicked smart but also real in the way her heart leads her astray Thea tries so hard to do what she feels is right and necessary which are not always the same. I also absolutely adored Dominic and almost wish there was even more of him in the story. Sweet, sweet cinnamon roll...
The pacing over the story overall was a bit inconsistent, but side plots were introduced that kept things moving and my curious mind engaged. Heck there were even things heaved at me that I didn't even see coming which was great.
The writing is also just incredibly lyrical and atmospheric. Coheo wove the story together in such a masterful way, I was surprised to realize this was a debut. *chefs kiss*
Overall
Overall this was such an incredibly fun read for me. If you are interested in a beautifully written story with a touch of mystery, intrigue and a female main character who can think for herself - pick A Golden Fury up today! I know that I will be keeping my eye out for more from this author!
Solid 3.75 rating
Recommended for fans of: alchemy, strong but real female MC plus a bit of mystery and darkness with their historical fantasy.
Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault, self-harm, discussion of torture and captivity plus madness paired with violence (a stigma that is completely false btw).
About The Author
Samantha Cohoe writes historically-inspired young adult fantasy. She was raised in San Luis Obispo, California, where she enjoyed an idyllic childhood of beach trips, omnivorous reading, and writing stories brimming with adverbs. She currently lives in Denver with her family and divides her time among teaching Latin, mothering, writing, reading, and deleting adverbs. A Golden Fury is her debut novel.
Alchemy is not something you find in books that much anymore and I'm glad Cohoe made it the central element of the story because it's fascinating and it lent some gravitas to a story that would not have stood out as much without it. This book is a great combination of historical novel and light fantasy, in that the fantasy is just believing that alchemy is real and that the Philosopher's Stone can be created. Even the majority of the people in the world of the novel don't believe in alchemy, so it made the struggles of leading lady, Thea, seem a bit more sensational. Following along with Thea's story as she leaves France after her mother succumbs to an alchemist curse, arrives in Oxford to a father that didn't even know she existed, and then winds up in London being forced to complete her mother's work if she has any hopes of helping herself and others she cares for, is a wild ride that kept me turning pages in the hopes that more would be revealed. There is great character development when it comes to Thea, but almost every other character falls a bit flat just by way of not having much space within the story to grow. It's all about Thea, her insights, and how she experiences the situations. That made it a tad easier to accept that even the love interest is a bit of a caricature that is never fully realized. Overall, I really enjoyed the inclusion of alchemy in the story and the pace at which the plot moves. It's not something that I would shout from rooftops about, but definitely a rec if you're looking for different, interesting, and quick.
Happy thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the early read.
