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megan_bbender's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I really only enjoyed this book after I read Chapter 15 and onwards. I thought it was pretty slow starting off but I didn't mind the ending at all. The plot eventually got exciting. I loved all the characters and thought the attention to detail was great.
With that being said, I felt like there could have been more in the background. Things like what was happening with the war throughout that time?
I can't really explain why I can't give this book a higher rating. It just feels very in the middle, it wasn't bad but it doesn't at all compare to my favourite books.
With that being said, I felt like there could have been more in the background. Things like what was happening with the war throughout that time?
I can't really explain why I can't give this book a higher rating. It just feels very in the middle, it wasn't bad but it doesn't at all compare to my favourite books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Abandonment, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Torture, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Kidnapping
Minor: War
maisierosereads's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review as part of the TBR & Beyond Book Tour.
I was drawn to A Golden Fury by a few things:
I was drawn to A Golden Fury by a few things:
- I love the mix of science and fantasy that comes along with any book about alchemy
- Female alchemists!
- It’s mostly set in England – I’ve spent time in Oxford and London, so it’s interesting to see them in fictional works! (Don’t worry fellow British readers, the author is American but doesn’t write about our rainy little island in a jarringly inaccurate or cringey way)
- This seemed like an excellent choice for a book to read in the run-up to spooky season
- The cover is pretty eyecatching, isn’t it?
I really liked the point of view of the main character, Thea, when it came to thinking about the nature of alchemy and what it should(n’t) be used for. She insists throughout that it is seen as a true science and not (as others in this universe insist) “charlatanry or magic”. There are references throughout to the reality of being an alchemist which I think many scientists will recognise: the difficulties in securing funding and legitimacy, the dangers of working with hazardous materials, the time and energy it requires to be so precise and methodical. It’s so nice to see representation of a young female scientist, particularly in YA – I can imagine teenage girls reading this and feeling inspired to pursue chemistry or other STEAM subjects!
She also gives us an insight into the moral dilemmas that come with alchemy. Her world is full of alchemists seeking money, eternal youth, and fame – just like in many of the other stories you might be able to think of with similar themes. However, Thea recognises this flaw and instead sees alchemy as a way to improve the world and the lives of the many rather than the few.
Thea is intelligent, skilled, and confident in her own abilities. However, that doesn’t stop her from feeling anxious when she has good reason to be, or from making mistakes. She makes morally questionable decisions at times, but she doesn’t do so thoughtlessly or without consequence.
Thea is intelligent, skilled, and confident in her own abilities. However, that doesn’t stop her from feeling anxious when she has good reason to be, or from making mistakes. She makes morally questionable decisions at times, but she doesn’t do so thoughtlessly or without consequence.
Pretty much all of the characters in A Golden Fury are developed into complex, 3D beings by the end of the book. I think that the complicated family dynamics between Thea and her parents are handled well, too. The relationship between Thea and her mother is not exactly a healthy or supportive one, but this is addressed and made clear within the book. Thea’s mother isn’t turned into a one-dimensional antagonist, which could have been easy given her circumstances; her motivations are explored and become clearer as the book progresses. The relationship between Thea and her father is complex, too, and develops quite naturally considering that her father didn’t know she existed at the start of the story!
I can’t review this book without talking about Thea’s romantic subplot(s). I liked that this book showed why Thea was attracted to certain characters, instead of just taking it for granted that it was inevitable. I’m sure that I’m not the only person who finds it annoying when a romance feels forced, like it only exists because the writer thinks that the book needs a romance and not because it makes sense for the characters – I didn’t feel that way with A Golden Fury. I also liked that having romantic feelings didn’t get in the way of Thea from pursuing her own ambitions; and Thea is definitely an ambitious character! She is drawn to characters who she feels help to imrove her: “his admiration was as intoxicating as wine, but unlike wine it sharpened my wits instead of dulling them.”
The one thing I wasn’t sure about when I first read the blurb is how I felt about the focus on characters “losing their sanity” as a result of the curse of the Philosopher’s Stone. What is the curse, you ask? "Alchemistam ultimam lapis elegit. Vae illi, qui non accipit. The Stone chooses the last alchemist, but woe to whom it does not accept."
(Sidenote: I love that the author put her knowledge of Latin to good use in this book – it felt very appropriate!)
I can’t review this book without talking about Thea’s romantic subplot(s). I liked that this book showed why Thea was attracted to certain characters, instead of just taking it for granted that it was inevitable. I’m sure that I’m not the only person who finds it annoying when a romance feels forced, like it only exists because the writer thinks that the book needs a romance and not because it makes sense for the characters – I didn’t feel that way with A Golden Fury. I also liked that having romantic feelings didn’t get in the way of Thea from pursuing her own ambitions; and Thea is definitely an ambitious character! She is drawn to characters who she feels help to imrove her: “his admiration was as intoxicating as wine, but unlike wine it sharpened my wits instead of dulling them.”
The one thing I wasn’t sure about when I first read the blurb is how I felt about the focus on characters “losing their sanity” as a result of the curse of the Philosopher’s Stone. What is the curse, you ask? "Alchemistam ultimam lapis elegit. Vae illi, qui non accipit. The Stone chooses the last alchemist, but woe to whom it does not accept."
(Sidenote: I love that the author put her knowledge of Latin to good use in this book – it felt very appropriate!)
I can’t truthfully say that reading the book completely cleared my misgivings from my perspective as a mental health advocate (and as somebody with mental illnesses of my own), but I think that the context given later on in the book for what exactly the curse is and why it causes behaviour changes helps. I think that the language used by the characters to explain what is happening – e.g. the use of the word “sanity” – is appropriate for the time period it is set in, too. Perhaps I would have felt more comfortable if the idea that mental illness is a bad thing had been challenged just a little bit more.
Overall I enjoyed reading A Golden Fury, and would recommend it if you’re looking for some YA historical fantasy with an empowered female lead. Congratulations to Samantha Cohoe on its publication – I’ll be keeping an eye out for her future work!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, and Violence
dbguide2's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
That is definitely the case in this book. Even though I first thought it would be hard to understand, what with all the alchemy and science information, but I’m glad it wasn’t! Thea (the main character) is more than passionate enough about alchemy and trying to complete any alchemist’s life goal and dream. I felt Thea’s need and want to create the Stone – it wasn’t just for her, she also wanted to prove herself to her mother.
Oh, her mother. What a character and a half. While she isn’t actually physically by Thea all throughout the book, her mom’s words and actions are most certainly there. And they affect her as the mom is really manipulative and only thinks of herself. She’s so dismissive of Thea’s alchemy skills and only wants Thea to help her in her triumph.
I won’t say much of the romance because it holds some spoilers, but it did not go the way I thought it would have. But I’m also impressed that it went that way. I enjoyed it and the fact that it wasn’t the usual cookie-cutter romance we see.
There was something I’m always not keen (in the slightest) to see and that was girl-on-girl hate/pitting girls against each other – whatever you prefer saying. And I’m so so tired of seeing it in books! Why do they have to think less of the other? Because the one girl enjoys ‘pretty’ things while the other prefers to study? Because a certain boy pays more attention to the one girl than the other? Would the story change if it were taken out? In this book, I think it wouldn’t change much if the criticising of the girls (by the girls) were taken out.
I think a big reason why I stay away from historical fiction is that there’s so much of the writing, usually of the narrative and description. Which is probably funny because if you present me with a fantasy book that has an overabundance of narration and description, I’ll probably thank you. But I didn’t feel that way in here! I could easily keep up with all the alchemy talk and kept being intrigued by how much Thea’s mom annoyed me (with how unfair she was to her daughter).
Oh, her mother. What a character and a half. While she isn’t actually physically by Thea all throughout the book, her mom’s words and actions are most certainly there. And they affect her as the mom is really manipulative and only thinks of herself. She’s so dismissive of Thea’s alchemy skills and only wants Thea to help her in her triumph.
I won’t say much of the romance because it holds some spoilers, but it did not go the way I thought it would have. But I’m also impressed that it went that way. I enjoyed it and the fact that it wasn’t the usual cookie-cutter romance we see.
There was something I’m always not keen (in the slightest) to see and that was girl-on-girl hate/pitting girls against each other – whatever you prefer saying. And I’m so so tired of seeing it in books! Why do they have to think less of the other? Because the one girl enjoys ‘pretty’ things while the other prefers to study? Because a certain boy pays more attention to the one girl than the other? Would the story change if it were taken out? In this book, I think it wouldn’t change much if the criticising of the girls (by the girls) were taken out.
I think a big reason why I stay away from historical fiction is that there’s so much of the writing, usually of the narrative and description. Which is probably funny because if you present me with a fantasy book that has an overabundance of narration and description, I’ll probably thank you. But I didn’t feel that way in here! I could easily keep up with all the alchemy talk and kept being intrigued by how much Thea’s mom annoyed me (with how unfair she was to her daughter).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Suicide
A lot of mentions of mad/madness/people performing actions due to their ‘madness’, as that was the term used back then. Those actions are mostly in terms of violence and violent actscaidyn's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I received an ARC through Netgalley and a physical ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review!
CW: death, murder, violence, and sexism
Alchemy, a science, or magic, that has captivated humans through the ages. For centuries, people thought it was real. And then they stopped believing in it. In this alternate world, alchemy is real and so is the philosopher's stone. It's just that no one has been able to make it, although people have come close.
This includes Thea's mother, a famous alchemist in France. It's just after the revolution so the world is reordering itself, but her mother is close to a breakthrough on the stone. Yet, not good things happen, meaning that Thea has to go to England to be with her father -- who doesn't even know he has a kid. In England, the adventure and hunt to create the stone starts up again with new allies and enemies.
The book was a quick, dark read. It's got quite a few betrayals to it, as well as period accurate sexism that gets challenged. I thought it was a good book, one that had a lot of interesting action to it and tons of factions. I am surprised that this doesn't have a series and this is a stand-alone. I'm not upset about that since it feels like series get dragged out of books that don't necessarily need one, but I also would have liked to see what the next chapter was. The ending felt like it wrapped up a bit too neatly for me.
All in all, a very impressive debut and I can't wait to see what the author does next!
CW: death, murder, violence, and sexism
Alchemy, a science, or magic, that has captivated humans through the ages. For centuries, people thought it was real. And then they stopped believing in it. In this alternate world, alchemy is real and so is the philosopher's stone. It's just that no one has been able to make it, although people have come close.
This includes Thea's mother, a famous alchemist in France. It's just after the revolution so the world is reordering itself, but her mother is close to a breakthrough on the stone. Yet, not good things happen, meaning that Thea has to go to England to be with her father -- who doesn't even know he has a kid. In England, the adventure and hunt to create the stone starts up again with new allies and enemies.
The book was a quick, dark read. It's got quite a few betrayals to it, as well as period accurate sexism that gets challenged. I thought it was a good book, one that had a lot of interesting action to it and tons of factions. I am surprised that this doesn't have a series and this is a stand-alone. I'm not upset about that since it feels like series get dragged out of books that don't necessarily need one, but I also would have liked to see what the next chapter was. The ending felt like it wrapped up a bit too neatly for me.
All in all, a very impressive debut and I can't wait to see what the author does next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Violence
Moderate: Death
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