This book was quite a pleasant read

The magic system is really interesting and I hope next book talks about it even more. The characters are easy to connect to and well written. I was intrigued enough to keep reading the book and the explanations are clear and given at the right time.

All in all, a pleasant book, I can't say I was personally super impressed, because it's not totally my style, but it's a good book and I would 100% percent recommend to someone who likes academy vibes, trials and a bit of mystery.

Great read for anyone who likes a magic school with a student vs. students (vs. student) competition that wants a bit more edge. Set in New York City threaded with magic and danger, this book took a little while to get on its feet but once the world was established it flew by!

I really, truly struggled to get into this book, and I think it was because of the abrupt way it started. I think I could have probably finished this book, but it just didn't capture my attention. Overall, I think this book could be good for the younger ages (as it's marketed towards) and I hope to come back to this book at some point, but I don't think I will for now.

Excellent fantasy novel: well plotted, interesting magical system and world building. I liked the setting and the fleshed out characters
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I don't know if it's because I've been reading lots of, to put it simply, trash lately, but *The Potionmaster* feels like a refreshing glass of water on a sunny day.

(Can't think of a better metaphor right now, don't judge me...)

It has fairly simple world-building, and the author knows exactly how and when to explain things that may be confusing to the reader, without ever doubting their intelligence. It's certainly refreshing in a world where infodumping and zero-nuance novels feel like the norm.

The characters are also well thought, distinct from each other, and their motivations are clear. I especially liked how the way they approached the challenge—creating a potion that symbolizes the greatest good—speaks a lot about who they are as people. (What I didn't like was how quickly they forgot about the challenge itself, but due to the events that transpired, I guess it should be expected.)

But among the good, there's also the bad. I wish the protagonists' relationships with one another were more fleshed out. Considering the incredible amount of potential due to their clashing personalities, it strikes me as odd that their interactions felt very short and superficial, and the evolution of these relationships was too fast (Isla and Waldo, for example, had like three encounters?? Even when Isla thought he saved her life, lol).

But aside from that, the book is amazingly great. It's one of the few novels I've read that manages its time properly. It makes you want the sequel not because it didn't have time to develop, but because the world presented by Gould is just that interesting.

Fun, creative, and a must-read if you like urban fantasy. Can't wait for part two!

As an apothecary/potion making fantasy fan, I was immediately looking forward to this book as soon as I read the title, cover, and premise.

Each chapter delves into one character's PoV (retains 3rd person PoV wording). So per premise, expect this book to be a multi-character focused story. I'm usually not a huge fan of the "switched PoVs" format, but "The Potionmaster" proved to be an exception with its intriguing characters, exploring character conflicts with each other, and motives in ambitions and adversities.

Keep in mind, this book does not delve heavily into "how potions are made." There's one character's chapters/PoV, where it briefly describes making potions sometimes, but it's not a focus of the book, even in the early chapters. That is part of the reason I couldn't give this 5 stars but that's just me and what I like about potions/apothecary. Nonetheless, the utilization of potions as the source of character conflict and revelations is a well executed idea.

I agree with one of the other reviewers that it gets really good towards the last parts of the book. The stakes ramped up and a newer setting got me invested into whenever book 2 comes out.

Overall enjoyable story and experience. I wish more potion/apothecary centered stories like this were made even though it's more on the action and overall story than the process, itself. Thank you again to the author, Kenny Gould and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this.

I’d describe this as a cross between Harry Potter and The Last Graduate - both of which I adore.

It’s set in a magical school beneath New York, with the students being set an assignment, to clear his head, Waldo jumps on a train….and that’s when things get crazy.

Each chapter switches between the three main characters, and naturally we learn a bit about them, this feeding into the storyline.

I really enjoyed reading this, and naturally, for the first in a series, it sets you right up for the next volume. I for one cannot wait to see what is going to happen next!

My thanks to Netgalley and ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Fantasy academia, trials, suspense -- what a fantastic ride this was! Fans of Harry Potter who want to live back in the magical world will enjoy this very much.

Thank you to Netgalley for this eARC gift in exchange for my honest review.

This book is a fantastic introduction to a new world of magic and fantasy. It reads a bit like Harry Potter in grad school, with very high stakes, some fantastic villains and an interesting magic system that I’m excited to explore further. Ends in a way that will have you begging for the next book!

I need the next book now. I was intrigued by the book but worried it would disappoint. It did not disappoint. It was fantastic.

What a awesome read... I was planning on giving The Potionmaster 4 stars until I got to about the last 10%, and then BAM! Just like that it became a 5 stars book all the way. Seriously, I really need to read book 2 right now !!

I rated this book 4 stars because the story is super well written and the characters are super interesting but I can't give it 5 stars because It didn't spoke to my soul. But I did loved it.