I had a hard time settling into A Golden Fury. I wanted it to move faster. I think a reader who loves an atmospheric setting will love it, but it just wasn't for me right now. Thank you for letting me try! I do love a good YA fantasy!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I thought it was an unique idea well executed. I like that it was set in the 18th Century as this was relevant to the story and not just an extra.I thought all the characters were interesting and added something to the story. I normally do not like the main female character, but Thea I could like. Her character had lots of depth and she made the story. The ending was happy yet not happily ever after. It finished nicely without everything being neatly concluded

“She was an impatient teacher at times, but a good one. A thorough one. And in turn I was a good student. The best. Until we were close to our goal. Then, suddenly, I was a rival. And my mother did not tolerate rivals.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
This is my day in Wednesday Book’s Blog Tour for A Golden Fury, I had been hearing a lot about this book and I guess I have a soft spot for alchemy stories! Please consider checking out the other blogs on the tour.

So this book is about Thea, a young alchemist who has found the secret to making the philosopher stone as well as the curse that is tied to it. When it becomes clear that people are desperate to know what Thea knows, she must keep everyone safe, by running away. But no one can run forever and things just aren’t that simple, especially for the ones she cares for the most.

So I think this book has a really great start. Thea is a really compelling character right off the bat. Really smart, a bit jaded, but still well-composed. She is at once, a realist, but full of hope. The story at the beginning is really solid too, learning about Thea’s relationship with her mom was a great setup to her character and the story.

However, the book doesn’t stay there for very long at all. The plot moves on really quickly, and then suddenly halts. Overall, I guess I just thought the pacing was off. I feel like there were some really interesting things that weren’t focused on long enough and others focused on too long. Sometimes I didn’t mind, but it did tend to rub me the wrong way.

Speaking of being rubbed the wrong way, the book uses the word “hermaphrodite” repeatedly to refer to an image of a person. And I’m sorry, but I was under the impression that the use of that word is rather….rude, to put it lightly. I understand that in the time period it would have been used, but this book is written in the present. I can’t say that I really understand why the book would use this word, especially in reference to a person. I understand that this is a term used to discuss the anatomy of plants often, but it seems quite thoughtless to be used in the book.

In any case, I’m in agreement with others who have said that the first half on this book is really strong, but runs out of steam in the second half. The writing is gorgeous throughout and I’ll even say that I liked the characters throughout as well. But this book would have been spectacular if it had been consistently as good as the beginning the whole way through.

TL;DR: Basically, this book has great writing, an awesome premise, charming characters and great worldbuilding as well. But the book loses itself a bit by the end and falls just a bit flatter than you’d hope.

E-galley provided by Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review. All quotations and opinions are based off an uncorrected review

Wow! I requested this ARC on a whim, but then kept putting it off because I never felt in the mood to read it. Even when I first began reading it, I wasn’t sure it was what I wanted, but I couldn’t stop. I read the whole thing in one sitting. I don’t know what I expected but this book definitely exceeded those expectations. I loved it. The plot was gripping and the characters were interesting, and though some were more complex than others, I appreciated them all. But my favorite thing about this book is that I’ve never read anything like it. Thank you NetGalley, author and publisher for the ARC. I truly enjoyed it.

Thea Hope is the daughter of an alchemist, who has been trying to make the Philsopher’s Stone. Just before her mother can complete it, she is taken over by madness. Thea finds her mother’s notes, which says anyone who creates the Stone will go insane. Because of her mother’s madness, Thea is sent to find her father in Oxford, who doesn’t know she exists. Her father is also an alchemist who is trying to figure out how to make the Stone. When someone close to her father becomes mad with the Stone, Thea has to run away again to find some way to complete the Stone herself and end this curse.

This was a fast paced story. Every time it seemed like things were going well for Thea and she was doing what she planned, there would be a drastic event that changed everything. Thea had a strong character development. She had grown into a different, more mature person by the end of the story. I really liked how the story and characters developed.

I’m not interested in science, but I liked the alchemy in this book. It was a combination of science with some myth surrounding the Philosopher’s Stone. The alchemists had to use a wide range of knowledge to complete their work, including knowing multiple different languages. I learned a lot about alchemy and the mythical Philosopher’s Stone in this story.

I really enjoyed this story!

Thank you Wednesday Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I lové this book so much! Such a fun book, everything in it was just perfect. I loved the characters, the world, the journey, the relationships! Everything!

I loved this book so much! I can honestly say I’ve never read anything like it and it gripped me from the start. Steeped in European history and delving into the mystifying process of alchemy, A Golden Fury checks a lot of my favorites: a strong flawed female main character, historical setting with light fantasy elements, and rich intelligent writing. I love Samantha Cohoe’s style and I will read anything she writes next.

A really fun, wild, and plot driven historical YA novel!
Thea was such a good protagonist - super interesting and well-rounded, incredibly smart, and a little bit mad.
I felt like while reading this, I didn’t know what to expect - honestly anything could have happened! Plot twists galore!
Also, SO MANY VILLAINS! Thea was really the only character that wasn’t a bit of a bad guy (or at least the only trustworthy character sometimes!)
All in all, a really enjoyable novel with an amazing plot and fantastic protagonist.

A Golden Fury is author Samantha Cole's debut historical fantasy novel set in the 18th century France and Oxford where a young alchemist must save the people she loves from the curse of the Philosopher's Stone. The year is 1792, France is in the middle of a revolution which started in 1789 and will end in 1799. The revolution overthrew the monarchy; established a republic; catalyzed violent periods of political turmoil; and finally culminated in a dictatorship under Napoleon, who brought many of the revolution's principles to areas he conquered in Western Europe and beyond.

But let's focus on the story itself. Thea is a young alchemist working with her famous mother, (Marguerite made her reputation by creating alchemical armor for the French King), when she's shut out of the lab. Thea knows that they were close to making the philosopher's stone and is certain her mother wants all the glory of the accomplishment herself even though she has put as much blood, sweat, and tears into the work, as her mother. The Philosopher Stone is alleged to be able to turn any metal into gold and heal any illness. It's every alchemist's dream. But it’s also said to be cursed.

“The Stone chooses the last alchemist. But woe to whom it does not accept.”

But when her mother goes mad and smashes the almost complete stone, Thea takes her mother’s notes with her, and ends up in Oxford where her father, Professor Vellacott, is teaching Chemistry, but wants to expand to alchemy. Vellacott never knew Thea existed until her arrival. Vellacott and others like Dominic are way too interested in finishing the Philosopher's Stone. A stone that apparently makes everyone who attempts to finalize the last step, go crazy. Thea eventually comes to realize that the Philosopher's Stone is a living thing, that will creep into your mind and drives you mad, takes your mind for its own after you nearly kill yourself, and lose yourself, to create it. And if you're brave enough to fight back, it will haunt you even if it's gone.

Thea finds herself in a bad situation when she discovers that her former beau, Will Percy, is dying of consumption. It also appears that after he was told to leave by Thea's mother, he wronged a very powerful family that wants their pound of flesh, and if Thea can't figure out how to survive the making of the Stone, she will be forever lost as will her new friend Dominic who is suddenly thrown into the middle of something he has no idea what is happening. When science meets magic, with a little touch of love and danger, it gave an amazing adventure through the French and English roads.

Thea is an interesting character. Theo is an educated woman who is more than just an ornamental piece. Her mother may be tough and unlikable, but she made sure to raise a young woman who knows her worth to society. She’s intelligent, brave, stubborn, and often naive. She wades her way through a cascade of events and characters like Valentin Wolff who has his own agenda, but never once treats Thea as anything but a human being. Her father is something of a conundrum seeing as how he didn't know she existed, then tries to betray her for the secrets of the Stone, only to rush in and try to save her from those like Wolff who want Thea to create the same magic her mother did for the French monarchy.

Overall: A Golden Fury is a decent debut. Even though Thea could be a lot to deal with at times, that authors provides her with a compelling narrative and a story that will keep reader intrigued right to the end. Overall Rating: 3.5

THIS IS A SPOILER FREE REVIEW.

REVIEW:

We start the story following Thea in Springtime at her current home in Normandy France. She with her mother a few weeks before were on the verge of a huge break through with their profession of alchemy. Then suddenly after doing everything together Thea's mother abruptly stops her from going into her labratory and carries on working on their work without her. After this in the following weeks her mother starts to act strangely and Thea finds out that she had been near to completing the Philosophers stone.

Unfortunately this comes at the same time as issues arise in the French government and growing tension between France and England force Thea to flee to Oxford, England in hopes of finding her father who does not know she exists. During this time she is hoping to finish her mothers work. With this comes the dangers of maybe knowing how to make an item the world of Alchemy has been looking to achieve for centuries.

While I personally loved the premise of the book and it was a nice easy read, I felt that the character building on the main villain could have been more thoroughly explored. And while having multiple locations is interesting it also can be distracting and take away from the main plot when made as fast as it was in this book.

I like that the magic system was completely different from any other book I have read and that it had consequences. I feel that it is important to create a more realistic effect. It was written into the story very well in this case.

All in all the book was and enjoyable all be it a slightly predictable. My rating would be 3.75 stars.

I want to Thank St.Martin's Press and Wednesday Books for the Advance Readers Copy of this book for review.

I really enjoyed this book, I thought it was different, dark and gritty. The main character was extremely refreshing and I loved reading from her view. I did think the overall story got a bit confusing and the plot had some things that I felt didn't flow naturally. Overall I think this book would do really well to have a sequel to smooth over the few plot points that didn't lead anywhere. One of my favorite parts of this book were the characters!

So, this book had a LOT of promise. With that cover, plus a pretty intriguing premise, I was very much looking forward to this one. However, I have to admit that this book fell pretty flat for me. It was a solid three-star read—not the worst, but not the best, either.

From the beginning, I was pretty interested in the story. The pacing was a bit off for me, but otherwise, it seemed like it was going to be good. I liked the main character Thea from the start and the imperfect life she had with her mother. Really, I loved the idea of her being in France at the time of the Revolution and that playing a part in the story.

Plus, the alchemy in this story was unique and exciting. It reminded me of Fullmetal Alchemist, if I’m being completely honest. A darker science, though not quite as much “magic.” Really, this book had a strong “vibe” going for it. Kinda-sorta Fullmetal Alchemist meets Stalking Jack the Ripper.

While I was a little thrown when Thea so quickly went from France to England, I was still very invested in the story. She arrived in Oxford and meets her father and his assistant Dominic, both very promising elements. The downside, however, is that it didn’t take long for things to start falling apart.

Everything is solid until about the halfway point. When Thea and Dominic run away and find Will, there was a lot going on, but none of it felt strong enough. Thea’s relationship with Will is a huge plot point/conflict in this story, but it was weak and I had trouble “believing” it to a point because I was just kind of told that they have history. I didn’t get to see it for myself.

Then the whole part with the Prussians… I don’t know. I just felt like things were going one way and then I was pulled in a completely different direction. (Valentin, right?) By the end, I was just kind of glad the story was over.

Overall, I was really looking forward to this, so it was a pretty big disappointment. It had such a strong beginning, only to fall flat halfway through. I think Cohoe has some talent, though. Her take on alchemy and lyrical writing style were both fun to read. I am curious to see what she does next.

I LOVED the first half of this book! It was so interesting and engaging and I loved all the characters. The ending was somewhat satisfying, but I wanted more Dominic! Overall I really enjoyed this debut and I will definitely pick up any more books the author writes! This was such a fresh take on the Philosopher Stone filled with madness and unique magic/science!

Coverage for Frolic can be found here: https://frolic.media/perfect-pairings-books-and-horror-movies/
(It is a Halloween inspired post that pairs novels with popular Halloween films!)

Thank you for sending over a copy!

A Golden Fury tells the story of alchemists in their pursuit of creating the mythical Philosopher's Stone. Thea Hope is an alchemist working alongside her mother until she kept her out of the project.. Then, her mother also lost herself and got drawn to madness, as a bad effect of creating the Stone.

So, Thea is sent to London, to a father who doesn't know she exists. There, she gets into a few mishaps and discovers people who want her to recreate the Stone -- even if it means her risking her life to madness. as well.

This book is a true adventure. I have to say, I admire how unpursued the main theme of this book is in YA fantasy. (Or maybe I just didn't know where to look.) It is definitely well-written, but the story takes some to pick up and some plot twists got me lost along the way.

For some reason, it was hard to connect with the main character, on my end. She was quite devoid of emotion. Perhaps, because of her 'chosen one' vibes.

The best part about this book is smashing the patriarchy! I love the girl power this story exuded and the feminism blatantly expressed in its pages.

Aside from that, I will always be partial at how beautiful the cover is.. It called on me to get my hands on the ARC.. And now, in conclusion, I don't regret that any bit, because this is one story that gave me a good experience overall.

I think this is a fascinating and highly entertaining story, well written and plotted.
The world building and the character development are excellent and the story kept me hooked.
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
It's recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This book was not what I was expecting when I picked it up, but it was still very enjoyable. The pacing was strange. Not bad or anything but just switch drastically from fast and intense to long and drawn out scientific writing. But it was written so beautifully it didn't distract from the story. I just felt I wanted more from the story. More character development and more angst.

This book was an interesting read but slow paced for my liking. I haven't read an alchemy story before so I like the mentioned of Philosopher's Stone because it made me think of Harry Potter. I liked that the main character has a sharp tongue and can think and make decisions on her own. I like reading and came upon info that occurred in other books I read like the revolution going on in France.


This book started in Normandy, France, 1792 following Bee/Thea/Theosebea, 17, told in the first person point of view. There's the revolutionary going on in France and her mom wanted her to leave the country for safety. She has been training to be an Alchemist from her mom and they are near completion to creating the White Elixir. Thea didn't want to leave her mom but something happened to her mom and she had to leave at the last minute. She went to seek her father who also happened to be aiming to conquer the same thing as her mom. Unexpected event happened and she traveled to London to help a friend. The elixir has the power that no one was prepared for.


A Golden Fury was well written, just not for me. A true historical story with fussy fashion and aristocracy. So many situations called for Thea to be angry like her mom kicked her out of their laboratory, her dad's unwelcome attitudes, problems in London, etc and along the way I lose interest. It's good that she can rely on the guys she met but I prefer at least one family member support her without hesitation. I do like how her mom trained Thea so that she would have a talent to survive on her own.

xoxo, Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com for more details

Many thanks to Wednesday Books for inviting me to host a blog tour. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.

I enjoyed this story!

The author's writing was descriptive and the action scenes were wonderfully written. Thea was a great character who is willing to fight for what she wants. I wish there was a bit more romance but that is just my preference.

I believe this story is a standalone but I would be interested to learn more about Thea after the story ends. Overall, this is a quick and enjoyable read that I would definitely recommend for a fall/witchy season.

YA Fantasy can be very hit or miss, this one is a hit. Slow starting but a great storyline, especially if you enjoy historical fiction/fantasy. Thea is an alchemist, following in the footsteps of her well known and well sought after mother, who is trying to create the Philosophers Stone, said to have magical powers of healing and possibly immortality. The problem…anyone who sets out to try and create the stone goes mad. When Thea’s mother succumbs to this madness she has no choice but to go off to England to a father she never met and doesn’t know she exists. From there, more adventure and some danger follow our young heroine. Smart and headstrong we watch Thea in her journey to create the stone and hopefully cure her mother. I ended this story and after a slow start it had plenty of action, along with heartbreak, betrayal, and a touch of romance. While this is a YA story, adults will enjoy it as well, it doesn’t read to “young”. A great debut, this is an author I will keep on my need to read list for future releases.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the review copy and including me on this tour. 4/5 stars

I’m a sucker for historical fantasy so I knew I HAD to read this one. Throw in alchemy and the quest for the philosophers stone?

I’m sold.

The character of Thea was raised more as an assistant than a daughter. You can see from the very beginning that the love her mother has for is flawed, and that Thea is more a means to an end than a daughter she should love and cherish.

When her mother needs her less and less, her only hope is the letters she receives from Will, her mother’s former apprentice whom she’s in love with. But when her mothers making of the Stone goes awry, she descends into madness and it’s up to Thea to save her.

I was very up and down with my feelings on Thea. She’s a very naive person, and often ignores the advice of good people because they go against what her mother has taught her. I didn’t always like her, but she was SO well written. Although it’s not explicitly stated, I believe Thea did experience mental abuse from her mother, and it shows in the way she cowers to her mothers teachings and ways of thinking.

Thea was also very dismissive of her father and his ideas, and it times it broke my heart, but it really did help round out why Thea was the way she was.

But the heart of this story is the Stone. The stone that can only be made by “the last alchemist”, the stone that is driving mad all those that try and make it.

I love the way the stone and the quest for the stone changes Thea’s relationship with her parents, Will, Valentin, and Dominic. Each person, both with good and bad intentions, help shape Thea and the person she is to come.

Overall this was a very well written story. It was very plot oriented, and although I wanted a little more magic (or I guess alchemy), it was still brilliant.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick, fun fantasy read!