This cover is absolutely stunning and I wanted to love it - but was ultimately very let down. The characters weren't developed well and generally weren't likable. The book was pretty hard to get into, but had a lot of promise. I just wish things were fleshed out a little more.

The alchemical pursuit for the elusive Philosopher’s Stone may drive those who attempt to create it toward madness in Samantha Cohoe’s A Golden Fury.

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Thea Hope is determined to make a name for herself as an alchemist beyond the impressive shadow her mother casts in this field. Having learned much from her mother, Thea makes a good partner as the pair work toward creating the Philosopher’s Stone in the French home of their patron; they’re close to making it a reality when Thea’s mother plunges into sudden, violent madness and destroys their progress. Sent from the revolution-rife France for England, Thea takes her mother’s notes and arrives on her father’s doorstep in Oxford, much to his surprise, as he didn’t know she existed. Despite sharing the warning of the curse associated with creating the Stone, Thea struggles to keep her father and his colleagues from suffering the same fate as her mother, forcing her to make a choice between sacrificing her sanity or her loved ones.

Women in the pursuit of creating a storied artifact amidst the backdrop of historical unrest was an entertaining premise for this tale with fantasy touches. The writing was crafted with a flow that was easy to read and created an atmosphere that was easy to envision. Thea was a relatable character, providing a strong-willed and determined female lead who is still susceptible to making naïve decisions that frustrate. The beginning of the story far outshined the last portion of the story with its quick pacing and the points of intrigue it addresses; the last part of the novel didn’t feel to quite match or balance well with what was established in the beginning, seeming to rely far more heavily on overdramatic, trite scenes and situations instead of the more substantive and interesting character struggles that were depicted earlier on in the narrative, which effortlessly drew me in.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review as part of this blog tour.

Find this review and more on my blog at Worlds Unlike Our Own.

Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for providing this eARC as part of a blog tour in exchange for an honest review.

Thea Hope has worked at the side of her famous alchemist mother all her life and longs to build a name for herself. Their goal, like all alchemists, is to create the ultimate prize, the Philosopher’s stone which can turn any metal to gold and cure all illnesses, and they are closer than ever before, when her mother suddenly goes mad and tries to kill her. Looking through her notes, Thea finds out that there is a curse on the Stone which causes any alchemist not deemed worthy to go insane during the process. France is not safe for her anymore, not with the threat of Revolution, so she makes her way to Oxford to find her father, whom she has never met. But even in England, danger still looms, as alchemists will stop at nothing to steal Thea’s knowledge of how to create the Stone.

Alchemy is such a fascinating backdrop for a story, and this story provides a unique spin on the Philosopher’s Stone. This version of the infamous quest was so unique, and I really liked the concept of the Stone having a mind of its own, in a way deciding which alchemist would be allowed to create it at all. When I have previously seen alchemy mentioned in books, it has always been as something in the background, and the minutiae are mostly left to the imagination. Though it is all fictional, this book delves much deeper into the process and I found it to be very intriguing. The setting was quite interesting, but did not play a big part in the story. I felt that the real historical events taking place in the background were merely what set Thea’s path in motion, taking her from France to England in search of safety and a way to restore her mother’s sanity.

This was a relatively short book, so personally, I didn’t have time to get a grasp on any of the characters apart from Thea. I honestly thought Dominic would play a more central role than he did, as he seemed like the only truly good, unselfish character in the entire book. Will on the other hand, felt untrustworthy from the beginning, and I found it odd that Thea never thought to question a single thing about his story until much, much later. The stakes were kept very high throughout the story, and that final twist was something I definitely did not see coming.

Thea is a great character, intelligent and determined, but her naivety was so frustrating at times. It’s quite obvious that she knows how important the knowledge she possesses is, yet the first thing she does in Oxford is give away some of that critical information – to virtual strangers, no less – and even after being betrayed once, repeats the same mistakes. But then again, if she’d been as cautious as she ought to have, I guess there wouldn’t be a story at all.

The ending did leave things a little up in the air, particularly regarding Will’s fate and Dominic’s future, but I find it nice to have a few things to wonder about once I finish reading a book. Overall, this was an excellent read and a very well written one, especially considering that this is the author’s debut novel. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more books by Samantha Cohoe in the future. Engaging and perfectly paced, this is one you will not want to put down. Highly recommended!

DNF at... 41-ish%?

I didn't have a huge problem with this book. I was initially intrigued by the cover and then the plot, but it just wasn't the book for me.

What slowed me down reading this book and eventually stopped me from reading the book entirely, was that I just couldn't connect with the characters or the plot. I was nearly halfway through and I didn't feel for the main character's plight, the weird love triangle, or her goals nor did the excitement reel me in and keep me reading it.

I'm sure it's a wonderful book and someone will love it, but it wasn't the book for me.

Over halfway through and I just didn’t understand the purpose to this book. There is no direction and I’m failing to understand why so many accents and made history when everyone keeps dying.