"But the best alchemists, the ones I admired, who went the furthest–-they saw past riches, past fame. They knew what it was to stand outside of society, to look at the world and wish it were different. Better."

Thea Hope is an alchemist, trained by her mother, the most famous female alchemist of her time. Together, they dream of making the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary substance that can heal illness, turn metal to gold, and halt aging. Thea's mother has gotten farther in the process than any alchemist ever has, but before she can complete the final step, she goes mad and destroys the stone. Thea learns that there is a curse on it that causes madness to whoever tries to create it. But there are other alchemists who want the secret, and Thea may be the only one who can replicate her work. She'll have to choose whether to make the stone and risk her own sanity, or watch her loved ones die one by one. I received a free e-ARC through NetGalley from the publishers at St. Martin’s Press and an invitation to join the blog tour. Trigger warnings: death, drowning, torture (off-page), threats of torture (on-page), mental/emotional abuse, some blood/gore, severe illness, injury, violence, guns, sexism, intersex slurs.

This is a fine YA fantasy novel, and I would encourage anyone interested in the premise to pick it up. The writing is good enough that it’s practically invisible, without any obvious style quirks, which makes for easy and immersive reading. It’s light on the historical aspect, which works well for me since I’m not much for historical novels, but it may not be detailed enough for those who prefer more historical accuracy. Thea is forward-thinking enough that she wouldn’t feel out of place in a more current timeline. (I know some readers are bothered by historical main characters who are too ahead of their time, but it’s really the only thing that makes reading historical fiction tolerable for me.) It’s heavier on the fantasy aspect, and we get a number of close-up looks at Thea’s alchemical processes and the magical/scientific rules that make them happen.

Thea calls to mind other heroines of YA historical fantasy like Gemma Doyle and Eleanor Fitt. She’s brave, clever, well-read, and very, very good at alchemy, but somewhat naïve when it comes to people and the world (and what teenager isn’t?). All her relationships are complicated and nuanced, from her toxic and controlling relationship with her mother, to her potential romance with the fellow alchemist, Will, she’s not quite sure she can trust. Aside from Thea, I liked Dominic’s character most of all; he’s a loyal friend and a much-needed moral compass. I also like that the novel never ventures into love triangle territory and simply allows Thea to have male friends without any hint of additional romances. It’s fairly fast-paced, and while I felt some of the ending conflicts to be slightly drawn out/repetitive, I was satisfied with the way things wrapped up. Not quite my genre, but definitely a worthwhile venture.

I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.

There are a lot of things this book has going for it: an ambitious female protagonist with an interest in science; the French Revolution; Oxford; alchemy; murder… so I can see where readers will really enjoy this one. I’m personally a huge proponent for a gritty 19th century British/French history, and that certainly delivered… Cohoe’s at her best when she’s describing the slums of London. The tale of uncovering the dangerous mystery behind the philosopher’s stone winding around the various locations I’ve researched or read about with such glee was an excellent surprise, as it really does capture the grime of these cities’ criminal underbellies. The upside to this book is definitely in its use of setting.

I will say, where it kind of fell apart for me was the lack of character development. I didn’t feel like I knew anyone well enough to really care where they went, or what they did, or whether they saved or betrayed one another at all. Thea comes from an abusive household, brought up by a narcissistic mother who refuses to give her credit for her alchemy talents, and despite how poorly she’s been treated all her life, Thea is still hellbent on saving her mother’s life when madness takes hold. Yet we get no sense of how her mother behaved before she went mad, or even if she deserves saving at all. There’s a similar twist toward the end of the novel that suffers from the same lack of weight. There’s just not enough backstory there to appreciate any of the characters’ motives.

In this plot, the philosopher’s stone chooses who creates it, and anyone who attempts it who isn’t “chosen” is deemed unworthy, driven mad, and eventually, killed. So the reader is led to believe that perhaps it’s the character’s virtue that makes them deserving of the stone. Yet when one of Thea’s sidekicks, (a devout Catholic who must stop on their journey to find a priest to absolve him), arguably the most virtuous character here, is also driven to madness, it leaves you to assume that Thea’s somehow gained the title of “most virtuous”. There’s something interesting that could have been said here about how she’s been raised on her mother’s cut throat ambition and selfishness, and she can rise above it, but it never quite says anything important in the end about who is most “deserving” of the stone. The moral of the story is that power corrupts absolutely, and something as big as a stone that grants you riches and immortality should have consequences for the maker. And each and every person who attempts to create the stone is corrupted in one way or another. I just don’t necessarily think it went far enough in terms of addressing that corruption. It could’ve been darker, it could’ve been more intense. It could’ve made a deep commentary on ambition and power and being careful what you wish for, and I just wanted more.

All in all, I didn’t feel connected to this story, which suffered from very surface level elements, but it’s definitely a decent debut novel, and there are plenty of things to be enjoyed here!

Thrilling, intoxicating, and so very wonderful! I had no idea where the story was going at points, and it surprised me in the best way. It has just a hint of magic and darkness, enough to satisfy, and I loved that so much. Perhaps not as ‘spooky’ as some like for a fall read, but I would still recommend it for the spookier season! ;)

Thank you for allowing me an advanced copy to read!

First of all, thank you to Wednesday Books for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

When I saw this cover AND the premise, I knew I needed to read it!

A Golden Fury follows Thea Hope in late 18th century France and Oxford. She and her mother are alchemists, and it is eveyr alchemist's dream ot created the Philosopher Stone, which can turn any metal into gold and cure any illness. But the Stone has a curse upon it, and when her mother manages to create it, she nearly kills her.

Thea is sent to her father in Oxford (who has no idea she exists) and though Thea plans to continue her work on the Philosopher's Stone, her father steals her notes and she is forced to flee.

So, I loved the atmosphere and the first half of the book. Until Thea and Dominic join Will in London. Everything after that went a bit downhill for me and I struggled through the rest of it. The writing also felt a bit stiff at times. This is a debut, so I will say the idea and parts of the story were there. Dominic was by far my favorite character, Thea my least.

Overall, an alright read, but I did like parts of it! A quick read if you want to find out for yourself!

I’m sure most have heard of the Philosopher’s Stone and alchemy in some way thanks to shows, movies, and of course books. For me, those would be Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Fullmetal Alchemist – thanks Adult Swim. A Golden Fury takes it one step further by partially delving into alchemy and the Stone’s vast history in our own world.

Thea is a determined girl in a time where not many options were available for women to do much outside the house. Receiving training from her mother as an alchemist provided Thea an opportunity to escape that fate even if they had to rely on patrons to accomplish their work. The supporting cast of characters in this book was well done and lent even more depth to Thea’s tale. My favorite was surprisingly Valentin – his stoic devotion and the subtle changes he accepted made me like him even more.

I was surprised at the turn of events surrounding the Philosopher’s Stone. I think that the book could’ve gotten along well without the love interest but being as Thea was isolated in that era I can see how she would fall for someone charming. Overall it was an adventure into the alchemical world I won’t soon forget.

Beyond happy to discover yet another local writer this year! I would highly recommend this book to those who enjoy young adult, alchemy, fantasy, historical fiction. A big thank you to Wednesday Books, NetGalley, and Samantha Cohoe for the opportunity to read this enchanting YA debut – all opinions are my own.

A Golden Fury by Samantha Cohoe is an interesting tale. Theosebia (Thea) Hope is a very intriguing character. She is young and naive but maybe that is what the reader is supposed to like about her. Thea is on a discovery about trying to figure out who she is and what she wants to do with her life. Then she is also trying to figure out what she is willing to risk. There were times that I absolutely adored Thea and other times I really disliked her. She had times were she was very annoying.

This book draws the reader in right away. It has a strong beginning and some really good characters. As a reader, it could be hard to want to put the book down. As the story goes on, it starts to lose its fizzle. I found myself becoming bored with the story after about halfway. The first half was really strong but the second half was really lacking.

The writing is definitely beautiful and lyrical at times. I think a lot of choices were made with the writing towards the end. The book turned very melodramatic. The author just lost me. I began to not care about the plot or the characters anymore. I think the author has a lot of potential. I would probably pick up another book by her in the future.

Warning: A lot of mentions of mad/madness/people performing actions due to their ‘madness’, as that was the term used back then. Those actions are mostly in terms of violence and violent acts. There’s also a bit of assault, but it doesn’t seem to be sexual. Mention of suicide.
I’ve probably mentioned it before here (on my blog, of course) but I don’t have the greatest love for historical fiction books. They’re usually a hit or miss for me, more so a miss for me. But I couldn’t pass up the premise of the Philosopher’s Stone! Usually I am a huge (okay, massive) fan of a lot of fantasy in a book, I do also like little slivers of fantasy and science fiction in a book.

That is definitely the case in this book. Even though I first thought it would be hard to understand, what with all the alchemy and science information, but I’m glad it wasn’t! Thea (the main character) is more than passionate enough about alchemy and trying to complete any alchemist’s life goal and dream. I felt Thea’s need and want to create the Stone – it wasn’t just for her, she also wanted to prove herself to her mother.

Oh, her mother. What a character and a half. While she isn’t actually physically by Thea all throughout the book, her mom’s words and actions are most certainly there. And they affect her as the mom is really manipulative and only thinks of herself. She’s so dismissive of Thea’s alchemy skills and only wants Thea to help her in her triumph.

I won’t say much of the romance because it holds some spoilers, but it did not go the way I thought it would have. But I’m also impressed that it went that way. I enjoyed it and the fact that it wasn’t the usual cookie-cutter romance we see.

There was something I’m always not keen (in the slightest) to see and that was girl-on-girl hate/pitting girls against each other – whatever you prefer saying. And I’m so so tired of seeing it in books! Why do they have to think less of the other? Because the one girl enjoys ‘pretty’ things while the other prefers to study? Because a certain boy pays more attention to the one girl than the other? Would the story change if it were taken out? In this book, I think it wouldn’t change much if the criticising of the girls (by the girls) were taken out.

I think a big reason why I stay away from historical fiction is that there’s so much of the writing, usually of the narrative and description. Which is probably funny because if you present me with a fantasy book that has an overabundance of narration and description, I’ll probably thank you. But I didn’t feel that way in here! I could easily keep up with all the alchemy talk and kept being intrigued by how much Thea’s mom annoyed me (with how unfair she was to her daughter).

3.5 stars

I’m not a fan of historical fiction but add some fantasy to it and I’m interested. A Golden Fury started out great with Thea laying out her issues with her mother and sharing her concerns and hopes to the readers, including her correspondence to a certain boy, who we will know more about later in the story. In the beginning, I found Thea relatable and her mother a bit cruel, though it’s also easy to see that her mother, indeed, has reasons for what she does and if you read the excerpt at the bottom of this post you will see that her mother even said that everything she does, she does for Thea. So whatever Thea think of her mother, I couldn’t agree with her.

I like the twist the author put in the philosopher's stone. Also, I find any story that surrounds alchemy interesting, that’s why this book appealed to me. The whole concept is really intriguing and I was expecting Thea to be a remarkable protagonist. And yes, she was relatable at first and I enjoyed reading her perspective. I found her strong-willed and her determination to save the ones she valued is endearing.

A Golden Fury started out really strong and promising but then fizzled out. At some point the storytelling became weak and flat. It didn’t give me the feeling of matter-of-life-and-death situation. The romance didn’t make up for it too. Don’t get me wrong, the romance is not that terrible, there’s just nothing unforgettable about it.

Speaking of romance, I found Will as just an okay character. To be honest, I think most of the characters are not unforgettable. They’re just okay characters.

Even though I have issues with this book, I wouldn’t call it a terrible read. It has an amazing concept and though at some point it fizzled out, it ended fine. I recommend this book to Historical fantasy lovers.

I was drawn to this book because I adore the idea of building a magic system around alchemy, which is the medieval science of changing basic substances, metals mostly, into something else. This was everything I love in my dark, YA fantasy. I was captivated from the start.

Thea’s whole life has been limited to helping her mother’s work. She longs to become an alchemist in her own right and be rid of the shadows of her famous mother. Madness, greed and murder quickly become part of her life the closer they come to creating the infamous Philosopher’s Stone. She flees to England and to a father she’s never known after her mother attempts to kill her in a fit of madness. Thea needs to create the stone to save mother, the boy she loves, Will, and her new friend, Dominic.

Thea’s voice is distinct and grabbed me right away. While she’s not always the most likeable of characters, I was engaged in her story. She has been kept pretty isolated; her world is limited to her mother and their patrons. She’s intelligent and determined. I adored that others didn’t easily influence her opinions and instead she took her time to gather information and make up her mind, which is incredible for a 17-year-old.

I was a little bit worried that we would have a love triangle when we were introduced to Dominic but thankful that was not the case. Instead, a beautiful friendship formed between the two. It just warmed my heart to see it, especially after most of the people in her life seem to be only interested in what her skills and knowledge can do for them.

I will say that it’s a shame that although Thea is a fantastic, strong female character it was little disappointed about the lack of female characters. There is a handful but they don’t have a great deal of adjacency in the narrative along. While I get that Cohoe may have chosen this to help to highlight the gender expectations of the time and also Thea’s lack of power, it would still have been nice to see more girl power.

I have loved reading books set in or around the French Revolution. Samantha Cohoe nailed it the setting. I felt like I was sucked in the 1790s from the very first page. I adored the juxtaposition between the reality of the culture and events mixed with the whimsical idea of what if alchemy was real and we could turn lead into gold. In this alternative reality, alchemy is just another science you can study, like chemistry or medicine.

I don’t know much about the lore surrounding the Philosopher’s Stone — apart from what’s mention in the first Harry Potter —but it was interesting to explore and learn more about it.

A Golden Fury is a fantastic debut. I’m not sure if we will be getting more from this world and I cannot wait to see what Cohoe writes next. Perfect for fans of the Stalking Jack the Ripper series and The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club series.

Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books, for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour and providing a free eARC via Netgalley.

Theosebeia “Thea” Hope has an alchemist, Marguerite Hope, for a mother and serves as her assistant. Marguerite is close to creating the legendary philosopher’s stone– a legend that all alchemists long to be able to create as it turns any metal into gold, cures all illnesses, and wards off old age. Despite Thea’s young age, she is quite knowledgeable on alchemy and her mother would not have been able to get this close to creating the stone without her help. Marguerite does not quite see it this way and it is likely that when the stone is finished, she will claim all the credit for herself. When Marguerite is moments away from the stone finishing its fabrication, she destroys the stone in a fit of madness and remains mad afterwards. The Comte that served as patron for Marguerite and Thea’s alchemical pursuits decides to send Thea off to England, where Thea’s father lives, as the threat of the French revolution is looming. England will be much safer for Thea. Her father, however, does not even know she exists. She is not too thrilled about the idea but has no other choice. She does have an old friend, Will, who now lives in London, so maybe she will be able to catch up with him. Thea’s father, Vellacott, is an Oxford fellow who also studies alchemy and is working on establishing a department of alchemy in Oxford. Alchemy is seen as an occult science to most other scholars, so he is working on a discovery that would bring alchemy some acclaim. Could it also be the philosopher’s stone? The stone is the only way to cure Thea’s mother from her madness.

This book was just very easy for me to get into. It is written in first person from Thea’s point-of-view, and I really enjoyed being inside Thea’s head. She is an incredibly intelligent girl who can think for herself. Thea uses her analytical mind to think through situations carefully, and she is not afraid to speak her mind, even as a young lady in the early 1790s. As such, she does not always get along with everyone, especially her mother and also runs into trouble with her father, but she stands up for what she believes in. Thea is not just a typical strong female character; she is as well crafted as anything Thea herself would create with alchemy.

I also really felt immersed in the historical setting. Sometimes YA books take place in a YA setting, but you do not always feel it or quite realize it. That definitely is not the case here. The setting is very well researched and incorporated into the story. Historical fantasies are one of my favorite genres, so it was a joy to read one that actually felt historical. It is a slightly lighter fantasy as the only fantastical element is the alchemy itself (maybe this makes it more of a historical sci-fi?), so even if you prefer strictly historical novels, you likely will enjoy this one.

The plot and the pacing of the novel kept things moving along. There were not any parts that felt slow or rushed. The book is primarily about the study of alchemy and Thea doing what she can to save those she loves from illness. She has to overcome obstacles, both physical and mental, to get there. Overall, I am really glad that I picked this up, and I am thoroughly impressed that this is a debut book. I will definitely put any other books by Mrs. Cohoe on my radar.

I Received this book as part of A Golden Fury’s Blog tour in exchange for my honest review.

A Golden Fury follows Thea Hope, who longs to prove herself as an alchemist by her own right and not just as the assistant to her mother, an already well known European alchemist. When they are just moments away from finishing the legendary Philosopher’s Stone, Thea’s mother destroys it in a fit of “madness”. Thea realizes the the legends of the stone driving those who are unworthy of its power mad are true and flees to stay with her estranged Father in Oxford. However she is anything but safe. People in power will do anything to get their hands on her mother’s notes and information on how to create the Philosophers stone. She must make a choice to risk madness and protecting those she loves or saving her mind and possibly losing her life.

I overall really enjoyed my time reading A Golden Fury. It is a historical fantasy grounded in the real world with elements of an almost psychological thriller at times.

This book immediately drew me in. It is fast paced and I never once found it to drag or info dump, which is honestly a relief to see from a standalone fantasy. Once I started I found it hard to put down. There were so many subtle clues woven throughout the book, and while it wasn’t exactly predictable, I found myself constantly trying to guess what would happen next. The ending was especially satisfying and felt complete while still leaving a lot of possibilities for the characters in the future.

I also really enjoyed the parallels between the external vs internal conflicts for our main character Thea. She is at constant battle with herself and her self doubt that was instilled in her with her upbringing and her childhood. I found that the “madness” element and how it manifested differently in different people, contributed especially well this.

My biggest wish for this book was that there was more development with the side characters and their motivations, especially the few female characters. Unfortunately the book did revolve a lot around Thea’s relationship with the men in her life and while her mother is a big part of the story she only actually is in about 5% of it.

I would recommend this books to people who enjoy fantasy elements in their stories but aren’t normally fans of high fantasy.

I’m not sure where to start, but this book wasn’t for me. I had a hard time liking the characters. Thea didn’t seem deep enough. Like something that should have been developed more was glossed over. She’s on a mission to make the Philosopher’s Stone, but you can’t create it without falling into madness, like her mother. But if she can create it, she can heal her and others.

The magic system was different and had the potential to be something really neat! But it confused me and I couldn’t seem to stay focused on it.

Honestly,I’m not even sure about what I just read, but many others have loved it. I think I’d enjoy it as an audiobook more with accents.

4.5 Stars

A Golden Fury has one of those jaw-dropping, gorgeous covers that make you instantly want to pick it up. But A Golden Fury is more than just a pretty face. It’s an engrossing read that you’ll most likely devour in one day.

I have not read a lot of books that feature alchemy, so I’m not sure how it compares to those, but I found the idea of working with transformative matter fascinating. And Samantha Cohoe is particularly adept at setting the scene. I felt as if I was standing with Thea as she practiced her craft.

Thea is a strong, although sometimes frustratingly naïve, character. Her drive and intuition as well as her inner turmoil are compelling throughout. Her parents, however, read more than a little one note, and I had a hard time believing any changes that came about on their parts.

There’s not a ton of action in A Golden Fury, but the plot ebbs and flows well, and the overall tale is one that is sure to capture many readers’ attention.

I didn't really know what I was getting into with this book but I'm kind of glad about that. I try to read lots of different novels and this one is a little outside my norm. It was incredibly good though. The pacing was brilliantly done and I LOVED how the story ended. Cohoe did a great job of masking characters, circumstances and adding a little bit of mystery into the story.

I enjoyed this book. The world building was incredible, we never felt "told" about alchemy, rather learned through context clues. The main character Thea is a typical YA character. She has grown up more as an apprentice rather than a daughter, to a single mother who's also an alchemist. She's in love with this guy, Will, who was thrown out by mama. So, turns out that while trying to make the philosopher's stone, you actually go insane. When mom goes insane, Thea runs to her estranged father in England, meeting the apprentice Dominic. These characters are pretty cookie cutter, but the story just DOESN"T STOP.

Recommend for new-to-fantasy readers.

Content warnings for parental emotional and physical abuse, attempted rape, murder, gore, and acute madness.

Story was a bit slow and a bit long for what it covered. The story itself was a good one. Philosopher’s Stone is a mystery in itself and Thea's lifetime of trying to figure out to make it involved losing herself and her mind. There seemed to be no extreme climax to the story. With a bit more polish I think this would make a great read.

Marvelous.
What a great debut novel. Ms. Cohoe has a beautiful imagination and way with words. Her descriptions were vivid and enchanting, I felt as if I was apart of the story. I could smell every metal, every tincture, every potion. I could hear the crackling of the fires and hissing of the smoke. Add relatable characters and a bit of a mystery and you have The Golden Fury.
I highly recommend.

A Golden Fury by Samantha Cohoe had a lot of potential to be one of my favorite reads of the year. I'm a huge fan of historical fantasy and from the start it seemed to be checking all of the boxes for me. However, once I got past 20% of the way through the novel my interest and attention sharply began to wane in the cast and their goals. I think the characters could have used a lot more work especially The further they go. I didn't particularly like The a all that much but she was honestly the best character. It seemed like everyone else was too flat or too actively awful for my tastes. Overall, this novel started off on a high note, but didn't manage to live up to its potential.

Normally when I’m reading a book, I make notes as I go along to prepare for my review. That didn’t happen with this one because I got so drawn into the book, I forgot to make notes.

The storyline was addicting. I felt for Thea. Her mother was cold and impossible. It’s easy to dismiss Thea’s devotion with Will as maddening. And yes, in a way, it was. Thea was raised fairly isolated, in a cold home that was always changing to where the money was for her mother. Aside from Comte Adrien, there was very little positive attention for Thea. Of course she would latch on to the first bit of attention she receives.

I liked all the characters, even the ones you loved to hate. I think once Thea broke free from her mother, her wings broke open, and she could see who she was without her. I loved that Dominic was the person who could follow her. Cohoe has written this story well. I didn’t find it a slow read as others did, because it was so addicting. A super fun read. Thank you, St. Martin’s, for sending this one along!

Title: A Golden Fury
Author: Samantha Cohoe
Pub. Date: October 13, 2020
Rating: 4

This will be a spoiler free review. Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, I enjoyed this book – just not as much as I expected. I found myself confused at some places and like I said, I didn’t necessarily care for all of the characters. But if you’re looking to be completely transported into a world, then I really wouldn’t look any further. It’s been about an hour since I finished reading the book, and scenes are still vividly scrolling through my mind.