I enjoyed this book so much! Despite the fact that the villain is woven into the story from the beginning, it still manages to be a twist when we learn the reality of who it is. I also loved that it isn’t a standard YA romance formula. This book kept me reading from the moment I started it. I highly recommend it!

I really liked this book even if it was different than many other historical books that I have read I was very engaged in the story from start to finish. I really liked the characters especially Thea she was such a well written character a very strong mostly set in her ways female lead. There was so much more to her she mostly just wanted to save those she loved along the way she ended a lie and found a Father and a very good friend and maybe hope for her relationship with her mother. I really liked the plot it pretty much started with a bang with her mother going mad and Thea having to flee to a Father who did not even know she existed. The story moves along at a pretty good pace Thea finds some not so great things out along the way and she goes above a beyond to save those she cares about and I really love her character so much. So overall I really enjoyed this book for sure I would read more by this author.

It's Normandy in 1792. Theas mother is trying to create the white elixir to turn all metals into silver. I liked reading about the work in the lab. I liked Thea but lost interest in the events

CW/TW: bad mother-daughter relationship, self-harm, attempted suicide, torture, cheating, references to “madness”

I think, to be fair, this is a 3.5 star read for me but I do feel like there are so many people who would LOVE this book. It’s really well-written and actually pretty concise. It took a minute for me to get into the book initially bc it was written in first-person and I didn’t know why I was supposed to care about a certain person.

It is a stand-alone but there are points where things happened too fast and others where things were dragging. But I think, overall, the pacing wasn’t too bad.

I liked our main character for the most part, she was interesting and smart, but also naive. Thea definitely did get on my nerves at some points, but overall I felt positively toward her. She has to deal with quite a bit in this story.

I’ll try to wrap this up with no spoilers. I think the ending was disappointing to me. I know that a lot of my issues are probably just a me thing. I don’t think this book is bad by any means, which is why a 3.5 star (rounded to a 4 star on goodreads). I think if you love YA fantasy, this is probably one that you’ll love.

DNF @ 30%

This just wasn’t for me. I didn’t care for any of the characters, for they were very flat, and the plot just wasn’t compelling enough to make me want to continue.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.

DNF 48%

The pacing seemed very slow and it just didn't hold my interest enough for me to continue. I wanted to see the effects of the stone, not just hear about it secondhand. Also, besides Thea, every other character seemed awful or I didn't care enough about them to want to know what happened to them. Definitely unfortunate as I was looking forward to this book.

A GOLDEN FURY is definitely the darkest YA novel I've read in quite a while. The story follows Thea on her journey to attempt to make the Philosopher's Stone in the hopes that it can save her mother and the boy she loves, Will. All of the alchemists who have tried to create the Philosopher's Stone, including Thea's mother, have descended into madness.

It was really interesting to read a book entirely based on alchemy, which was a topic I found fascinating as a kid. The writing was easy to get lost in and I loved seeing 18th century Europe through the lens of alchemy and revolutions. Throughout the course of the story, Thea struck me as both relatable and frustrating. She isn't a strictly "good" protagonist but her struggle figure out how far she was willing to go in pursuit of her goal made for a compelling internal plot arc. The external conflict got a bit repetitive at times but moved quickly enough that the book never felt boring.

I was a bit disappointed by the lack of female characters in A GOLDEN FURY. There are a handful besides Thea but, for the most part, they don't have a large role in the story and are all pretty unlikeable. The men surrounding Thea aren't perfect either but they loom much larger in the plot. The lack of female characters does serve the purpose of emphasizing how trapped Thea is by societal expectations and her lack of power due to her gender so I can see the point of the author's choice.

This was a dark, captivating read about how far ordinary people are willing to go in the pursuit of extraordinary power. If you're looking for a spooky fall read, pick up a copy of A GOLDEN FURY when it comes out in October!

this book was a good read but i wanted a more happy ending. Maybe that is my problem but i all ways want a romance to have an HEA, especially after all the dramas and betrayals that the main characters went through.

Serving as her mother’s apprentice in the study of alchemy, Theosebia Hope has learned several languages and is drawn to findings of Europe in her studies. Particularly to the Philosopher’s Stone. Legend has it that the final step in the smelting process can be the alchemist’s undoing. Choosing its own master, the stone destroys anyone unworthy of it. Her mother attempts the process and ends up almost killing Theosobia. Surviving the attempt, Theosebia sets out to find her father who does not know she exists. When she finds him, she discovers that he too is seeking the philosopher’s stone. Will her father suffer the same fate? Will Theosobia be the chosen one? The attention to detail in this story is well-done. The plot and characters are complex and engaging. The period is well-depicted and believable for the reader. People who enjoy fantasy, adventure, and mystery will enjoy reading this book.
Please note: This was a complementary review copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No financial compensation was received.

Reading A Golden Fury unlocked some deep, hidden love within me for intelligent and unapologetically ambitious YA protagonists. Like I've always loved these types of main characters but been unable to figure out what I liked so much about them until A Golden Fury.

Watching Thea go around, knowing her worth and ability, and asserting to everyone who would listen – no, actually I AM the best person to do this and I am the only person – was such an unexpected joy of this novel. Think Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Tessa Gray – but more cutthroat and willing to cast off those who do not recognize her worth...

...with a very large exception who I will not delve into too much for spoilers. Thea seems the most a seventeen-year-old girl in this particular blind-spot, and while I had a funny feeling about this character from early on, I was delighted to see Samantha Cohoe twist our initial emotions towards characters over and over again, masterfully. You will hate characters from their first appearance and grow to understand them, if not like them.

This is Cohoe's debut, and while I did notice some strange pacing at points in the novel (particularly towards the end), I was transfixed by this tale of alchemy, ambition, and family; curses, revenge, and friendship. I cannot wait to see what Cohoe creates next!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this early!

As a long-time fan of the Alchemist series by Michael Scott, I'm always interested in a story of alchemy and international adventure. Add in a female alchemist, the echoes of the French Revolution, and an Oxford setting, and I was hooked - unfortunately, despite how the trappings of this genre called to me, the inability of the novel to move beyond said trappings left me with a feeling that something was missing.

The story begins as Thea, the daughter of a famous alchemist, escapes from France to live with her estranged father at Oxford. Thea begins as an intelligent, bold, charismatic character, but as the novel continues, she becomes a shell of herself once her love interest, Will, reenters the plot. What ensues is a madcap adventure of kidnapping and espionage that left me feeling less excited and more... bewildered by the sudden change in pacing and plot, especially given how much I liked the first half of the novel.

In the end, I found myself disappointed. After entering a world of women alchemists, magical realism, and the curse of power in the form of the Philosopher's Stone, I was rudely yanked into a one-note romance that devalued our female protagonist and her agency. Thea's blind love for Will bordered on melodramatic, and the end of the story was tasteless and illogical. Roughly averaging my 4 star and 1 star ratings (for the first and second halves respectfully), I would give this book 3 stars - disappointing, given how much I enjoyed the premise and how desperately I wanted to love this one.

I found this story fascinating. Theosebeia, called Thea by most, is a 17 year-old girl in the 1790s, during the French Revolution. She lives with her mother, a noted alchemist (a truly unusual accomplishment for a woman in that time), who has raised Thea to follow in her footsteps. Like many alchemists of both her time and times past, Thea's mother, Marguerite, seeks to create the Philosopher's Stone, the culmination of alchemical work, which will cure all illnesses and transmute all metals to gold. However, as Marguerite follows the directions of an ancient alchemist, her mind begins to slip into insanity, as the ancient text warns. Thea now must choose between staying with her mother and trying to complete her work, so that the Stone can heal her, or leaving revolutionary France to return to an England she doesn't remember and a father she's never met, and who is unaware of her existence. Whichever choice she makes between her parents, she must also decide if she will attempt to complete her mother's work, risking the same insanity that now grips her mother.

With notes of steampunk, although missing the fantastical creations that often characterize that genre, A Golden Fury is a wonderful romp through history with realistic descriptions of alchemical processes, and interwoven characters who either approve or disapprove of Thea's choices, each urging her to follow their preferences for their own individual reasons. Enjoyable for a wide variety of readers.

A smart and beautifully written debut novel.

A historical setting around the time of the French Revolution and centered around the mysteries of alchemy. Sign me up! This was an intriguing page-turner throughout. There were definite moments where I did not want to put this book down. The plot had me hooked. This story was refreshing and unique. It stands out and stands on it's own as something fresh in the YA novel world.

I am a fan of the author's gorgeous prose and I will be looking forward to future work from her.

Unfortunately, I was not able to finish this book. There's nothing necessarily wrong with it; I just think it's really not for me, writing-wise and plot-wise (I think I need to stop trying alchemy-centered books). I also don't feel like I'll ever be emotionally invested in the characters or the plot, which is why I decided to call it only 20% through. However, this is my personal opinion! Please don’t let this affect your reading experience, as you may like the book even though I didn’t.

This one was just not it for me. The plot was wildly all over the place, the pacing was off, and the characters felt flat. I felt jerked around in the last 3rd or so and felt completely unmoored from the story. I'm sure this will work for others, but it was just not for me.

DNF. I had heard a lot about this book and was originally intrigued by the plot. Sadly, this book was not for me. I found the main character to be pretentious and I quickly grew tired of her. Overall I found myself bored with this book and was not able to finish reading it. I read a few spoilers online to see how it ended and I am fine with my decision to not keep reading.

A Golden Fury is about a seventeen year old alchemist named Thea Hope. Thea and her mother are close to creating the philosopher's stone, however creating the stone comes at a cost - one's sanity. When her mother loses her mind and Thea is driven from her home to live with the father she's never met, Thea must figure a way to create the stone. The philosopher's stone is the only way to save the people she cares about most even if it means she may lose her own sanity and freedom along the way.

I thought this book was a bit slow in the beginning, but the drama picks up about 2/4 into the story. I really liked the concept and the climax was well written. Thea is a smart and courageous man character, but I didn't find myself caring about her or the other characters too much. Any chemistry there was supposed to be between characters just didn't seem convincing. I wanted to love this book, but I feel rather indifferent.

2.5/5 stars!

During a tumultuous time in history, the heroine and her alchemist mother were striving to create the Philosopher's Stone when her mother ended up trying to kill her. For her own protection, the heroine was sent to a father who didn't know of her existence. Even as she makes a decision about her future, she must tackle nefarious troublemakers who wants the Philosopher's Stone, even with the curse of madness linked to it.

Though the idea of the Philosopher's Stone is intriguing, I didn't find the story flowing as smoothly as it could be nor did the tone grabbed my attention. It needed more details in some parts to make the story better. As for the characters. I didn't find the heroine to my liking, even as she showed how she changed throughout the story. Also, I wanted a better transition of how her father changed during the story. In conclusion, this is an intriguing story that has a solid premise and an acceptable ending.

**Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.**

A Golden Fury is a historical fiction/fantasy involving alchemy in the 1800's. Thea, our MC, has worked her whole life under her mother as she chases the holy grail, the Philosopher's Stone. But, just as her mother makes the stone, she goes mad and tries to kill Thea. She smashes the stone and Thea must flee her French patron's house to live with her father in England, who doesn't know she exists. Thea is determined to recreate her mother's success in order to heal her of the madness. But as she continues on in her journey, Thea realizes there is a curse on the person who attempts to create it, and the people around her start to go mad. Thea is then caught between her friend Will and a high ranking noble as she is kidnapped and forced to create the stone herself. Will Thea be able to create it, or will she go mad as well?

I liked Thea as a MC, she was strong-willed, especially for the time she was living in. She had so much sass and wasn't afraid to stand up for herself, even against men or when she was being told she couldn't do something because she was a woman. I also really enjoyed that there was no overt romance plot line. She and Will had a slight involvement prior to the story starting, but there was no romance told during the book. It truly focused on her journey independently.

I wasn't thrilled with the ending. I felt it could have been wrapped up better, especially her last conversation with her mother. There were some parts of the book that I couldn't see coming, which was fantastic. But the ending just fell flat. I wanted an epilogue or something to round out the story more. See where the characters ended up. It just sort of stops.

If you enjoy historical fiction or the Discovery of Witches books, I think you'll enjoy this standalone about alchemy.

**Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

I want to tell you why exactly I didn't like this book….but I can't. It's a three-star rating because I liked the concept, I liked Thea, and I liked the last 30% of the book.

I genuinely feel too…dumb? Distracted? Definitely dumb, to explain what about this book didn't click for me- but something didn't. I didn't care about any of the characters (seriously, didn't give a f*ck what happened to any of them), and the lore was the only thing that made me keep reading.

I think this book would be good if someone else read it. I just am not the person it was meant for, I suppose.