This was an unexpected read for me. I went in thinking there would be a lot more action than there was. This story was interesting altogether but filled with a lot more romance drama than I expected. The story involves the Philosopher’s stone and the author creates a pretty neat magical realism world. I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of the story about Thea trying to figure out how to make her place within the world and creating the stone. I just couldn’t really stand her doe eyed blind love for Will and oh boy did I not enjoy Will. I did however like Valentin and Dominic. The story was an overall okay read and wrapped up okay. I just didn’t really enjoy that final twist concerning a certain death and a certain life saved. Overall though, it was an interesting read with a fun take on alchemy and the philosopjer’s stone.

A Golden Fury by Samantha Cohoe is a terrific debut novel. It was a quick and easy read that kept me turning the pages to find out what happens next. I loved the twists and turns.

This was a fun easy read. I loved the storyline and the characters were great. I loved the twist towards the end.

I definitely recommend this book!

Thea Hope longs to be an alchemist out of the shadow of her famous mother. The two of them are close to creating the legendary Philosopher’s Stone—whose properties include immortality and can turn any metal into gold—but just when the promise of the Stone’s riches is in their grasp, Thea’s mother destroys the Stone in a sudden fit of violent madness. While combing through her mother’s notes, Thea learns that there’s a curse on the Stone that causes anyone who tries to make it to lose their sanity. With the threat of a revolution looming, Thea is sent to live with the father who doesn’t know she exists. But there are alchemists after the Stone who don’t believe Thea’s warning about the curse—instead, they’ll stop at nothing to steal Thea’s knowledge of how to create the Stone. But Thea can only run for so long, and soon she will have to choose: create the Stone and sacrifice her sanity, or let the people she loves die.

If you enjoy reading Genevieve Cogman's 'Invisible Library' series you will love this fresh new take on alchemy, magic, and an alternate eighteenth century Europe where alchemists inhabit the university town of Oxford and Revolutionary France. This is a world where science and magic are the preserve of men but the secret of the Philosoper's Stone lies in the hands of a gifted mother and daughter pair of alchemists who must survive against both grasping and unscrupulous family and lovers who want their secrets and the evil of the Philosopher's Stone itself. It's exciting and fun to read a story in which the Stone itself is a character and not only a plot device.

The first way I judge a book is by whether it effectively surrounds me in its world. Is it atmospheric? This novel succeeds in that. We're, for the most part, in London during the French Revolution. The main character is Thea, a highly intellectual woman, trained by her mother to be an alchemist working toward the creation of the Philosopher's Stone, a substance which will cure any disease and make gold from lead.
Thea doesn't have a good relationship with her mother and doesn't know her father. When she meets her father, she doesn't think much of him. Thea is so well drawn that her contentious relationship with both parents had me squirming at times. Although I understood and had sympathy with her feelings, I didn't much like her at the beginning of the book. She grew as a character and grew on me.
The race to create and possess the Philosopher's Stone becomes one of betrayal and violence. This is not a story that leaves one feeling particularly uplifted, but it is a compelling story. The ending is tied up well, but enough questions are left to make me wonder if another book is planned. As far as I could tell, this is the author's first published work. It's well done.
Thank you Net Galley for a free advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Amazing premise, promised first third, and then it spiraled out of control. I’m so disappointed. It got so boring and confusing by the end.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press!

I was really excited for A Golden Fury. While I definitely enjoyed it, it didn’t really live up to my expectations. Part of that definitely has to do with the fact that I really detest first-person narration. So I found that a bit grating as I read. I also felt everything was a bit rushed. I would have loved to have gotten to know all of the characters a lot better. I feel as if I just have fleeting impressions of everyone, including Thea, who still remains somewhat of an enigma. I didn’t feel that she had any sort of connection with any character, besides maybe Valentin. She was hurt by her father and Will, and she cared for Dominic, but none of these relationships felt like they had much meaning or carried much weight. I would have really loved to see more of her relationship with her mother, which I found to be the most interesting and complex relationship in the book. I also would have enjoyed a romance, because I am a sap and cannot help myself. Even when Thea believed herself to be in love with Will it never rang true, and I was so preoccupied with waiting for the other shoe to drop and her finally realizing he was a cad.

I think the idea was really interesting, and I think it was a promising first novel. Samantha Cohoe can certainly write well, and her knowledge and intelligence really came through. I loved the tidbits like the brief mention of Egyptian alchemist Zosimos and that Thea was named after his assistant Theosebeia. I just would really like it if it wasn’t in first person, and she spent more time with character development and world building. Anyway, I am eager to read Samantha’s next book, which sounds amazing, I mean who wouldn’t love a 1920’s bright young things meets The Tempest!?!

I will post a longer version of this review two weeks before publication on my Goodreads page, and my two blogs, https://nicbrouillette.tumblr.com/, and my new blog Flea With a Degree https://fleawithadegree.tumblr.com/.

A Golden Fury by Samantha Cohoe is due to be published October 13th 2020.

Choo choo sounds of disappointment train meets with expired baking powder taste of frustration( don’t ask me how I know expired baking powder taste! It’s another prank story)
After seeing this incredible cover and interesting women alchemists’ story waltzes with magical realism and fantasy with horrific delusional vibes and philosopher stone’s growing power reminds us of Frodo’s ring which turns to people more miserable than Gollum and pushes them into burning alive in their own hell by losing their insanities picked my interest from the beginning.
The beginning of the book: We’re introduced with 17 years old Thea and her mother who are talented alchemists and they are so close to create philosopher’s stone. Thea is sick of her mother’s harsh, loveless manners and her narcissistic personality that forces her living under her mother’s growing ego and mental abuse. Without Thea’s help, her mother cannot finish the ending process of creation and as soon as process completed, her mother has a manic attack and destroys the stone. Thea luckily saves herself from her anger and killing attempt, is sent to Oxford to meet her professor father who doesn’t know her existence.
Thea’s meeting with her father and his assistant Dominic, helping them at the laboratory for the creation process of white elixir brings out more madness and attacks and puts Thea’s life into danger because getting closer to create the stone turns into curse affects all the alchemists.

Dominic tries to help young woman to reconcile with her father but when he finds himself in more dangerous situation which completely ruins his life, Thea offers him to runaway with him to London for hiding at her ex lover Will’s place (he was working with her mother till her mother finds out their secret relationship and fires him!) Those action packed and exciting parts of the book earned nearly 5 stars from me.

And after they escape to London to meet with Will and captured by ruthless German soldiers who work for dangerous wealthy business man for paying Will’s debt, the mystery still kept me on my toes.

But especially third part of the book and Thea’s blind love and devotion for Will slowed down the pace and the story started to drown into the repetitive spiral. Especially last chapters were so melodramatic, tasteless and illogical. I wanted to scream at the author for killing all the characters and end this never ending spiral. I felt like she lost her way and she couldn’t decide how she could end the story with satisfying conclusion.

I’m giving the first half: 4.5 stars

And I’m giving the second half of the book: 1.5 stars

Average: I’m giving 3 stars. I felt like I read something that I loved so much at the beginning and I truly hated in the end.

I know it was debut novel and I believe the author has great potential to find interesting plot ideas and she has creative writing skills which hooked me for the first half of the book. So I still want to read her upcoming works. But I wish the last third of the book could be rewritten. Especially those foreseeable romance mystery and long additional escape part just made me lose my interest.

P. S: I have to add: I fell in love with the perfect cover of the book and admired the talent of illustrator.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Wednesday books for sharing this arc in exchange my honest opinions.

I wanted to like this book. The abstract seemed very interesting but I just couldn't make myself finish it. The main character seemed too argumentative and extremely sure of herself, which is fine sometimes but seemed overdone. I found myself trying to push through it, then skipping whole paragraphs, and then deciding I didn't really care if she created the Philosopher's stone and saved her friends. The constant no one telling her anything just got annoying.

I'm sure other people will like this book but it was not for me.

I was initially so excited to receive this book because the synopsis absolutely hooked me! It also started off great apart from the relationship with her mom which just saddened me, but somewhere near the middle or right before the middle of the book, it lost me. I felt like the characters fell flat, and I didn't connect to them like I would have liked. I was also eager for more action and magic, but it was found lacking. The ending wrapped things up nicely, but I just wanted more.

With that being said, there are many other reviewers who loved this story, and just because it didn't do it for me, doesn't mean it won't do it for you!

Thanks Net Galley for the ARC. if you like historical fantasies this would be up your alley. There's madness, mystery, murder and mayhem.

The beginning of this story finds Thea truly on the outs with her mother, only to eventually find out her mother accomplished the impossible- she'd created the Philosophers stone, and destroyed it before it was complete.

Thea finds amongst the notes, a curse that is set upon anyone found unworthy of creating the stone. A madness that has her mother so far gone, that she's a danger. So Thea flees to Oxford to meet the father whose has never known of her existence.

And here the story really begins. Thea quickly learns that many would do whatever it takes to create that stone, regardless of the cost. And as things progress, she quickly has to learn who is worthy of her trust. Hope is found in the enemy, and is Thea willing and capable enough to sacrifice herself in the creation of the stone to save those she's sworn she'd save.

A dark historical fantasy set amongst the stirrings if the French Revolution, the elite halls of Oxford and the slums of London. Filled with a great cast of characters you'll love, hate, and hate to love. Wonderful debut.

***I received an uncorrected proof of this ebook from netgalley in exchange for an honest review***


"Alchemy is dead. And you, my daughter, killed it."✝


⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

This book was a fun little standalone for anyone who likes history and alchemy. Cohoe did a really good job of marrying science and fantasy, making it easy to believe that this story could have truly taken place within the confines of our world.

I do wish there was a bit more romance.... not every YA book needs a romantic subplot, but this particular book felt a little lacking without it. Thea's motivations fell a little flat, as it was difficult to understand what exactly she was fighting for. Her emotionally abusive mother? Her estranged father? The sleaze who kept lying to her? I could not for the life of me understand why she was so eager for the stone... It wasn't even for herself, for glory, so why not for love?


✝check against final text

The Golden Fury takes place in the later 1700’s where alchemy is still alive and Thea Hope wants to become the one to crate the Sorcerer’s Stone. Thus, proving to her famous alchemist mother that she has what it takes and isn't just an apprentice. The Sorcerer’s Stone has other ideas as the curse her mother’s notes talk about seems to be all too real and has taken over her mother. If Thea can create the stone she can save her mother and others she cares about along the way. Overall, I liked the book and characters but I’m conflicted as there were parts that I enjoyed and other parts that where just…meh. Maybe it was because I just didn’t feel invested in a majority of the characters and Dominic whom, I felt should have gotten more attention and love, felt discarded and slighted.

I was provided with an electronic ARC through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Absolutely loved everything about this book. I could feel the turmoil surrounding the main character throughout the entire story as if it was my own. The storyline flowed nicely, there wasnt a single point where I felt it was dragging along.

*This review is based on an uncorrected proof provided by NetGalley and the publisher.*

3.5/5 stars

All Thea wants is to prove to her mother that she is a capable alchemist. She has spent her life traveling with her mother from one benefactor to another, training as an alchemy adept and searching for the elusive recipe for the Sorcerer's Stone. Now, though, her mother has shut her out of the laboratory and refuses to let her near the mixture, even though Thea is the one who translated the secret text from Arabic. Thea is set adrift after her mother's coldness turns to madness--but is it from natural causes or because of a curse? Traveling to England in order to escape the unrest before the French Revolution, Thea begins to wonder if making her own Sorcerer's Stone might be able to cure her mother. But how can she prevent her own descent into madness?

Samantha Cohoe has written a unique story that touches on both a time period and a subject not often seen in YA fiction. The subject of alchemy, and its former place as a viable science, is explored with an eye to the cost of success. Thea is forced to reckon with her own ambitions, those of the people around her, and the lengths she is willing to go for fame and power. She often presents herself in the story with altruistic motives, such as finding a cure for her mother, but there is always an undercurrent of her desire to be valued and seen as a true alchemist. The power of the Sorcerer's Stone is a constant lure that both calls to her and frightens her.

I found the depictions of the Stone's curse and the madness that it causes to be vivid and disturbing, just as it must have been for the characters. The book shines when it is plumbing the depths of the psyche and putting its heroine through intense trials. I wanted more from the alchemical descriptions and the texts Thea was reading in order to find answers, but we were mostly given answers rather than being asked to figure things out on our own. That said, I was impressed with many of the scenes in the second half of the book, which were haunting, scary, and made me wish I wasn't reading at night.

The main concern I had with this book were the characters and their motivations. Thea was not a particularly likable character, although she did not need to be in order for the book to be enjoyable. I did, however, miss many of her motivations throughout the story. Her relationships, besides the one with her mother, are fairly superficial and seem to happen either quickly or off the page. I wanted to believe in her romance with Will, but I didn't get to read enough of their interactions to become invested. We only get to read one or two of his letters to her and, while they were loving, I wasn't convinced of their deeper courtship. Similarly, Thea's only friend Dustin is often treated poorly and ignored by Thea unless he is convenient or serves a purpose. His involvement with the Sorcerer's Stone mainly serves to spur Thea into action, but he is often disregarded and does not feel like he is truly essential to Thea or the plot. I wanted to love the characters, or at least believe in them, but I had a hard time not pausing and questioning their thoughts and motivations.

Overall, this book has an interesting plot and unique features, but its characters are somewhat lacking. If alchemy, curses, and a bit of terror interest you, pick this up and give it a try!

A Golden Fury is a historical fantasy set in France and England during the late seventeen hundreds, a turbulent time in Europe. Thea’s mother is an alchemist seeking to create the Philosopher’s Stone and Thea herself has been trained in the alchemical arts. They are close, so close, but something goes terribly wrong and Thea must leave France on her own to continue their work. But should she, if doing so is what affected her mother? And does she even have a choice when there are so many others who seek to create it.

This book is well written and well researched, with a voice that fits so well into the eighteenth century without feeling oppressive. Thea is both described as intelligent and also actually acts intelligently, which I really appreciated. I loved her growth over the course of the book as she struggled to find her place and discover who she was. I also loved most of the side characters, both those trying to help Thea and those working against her. I loved the plot, and the direction it ended up going. Also this book made me cry and laugh hysterically at the same time and I don’t think a book has ever done that to me before. Honestly, I loved it and highly recommend it.

I was not a huge fan of this book. It was difficult to hold my interest and in the end I didn't end up finishing it. I never felt a connection to the main characters. The concept, however, was one I did enjoy, I just wish there had been a few more ways to hook me in early on in the book.

This book was just OK. The historical setting was mentioned in passing ie clothing styles, leaders of countries, revolutions, etc., but otherwise was unimportant to the story. The characters were two-dimensional and felt flat, and I struggled to care about the outcome for any of them. Some twists along the way did make the plot more interesting, but even the alchemy that forms the soul of the book was glossed over to a large degree. Overall I didn't love the book or hate it.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity to read this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's press for providing me with this book.
The overall plot is rather good and interesting., it is well-paced and easy to follow.
However, it did not connect with the story nor the characters. I expected something a bit different, more action-packed I never felt invested in what was going on whatsoever. I felt it lacked depth and mystery and I found it hard to care. It is hard to express how I feel, I didn't like it but I didn't not like it.