A Golden Fury was not only one of my favorite reads of 2020, but was one of the most feminist books I've read this year too.

Thea, an alchemist, has always been second to her mother. After her mother catches her hanging out with a boy, Thea's mother kicks her out of the laboratory while working solo to create the Sorcerer's Stone. Thea soon after discovers the Alchemist's Curse, a problem she faces head on once her mother goes mad from her experiments. Thea leaves France to find the father who does not know she exists, and Thea's life changes forever. Thea is the only alchemist talented enough to recreate her mother's experiment, and the quest to create the Sorcerer's Stone becomes a high-stakes adventure with life and death at either side.

The study of alchemy is a man's world. Thea and her famous mother are the female outliers in this area of study, and Thea fights for the opportunity to prove herself over and over again. There were several points in the novel that I was afraid that the author's choice would prove to be less feminist, but at every opportunity, Thea makes the right choice for herself, no men allowed. I loved this so much about the novel. And even though Thea does make these tough choices, it feels historically accurate too. These are things girls her age in this time period would have faced, and Thea does often have to make choices within this context. The whole thing was very well done. Additionally, it was beautifully written.

This is a great book for teens interested in alchemy, France on the brink of the French Revolution, strong female characters, or legends surrounding the Sorcerer's Stone. There is some light romance.

Alchemist + female lead = YES

Everyone who reads my reviews knows that when there is a strong female lead in a man’s world, I am immediately in love. Thea is no different, a smart strong female trained by her mother to be an alchemist. Together they are seeking to complete an alchemist’s greatest achievement, the philosopher’s stone. But when Thea’s mother locks her out of the lab and suddenly goes mad, Thea is forced to go live with her father and soon discovers the stone’s true power and the consequences that come with it.

Like I stated above, Thea is a strong female lead and I really did enjoy her character. I thought she was incredibly smart and brave. Now I don’t want to give too much away but she sacrifices a lot for her family and friends. And I can always appreciate a character who does what is right to save her people.

This is the kind of book that I had a hard time putting down. Very fast-paced and had lots of interesting plot twists. I was slightly disappointed with the ending but overall it was an interesting book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for sending me a copy!

This was a really interesting take on the legend of the philosopher’s stone! With this story, there is a curse on the stone that affects anyone who tries to make it, and that curse causes people to go mad. That definitely means there are trigger warnings associated with this book for mental illness and madness, so please keep that in mind!

I enjoyed the setting of France and Oxford for this story, although after further thought, the parts of the story that take place in France didn’t give you the same feeling as the scenes in Oxford of truly being in that place. I also really enjoyed the alchemy and how Thea’s mother is the most famous female alchemist in France which was a nice way to fit in women in power. Thea is her mother’s assistant and is just as talented as she is, although her mother would never admit that and tends to treat Thea very poorly. Thea’s mother ends up going mad during the process of creating the stone very early in the book which sets off the rest of the events that occur, and I was not expecting things to turn out the way they did!

Out of all the characters, I definitely liked Thea and Dominic the most because they both cared more about others than they do about themselves, whereas the majority of the other characters care about creating the philosopher’s stone for themselves. Thea is determined to save her mother from her madness, but doing so would mean possibly sacrificing herself to the curse on the stone.

Things with the plot really start to expand and become more complex in the second half of the book where Thea and Dominic meet up with Will, who was an assistant to Thea’s mother and Thea’s lover/best friend. This is where the pacing picked up for me and I was really reading the book quite quickly, but I was also a bit confused with the whole German soldiers plotline and where that all ended up at the end.

The ending however is why I couldn’t give this a higher rating, because it felt a little rushed, and I had a few unanswered questions about what had happened in the last 50 pages or so. This is a debut though, so I think for it being a first book it was very strong and I’m curious to see what Samantha Cohoe writes next! This book was completely different than anything else I’ve read, and I think if you liked other historical fiction books with a magic, paranormal-esqe twist to it, you would like this one! Plus it’s a standalone so there are no cliff hangers or long waits to get to the next book, which is nice.

On the surface, there should be much to enjoy about A Golden Fury by Samantha Cohoe. It has female alchemists in a time period where women did not do such a thing. Plus, it shows alchemy being successful and explains why no one was able to create the Philosopher's Stone before Thea/Bee. A Golden Fury is a story full of possibilities.

Sadly, A Golden Fury does not live up to those possibilities. While the idea of women flouting the conventions of the time to do something they love that just happens to be in a men's domain is something I always enjoy, I feel that Ms. Cohoe takes it a bit too far in that her heroine faces little opposition in chasing her dreams. She travels by herself without any repercussions. Even worse, she lives with an unmarried man who is not a relative. In general, she acts like a twenty-first-century woman even though the story takes place right before the French Revolution. I am all for woman power, but it has to make sense when placing your story into a historical period.

To make the situation even worse, there is nothing about A Golden Fury that is not predictable. Whether it is her ability to create the Philosopher's Stone to her childish infatuation with Will to her relationship with her mother and father, Thea's story follows in the exact directions you expect it to. Not only does this make the story boring, but it is also disappointing as well. After all, no one wants to read a story that holds no surprises.

There were many directions in which Ms. Cohoe could take her story. Unfortunately, the paths she chose were the most obvious ones available. Add to that a character whose behavior does not even remotely fit the social boundaries of the time and whose alchemical skill is beyond any other alchemist in the known world, and you have a story that is not only predictable to the point of boredom but also requires more suspension of disbelief than a reader wants to give. Simply, A Golden Fury is one big disappointment from start to finish.

I've always been fascinated by alchemy and, in particular, the Philosopher’s Stone. So I was really excited to read this book, especially since it seemed to be a combination of historical fiction and fantasy. It took me a little bit to really get into the story, but by the end I was devouring each word.

One thing that I really appreciated about this book was that it made magic understandable and more scientific. Many times in a fantasy novel, magic is portrayed as this mysterious entity and no one really explains how it works. There is some level of mystery with the magic in A Golden Fury, but I also felt like what was described made logical sense.

I also appreciated how unique and well-developed each character was. They all had distinct voices and personalities; although there were a few of those personalities that I didn't care for. I enjoyed seeing the growth, and in some cases, decline, of each character as they moved through the story.

I'm glad I had the opportunity to read this book! It was a fun story and that ending tugged at my heart more than I expected! If you like fantasy that isn't quite as magic-heavy, or are just looking for a story with a strong female lead, this book might be for you!

DNF at 42%.

I've decided not to continue this after reading about ten chapters. That's almost half the book, a good amount of time to come to this decision.

I wish there were more scenes on the actual alchemy. Instead there is more on the focus of conflicts between characters - family, relationships, and their desires - and on the looming French Revolution with the opposing religious sides. I just wanted to see the magic of creation and I was disappointed not to have it.

Also, the main character comes off a bit abrasive and pompous. She raises her hackles whenever anyone questions her expertise and knowledge, or if they don't agree with her. But we never see her actual prowess in actions. There's a lot of mention about her being the only person to read her mother's notes and another language (I think it was Persian? Or Arabic? I may be mistaken) and lauds it over others. But her actual ability to work the processes of alchemy? Not really. It feels all bluff and no substance.

Not to my tastes. The book could pick up in the latter half and may be enjoyed by an audience other than me.

Bit of a strange story. I liked the suspense and the pace of the story, and the ending was both chilling and satisfying. The setting is unique, given the time period and the occupation of the characters as alchemists. However, I just did not like the heroine. I wasn't particularly fond of any of the characters. If you're a fan of prickly narrators and hard-shelled main characters, you'll love it. Thea has been raised by an independent mother to be hard-shelled, of a singular mind, and despite some glimmers of hope for her, her limited world experience seems to confirm her mother's teachings more than overcoming them. This leaves Thea mostly pessimistic and brooding. The story is told singularly from the point of view of Thea. I think other characters in the story had more redeeming qualities, the reader just doesn't get much of a glimpse into them. Just what Thea sees.
That being said, I did enjoy the read. It kept me turning pages, and intrigued with the story. I would check out other books from this author.

In this book, we follow Thea Hope, the daughter of an alchemist who is an alchemist in training. During the process of her mother making The philosophers stone, a stone which can turn metal into gold and bring a person on the edge of death back to health, her mother goes insane which causes Thea to have to move to Oxford to live with her father who has no idea she exists. And so much more happens that I don’t want to say because of spoilers.

So this book was just ok, I loved Thea as a main character and I loved the way the insanity is portrayed but the plot was just ok. Alchemy is something that I know absolutely nothing about yet I understand what was going on mostly. The side characters were really good but this just wasn’t the book for me I guess. It was a fun read that I enjoyed but I have a feeling that slow,y over time I will forget what happened.

If you are thinking of reading this book I would say read it, it’s in no way a bad read at all. I just personally don’t think I’m the right person to judge it.

This title was vaguely familiar, and I was excited to read it, but forget where I first learned about it? Still, a fun read!

3.5 / 5 stars.

A Golden Fury introduces us to Thea Hope, the daughter of a famous alchemist and an alchemist in her own right. She wants to move out from her mother's shadow and establish herself on her own. Just as they are about to create the Philosopher's Stone, Thea's mother goes crazy and destroys the stone. As Thea reads her mother's notes, she learns of a curse that's placed on anyone attempting to create the stone, and with her mother's instability and the French Revolution gearing up, she leaves France to return to England for her own safety. Everything is complicated as those in power are less content to heed the warnings about the curse. They want the stone for their own gain, and they'll stop at nothing to get it.

I had a complicated back-and-forth relationship with this book. Some parts of it were amazing, some parts felt like the pacing was off and the characters weren't as strong as they had been at the beginning. The concept of the book drew me in from the start, and I loved the take on alchemy and the Philosopher's Stone. Thea's a strong female character, with ideas of her own and a stubbornness that I appreciated. I loved learning about her life and her work, especially as she travels to England and is forced to face the father that she's never met.

Unfortunately, during the later part of the book, I thought she was driven by a romance that didn't come across strongly to me as a reader. I still was rooting for her and wanted her to succeed, but I didn't feel as strongly as I had earlier in the book. The pacing in the second half was much less consistent, and it was easier for me to put down for a break from reading in the later parts of the book. That being said, even with the pacing issues, I think this was a good debut novel from the author, and I thought her writing style was easy to read.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was honestly drawn to this book when I first saw it because I as in the mood for some alchemy. To be honest, I didn't connect to this book as much as I expected to, but I still wasn't disappointed that I picked this book up. I know others will still like it, and I hope they give this book a chance. Also if you root for female leads, this book is for you

Rating: 3.5

A Golden Fury is a daring novel filled with alchemy, impossible decisions, and uncertainty waiting around every corner.

I'm a big fan of anything alchemy-related, so I won't about that being what initially drew me to this story. However, I was pleased to discover that alchemy was only one part of this dark story about ambition and bravery in the face of uncertainty. A Golden Fury begins with Thea Hope and her famous alchemist mother (and one of the only female philosopher's at that) as they inch closer to developing legendary Philosopher's Stone--that is, until her mother descends into a violent madness that destroys the stone and drives Thea away.

A Golden Fury is a slower-paced story that focuses quite heavily on character development and relationships between characters. There is a minor bit of romance, but it is not heavy nor the sole focus of this story and I was pleasantly surprised by how Cohoe worked it into the narrative. Although there are high stakes at play--namely, the creation of the Philosopher's stone and it's ramifications, as well as the madness that seems to occur when making it--the story itself didn't feel as though there were too many outside forces putting pressure on the situation. The main external conflict that affect Thea's circumstances are due to the fact that this story is set around the eve of the French Revolution, which allowed for some great historical backdrop and a way to bring in the politics of the period that affected all of our characters in various ways. I really appreciated how well Cohoe worked all of this together, including all of the wonderful historical details she weaves throughout.

The character development was well done for most of the characters, and I particularly liked that Thea was never really what I would consider a consistently "good" character. Her ambition to create the Philosopher's Stone and to be a great female alchemist really overtook her actions at times, and I appreciated that she wasn't perfect in her decisions and how she let things affect her. And then there is Will, a character that I still can't quite decide what to think about. I liked how Cohoe introduced his character, as well as how his development played out (though I can't say much about it!). Watching his relationship evolve with Thea was extremely interesting to watch. I found a few of the characters we meet later into the story a bit more perplexing in their roles, which I also felt in regards to a few of the plot points, and I wasn't quite as enamored with them as I was with others.

Overall, I found A Golden Fury to be a compelling story of passion and determination and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, stories with alchemy, or simply a fairly dark and atmospheric story that will easily draw you in. I've given it four stars and I look forward to seeing what's next from Cohoe!

A Golden Fury is a slow burn, but is replete with the gorgeous painting of history, swirling magic and political intrigue to create a beautiful piece of art. What really made this story stand out from all of the other magical adventures out there, was that it added the element of cost. What does it cost to be great? This book is full of madness, the darkness in the political machinations for power, and loyalty. Golden Fury by Samantha Cohoe was a great read!

This was a book I didn’t originally have any plans to read because the description didn’t grab me, thankfully though after giving it a try, I really enjoyed this story. It was unique, well crafted and with a strong and intelligent female lead who didn’t need a man to save her. After finishing this book, I immediately bought a copy from my local Indie and I look forward to more from the author.

So many amazing fantasy books being published! A Golden Fury was amazing. Loved the plot, the characters and the setting. This cover is also top notch!

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The world of young adult literature demands the clever, the gritty, the tried-and-true yearning for relationship and romance. The subgenre of historical fiction, and in this case historical fantasy, breaks a welcome mold. It is not another popular medieval story or petty young adult retelling of alas, one more fairy tale like that of A Curse So Dark and Lovely. Instead, the novel surprised me, not with its themes, but with its undercurrents.

Life and death are not the only stakes. Within this historically inspired fantasy, the woe and warning of a curse become instructive to the extreme of damnation or salvation.

A Golden Fury follows an ambitious heroine raised by her famous and overbearing mother to pursue alchemy’s ultimate dream—the Philosopher’s Stone. Seventeen-year-old Theosebeia Hope serves as her mother's understudy. Together, the two have obsessively pursued their studies and learned many languages to scour the works of alchemist scholars in Europe and Arabia. Thea reveals that “If we could turn pewter and lead into silver, then we didn’t simply have to take the world as it was given to us. We could change it. Lead into silver was only the beginning. Next was silver into gold. Sickness into health. Death into life.” It is an irresistible ideal.

Early in the novel while still in Normandy, Thea's mother, Marguerite, presses herself to work through the night, smelting the white elixir, the final ingredient needed to make the Stone. Yes, she finds success, but not without a price. It is written—

Cave Maledictionem Alchemistae, Beware the alchemist’s curse...
The Stone chooses the last alchemist, but woe to whom it does not accept.

In this twist of fantasy, Marguerite is found unworthy by an alchemical god and driven to madness and violence. She does not die, but in the midst of the French Revolution, her daughter Thea must leave France to find help, to find her father in England, a man who doesn't know she exists. Soon after she arrives, Thea learns her father is a professor of chemistry at Oxford. Conveniently, he too is an alchemist with hopes of creating the first department of alchemy in England. With her knowledge and instinct, Thea is quickly swept up in his scramble to create the Philosopher's Stone along with the help of his apprentice Dominic and a peer from Italy. Danger abounds as they are quickly entangled with the henchmen of Burggraf Ludwig in London, and the taste of the unexplainable, the mystery of magic imbues the otherworldly quest to come.

But not without Faustian caution. In our interview, Cohoe readily clarifies that altogether alchemy is a unique field in that its fingers move among philosophy, theology, science, and magic. Power over nature, in fact, is seen as a way to define magic. She says we find echoes of alchemy today in transhumanism and in the universal secular urge to grasp immortal life. The desire to surpass the corporeal is not unique.

In the novel, Cohoe implies that alchemy’s ideals are more than magic because she sprinkles hints of the spiritual world throughout her chapters. More than one scene asks us to consider the price we would pay for knowledge of this level. We learn that some adepts, for instance, are intuitive alchemists willing to sell their souls to demons for the secret knowledge to make the Stone.

Like the character of Faith in Francis Hardinge’s The Lie Tree, Thea craves a secret, almost forbidden, knowledge. Knowledge becomes a metaphysical experience because she is certain it is a gateway to more than the mind. In The Lie Tree, Faith reads her father’s words about the rare mendacity tree: “I have lived long enough to see the death of wonders. Like many others, I have dedicated my life to investigating the marvels and mysteries of Creation, the better to understand the designs of our Maker. Instead, our discoveries have brought us doubt and darkness.” Among the numerous parallels between the two young adult books, this is the most striking similarity. Man’s search for the Holy Grail is a desperate endeavor. The consequences are not glossed over, and the spiritual world is a clear presence.

Can a Holy Grail like alchemy be a savior? Is it possible?

Thea does have faith. She does believe in the ideal of alchemy—no illness, no want, no death. It could bring her mother and Dominic back from madness. Yet this faith in alchemy also appears as rebellion. Thea tells Dominic that a country priest once “found out about my mother’s work and came around to condemn her for it in shrill preacher’s tones.” It might have turned Thea and her mother from the Catholic faith, but later after Dominic accidentally kills a man, he seeks confession with a priest. Thea waits nearby and confesses her own truth. She acknowledges that Dominic is the fortunate one. He could unburden himself, “make things right with his own God.” Not so for Thea. She tells us, “if alchemy was our religion, then we were its priests.” Her religion is tied to worth. The work of her hands, it is what she did for the god of alchemy that gave her purpose and worth. And who knew if this fickle god would find her worthy? How far will Thea go? Will alchemy demand her life? This is the blind faith that Cohoe explores.

*a longer review will be published at The University Bookman in December 2020.

I think I put so high expectation for this book, I rarely read YA Fantasy books these days but all the hype and glowing reviews really made me think maybe this one will ignite my interest and love to YA Fantasy story… and I must said I feel a bit disappointed, this is not a bad book but more like a mediocre story for me

As a character driven reader I want to feel engage with the characters, I want to root for them. I want to cry and cheer for their success and devastating moments.. and I feel NOTHING for any of the characters in this book… they are pretty bland in my opinion. Nothing interesting/exciting happen for 60% of the book.. I grew bored unfortunately. . It's like the friend you hang out with from time to time. You enjoy their company. It is nice catching up. Yet, if you're being honest, you do not miss them in their absence.

That is this book to me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thea is the daughter of the most famous female alchemist in the world, and her mother has trained her to be just as good. When they are on the verge of creating the Philosopher’s Stone, her mother goes mad and she is sent to the father she has never met. She has many trials and tribulations while trying to recreate her mother’s work without succumbing to madness herself. I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about Thea initially but ended up appreciating her independence and intelligence. She and the other characters are three dimensional, with both good and bad traits. There is plenty of action and a good resolution.

I love the characters and the historical feel of this book! The magic and adventure make it a worthwhile read!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC!

Loved the plot a very fast paced book which I think everyone will appreicate. It is one of those books that makes you think - what would you do? What will you give up for power?