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A review by jenpaul13
A Golden Fury by Samantha Cohoe
3.0
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.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
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.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
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.