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Alchemical Journeys #4
Inkpot Gods: Alchemical Journeys, Book 4
The New York Times
bestselling author takes us back to the world of the Alchemical Journeys in this action-packed follow-up to
Middlegame, Seasonal Fears, and Tidal Creatures.
The gods live and die at our whim.
More than a century has passed since Asphodel Baker refined the process allowing her to imbue alchemically created life with power in a way no one else had ever been able to achieve. More than a century since she built the Impossible City on the ruins of Olympus, forging it from nothing more than imagination and spite, and penned it in plain view, enabling it to be read and cherished and believed by children the world over.
And now, so long after her exit from the world, the descendants of her dark alchemy—who exist in a reality that inches ever closer to the hellscape of her imagination—step into a place of birth, of discovery, of horror, to make amends for the sins of the past.
Can the gods of today defeat the evils of their maker, or will the legacy of the most powerful alchemist the world has ever known prove to be their undoing?
The gods live and die at our whim.
More than a century has passed since Asphodel Baker refined the process allowing her to imbue alchemically created life with power in a way no one else had ever been able to achieve. More than a century since she built the Impossible City on the ruins of Olympus, forging it from nothing more than imagination and spite, and penned it in plain view, enabling it to be read and cherished and believed by children the world over.
And now, so long after her exit from the world, the descendants of her dark alchemy—who exist in a reality that inches ever closer to the hellscape of her imagination—step into a place of birth, of discovery, of horror, to make amends for the sins of the past.
Can the gods of today defeat the evils of their maker, or will the legacy of the most powerful alchemist the world has ever known prove to be their undoing?
Audible Audio
First published June 9, 2026
About the author
Seanan McGuire
515 books17.3k followersHi! I'm Seanan McGuire, author of the Toby Daye series (Rosemary and Rue, A Local Habitation, An Artificial Night, Late Eclipses), as well as a lot of other things. I'm also Mira Grant (www.miragrant.com), author of Feed and Deadline.
Born and raised in Northern California, I fear weather and am remarkably laid-back about rattlesnakes. I watch too many horror movies, read too many comic books, and share my house with two monsters in feline form, Lilly and Alice (Siamese and Maine Coon).
I do not check this inbox. Please don't send me messages through Goodreads; they won't be answered. I don't want to have to delete this account. :(
Born and raised in Northern California, I fear weather and am remarkably laid-back about rattlesnakes. I watch too many horror movies, read too many comic books, and share my house with two monsters in feline form, Lilly and Alice (Siamese and Maine Coon).
I do not check this inbox. Please don't send me messages through Goodreads; they won't be answered. I don't want to have to delete this account. :(
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
June 10, 2026
I loved this one! It splits its time between telling Asphodel's villain origin story and letting us spend plenty of time with our beloved Berkeley weirdoes - Roger, Dodger, Erin, Smita, Judy, David, Artemis, Kelpie - and they are joined by an interesting new character, Lilianne, who already has unexpected connections to their world. There are little sparks of romance for some of our characters, but they remain very much in the background of the story. There's also some great lgbtqia+ representation.
This one ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, and I'm really curious how things will be resolved in the series finale. I'm also curious if Melanie and Harry will return for the final conflict... because up until now their story seems set apart and less connected to the rest of the series. (When I first read book #2, I thought these were going to be very loosely connected standalones. But now, I feel like #1, #3 & #4 are part of a true series arc, with #2 not really fitting in and feeling less important to the overall story so far...)
This one ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, and I'm really curious how things will be resolved in the series finale. I'm also curious if Melanie and Harry will return for the final conflict... because up until now their story seems set apart and less connected to the rest of the series. (When I first read book #2, I thought these were going to be very loosely connected standalones. But now, I feel like #1, #3 & #4 are part of a true series arc, with #2 not really fitting in and feeling less important to the overall story so far...)
July 10, 2026
A return to form
Inkpot Gods is the fourth novel in Seanan McGuire's Alchemical Journeys series. The first of these, Middlegame, was, I thought, one of the very best of McGuire's many, many books. From me that is a big statement, since I'm an avid fan of hers. Books 2 and 3, Seasonal Fears and Tidal Creatures, were much less impressive. Inkpot Gods returns to the subjects and themes of Middlegame. It is not quite as good as that first novel, but it approaches it.
More important, this novel represents, I think, a return to form for McGuire. Those of us who subscribe to her Patreon know that she has gone through some troubles in the last several years. (See her 20-Jun-2024 post for more detail.) It has shown in her output -- not the quantity -- I don't think McGuire can live and stop writing -- but in the quality. Her most recent output has been repetitive and verbose, marred by a tendency to unnecessarily explain EVERYTHING. (She knows better, honestly.)
In Inkpot Gods, and also in "No More Amazement," her 1-Jul-2026 Patreon novella (which I will presently review) she reads like the old Seanan, and I am so glad to have her back!
Inkpot Gods focuses on the Alchemical foundations of Middlegame. We go back to the 19th century and Asphodel Deborah Baker, the central figure in American Alchemy in the world-building of Alchemical Journeys. But these bits of 19th century lore are interspersed with a story of the 21st century characters we have met in the first three novels. It's a gritty, dangerous story: bad things happen to good people. Not everything is set right.
She hints in her acknowledgements that this is nearly, but not quite, the end of the series.
I will certainly read it.
Blog review.
Inkpot Gods is the fourth novel in Seanan McGuire's Alchemical Journeys series. The first of these, Middlegame, was, I thought, one of the very best of McGuire's many, many books. From me that is a big statement, since I'm an avid fan of hers. Books 2 and 3, Seasonal Fears and Tidal Creatures, were much less impressive. Inkpot Gods returns to the subjects and themes of Middlegame. It is not quite as good as that first novel, but it approaches it.
More important, this novel represents, I think, a return to form for McGuire. Those of us who subscribe to her Patreon know that she has gone through some troubles in the last several years. (See her 20-Jun-2024 post for more detail.) It has shown in her output -- not the quantity -- I don't think McGuire can live and stop writing -- but in the quality. Her most recent output has been repetitive and verbose, marred by a tendency to unnecessarily explain EVERYTHING. (She knows better, honestly.)
In Inkpot Gods, and also in "No More Amazement," her 1-Jul-2026 Patreon novella (which I will presently review) she reads like the old Seanan, and I am so glad to have her back!
Inkpot Gods focuses on the Alchemical foundations of Middlegame. We go back to the 19th century and Asphodel Deborah Baker, the central figure in American Alchemy in the world-building of Alchemical Journeys. But these bits of 19th century lore are interspersed with a story of the 21st century characters we have met in the first three novels. It's a gritty, dangerous story: bad things happen to good people. Not everything is set right.
She hints in her acknowledgements that this is nearly, but not quite, the end of the series.
We’ve almost reached the Impossible City at this point, and I can show you a shortcut, if you like. Just take my hand, close your eyes, and trust me. I know the way.No, I don't know what that means either, beyond being a hint that there's another, probably last book to come.
I will certainly read it.
Blog review.
June 16, 2026
Similarly to Tidal Creatures, it’s so gripping and just ridiculously absorbing because how can it not be when there’s so much Roger and Dodger?
Then there’s the fact that we’re getting a peak behind the curtain at Asphodel’s life and it feels like something illicit. There’s this accompanying sensation that the other alchemists certainly don’t want us to experience Asphodel’s many sides.
To me, her return is a combination of her story arc just logically making sense and a very Marvel-like villain’s return at the most unexpected moment when the mcs are enveloped in relatively peaceful domesticity. Still, maybe it’s worth it to see down the line how Roger and Dodger might change now that everything they are has been ripped from them.
Definitely, the plot line of Inkpot Gods speaks more to me than that of Tidal Creatures’, although Lilianne’s pov is honestly all over the place, Erin would have hated the chaos of it. Chemistry with Smita is forced at best. And it’s filled to brink with endless, endless conversations among characters (which I have enjoyed because come on, Roger and Dodger), but it does make me wonder where’s the limit, exactly?
Then there’s the fact that we’re getting a peak behind the curtain at Asphodel’s life and it feels like something illicit. There’s this accompanying sensation that the other alchemists certainly don’t want us to experience Asphodel’s many sides.
To me, her return is a combination of her story arc just logically making sense and a very Marvel-like villain’s return at the most unexpected moment when the mcs are enveloped in relatively peaceful domesticity. Still, maybe it’s worth it to see down the line how Roger and Dodger might change now that everything they are has been ripped from them.
Definitely, the plot line of Inkpot Gods speaks more to me than that of Tidal Creatures’, although Lilianne’s pov is honestly all over the place, Erin would have hated the chaos of it. Chemistry with Smita is forced at best. And it’s filled to brink with endless, endless conversations among characters (which I have enjoyed because come on, Roger and Dodger), but it does make me wonder where’s the limit, exactly?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 23, 2026
The concluding volume (I think) of the four-book Alchemical Journeys series about alchemists trying to control reality, and the universe beyond ours (if that's what The Impossible City is). I say "I think" it's done because a four-book series reflects the four seasons (and people manifesting as seasons is a part of this), but the ending makes it seem like there could be more. Seanan McGuire has gone down a few rabbit holes before that caused her to write more books (including the 'children's' books by A. Deborah Baker that feature in this series).
As is appropriate for a concluding volume, a lot of characters come together at the end, and there's some exciting chase and fight scenes. The churn of McGuire's imagination never fails to amaze me, and her output is inconceivable (but you probably don't think that word means what I think it means).
For Zeus's sake, don't start here, you'll be totally confused. Read the books in order. She has a very careful pattern to them.
As is appropriate for a concluding volume, a lot of characters come together at the end, and there's some exciting chase and fight scenes. The churn of McGuire's imagination never fails to amaze me, and her output is inconceivable (but you probably don't think that word means what I think it means).
For Zeus's sake, don't start here, you'll be totally confused. Read the books in order. She has a very careful pattern to them.
June 5, 2026
This series is so good, I was absorbed from the minute I started reading. I loved seeing our new characters interacting with characters from previous books, and learning more about how everything interconnects. The main character Lily is an interesting person to drop into the mix.
LGBTQ+ representation in multiple characters!
LGBTQ+ representation in multiple characters!
June 28, 2026
I still have to say that I loved Middlegame, and thought it was a stand-alone book. But now Seanan has written three books in the series, plus a related four children's books by A. Deborah Baker (who ic a character in this book). Also this book ends in a cliffhanger, so I am pretty sure this series will continue. I do think this alchemical world is interesting, but I don't think it's 8+ books worth of interesting!
Saying that, I liked the characters in this book (old and new) and some of the scenes were scary/interesting, and I probably will read the next book when it comes out.
Saying that, I liked the characters in this book (old and new) and some of the scenes were scary/interesting, and I probably will read the next book when it comes out.
June 24, 2026
This series continues to be infuriating, because I want to like it, but the weird turns it takes are so unsatisfying.
The chapters with flashbacks to Asphodel Baker's past are great. I didn't love how fast the shift from 'wild country girl' to 'cold alchemist' happened. I wish there had been more time for that transition.
I loved Lilianne as a character. She brings an interesting new point of view. I found her crush on Smita endearing and her reason for pursuing alchemy unique and sensible. I especially like that she has a family that is both connected to the alchemical world and is supportive of her transness.
I enjoyed that we got some POV chapters from David, who had appeared previously. I liked that we got to see other familiar characters from his perspective.
I am really frustrated with the back half of the book. As it progresses, it felt like the story shifted further and further from the early POV characters to the point that Lilianne (the only new character and the seeming focus of the story) feels like she is almost forgotten about.
I hope (and suspect) we will get a lot of this in the next book, but this is the first time a book in this series has not stood on its own, ending in the middle. The back half felt rushed, unfocused, and ultimately, unfinished.
The chapters with flashbacks to Asphodel Baker's past are great. I didn't love how fast the shift from 'wild country girl' to 'cold alchemist' happened. I wish there had been more time for that transition.
I loved Lilianne as a character. She brings an interesting new point of view. I found her crush on Smita endearing and her reason for pursuing alchemy unique and sensible. I especially like that she has a family that is both connected to the alchemical world and is supportive of her transness.
I enjoyed that we got some POV chapters from David, who had appeared previously. I liked that we got to see other familiar characters from his perspective.
I am really frustrated with the back half of the book. As it progresses, it felt like the story shifted further and further from the early POV characters to the point that Lilianne (the only new character and the seeming focus of the story) feels like she is almost forgotten about.
I hope (and suspect) we will get a lot of this in the next book, but this is the first time a book in this series has not stood on its own, ending in the middle. The back half felt rushed, unfocused, and ultimately, unfinished.
June 15, 2026
Errr... 3.5?
This series has turned into a roller coaster that looked like a repetitive ride at first, then kinda quaint , then really pretty, (all, of course, liberally sprinkled with m*rders and magic) and now we turned a corner onto some ghost of a behemoth wreck of an ancient wooden coaster track barely hanging on over a pier with a haunted carnival from the Victorian era bashing on below. The kind of coaster that you are pretty sure is going to require at least a urgent care visit if your car remains on the track and you get to disembark, but that's not really certain. Did I mention that the whole wooden coaster is hung with bits of inexplicable gore and serving as a perch for corvids and vultures?
I took this meat-a-phore too far, but, I think the hard turn in this story line sent me sailing off the track and into a lightless abyss? I love a good gore and horror fest, I just was not expecting this book to go quite this king of T. Kingfisher direction?
This series has turned into a roller coaster that looked like a repetitive ride at first, then kinda quaint , then really pretty, (all, of course, liberally sprinkled with m*rders and magic) and now we turned a corner onto some ghost of a behemoth wreck of an ancient wooden coaster track barely hanging on over a pier with a haunted carnival from the Victorian era bashing on below. The kind of coaster that you are pretty sure is going to require at least a urgent care visit if your car remains on the track and you get to disembark, but that's not really certain. Did I mention that the whole wooden coaster is hung with bits of inexplicable gore and serving as a perch for corvids and vultures?
I took this meat-a-phore too far, but, I think the hard turn in this story line sent me sailing off the track and into a lightless abyss? I love a good gore and horror fest, I just was not expecting this book to go quite this king of T. Kingfisher direction?
July 20, 2026
A phenomenal fourth entry into this series! I am slightly disappointed by the cliffhanger, simply because each previous book has been self contained so it would have been tremendously tidy to have this fourth one wrap everything up.
The pacing of this series & the tone of the narration seems to be something people dislike but I adore it. Also Amber Benson has once again knocked it out of the park! I love love love all of her voices
Having said that, I love these characters so much (especially Erin)! As for the new characters, I think Lily was a very interesting addition & I am so beyond happy to finally get Asphodel on the page!
The pacing of this series & the tone of the narration seems to be something people dislike but I adore it. Also Amber Benson has once again knocked it out of the park! I love love love all of her voices
Having said that, I love these characters so much (especially Erin)! As for the new characters, I think Lily was a very interesting addition & I am so beyond happy to finally get Asphodel on the page!
Read
May 26, 2026** THE VERSION OF THIS BOOK THAT I READ WAS AN ARC **
& may i say: ow
& may i say: ow
June 15, 2026
Oh gdi Seanan what the heck????
June 16, 2026
This was an incredibly engaging chapter of the series. It's rough that it ended on a cliff hanger and leaves me waiting on the next book. Luckily McGuire will likely have the final book out next year so it's not like I'll be waiting forever.
I think my favorite new twist (very minor spoiler) is the introduction of a not awful alchemist.
I think my favorite new twist (very minor spoiler) is the introduction of a not awful alchemist.
June 29, 2026
As much as I loved the last book, I was wondering why Seanan was focusing on the lunar gods. Unsurprisingly, we get the answer in this book, and the answer is "because things are about to get fucked on a truly monumental level". Also, this book gives us more background on Asphodel Baker, who's been a looming presence over the whole series. I continue to be impressed at the degree to which Seanan has plotted out this series and the ways she's chosen to mirror it (if you've read the Up and Under novellas that have been released alongside these, they continue to be incredibly relevant). Highly recommended, if nothing else for the cliffhanger. Can't wait to see where the next one goes.
July 16, 2026
McGuire adopted an authorial voice that bugged me. I don't remember if it was there in the first book in the series, but it's the same one she's been using for her Wayward Children series and I do not like it. The best way to describe it is that she will tell you how to intepret a scene she just finished describing. I know the intent is to make it feel more fairy-tale and oral history like, but it just feels condescending. I know that an 8 year old who just got to a new place after a long journey and is not immediately fed and put to bed is not in a kindly home, you don't actually need to tell me that the home is not nice.
Authorial voice issues aside, this book feels like a novela's worth of plot stretched out. I don't mind the cliffhanger, but I do mind that the A plot of this book probably should have just been the beginning of the final book and this book a novela of Villainess whose name I don't remember's backstory.
Will I read the next book? Yes. But man, this one was a bit dissapointing. It was fine, I liked it, but not as much as the earlier books in the series.
Authorial voice issues aside, this book feels like a novela's worth of plot stretched out. I don't mind the cliffhanger, but I do mind that the A plot of this book probably should have just been the beginning of the final book and this book a novela of Villainess whose name I don't remember's backstory.
Will I read the next book? Yes. But man, this one was a bit dissapointing. It was fine, I liked it, but not as much as the earlier books in the series.
June 10, 2026
Read Completed 6/10/26 | 3 stars | Book #124 of 2026
Sadly, I didn't enjoy this one nearly as much as I hoped. MIDDLEGAME is really the strongest book of this series and the only one I've really, truly enjoyed. What I did like about this book is honestly just the connections and cameos from the previous characters, but Roger, Dodger, Erin, and Smita are my favorites (naturally, everyone from Middlegame).
There are some interesting parts of this, but for how long these books are, there's just not quite enough development for me. It doesn't have to go into crazy world-building, but I feel like we could definitely get more considering everything that is introduced to us and the potential for everything we could explore. I really liked seeing the origin story of Asphodel and I appreciated this flashback.
Lilianne's story was kind of hit or miss for me. I was interested to see how she was going to fit into the story as someone coming in from the alchemist side, but I still didn't quite connect with her character, much like pretty much everyone since MIDDLEGAME.
I'm also starting to feel like the Up and Underside series is starting to become mandatory reading rather than just epigraphs, which is annoying to me. It's like, a middle grade series but in the books is a "real" series written by A. Deborah Baker aka Asphodel. It's always been used to insert passages in the book that relates to the Alchemical Journeys series, but it was HEAVILY in this book and I feel like some of the plot is now directly tied into them.
For some reason I thought this was going to be the last book in the series so I'm glad I checked that out before reading/finishing because we end on quite the cliffhanger.
Honestly, I'm not super excited about adding more and more and more to this series. I just want to start wrapping it up now. I'll still continue to read the rest of it but I'm worn out by not getting places with the plot.
Sadly, I didn't enjoy this one nearly as much as I hoped. MIDDLEGAME is really the strongest book of this series and the only one I've really, truly enjoyed. What I did like about this book is honestly just the connections and cameos from the previous characters, but Roger, Dodger, Erin, and Smita are my favorites (naturally, everyone from Middlegame).
There are some interesting parts of this, but for how long these books are, there's just not quite enough development for me. It doesn't have to go into crazy world-building, but I feel like we could definitely get more considering everything that is introduced to us and the potential for everything we could explore. I really liked seeing the origin story of Asphodel and I appreciated this flashback.
Lilianne's story was kind of hit or miss for me. I was interested to see how she was going to fit into the story as someone coming in from the alchemist side, but I still didn't quite connect with her character, much like pretty much everyone since MIDDLEGAME.
I'm also starting to feel like the Up and Underside series is starting to become mandatory reading rather than just epigraphs, which is annoying to me. It's like, a middle grade series but in the books is a "real" series written by A. Deborah Baker aka Asphodel. It's always been used to insert passages in the book that relates to the Alchemical Journeys series, but it was HEAVILY in this book and I feel like some of the plot is now directly tied into them.
For some reason I thought this was going to be the last book in the series so I'm glad I checked that out before reading/finishing because we end on quite the cliffhanger.
Honestly, I'm not super excited about adding more and more and more to this series. I just want to start wrapping it up now. I'll still continue to read the rest of it but I'm worn out by not getting places with the plot.
July 4, 2026
More like 3.5 stars, but rounded down because this ends on way too much of a cliffhanger! The other books have been much more self-contained (albeit obviously connected), whereas this one is clearly the first half of the story. It picks up fairly clearly from where Tidal Creatures left off, and pulls on the loose ends that were left behind to start unraveling everything.
Our newest character Lilianne was fun to meet, and it was nice to see an (early/wanna-be?) alchemist who wasn’t cartoonishly evil and immediately trying to dissect someone. In contrast, the backstory of Asphodel had her morph rather quickly from innocent into murder accomplice. It is understandable though, since the story weaves between Asphodel and the “real” plot, we needed to get to seeing the meat of Asphodel’s alchemist journey.
And I’ll be a hypocrite - I complain that this book didn’t do enough; at the same time it felt like it was almost trying to do too much. I enjoyed having David and the other Lunars back, but them plus Smita and Lilianne was just… a lot of people. Kim and Tim still feel pretty one-dimensional, and since I expect they’ll play MUCH bigger roles in the next book, I would have appreciated an early preview of their POVs. It’s a lot of build-up in this book, and the glimpses we have gotten from Kim (why is there almost no Tim) were heartbreaking and I want more!
All in all though, I still love this world and the characters (even if I start rolling my eyes at the “must snark as we face mortal peril” everyone has). Seanan has created such a cool universe with a lot of depth - who else would write an entire separate “children’s” series to tie in?
In summary: I am low-key infuriated that we have to wait at least a year and a half for the finale
Our newest character Lilianne was fun to meet, and it was nice to see an (early/wanna-be?) alchemist who wasn’t cartoonishly evil and immediately trying to dissect someone. In contrast, the backstory of Asphodel had her morph rather quickly from innocent into murder accomplice. It is understandable though, since the story weaves between Asphodel and the “real” plot, we needed to get to seeing the meat of Asphodel’s alchemist journey.
And I’ll be a hypocrite - I complain that this book didn’t do enough; at the same time it felt like it was almost trying to do too much. I enjoyed having David and the other Lunars back, but them plus Smita and Lilianne was just… a lot of people. Kim and Tim still feel pretty one-dimensional, and since I expect they’ll play MUCH bigger roles in the next book, I would have appreciated an early preview of their POVs. It’s a lot of build-up in this book, and the glimpses we have gotten from Kim (why is there almost no Tim) were heartbreaking and I want more!
All in all though, I still love this world and the characters (even if I start rolling my eyes at the “must snark as we face mortal peril” everyone has). Seanan has created such a cool universe with a lot of depth - who else would write an entire separate “children’s” series to tie in?
In summary: I am low-key infuriated that we have to wait at least a year and a half for the finale
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
While McGuire does a lovely job of recapping, I highly recommend that these novels be read in the order of their release. Events, characters, and understanding are deepened by fully investing in the series. Seanan McGuire is a favorite author, from her October Daye series to her Mira Grant books.
In Inkpot Gods we get Asphodel Baker’s origin story and spend time at Berkeley College with Kelpie, the incarnate moon goods and Rodger and Dodger, the living embodiments of the Doctrine of Ethos.
Our story begins in 1865 in a small village. A local woman, Elizabeth Turner (Baker) is with child. The villagers find this strange because she socializes with no one. This is where Asphodel’s story begins; we follow her childhood and introduction to alchemy. It was horrifyingly delicious.
We then head to August 2018 at Berkeley College and meet a young woman from Alabama named Lilianne. She is interested in alchemy and is searching for the abandoned labs of the American Alchemical Congress. She also believes the cuckoos are here. Lilianne is a little odd and feels like she has stood out all her life, but here she feels comfortable. She lives off-campus with other students. She doesn’t discuss alchemy, but David, who is an incarnate of Máni, suspects Lilianne is an alchemist. He sets out to alert Judy, the senior Lunar leader.
The tale that unfolded was suspenseful, provided answers, and kept me engaged. I love the world McGuire has created and the way she ties things together and weaves a story. Once the gang is involved and we find ourselves below ground, I could not put this down. The ending, though, killed me. It’s a cliffhanger in that we know danger is growing and our motley crew has been left at a disadvantage. Which means I am now counting down the days to devour the next novel.
This review originally published at Caffeinated Reviewer
In Inkpot Gods we get Asphodel Baker’s origin story and spend time at Berkeley College with Kelpie, the incarnate moon goods and Rodger and Dodger, the living embodiments of the Doctrine of Ethos.
Our story begins in 1865 in a small village. A local woman, Elizabeth Turner (Baker) is with child. The villagers find this strange because she socializes with no one. This is where Asphodel’s story begins; we follow her childhood and introduction to alchemy. It was horrifyingly delicious.
We then head to August 2018 at Berkeley College and meet a young woman from Alabama named Lilianne. She is interested in alchemy and is searching for the abandoned labs of the American Alchemical Congress. She also believes the cuckoos are here. Lilianne is a little odd and feels like she has stood out all her life, but here she feels comfortable. She lives off-campus with other students. She doesn’t discuss alchemy, but David, who is an incarnate of Máni, suspects Lilianne is an alchemist. He sets out to alert Judy, the senior Lunar leader.
The tale that unfolded was suspenseful, provided answers, and kept me engaged. I love the world McGuire has created and the way she ties things together and weaves a story. Once the gang is involved and we find ourselves below ground, I could not put this down. The ending, though, killed me. It’s a cliffhanger in that we know danger is growing and our motley crew has been left at a disadvantage. Which means I am now counting down the days to devour the next novel.
This review originally published at Caffeinated Reviewer
July 16, 2026
I have some mixed feelings about this book.
There are two storylines running here, one in the 19th century, the other is 2018. The former felt structured and crafted, while the latter...Hm. The ingredients are all there, I love these characters (I was rabid for Middlegame), but the pacing... it's this strange, blobby mix of exposition (so much), cozy slice of life (hurt by said exposition), and The Lab.
A pair of near-identical scenes involving Kim does the same thing twice, and at the 60% mark we're still thinly disguising recaps and re-explanations of lore as dialogue; and these almost feel like oversights rather than intentional.
The story gestures at an arc for Lilianne's beliefs and worldview about alchemy, but it's smothered by the fact that she's also the exposition receptacle, and that a big chunk of her interiority is about a crush she has. There's just not enough space left for any real turmoil from her developing doubts, I was hoping for some kind of cathartic resolution to this arc, but it's barely a whisper.
I'm only this critical, because it's so close to being great, and the fantastic Asphodel thread more than proves that it could've been possible.
Overall I did enjoy the book, as I said I love these characters and I like the story, but I have to like it despite the pacing and structural issues (I think I liked it more than Seasonal Fears, and less than Tidal Creatures, while Middlegame is still the best of the bunch).
The highlights for me were the Asphodel backstory and the setup for the next (final?) book; I neeeeed to know what happens next!
There are two storylines running here, one in the 19th century, the other is 2018. The former felt structured and crafted, while the latter...Hm. The ingredients are all there, I love these characters (I was rabid for Middlegame), but the pacing... it's this strange, blobby mix of exposition (so much), cozy slice of life (hurt by said exposition), and The Lab.
A pair of near-identical scenes involving Kim does the same thing twice, and at the 60% mark we're still thinly disguising recaps and re-explanations of lore as dialogue; and these almost feel like oversights rather than intentional.
The story gestures at an arc for Lilianne's beliefs and worldview about alchemy, but it's smothered by the fact that she's also the exposition receptacle, and that a big chunk of her interiority is about a crush she has. There's just not enough space left for any real turmoil from her developing doubts, I was hoping for some kind of cathartic resolution to this arc, but it's barely a whisper.
I'm only this critical, because it's so close to being great, and the fantastic Asphodel thread more than proves that it could've been possible.
Overall I did enjoy the book, as I said I love these characters and I like the story, but I have to like it despite the pacing and structural issues (I think I liked it more than Seasonal Fears, and less than Tidal Creatures, while Middlegame is still the best of the bunch).
The highlights for me were the Asphodel backstory and the setup for the next (final?) book; I neeeeed to know what happens next!
June 17, 2026
4.5 stars
The fourth novel in Seanan McGuire's Alchemical Journeys series, Inkpot Gods is 100% not the place to start. For that, I'll always recommend the first book, Middlegame . This is the book that pulls together characters and threads set up in the first three books.
Inkpot Gods tells a dual timeline story. In the 1800s, we learn about the birth and life of the alchemist Asphodel Baker, a figure who's been looming large over the series since the first book. In the modern day (2018), we meet a young self-taught alchemist, who, through a series of events, winds up involved with Roger and Dodger, the main characters from Middlegame, and the strange found family the two have gathered around themselves.
I really enjoyed this entry in the series, but I can't talk too much about it without spoiling the previous books. I will say this may be the goriest entry in the series, and it ended on one hell of a cliffhanger which has me anxiously awaiting the next (final?) book of this series.
Recommended, but only if you've read the previous books.
The fourth novel in Seanan McGuire's Alchemical Journeys series, Inkpot Gods is 100% not the place to start. For that, I'll always recommend the first book, Middlegame . This is the book that pulls together characters and threads set up in the first three books.
Inkpot Gods tells a dual timeline story. In the 1800s, we learn about the birth and life of the alchemist Asphodel Baker, a figure who's been looming large over the series since the first book. In the modern day (2018), we meet a young self-taught alchemist, who, through a series of events, winds up involved with Roger and Dodger, the main characters from Middlegame, and the strange found family the two have gathered around themselves.
I really enjoyed this entry in the series, but I can't talk too much about it without spoiling the previous books. I will say this may be the goriest entry in the series, and it ended on one hell of a cliffhanger which has me anxiously awaiting the next (final?) book of this series.
Recommended, but only if you've read the previous books.
June 13, 2026
My favorite weird fantasy series is back and we're finally getting to the thick of it! The last installment, Tidal Creatures, was my least favorite so far but it did its job in expanding the world building (although I will never find the alchemists as interesting as the forces they attempt to tame). This book has lots of callbacks to each book prior and firmly establishes what should have been clear all along: Asphodel Baker is the true villain of this series--and a raggedy b***h, besides. We get her backstory and I still can't stand her trifling behind. She's the epitome of a Karen, and worse than your average white supremacist because she thinks she's the only person who matters in the entire universe, and therefore the only real person, period. A self-taught alchemist has a meet cute with Smita, finds the abandoned underground lab in Berkeley and drags Roger, Dodger, Erin and the Lunars into an encounter with a resurrected Asphodel. The book ends on the cliffhanger that the devil herself has extracted her powers back from her creations. So are Rogwr and Dodger still even the Doctrine incarnate? It's going to be a long wait for the conclusion but I'll be there with bells on!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2026
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
more like a 4.5
Inkpot Gods is a book that feels like it makes me smarter. Seanan McGuire is a literary genius as these worlds cross with the novella series and the former stories. I'm back committed to this world. Inkpot Gods has re-invigorated my love of the series. Everything just came together and the chapters about Asphodel were intriguing! This latest installment is about the idea of reckoning with our maker, the interference of decades long plots, and nothing is safe. McGuire doesn't let anyone feel safe as we delve into Asphodel's backstory, meet some new characters, and continue to spend time with our favorites. Even more so, Inkpot Gods doesn't allow us to see anything one sided.
more like a 4.5
Inkpot Gods is a book that feels like it makes me smarter. Seanan McGuire is a literary genius as these worlds cross with the novella series and the former stories. I'm back committed to this world. Inkpot Gods has re-invigorated my love of the series. Everything just came together and the chapters about Asphodel were intriguing! This latest installment is about the idea of reckoning with our maker, the interference of decades long plots, and nothing is safe. McGuire doesn't let anyone feel safe as we delve into Asphodel's backstory, meet some new characters, and continue to spend time with our favorites. Even more so, Inkpot Gods doesn't allow us to see anything one sided.
Read
July 3, 2026I kind of wish I'd waited to read this until the next book was out. Not even because the cliffhanger is so gripping or anything. But this simply doesn't feel like a complete story. I can deal with stories that have unhappy endings. But the unhappy conclusion of this book doesn't feel like an ending. It's the literary version of feeling like you have to sneeze and then not sneezing. It's unsatisfying and you suddenly want completion for its own sake. That all said, I did like the parts of this book that were a flashback to the life of Asphodel Baker. But I didn't like them so much that I wouldn't happily sacrifice them for a much more condensed version that's only one or two chapters and that means this book actually finishes, rather than merely stopping
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Having read Book 1 and not Books 2 and 3, it took a while to remember the world McGuire has created (something I suspect might be a problem if you had to wait between books) but once I did... wow. Her characters are so well drawn, it feels as though you've met them in real life. And the pacing is great -- enough time between Big Reveals or Important Action to recover.
So, why only three stars? Partly it's that I didn't fully understand the alchemy/Doctrines and got confused by that part, partly it's because it didn't really feel that the excerpts from the books made sense in terms of the plot, and partly because getting Asphodel's back story got in the way of the modern day action (and didn't really help until the very end).
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss.
So, why only three stars? Partly it's that I didn't fully understand the alchemy/Doctrines and got confused by that part, partly it's because it didn't really feel that the excerpts from the books made sense in terms of the plot, and partly because getting Asphodel's back story got in the way of the modern day action (and didn't really help until the very end).
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss.
June 11, 2026
The book splits between Asphodel Baker’s story or villain origin, and continuing not long after the events of book 3. The former is more compelling until nearly the end. The Berkeley bits feel quite repetitive - I’m really not invested in poor Kim and Tim’s angst for example - and spinning its wheels for a lot of the time although trans alchemist Lily is an interesting addition (#notallachemists)
And then wham! The last section ratchets up the tension and goes all Event Horizon. And what will happen to the cat!
And then wham! The last section ratchets up the tension and goes all Event Horizon. And what will happen to the cat!
July 9, 2026
I love how everything comes together in this book; we get to see characters from the other books, as well as learn much more about Asphodeal Baker, who wrote my other favorite series, The Up-and-Under. I love seeing how all of these things are tied together!
The story is so absorbing I don't want to put it down until I've reached the very end, then I want more! It's dark and gritty, as well as laugh-out-loud funny. At this point, the charcters feel like family and the world feels like coming home again, and I can't wait to see how everything is going to wrap up!
The story is so absorbing I don't want to put it down until I've reached the very end, then I want more! It's dark and gritty, as well as laugh-out-loud funny. At this point, the charcters feel like family and the world feels like coming home again, and I can't wait to see how everything is going to wrap up!
June 18, 2026
I was definitely not expecting a cliffhanger after the last two were so self contained, but I really appreciate longer storylines with my favorites, Roger, Dodger and Erin. I am interested to see where Lilys story ends up, she was an interesting character so far. Only criticism was I COULD NOT believe they split the party when the got to the lab. That seemed like a really basic mistake that Roger would have recognized, but maybe that was ADB's influence.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2026
I can always count on Seanan McGuire to provide an enjoyable story with characters I like and can root for. That’s always fun.
Nevertheless, I hate cliffhangers with a flaming passion, especially those that make me wait a year to find out what happens next. If I’d known what I was in for, I would’ve waited for the next book to come out before starting this one.
Nevertheless, I hate cliffhangers with a flaming passion, especially those that make me wait a year to find out what happens next. If I’d known what I was in for, I would’ve waited for the next book to come out before starting this one.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5 - not sure whether to round up or down. I was enjoying this one so much, maybe more than any other in the series but then we got to the ending and I can’t believe I have to wait now for the next book!
Got an ARC!
Got an ARC!
June 17, 2026
what are we, some kind of inkpot gods?
(not a solid 4 stars, but we'll round up. none of the books in this series have enchanted me the way Middlegame did; the chapters in this one came close, but I felt somewhat disenchanted with the rest of it.)
(not a solid 4 stars, but we'll round up. none of the books in this series have enchanted me the way Middlegame did; the chapters in this one came close, but I felt somewhat disenchanted with the rest of it.)
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