I couldn't finish. I just didn't connect with the characters at all. I'm a historian, so I'm probably more critical of historical fiction than many, but the female characters acted like modern women thrown into the 18th century, and I couldn't get past that. I teach history of science as one of my courses and was excited to read something dealing with alchemy, but this.... just felt contrived.

I do think Cohoe's a good writer - the prose is polished and the narrative seemed to move along at a fast pace. The plot just wasn't for me.

I had the opportunity to read Samantha Cohoe's <i>A Golden Fury</i> prior to its publication. Although I thank the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this book, the review is completely my own.

I wasn't completely sure what I was going to get with <i>A Golden Fury</i>. Normally, I'm not a huge fan of a period-piece fantasy book (more of an urban fantasy guy). However, I really liked this book. The characters were well developed and interesting. I also appreciated that everyone in the book is flawed on some level, which makes the characters have more depth.

The story itself centers on a young alchemist named Thea and her quest (along with everyone else's) to create the mythical philosopher's stone. There's just one catch. Everyone who tries to create the stone goes mad in the process. Ultimately, this is a book about love, betrayal, and learning the truth about yourself and others.

As for the writing, it's pretty straightforward and uncomplicated. As such, I think its targeted YA audience will have no problems reading and understanding the book itself. Personally, I read the book over a couple of evenings, so it's a pretty fast read. I definitely think this book is going to do well when it's released to the general public.

This book was received as an ARC from St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

When I was reading the book from beginning to end, I could not help but think Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark but in the job of an alchemist instead of an architect. The relationship Thea had with her mom and Thea's passion and desire to become one of the best but when she and her mom come close to their travels to retrieve the stone, her mom gives into the madness and destroys the stone. For safety, Thea is sent to Oxford to live with her father except there is one problem; he does not even know she exists. Now with other alchemists in search for the stone and Thea warning them about the curse, they completely ignore Thea and are now in deep in the madness. Thea now becomes the alchemist most wanted and having her knowledge stolen from her she has no choice but to recreate the stone or the people she loves are set to die. I could not put this book down and every chapter was a surprise. I thought it would be on the predictable side following the storyline of Raiders of the Lost Ark but this was far from it. My eyes were glued to the pages from beginning to end.

We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Samantha Cohoe's debut is a historical fantasy about the search for the elusive Philosopher's Stone. It showcases strong characters set in a vibrant world. Thea and her mother nearly have the Stone and its riches in their grasp when Thea's mother destroys their work in a fit of insanity. Thea learns that this is the curse of the Stone - madness to anyone attempting to create it. Now it's up to Thea to stop others before they too suffer the curse.

I deeply enjoyed this dark and sometimes gruesome story. Thea is an amazing heroine. The writing is crisp and lyrical. I loved all of the detailed and nuanced characters. It's not a topic or a time period I've spent a lot of time in but that made it especially fresh and engaging.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the E-arc copy of A Golden Fury. It is a wonderful debut novel from what I hope to see is an author with great writing detail.
#AGoldenFury
#NetGalley

The concept of the philosopher’s stone has been a part of several famous stories, and I liked the overall plot structure very much. I loved how alchemy sucked these characters in and never let go. I never felt invested or connected to the characters, however. The pacing is nice and it is easy to follow, but it’s not a stand-out for me.

A Golden Fury has a fantastic concept and absolutely delivers with a vibrant cast and equally vibrant prose. There is so much to love in Thea and her interactions with the people and world around her and I enjoyed each moment of following her journey.

I loved this. I’m a big fan of alchemy in historical fantasy and this was perfect. The writing was lyrical and lovely, the pace was fast and thrilling and the characters were engaging. This had a strong historical setting and plenty of gore as a murder mystery unravels in the midst of the fantasy. An excellent book.