A GOLDEN FURY, by Samantha Cohoe, Wednesday Books, Oct. 13, 2020, Hardcover, $18.99 (YA, ages 14 and up)
A young alchemist sets out to create the illusive Philosopher’s Stone in Samantha Cohoe’s A Golden Fury.
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. —Synopsis provided by Wednesday Books
A Golden Fury has one of those jaw-dropping, gorgeous covers that make you instantly want to pick it up. But A Golden Fury is more than just a pretty face. It’s an engrossing read that you’ll most likely devour in one day.
I have not read a lot of books that feature alchemy, so I’m not sure how it compares to those, but I found the idea of working with transformative matter fascinating. And Samantha Cohoe is particularly adept at setting the scene. I felt as if I was standing with Thea as she practiced her craft.
Thea is a strong, although sometimes frustratingly naïve, character. Her drive and intuition as well as her inner turmoil are compelling throughout. Her parents, however, read more than a little one note, and I had a hard time believing any changes that came about on their parts.
There’s not a ton of action in A Golden Fury, but the plot ebbs and flows well, and the overall tale is one that is sure to capture many readers’ attention.
