“A vivid ride through eighteenth century Europe with darkness and dread creeping at its corners. Utterly enchanting.” - Emily A. Duncan, New York Times bestselling author of Wicked Saints "Cohoe transmutes the legend of the Philosopher's Stone into a dark, intoxicating tale of ambition, obsession, and sacrifice. Prepare for a magic that will consume you." - Rosamund Hodge, New York Times bestselling author of Cruel Beauty and Bright Smoke, Cold Fire In her debut novel A Golden Fury , Samantha Cohoe weaves a story of magic and danger, where the curse of the Philosopher’s Stone will haunt you long after the final page. 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. Gr 7 Up-As the novel opens in Normandy, France, Theosebia Hope is her mother's apprentice in the science of alchemy. The two of them have been incredibly thorough and ambitious with their studies. They have learned many languages so that they may draw from the findings of Europe as well as the Islamic world. It appears that during the wee hours, Thea's mother pressed on by herself, perhaps finding success, but not without a price. Legend has it that the final step in the process-the smelting of the philosopher's stone-is really a crucible for alchemists; that the stone will choose its master; and that the unworthy will be destroyed-driven mad. It also appears that Thea's mother did not make the cut, and she is completely unhinged, attempting to kill Thea. With this backdrop, Thea sets out to meet her father (an alchemist at Oxford) who doesn't know she exists. Soon after her arrival in England, it is evident that her father's interest in her is only academic, as he too scrambles to create his own philosopher's stone. The attention to detail in the story is excellent. Period costumes and locations are well imagined. Likewise, the pacing is good as the excitement clips along. There are perhaps too many characters at play, and occasionally readers may have difficulty recalling which Prussian they are encountering, as torturous tough guys who speak German abound. That said, Thea herself is a confident lead with a strong voice. VERDICT A solid fantasy to flesh out the world of alchemy that most readers know only from "Harry Potter."-Leah Krippner, Harlem H.S., Machesney Park, ILα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. BOOKRIOT, "New Fall 2020 YA Books To Add To Your TBR" CULTURESS, "12 New YA Book Releases October 2020" EPIC READS, "The 19 Most Anticipated YA Books to Read in October" GOODREADS, "October's Most Anticipated YA Reads" THE MARY SUE BOOK CLUB, "October 2020: Spooky Season Is Out in Full Force" THE NERD DAILY, "20 SFF YA Debuts To Watch Out For In 2020" POPSUGAR, "Best New YA Books of October 2020" "An engaging concoction of fantasy, romance, and historical fiction." - Booklist "Cohoe situates the supernatural among the historical, referencing the French Revolution and the Enlightenment while...keeping a sense of urgency as Thea struggles with the magical, demonic pull of the Stone." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books "If you liked Belle Revolte by Linsey Miller or All That Glitters (previously Enchantée ) by Gita Trelease, you will love A Golden Fury." - NerdSpan "The attention to detail in the story is excellent. ...Thea herself is a confident lead with a strong voice. A solid fantasy to flesh out the world of alchemy that most readers know only from 'Harry Potter.'" - School Library Journal “Sharply written with a crackling, compassionately determined heroine, A Golden Fury is a vivid ride through eighteenth century Europe with darkness and dread creeping at its corners. Utterly enchanting.” - Emily A. Duncan, New York Times bestselling author of Wicked Saints "Cohoe transmutes the legend of the Philosopher's Stone into a dark, intoxicating tale of ambition, obsession, and sacrifice. Prepare for a magic that will consume you." - Rosamund Hodge, New York Times bestselling author of Cruel Beauty and Bright Smoke, C