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An Accidental Alchemist Mystery #2
The Masquerading Magician
Deciphering an ancient alchemy book is more difficult than Zoe Faust bargained for. She'd much rather be gardening and exploring her new home of Portland, Oregon—but time is running out for living gargoyle Dorian Robert-Houdin. If Zoe isn t able to unlock the alchemy book's secrets soon, the French gargoyle will remain awake but trapped in stone forever.
When Zoe gives herself a rare night out to attend a classic magic show that reminds her of her youth, she realizes the stage magicians are much more than they seem. A murder at the theater leads back to a string of unsolved robberies and murders in Portland's past, and a mystery far more personal than Zoe and Dorian ever imagined.
When Zoe gives herself a rare night out to attend a classic magic show that reminds her of her youth, she realizes the stage magicians are much more than they seem. A murder at the theater leads back to a string of unsolved robberies and murders in Portland's past, and a mystery far more personal than Zoe and Dorian ever imagined.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 8, 2016
262 people are currently reading
2094 people want to read
About the author
Gigi Pandian
50 books1,582 followersGigi Pandian is a USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award-winning mystery author, breast cancer survivor, and accidental almost-vegan. She's the child of professors from New Mexico and the southern tip of India, and spent her childhood traveling around the world on their research trips. She now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and a gargoyle who watches over the garden.
She writes the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt mystery series, the Accidental Alchemist mysteries, and the Secret Staircase Mysteries.
Her debut novel was awarded a Malice Domestic Grant and named a Best of 2012 Debut by Suspense Magazine, her mysteries have been awarded the Agatha, Rose, Lefty, and Derringer awards, and been short-listed for the Edgar.
She writes the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt mystery series, the Accidental Alchemist mysteries, and the Secret Staircase Mysteries.
Her debut novel was awarded a Malice Domestic Grant and named a Best of 2012 Debut by Suspense Magazine, her mysteries have been awarded the Agatha, Rose, Lefty, and Derringer awards, and been short-listed for the Edgar.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 320 reviews
April 19, 2017
If you're looking for a fun, quirky read, look no further.
Zoe Faust is living in Portland, Oregon as a 28-year-old vegan who grows her own herbs for teas and smoothies and sells antiques online. Her secret, known only to a local teenager, Brixton, and an animate gargoyle, Dorian, is that she is an alchemist who has lived for more than 300 years.
Zoe spends the majority of her time trying to find a cure for Dorian, who is slowly reverting to non-moving stone. The worst thing about that is that he would still be "alive", trapped inside his inanimate stone body. He was accidentally brought to life by backwards alchemy and Zoe is endangering her own health by periodically mixing Dorian a tea of ashes to slow his stiffening.
Dorian is great, though--definitely my favorite character. He's French and sarcastic and snobby, but never self-pitying. He's a gourmet chef who has begrudgingly accomodated Zoe's vegan diet, but never misses an opportunity to make a snarky comment about it. He also bakes pastry and other delectables in the middle of the night (since he doesn't require sleep) at a local cafe, although everyone believes it is Zoe who is the amazing baker.
The second book in The Accidental Alchemist series, this one also finds Zoe and her companions (including her kinda-boyfriend, Max, a cop) trying to figure out another murder mystery wrapped up in a long-ago jewel heist.
Again, this is a fun read where nothing horrible happens. It can even be read as a stand-alone. If you need a break from crime or sex or drama or any other depressing genre, you can't go wrong with The Masquerading Magician.
Zoe Faust is living in Portland, Oregon as a 28-year-old vegan who grows her own herbs for teas and smoothies and sells antiques online. Her secret, known only to a local teenager, Brixton, and an animate gargoyle, Dorian, is that she is an alchemist who has lived for more than 300 years.
Zoe spends the majority of her time trying to find a cure for Dorian, who is slowly reverting to non-moving stone. The worst thing about that is that he would still be "alive", trapped inside his inanimate stone body. He was accidentally brought to life by backwards alchemy and Zoe is endangering her own health by periodically mixing Dorian a tea of ashes to slow his stiffening.
Dorian is great, though--definitely my favorite character. He's French and sarcastic and snobby, but never self-pitying. He's a gourmet chef who has begrudgingly accomodated Zoe's vegan diet, but never misses an opportunity to make a snarky comment about it. He also bakes pastry and other delectables in the middle of the night (since he doesn't require sleep) at a local cafe, although everyone believes it is Zoe who is the amazing baker.
The second book in The Accidental Alchemist series, this one also finds Zoe and her companions (including her kinda-boyfriend, Max, a cop) trying to figure out another murder mystery wrapped up in a long-ago jewel heist.
Again, this is a fun read where nothing horrible happens. It can even be read as a stand-alone. If you need a break from crime or sex or drama or any other depressing genre, you can't go wrong with The Masquerading Magician.
October 13, 2016
Meet Zoe Faust & Dorian Robert-Houdin...
Zoe is a a 400 year old vegan herbalist and alchemist. Dorian is a living French gargoyle chef. Dorian followed Zoe in a packing crate from France all the way to Portland, Oregon to enlist her help. They now live together in a ramshackle house with a hole in the roof, which actually makes it easier for Dorian to come & go at night without being spotted. : ) They are so unique & delightful and are quickly becoming two of my favorite fictional characters!
This series has so much variety- ancient alchemy, magic, mystery, cooking, etc.- that I just love it. In the first book though, I thought the numerous vegan recipes were a bit over done, excuse the pun, but in this second book, they were toned down more and they flowed with the story line much more naturally. The first book was good but this one was so much better. It was really fantastic and a lot of fun!
The story opens with Zoe on a date with Max- a local policeman. They are attending a magic show at a local theater. Brixton, Zoe's neighbor, thinks the magician might be an alchemist too and can help Zoe and Dorian unlock the secrets in Dorian's alchemy book that will prevent him from turning to stone. As Dorian and Zoe try to get close to the magician to find out just what secrets he's hiding, they become embroiled with treasure hunters, a murder mystery and a decades old jewelry heist.
Zoe also reconnects with her 150 year old friend Tobias, who comes to visit her for a couple of days. He is also an alchemist and is able to help her a little with Dorian's book and her health, which is failing due to the backward alchemy transformations she performs to help Dorian stay mobile. I really like Tobias, a lot more then I do Max! They have so much more in common. I hope we see a lot more of him in this series.
I listened to the audio book (1.3 playback speed) and it was great! The narrator's French accent for Dorian was so cute. I can't wait to start the next book! If you're a vegan or enjoy cooking, mysteries or alchemy I think you'll really enjoy this series. The quirky characters alone will steal your heart!
Zoe is a a 400 year old vegan herbalist and alchemist. Dorian is a living French gargoyle chef. Dorian followed Zoe in a packing crate from France all the way to Portland, Oregon to enlist her help. They now live together in a ramshackle house with a hole in the roof, which actually makes it easier for Dorian to come & go at night without being spotted. : ) They are so unique & delightful and are quickly becoming two of my favorite fictional characters!
This series has so much variety- ancient alchemy, magic, mystery, cooking, etc.- that I just love it. In the first book though, I thought the numerous vegan recipes were a bit over done, excuse the pun, but in this second book, they were toned down more and they flowed with the story line much more naturally. The first book was good but this one was so much better. It was really fantastic and a lot of fun!
The story opens with Zoe on a date with Max- a local policeman. They are attending a magic show at a local theater. Brixton, Zoe's neighbor, thinks the magician might be an alchemist too and can help Zoe and Dorian unlock the secrets in Dorian's alchemy book that will prevent him from turning to stone. As Dorian and Zoe try to get close to the magician to find out just what secrets he's hiding, they become embroiled with treasure hunters, a murder mystery and a decades old jewelry heist.
Zoe also reconnects with her 150 year old friend Tobias, who comes to visit her for a couple of days. He is also an alchemist and is able to help her a little with Dorian's book and her health, which is failing due to the backward alchemy transformations she performs to help Dorian stay mobile. I really like Tobias, a lot more then I do Max! They have so much more in common. I hope we see a lot more of him in this series.
I listened to the audio book (1.3 playback speed) and it was great! The narrator's French accent for Dorian was so cute. I can't wait to start the next book! If you're a vegan or enjoy cooking, mysteries or alchemy I think you'll really enjoy this series. The quirky characters alone will steal your heart!
June 15, 2023
Oh, *that's* why this reads like the second book in a series ... it IS the second book in a series.
I hate it when that happens.
The fact that this was neither the introduction to the characters within nor quite a standalone book was obvious from the chunks of information that float throughout like icebergs.
I honestly still can't decide whether or not I actually like the main character, Zoe. She wears whole-grain veganism and castoff second-hand clothing like a cloak of specialness, to the point that I wanted to take her clothes in for tailoring and force-feed her Twinkies and hamburgers.
"Soaking raw nuts ahead of time, then blending them with water and a little salt and lemon juice, created a thick cream more decadent than the heavy cream Dorian used to cook with" - Really? Forgive me, but I find that inconceivable. I mean … have you met heavy cream?
I was frankly shocked that when the main character mentions chocolate she doesn't specify that it's free trade guaranteed non-slave-labor-using GMO-free rainforest-friendly cocoa.
And the reason for the second-hand ill-fitting clothing is that most of her clothes were destroyed in the events of the first book. Long after I've forgotten the characters' names and the plot, I will remember this, because sheer repetition is a time-honored way to make things stick in one's memory, and boy howdy does this get repeated. And repeated.
And Dorian? The living gargoyle who I suppose was supposed to be the charming and irresistible and adorable sidekick? I have to say it was hard to get past a preposterous-sounding synopsis: immortal alchemist protects gargoyle kind of accidentally brought to life by Robert Houdin. Fantasies are often hard to encapsulate in a way that sounds sane, but for whatever reason this one seemed too far out there. And the adorable sidekick frankly just annoyed me. He could be shockingly stupid at times. Example: he is returning to stone bit by bit, and at one point "Dorian clapped along until the claw of his left pinky finger broke off." I have no patience for that level of common-senselessness, in reality or in fictional characters. (And, seriously, don't be bashing Harry Houdini. Don't.)
I realized after reading this that I had taken advantage of an Audible Daily Deal and purchased the first book in the series. After I finished this I returned that first book. So much of the story was revealed in "The Masquerading Magician" that it didn't feel like it was worth it. And, quite honestly, I just wasn't at all interested in any more of the story.
The inanity of the characters, and the constant repetitions within the writing –using the same phrases over again in the space of a few pages or a few chapters or a few lines, and as I mentioned hammering points like Zoe's veganism and what happened to her clothing and so on into the ground over and over - these were more than enough to bury any promise in the story. Looking back, I'm surprised I gave it as high a rating as I did. I'll leave it, since I starred it right after I read it - but I'll probably always raise an eyebrow at it.
The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.
I hate it when that happens.
The fact that this was neither the introduction to the characters within nor quite a standalone book was obvious from the chunks of information that float throughout like icebergs.
I honestly still can't decide whether or not I actually like the main character, Zoe. She wears whole-grain veganism and castoff second-hand clothing like a cloak of specialness, to the point that I wanted to take her clothes in for tailoring and force-feed her Twinkies and hamburgers.
"Soaking raw nuts ahead of time, then blending them with water and a little salt and lemon juice, created a thick cream more decadent than the heavy cream Dorian used to cook with" - Really? Forgive me, but I find that inconceivable. I mean … have you met heavy cream?
I was frankly shocked that when the main character mentions chocolate she doesn't specify that it's free trade guaranteed non-slave-labor-using GMO-free rainforest-friendly cocoa.
And the reason for the second-hand ill-fitting clothing is that most of her clothes were destroyed in the events of the first book. Long after I've forgotten the characters' names and the plot, I will remember this, because sheer repetition is a time-honored way to make things stick in one's memory, and boy howdy does this get repeated. And repeated.
And Dorian? The living gargoyle who I suppose was supposed to be the charming and irresistible and adorable sidekick? I have to say it was hard to get past a preposterous-sounding synopsis: immortal alchemist protects gargoyle kind of accidentally brought to life by Robert Houdin. Fantasies are often hard to encapsulate in a way that sounds sane, but for whatever reason this one seemed too far out there. And the adorable sidekick frankly just annoyed me. He could be shockingly stupid at times. Example: he is returning to stone bit by bit, and at one point "Dorian clapped along until the claw of his left pinky finger broke off." I have no patience for that level of common-senselessness, in reality or in fictional characters. (And, seriously, don't be bashing Harry Houdini. Don't.)
I realized after reading this that I had taken advantage of an Audible Daily Deal and purchased the first book in the series. After I finished this I returned that first book. So much of the story was revealed in "The Masquerading Magician" that it didn't feel like it was worth it. And, quite honestly, I just wasn't at all interested in any more of the story.
The inanity of the characters, and the constant repetitions within the writing –using the same phrases over again in the space of a few pages or a few chapters or a few lines, and as I mentioned hammering points like Zoe's veganism and what happened to her clothing and so on into the ground over and over - these were more than enough to bury any promise in the story. Looking back, I'm surprised I gave it as high a rating as I did. I'll leave it, since I starred it right after I read it - but I'll probably always raise an eyebrow at it.
The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.
September 16, 2016
Zoe continues to struggle to find a cure for Dorian, the gargoyle animated by Alchemy centuries ago. And though she’s an immortal alchemist herself, she continues to struggle to find answers and her treatments for Dorian are costing her her health.
Her research stalled, she looks desperately for an Alchemist who may know more – but Alchemists don’t keep in touch and do keep themselves well hidden.
Zoe’s continued exploration of Alchemy continues to draw me in, along with her life with Dorian the gargoyle and the attempt to try and save him from a fate worse than death. They interact really well over food and caring and jokes and lots of banter. We expand the world building a bit, exploring the different kinds of alchemy, the different talents of alchemists and what those talents mean. There’s more look at the cost of the new alchemy Zoe has discovered and some great connections with another Alchemist from Zoe’s past.
There are some flashbacks into the past of the book and Dorian’s family/mentors which are interesting. I liked them, I liked the insight into the past and the history of the book that is the key to so much – but I think I would have liked them a lot more if the rest of the book had been better paced. This is a thing I often come across – interesting interludes which are great in a coherent, fast paced story but become a painful drag in a story which meanders and limps along
But this book is slow. The sad thing is that it doesn’t really come together. The elements that most interested me about this story just don’t appear to be here in large amounts. Zoe spends a lot of time fretting about Dorian, but other than fret, not a lot is done to address it. We don’t get a whole lot of Alchemy. This isn’t for lack of trying it’s because they simply don’t really have a huge amount of leads – but I’m left wondering through most of the middle of the book about what exactly is happening and where we are going.
So we then have this historical jewel theft and treasure hunters and a bizarre murder and this whole not-quite mystery about a guy who may be an alchemist or not which just drags on in circles after circles and more circles and ends up not actually being all that relevant to anything. And it just seems so bizarre that they’re even involved – even after looking at the whole alchemist question they start wondering about this historical crime et al and I’m just bemused as to why? Am I supposed to care? Why does Zoe care? Why is she invested in this?
And I’m not going to spoil the actual murder culprit but really, it’s ridiculous and it contains more than a little ableist tropes about mentally ill people being dangerous. This happens with a lot of murder plot lines when there’s no real investigation or coherent plot – throw in a “crazy” person then actual motivation or development of the plot line becomes unnecessary.
Read More
Her research stalled, she looks desperately for an Alchemist who may know more – but Alchemists don’t keep in touch and do keep themselves well hidden.
Zoe’s continued exploration of Alchemy continues to draw me in, along with her life with Dorian the gargoyle and the attempt to try and save him from a fate worse than death. They interact really well over food and caring and jokes and lots of banter. We expand the world building a bit, exploring the different kinds of alchemy, the different talents of alchemists and what those talents mean. There’s more look at the cost of the new alchemy Zoe has discovered and some great connections with another Alchemist from Zoe’s past.
There are some flashbacks into the past of the book and Dorian’s family/mentors which are interesting. I liked them, I liked the insight into the past and the history of the book that is the key to so much – but I think I would have liked them a lot more if the rest of the book had been better paced. This is a thing I often come across – interesting interludes which are great in a coherent, fast paced story but become a painful drag in a story which meanders and limps along
But this book is slow. The sad thing is that it doesn’t really come together. The elements that most interested me about this story just don’t appear to be here in large amounts. Zoe spends a lot of time fretting about Dorian, but other than fret, not a lot is done to address it. We don’t get a whole lot of Alchemy. This isn’t for lack of trying it’s because they simply don’t really have a huge amount of leads – but I’m left wondering through most of the middle of the book about what exactly is happening and where we are going.
So we then have this historical jewel theft and treasure hunters and a bizarre murder and this whole not-quite mystery about a guy who may be an alchemist or not which just drags on in circles after circles and more circles and ends up not actually being all that relevant to anything. And it just seems so bizarre that they’re even involved – even after looking at the whole alchemist question they start wondering about this historical crime et al and I’m just bemused as to why? Am I supposed to care? Why does Zoe care? Why is she invested in this?
And I’m not going to spoil the actual murder culprit but really, it’s ridiculous and it contains more than a little ableist tropes about mentally ill people being dangerous. This happens with a lot of murder plot lines when there’s no real investigation or coherent plot – throw in a “crazy” person then actual motivation or development of the plot line becomes unnecessary.
Read More
January 15, 2016
I had a fun read with the first book in this series so I was really looking forward to this next book.
Zoe is still trying to save Dorian, her suave, gourmet cooking gargoyle friend. He’s slowly turning to stone and will be trapped in his frozen body, eternally awake and unable to move.
Her house is still a wreck. The hole in the roof still waiting for repair. But Zoe is using all of her time and strength trying to decode the alchemist book in order to help Dorian.
Taking a time out for herself, Zoe goes to a magic show, which stirs memories from her past. Brixton, a teenage boy and the only one besides Zoe that knows about Dorian, discovers some disturbing facts about one of the performers, which draws all of them into a murder that takes them down a dangerous path.
I enjoyed this one even more than the first book. Partly because I already knew the characters and knew I was going to get answers to some of my questions.
There’s magic, murder, flashes to a mysterious past, strong characters, humor, and suspense. Enough going on to keep me flipping from page to page, waiting for the next big surprise and those answers I wanted.
I really like Zoe. She’s got a lot to handle and as much as she wants to settle into her new home, she pushes herself past exhaustion to help Dorian.
Dorian is as debonair and witty as usual. And his concern for Zoe is touching.
If we could all have such a friendship, how fortunate we would be.
I hope you give this series a try. And, while you can read this book without having read the first, I recommend you start at the beginning. You’ll have a lot of fun and get to meet the characters and watch them grow.
I received this book for my honest review.
Zoe is still trying to save Dorian, her suave, gourmet cooking gargoyle friend. He’s slowly turning to stone and will be trapped in his frozen body, eternally awake and unable to move.
Her house is still a wreck. The hole in the roof still waiting for repair. But Zoe is using all of her time and strength trying to decode the alchemist book in order to help Dorian.
Taking a time out for herself, Zoe goes to a magic show, which stirs memories from her past. Brixton, a teenage boy and the only one besides Zoe that knows about Dorian, discovers some disturbing facts about one of the performers, which draws all of them into a murder that takes them down a dangerous path.
I enjoyed this one even more than the first book. Partly because I already knew the characters and knew I was going to get answers to some of my questions.
There’s magic, murder, flashes to a mysterious past, strong characters, humor, and suspense. Enough going on to keep me flipping from page to page, waiting for the next big surprise and those answers I wanted.
I really like Zoe. She’s got a lot to handle and as much as she wants to settle into her new home, she pushes herself past exhaustion to help Dorian.
Dorian is as debonair and witty as usual. And his concern for Zoe is touching.
If we could all have such a friendship, how fortunate we would be.
I hope you give this series a try. And, while you can read this book without having read the first, I recommend you start at the beginning. You’ll have a lot of fun and get to meet the characters and watch them grow.
I received this book for my honest review.
November 16, 2023
Ich bin wieder einmal begeistert von "Geister der Vergangenheit", dem zweiten Band der "An Accidental Alchemist"-Reihe von Gigi Pandian. Die Mischung aus Fantasy und Murder Mystery fesselt mich erneut, und ich liebe es, wie die Autorin die beiden Genres geschickt miteinander verwebt.
Die Protagonistin, Alchemistin Zoe Faust, hat mich erneut in ihren Bann gezogen. Ihre romantische Verabredung mit dem charmanten Detective Max bei einer Zaubershow war ein toller Start, auch weil ich der Beziehung der beiden immer total entgegen fiebere. Doch natürlich bleibt es nicht bei einer entspannten Atmosphäre, denn ein Mord im Theater entfacht eine spannende Kette von ungelösten Verbrechen. Pandian schafft es, die Spannung von Anfang bis Ende aufrechtzuerhalten.
Die Charaktere sind das Herzstück dieser Reihe, und ich liebe sie jetzt noch mehr. Zoe und Max sind das perfekte Paar, ihre Chemie sprüht förmlich in den Seiten. Auch die Liebe zum Detail in Bezug auf die vegane Küche und Heilkräuter im allgemeinen verleiht der Handlung eine cozy Note und schafft eine Atmosphäre, die einen mitten in die Geschichte zieht.
Besonders liebe ich auch Dorian, den Gargoyle. Jeder braucht einen solchen Freund zu Hause! Die emotionale Tiefe, die Pandian den Figuren verleiht, macht sie greifbar und liebenswert. Der Humor ist wirklich besonders und total herzerwärmend. Das Mysterium, das Zoe und ihre Freunde aufdecken, ist nicht nur fesselnd, sondern auch authentisch und unaufgeregt. Es braucht kein großes Drama, viel Gewalt oder krasse Verfolgungsjagden um überzeugend zu sein.
"Geister der Vergangenheit" ist für mich nicht nur ein cozy Krimi mit wundervoll fantastischen Elementen, sondern auch eine herzerwärmende Geschichte über Freundschaft, Liebe und die Kraft der Vergangenheit. Gigi Pandian hat erneut bewiesen, dass sie das Talent hat, den Leser in ihre Welt zu ziehen und ihn bis zur letzten Seite zu fesseln. Ich freue mich schon auf weitere Abenteuer mit Zoe, Max, Dorian und Co. in dieser bezaubernden Reihe!
Die Protagonistin, Alchemistin Zoe Faust, hat mich erneut in ihren Bann gezogen. Ihre romantische Verabredung mit dem charmanten Detective Max bei einer Zaubershow war ein toller Start, auch weil ich der Beziehung der beiden immer total entgegen fiebere. Doch natürlich bleibt es nicht bei einer entspannten Atmosphäre, denn ein Mord im Theater entfacht eine spannende Kette von ungelösten Verbrechen. Pandian schafft es, die Spannung von Anfang bis Ende aufrechtzuerhalten.
Die Charaktere sind das Herzstück dieser Reihe, und ich liebe sie jetzt noch mehr. Zoe und Max sind das perfekte Paar, ihre Chemie sprüht förmlich in den Seiten. Auch die Liebe zum Detail in Bezug auf die vegane Küche und Heilkräuter im allgemeinen verleiht der Handlung eine cozy Note und schafft eine Atmosphäre, die einen mitten in die Geschichte zieht.
Besonders liebe ich auch Dorian, den Gargoyle. Jeder braucht einen solchen Freund zu Hause! Die emotionale Tiefe, die Pandian den Figuren verleiht, macht sie greifbar und liebenswert. Der Humor ist wirklich besonders und total herzerwärmend. Das Mysterium, das Zoe und ihre Freunde aufdecken, ist nicht nur fesselnd, sondern auch authentisch und unaufgeregt. Es braucht kein großes Drama, viel Gewalt oder krasse Verfolgungsjagden um überzeugend zu sein.
"Geister der Vergangenheit" ist für mich nicht nur ein cozy Krimi mit wundervoll fantastischen Elementen, sondern auch eine herzerwärmende Geschichte über Freundschaft, Liebe und die Kraft der Vergangenheit. Gigi Pandian hat erneut bewiesen, dass sie das Talent hat, den Leser in ihre Welt zu ziehen und ihn bis zur letzten Seite zu fesseln. Ich freue mich schon auf weitere Abenteuer mit Zoe, Max, Dorian und Co. in dieser bezaubernden Reihe!
January 14, 2016
Review: THE MASQUERADING MAGICIAN by Gigi Pandian
Second in the series that began with THE ACCIDENTAL ALCHEMIST, THE MASQUERADING MAGICIAN is an endearing cozy mystery of a special kind: a supernatural cozy. Zoe Faust by day is the twenty-six-year-old proprietress of Portland magic shop, "Elixir." In reality, she is not only shopkeeper and homeowner, but a three-hundred-forty-year-old herbalist and unintentional alchemist. Now she is searching to restore life to a living gargoyle from Paris. That's difficult enough, but murder and magic suddenly create more interference and danger for Zoe and gargoyle Dorian. THE MASQUERADING MAGICIAN is simultaneously relaxing and riveting.
Second in the series that began with THE ACCIDENTAL ALCHEMIST, THE MASQUERADING MAGICIAN is an endearing cozy mystery of a special kind: a supernatural cozy. Zoe Faust by day is the twenty-six-year-old proprietress of Portland magic shop, "Elixir." In reality, she is not only shopkeeper and homeowner, but a three-hundred-forty-year-old herbalist and unintentional alchemist. Now she is searching to restore life to a living gargoyle from Paris. That's difficult enough, but murder and magic suddenly create more interference and danger for Zoe and gargoyle Dorian. THE MASQUERADING MAGICIAN is simultaneously relaxing and riveting.
March 9, 2023
Not sure what turned me off on this one. It just didn't do it for me - I spent a good portion of the book irritated. I own the next one in the series so I will eventually be listening to it. Hope it's better.
May 2, 2018
Absolutely amazing book. Love the narrator...she brings the book to life! Looking forward to listening to book three!
March 31, 2022
This one irritated me because Zoe was being ridiculous throughout the entire book. She keeps making dumb decisions even when the right one is slapping her in the face. Her relationship with Max, if you can call it that, us just tedious. Tobias was introduced as another alchemist friend and at every turn we are reminded he is a former slave 🙄🙄🙄
On the plus side, Dorian saves this book, I love Dorian, his wittiness, his cooking, is affront when someone dares enter his domain aka the kitchen, and his obvious affection for Zoe and the teens, oh and all things Agatha Christ 😅😅. At this point I’m reading the books solely for Dorian :)
On the plus side, Dorian saves this book, I love Dorian, his wittiness, his cooking, is affront when someone dares enter his domain aka the kitchen, and his obvious affection for Zoe and the teens, oh and all things Agatha Christ 😅😅. At this point I’m reading the books solely for Dorian :)
March 10, 2019
See review Book 1. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... Overall, simple light and likable.
January 8, 2016
A paranormal mystery that includes information on alchemy and I found interesting. The material on Dorian's life, a gargoyle was absorbing. Zoe Faust has settled in Portland and she has make friends there. She is trying to save Dorian from turning back into stone. Trying to locate an another alchemist Zoe attends a theater showing a magical show. A murder man was found in a theater closet holding Dorian's claw. I problems understanding this book as changed locations suddenly. I found editorial errors that cause confusion.
Disclosure: I received a free copy from Midnight Ink through Netgalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review the book. The opinions are my own.
Disclosure: I received a free copy from Midnight Ink through Netgalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review the book. The opinions are my own.
October 13, 2021
“And I have the perfect recipe for a tarragon sauce to accompany asparagus, but I cannot show myself to prepare it—”
“Dorian!”
“Yes?” “I was talking about whether or not you heard that Brixton showed Ethan your book.”
Dorian narrowed his eyes. “You are trying to change the subject because you have never liked tarragon.”
“I like tarragon just fine, as you know full well. I don’t grow it myself because it doesn’t have as many healing properties as other herbs.”
“It is the King of Herbs, Zoe. The King of Herbs.”
Pretending to talk to my imaginary book friend, Penny: Hey, Penny, I just finished the second book in the Accidental Alchemist series, by Gigi Pandian.
As you recall, the series is about Zoe Faust, an alchemist, who came of age in and during the Salem Witch Trials. Now she's immortal, other than her hair's turned white. She's suffered a lot of loss, and so she tries not to get too close to people, but has decided it's time to put down roots in Portland.
She lives in a falling down old house -- be still my heart -- with a gargoyle. A living gargoyle. He searched her out because he's petrifying again, and he's hoping she can turn it around. He's also a French chef. And she's vegan. So the book has vegan recipes. I know I have to try a few, even though I do like a steak.
Dorian, the gargoyle, presented to Zoe the book that brought him to life. A book of "backward alchemy." Zoe has been unable to fully translate the book, and her temporary fixes for Dorian are sorta killing her. I mean, she's immortal, but she's not IMMORTAL. Ya know?
This book also involves a magician who may or may not also be an alchemist, a lost treasure, and a long-lost friend.
Anyhow, we also get more with Zoe's potential love interest. A cop named Max. His grandmother clearly was either a healer or an alchemist, but he rejects this possibility. Which makes Zoe reluctant to tell him much of anything. He's really into tea though. I have to be honest and say I don't like him. This could really turn around when he has his lack of belief challenged, but he seems so toxic right now. Zoe can't talk to him, she can't lean on him, and he seems a little angry and domineering.
We also get more of Brixton, and his friends. Brixton knows what's up. He's a teen though, and you know I have no patience for fictional teens. Or real teens.
Anyhow, I LOVE Dorian, and I'm hoping he's healed in the third book. I think they're traveling to Paris. Hopefully it's a break from Brixton and Max, but since it's a book there will probably be a reason why they have to tag along.
2 books in, I can say I'm pretty invested. I want to read a few other things before heading into book three though.
June 20, 2020
Zoe Faust is a 300+ year old alchemist. While working with Nicholas Flamel, she accidently ingested The Elixir of Life. After centuries of roaming the world, she has settled down in Portland OR. In her crates, she discovers a living gargoyle, created by the famous French magician, Robert Houdin. Zoe and her gargoyle, Dorian, are desperately trying to stave off Dorian's return to stone. He has the book Houdin used to create him, but it is backwards alchemy and Zoe cannot translate the material fast enough. When a traveling magic show comes to Portland, Zoe's friends hope that the magicians are also alchemists, but, unfortunately, they are nothing more than thieves trying to locate a stash of stolen gems. But, Zoe recognizes, on an Internet discussion board, a friend she helped keep alive during the time of the Underground Railroad. Tobias Freeman has become an alchemist, too. Meanwhile, Zoe is trying to fight her attraction to a local police detective, whose Chinese background might leave him open to her long life as an alchemist; Max Liu's family has been herbalists for ages. An intriguing concept for a book, it is an entertaining read.
December 17, 2023
Genau wie Teil 1 konnte mich auch die Fortsetzung begeistern.
Zoe versucht weiterhin, ein Mittel gegen die Versteinerung zu finden und sie tut alles ihr mögliche, um Dorian zu helfen. Leider leidet ihre Gesundheit mittlerweile selber sehr und so hofft sie, Hilfe bei einem alten Freund zu finden.
Max und Zoe kommen sich in diesem Teil etwas näher, allerdings spielt die Liebesgeschichte eine eher etwas untergeordnete Rolle, was mich aber nicht weiter gestört hat.
Ich mochte sowieso am liebsten die Interaktion zwischen Zoe und Dorian, die mittlerweile gute Freunde geworden sind. Der Gargoyle ist mir inzwischen auch sehr ans Herz gewachsen und ich bin echt gespannt, ob Zoe ihn letztendlich retten kann.
Der Kriminalfall war spannend und gefallen haben mir auch die Rückblicke in die Vergangenheit, die in die Geschichte eingeschoben waren. Dadurch erhält man als Leser*in gute Einblicke, wie Dorian zu dem geworden ist, der er heute ist.
Hervorheben möchte ich auch noch den Humor, der mir im ersten Teil schon so gut gefallen hat.
———————-
Ich freu mich sehr auf Teil 3 und hoffe, dass dieser bald übersetzt wird!
Zoe versucht weiterhin, ein Mittel gegen die Versteinerung zu finden und sie tut alles ihr mögliche, um Dorian zu helfen. Leider leidet ihre Gesundheit mittlerweile selber sehr und so hofft sie, Hilfe bei einem alten Freund zu finden.
Max und Zoe kommen sich in diesem Teil etwas näher, allerdings spielt die Liebesgeschichte eine eher etwas untergeordnete Rolle, was mich aber nicht weiter gestört hat.
Ich mochte sowieso am liebsten die Interaktion zwischen Zoe und Dorian, die mittlerweile gute Freunde geworden sind. Der Gargoyle ist mir inzwischen auch sehr ans Herz gewachsen und ich bin echt gespannt, ob Zoe ihn letztendlich retten kann.
Der Kriminalfall war spannend und gefallen haben mir auch die Rückblicke in die Vergangenheit, die in die Geschichte eingeschoben waren. Dadurch erhält man als Leser*in gute Einblicke, wie Dorian zu dem geworden ist, der er heute ist.
Hervorheben möchte ich auch noch den Humor, der mir im ersten Teil schon so gut gefallen hat.
———————-
Ich freu mich sehr auf Teil 3 und hoffe, dass dieser bald übersetzt wird!
June 22, 2022
3.75
Está saga es tremenda adicción. Si bien en este libro la autora se repite mucho, y se explaya muuucho con el tema comidas... bueno lo segundo no me molesta, tengo prácticamente la misma obsesión por la cocina que Dorian :)
Me gusra mucho como fue formando el hilo principal de la saga, haciendo de cada libro un misterio distinto. Los personajes son muy encariñables. Me devore los audiolibros en nada, y planeo seguir y completar la saga <3
Está saga es tremenda adicción. Si bien en este libro la autora se repite mucho, y se explaya muuucho con el tema comidas... bueno lo segundo no me molesta, tengo prácticamente la misma obsesión por la cocina que Dorian :)
Me gusra mucho como fue formando el hilo principal de la saga, haciendo de cada libro un misterio distinto. Los personajes son muy encariñables. Me devore los audiolibros en nada, y planeo seguir y completar la saga <3
January 9, 2025
This was surprisingly bad.
I loved the first part so much, but this was just plain boring.
Nothing happened, there was no development of and between the characters and a great portion was just a retelling of what we already knew from the first book.
I will not buy the next book, which is sad because I loved the characters so much... But this was just a waste of time.
I loved the first part so much, but this was just plain boring.
Nothing happened, there was no development of and between the characters and a great portion was just a retelling of what we already knew from the first book.
I will not buy the next book, which is sad because I loved the characters so much... But this was just a waste of time.
June 18, 2017
I love this series and look forward to the next book. Light suspense, quirky characters, historical science and alchemy details and yummy sounding gourmet food make the reading a delightful experience.
October 7, 2017
wow, a sequel that was better than the firstl. Probably bc I already knew the characters. looking forward to the third book!
Read
February 5, 2025Enjoyed but seemed slow. The “murder/robbery” seemed to take away from what the task at hand
June 24, 2022
verhaal best ok. maar joh wat veel herhaling over van alles en nog wat.
January 13, 2016
The Masquerading Magician is the sequel to last year’s
The Accidental Alchemist
, and it doesn’t disappoint. Granted, the mystery isn’t quite as solid or exciting, but the book carries forward and further develops a story arc from the first book: Zoe’s search for an alchemical (or rather, backward alchemical) cure for whatever is slowly turning Dorian the living gargoyle back into stone. I can’t call that story arc “secondary” because it drives most of Zoe’s actions, including her involvement in this installment’s mystery. In fact, the Dorian/backward-alchemy storyline is the primary plot this time around, but because it really interests me, I see that as a strength rather than a weakness. It’s the stronger of the two storylines, and the more compelling.
I was pleased to see that Pandian has fixed some of the things I found frustrating in the first book. (see my review.) Because the author explores more of Zoe’s backstory, I had an easier time believing in Zoe’s age in this book, although she’s still surprisingly comfortable with modern slang and technology. (Not perfectly so, however: her website is outdated and far from mobile-friendly.) And while food remains important to both Zoe and Dorian, Pandian has dialed back the frequency and detail of the food-preparation scenes so that they flow with the narrative rather than interrupting it.
As for the mystery itself, it’s a bit of a hotchpotch: a stage magician who may or may not be a famous jewel thief — and perhaps an alchemist as well; a murdered audience member; and a hunt for the hidden jewels. All of it becomes muddled up with Zoe’s quest for a cure for Dorian, and with Dorian’s own propensity for getting into trouble. The actual mystery isn’t as gripping as in the last book, but the Zoe/Dorian/alchemy story more than makes up for that lack.
Zoe’s young friend Brixton is still involved, not always sensibly, but perhaps not as deeply as he was in The Accidental Alchemist. The relationship between Zoe and police detective Max Liu is still simmering, and just as problematic as in the first book, given her secrets and his disapproval of her involvement in the case. Other characters from the first book — Ivan, Brixton’s friends, his mother — are much more in the background this time.
There are flashback chapters about the book of backward alchemy Zoe is studying; about stage magician Robert-Houdin, who accidentally brought Dorian to life; about Dorian’s early life; and about Zoe’s former lover and mentor Ambrose, who died almost a century ago (or did he?) Another old friend of Zoe’s surfaces as well; he’s interesting and a bit mysterious, and I don’t think we’ve seen the last of him. In fact, I have the distinct sense that Pandian is setting up a number of threads that will come together in future books.
I’m not quite sure how to categorize the Accidental Alchemist series. It’s not a cozy series in the strict sense of the term, because the ongoing series plot is at least as important as the mysteries solved in each book. You could call it paranormal mystery, given the living gargoyle and the focus on alchemy, but since paranormal is increasingly defined as containing witches/shifters/vampires/demons/angels, and this series has none of those, “paranormal” may not quite suit either. Rather than pigeonhole it, I think I’ll just continue to enjoy Zoe, Dorian, and the rest. After all the hints and threads Pandian laid down in The Masquerading Magician, I’m certainly looking forward to book three!
I was pleased to see that Pandian has fixed some of the things I found frustrating in the first book. (see my review.) Because the author explores more of Zoe’s backstory, I had an easier time believing in Zoe’s age in this book, although she’s still surprisingly comfortable with modern slang and technology. (Not perfectly so, however: her website is outdated and far from mobile-friendly.) And while food remains important to both Zoe and Dorian, Pandian has dialed back the frequency and detail of the food-preparation scenes so that they flow with the narrative rather than interrupting it.
As for the mystery itself, it’s a bit of a hotchpotch: a stage magician who may or may not be a famous jewel thief — and perhaps an alchemist as well; a murdered audience member; and a hunt for the hidden jewels. All of it becomes muddled up with Zoe’s quest for a cure for Dorian, and with Dorian’s own propensity for getting into trouble. The actual mystery isn’t as gripping as in the last book, but the Zoe/Dorian/alchemy story more than makes up for that lack.
Zoe’s young friend Brixton is still involved, not always sensibly, but perhaps not as deeply as he was in The Accidental Alchemist. The relationship between Zoe and police detective Max Liu is still simmering, and just as problematic as in the first book, given her secrets and his disapproval of her involvement in the case. Other characters from the first book — Ivan, Brixton’s friends, his mother — are much more in the background this time.
There are flashback chapters about the book of backward alchemy Zoe is studying; about stage magician Robert-Houdin, who accidentally brought Dorian to life; about Dorian’s early life; and about Zoe’s former lover and mentor Ambrose, who died almost a century ago (or did he?) Another old friend of Zoe’s surfaces as well; he’s interesting and a bit mysterious, and I don’t think we’ve seen the last of him. In fact, I have the distinct sense that Pandian is setting up a number of threads that will come together in future books.
I’m not quite sure how to categorize the Accidental Alchemist series. It’s not a cozy series in the strict sense of the term, because the ongoing series plot is at least as important as the mysteries solved in each book. You could call it paranormal mystery, given the living gargoyle and the focus on alchemy, but since paranormal is increasingly defined as containing witches/shifters/vampires/demons/angels, and this series has none of those, “paranormal” may not quite suit either. Rather than pigeonhole it, I think I’ll just continue to enjoy Zoe, Dorian, and the rest. After all the hints and threads Pandian laid down in The Masquerading Magician, I’m certainly looking forward to book three!
January 5, 2016
Zoe Faust is an alchemist. It's a little hard to explain, but in a nutshell (and I am not saying this is all they do) they have the ability to prolong life, heal, and - yes, in some cases - change base metals into precious ones. I am not saying they exist, nor am I saying they do not. I am merely explaining what an alchemist is.
At any rate, Zoe Faust is one of of those people. She has spent the last several hundred years wandering the earth, never staying in any one place for very long, lest anyone should notice she hasn't aged. At the present, she is residing in Portland, Oregon, and has bought her very first house, a fixer-upper that definitely needs work but she, at present, doesn't have the funds to repair.
Her first order of business is to help her housemate from dying. You see, Dorian Robert-Houdin is a gargoyle. Yes, gargoyle. He was brought to life by a very famous French Magician, Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin. And he is presently reverting to his stone state. Which, if it occurs, will permanently trap him in a stone body forever, but he will be awake. Thus Zoe has undertaken the dangerous task of trying to help him. It is dangerous for her, because in making his Tea of Ashes, which helps him temporarily, it is slowly killing her. So at night Dorian bakes wonderful treats for a local bakery - he has been trained as a gourmet chef by a blind chef - that everyone thinks Zoe makes.
One night Zoe gives herself a rare night out to see a pair of magicians, and notices her young friend Brixton at the performance - the only other living person who knows about Dorian - and looks up and also sees Dorian, which throws her, because she knows it is dangerous for him to be there.
It is a long story, and one I will not go into with detail, because I do not want to give too much away - which, in this case, is difficult because it is a key part of the story; but I will attempt to write the gist of it. The magicians, Peter and Penelope, remind Zoe of a performance she saw many, many years ago. Peter Silverman reminds Brixton of someone he has seen recently, and this leads him and Zoe to another dilemma in which they may need his help, but do not know how to approach him. It seems Peter resembles a man who committed a robbery in Portland over fifty years ago, and was killed by the police; so much so that Brixton is convinced he is the same man and, being a magician, could also be an alchemist. If so, Zoe could need his help in keeping Dorian alive.
And one night, a man is found dead in the theater, clutching one of Dorian's stone toes, which somehow got tangled in wires the night he visited the performance and broke off. Due to this, Zoe's semi-boyfriend Max Liu, a police detective, thinks Dorian (the statue) may have been used in the crime, but does not know how.
From there we have an extremely interesting story. Ms. Pandian has a way of mingling fact with fiction in her writing, and does it very well. In this story she uses factual people, (the magician Robert-Houdin, for example) and weaves it into the novel in ways which not only seem plausible, but are compelling as well. It makes the book appear as if one were reading a history book, not a fictional novel, which is interesting enough in itself, but quite ingenuous in its own way.
I enjoyed this book very much, but I must disavow Dorian of the notion that Hercule Poirot was not un flic. He was, indeed, at one time. Highly recommended.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review but this in no way influenced my decision.
http://joannesbooks.blogspot.com/2016...
At any rate, Zoe Faust is one of of those people. She has spent the last several hundred years wandering the earth, never staying in any one place for very long, lest anyone should notice she hasn't aged. At the present, she is residing in Portland, Oregon, and has bought her very first house, a fixer-upper that definitely needs work but she, at present, doesn't have the funds to repair.
Her first order of business is to help her housemate from dying. You see, Dorian Robert-Houdin is a gargoyle. Yes, gargoyle. He was brought to life by a very famous French Magician, Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin. And he is presently reverting to his stone state. Which, if it occurs, will permanently trap him in a stone body forever, but he will be awake. Thus Zoe has undertaken the dangerous task of trying to help him. It is dangerous for her, because in making his Tea of Ashes, which helps him temporarily, it is slowly killing her. So at night Dorian bakes wonderful treats for a local bakery - he has been trained as a gourmet chef by a blind chef - that everyone thinks Zoe makes.
One night Zoe gives herself a rare night out to see a pair of magicians, and notices her young friend Brixton at the performance - the only other living person who knows about Dorian - and looks up and also sees Dorian, which throws her, because she knows it is dangerous for him to be there.
It is a long story, and one I will not go into with detail, because I do not want to give too much away - which, in this case, is difficult because it is a key part of the story; but I will attempt to write the gist of it. The magicians, Peter and Penelope, remind Zoe of a performance she saw many, many years ago. Peter Silverman reminds Brixton of someone he has seen recently, and this leads him and Zoe to another dilemma in which they may need his help, but do not know how to approach him. It seems Peter resembles a man who committed a robbery in Portland over fifty years ago, and was killed by the police; so much so that Brixton is convinced he is the same man and, being a magician, could also be an alchemist. If so, Zoe could need his help in keeping Dorian alive.
And one night, a man is found dead in the theater, clutching one of Dorian's stone toes, which somehow got tangled in wires the night he visited the performance and broke off. Due to this, Zoe's semi-boyfriend Max Liu, a police detective, thinks Dorian (the statue) may have been used in the crime, but does not know how.
From there we have an extremely interesting story. Ms. Pandian has a way of mingling fact with fiction in her writing, and does it very well. In this story she uses factual people, (the magician Robert-Houdin, for example) and weaves it into the novel in ways which not only seem plausible, but are compelling as well. It makes the book appear as if one were reading a history book, not a fictional novel, which is interesting enough in itself, but quite ingenuous in its own way.
I enjoyed this book very much, but I must disavow Dorian of the notion that Hercule Poirot was not un flic. He was, indeed, at one time. Highly recommended.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review but this in no way influenced my decision.
http://joannesbooks.blogspot.com/2016...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 2, 2017
Eww it was just ok. I would have liked to see more action and some resolution for Dorian. I do like the characters and if there is another book I would read it.
September 8, 2015
"The Masquerading Magician" by Gigi Pandian is the second book I've read in this series. I loved the first mystery (The Accidental Alchemist) so I'm thrilled to be reviewing the second installment that will be published January 8, 2016.
Once again, Gigi Pandian has hit it out of the park. I just loved this continuation of the story started in "The Accidental Alchemist". If you can suspend your disbelief I can guarantee you'll love reading this cozy mystery.
Zoe Faust is an alchemist. She works most successfully with plants to make healing teas, tinctures and salves, she has a real talent for making things grow and bringing out the healing properties of plants. In the first book we learn that after many, many years of traveling the world, Zoe wants to put down some roots in Portland, Oregon so she buys an old house. Her life is made much more complicated when a living gargoyle named Dorian is found hiding in the crates she's had shipped from Paris. In "The Masquerading Magician", Zoe is trying to decipher an ancient alchemy text so she can hopefully cure Dorian from turning back into stone and trapping him forever.
When Zoe takes a rare night off she attends an old fashioned magic show, the magicians remind her of people she knew in the past and she suspects there may be another alchemist in her midst. When a murder happens at the same theatre the next day, Zoe decides to find out if there may be a mystery afoot. She's hoping to find another alchemist to help her decipher the complicate and dangerous alchemy book. The temporary cures she's making for Dorian are sapping her life force from her, making her sicker every time she performs the backward alchemy to make the curative tea. If Zoe can't get help she may be unable to continue and Dorian will die.
What can I say, I just LOVED this book. It is a solid five out of five. It is so fun when you find an unbelievable book that you just want to believe in. I find it so enjoyable to wish there could be a Dorian the Gargoyle out there somewhere. I also really liked the background food theme. The character of Zoe, because of her alchemist background, finds plants to be the most healing of foods. She is therefore a Vegan and I was intrigued learning about the delicious sounding recipes that are being created in her kitchen. Although food is a small part of this book, I found it's inclusion made for even more interesting background for the character.
Gigi Pandian has started a very successful series with Zoe and Dorian and there is definitely room for several more books about the pair. As the reader, I was interested in the magical qualities of Alchemy and found myself wishing that it were somehow true. If you're a dreamer like I am then you'll love this series. It will make you wish for magical truths and unique creatures. Who wouldn't love a little more mystery and uniqueness in our lives, isn't that why we read books?
Once again, Gigi Pandian has hit it out of the park. I just loved this continuation of the story started in "The Accidental Alchemist". If you can suspend your disbelief I can guarantee you'll love reading this cozy mystery.
Zoe Faust is an alchemist. She works most successfully with plants to make healing teas, tinctures and salves, she has a real talent for making things grow and bringing out the healing properties of plants. In the first book we learn that after many, many years of traveling the world, Zoe wants to put down some roots in Portland, Oregon so she buys an old house. Her life is made much more complicated when a living gargoyle named Dorian is found hiding in the crates she's had shipped from Paris. In "The Masquerading Magician", Zoe is trying to decipher an ancient alchemy text so she can hopefully cure Dorian from turning back into stone and trapping him forever.
When Zoe takes a rare night off she attends an old fashioned magic show, the magicians remind her of people she knew in the past and she suspects there may be another alchemist in her midst. When a murder happens at the same theatre the next day, Zoe decides to find out if there may be a mystery afoot. She's hoping to find another alchemist to help her decipher the complicate and dangerous alchemy book. The temporary cures she's making for Dorian are sapping her life force from her, making her sicker every time she performs the backward alchemy to make the curative tea. If Zoe can't get help she may be unable to continue and Dorian will die.
What can I say, I just LOVED this book. It is a solid five out of five. It is so fun when you find an unbelievable book that you just want to believe in. I find it so enjoyable to wish there could be a Dorian the Gargoyle out there somewhere. I also really liked the background food theme. The character of Zoe, because of her alchemist background, finds plants to be the most healing of foods. She is therefore a Vegan and I was intrigued learning about the delicious sounding recipes that are being created in her kitchen. Although food is a small part of this book, I found it's inclusion made for even more interesting background for the character.
Gigi Pandian has started a very successful series with Zoe and Dorian and there is definitely room for several more books about the pair. As the reader, I was interested in the magical qualities of Alchemy and found myself wishing that it were somehow true. If you're a dreamer like I am then you'll love this series. It will make you wish for magical truths and unique creatures. Who wouldn't love a little more mystery and uniqueness in our lives, isn't that why we read books?
March 6, 2021
An entertaining installment to the Accidental Alchemist series. This one has a lost treasure to solve, as well as Dorian's problem to deal with.
August 11, 2017
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 2.25 of 5
It's been a little over a year since I read the first book in this Accidental Alchemist Mystery series, but I remember the basic premise, and after re-reading my review of that one felt moderately caught up. The Masquerading Magician is the second book in the series and here our 300-year-old Vegan alchemist, Zoe Faust, is trying desperately to save her friend Dorian Robert-Houdin. Dorian is a gargoyle. A living gargoyle. But something is happening to him and he is reverting to the stone he was carved from and if Zoe can't find a way to stop it, Dorian will be a living being trapped in stone for all eternity. A French book of alchemy might hold the answers Zoe needs, but unlocking the secrets is just a little more challenging than a Suduku puzzle.
Zoe attends a magic show, not unlike those she used to watch some 300 years earlier, and gets the feeling that these magicians are more than simple masters of illusion. There are murders at the theatre and Zoe gets embroiled in another unexpected mystery that gets much too personal.
It's clear that author Gigi Pandian has a solid back-story for Zoe and Dorian, and that there's an overarching storyline, but all of that is not present in this particular volume. This has the feel of a 'filler' book, i.e when there is a long-running storyline but the author couldn't think of where to take it and because of a contract, threw a story together, or when another author jumps in a writes a story with all the characters but it clearly isn't part of the progression of the bigger story. But this usually happens around book 8 or 9, and not the second book of a new series.
Clearly we were getting a bunch of the back story, which was nice to have, but Zoe's search for an alchemist who can help her gets derailed behind the theatre murder and old robbery come to light. I'd much rather be an active participant in the search for a cure for Dorian than get involved with obstacles that don't really have anything to do with the larger mystery.
I enjoyed the first book enough to want to read this second, and I really enjoyed a mystery by Pandian in another one of her series, so I'll risk the third book, but I'm hoping it will be clearer of focus than this one.
Looking for a good book? If you read The Accidental Alchemist, you'll want to read this follow-up, The Masquerading Magician by Gigi Pandian just to stay current with the series, otherwise there isn't much to recommend it.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
It's been a little over a year since I read the first book in this Accidental Alchemist Mystery series, but I remember the basic premise, and after re-reading my review of that one felt moderately caught up. The Masquerading Magician is the second book in the series and here our 300-year-old Vegan alchemist, Zoe Faust, is trying desperately to save her friend Dorian Robert-Houdin. Dorian is a gargoyle. A living gargoyle. But something is happening to him and he is reverting to the stone he was carved from and if Zoe can't find a way to stop it, Dorian will be a living being trapped in stone for all eternity. A French book of alchemy might hold the answers Zoe needs, but unlocking the secrets is just a little more challenging than a Suduku puzzle.
Zoe attends a magic show, not unlike those she used to watch some 300 years earlier, and gets the feeling that these magicians are more than simple masters of illusion. There are murders at the theatre and Zoe gets embroiled in another unexpected mystery that gets much too personal.
It's clear that author Gigi Pandian has a solid back-story for Zoe and Dorian, and that there's an overarching storyline, but all of that is not present in this particular volume. This has the feel of a 'filler' book, i.e when there is a long-running storyline but the author couldn't think of where to take it and because of a contract, threw a story together, or when another author jumps in a writes a story with all the characters but it clearly isn't part of the progression of the bigger story. But this usually happens around book 8 or 9, and not the second book of a new series.
Clearly we were getting a bunch of the back story, which was nice to have, but Zoe's search for an alchemist who can help her gets derailed behind the theatre murder and old robbery come to light. I'd much rather be an active participant in the search for a cure for Dorian than get involved with obstacles that don't really have anything to do with the larger mystery.
I enjoyed the first book enough to want to read this second, and I really enjoyed a mystery by Pandian in another one of her series, so I'll risk the third book, but I'm hoping it will be clearer of focus than this one.
Looking for a good book? If you read The Accidental Alchemist, you'll want to read this follow-up, The Masquerading Magician by Gigi Pandian just to stay current with the series, otherwise there isn't much to recommend it.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
January 20, 2016
Not just a good murder mystery but a culinary feast as well!
Zoe Faust has persuaded Max Liu, (a detective with the Portland Oregon police) to accompany her to a show. They are attending the opening night of "Persephone and Prometheus Phantasamorphia: A Classic Magic Show In the Modern World”. Zoe has an ulterior motive for attending and befriending the magicians; she desperately needs to find help from fellow alchemists to decipher the book Non Degenera Alchemia which Dorian, a living gargoyle, had brought with him from Paris and which contains the means to keep him from turning back to stone. Zoe has managed to brew a concoction that is keeping him in his present state as a human albeit with difficulty, but this mixture is taking a terrible toll on her health.
Gigi Pandian has once again delivered the most involved, complex tale on alchemy and the history of The Elixir of Life. Trying to keep Dorian a secret from Max is proving to be harder than ever (especially when he ends up escaping from police custody after a man is found murdered in the theatre clutching one of his toes!)
Brixton, a teenager, discovered the truth about Dorian when Zoe first moved to Portland and it's becoming increasingly difficult for him to keep the secret from his two best friends, Veronica and Ethan. He’s desperate to tell Ethan because of his knowledge of Latin, hoping that he can help Zoe translate the book Non Degenera Alchemia. Unfortunately, there are some secrets that just can’t be shared.
This isn't just a brilliant story thanks to a body turning up in the theatre where the magicians are performing clutching one of Dorian's toes, but also a history on alchemy and the alchemists who strived for the elixir of life.
This is the second book in this series and Gigi Pandian not only manages to give us a brilliant murder mystery, but thanks to Dorian's culinary skills, a book full of mouth-watering culinary feasts (and recipes)! How can you resist a book that's got a murder to solve, loads of alternative history and scrumptious recipes? You can't! Add to this Gigi’s ability to portray the characters with such finesse that you also start believing that there is a living, breathing gargoyle roaming through Portland, Oregon.
Gigi Pandian, hopefully you’ve already managed to get Zoe Faust on her way to Paris. It’s going to be a difficult wait for us, her avid followers, until we’re once again re-united with her, Dorian, Brixton and Max and maybe even Ambrose? In the meantime, we’ll just have to use Dorian’s exceptional vegan recipes to impress our friends!
Treebeard
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review
Zoe Faust has persuaded Max Liu, (a detective with the Portland Oregon police) to accompany her to a show. They are attending the opening night of "Persephone and Prometheus Phantasamorphia: A Classic Magic Show In the Modern World”. Zoe has an ulterior motive for attending and befriending the magicians; she desperately needs to find help from fellow alchemists to decipher the book Non Degenera Alchemia which Dorian, a living gargoyle, had brought with him from Paris and which contains the means to keep him from turning back to stone. Zoe has managed to brew a concoction that is keeping him in his present state as a human albeit with difficulty, but this mixture is taking a terrible toll on her health.
Gigi Pandian has once again delivered the most involved, complex tale on alchemy and the history of The Elixir of Life. Trying to keep Dorian a secret from Max is proving to be harder than ever (especially when he ends up escaping from police custody after a man is found murdered in the theatre clutching one of his toes!)
Brixton, a teenager, discovered the truth about Dorian when Zoe first moved to Portland and it's becoming increasingly difficult for him to keep the secret from his two best friends, Veronica and Ethan. He’s desperate to tell Ethan because of his knowledge of Latin, hoping that he can help Zoe translate the book Non Degenera Alchemia. Unfortunately, there are some secrets that just can’t be shared.
This isn't just a brilliant story thanks to a body turning up in the theatre where the magicians are performing clutching one of Dorian's toes, but also a history on alchemy and the alchemists who strived for the elixir of life.
This is the second book in this series and Gigi Pandian not only manages to give us a brilliant murder mystery, but thanks to Dorian's culinary skills, a book full of mouth-watering culinary feasts (and recipes)! How can you resist a book that's got a murder to solve, loads of alternative history and scrumptious recipes? You can't! Add to this Gigi’s ability to portray the characters with such finesse that you also start believing that there is a living, breathing gargoyle roaming through Portland, Oregon.
Gigi Pandian, hopefully you’ve already managed to get Zoe Faust on her way to Paris. It’s going to be a difficult wait for us, her avid followers, until we’re once again re-united with her, Dorian, Brixton and Max and maybe even Ambrose? In the meantime, we’ll just have to use Dorian’s exceptional vegan recipes to impress our friends!
Treebeard
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review
January 10, 2016
The Masquerading Magician by Gigi Pandian
The Second Accidental Alchemist Mystery
Zoe Faust is back and, as the book opens, is on a date with Max; attending a classic magic show in a style reminiscent of the Victorian era. Zoe gets a bit of a shock. Not only can she compare this night's performance to an actual one performed 150 years ago, since she was alive and well and living in Paris at that time, she spots Dorian on the catwalk-easily seen by anyone should more than a glance be cast in his direction. A problem, not only of a being in an unauthorized location above a stage, but more so because Dorian is a living gargoyle who is having mobility issues.
As Zoe struggles to help Dorian using a tricky type of alchemy, the possibility arises that one of the magicians may be another alchemist. Can she save Dorian without her health taking a dramatic toll? Can she come to understand Dorian's special book. And what's with that honey smell coming from a book, instead of Dorian's delightful treats?
The Masquerading Magician delves into the concept of friendship. How far would you go to help a friend? How much of yourself do you reveal? Can friendship stand the test of time? With or without secrets?
One of the things I like best about reading a book by Gigi Pandian is how much I learn. Pandian's books are filled with historical details, usually very unique and always fascinating. While she, like most authors, takes some liberties (this is a work of fiction, after all) she always sets the facts straight in her notes at the end. But for those readers who aren't captivated by the minutia of history, never fear-the past is mingled effortlessly with the present so we learn without feeling as if we're being taught. Historical details enhance, yet never overwhelm the story.
The Masquerading Magician is a complex mystery with lots of twists and turns. The ongoing issues with Dorian's fate, Max's beliefs, and the concept of backward alchemy make a multilayered story that grips you and makes you think. Yet it is also fun and charming. There exists, after all, a gargoyle chef who makes delicious vegan treats! The Masquerading Magician is a captivating addition to one of the most unique mystery series out there.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.
The Second Accidental Alchemist Mystery
Zoe Faust is back and, as the book opens, is on a date with Max; attending a classic magic show in a style reminiscent of the Victorian era. Zoe gets a bit of a shock. Not only can she compare this night's performance to an actual one performed 150 years ago, since she was alive and well and living in Paris at that time, she spots Dorian on the catwalk-easily seen by anyone should more than a glance be cast in his direction. A problem, not only of a being in an unauthorized location above a stage, but more so because Dorian is a living gargoyle who is having mobility issues.
As Zoe struggles to help Dorian using a tricky type of alchemy, the possibility arises that one of the magicians may be another alchemist. Can she save Dorian without her health taking a dramatic toll? Can she come to understand Dorian's special book. And what's with that honey smell coming from a book, instead of Dorian's delightful treats?
The Masquerading Magician delves into the concept of friendship. How far would you go to help a friend? How much of yourself do you reveal? Can friendship stand the test of time? With or without secrets?
One of the things I like best about reading a book by Gigi Pandian is how much I learn. Pandian's books are filled with historical details, usually very unique and always fascinating. While she, like most authors, takes some liberties (this is a work of fiction, after all) she always sets the facts straight in her notes at the end. But for those readers who aren't captivated by the minutia of history, never fear-the past is mingled effortlessly with the present so we learn without feeling as if we're being taught. Historical details enhance, yet never overwhelm the story.
The Masquerading Magician is a complex mystery with lots of twists and turns. The ongoing issues with Dorian's fate, Max's beliefs, and the concept of backward alchemy make a multilayered story that grips you and makes you think. Yet it is also fun and charming. There exists, after all, a gargoyle chef who makes delicious vegan treats! The Masquerading Magician is a captivating addition to one of the most unique mystery series out there.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.
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