The storyline for this book is so unique and different, it’s definitely worth giving this a read. Two seemingly different people meet because of a goblet, which they are inherently connected to. If that sounds intriguing, this is definitely the story for you.

# The Alchemist of Aleppo

My Rating: 4 stars

CW’s: violence, mentions and implications of child marriage in historical timelines,

THIS is what I love in a academic fantasy. I practically felt like I was reading a merge between a fantasy book and a research methodology chapter in a monograph. I ADORED the academic aspect of the book, multiple POVs contain them. I liked also that there were both STEM elements and humanities elements to the book as well.

For the multiple different timelines, I think the execution was okay, was it the best? No. But I think when you have more than one timeline it’s difficult to execute it really well. I don’t think Marie K. Savage did it poorly by any means, and I think dual timelines would underserve the premise, but I think there might’ve been a way for her to do this in a more organized way that felt a little more organic or have smoother transitions. I did feel a little bit like I was being jerked around between timelines and perspectives.

Speaking of perspectives, I do think her chapters could have done for a bit more distinction. While it is third person point of view, I don’t think that necessarily means that she couldn’t do some variation of distinct language or narrative choices. While the characters felt generally distinct in their personalities and characterizations, that just didn’t flesh out enough into the narrative.

The characters themselves were believable and well done. I had a particular fondness for Kat and Michael. I’m a sucker for the “I knew you in another life” and reincarnated soulmates/true loves thing. It was my bread and butter in early 2010’s YA books. I’m a sucker for the sweet kind of yearning. That being said, the writing does feel remniscent of 2010’s YA and fanfiction (but like, good fanfiction).

One thing I think was also different here than another book I read recently, *The Vanishing Bookstore*, is that it paces out the worldbuilding and reincarnation storyline from the beginning. And the romance is more believable. Their reactions to the romance (being reincarnated soulmates) felt realistic, Kat (or Emmaline) was freaked out in her modern life and less so in past lives, which I think really tracks. Certain things were easier to digest before the popularization of science and the changing role of religion and spirituality. I can totally see that a character in 1640 Scotland would have a different outlook than a character in the modern age who lives in the US but is visiting London.

I will add in here that there are a few grammatical errors, but I don’t know if they were fixed in the final copy or not.

I also liked the fact that there was a real cause behind the romance. It wasn’t just the sake of the romance that drove the plot, but a concern for evil and for the world’s safety. *The Luck* meant something beyond Kat and Michael and I really enjoyed that aspect, as well as the world-building surrounding it.

I did feel like outside of Michael and Kat, some of the minor characters did come out flat, not all of them, but some of them. But I think considering everything, it wasn’t awful that they were flat, the characters mostly connected to the main plot were fleshed out enough.

I also liked a more diverse and different approach to Middle Eastern fantasy. I feel like so much of it is inspired by Arabian mythology. I love Arabian mythology, I grew up on it as someone with a Middle Eastern parent, but it’s nice to see diversity and to see other countries in a really big region represented.

I also felt like everyone, protagonists and antagonists alike, had reasonable motivations, no one was evil for the sake of evil, no one was angry to be angry.

All in all, i liked the book, the ending, and the way the story progressed. The characters, for the most part, felt real and realized.

This was such a cool story to read! I loved all the POVs, the different stories woven together spanning generations. and it was such a treat to read! However, there were times were I got lost in the story and not in a good way. Sometimes it was hard to keep information separate.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publishers for access to this ARC 📚.

🔥Quick Fire Review🔥

Genre/Themes: 🔮📜🧬👨🏽‍🏫👩🏼‍🔬💞
Tropes: Afraid to Commit, Widow, Amnesia, Woman Scorned, Second Chance Romance, All Powerful Artefacts, Closed Door Romance, Dark Past
Positives ✅ : really imaginative story using a real life historical artifact, intriguing main plot, engaging use of time jumping and POV
Room for Improvement 🔎 : anti-climatic romances, unsatisfying ending due to loose ends, filler scenes or events, typos and grammatical errors, characterisation issues
Rating: 🌕🌕

✍🏻Full Review - RISK OF SPOILERS 🛑

This book was a little out of my usual comfort zone and while there was potential I was ultimately left feeling frustrated. There were also a noticeable amount of typos. The story did however introduce me to a really cool historical artefact that lives here in my native UK.

Characterisation:
This was unfortunately the aspect of the story that let it down for me. All of the characters suffered from largely unnatural feeling dialogue, either sounding like an unrealistic caricature of an upper class British person or being walking-talking exposition. Michael starts out as a quiet, unassuming, slightly depressed loner with a dark past who occasionally attempts some self-deprecating humour with British colloquialisms thrown in here and there. Then later on becomes a very assertive, bordering aggressive, and quite possessive person. This happens as he gets closer to finding out the truth about his past selves, and we see him deal with a lot of grief and guilt. However I still found myself not finding him very interesting or engaging. His past selves, Micah and Elias, seemed much more intriguing but we only really got glimpses of them. This was particularly disappointing about Micah seeming he is the person who caused the whole plot. Kat is a quiet girl-next-door who manages to squeeze her line of work, genetics, into as many conversations as possible even when it isn’t particularly relevant. The anxiety and vulnerability she felt early on was great, and meant there was some brilliant sexual tension between her and Michael, but then she seemed to become an afterthought in the last half of the book. We didn’t learn basically anything about Yasmine and her relationship with Micah. Emmaline was, again, more interesting than Kat was. Kat and Michael’s romance was so anti-climatic it drove me insane. We had so much build up and tension, a near-miss in his house, then when they finally had sex it was a closed door quick mention and then they were just… together after that. In fact it barely felt like they were a couple it was that glossed over. Sergei’s character was so ridiculous, being a billionaire who arrives everywhere in a helicopter even though he could have easily driven around the South of England (it isn’t a big place here in the UK) and is apparently able to oversee a private security company - which was more like MI5, able to follow pretty much anybody Sergei chose - while also investing in a genetic modification programme or Leila’s art projects. It was so far fetched. Most of his POV scenes were filler with him acting like a mob boss instructing his team to follow a new target, when we later on learn he could have been a really interesting character with a deep, emotionally complex backstory. Shame we barely saw any of it. In fact, I was more interested in his love affair with Michael than I was about Kat. But again, we didn’t get a proper background to Micah and Sergius and their relationship at all. When he finally reunites with his wife it is only one or two pages so that felt anti-climatic too. Marie was honestly the most interesting character in the whole thing. She is a moody, jilted madwoman - justifiably so - who is at her breaking point and doesn’t take any shit. Her dialogue is probably the most natural of everybody’s, just saying what she wants and why without it being all flowery and scholarly and pretentious. Knowing she’s been hunting down her husband and killing him over all their lives is badass, honestly. Her threats and her attacks were legitimately quite scary. Her husband has a scene thrown in during Elias and Emmaline’s timeline, where he rapes and attacks Emmaline and threatens them to give back his life sphere. That felt a little shoe-horned in to make him more villainous, when we already knew he was a murderer so you can’t get much more villainous than that. Michael’s sister, Leila, was a cookie-cutter character of a loud and annoying younger sister, a bit of a hippy, who is too intrusive into her brother’s love life. Her fiancé and his family are all supposed to be minor nobles, and again it all felt like a very Americanised view of British people. The hypnotist was the last straw for me. It was SO unnecessary and unrealistic. Most of the side characters didn’t really need to exist at all.

World-Building:
The present day timeline of the story is set in London and surrounding boroughs, with mention of the recent Syrian wars which devastated the Samaan families 600-year-old business and heirlooms. That’s all very well and good, until Sergei starts taking a helicopter for what was probably only an hour drive and Kat plans on travelling to Carlisle and Hadrian’s Wall when she’s only meant to be visiting London for a week. Now THAT is a journey that could warrant a helicopter. The use of the Luck of Edenhall for the basis of the story was great and so imaginative, however the attempts to blend science and genetics with resurrection and alchemy felt… forced. To be honest it didn’t really lend anything to the story at all. The life spheres and the souls being bound to the Luck were all really interesting, magical themes but there wasn’t enough exploration of this side of things. I mean, they basically prove magic is real but they seem far too casual about it by the end of the novel? Some of the reincarnation stuff felt a bit confusing, because there is lots of emphasis on the current vessels not being the same people as those whose souls were bound to the Luck. Yet Marie’s husband is still a murderous lunatic in a future life, and Michael and Sergei are still instantly in love with the new vessels of their dead wives even though they’re meant to be fundamentally different people. The lore perhaps felt a bit lax and I think I’d have preferred to see elements of their past selves still being present and watched them trying to deal with that. I also think there was too little of Syria and Micah’s timeline in comparison to the Edenhall family’s time and present day.

Prose\Plot:
I thought the overall plot was great with how it all linked together at the end. I did genuinely enjoy the time jumping and the multiple POVs, I just don’t think they were utilised fully. But I have to admit that I hated that it was an open ending with spheres left over with wandering souls with no hint of who they are, Michael and Sergei’s love for each other was sort of ignored and the fact that we got hints of some really erotic scenes that ultimately didn’t happen. And I cannot get over how unnecessary and ridiculous the hypnotism part was. There was NO NEED and it took away opportunities for Michael to perhaps explore other places or leads in unlocking his memories. I must also stress that there are a LOT of typos and this book definitely needs a proofreader.

Stars: 3
Review Release: 24/02/25
Review Platform: GR
Review: My rule for reading is that if a book doesn’t grab me within the first hundred pages, it’s a no go for me. As promising as this book was, I wasn’t sucked in at all. The concept was amazing and I feel that the story is promising, I just couldn’t force myself to slog through something I knew I wouldn’t enjoy.

I have received a free electronic copy of the ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The story was enjoyable and the plot kept me very interested in what happens next. A page turner that spans centuries. A part love story, a historical fiction with some dark magic. There are quite a few POVs and characters to keep up with. Some time lines get more attention than others. Some characters were developed better than others. Overall, I really enjoyed the story and rated it 3.5⭐️ It published on 1/28/25.

A story of a man desperate to save the love of his life, seduced by the knowledge of the occult, take the step to infuse two souls into a magical object of his creation. Reincarnated multiple times over the centuries, wandering the wide world, tied to the same family line, the soul of the alchemist suffers, as the soul of him reincarnated wife, somewhere.

It is romance deeper than memories and older than centuries.

The build up about the characters was so strong that the romance was already well established in its yearning, attraction and transcendence when the characters first met. It is everything achingly soul satisfyingly I wanted to read in this story. It was never mushy, and the spice didn't stray far from the story, giving me moments of thrill every now and then. It was a good balance, the darkness of visions and the light of the romance.

What I loved best about the book was its characters. I was invested in Michael's past, curious about Elias' future and hoped for Micah's knots to be resolved by Michael. I loved Kat too but I loved Emmaline more. Her side of the story made my heart ache while his side of the story kept me flipping pages.

What I would have loved to see more of was the proper use and address of the occult/ the low fantasy element revolving around the goblet and the other artifacts addressed in the story but never explored. Shying away from those parts keep me in the dark about the lore. the magic that led to the centuries long cycle of reincarnation. It also would have tied the villainous end of the story more neatly.

Nonetheless, these little factor didn't keep me away from the story, instead kept me guessing, hoping, turning pages for the next twist, the next shift, the next vision, and the next rise in tension.

All in all, I will recommend it to all my friends who love romance and specially romantic thrillers that transcend the space-time continuum.

A beautifully told story that spans centuries, The Alchemist of Aleppo weaves magic, mystery, and timeless romance into a compelling narrative. It’s neither a historical romance nor a fantasy, but a unique love story that transcends genres.

The plot flows seamlessly across different times and places, evolving without confusion. The characters are vividly portrayed, and the reader often knows more than they do, creating a sense of anticipation. While tragedy shadows the story, the ending offers hope and fulfillment.

If you love stories of enduring romance and subtle magic, this book is sure to captivate you.

Kat Musgrave has been disturbed by dark and turbulent dreams from an early age, her family worry about her but there don't seem to be a solution. Her work as a geneticist brings her to a conference in London. a place she has avoided in the past. On visiting the V & A Museum she is mesmerised by an ancient glass goblet, the Luck of Edenhall. Whilst in a state of turmoil, she meets Michael Samaan, a historian and expert on ancient glass. They immediately feel a connection, this momentous meeting leads them on a journey into the past history of the goblet and themselves. Interesting and enthralling story told in the present day with glimpses into the past.

When Michael Samaan and Kat Musgrave meet by the display case of a fourteenth century glass goblet at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, they know immediately that they are deeply connected—to each other and to the goblet. But neither one understands what that connection means. Through a series of uncovered books and recovered memories, Michael, a British art historian, and Kat, an American geneticist, work together to peel back the layers of history—and their past lives—to find answers. Ultimately, they discover that the goblet’s mysterious maker, known in the past as the Alchemist of Aleppo, infused the glass with the essence of his and his dying wife’s souls and with the magical promise of love renewed at some future date. But the two scholars aren’t the only ones enthralled by the museum piece and the goblet isn’t the only magical object created in the alchemist’s furnace.

I really wanted to like this book, but it just wasn't the book for me. It is told from different perspectives and timelines, and from what I could grasp they were all reincarnations of themselves. All of the jumping around and the different names was just too confusing for me....maybe I should have read this on a day when I wasn't suffering from Fibro fog. It was very fast-paced and a quick read, and a lot of other people seem to have enjoyed it, so I think it must have just been a case of not a good fit for me.

I anticipated that this book would be straight-up historical fiction, but instead found a creative blend of mystery, historical fiction and magical fairy tale. It is a quick and easy read with good pacing, and time jumps that do not feel disruptive. The characters themselves are not very deep - it is the relationships and plot that carries the book. It is an imagined origin story for the much-storied Luck of Edenhall [a famous glass vessel from the 14th century, on display in the V&A museum in London, and believed to bestow luck upon its owner]. The story expands beyond the known legend of the glass to tell a tale of dark magic, mystery, murder and lovers reuniting over centuries. It feels like “Outlander” and “The DaVinci Code” with a bit of Kate Atkinson’s “Life After Life.” It is an entertaining read, and compelled me to read more about the Luck of Edenhall and its enduring legends of fairies and talismanic powers of luck and good fortune.

When Michael Samaan and Kat Musgrave meet by the display case of a fourteenth century glass goblet at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, they know immediately that they are deeply connected—to each other and to the goblet. But neither one understands what that connection means. Through a series of uncovered books and recovered memories, Michael, a British art historian, and Kat, an American geneticist, work together to peel back the layers of history—and their past lives—to find answers. Ultimately, they discover that the goblet’s mysterious maker, known in the past as the Alchemist of Aleppo, infused the glass with the essence of his and his dying wife’s souls and with the magical promise of love renewed at some future date. But the two scholars aren’t the only ones enthralled by the museum piece and the goblet isn’t the only magical object created in the alchemist’s furnace.

I love the timelessness of love in this story. The magic, the history, the love - they come together in a beautiful tale! The author masterfully weaves multiple plotlines and timelines for a wonderful read! 5⭐

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

Thank You NetGalley and IBPA for a complimentary copy of this novel! This novel pulled me in from the beginning! A spellbinding love story that verges on Fantasy and Magic! I got major Outlander vibes!!! A chance encounter between Michael Samaan and Kat Musgrave inside the Victorian and Albert Museum in London in front of a 14th century glass goblet display; and an immediate connection between the two as if they’ve known each other for years!!! What does this connection mean for them? Kat is an American geneticist and Michael is a British Art Historian. As they discover more artifacts and memories from the past, their connection is slowly revealed. This search leads them to someone from Michael’s past, the Alchemist of Aleppo, who created the glass goblet centuries ago that contained a part of him and his dying wife. That goblet would allow them to come back later in time. But there are other artifacts the Alchemist had created, and others are searching for these. Michael’s and Kat’s lives may be in danger if they can’t resolve the past. “Time is ephemeral, only love is everlasting.” Look for this novel on January 28, 2025 to find out if Michael and Kat are able to resolve the past and look forward to the future!

Michael Samaan and Kat Musgrave met coincidentally (it seems) at the VA Museum. One with an interest in artifacts and the other for an inexplicable pull towards the display of a particular goblet.

The story starts from there and it is fascinating, unexpectedly full of questions and certainly events, people and feelings which cannot be logically explained. Going back hundreds of years to turbulent times, previous births and a reincarnation in a present time to set finally and bring to an end a very troubled past.

The story was magical, a love story repeated and a book I couldn’t put down. I would urge those who enjoy stories of history as well as those things which are magical, fantasy with a whiff of probability to get this book.

Kat and Michael find themselves connected to each other and to a display at a museum, and this story follows them as they uncover the truth of themselves — and their many pasts. This is a beautiful story of love and madness and the repercussions of attempting to control it all.

The Luck of Edenhall has always held a special fascination for Michael Salmaan and Kat Musgrave, and not just because it's a beautiful piece of art. The 14th-century glass creation marks a bond between these two strangers, as well as multiple other bonds that span generations and lifetimes. And when Michael and Kat meet in person, they can't deny the preternatural pull they feel to both the Luck and each other.

A dive into the history of the Salmaan family reveals a personal tie to the Luck: one that unveils a centuries-old alchemical marvel. The souls of lovers from hundreds of years ago are bound together by the Luck and its accompanying pieces, and Michael and Kat were instrumental in that discovery in former lives. But while some delight in reuniting with their lovers over and over again, others see their tie to the Luck as a curse. And while some simply want closure, others are willing to kill over and over again to get their revenge.

The Alchemist of Aleppo is the latest work of fiction to pay tribute to the legendary Luck of Edenhall (which is indeed a real vase on display at the V&A). The concept of the piece as a lodestone powering reincarnations for lovers across time is a wild one, and one that makes for some excellent romantic storytelling. While the complex and knotted timelines of the book are intriguing, the flow of the book is impeded by a lot of "telling" rather than "showing," with characters launching into unnatural-feeling monologues to fill in gaps. The villain of the piece has a sort of "Before I kill you, Mr. Bond" monologue toward the end, and a character introduced just before the finish line crams in a last-minute infodump that dilutes what should be a passionate scene. The concept itself is strong, as are the characters, and I hope to see Savage lean a little less into straight exposition in later works.

This was such a cool story to read! I loved all the POVs, the different stories woven together spanning generations. I’ve not read a book like this before, and it was such a treat to read!

This review is written as my honest opinion after receiving a NetGalley copy.

My feelings on this story are mixed, but I will start with the good.

This book had excellent scope. The generational storyline was exciting and lent the story a The Davinci Code-esque mystique (in a good way)! I thought most of the twists and adventure plots were good, and the story trekked along at a good pace.

Where the story fell apart for me:

The Characters. They were the weakest part of the story, and I was not particularly attached to Kat especially. The characters felt a little flat, and I would have put the book down if it wasn't for the plotline that kept me interested.

The Alchemist of Aleppo is a breathtaking exploration of love, memory, and the mysteries of the universe, masterfully weaving together art, science, and the enduring power of human connection. From the moment Michael Samaan and Kat Musgrave meet at the Victoria & Albert Museum, their magnetic bond pulls readers into a story that spans centuries and defies conventional boundaries of time and space.

The novel’s greatest strength lies in its intricate narrative structure. The author seamlessly transitions between the present and the past, painting vivid scenes of medieval Aleppo alongside modern-day London. The goblet at the heart of the story—a creation of the enigmatic Alchemist of Aleppo—is more than an artifact; it’s a living testament to love’s resilience and the mysteries of the human soul. The detailed descriptions of the alchemist’s craft and the intertwining of his fate with Michael and Kat’s add an almost ethereal quality to the storytelling.

Both Michael, the introspective art historian, and Kat, the pragmatic geneticist, are richly developed characters. Their journey to uncover the truth behind the goblet is as much about self-discovery as it is about unraveling the secrets of the past. Their chemistry feels genuine, their dialogue sharp, and their shared moments poignant, making their connection deeply relatable despite the story’s mystical undertones.

What sets The Alchemist of Aleppo apart is its ability to balance the metaphysical with the emotional. Themes of love, loss, and redemption are explored through the lens of reincarnation and alchemy, yet they remain grounded in the universal experiences of longing and hope. The alchemist’s quest to preserve his wife’s essence in the goblet mirrors Michael and Kat’s search for meaning in their connection, creating a powerful parallel that resonates long after the final page.

This novel is not just a story—it’s an experience. It will captivate readers who love historical fiction, magical realism, and profound explorations of the human spirit. Fans of The Time Traveler’s Wife and The Night Circus will find themselves equally enchanted by The Alchemist of Aleppo.

In the end, this book reminds us of the enduring mysteries that science cannot explain and the treasures that money cannot buy: love, memory, and the unbreakable bonds of the soul. An absolute triumph.

The Alchemist of Aleppo was an intriguing read. It makes one think, and ask questions about love, life and immortality. I was swept away, caught in the maelstrom of a family's history throughout the ages and cycles of life.
Is it possible? I don't know, but I do know this, I kept reading until the novel was finished and I knew what happened. Better yet, it still has me thinking.
Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this delightful book.