Queen B’s Decree: As you may know, I am attempting to read outside my comfort zone. A Golden Fury sounded so interesting – alchemy! Who wouldn’t be interested in a female alchemist from 1792!?
And at the beginning, it was very interesting. The story of the Philosopher’s Stone, the history of alchemy, and the curse all kept me hooked. Thea seemed like a strong character regardless of the gender limitations she dealt with (it is 1792 after all!).
But then it broke apart for me. Once Thea met back up with Will (her maybe ex-crush/friend?), she started to unravel. Her desperate clinging to Will, despite information about his secrets and past, seemed unlike her as a character. And the romantic aspect felt odd. She seemed to form these quick relationships with multiple men, like a boy crazy teenage girl. Which would have been fine, had the first half of the book not disavowed that.
The magic of alchemy was so interesting, and it nearly felt like a fantasy book. But it just fell apart for me and felt unfinished.
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Book: A Golden Fury by Samantha Cohoe
Series: standalone
Genre: Historical/YA
Hotness: mild to no salsa
Plot Devices/Tropes: fantasy feel