This was pretty good. I would give it a 3.5 if I could.

Alchemy in general is an intriguing concept, and Thea was a dynamic, complex character. The motivations of her own ambition and her conflicting desires to both eclipse her mother and earn her mother's love were interesting.

I didn't LOVE any of the characters, really, but there's a lot to like.

There was a love plot, kind of, but most of the time Thea is seeing everyone around her as either friends or enemies, and she ends up still single at the end. I can easily imagine how it might have been done terribly, especially with everything hinging on Will's betrayal, so I'm grateful for how matter-of-fact and lowkey everything was handled. Dominic really got the short end of the stick, being trapped in madness for such a long time and also used as a diversion at the risk of his life.

The Philosopher's Stone

Spoiler

as some sentient, malevolent being from another plane of existence was interesting.

Also I was a big fan of Thea's dynamic with her father, who initially gave in to his greed but turned out to be a nice and sincere person who I liked a lot. It was great that even after his change of heart he still took a background role, supporting her.