I may have been drawn to A Golden Fury for its cover - and who can blame me, it's a gorgeous cover - but I tore through this fast-paced historical fantasy in a day and a half thanks to the merits of the story within that beautiful cover. A Golden Fury, the story of Thea, an alchemist's daughter and talented alchemist in her own right, and her desperate quest to produce the coveted philosopher's stone, is exciting, energetic, and engaging. It gallops along smoothly, from just-barely-pre-revolutionary France to an Oxford of academic pursuits and lofty spires, to the slums and then the wealthiest neighborhoods of London, ultimately to Portsmouth and back across the Channel...and yet manages to feel like quite an intimate novel. Partly this may be due to the relatively small cast of characters, and partly due to the surprisingly (for the kind of historical fiction I expected it to be) rapid pace of the events in Thea's adventure. (It turns out it doesn't take long to become entangled in murders, kidnappings, and more than one descent into madness.) Mostly, I suspect, it's because we are so thoroughly in Thea's head and Thea's concerns, which are relatively immediate, for all she's traveling across two countries and constantly on the run from one danger or another. All this together makes for a story that's gripping right off the mark and never really lets go, and a heroine who feels positively Dickensian, given how her every tentative act of trust is constantly met with betrayal and treachery.

There were a few historical anachronisms that I for one found rather jarring, such as the use of the word "scientist" and the apparently unremarkable presence of gas lamps lining the streets of London's wealthier districts in 1792. But none of these anachronisms was central to the plot or affected characters, so they're fairly easy to handwave and ignore. It isn't the kind of richly detailed historical world that would make such anachronisms especially off-putting. It really isn't the kind of book that absorbs and immerses you in its world and setting, and the imminent revolution turned out to have less to do with the plot than I anticipated (see above re how intimate/personal the story felt). But it's still a fun enough book, full of magic and madness, and well worth reading if you enjoy fast-paced plots and fantasy-action.

CW: torture, murder, violence, non-consensual restraint, talk of suicide, self-harm, mental illness, implied threat of sexual assault.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an advance review copy!

At its core, this is a story about a girl on the verge of adulthood who must lose herself to find herself and make decisions that will define the rest of her life.

What I Liked

I liked the main character, Thea. She has had an unusual childhood, especially for the time the story is set in. It is hard to say how her mother’s lifestyle would have impacted a young girl in the 18th century, but I can only imagine it would be profound. Yet, despite it all, she has a respectable amount of self-confidence for someone on the cusp of adulthood. I questioned her motives at times, but I believe that she believed she did things for others in need. Thea is intriguingly complex with layer upon layer of dimensions that make this story read so beautifully.

All of the relationships are dysfunctional, which further defines Thea as she is involved in each. Her mother rejects her in her alchemical madness, so she is sent to live with a father that doesn’t even know she exists. Her romantic entanglement and her friendship are two more relationships that go through transformations as the story develops. It all comes together and elicited much empathy from me for Thea

I liked the setting – late 18th century France and England around the time of the French Revolution. This is a favorite point in history for me, so I love reading stories set then. The story has many timeless elements, but I found those aspects that were uniquely 1700’s fascinating. I would have loved to see and feel more of that 18th-century influence.

I liked the unique take on the Philosophers Stone. The Philosopher’s Stone has appeared in many fiction works, but this story’s portrayal is much more in keeping with what is known from a historical context. The story is very dark – full of madness and greed. This Philosopher’s Stone brings out the worst elements of the human condition, and it is up to the last alchemist to determine the fate of the stone and the state of human kind.

To Read or Not to Read
This is an intriguing story for readers interested in alchemy and the Philosophers Stone and historical fantasy, in general.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I got about 1/3 through this book and was not impressed. So I came to Goodreads to see what other readers thought. And when many of them said the last half of the book was no where near as good as the first half, I thought to myself, "Wow--I don't even like the first half!"
This book was not for me. I felt like too much attention was paid to the alchemy aspect and not enough to the characters. There were numerous long descriptions of ancient alchemical texts and old philosophers and chemical processes, which was good as it showed an attention to detail on the author's part. Despite all this, I did not feel as though I had a handle on the bigger "world" that the author was trying to build. It felt as though it was being taken for granted that the reader knew how alchemy would fit into 18th century Europe. The characters also felt flat to me and didn't have much rooting value. I didn't feel like I knew them. I don't think I would recommend this book.

This is an absolutely brilliant debut by Samantha Cohoe. Thea is such a great character. Her ambition knows no bounds. The world building is absolutely incredibly. The prose is clean and lovely. I loved the way she worked in the alchemy and the stone. Everything about this book was great.

"A Golden Fury" by Samantha Cohoe is a YA Historical Fantasy novel that tells the story of Thea, a young woman living in 1792 with battling with the mystical art of alchemy in the shadow of her famous mother. While trying to finalize the creation of the philosopher's stone, Thea's mother falls into a fit of rage and destroys everything they have worked on. As Thea tries to put all of the puzzle pieces together, she will face danger and meet various characters aimed at stealing the information she's worked so hard to decode.

As a lover of both historical fiction and YA fantasy, this book could not be better suited for me as a reader! I was so excited to dive into this one and found the premise to be interesting and engaging. However, I struggled a bit with the writing and felt like it was cliche at times. I did enjoy several parts of the book though. The author did a great job at highlighting alchemy and really brought the magic of science to life. I also enjoyed following along as Thea is introduced to her estranged father. At times, I found Thea's behavior to be a bit mismatched with her persona but I enjoyed the tale overall.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Wednesday Books for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

When I read the premise of A Golden Fury, by Samantha Cohoe, I wasn't sure of what to expect. This was a wild ride. I just wish more attention was given to some of the historical details. But that didn't deter from the fun. Full of excitement, surprises, and a main character who knows she alone must decide her path, this book was highly entertaining.

What I Liked:

Characters:

I really liked Thea. She was a strong personality who knew her worth. But even as she dreams of fame and fortune, she is aware that making the Philosopher’s Stone comes at a terrible price. I loved that she didn't let her yearning for a family cloud her judgement. And oh so many people tried to emotionally blackmail Thea. It was painful that Thea didn't have anyone really rooting for her. All the other characters were more concerned with using Thea's expertise for their own ends. I was glad that she could see that.

Thea's mother would not be winning any awards for mother of the year. She was a mix of a fiercely protective parent, and a selfish manipulator. I actually liked that she was so complex. Most of us are. She was totally focused on creating the Philosopher’s Stone. And she wasn't shy about using her patrons. When she shuts out Thea from the work, she thinks it's to keep the glory of the achievement for herself. Actually, she was trying to protect Thea. It was kind of heartbreaking that Thea couldn't see that.

Dominic was her father's assistant. He wanted to be a doctor and was actually not interested in Alchemy. Yet, he helped Thea to create the Stone. He was a truly helpful person in a world full of people out for themselves. He was also the most moral person in the story. His Catholic faith is one of the things that guides his choices. I found that quite refreshing.

Story:

The race to create the Philosopher’s Stone was full of surprises. Thea and her mother were so close to creating it that several people worked to jump in and steal their knowledge. I think the author used this as a statement on the moral gymnastic scientists sometimes must perform to justify what they would do to advance their work. Is it right to use people (or animals) to test new scientific findings? Is it justifiable if there is a major breakthrough in science? Most of the characters would say yes, while Thea and Dominic would have said a resounding NO!

Ending:

I also loved the ending. Unlike many YA fantasy books, this was a STAND ALONE book!!! I really appreciated this. As much as I like book series, I am tired of waiting YEARS to know how a story is resolved. Thank you, Samantha Cohoe!

What I Was Mixed About:

Historical Details:

As this was an historical fantasy novel, I was looking forward to all the details of late 1700's Europe. I'm no expert, but there were several details that rang false with me. In one scene, Thea quickly put on (and later took off) an elaborate French gown. These were so complicated to wear that Thea would have needed a ladies maid (or two) to get into the dress. Yes, it's a small detail, but to me it mattered.

Also, in Oxford, Thea hit her head hard and almost passed out. Dominic worried that Thea had a concussion. This was supposed to take place around the year 1800. No young student would have known what a concussion was. A quick internet search showed me that concussions were not widely identified until the 1860's.

Yes, I am being picky, but these details can be what makes the reader transported to that time and place.

Recommendation: A rare stand alone YA Book. Full of surprises, if a little weak on historical details, this was still very fun to read,

A Golden Fury hooked me from the first page, and only sleep got me to put it down. This was exactly the book I needed right now, and was such a fun read.

This book starts off fast. The inciting incident kicks things off right at the beginning, and it drew me in completely. The pacing holds up through most of the book, with lots and lots of action. A little past the half way point it did slow down just a bit for me, but not nearly enough to deter me from reading. Things really picked back up for the end, and everything came together really nicely for the climax and the conclusion.

If you're looking for a book that subverts typical YA romance tropes, A Golden Fury is so the book for you. I can't go into detail on why because of spoilery things, so I'll just say that the "romance" storyline in this was so refreshing because it was different that what I usually read in YA fantasy. And it complimented the main character, Thea, so well.

Speaking of Thea, she was a fantastic lead. I loved her right from the beginning. Her story reminded me of the stories of other feminist leading ladies that I love in YA, like Audrey Rose from Stalking Jack the Ripper or Henrietta from A Shadow Bright and Burning. Thea knows what she wants, and no matter how much society and the men in her life stand in her way, she still goes after it.

Maybe it's just because I don't know all that much about the Philosopher's Stone and its surrounding lore, but this take on it was another reason why I enjoyed the book so much. Alchemy is not a subject I've read a lot of, I've been exposed to it more through video games, so it made for a unique and fresh reading experience for me.

I really enjoyed A Golden Fury. It's a book I would definitely revisit because of how quick it was for me to read, and the story was just so much fun. If you enjoyed the other YA books I mentioned above, you'll love this one. 

###

This review will go live on NovelKnight on 9/29/20.

Beautifully creepy for not being a spooky read. One thing I love about A Golden Fury is the lack of a clear antagonist. Sure, there are moments where any of the characters could be seen as the 'bad guy', but as we learn through the stories progression, the real enemy is nothing but Greed. Everyone has their own motivation for needing the Stone. But most can be seen as virtuous. There are very human emotions driving everyone towards their goal, its only when we understand what they're fighting for do we realize that none of the characters are that different.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the first part of this story. It was cool to delve into the world of Alchemy with Thea and her mother working on trying to create the fabled philosopher's stone, but just as it is created it is destroyed and Thea's mother loses her mind. Thea is then sent to her father, with the instructions for creating the stone in hand and a desire to create it herself to save her mother.

What this book showed me is that alchemists are quite selfish, for the most part, as Thea runs from place to place away from said alchemists who all want the secret for creating the stone. There are some good people though, like Dominic and that saved the last part of the story. This first part is good, but the last part is very annoying (though the madness is interesting) with Thea's blind devotion to Will, despite evidence to the contrary.

I recommend the the first half of the book, but not the last half.

4.5 stars

TW: Mental illness, self harm.

The story follows Thea Hope, an alchemist in pursuit of making a stone that can turn all metals into gold and heal injuries and illnesses, and even grant immortality. When her mother locks her out of their laboratory and starts getting ill, Thea sneaks into the laboratory to find the Philosopher's Stone nearly complete. But in a sudden fit of violent madness, Thea's mother destroys the Stone and tries to kill her.

After this, for her own safety, Thea is sent to England to her father who doesn't even know she exists. Her goal is to make the Philosopher's Stone in order to heal her mother, before the curse of the Stone takes her sanity as well.

This was a thrilling, gripping-the-edge-of-the-seat, kind of book that pushed me to turn page-after-page until I got to the end and was left with a book-hungover. Yes, this book was that good! I finished it in a single day and now I have a migraine from staring at my phone for hours on end. But I don't regret it one bit.

This book was fun, fast-paced, and I adored every second of it. It was just the right book to end my month-long reading slump. And that is why I am so very grateful to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review.

A bit slow but otherwise fairly good book about a young woman trying to create the Philosopher's Stone and the threats that come along with it.

This book... was so arduous.

When I have an ARC, I try to give it my best shot, even when it isn't a love match.

But I really struggled with A GOLDEN FURY from the first page, and the struggle NEVER. STOPPED.

Here's where I struggled:

Thea, or Bee, or whatever we want to call her... for goodness' sake, does she have ANY personality? Does she have ANY defining characteristics at all, other than a relationship with Will and an overbearing mother? I realize that her mother is a sociopath and that made a big impact on Thea, but she has no standalone traits AT ALL. She is the most uninteresting main character I've encountered.

Similarly, NO character in this book seemed to be anything more than a paper thin outline of a character.

I've spoken quite a few times on here that I've been really struggling with YA fantasy year. But over the past few months, I've been going in with low expectations (or no expectations), and that actually seems to be boding well for me because I was pleasantly surprised with this YA fantasy!

A Golden Fury is a science heavy fantasy all about alchemy, set in a time where female alchemists were very frowned upon. We follow a young alchemist, Thea, whose mother is the most famous female alchemist in the world. She's also neglectful and abusive and when her mother seems to go mad, Thea is sent to live with the father who doesn't even know she exists. Thea works out that the journey to create the Philosopher's stone is what caused her mother's madness, so when she gets to her father and finds him and his companions just as hungry for the stone, she must try to save the ones she loves from the madness. And the only way to do that is by creating the stone herself so she pays the price of madness and not them.

The first 40% or so of this novel is my favourite. It's full of brilliant scenes all around alchemy. I loved how much detail has been put into this science, there is so much detail about the process of alchemy and I loved this! This heavy science is probably not for every reader, but it's one of the things I love most about adult fantasy/scifi and a key thing missing in a lot of YA fantasy I read, so I just adored that we had so much information about the actual science behind the magic.

Despite my love for the science, and as much as I enjoyed this book, I did leave the book just feeling a little well, lack of any feeling. This book was fine, it was okay, but I didn't leave the book with any overwhelming feeling of passion, either good or bad passion. I think one of the main reasons for this is that none of the characters felt very genuine in their actions. I never trusted Will from the second we first meet him, so the whole romance storyline and Thea willing to give up her mind for him just felt a little ridiculous. I struggled to believe how someone supposedly as smart as Thea could act like that (much like how Rahel feels towards actually!) Add that to her father's actions, and the sudden forgiveness of him, it just didn't feel hugely genuine to me. Unfortunately, the key driving plot of this book does surround the romance and Thea's feelings for Will, so if that doesn't hit right for you, this story will feel a little lacking.

It's in no way a bad book! I enjoyed reading this, the science is very cool, I just didn't leave it with any particularly strong feelings.

I went into this book with almost no expectations because honestly, I had never heard about this author before. I dug a little bit and this is the author's debut book and what a book it is. This book was awesome and I'm not normally one to enjoy books about alchemy. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't really any romance in this book but I dealt with it. I would have loved to see something develop between Valentin and Thea but it wasn't meant to be I guess. I definitely recommend this book if you enjoy fantasy novels with the sciences involved in the story.

I received this as an eARC to read for free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me access.

Reading this, I was left a little disappointed. There was nothing 'golden' and where was the 'fury'? Self mutilation does not count. I'm mean, after all, 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned"...and she was definitely scorned.

While hoping for the story to get better, in a way it did in the middle, but fizzled out into a lackluster ending.

I just wanted more. The overall idea of the story was great though.

Thea Hope aspires to be an alchemist like her mother, who has been working to make the famous Philosopher's Stone for years. Just when her mother seems close to achieving their goal, she destroys her work in a fit of violent rage. While reviewing her mother's notes, Thea discovers that there is curse on the Stone that drives those who try to make it insane. Thea is sent to London to the father she doesn't know, also an alchemist. She tries to warn the alchemists and other opportunists that she meets in London of the Stone's curse, but they don't believe her, and only wish to exploit her knowledge and skill to create the Stone. Thea must choose between her sanity and protecting those she loves.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book and the beautiful cover. I like Thea as a character and the setting of French Revolution era France and England was great. I also liked how magic was intertwined with historical realism. Thea was a great main character, and I enjoyed her development. However, the plot moved a little two slow for me, and the side characters were somewhat thin and two-dimensional. Overall, I liked this book but didn't love it.

A Golden Fury is a gothict alternate universe novel that provides plenty of twists and turns as our 17 year old heroine attempts to create the impossible: the philosopher's stone. The tone is heavy to the point where most of the read is dreary. Characters spend most of the book fighting with or distrusting each other, everyone betrays someone else at some point in the book, and it's hard to like a heroine whose sole composition is bitter, angry, and a poor decision maker.

Story: In a France very much like the 1790s, the country teeters on revolution and alchemists are considered fantasists at best, swindlers at worst. Thea's beautiful mother is brilliant and has used her alchemical skills to create armor for the King of France. But she is obsessed with making the philosopher's stone and goes through patrons like water. She has carefully molded Thea to be the perfect assistant to that end, focusing all her parenting in developing a daughter with all the tools to find the secret formula and make the philosopher's stone. But what mother and daughter did not predict is the curse preventing it from being made: a madness so terrible it imprisons the mind in a hellish world of torment. Thea will have to survive on her own strengths and merits in order to survive her mother's madness and the frenzy of others also trying to get their hands on her mother's secrets.

I had a hard time getting into the plot or really liking the main character. She spends most of the book being assaulted, arguing, or doing fairly foolish actions out of pride. The romance felt tacked on and unbelievable and there isn't really a single redeeming character in the book. There's no one you really want to root for, even though several characters do go through a bit of a very unbelievable redemption arc (the transformations happen too quickly and without any apparent reason or trigger). I also felt that had Thea tried to at least be pleasant and less stubborn or prideful, things would have gone very differently.

Thea herself spends a chunk of the book fighting with her mother or others, being physically assaulted (choked, head butted against a wall, etc.), or being manipulated. As a character, she feels immature, overblown, and subject to rash decisions. I felt the book really needed to offset the dreariness and ugliness with characters who provided contrasting positive personalities. But the author was more interested in torturing (mentally and physically) every character in some way or other. I do appreciate nuance in characters but all I saw here were people driven by greed and selfishness.

The plot of the philosopher's stone was honestly rather unbelievable. The author has a nice spin on what it is at the end but I found it hard to believe that it was so impossible to create and yet Thea does it easily with just a few notes. Same with her mother. Only one stone was ever going to be made and it would be made by 'the last alchemist.' Notes on how to make it were scattered across various languages/cultures, each having the formula to creating a key ingredient. I didn't believe in the veracity of the item or why it hadn't been created already. The author brought in a deus ex machina that it chooses the alchemist it wants - but I have to admit I felt the mother would have been a much better candidate than Thea.

So while it was a dreary read that was a bit too heavy on the gothic, it did have some twists and turns that made it readable. I admit I didn't like any of the characters and didn't really care who won in the end as a result. And I wish there were at least some good people in there. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

A Golden Fury is both intriguing and frustrating. From the start we are introduced to the magical maddening world of alchemy and the hunt to create the Philosopher's Stone. With Thea as our main leading lady and burgeoning alchemist extraordinaire, I thought for sure I was in for a delightful reading adventure.

First of all, I adore the cover for this novel. Adore. It's perfect for the story and really encompasses what Samantha Cohoe has brought to life in these pages. Second of all, I quite enjoy Cohoe's writing style. She's very elegant in her prose and sucks you into the story quite easily.

The first 40% or so of this book, I quite enjoyed. I was intrigued by Thea's progression, the alchemy and the madness, the historical setting. It was a historical with a fantastical punch.

And then.

Then it all went downhill. I detested the love story aspect of this story, so much so that the romance junkie in me would have preferred absolutely no love interest at all. I so desperately wanted to love this book, Thea’s decision making and the last part of this book bumped it down to a barely there - rough three stars.

I wouldn’t re-read this one for all the alchemical powers in the world, I will however be picking up Samantha Cohoe’s next novel. I look forward to seeing what she writes in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday books for sharing this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone story, I got a copy of this through NetGalley to review.

Story (4/5): This started out a bit slow, but as it continued I was really drawn into the story of Thea’s search for the Philosopher’s stone and the horrible repercussions on those who try to make the stone. This is all set against Thea’s struggle to be respected and to find the father who doesn’t know about her existence. I loved all the detailed descriptions about alchemy!

Characters (4/5): I enjoyed Thea as a character but despaired of her blindness where Will was involved. She is a strong and smart character but has some huge blind spots. I also enjoyed some of the side characters; like the manipulative Will and the caring and stubborn Dominic.

Setting (4/5): I really enjoyed the setting here, it’s set in both France and England in 1792. Many of the nobles are fleeing France and the German are set to invade. We go from countryside France, to Oxford, to Londan and the story was well blended in with the surrounding historical events making it very believable.

Writing Style (4/5): In general this was very readable and very well written. I thought it started a bit slow but once Thea leaves France the story picks up quite a bit. All the alchemy parts were really well done and I enjoyed that this book into the “science” of alchemy a lot.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I enjoyed this story. It starts a bit slow but is a really well done historical fantasy with lots of details on alchemy. The characters were well done and the story is intriguing. I enjoyed how well it was blended in with the history of the time and I loved that this was a stand alone book too.

DNF - unfortunately I really couldn't get into this one. I found the writing very lyrical and interesting, but unfortunately the science didn't capture my interest and was a significant part of the story and the main character never won me over. I actually found her pretty annoying in some parts and boring in the rest. Not the book for me.