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A review by usuallydave
The Accidental Alchemist by Gigi Pandian
3.0
The premise here is that Zoe Faust, an alchemist that's been alive and doing her best to live in anonymity as much as possible, has just moved to a new home in Portland. Upon arriving she finds a living gargoyle has stowed away in her shipping crates from Paris and needs her help deciphering his special book because he's dying. The next morning the handyman she's hired to do some work on her new home is found dead on her front porch, stabbed and poisoned, and suddenly Zoe finds herself in the middle of a magical murder mystery to find the killer and the stolen book of the Gargoyle.
So... here's the thing.
This book presents itself as a fantasy story, with the magic of Zoe's alchemy, the living gargoyle, etc.
But when it comes down to it, this is more of a murder mystery with hints of fantasy and a healthy dose of the "found family" trope to keep things interesting. As far as the mystery goes, it's not a SUPER INTENSE thriller either.
In the end it feels much more like a YA murder mystery with some fantasy elements thrown in and while I won't say it's an AMAZING read, it's a perfectly enjoyable experience and a great palette cleanser after a month of July that was SO disappointing in terms of the stories I consumed.
If you want a cozy feeling, murder mystery with hints of fantasy that you don't have to get TOO involved in, this is a solid option.
I found it enjoyable, though really wished it had just picked a direction and gone all in with it rather than try to tip-toe the line between fantasy and mystery while really just being a mystery.
So... here's the thing.
This book presents itself as a fantasy story, with the magic of Zoe's alchemy, the living gargoyle, etc.
But when it comes down to it, this is more of a murder mystery with hints of fantasy and a healthy dose of the "found family" trope to keep things interesting. As far as the mystery goes, it's not a SUPER INTENSE thriller either.
In the end it feels much more like a YA murder mystery with some fantasy elements thrown in and while I won't say it's an AMAZING read, it's a perfectly enjoyable experience and a great palette cleanser after a month of July that was SO disappointing in terms of the stories I consumed.
If you want a cozy feeling, murder mystery with hints of fantasy that you don't have to get TOO involved in, this is a solid option.
I found it enjoyable, though really wished it had just picked a direction and gone all in with it rather than try to tip-toe the line between fantasy and mystery while really just being a mystery.