This was such a fun, fresh take on the philosophers stone. I love that we got to explore alchemy as a theme, I feel like we don’t see that too often, especially not in YA.
The first half of the story was really strong, and I was really enjoying it, getting into the ladder portion, I felt things took a turn. The story became slower paced and a lot of interesting choices were made by the author.
All in all, I’d average out the story to a 3. Strong beginning and lacking ending.
I am excited to see what Samantha Cohoe does next, this was a strong debut in my opinion.

Initial Thoughts

I was super excited to receive an ARC of this book on NetGalley and even more excited to be chosen for the blog tour hosted by the publisher. I love stories that involve historical fantasy and alchemy has always interested me as well.

Some Things I Liked

Valentin as a charismatic villain. I loved him. I never even really thought of him as a villain. I was thrilled to see his development and even had moments where I wished he and Thea would fall in love.
Morally grey characters. Every character with the exception of Dominic was incredibly grey. Whether that be because of clouded judgement in pursuit of the stone or because they were just selfish people at their cores, I loved seeing the plot twists that resulted in the greyness of these characters’ actions.
Historical fantasy. I also really enjoyed the historical tidbits dropped throughout the story. The main plot was not around history so I was pleased to see that the plot was not driven by historical events, but I was also happy to see that they did influence the characters and the story.

One Thing I Wasn’t Crazy About

I was disappointed in the lack of development in the romance plot. Thea struck me as a lady of science who wouldn’t have been easily swayed by the charms of Will. However, despite their brief “affair”, she fancied herself in love with him. Furthermore, I found Dominic to be a perfectly suitable partner for her but he was relegated to minor character status relatively early on. I would have liked to see more development in the romance department.

Series Value

I can’t see much more to this story in the form of sequels. And, unfortunately, we didn’t get to learn enough about the side characters to merit and kind of spin-offs.

However, I would like to read more of Samantha Cohoe’s works. I think this debut has a lot of promise and I’d like to see more.

Final Thoughts

I enjoyed this book. I rated it a bit more leniently since it was a debut but overall, I found many things that I liked about the story. It lacked romance but I think the story was one that I would recommend and found interesting.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendations for Further Reading

The Kinder Poison by Natalie Mae – if you liked the idea of a troubled villain who you can almost feel sorry for (and dare I say it, but, almost root for), try this new release.
Splinters of Scarlet by Emily Bain Murphy – if you enjoyed the historical fantasy vibes with morally grey characters, try this standalone.

This was a unique YA reading experience for a number of reasons. First of all, how often do you actually get a book about alchemists? It’s rare to see a book about alchemists and not just featuring alchemy as background noise or world building filler. It also read as much more emotionally mature than many YA books and as such, I do think it would appeal to the adult fantasy audience. That being said, content-wise it is definitely teen appropriate. 

Creating the philosopher’s stone is the ultimate goal of all alchemists. It offers power over all things, but it comes with a price. The stone chooses who it will allow to be it’s master and all others will be driven to madness. Thea Hope and her mother were working on creating the stone until her mother banned her from the lab and went mad. She had created it, but was rejected. Thea left France, went to Oxford, and found her estranged father who was also trying to create the stone. Her knowledge of the process made her a valuable target and she had a number of dangerous encounters.

Ultimately, this book is about Thea trying to recreate the stone so that she can heal her mother of her madness. She’s also trying to make a name for herself and become an alchemist in her own right. Throw in a side of bad romance and you’ve got yourself a proper story. The romance/love-interest part is actually pretty interesting because it’s not quite what you would expect. The love interest is her mother’s former alchemy assistant who got kicked out when he and Thea became friendly. He’s handsome, writes such kind letters, and is honestly a little shady. 

While I was pretty interested in the first half of the book, my interest waned in the latter portion. The events began to drag and I didn’t care so much about the minor characters that were in peril. I found myself skimming until the plot advanced enough. The ending was unexpected and somewhat made up for the parts that plodded along. Overall, a good read and solid debut novel. I’ll be keeping an eye out for future releases from Samantha Cohoe!

I really enjoyed this one! It was dark, different, and had a strong female MC! This isn’t like anything I’ve read before and I loved Thea’s journey! There wasn’t to much romance which was a nice change from most YA I read, and it was more character focused. Following Thea, the people she encounters along the way, but it focused solely on Thea. Which I really enjoyed.

I also loved the alchemy aspect, that isn’t something I normally read, but I absolutely loved it! I definitely recommend this is you want a break from the same repetitive YA you’ve been reading!

I wanted to love this book but I struggled to connect with Thea Hope and I struggled with where this book was going. A lot of promise but not fully delivered. 3 Stars!

(actual rating 2.5/5)

I really wanted to enjoy this one, but I suppose it just wasn't meant to be.

Thea Hope is a budding alchemist under her mother's tutelage in the midst of the French Revolution, working to create the Philosopher's Stone, a fabled stone said to turn any metal into gold and the creator immortal. However, when a bout of madness compels her to destroy it just before their hard work pays off, Thea is sent to Oxford to live with her father for her own safety. But when news spreads that Thea knows how to create the Philosopher's Stone, it becomes apparent that some alchemists will do absolutely anything to attain such power, and that Thea is no longer safe - from both those willing to go to extreme measures to get what they want, and the Stone itself.

The beginning of this book is set up quite well and develops intrigue right away. The book was written so beautifully that it was a definite let-down that I didn't like it. I was interested enough in the beginning, but things quickly started changing for the worse by the time I was halfway through. The book itself is quite slow-paced, and didn't have the action that I felt I was promised in the premise. The ending tried to tie things up with a bow, but I felt that it failed to acknowledge/resolve certain plot points, and overall left me feeling quite unsatisfied.

While there wasn't a lot of plot, I felt that there was a fair amount of character growth and development, but that didn't stop me from disliking Thea and especially her mother. I hated Will with every atom of my being when reading this and still do. While the characters certainly are interesting enough, I wasn't drawn to them; they didn't feel realistic or 3-dimensional to me, and that was a huge hindrance in my enjoyment of this book.

Personally, one of the only redeeming qualities of this book was probably the somewhat immersive-ness of the setting. Even though not much truly happened in the book but for the last few chapters, I liked the way the author wrote about and described the people and the places that were involved in the story. While I certainly felt like this book could have been far better, it wasn't completely horrible either.

Overall, I would recommend this book to someone who wants a fairly slow read but wouldn't mind it, or is looking for the same thing in a YA historical fantasy. It was alright, I suppose.

𝘈 𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘍𝘶𝘳𝘺 is a fast paced adventure that leads the reader down the winding and unpredictable road of alchemy. 𝘈 𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘍𝘶𝘳𝘺 crafts a journey that is different from my usual reads. Not in the fantasy and fictional aspect, but through the marriage of science and magic to give us alchemy. It was so enchanting seeing the magic unfold, as our strong willed, and brilliant protagonist Thea Hope uncovers the secrets to create one of the most coveted and magical objects, The Philosopher’s Stone! 𝘈 𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘍𝘶𝘳𝘺 reminds us that magic comes at a cost. With every twist and turn, Thea discovers more and more about the world and people she comes into contact with and realizes nothing is ever as it seems. The journey is only the beginning and as Samantha Cohoe presents the dark side of Alchemy with new threats around every corner, Thea must find the strength within to do what no other alchemist has done. Cohoe has crafted a truly alluring tale and one you will not want to miss.⁣⁣
𝘊𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘮 𝘈𝘭𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘦⁣⁣
𝐁𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭’𝐬 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞

Synopsis:

Thea Hope longs to be an alchemist out of the shadow of her famous mother. The two of them are close to creating the legendary Philosopher’s Stone―whose properties include immortality and can turn any metal into gold―but just when the promise of the Stone’s riches is in their grasp, Thea’s mother destroys the Stone in a sudden fit of violent madness.

While combing through her mother’s notes, Thea learns that there’s a curse on the Stone that causes anyone who tries to make it to lose their sanity. With the threat of a revolution looming, Thea is sent to live with the father who doesn’t know she exists.

But there are alchemists after the Stone who don’t believe Thea’s warning about the curse―instead, they’ll stop at nothing to steal Thea’s knowledge of how to create the Stone. But Thea can only run for so long, and soon she will have to choose: create the Stone and sacrifice her sanity, or let the people she loves die.

_____________________________

Rating: 3.5/5 stars!

I thought this book provided a fresh perspective on the philosophers stone that I haven’t read before. There was a really good balance between the historical and fantasy genres. My only complaint was that after the first half of the book the pace slowed considerably and I found it hard to stay invested. Overall, I’m excited to see what comes next for the author and I think she has some great potential!

Also- that cover is gorgeous!! You know I’m a sucker for a pretty cover!

I really enjoyed the first half or so of the book. I was really hoping she was going to become this super powerful alchemist, a raging force of nature changing the world. Instead she was a lovesick puppy, selfish and naive.

While I was interested in the premise the story moved a bit too slow for me in the begining, after a while it did move faster and it became easier to get through it. It did jump around a lot which left me confused at some parts. I did love Thea who was such a strong female character and you get to know her family connections. I also appreciated that the romance didn't take center stage and that plot could shine through. Cohoe does right exceptionally well but I was hoping for more world building so I could understand more of what was going on.

A Golden Fury was a delight to read! Set in France and England in the 18th century, we follow Thea who is a young alchemist in training. Her mother going mad and the coming Revolution force her to England where a series of adventures befall her. I really liked Thea - she is young and inexperienced but still bold, strong, and competent. She learns from her mistakes and tries to set things right all while battling her own desire for the Philosopher's stone. I was continually engaged and I thought the eerie curse made for a perfect October read. (As a side note, the book is never scary, but has an eerie fantasy element that keeps you waiting for what happens next).

I would recommend this for teenagers and up, especially for those who like fantasy. There is some violence but no explicit sex scenes or language. There is also no explicit violence towards women in the novel.

There are some books that really stop you in your tracks when you realize they are debuts. “A Golden Fury” was such a book for me.

Thea Hope is a heroine one is sure to like immediately! She’s smart, strong, and unexpectedly honest. This makes her vulnerable. She also wants to be an alchemist which adds to the fact that she’s pretty cool 😉
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“A Golden Fury” is in a sense a self dicovery story. It’s about a girl who has had her life moulded by the choices of others. And still, in these flawed human being who might be accused of having failed her, Thea discovers her calling and greatest love — alchemy. And as any great alchemist, Thea knows she must pursue the discovery of the Philosopher Stone.

But when she discovers the true meaning of this journey, she will face her greatest challenge yet— admit who she really wants to be.
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Samantha Cohoe writes complicated characters who are not what they seem. Cohoe does guide through some dark, heavy moments. But through them, she makes us stop and ask where our enemy is and who they are. And the impossible might be discovery, love might be possible after all :)

A Golden Fury is the perfect example of book that you'll love right from the beginning or don't like right from the beginning. Fortunately, I belong to the first group of people, because I enjoyed it from the first page and I couldn't stop reading it until I was at the last one.

The story follows life of Thea, young alchemist who is ready to do anything to be better than her famous mother. And she'll certainly have the chance, once her mother become crazy after successful making of Philosopher’s Stone. As she discovers, there's a curse on the stone, that will bring madness to anyone who tries to make it. But soon after she's forced to leave her home, she doesn't have a chance to do anything else. She have to make a new Philosopher’s Stone, or someone who she loves will die.

The main character Thea is amazing, and I doubt that there is someone who don't like her. She's stubborn, strong, incredibly clever and very ambitious. She makes a great protagonist for this book, both with her personality and development. She actually learns from her mistakes and never tries to give up. Sadly, I cannot say the same about side characters, because they just didn't get enough place.

The writing style was enjoyable for me, but I have to agree with something that was mentioned in a lot of other reviews. This book has truly slow pacing, that for some readers this may be a little torture. I personally quite liked it thanks to the magical atmosphere, but this book could be a lot better if the pacing was a bit faster.

Overall, if you like adventurous and thrilling stories with unique theme, A Golden Fury is the right book for you! I am so glad that I had the opportunity to read this book, and now I am so looking forward to author's next book, because I am sure it'll be a great one!


Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for proving me with an ARC of ‘A Golden Fury’ in exchange for an honest review.

I had a hard time settling into A Golden Fury. I wanted it to move faster. I think a reader who loves an atmospheric setting will love it, but it just wasn't for me right now. Thank you for letting me try! I do love a good YA fantasy!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I thought it was an unique idea well executed. I like that it was set in the 18th Century as this was relevant to the story and not just an extra.I thought all the characters were interesting and added something to the story. I normally do not like the main female character, but Thea I could like. Her character had lots of depth and she made the story. The ending was happy yet not happily ever after. It finished nicely without everything being neatly concluded

“She was an impatient teacher at times, but a good one. A thorough one. And in turn I was a good student. The best. Until we were close to our goal. Then, suddenly, I was a rival. And my mother did not tolerate rivals.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
This is my day in Wednesday Book’s Blog Tour for A Golden Fury, I had been hearing a lot about this book and I guess I have a soft spot for alchemy stories! Please consider checking out the other blogs on the tour.

So this book is about Thea, a young alchemist who has found the secret to making the philosopher stone as well as the curse that is tied to it. When it becomes clear that people are desperate to know what Thea knows, she must keep everyone safe, by running away. But no one can run forever and things just aren’t that simple, especially for the ones she cares for the most.

So I think this book has a really great start. Thea is a really compelling character right off the bat. Really smart, a bit jaded, but still well-composed. She is at once, a realist, but full of hope. The story at the beginning is really solid too, learning about Thea’s relationship with her mom was a great setup to her character and the story.

However, the book doesn’t stay there for very long at all. The plot moves on really quickly, and then suddenly halts. Overall, I guess I just thought the pacing was off. I feel like there were some really interesting things that weren’t focused on long enough and others focused on too long. Sometimes I didn’t mind, but it did tend to rub me the wrong way.

Speaking of being rubbed the wrong way, the book uses the word “hermaphrodite” repeatedly to refer to an image of a person. And I’m sorry, but I was under the impression that the use of that word is rather….rude, to put it lightly. I understand that in the time period it would have been used, but this book is written in the present. I can’t say that I really understand why the book would use this word, especially in reference to a person. I understand that this is a term used to discuss the anatomy of plants often, but it seems quite thoughtless to be used in the book.

In any case, I’m in agreement with others who have said that the first half on this book is really strong, but runs out of steam in the second half. The writing is gorgeous throughout and I’ll even say that I liked the characters throughout as well. But this book would have been spectacular if it had been consistently as good as the beginning the whole way through.

TL;DR: Basically, this book has great writing, an awesome premise, charming characters and great worldbuilding as well. But the book loses itself a bit by the end and falls just a bit flatter than you’d hope.

E-galley provided by Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review. All quotations and opinions are based off an uncorrected review

Wow! I requested this ARC on a whim, but then kept putting it off because I never felt in the mood to read it. Even when I first began reading it, I wasn’t sure it was what I wanted, but I couldn’t stop. I read the whole thing in one sitting. I don’t know what I expected but this book definitely exceeded those expectations. I loved it. The plot was gripping and the characters were interesting, and though some were more complex than others, I appreciated them all. But my favorite thing about this book is that I’ve never read anything like it. Thank you NetGalley, author and publisher for the ARC. I truly enjoyed it.

Thea Hope is the daughter of an alchemist, who has been trying to make the Philsopher’s Stone. Just before her mother can complete it, she is taken over by madness. Thea finds her mother’s notes, which says anyone who creates the Stone will go insane. Because of her mother’s madness, Thea is sent to find her father in Oxford, who doesn’t know she exists. Her father is also an alchemist who is trying to figure out how to make the Stone. When someone close to her father becomes mad with the Stone, Thea has to run away again to find some way to complete the Stone herself and end this curse.

This was a fast paced story. Every time it seemed like things were going well for Thea and she was doing what she planned, there would be a drastic event that changed everything. Thea had a strong character development. She had grown into a different, more mature person by the end of the story. I really liked how the story and characters developed.

I’m not interested in science, but I liked the alchemy in this book. It was a combination of science with some myth surrounding the Philosopher’s Stone. The alchemists had to use a wide range of knowledge to complete their work, including knowing multiple different languages. I learned a lot about alchemy and the mythical Philosopher’s Stone in this story.

I really enjoyed this story!

Thank you Wednesday Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I lové this book so much! Such a fun book, everything in it was just perfect. I loved the characters, the world, the journey, the relationships! Everything!

I loved this book so much! I can honestly say I’ve never read anything like it and it gripped me from the start. Steeped in European history and delving into the mystifying process of alchemy, A Golden Fury checks a lot of my favorites: a strong flawed female main character, historical setting with light fantasy elements, and rich intelligent writing. I love Samantha Cohoe’s style and I will read anything she writes next.