Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books & Netgalley for the chance to read A GOLDEN FURY by Samantha Cohoe!

I was so excited about this premise. Alchemy and political intrigue, romance and deception-- and a heroine at the center, navigating first love and her mother's legacy, while trying to make a name for herself on her quest for the Philosopher's stone.

I loved the scientific details and historical research. I didn't love the characters, which is what it takes for me to invest in a story. Thea, I naturally felt attached to, but most of the secondary characters, in particular, were flat and felt motivated only for plot mechanics, which took away from my reading experience. I did, however, think the writer handled metaphysical and alchemical descriptions with great skill-- I was very intrigued both in terms of my interest and imagination.

In short-- great idea, and I learned a lot! But wish I felt more for the characters and the story.

The premise sounded interesting, but it didn't meet its potential. It fell short in a number of ways, from the world building to the characters. Development in both areas was lacking. Nothing really pulled me in and made me want to keep reading. Some character traits and actions were downright annoying and made the characters a bit unrealistic, at times. Too many problems overall to recommend this one.

Thea Hope wants to be an alchemist of her own instead of living in her cruel mother's shadow. They are close to creating the Philosopher's Stone, but Thea's mother locks her out of the lab while she slowly goes mad thanks to the stone. Her madness leads to the stone's destruction and Thea sets out to make the stone herself to cure her mother, but with the revolution in France heating up she must go to England to stay with a father who doesn't know she exists. Everyone wants Thea's knowledge of the stone, and some refuse to believe in the curse of madness. A curse that soon puts Thea's own sanity at risk.

The alchemy elements were fun. The idea of the stone causing madness made for high stakes and tension. The pacing was also snappy, which kept the story from dragging, but sometimes it felt a little too fast. Thea felt too different during the second half of the book, like she took a step back in character development, especially when it came to her love interest Will. We also get told about the French Revolution but the story didn't feel grounded in that time period enough, making the world feel more like an afterthought. The alchemy elements made me wish I liked this story and characters more since it had a lot of promise and the alchemy was the highlight of the story for me, but the characters just weren't working for me. This did leave me hungry for more alchemy books.

My thanks to the publisher for gifting me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I love a good Alchemist book pair with a strong female protagonist searching for the Philosophers Stone makes for a great recipe. The first half of this book is strong and then it begins an unfortunate slow decline. I’m not sure how I would improve this tale but if I were to change one thing it would be to get rid of Will’s character. He is superfluous and doesn’t anchor the story except to help drag it out. It’s a good young adult read but beyond that I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it. Thanks to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

My first love is historical fiction so when magic/fantasy collide with it I am happy! This story of a young Thea opens up with her leaving her crazy wizardly mom behind in revolutionary France so she can find her father in England. Thea has learned a lot at her mother's skirts as an apprentice of alchemy and when she reaches her father in England that skill is all she has to her name.

That's entire purpose for living is to be loved by William Percy but more importantly to achieve the ultimate success in creating the magical Philosopher's Stone. Fame, health and fortune beckon as Thea pursues this potion but it has to be under the careful watch of captors of her beloved Will.

While there are a few threads of converging storylines with each of the characters the author does not digress far from focusing on the Golden Fury of what is the Philosopher's Stone. The plot is fairly straightforward and could be a double edged sword as it teeters towards lacking in depth but yet again it sticks to the point of the storyline. A Golden Fury is an intriguing debut novel with a spunky heroine in Thea who makes it easy to be invested in her quest, so much so that if there is a sequel I'm on board!
http://www.burtonbookreview.com/2020/09/a-golden-fury-by-samantha-cohoe.html will not post until Sept 7 2020

I haven't read anything like this book. I don't see a lot of books about alchemy, and a plot involving female alchemists? Looks like this is my first. I loved the writing and the side characters, Dominic especially. I found Valentin intriguing as well and would love to have seen more interactions between him and Thea. I found the beginning of this to be quite slow but it picked up easily. The events that happened in the middle surprised me, I wasn't expecting the plot to transpire the way it did. Except what happened with Will, it was not a shock and the plot involving him and Thea became kind of repetitive. The family dynamics here were also interesting, I wanted to see more of Thea's relationship with her mother and estranged father. As for the main character, Thea, herself, I thought she was naive but her struggles? they felt very real. Overall, I thought this was a good book and definitely not a bore!

I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3/3.5 stars.

The idea of a female alchemist chasing the Philosophers Stone and proving herself amongst her peers with a pinch of magical surrealism, really called to me. Sadly I felt that there was something missing.

Thea began as a very intriguing, intelligent, bold character and I'm not sure what happened but halfway in, she dwindled, and became very one note.

The depth of her co characters became far more intriguing than her own. Valentin bringing a good amount of mystery, depth and intrigue which made interactions more bearable between characters.

I still really enjoyed the premise behind it, and I think there were some really good moments and dynamics between characters. I could relate to the relationship Thea had with her Mother and I think that aspect/motivation is what held my interest most. I was just missing a feeling of satisfaction overall by the end.

*DNF @ 65%*
This had a great idea of the Philosopher's Stone being cursed when an alchemist makes it and how the protagonist tries to figure out after her mother goes mad from making it. While I love the idea of this historical fantasy, I have read much better like "The Gilded Wolves", "Enchantee" and "The Lady Rogue" that actually immerse you into the time period from the world building, culture, clothing but this book doesn't do that. The world is very bland and not well pictured and honestly this was more moving than expected. Plus the main character is pretty one dimensional with being too angry, critical and making sure things go her way. I did read the last couple chapters to see how it ended but it wasn't great. This book has a stunning cover but it's ultimately a disappointment...

First, I want to thank NetGalley for an ARC of A Golden Fury in exchange for an honest review. This book had been on my TBR and I was so excited to be accepted for an ARC.

With that, I just finished the book and I absolutely LOVED it. It was everything I was hoping for: an exciting adventure, a strong (and more importantly, likeable) heroine, and enough twists and turns to keep me on the edge of my seat. The concept of a female alchemist and the Philosopher's Stone all agains the backdrop of the eve of the French Revolution? SIGN ME UP. The writing was easy to read and well done and I really enjoyed the scenes Cahoe painted with her descriptions. The author wrote the narrative in such a way that I was riding along with Thea as her relationship with various characters developed in different ways.

This was an awesome read and I can’t wait to add this book to my shelves!

A Golden Fury was a book that I was very excited about when I first heard about it. A standalone novel about a smart, accomplished girl in a time when girls weren't supposed to be smart, a mystery and a curse, and an adventure all wrapped up into one? Sign me up! And this book did NOT disappoint.

Our main character Thea is feeling a bit lost after her mother pushes her out of their alchemy lab, just as they're getting close to making the Philosopher's Stone. Not only is Thea pushed aside by her mother, but her love interest Will is also sent away by her mother. Suddenly, just as the stone seems to be complete, Thea's mother goes mad and destroys the stone, but still she is not the same. Thea is sent by her mother's patron to find her father, a man she's never met, but Thea is now the only one who knows how to make the Philosopher's Stone and with that knowledge comes many people who wish to use it for themselves.

Things I loved about this book:
- Thea, Thea, Thea!! I loved Thea so much, perhaps because I saw myself in her. She's smart and doesn't try to hide or apologize for that, in fact she often recognizes that she's the smartest one in the room, particularly at alchemy. She's also snarky, always making quips, sometimes at her own expense, which I so identified with. But additionally, Thea is incredibly loyal to her friends and even her mother, who has never been kind to her. Thea has such a big heart and is ready to put everything on the line for those she cares about, even when it goes against the "smart" thing to do. I really loved Thea as a heroine and she's what I wish more main characters would be like, particularly the characteristics of her intelligence and loyalty.

-The plot. I found the plot of this novel to be really compelling. There were some moments where I wondered where we'd go next, but I never had to wonder too long, because a new element would appear to propel the plot along. I thought there was a lot to work with in this plot and the author tied all the pieces together nicely.

-The pacing and length. This book didn't leave many down moments. We were always moving on to the next thing, to the next piece of the plot, and so it was a compelling and fast-moving read. There was not a wasted page, in my opinion, and I can so appreciate when the author keeps us moving like that. But it wasn't overpowering. There was never so much going on that I just wanted a moment to take a deep breath- instead, I felt like we were building and moving at all times. I really commend Samantha Cohoe for that, so many authors get it wrong but for a standalone novel, this was incredibly well-paced.

-This one may be a spoiler so... <spoiler>The lack of a romantic happily ever after. The romance in this story was present but not overdone, and I really appreciate that. I also appreciate how, when Thea was betrayed by Will, she didn't end up with Dominic in the end. I wish more books would be brave enough to do that, as it really added to my enjoyment of the book.</spoiler>

Things I didn't like as much:

-The "villain" character was obvious from the very beginning, to the point that I knew what was going to happen before the plot even really started. I don't know how this would have been done better, especially since Thea's loyalty both helps and hurts her here, so I understand the motivations of making this character the "villain" but... it was still not a surprise and thus made it a bit cliche.

-The relationship between Thea and her father. <spoiler>There was so much back and forth going on there, that I really didn't believe anything about him was genuine, and I didn't think the author did a good job of convincing us that he had changed and that he cared for Thea at the end. I was always waiting for him to betray her and felt that he was just so weak-willed. I couldn't believe Thea forgave him or wanted to stay with him or anything, because of what he did to her at the beginning. This was really poorly handled, in my opinion.</spoiler>

Overall thoughts and feelings:

I recommend this book for those who want a strong heroine who knows who she is, and her worth. This is a great novel for standalone lovers like myself as well, who wants a little bit of fantasy but not to dive into a new world. Overall, highly recommend.

I could not get into this book. At the beginning, I was already having a difficult time following what was going on but it also felt slow at the same time. The blurb and cover reeled me in, but I don't think I will be continuing with this book at this time. I might try again in the future and see if my mind has changed. I appreciate the opportunity, but I will count this as a DNF book for now.

I've been craving a book about alchemy and the Philosopher's Stone, and this delivers. I'm really excited to see what this debut author comes up with next.

*My thanks to the publisher for gifting me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

A Golden Fury is a YA fantasy with historical elements about a young alchemist named Thea Hope who longs for little more than to be judged by her own merits and not just the scrappings of her mother, who is already a world-famous alchemist They've been working furiously to create the Philosopher's Stone, and just on the heels of a great success of Thea's doing, her mother destroys it before it can be finished. Furious and desperate for answers, she finds that her mother's slow-churning madness wasn't just her cruelty taking over, but that the Stone can make those who are attempting to create it insane.

Sent away to her estranged father and now on the run, Thea must keep the knowledge of the Stone from those who would ignore her warnings in an attempt to make it themselves and will soon be cast with a terrible choice.

This may have started a bit slow, but as the ball got rolling I enjoyed the ride. Thea's main focus was not (always, at any rate) the boy she was in love with, but her craft and her work, which was such a nice departure from what we usually see in this sort of story. This story was chock full of fantastic themes; the struggle for power, politics, betrayal, family dynamics, dramatic, fast-paced escapes, and the refusal to let anyone else take your work from you. Thea's struggle was a mirror of many women in the world who are overlooked for their achievements and the way that she absolutely refused to let that happen endeared her to me more than I could possibly explain.

Alchemy is a subject that I haven't touched on much in personal research, but one theme I know of that has kept within that lore is that the rule of alchemy is that equivalent exchange must be made—and it is often in a way that you would never expect. This story held true to that.

The second half of the book started spiraling a bit, if I do say so myself. Something shifted in the characters; their voices fell flat, the pacing suddenly took an odd sketchy turn, and I was not sure about the ending altogether. I think, as in many debuts, this one just didn't quite land where I would have wanted/expected. Still, it was a solid read all the same.

Conclusion: ⭐⭐⭐ Stars

A Golden Fury by Samantha Cohoe is an excellent novel that is part historical fiction, part mystery, part suspense, and part fantasy. This book is labeled under YA, however I do not fall under that category and I enjoyed it immensely.

So much happens in such few pages! I was impressed with the intricacies of the plot, characters, and details and that the author was able to use so much, but yet make it look effortless, interesting, and creative.

I enjoyed the female protagonist, Thea Hope, and I enjoyed seeing her strength and growth throughout her adventures, obstacles, triumphs, and travels. The concepts of alchemy and The Philosopher’s Stone gave the 18th century timeframe a darker, shadowed feel that really added to the story.

I really enjoyed the book and was entertained throughout, so much that I wish there would be a follow up so that I can find out even more (and that most definitely is a compliment to the author).

I recommend at 5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC and on return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

I was provided with an ARC of this book by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the author's debut novel and the blurb was interesting. Of course, the cover was gorgeous. I had lot of expectations before starting this, but the story fell flat. The book starts with Thea being barred from the laboratory where her mother Marguerite Hope and she worked in creating 'The Philosopher's Stone'.

Recently, she has been exhibiting a wildness and sickness that was unnatural. Her treatment of Thea was harsh, filled with suspicion. At the final stage of the experiment, in a fit of violent temper, her mother attempts to kill her and destroys the stone. Later, Thea flees to England due to the mounting political tensions in Normandy to stay with her unknown father. She has the steps to be performed in the last stage of creating the Philosopher's stone in her possession. The whole story deals with Thea's desire to create the stone and various people who would stoop to any level to gain the power that it grants them.

Everything was going well for me, except for the slight dislike I had for the main character. I was hoping that would not be the case going forward. Though the story, and the fantasy world it was set in were good, I didn't enjoy it mostly because of the lead character. Her arrogance, and contempt towards others was always at the forefront of her mind. Her blind devotion to Will, and illogical excuses to save people were annoying to say the least.

Till about 85% of the story you see her being greedy for the power that the stone would offer her. Saving her mother, Dominic and Will were just those pesky things she had to do just to show that she cared. But I didn't get the sense that she actually cared for them. Even at the end of the story I didn't feel that there was any character development in her.

It lacked the mystery and action I was hoping for and the whole story felt dull, repetitive and unimpressive at the end. Overall, the plus points were the author's writing and the cover. The story had promise which it failed to fulfill.

I am irate about the possibilities and potential that this book had. This book had the premise and general plot of an amazing novel. Unfortunately, the book fell flat on many different fronts for me. Those fronts being: character development (both by the story and by the author), and world-building.

First and foremost, the character is this book was very one dimensional to me. None of the characters were developed enough for me to understand the intentions and motives of their actions. They were very linear, and the story never truly did them justice. Thea's character was irritating throughout the majority of this novel, and it felt as though she was supposed to be 'the chosen one' who had her own agency and autonomy, but it wasn't shown through any of her actions. If I had a historically inaccurate plot device for every time Thea got confused when someone answered her question a moment after her inquiry, we would have this book. Thea blindly defends certain characters who have given her no reason to trust them, and it was terrible to read.

The world-building was questionable. The magic system made little sense, and it was not made clearer through the progression of this book.

A smaller issue that I have would inculde the parental figures and the forgiveness between these characters are unrealistic and portray/perpetuate potentially harmful ideas to young, impressionable readers.

My main qualm with this book was the fact that it was historical fiction. I think that the historical fiction aspect of this book tied it down and brought down what this book could have been. Many things happen that are hard to believe, especially set during the French Revolution in Europe. One example would be the mentions of the police in Britain, which did not exist in this period. There are other instances of such, which could have been avoided had this book been set in a fantasy world. I think that with a fantasy world, the author would have been given much more to work with, especially with the ambitious potential of this story. At the very least, I think that more research could have greatly enhanced this novel.

A lot of the plot made little sense to me when I started to question what exactly was happening and what exactly the characters were thinking. Many of the side characters were severely underdeveloped, and it made the plot difficult to believe. Many of the tropes used in this book had to potential to be done very well, but it sadly fell flat and I felt little gratification at the end of the book. Not to mention, the beginning of this book was a rocky and difficult start.

Overall, I think that this book had the potential to be an amazing debut novel, but it didn't quite connect with me. I would definitely be willing to read future books by this author and see how their writing and storytelling enhances. I would give this book 1.75 stars.

Can lead really be turned into silver or gold? What is the cost of making the Philosopher’s Stone on a person? Thea is about to find out. A talented alchemist, who has learned much from her mother, finds there is a curse that goes along with it. Sent to her father in England to escape her mother's madness, Thea discovers more people are interested about the stone and puts her in danger. With old an friend and a new one, Thea knows the only way to save them is to make the stone. Thea battles internally with herself, for the stone has its own agenda. Thea must discover the strength within herself to do what must be done to save those she cares about.
I received this novel as an ARC from net galley and the publisher. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In this historical fiction, a renown Alchemist's daughter who is quite talented in her own right, discovers that the sorcerers stone they are working tirelessly to create is cursed. When her mother goes mad, she will try everything to defeat the curse, create the stone and save her, and become a world famous alchemist herself.

I have to start out with saying this is most definitely not my typical genre. I didn't know how I personally was going to like it. I will say that it surprised me.

There were quite a few side plots that kept this book going forward at a steady pace. The author does a great job at dropping just enough information in just the right places that I was continuously intrigued. It also had more than one opportunity to be cliche and follow an over used trope or two, to which I will happily report that A Golden Fury navigates beautifully.

This book is unique in its plot with a gentle dose of feminism. If you want a book with a tad bit of mystery and a girl who can think for herself, pick this one up.

This book was a bit of a slow burn for me. and my actual rating is a 3.75. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC

Actual rating: 4.5 stars.
This book really surprised me. I'm not usually someone who loves historical fiction, but this was just amazing. I loved the worldbuilding, the setting, the way magic was woven so subtly into the story. I loved that the story was centered on alchemy, it seemed really unique to me.
I loved Thea as a protagonist. She was strong and yet so human and I could really sympathize with her and her struggles. Her relationship with her mom was so interesting and I loved seeing her relationships with the side characters such as Dominik evolve throughout the book.
The pacing was really good and I found myself engaged with the story at all times, and the ending was definitely not disappointing. I sometimes felt a little lost about how the magic system exactly worked especially during the later parts of the book and I found the ending slightly rushed in certain aspects, although I still really enjoyed it.
I also appreciated the inclusion of other languages such as German because it made the characters feel more real.. I found Valentin especially really intriguing, and I would have been interested to see more of his dynamic with Thea.
Overall this was a really unique read for me, and I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. I'm almost disappointed that it's not part of a series and I won't get to read more about these characters.

A Golden Fury is a dark and enchanting tale about the perils of alchemy and journey to create the Philosopher's Stone. Thea Hope is her mother’s apprentice in alchemy, until one day her mother destroys all of their work. Thea is forced to leave in search of her father, another alchemist. With her mother’s notes and the secret to creating the Philosopher's Stone in her possession, Thea rapidly becomes the target for a number of interested parties- all of whom want her knowledge of the Stone. As tensions rise, Thea must decide who to trust and attempt to complete the Stone on her own terms.

I devoured A Golden Fury. It has fascinating power plays, excellent pacing, and complex relationships. Thea is one of my favorite new characters! Despite a myriad of challenges, Thea is steadfast in her refusal to allow a man to take credit for her work. Thea’s story highlights the struggles women face, especially when working in fields from which they have traditionally been excluded on the basis of gender. A Golden Fury explores the price of success, parental relationships, and the true power of an alchemist. One of my favorite things about this story is that alchemy always requires a price, one which cannot truly be understood until it is done. If you enjoy stories about alchemy, magic coming with a price, and smart women, you should absolutely read A Golden Fury. A Golden Fury releases on October 13, 2020. Thank you to Samantha Cohoe, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.