What do you think?
Rate this book
An Accidental Alchemist Mystery #4
The Alchemist's Illusion
Nominated for a 2020 Edgar Award (The G.P. Putnam's Sons Sue Grafton Memorial Award)
"Surprising plot twists, several cliffhangers, and vivid magical imagery will keep fans of paranormal cozies turning the pages."—Publishers Weekly
The latest alchemical adventure from Gigi Pandian, USA Today bestselling author and winner of the Agatha Award
Centuries-old alchemist Zoe Faust is tired of running from her past. She's finally got her life on track in Portland, Oregon, gardening and cooking in her fixer-upper house with her mischievous best friend, Dorian the gargoyle chef. It seems like the perfect life for Zoe, until she discovers that her old mentor Nicolas Flamel, who she thought had abandoned her, has been imprisoned.
A local artist holds the secret that could lead Zoe to her mentor, but the artist is murdered and the painting containing the hidden clue is stolen. To rescue Nicolas, Zoe and Dorian must explore art forgery, a transformative process that has much in common with alchemy and cooking—but one that proves far more dangerous.
Includes delicious vegan recipes!
"Sparkles most when it stays true to the wonder of its magical subject."—Foreword Reviews
"Pandian paints a lovely picture of relationships throughout the book's mystery of greed and violence."—New York Journal of Books
"Surprising plot twists, several cliffhangers, and vivid magical imagery will keep fans of paranormal cozies turning the pages."—Publishers Weekly
The latest alchemical adventure from Gigi Pandian, USA Today bestselling author and winner of the Agatha Award
Centuries-old alchemist Zoe Faust is tired of running from her past. She's finally got her life on track in Portland, Oregon, gardening and cooking in her fixer-upper house with her mischievous best friend, Dorian the gargoyle chef. It seems like the perfect life for Zoe, until she discovers that her old mentor Nicolas Flamel, who she thought had abandoned her, has been imprisoned.
A local artist holds the secret that could lead Zoe to her mentor, but the artist is murdered and the painting containing the hidden clue is stolen. To rescue Nicolas, Zoe and Dorian must explore art forgery, a transformative process that has much in common with alchemy and cooking—but one that proves far more dangerous.
Includes delicious vegan recipes!
"Sparkles most when it stays true to the wonder of its magical subject."—Foreword Reviews
"Pandian paints a lovely picture of relationships throughout the book's mystery of greed and violence."—New York Journal of Books
338 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 8, 2019
135 people are currently reading
784 people want to read
About the author
Gigi Pandian
50 books1,581 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews
December 18, 2018
Brilliant as per usual! Great to finally get deeper into Zoe's backstory and of course it's always a delight to spend time with my favourite gargoyle. I highly recommend this series and hope that with the sad closing of Midnight Ink that the series will find a new home so it can continue to shine bright, love it!
November 1, 2018
Zoe Faust has lived for centuries as an alchemist, wandering the world to hide who she is. But since arriving in Portland and with her new housemate, Dorian the immortal living gargoyle, she’s starting to put down roots, make friends and even a family.
But one of the cornerstones of her wandering is that her old friend and mentor, the alchemist Nicholas Flamel, abandoned her. Now she learns he may have been imprisoned over the centuries - centuries waiting for her to rescue him. She has to act, even under the shadow of a suspicious death and through some very shady art dealing
This series probably epitomises “cozy mystery”. It’s not action packed. It’s not full of death defying feats and we don’t even have a huge amount of scary tension - albeit still with a few to maintain the stakes and not remove from the fact it is a murder mystery
That’s not because it’s boring - far from it - but because it’s story doesn’t rest on blood fizzing and massive drama even while we still have carefully maintained threads. It’s not a book that nails you to your seat, but it is a book you can coil up in your seat and relax
I really like how Zoe and co manage to be pulled into the murders of this series. A lot of the time with cozy mysteries it’s a little weird how we get these protagonists involved in the mystery - and why the police even tolerate their presence - or why they don’t mind their own business, especially when Zoe has such a big secret to keep - her immortality and, therefore, fraudulent identity.
But by linking the murders to Alchemy and, more importantly, giving the characters a mystery that is more relevant to them (the abduction of the famed Alchemist, Nicholas Flamel) we get a lot more personalised motive to actually get involved in the mystery. At times it seems odd compared to the rest of the genre - because there’s a murder and Zoe & co all seem far more interested finding a painting which may lead them to Nicholas than they are about the dead man. It almost feels callous - until you remember just how ridiculous it is for the man in the street to decide to just muscle their way into a police investigation (especially lacking appropriate investigative skills despite Dorian’s enthusiasm). Instead they involve themselves where they should be and where they are the most invested and where they have the relevant skills
Zoe and Tobias struggle with protecting their secret identities and have a very good reason to avoid police scrutiny with them being decades or hundreds of years old and Tobias’s identity definitely frays around the edges. This book also follows on the previous two books of Zoe trying to put down roots, make friends and have an actual home. We saw this building over the last two books and this time it grows further - but Tobias is a walking warning as to how hard that can be, newly bereaved after the death of his wife, grieving but having to desperately do so in secret or at least hiding the identity of who his elderly wife was. Zoe herself is opening her life considerably - with old friends coming back, with Tobias present and with her secret being known by more people, Zoe’s life is changing a lot. But how much in her control and how much safely is still to be seen. Zoe is definitely launching into a very uncertain future.
I do like how the age of these characters factors in - we have Zoe’s suspicion, inability to necessarily connect with modern technology along with her many memories that interspace the story. We have Tobias and his history as an escaped slave and the scars he still lives with. Even subtle elements like Dorian not accepting the idea that a teenager is a child and shouldn’t be treated as an adult or assume the dangers as an adult. We also have some really interesting flashbacks which address alchemy, art - but also class and gender as well.
This all combines with some really beautiful writing about art (which I found fascinating despite my general disinterest in art) and a general artful pacing which managed to not be full of action and tension but is still compelling and interesting and fun to follow.
Tobias is a Black man as well as Zoe’s old friend and fellow Alchemist with different skills. What I like especially is not only is he a prominent Black character and a clear and valued friend of Zoe’s but he also doesn’t always follow her lead, will sometimes do his own thing and will often not feel the need to consult or otherwise work with Zoe when pursuing his own leads. We also have more expansion of Max’s role, Zoe’s boyfriend and an Asian man, including his very excellent mother and sister. What is less ideal is that these two women actually feel far more fleshed out than Max himself. I get that Max loves Zoe… I get that Zoe loves Max and I get that Max is moderate sceptical when it comes to the supernatural. But that’s kind of all I know about him and it feels like he’s still a blank slate. I feel more connected to the new female detective who teamed up with Zoe and was more than a little awesome.
There are no LGBTQ characters
This series continues to be fun. It’s an amusing read with great characters and a really original concept - from the sentient gargoyle to the very idea of basing the series on alchemy. Having a supernatural system with very little in the way of overt magic but a more subtle low key use of power - and on the third book we are opening up new directions of investigating, widening the series which I think is very necessary when a book series begins to develop. I look forward to see where this develops from here. I’m still following this series and enjoying it immensely
Read more
But one of the cornerstones of her wandering is that her old friend and mentor, the alchemist Nicholas Flamel, abandoned her. Now she learns he may have been imprisoned over the centuries - centuries waiting for her to rescue him. She has to act, even under the shadow of a suspicious death and through some very shady art dealing
This series probably epitomises “cozy mystery”. It’s not action packed. It’s not full of death defying feats and we don’t even have a huge amount of scary tension - albeit still with a few to maintain the stakes and not remove from the fact it is a murder mystery
That’s not because it’s boring - far from it - but because it’s story doesn’t rest on blood fizzing and massive drama even while we still have carefully maintained threads. It’s not a book that nails you to your seat, but it is a book you can coil up in your seat and relax
I really like how Zoe and co manage to be pulled into the murders of this series. A lot of the time with cozy mysteries it’s a little weird how we get these protagonists involved in the mystery - and why the police even tolerate their presence - or why they don’t mind their own business, especially when Zoe has such a big secret to keep - her immortality and, therefore, fraudulent identity.
But by linking the murders to Alchemy and, more importantly, giving the characters a mystery that is more relevant to them (the abduction of the famed Alchemist, Nicholas Flamel) we get a lot more personalised motive to actually get involved in the mystery. At times it seems odd compared to the rest of the genre - because there’s a murder and Zoe & co all seem far more interested finding a painting which may lead them to Nicholas than they are about the dead man. It almost feels callous - until you remember just how ridiculous it is for the man in the street to decide to just muscle their way into a police investigation (especially lacking appropriate investigative skills despite Dorian’s enthusiasm). Instead they involve themselves where they should be and where they are the most invested and where they have the relevant skills
Zoe and Tobias struggle with protecting their secret identities and have a very good reason to avoid police scrutiny with them being decades or hundreds of years old and Tobias’s identity definitely frays around the edges. This book also follows on the previous two books of Zoe trying to put down roots, make friends and have an actual home. We saw this building over the last two books and this time it grows further - but Tobias is a walking warning as to how hard that can be, newly bereaved after the death of his wife, grieving but having to desperately do so in secret or at least hiding the identity of who his elderly wife was. Zoe herself is opening her life considerably - with old friends coming back, with Tobias present and with her secret being known by more people, Zoe’s life is changing a lot. But how much in her control and how much safely is still to be seen. Zoe is definitely launching into a very uncertain future.
I do like how the age of these characters factors in - we have Zoe’s suspicion, inability to necessarily connect with modern technology along with her many memories that interspace the story. We have Tobias and his history as an escaped slave and the scars he still lives with. Even subtle elements like Dorian not accepting the idea that a teenager is a child and shouldn’t be treated as an adult or assume the dangers as an adult. We also have some really interesting flashbacks which address alchemy, art - but also class and gender as well.
This all combines with some really beautiful writing about art (which I found fascinating despite my general disinterest in art) and a general artful pacing which managed to not be full of action and tension but is still compelling and interesting and fun to follow.
Tobias is a Black man as well as Zoe’s old friend and fellow Alchemist with different skills. What I like especially is not only is he a prominent Black character and a clear and valued friend of Zoe’s but he also doesn’t always follow her lead, will sometimes do his own thing and will often not feel the need to consult or otherwise work with Zoe when pursuing his own leads. We also have more expansion of Max’s role, Zoe’s boyfriend and an Asian man, including his very excellent mother and sister. What is less ideal is that these two women actually feel far more fleshed out than Max himself. I get that Max loves Zoe… I get that Zoe loves Max and I get that Max is moderate sceptical when it comes to the supernatural. But that’s kind of all I know about him and it feels like he’s still a blank slate. I feel more connected to the new female detective who teamed up with Zoe and was more than a little awesome.
There are no LGBTQ characters
This series continues to be fun. It’s an amusing read with great characters and a really original concept - from the sentient gargoyle to the very idea of basing the series on alchemy. Having a supernatural system with very little in the way of overt magic but a more subtle low key use of power - and on the third book we are opening up new directions of investigating, widening the series which I think is very necessary when a book series begins to develop. I look forward to see where this develops from here. I’m still following this series and enjoying it immensely
Read more
May 1, 2022
Zoe continues to be Zoe
Max is 🙄🙄
Love Dorian
The book was okay
Max is 🙄🙄
Love Dorian
The book was okay
August 18, 2018
The protagonist: Zoe, a centuries old alchemist who looks like she’s a twenty-eight year old woman except for her white hair.
Her sidekick: A gargoyle who has found the elixir of life and now has his sights set on becoming a Michelin rated chef.
The mystery: Was the painter murdered or did he commit suicide and where is the painting that has was created back in the sixteenth century?
These are the primary elements that provide the framework for The Alchemist’s Illusion by Gigi Pandian. The book has a lightning fast pace that is well written and engaging, moving between present day Portland, Oregon and hundreds of years ago in Prague, Bohemia. It’s like hopping on a bullet train and having the train leave the station before you’ve even found your seat. I’m not sure I could have slowed down my reading, even if I tried.
The characters are engaging, mixing humor, distinct personalities and genuineness that makes it easy for the reader to want them to succeed. The story is so compelling from the beginning that you happily suspend disbelief, perhaps even hoping that somewhere, sometime, you will encounter a living, breathing gargoyle and if you do, he’ll bake you something special. Not that the book is exclusively populated by supernatural beings. There are “normal” people as well, who round out the cast of characters and provide balance to the tale.
Throughout the book you know there is at least one evil villain, and you have the fun of trying to guess who he is. He is right there, in plain sight the entire time, but easy to miss if you aren’t careful and you may get so caught up in the story you are just as content to have his identity revealed to you as to solve the puzzle of his identity on your own.
This was all together a satisfying read, offering classic good vs. evil in a supernatural setting. There is just enough humor to provide a perfect counterbalance to the struggles Zoe and her friends encounter as they try to bring about a successful resolution to the mysteries. The characters are so well drawn it is easy to see and hear them as they move through the story, even down to the gargoyle’s French accent.
While this is the fourth in An Accidental Alchemist Series, it isn’t necessary to have read the first three books to read and enjoy this book as the mystery stands alone. It is my first read in the series, and there may be some personality traits or experiences that have been developed in earlier books, but it did not alter my enjoyment of this book. That said, if you have the option, there might be some advantage to reading the series in the order the books were written.
Her sidekick: A gargoyle who has found the elixir of life and now has his sights set on becoming a Michelin rated chef.
The mystery: Was the painter murdered or did he commit suicide and where is the painting that has was created back in the sixteenth century?
These are the primary elements that provide the framework for The Alchemist’s Illusion by Gigi Pandian. The book has a lightning fast pace that is well written and engaging, moving between present day Portland, Oregon and hundreds of years ago in Prague, Bohemia. It’s like hopping on a bullet train and having the train leave the station before you’ve even found your seat. I’m not sure I could have slowed down my reading, even if I tried.
The characters are engaging, mixing humor, distinct personalities and genuineness that makes it easy for the reader to want them to succeed. The story is so compelling from the beginning that you happily suspend disbelief, perhaps even hoping that somewhere, sometime, you will encounter a living, breathing gargoyle and if you do, he’ll bake you something special. Not that the book is exclusively populated by supernatural beings. There are “normal” people as well, who round out the cast of characters and provide balance to the tale.
Throughout the book you know there is at least one evil villain, and you have the fun of trying to guess who he is. He is right there, in plain sight the entire time, but easy to miss if you aren’t careful and you may get so caught up in the story you are just as content to have his identity revealed to you as to solve the puzzle of his identity on your own.
This was all together a satisfying read, offering classic good vs. evil in a supernatural setting. There is just enough humor to provide a perfect counterbalance to the struggles Zoe and her friends encounter as they try to bring about a successful resolution to the mysteries. The characters are so well drawn it is easy to see and hear them as they move through the story, even down to the gargoyle’s French accent.
While this is the fourth in An Accidental Alchemist Series, it isn’t necessary to have read the first three books to read and enjoy this book as the mystery stands alone. It is my first read in the series, and there may be some personality traits or experiences that have been developed in earlier books, but it did not alter my enjoyment of this book. That said, if you have the option, there might be some advantage to reading the series in the order the books were written.
September 20, 2018
Every installment of Gigi Pandian's series about Zoe Faust adds new delights, new complications, and new insight into the very, very unusual characters of Zoe herself - an immortal alchemist - and Dorian - a gargoyle whose passion for cooking draws him into creating mouth-watering vegan recipes. (Yes, some of them are shared!) This time, Zoe realizes that the one of the secrets to a fragmented letter she discovered may be hidden in a panting - and that something, or someone, else might also be waiting to be discovered. Utterly delightful.
Thanks to NetGalley for the early reading copy.
Thanks to NetGalley for the early reading copy.
October 11, 2018
Please Note: I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence the opinions of my review in any way.
I started reading this series midway, with The Elusive Elixir. The author, Gigi Pandian, did such a wonderful job of summarizing previous events, that I didn't know this was a series until after I finished the book. I loved the characters (and the delicious recipes!) immediately.
The Alchemist's Illusion continues to entertain with more Dorian, Zoe, and her skeptical boyfriend, Max. With its dual storylines, and lots of new characters, this is a worthy addition to this series.
What I Liked:
Characters:
Zoe, and her circle of friends, are very entertaining. I loved learning even more about the Gargoyle chef, Dorian, and his quest to become more than a sculpture come to life. Zoe's policeman boyfriend, Max was appropriately grounded in reality. It is his spot-on reactions to the magical that anchor the book. This was both necessary and heartbreaking to read. Newer characters such as the artist's widow, Perenelle Flamel, and Edward Kelly were complicated and made it hard to know if they were villains or not. I liked the unpredictability of this.
Food:
A major reason I enjoy this series is for the delectable descriptions of cooking, and food! Meals are lovingly detailed so the reader is salivating along with the characters. Plus, there are several yummy looking recipes to be found at the end of the book.
Plot:
The story alternates between present-day Portland, Oregon, and nearly four-hundred years earlier in Prague where we learn the origins of the painting that is the centerpiece of this book. I liked the two different stories and the fact that it was ambiguous as to who the villain was. Did Nicolas' wife Perenelle conspire with someone to imprison him? Who is Edward Kelly? So many little mysteries to solve!
What I Was Mixed About:
There was one aspect of the plot which I was quite dissatisfied with. The plot relied heavily on coincidences to move the story along. At the beginning of the book, Zoe randomly sees a painting in a window that may hold the key to finding her long-lost friend Nicolas. Considering that this art work was made in Europe hundreds of years ago, how likely is it that it would find its way to present-day Portland, Oregon? This happens several times throughout the book, which made it hard for me, as a reader, to accept.
I started reading this series midway, with The Elusive Elixir. The author, Gigi Pandian, did such a wonderful job of summarizing previous events, that I didn't know this was a series until after I finished the book. I loved the characters (and the delicious recipes!) immediately.
The Alchemist's Illusion continues to entertain with more Dorian, Zoe, and her skeptical boyfriend, Max. With its dual storylines, and lots of new characters, this is a worthy addition to this series.
What I Liked:
Characters:
Zoe, and her circle of friends, are very entertaining. I loved learning even more about the Gargoyle chef, Dorian, and his quest to become more than a sculpture come to life. Zoe's policeman boyfriend, Max was appropriately grounded in reality. It is his spot-on reactions to the magical that anchor the book. This was both necessary and heartbreaking to read. Newer characters such as the artist's widow, Perenelle Flamel, and Edward Kelly were complicated and made it hard to know if they were villains or not. I liked the unpredictability of this.
Food:
A major reason I enjoy this series is for the delectable descriptions of cooking, and food! Meals are lovingly detailed so the reader is salivating along with the characters. Plus, there are several yummy looking recipes to be found at the end of the book.
Plot:
The story alternates between present-day Portland, Oregon, and nearly four-hundred years earlier in Prague where we learn the origins of the painting that is the centerpiece of this book. I liked the two different stories and the fact that it was ambiguous as to who the villain was. Did Nicolas' wife Perenelle conspire with someone to imprison him? Who is Edward Kelly? So many little mysteries to solve!
What I Was Mixed About:
There was one aspect of the plot which I was quite dissatisfied with. The plot relied heavily on coincidences to move the story along. At the beginning of the book, Zoe randomly sees a painting in a window that may hold the key to finding her long-lost friend Nicolas. Considering that this art work was made in Europe hundreds of years ago, how likely is it that it would find its way to present-day Portland, Oregon? This happens several times throughout the book, which made it hard for me, as a reader, to accept.
August 24, 2022
Another wonderful story in the series! I love the lessons on alchemy and history that are presented in each one. Getting to know more about Zoe and her past as well as her mentor was an added bonus. The crime and the solution were so creative. Highly recommended!
January 11, 2019
THE ALCHEMIST'S ILLUSION by Gigi Pandian
The Fourth Accidental Alchemist Mystery
A glimpse at a painting momentarily transports Zoe Faust to the past. Eyes never lie and Zoe knows that the man in the painting is none other than Nicolas Flamel. But how could that be as he'd never sit for a painting? With dawning realization that her mentor is imprisoned, Zoe will look for clues that lead her to look into a local painters death and recent art forgeries in Portland. Dorian, the gargoyle, and her old friend Tobias, will help Zoe discover the truth about the painting, the murder, and the future, as well as the past.
Gigi Pandian seamlessly blends the past and the present as she tells the tale of Zoe Faust. In THE ALCHEMIST'S ILLUSION we not only read about Zoe and the painting that triggers a link to her past, but the very past itself. We get to travel to the late 1500s and see the origins, not only of the painting, but the very mystery itself. I love not only the rich historical detail, but the melding of historical fact with fiction.
I'm always delighted to read more about Dorian and was thrilled with his latest accomplishments and his appropriated crime solving techniques, along with his ability to make me drool with his cooking skills. I wish he could come and stay with me for a bit! But, as in real life, along with the humor, there's also the pathos.
Zoe longs to put down roots and has started to do so in Portland, making a family of friends she's gathered. Indeed this family is the strength that supports everyone as they deal with this current mystery. As her relationship deepens with Max, she broaches the one thing she's been keeping from him. But what will be the ramifications of telling Max the truth about who she really is?
THE ALCHEMIST'S ILLUSION is a captivating mystery that brings the richness of art and history to Portland, Oregon. An exquisitely plotted modern mystery filled with such unique characters make this novel stand out.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.
The Fourth Accidental Alchemist Mystery
A glimpse at a painting momentarily transports Zoe Faust to the past. Eyes never lie and Zoe knows that the man in the painting is none other than Nicolas Flamel. But how could that be as he'd never sit for a painting? With dawning realization that her mentor is imprisoned, Zoe will look for clues that lead her to look into a local painters death and recent art forgeries in Portland. Dorian, the gargoyle, and her old friend Tobias, will help Zoe discover the truth about the painting, the murder, and the future, as well as the past.
Gigi Pandian seamlessly blends the past and the present as she tells the tale of Zoe Faust. In THE ALCHEMIST'S ILLUSION we not only read about Zoe and the painting that triggers a link to her past, but the very past itself. We get to travel to the late 1500s and see the origins, not only of the painting, but the very mystery itself. I love not only the rich historical detail, but the melding of historical fact with fiction.
I'm always delighted to read more about Dorian and was thrilled with his latest accomplishments and his appropriated crime solving techniques, along with his ability to make me drool with his cooking skills. I wish he could come and stay with me for a bit! But, as in real life, along with the humor, there's also the pathos.
Zoe longs to put down roots and has started to do so in Portland, making a family of friends she's gathered. Indeed this family is the strength that supports everyone as they deal with this current mystery. As her relationship deepens with Max, she broaches the one thing she's been keeping from him. But what will be the ramifications of telling Max the truth about who she really is?
THE ALCHEMIST'S ILLUSION is a captivating mystery that brings the richness of art and history to Portland, Oregon. An exquisitely plotted modern mystery filled with such unique characters make this novel stand out.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.
April 17, 2022
The author, Gigi Pandian, did such a wonderful job of summarizing previous events, I loved the characters and the delicious recipes! immediately.
The Alchemist's Illusion continues to entertain with more Dorian, Zoe, and her skeptical boyfriend, Max. With its dual storylines, and lots of new characters, this is a worthy addition to this series.
Zoe, and her circle of friends, are very entertaining. I loved learning even more about the Gargoyle chef, Dorian, and his quest to become more than a sculpture come to life. It is his spot-on reactions to the magical that anchor the book. This was both necessary and heartbreaking to read. Newer characters such as the artist's widow, Perenelle Flamel, and Edward Kelly were complicated and made it hard to know if they were villains or not. I liked the unpredictability of this.
A major reason I enjoy this series is for the delectable descriptions of cooking, and the food! Meals are lovingly detailed so the reader is salivating along with the characters.
The Alchemist's Illusion continues to entertain with more Dorian, Zoe, and her skeptical boyfriend, Max. With its dual storylines, and lots of new characters, this is a worthy addition to this series.
Zoe, and her circle of friends, are very entertaining. I loved learning even more about the Gargoyle chef, Dorian, and his quest to become more than a sculpture come to life. It is his spot-on reactions to the magical that anchor the book. This was both necessary and heartbreaking to read. Newer characters such as the artist's widow, Perenelle Flamel, and Edward Kelly were complicated and made it hard to know if they were villains or not. I liked the unpredictability of this.
A major reason I enjoy this series is for the delectable descriptions of cooking, and the food! Meals are lovingly detailed so the reader is salivating along with the characters.
August 20, 2020
Zoe Faust has spent the last 400 years of her life roaming around Europe and the United States. She is an alchemist and discovered the Elixir of Life when she was studying with Nicholas Flamel and his wife, Perenelle, in Paris. Zoe has arrived in Portland OR and wants to settle down. She buys a house and sends for her belongings stored in France for years. Inside one of the crates, she finds a gargoyle who believes Zoe can help him live. Now, they live together and Dorian cooks and Zoe helps people. One day, while wondering, Zoe finds an amazing portrait of her mentor, Flamel. She realizes it may actually contain Nicolas' essence, if he is under an alchemist's spell. Can Zoe rescue her friend? An entertaining read, who can find fault with an arrogant French gargoyle chef?
August 12, 2019
This is a fun series when you want something light to read. I love the quirky characters and of course, alchemy. I thought the mystery in this particular book was also well done and I'm looking forward to seeing how Zoe and Max's relationship plays out after her big revelation.
May 12, 2022
So fun! Great characters, and I loved the leaps through history plus a food-obsessed gargoyle!
April 26, 2025
And I official got tired of this accidental trouble which follows our main characters. Anywhere they go they are always blamed and accused of something. This whole thing is not probable at all.
December 23, 2020
Series Info/Source: This is the fourth (and final) book in The Accidental Alchemist series. I borrowed this book from the library. This series was stopped abruptly when Midnight Ink closed, but this book doesn’t leave things feeling too unfinished.
Story (4/5): Zoe’s life is looking pretty wonderful in Portland, when Zoe discovers her mentor Nicolas Flamel has been imprisoned. She finds a painting at a local art store with clues to Flamel’s imprisonment, but then the artist that runs the art store is murdered and Zoe is being accused of being involved. Zoe must navigate some complex historical alchemy plots if she is going to save Flemel and not get accused of anything herself.
This was another well done mystery with a lot of interesting alchemical history. In this book we jump back and forth between Zoe’s story and that of a historical artist who practices alchemical painting. It’s complex and well done and I enjoyed it.
Characters (4/5): The characters remain a strong point of this series. I love Zoe, Dorian, Brixton, Max and all of our other Portland regulars. Tobias journeys to Portland to join Zoe in her quest and it was fun to learn more about him as well. Additionally, we finally get to learn more about Nicholas and his wife, which opens up a lot more background on Zoe’s past. The characters are generally all kind and supportive with complex historical pasts.
Setting (4/5): I continue to enjoy the Portland setting and it was fun to get a bit more insight into the art scene there. We also get some glimpses back into Italy (I think, and I can’t quite remember the year) and those were well done too.
Writing Style (4/5): Pandian continues to craft amazing mysteries full of interesting alchemical history. She also incorporates characters that are very complex but very likable and easy to engage with. The whole thing is a fun and quick read that I really enjoy. There are also interesting Vegan recipes included at the end if you are into that sort of thing.
This story wraps up fairly well, there is a contained mystery and the overall story makes a lot of progress. I am okay with how things are left here, but was disappointed to hear that Midnight Ink shut down and the series wasn’t picked up by another publisher. I know there is a short story called “A Gargoyle in Paris” that continues the story some. I am hoping Pandian will consider self publishing some more books in this series in the future.
My Summary (4/5): Overall I really enjoyed both this book and the whole series. I think this book was my favorite of the series so far. I love the alchemical painting concept that was introduced here and it was so much fun to finally meet Nicholas Flemel. If you enjoy really well done mysteries and learning about alchemy I would definitely recommend this series! I wish there were going to be more books in it.
Story (4/5): Zoe’s life is looking pretty wonderful in Portland, when Zoe discovers her mentor Nicolas Flamel has been imprisoned. She finds a painting at a local art store with clues to Flamel’s imprisonment, but then the artist that runs the art store is murdered and Zoe is being accused of being involved. Zoe must navigate some complex historical alchemy plots if she is going to save Flemel and not get accused of anything herself.
This was another well done mystery with a lot of interesting alchemical history. In this book we jump back and forth between Zoe’s story and that of a historical artist who practices alchemical painting. It’s complex and well done and I enjoyed it.
Characters (4/5): The characters remain a strong point of this series. I love Zoe, Dorian, Brixton, Max and all of our other Portland regulars. Tobias journeys to Portland to join Zoe in her quest and it was fun to learn more about him as well. Additionally, we finally get to learn more about Nicholas and his wife, which opens up a lot more background on Zoe’s past. The characters are generally all kind and supportive with complex historical pasts.
Setting (4/5): I continue to enjoy the Portland setting and it was fun to get a bit more insight into the art scene there. We also get some glimpses back into Italy (I think, and I can’t quite remember the year) and those were well done too.
Writing Style (4/5): Pandian continues to craft amazing mysteries full of interesting alchemical history. She also incorporates characters that are very complex but very likable and easy to engage with. The whole thing is a fun and quick read that I really enjoy. There are also interesting Vegan recipes included at the end if you are into that sort of thing.
This story wraps up fairly well, there is a contained mystery and the overall story makes a lot of progress. I am okay with how things are left here, but was disappointed to hear that Midnight Ink shut down and the series wasn’t picked up by another publisher. I know there is a short story called “A Gargoyle in Paris” that continues the story some. I am hoping Pandian will consider self publishing some more books in this series in the future.
My Summary (4/5): Overall I really enjoyed both this book and the whole series. I think this book was my favorite of the series so far. I love the alchemical painting concept that was introduced here and it was so much fun to finally meet Nicholas Flemel. If you enjoy really well done mysteries and learning about alchemy I would definitely recommend this series! I wish there were going to be more books in it.
November 10, 2024
This might be the best Accidental Alchemist book yet! The story moves faster, and there's far less angst and depression about the past. Modern mysteries linked to the Flamels. Meet Max's family. Zoe tells Max?
I'm re-reading this series because a new book is out. And, I'm enjoying it.
Zoe is practical. She's also a strange combination of EXTREMELY risk-adverse and very trusting. She's so focused on defending her vulnerabilities that she misses a great deal. I find it irritating, but there's a lesson there for me and probably most others.
The other characters are quirky and fun and work together to get Zoe to open up and leave behind her solo past. She learns from them and solves the puzzles.
I'm re-reading this series because a new book is out. And, I'm enjoying it.
Zoe is practical. She's also a strange combination of EXTREMELY risk-adverse and very trusting. She's so focused on defending her vulnerabilities that she misses a great deal. I find it irritating, but there's a lesson there for me and probably most others.
The other characters are quirky and fun and work together to get Zoe to open up and leave behind her solo past. She learns from them and solves the puzzles.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2023
These are really enjoyable stories. I look forward to seeing what she come up with next.
September 11, 2018
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I originally had it in my head that this was pushing a 2.5 rating for me, but the last 20% of the book pushed it up to a three.
I didn't realise at the time of requesting this that it was actually number 4 in the series, I feel like this may have had an impact on how much I enjoyed the story. This story follows alchemist Zoe Faust, along with her friend and live in gargoyle companion, Dorian, and her longtime fellow alchemist friend, Tobias, in Portland. Zoe comes across a painting being displayed in the front window of a local art gallery that closely resembles her old friend, mentor and father figure, Nicholas Flamel. She is shocked because she knows that Nicholas never sat for portrait paintings, just as she herself doesn't like having photos taken, this can be dangerous for alchemist, as they do not age once they have taken the Elixir of Life. While pondering over the portrait Zoe is thrust into the middle of a mystery and murder investigation when local deceased artist, Logan Magnus', wife Isabelle confronts Zoe accusing her of Logan's murder because of a pendent she is wearing around her neck. What follows is a mystery adventure spanning centuries as Zoe finds an old note written by Nicholas Flamel stating that he is in danger and needs help, she believe that the clues to this note and Nicholas' location lies within the strange painting she saw, but it has now gone missing. The narrative is split between two times, one is the present day where Zoe and friends are desperately trying to locate the painting and solve the murder of Logan, and the other spans between the 1500s and 1700s following the workings of an alchemical painter, Phillip Hayden, who is supposedly the artist of the strange painting that Zoe is trying to find. The story lines do converge near the last quarter of the book.
I found the dual timelines interesting, and somewhat necessary I guess, though this didn't become apparent until it helped reveal clues about the present day mystery. I felt like the clues were kind of jaggedly pulled together and there wasn't quite a flow happening for me for some reason. I enjoyed the characters, Zoe is likable and level headed, Dorian would have to be probably my favourite character, who doesn't love a french gargoyle who is also a master chef? Other than these two, I feel like the characters were pretty beige, maybe a little flat. Again, this could be because I've jumped into the world in the fourth installment of this series, so I haven't had the chance to meet these characters and watch them flesh out and grow through the previous stories.
The mystery itself was well done, and I had no idea who the culprit was until the reveal, this I felt was done spectacularly well, I found myself at times not knowing who to trust, so this is good.
I love the whole premise of this series, following an alchemist who is over 300 years old, and looking at the different aspects of alchemy, not just the gold making side of it. I haven't come across any other stories thus far that touch on the subject the way that this author has. I am incredibly intrigued by it, so I believe that I will try to get a hold of the first in the series, and go back to the beginning. I do feel that you can read the story independently, however, there are past events that are spoken about which I assume happened in the other installments, so the gravity of these situations didn't really hit for me how it would have if I knew about them in their entirety. Also, if you haven't read the previous books, you may find yourself not feeling very connected to the characters as I did, I believe with series of books, you need to read them from the start otherwise you aren't learning and growing with the characters, and for me, this can have an impact on the story itself.
All in all, a nice premise, and quirky characters in a series that I will definitely be going back to the start for.
I originally had it in my head that this was pushing a 2.5 rating for me, but the last 20% of the book pushed it up to a three.
I didn't realise at the time of requesting this that it was actually number 4 in the series, I feel like this may have had an impact on how much I enjoyed the story. This story follows alchemist Zoe Faust, along with her friend and live in gargoyle companion, Dorian, and her longtime fellow alchemist friend, Tobias, in Portland. Zoe comes across a painting being displayed in the front window of a local art gallery that closely resembles her old friend, mentor and father figure, Nicholas Flamel. She is shocked because she knows that Nicholas never sat for portrait paintings, just as she herself doesn't like having photos taken, this can be dangerous for alchemist, as they do not age once they have taken the Elixir of Life. While pondering over the portrait Zoe is thrust into the middle of a mystery and murder investigation when local deceased artist, Logan Magnus', wife Isabelle confronts Zoe accusing her of Logan's murder because of a pendent she is wearing around her neck. What follows is a mystery adventure spanning centuries as Zoe finds an old note written by Nicholas Flamel stating that he is in danger and needs help, she believe that the clues to this note and Nicholas' location lies within the strange painting she saw, but it has now gone missing. The narrative is split between two times, one is the present day where Zoe and friends are desperately trying to locate the painting and solve the murder of Logan, and the other spans between the 1500s and 1700s following the workings of an alchemical painter, Phillip Hayden, who is supposedly the artist of the strange painting that Zoe is trying to find. The story lines do converge near the last quarter of the book.
I found the dual timelines interesting, and somewhat necessary I guess, though this didn't become apparent until it helped reveal clues about the present day mystery. I felt like the clues were kind of jaggedly pulled together and there wasn't quite a flow happening for me for some reason. I enjoyed the characters, Zoe is likable and level headed, Dorian would have to be probably my favourite character, who doesn't love a french gargoyle who is also a master chef? Other than these two, I feel like the characters were pretty beige, maybe a little flat. Again, this could be because I've jumped into the world in the fourth installment of this series, so I haven't had the chance to meet these characters and watch them flesh out and grow through the previous stories.
The mystery itself was well done, and I had no idea who the culprit was until the reveal, this I felt was done spectacularly well, I found myself at times not knowing who to trust, so this is good.
I love the whole premise of this series, following an alchemist who is over 300 years old, and looking at the different aspects of alchemy, not just the gold making side of it. I haven't come across any other stories thus far that touch on the subject the way that this author has. I am incredibly intrigued by it, so I believe that I will try to get a hold of the first in the series, and go back to the beginning. I do feel that you can read the story independently, however, there are past events that are spoken about which I assume happened in the other installments, so the gravity of these situations didn't really hit for me how it would have if I knew about them in their entirety. Also, if you haven't read the previous books, you may find yourself not feeling very connected to the characters as I did, I believe with series of books, you need to read them from the start otherwise you aren't learning and growing with the characters, and for me, this can have an impact on the story itself.
All in all, a nice premise, and quirky characters in a series that I will definitely be going back to the start for.
December 26, 2018
Centuries-old alchemist Zoe Faust is tired of running from her past. She's finally got her life on track in Portland, Oregon, gardening and cooking in her fixer-upper house with her mischievous best friend, Dorian the gargoyle chef. It seems like the perfect life for Zoe, until she discovers her old mentor Nicolas Flamel, who she thought had abandoned her, has been imprisoned.
A local artist holds the secret that could lead Zoe to her mentor, but the artist is murdered, and the painting containing the hidden clue is stolen. To rescue Nicolas, Zoe and Dorian must explore art forgery, a transformative process that has much in common with alchemy and cooking—but one which proves far more dangerous.
--
Series: An Accidental Alchemist Mystery - Book 4
Author: Gigi Pandian
Genre: Cozy/Paranormal Mystery
Publisher: Midnight Ink
Gigi Pandian has a creative mind that has a way of coming up with new and captivating ideas. The Alchemist’s Illusion from Midnight Ink http://www.midnightinkbooks.com stems from that creativeness and intrigues the reader from the beginning. That said, it would be better for readers NOT to start reading this series with the current and latest book. This is a series that must be read from the beginning. Readers who start with the newest edition will have problems following along and may not understand who the characters are, and they may not be willing to find out either.
The character of Zoe Faust is interesting, and a bit complicated. She doesn’t like being in the background all the time but is smart enough to understand that being in the forefront could be bad for her health. The world has changed since Zoe was a young woman, hundreds of years have passed, but some things never change, and people’s fear of magic and alchemy is one of those things that hasn’t changed all that much. Zoe is intelligent and compassionate. Her best friend is a gargoyle and the love of her life a mortal human cop. It makes for a challenging dynamic.
Other characters in this book are fascinating, they, not your average everyday sub characters that you like but don’t worry about unduly. Quite the contrary, readers will worry and get excited every time these characters are in danger or try to help Zoe.
The setting of Portland, Oregon is fitting to a story that is about alchemy. In a city that prides itself on its environment saving philosophies, art and culture, it is rather closed minded when it comes to magic. That mixed with the side story in this book and series will keep the reader turning the page.
Unfortunately, as a reader I take issue with the characters names, having a main character named Nicholas Flamel is too reminiscent of the Harry Potter character with the same name who was also an alchemist. Even Zoe Faust herself is named after a character in another famous book. Also, the mere fact that Zoe has a friend who is a gargoyle is similar to another series by another author. All of these things combined make it difficult to look past.
The premise for The Alchemist’s Illusion is wonderfully original to the cozy mystery genre, and for this reason alone it is hard to completely dislike the book. The writing is good, and the story flows nicely. If the reader isn’t bothered by too many resemblances to other books, characters and story-lines then they will no doubt enjoy this book. Once again, I caution anyone who wishes to read this book to start from the being of the series and not with the fourth installment.
A local artist holds the secret that could lead Zoe to her mentor, but the artist is murdered, and the painting containing the hidden clue is stolen. To rescue Nicolas, Zoe and Dorian must explore art forgery, a transformative process that has much in common with alchemy and cooking—but one which proves far more dangerous.
--
Series: An Accidental Alchemist Mystery - Book 4
Author: Gigi Pandian
Genre: Cozy/Paranormal Mystery
Publisher: Midnight Ink
Gigi Pandian has a creative mind that has a way of coming up with new and captivating ideas. The Alchemist’s Illusion from Midnight Ink http://www.midnightinkbooks.com stems from that creativeness and intrigues the reader from the beginning. That said, it would be better for readers NOT to start reading this series with the current and latest book. This is a series that must be read from the beginning. Readers who start with the newest edition will have problems following along and may not understand who the characters are, and they may not be willing to find out either.
The character of Zoe Faust is interesting, and a bit complicated. She doesn’t like being in the background all the time but is smart enough to understand that being in the forefront could be bad for her health. The world has changed since Zoe was a young woman, hundreds of years have passed, but some things never change, and people’s fear of magic and alchemy is one of those things that hasn’t changed all that much. Zoe is intelligent and compassionate. Her best friend is a gargoyle and the love of her life a mortal human cop. It makes for a challenging dynamic.
Other characters in this book are fascinating, they, not your average everyday sub characters that you like but don’t worry about unduly. Quite the contrary, readers will worry and get excited every time these characters are in danger or try to help Zoe.
The setting of Portland, Oregon is fitting to a story that is about alchemy. In a city that prides itself on its environment saving philosophies, art and culture, it is rather closed minded when it comes to magic. That mixed with the side story in this book and series will keep the reader turning the page.
Unfortunately, as a reader I take issue with the characters names, having a main character named Nicholas Flamel is too reminiscent of the Harry Potter character with the same name who was also an alchemist. Even Zoe Faust herself is named after a character in another famous book. Also, the mere fact that Zoe has a friend who is a gargoyle is similar to another series by another author. All of these things combined make it difficult to look past.
The premise for The Alchemist’s Illusion is wonderfully original to the cozy mystery genre, and for this reason alone it is hard to completely dislike the book. The writing is good, and the story flows nicely. If the reader isn’t bothered by too many resemblances to other books, characters and story-lines then they will no doubt enjoy this book. Once again, I caution anyone who wishes to read this book to start from the being of the series and not with the fourth installment.
May 30, 2020
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.5 of 5
Zoe Faust finally has her life under control. It’s only taken a century or two. An alchemist, living in the Portland, Oregon area, with a gargoyle friend and border/chef, Dorian, she’s decided to search for her old mentor, Nicholas Flamel. Zoe believes that a local artist has the secret to finding Flamel, in a painting. But when the artist is murdered and the painting goes missing, Zoe and Dorian investigate and discover a world of art forgeries and alchemy that she never knew existed.
I have really come to like Pandian’s prose and story-telling. This, for me, is the best of the four book Accidental Alchemist series.
I admit to having a special affinity for art-themed stories, and with this book author Pandian does a remarkably good job of not only incorporating art into the story, but making it integral to the plot and bringing something new to reading journey. New? Yes. Pandian combines alchemy with art in a very unique manner.
Having Zoe see a painting of a man she strongly believes is Flamel, who, to her knowledge never sat for a painting because, as he taught her, it wasn’t good to be recognized as someone who does not age. So finding a portrait of him and trying to track him down, becomes her first mystery. Trying to understand why the artist of the painting – a contemporary of today – would be killed by drinking his paints is Zoe’s second mystery. The mysteries are intertwined, and there are some surprises along the way.
Pandian creates very real characters – not an easy feat considering some immortal (or nearly), some are gargoyles, and some are strongly rooted in the world we commonly know. These ‘real’ people are a big reason that the stories work so well, but Pandian’s plotting skills have grown remarkably over the past few years. This story is quite engrossing and I got really caught up in it. Even the jumping back and forth between centuries didn’t both me (often it does) as these moment were well placed and really did bring forth more valuable information for the story.
You don’t need to read the previous three books in the series to understand or enjoy this book, but why would’t you?
Looking for a good book? The Alchemist’s Illusion by Gigi Pandian, is the best of the four book Accidental Alchemist series, and for anyone interested in a strong mystery with a well-developed supernatural bent, this is definitely the book to read.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Zoe Faust finally has her life under control. It’s only taken a century or two. An alchemist, living in the Portland, Oregon area, with a gargoyle friend and border/chef, Dorian, she’s decided to search for her old mentor, Nicholas Flamel. Zoe believes that a local artist has the secret to finding Flamel, in a painting. But when the artist is murdered and the painting goes missing, Zoe and Dorian investigate and discover a world of art forgeries and alchemy that she never knew existed.
I have really come to like Pandian’s prose and story-telling. This, for me, is the best of the four book Accidental Alchemist series.
I admit to having a special affinity for art-themed stories, and with this book author Pandian does a remarkably good job of not only incorporating art into the story, but making it integral to the plot and bringing something new to reading journey. New? Yes. Pandian combines alchemy with art in a very unique manner.
Having Zoe see a painting of a man she strongly believes is Flamel, who, to her knowledge never sat for a painting because, as he taught her, it wasn’t good to be recognized as someone who does not age. So finding a portrait of him and trying to track him down, becomes her first mystery. Trying to understand why the artist of the painting – a contemporary of today – would be killed by drinking his paints is Zoe’s second mystery. The mysteries are intertwined, and there are some surprises along the way.
Pandian creates very real characters – not an easy feat considering some immortal (or nearly), some are gargoyles, and some are strongly rooted in the world we commonly know. These ‘real’ people are a big reason that the stories work so well, but Pandian’s plotting skills have grown remarkably over the past few years. This story is quite engrossing and I got really caught up in it. Even the jumping back and forth between centuries didn’t both me (often it does) as these moment were well placed and really did bring forth more valuable information for the story.
You don’t need to read the previous three books in the series to understand or enjoy this book, but why would’t you?
Looking for a good book? The Alchemist’s Illusion by Gigi Pandian, is the best of the four book Accidental Alchemist series, and for anyone interested in a strong mystery with a well-developed supernatural bent, this is definitely the book to read.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
November 20, 2018
What a fun and exciting ride through a lesson in history and alchemy. This was my first venture with Gigi Pandian, and it won’t be my last. I want to go back in time and find out how Zoe ended up in Portland, Oregon with Dorian, her gargoyle companion. I had no idea that alchemy was such a fascinating subject, but the magical world that Pandian has created is where I want to visit again and again.
Zoe Faust finds herself in a bit of quandary when she sees a painting in a local gallery that represents her mentor Nicolas Flamel. She knows that Flamel had never allowed himself to be painted, so how on earth is she seeing a painting of him in a gallery? And where exactly is Nicolas? And why is the painting appearing to actually stare at her? This scene sets up the mystery that we are about to embark upon.
Zoe is such a loveable character. With her white hair and optimistic outlook on life, she is someone that I would befriend in an instant. Her secretive history might be catching up to her however. Not to mention she is hiding a living gargoyle in her attic. How does she keep it all together with this kind of stuff going on in her life? Throw in a mysterious suicide of a local artist and you have a recipe for an enjoyable romp. Speaking of recipes, Pandian includes some of Dorian’s famous recipes at the end of the book. I am looking forward to trying these out.
I am so happy to know that I can find other books about the long-lived alchemist Zoe to pick up. While there is a bit of mischief and mayhem in this book, it is not dark or gory at all. It is a fun mystery to enjoy.
Also posted at: http://bookwormishme.com/2018/11/thea...
Zoe Faust finds herself in a bit of quandary when she sees a painting in a local gallery that represents her mentor Nicolas Flamel. She knows that Flamel had never allowed himself to be painted, so how on earth is she seeing a painting of him in a gallery? And where exactly is Nicolas? And why is the painting appearing to actually stare at her? This scene sets up the mystery that we are about to embark upon.
Zoe is such a loveable character. With her white hair and optimistic outlook on life, she is someone that I would befriend in an instant. Her secretive history might be catching up to her however. Not to mention she is hiding a living gargoyle in her attic. How does she keep it all together with this kind of stuff going on in her life? Throw in a mysterious suicide of a local artist and you have a recipe for an enjoyable romp. Speaking of recipes, Pandian includes some of Dorian’s famous recipes at the end of the book. I am looking forward to trying these out.
I am so happy to know that I can find other books about the long-lived alchemist Zoe to pick up. While there is a bit of mischief and mayhem in this book, it is not dark or gory at all. It is a fun mystery to enjoy.
Also posted at: http://bookwormishme.com/2018/11/thea...
March 18, 2019
This latest adventure of Zoe and Dorian in Gigi Pandian’s, The Alchemists Illusion, book 4 of her Alchemist series did not disappoint! I eagerly await each book as they come out and in-between, she has another series with treasure hunter Jaya Jones, that I like very much.
Zoe is an alchemist who is several hundred years old, but doesn’t look a day over 27…unlike me…but I digress. Her bestie, Dorian, is also about the same age and yet, quite different as he is an accomplished chef and all around raconteur..er..gargoyle. At this point in time, Dorian has been thru some tough times and Zoe also, per the last 3 books and I feel like I’ve been right along there, with them. In this 4th book, we get to time travel…huzzah! Nicolas Flamel, probably one of the most famous (purported) alchemists and his wife, then the creepy villain Edward Kelly, tie into a murdered artist in present day Portland, Oregon. Are past and present closer than they seem after all? Included are still Max, the smoldering detective and love interest of Zoe, plus Darian and Co., are all back for this cozy romp in the supernatural…hmmm..would that be cozy urban fantasy, perhaps. I like that better because this is smarter than the usual cozy mystery and has more twists and turns and plot surprises than the wormhole I got into googling Mssr Flamel and the 17th century alchemists, and yummier than Dorians cashew cream sauce. Ms Pandian outdoes herself with each book she writes. they are always fun and informative and each one takes us to different countries with new characters and villains and helpful heroes. Oh! And there are recipes at the end of each book.
Zoe is an alchemist who is several hundred years old, but doesn’t look a day over 27…unlike me…but I digress. Her bestie, Dorian, is also about the same age and yet, quite different as he is an accomplished chef and all around raconteur..er..gargoyle. At this point in time, Dorian has been thru some tough times and Zoe also, per the last 3 books and I feel like I’ve been right along there, with them. In this 4th book, we get to time travel…huzzah! Nicolas Flamel, probably one of the most famous (purported) alchemists and his wife, then the creepy villain Edward Kelly, tie into a murdered artist in present day Portland, Oregon. Are past and present closer than they seem after all? Included are still Max, the smoldering detective and love interest of Zoe, plus Darian and Co., are all back for this cozy romp in the supernatural…hmmm..would that be cozy urban fantasy, perhaps. I like that better because this is smarter than the usual cozy mystery and has more twists and turns and plot surprises than the wormhole I got into googling Mssr Flamel and the 17th century alchemists, and yummier than Dorians cashew cream sauce. Ms Pandian outdoes herself with each book she writes. they are always fun and informative and each one takes us to different countries with new characters and villains and helpful heroes. Oh! And there are recipes at the end of each book.
October 23, 2020
Zoe Faust, an alchemist and herbalist born in 1676 Salem, Massachusetts, and Dorian Robert-Houdin, a gargoyle brought to life in 1800s Paris, share a house in present-day Portland, Oregon. The only visible sign of Zoe's great age is her snow-white hair, but that's perceived as a trendy style choice. She is happy in her Craftsman house,
though her online antique business doesn't bring in enough to cover needed repairs, but her herb and vegetable garden is growing well. Dorian, a trained chef who doesn't sleep, supplements the household income by baking treats for a local coffee shop, and cooks amazing meals for Zoe while continually complaining about her vegan restrictions. Zoe's relationship with police detective Max Lui is deepening, and she is considering revealing at least a portion of the truth about her past, though she worries that his practical nature will prevent him from believing her. At a local art show for Logan Magnus, who recently committed suicide, Zoe is startled to discover a portrait of Nicolas Flamel, the mentor who abandoned her centuries earlier. Non-aging alchemists never allow portraits (or now photographs) since the fact they don't age would become apparent, but the portrait looks like a
Philippe Hayden, a Renaissance artist who included alchemical symbols. Hoping the portrait will help her decipher the faded note from Nicolas she discovered in Paris, Zoe retums to examine the portrait again, only to discover it has vanished. Fearing that Nicolas may be trapped inside the painting, Zoe and Dorian delve into art history and the art of forging paintings. Sue Grafton Award nominee, 2020, Anthony Award for Best Paperback Original, 2020.
though her online antique business doesn't bring in enough to cover needed repairs, but her herb and vegetable garden is growing well. Dorian, a trained chef who doesn't sleep, supplements the household income by baking treats for a local coffee shop, and cooks amazing meals for Zoe while continually complaining about her vegan restrictions. Zoe's relationship with police detective Max Lui is deepening, and she is considering revealing at least a portion of the truth about her past, though she worries that his practical nature will prevent him from believing her. At a local art show for Logan Magnus, who recently committed suicide, Zoe is startled to discover a portrait of Nicolas Flamel, the mentor who abandoned her centuries earlier. Non-aging alchemists never allow portraits (or now photographs) since the fact they don't age would become apparent, but the portrait looks like a
Philippe Hayden, a Renaissance artist who included alchemical symbols. Hoping the portrait will help her decipher the faded note from Nicolas she discovered in Paris, Zoe retums to examine the portrait again, only to discover it has vanished. Fearing that Nicolas may be trapped inside the painting, Zoe and Dorian delve into art history and the art of forging paintings. Sue Grafton Award nominee, 2020, Anthony Award for Best Paperback Original, 2020.
September 20, 2018
Originally posted at ragdollreads.co.uk
Ragdoll Rating: 4.5/5 Buttons
Recommended For: Fans of mystery novels. Young folks.
About the Book
The Alchemist’s Illusion is part of the Accidental Alchemist series, although it is mostly a stand-alone work. This book makes frequent references to things that I assume happened in the previous three titles – I’ve not read them yet, so I can’t be totally sure – but I didn’t feel I missed anything from not having read them, everything was explained to some extent.
Zoe Faust has set herself up in Portland, Oregon. Zoe is an alchemist who created the Elixir of Life and has lived for hundreds of years. She has led a life on the run, skipping town and changing her identity every few years to avoid detection and revealing her secret, but now she had built herself a comfortable little life and she want’s to stay where she is. Then she discovers her old mentor, Nicholas Flamel is in danger and needs her help. Suddenly her life is turned on its head, and Zoe finds herself in the midst of an alchemical conspiracy / murder mystery.
What I thought:
It took me a while to get properly into this book. I think it was the abundance of language related to alchemy that did it. I know absolutely nothing about alchemy, which highlighted two thoughts in my head. Firstly, I didn’t know what any of the words meant, and secondly, I didn’t know if the vocabulary used was accurate or just made up by the author. I don’t know why this bugged me, and I don’t know why it stopped bugging me either. But it did stop, and once I got over it I was in the middle of a really excellent mystery novel. I read the whole book in less than a day – I stayed up all night just to finish, it was that kind of book. I couldn’t put it down.
So the first thing I really liked was the way alchemy was portrayed in the book. As I’ve just said, I know nothing about it, so perhaps everything is totally accurate (in so much as you can be accurate about something like alchemy), but it was different to how I usually see it portrayed. There is a lovely line in the book that says that the different between alchemy and chemistry is that alchemy requires a connection to the materials, and proper intention (or words to that effect). Zoe, for example, really struggles to turn things into gold, because she’s just not interested in it, but she is superb with plant-based alchemy. Edward Kelley can’t make gold, because his intentions aren’t good – he’s greedy and want’s the power and so he just can’t manage it. It’s very different from, for example, the Harry Potter style of alchemy where the philosophers stone gets made and suddenly anybody can use it just by having it on them.
It was also really interesting to see the variety of alchemy. Nicholas Flamel is sort of the traditional alchemist, lead into gold, that sort of thing (although by no means limited to just that one thing). Zoe is all about the plants. Tobias is a spiritual alchemist – someone who works to transform the spirit into something better. Phillipe Hayden is a alchemical painter – using raw materials to do magical things with paint. It really makes the world of alchemy more interesting and alive to know that there is so much to it that you wouldn’t necessarily expect.
Another thing I liked was the characters. Particularly Dorian �� a gargoyle who became real by accident. Dorian still looks like a gargoyle – he’s grey, he’s got wings, he’s 3 feet tall – but he wanted to do things with his life, so he apprenticed under a blind chef and cooked for blind folks as a way of being out in the world but not seen. He’s heavily influenced by the books he reads and throws himself into any situation that calls for his attention. He’s just a wonderful creation and the whole book was improved by his existence.
One thing I noticed – and this an observation more than a criticism – is that Pandian has a tendency to repeat things that have already been said. The attic room where Dorian lives, for example, is probably described 3 times in much the same way at different points in the book, and there are other examples that escape me – mostly alchemical things. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it certainly helped cement some of the concepts in my mind, but I’m aware it could bug some people. Also there were a couple of times where characters said things that I just can’t imagine any human being every saying. The one that sticks in my mind most was an outburst by a murder victims wife, who says “He was wearing that on the moonlit night he was murdered!” The night he was murdered, sure, but the moonlit night? Perhaps people in Portland are more poetic than I am. Again, this isn’t a criticism it just struck me as a bit peculiar.
The thing I liked most about this book is that, as I said, after a shaky start (due to an abundance of technical terminology) I was completely and totally hooked. I think I read a few chapters Monday night, and then the entire book in on sitting last night. That’s not something I usually do, unless I’m really hooked into something. I’ll read for a long time, but it’s not often I find something I’m willing to stay up all night just to see how it ends. I’m also desperate to read the other three books in the series so I hope that goes some way to showing just how much I liked this book.
Final Thoughts
This is a really fun book, that I would happily recommend to anyone, and will probably wind up buying a physical copy of the series so my younger sisters can read it too, because I know they will love it.
___________________________________________
Please Note: I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions contained within are my own and have not been influenced by any external entity!
Ragdoll Rating: 4.5/5 Buttons
Recommended For: Fans of mystery novels. Young folks.
About the Book
The Alchemist’s Illusion is part of the Accidental Alchemist series, although it is mostly a stand-alone work. This book makes frequent references to things that I assume happened in the previous three titles – I’ve not read them yet, so I can’t be totally sure – but I didn’t feel I missed anything from not having read them, everything was explained to some extent.
Zoe Faust has set herself up in Portland, Oregon. Zoe is an alchemist who created the Elixir of Life and has lived for hundreds of years. She has led a life on the run, skipping town and changing her identity every few years to avoid detection and revealing her secret, but now she had built herself a comfortable little life and she want’s to stay where she is. Then she discovers her old mentor, Nicholas Flamel is in danger and needs her help. Suddenly her life is turned on its head, and Zoe finds herself in the midst of an alchemical conspiracy / murder mystery.
What I thought:
It took me a while to get properly into this book. I think it was the abundance of language related to alchemy that did it. I know absolutely nothing about alchemy, which highlighted two thoughts in my head. Firstly, I didn’t know what any of the words meant, and secondly, I didn’t know if the vocabulary used was accurate or just made up by the author. I don’t know why this bugged me, and I don’t know why it stopped bugging me either. But it did stop, and once I got over it I was in the middle of a really excellent mystery novel. I read the whole book in less than a day – I stayed up all night just to finish, it was that kind of book. I couldn’t put it down.
So the first thing I really liked was the way alchemy was portrayed in the book. As I’ve just said, I know nothing about it, so perhaps everything is totally accurate (in so much as you can be accurate about something like alchemy), but it was different to how I usually see it portrayed. There is a lovely line in the book that says that the different between alchemy and chemistry is that alchemy requires a connection to the materials, and proper intention (or words to that effect). Zoe, for example, really struggles to turn things into gold, because she’s just not interested in it, but she is superb with plant-based alchemy. Edward Kelley can’t make gold, because his intentions aren’t good – he’s greedy and want’s the power and so he just can’t manage it. It’s very different from, for example, the Harry Potter style of alchemy where the philosophers stone gets made and suddenly anybody can use it just by having it on them.
It was also really interesting to see the variety of alchemy. Nicholas Flamel is sort of the traditional alchemist, lead into gold, that sort of thing (although by no means limited to just that one thing). Zoe is all about the plants. Tobias is a spiritual alchemist – someone who works to transform the spirit into something better. Phillipe Hayden is a alchemical painter – using raw materials to do magical things with paint. It really makes the world of alchemy more interesting and alive to know that there is so much to it that you wouldn’t necessarily expect.
Another thing I liked was the characters. Particularly Dorian �� a gargoyle who became real by accident. Dorian still looks like a gargoyle – he’s grey, he’s got wings, he’s 3 feet tall – but he wanted to do things with his life, so he apprenticed under a blind chef and cooked for blind folks as a way of being out in the world but not seen. He’s heavily influenced by the books he reads and throws himself into any situation that calls for his attention. He’s just a wonderful creation and the whole book was improved by his existence.
One thing I noticed – and this an observation more than a criticism – is that Pandian has a tendency to repeat things that have already been said. The attic room where Dorian lives, for example, is probably described 3 times in much the same way at different points in the book, and there are other examples that escape me – mostly alchemical things. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it certainly helped cement some of the concepts in my mind, but I’m aware it could bug some people. Also there were a couple of times where characters said things that I just can’t imagine any human being every saying. The one that sticks in my mind most was an outburst by a murder victims wife, who says “He was wearing that on the moonlit night he was murdered!” The night he was murdered, sure, but the moonlit night? Perhaps people in Portland are more poetic than I am. Again, this isn’t a criticism it just struck me as a bit peculiar.
The thing I liked most about this book is that, as I said, after a shaky start (due to an abundance of technical terminology) I was completely and totally hooked. I think I read a few chapters Monday night, and then the entire book in on sitting last night. That’s not something I usually do, unless I’m really hooked into something. I’ll read for a long time, but it’s not often I find something I’m willing to stay up all night just to see how it ends. I’m also desperate to read the other three books in the series so I hope that goes some way to showing just how much I liked this book.
Final Thoughts
This is a really fun book, that I would happily recommend to anyone, and will probably wind up buying a physical copy of the series so my younger sisters can read it too, because I know they will love it.
___________________________________________
Please Note: I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions contained within are my own and have not been influenced by any external entity!
February 26, 2022
My Favorite One So Far
I've read the 1st three in this series already, making this the fourth, and for the most part have truly enjoyed these light-hearted reads. Part mystery, with a side of illustrative imagination, mayhem, hi-jinx, and humor.
An excellent choice if your looking for a more care-free sort of read.
I will mention, I was highly disappointed to see at the start of book 4, a major component of the first 3, wrapped up and summarized in a very short passing. I really thought there would be more given to the issue of Dorian. I did NOT expect it be arbitrarily dismissed in a few short sentences.
I am happy though, to report a few issues I had with the first 3, seemed to be addressed. There were a lot of errors, with continual repeats, explanations, and what I call fluff-page fillers, now reduced to a minimum in book 4. Thankfully!!
Once picking it up, I couldn't put this one down! I kept telling myself just one more page, one more section, one more chapter...
The mystery covered in this one had me puzzling all the way to the end. Excellent who-dunnit. It's also been immensely delightful delving deeper into the story of Zoe, and her ever growing, eclectic cluster of "family."
Definitely a series which has the ability to continue to expand further, with incalculable opportunities for growth.
I'll absolutely seek out book 5, which is supposedly available now. Unfortunately, I've experienced trouble tracking down a few of these already.
I've read the 1st three in this series already, making this the fourth, and for the most part have truly enjoyed these light-hearted reads. Part mystery, with a side of illustrative imagination, mayhem, hi-jinx, and humor.
An excellent choice if your looking for a more care-free sort of read.
I will mention, I was highly disappointed to see at the start of book 4, a major component of the first 3, wrapped up and summarized in a very short passing. I really thought there would be more given to the issue of Dorian. I did NOT expect it be arbitrarily dismissed in a few short sentences.
I am happy though, to report a few issues I had with the first 3, seemed to be addressed. There were a lot of errors, with continual repeats, explanations, and what I call fluff-page fillers, now reduced to a minimum in book 4. Thankfully!!
Once picking it up, I couldn't put this one down! I kept telling myself just one more page, one more section, one more chapter...
The mystery covered in this one had me puzzling all the way to the end. Excellent who-dunnit. It's also been immensely delightful delving deeper into the story of Zoe, and her ever growing, eclectic cluster of "family."
Definitely a series which has the ability to continue to expand further, with incalculable opportunities for growth.
I'll absolutely seek out book 5, which is supposedly available now. Unfortunately, I've experienced trouble tracking down a few of these already.
March 9, 2019
The first I've read in this fun series about Zoe Faust, a 300-year old alchemist, and her French gargoyle friend Dorian. Zoe has settled in Portland, in the US Pacific Northwest, to try and start her life over again. She has a policeman boyfriend, Max, and some friends and seems content to work her online antique (bought when new) business, drink tea at the Blue Sky Cafe and help guide her friend's 15-year old teenage son to be a good kid. He's one of the only other people who knows Dorian is a gargoyle, and not just a disfigured French friend of Zoe's.
Zoe gets pulled into the murder investigation of a local artist when his wife declares that Zoe killed him. The murder seems to revolve around a portrait of her mentor, Nicholas Flamel, who has been dead (supposedly) all these years, but who had, she knows, never sat for a portrait while he was alive. When the painting disappears, she wonders if there is a connection to the dead artist. There are two storylines here, with one taking us back to 1597 and the origin of the painting.
I did (kind of guess) the murderer, and there was a lot of talk about cooking and vegan food (the author herself is vegan), and it moved along a bit more slowly than I would have liked, but I enjoyed the characters and the story enough that there were moments I found myself lost in the book. It's a clever idea and is a series I need to start at the beginning in order to discover how the relationships all started.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC to read and review. All opinions are strictly my own.
Zoe gets pulled into the murder investigation of a local artist when his wife declares that Zoe killed him. The murder seems to revolve around a portrait of her mentor, Nicholas Flamel, who has been dead (supposedly) all these years, but who had, she knows, never sat for a portrait while he was alive. When the painting disappears, she wonders if there is a connection to the dead artist. There are two storylines here, with one taking us back to 1597 and the origin of the painting.
I did (kind of guess) the murderer, and there was a lot of talk about cooking and vegan food (the author herself is vegan), and it moved along a bit more slowly than I would have liked, but I enjoyed the characters and the story enough that there were moments I found myself lost in the book. It's a clever idea and is a series I need to start at the beginning in order to discover how the relationships all started.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC to read and review. All opinions are strictly my own.
Read
July 20, 2021Thrilled to mark this as currently reading, as the local library where I’m staying actually has this series in stock!!
Try as I might to savor this, #4 in the series, I was unsuccessful. Pandian’s style leans heavily on short chapters, which can be deceptive if you’re playing the ‘just one more chapter’ game before putting it down to get to life’s sundries. Pandian’s research skills are clear on each page, whether she’s discussing alchemical transformations versus modern chemistry, historical figures and varied accounts of their lives, the world of art forgery, or vegan recipes. Just when Pandian ties up one loose end, another string unravels and starts a cliffhanger to keep you turning pages. Each entry in this series is a delight.
Zoe Faust begins the book in much the same headspace as we left her: tired of running, ready to settle down, unsure whether Max is ready to hear her backstory, but with a few solid friends present in her life. Dorian is, well, Dorian-gargoyle chef/alchemist who enjoys flexing his little grey cells and perhaps has a secret of his own in the wings. When a local artist’s death is attributed to suicide, Zoe suspects foul play; when she sees a painting in his studio that’s an uncanny resemblance to her centuries-old friend Nicholas Flamel, she has to dig deeper and stretch her memories of Nicholas and his wife Perenell and her friendships with Dorian, Max, and Tobias to their limits.
Just a couple of misses by the editor (such as angel instead of angle on p.253).
Try as I might to savor this, #4 in the series, I was unsuccessful. Pandian’s style leans heavily on short chapters, which can be deceptive if you’re playing the ‘just one more chapter’ game before putting it down to get to life’s sundries. Pandian’s research skills are clear on each page, whether she’s discussing alchemical transformations versus modern chemistry, historical figures and varied accounts of their lives, the world of art forgery, or vegan recipes. Just when Pandian ties up one loose end, another string unravels and starts a cliffhanger to keep you turning pages. Each entry in this series is a delight.
Zoe Faust begins the book in much the same headspace as we left her: tired of running, ready to settle down, unsure whether Max is ready to hear her backstory, but with a few solid friends present in her life. Dorian is, well, Dorian-gargoyle chef/alchemist who enjoys flexing his little grey cells and perhaps has a secret of his own in the wings. When a local artist’s death is attributed to suicide, Zoe suspects foul play; when she sees a painting in his studio that’s an uncanny resemblance to her centuries-old friend Nicholas Flamel, she has to dig deeper and stretch her memories of Nicholas and his wife Perenell and her friendships with Dorian, Max, and Tobias to their limits.
Just a couple of misses by the editor (such as angel instead of angle on p.253).
July 5, 2025
Book four in Pandian's Accidental Alchemist series uses a narration technique from book two, The Masquerading Magician. Modern-day alchemist Zoe Faust provides more of her backstory while she and Dorian, her living gargoyle roommate, try to decipher an 18th century note to her from Nicolas Flamel who had been her mentor. Chapters by an omniscient narrator are most often set in 16th century Prague where artist Philippe Hayden is serving a residency at the court of Rudolph II.
The book opens as Zoe is startled by the penetrating gaze she sees in a portrait displayed at the Logan Magnus Memorial Gallery. Conflicting explanations of that artist's death soon intrigue her. Who is explaining? Different detectives and different Magnus family members. Zoe's expanding circle of friends adds to the plot and subplots. News of Philippe Hayden paintings and forgeries toggle from one narrator to the other.
Fans of Zoe and Dorian can delight in and worry about their personal lives. Pandian adds the perfect amount of humor even as ominous clues and cliffhangers emerge. In truth, I did figure out more than one solution early in the book, but the routes from mysteries to solutions are gobsmacking.
The book opens as Zoe is startled by the penetrating gaze she sees in a portrait displayed at the Logan Magnus Memorial Gallery. Conflicting explanations of that artist's death soon intrigue her. Who is explaining? Different detectives and different Magnus family members. Zoe's expanding circle of friends adds to the plot and subplots. News of Philippe Hayden paintings and forgeries toggle from one narrator to the other.
Fans of Zoe and Dorian can delight in and worry about their personal lives. Pandian adds the perfect amount of humor even as ominous clues and cliffhangers emerge. In truth, I did figure out more than one solution early in the book, but the routes from mysteries to solutions are gobsmacking.
December 8, 2018
I wasn’t sure about this book when I picked up. The cover had caught my eye several times, but a book with a gargoyle and alchemy seemed a bit woo-woo. I finally decided to give it a shot; if it moved too far into the world of fantasy, I could always put it down I reasoned. And it did take several pages to get acclimated, but once I did, I was hooked. Zoe and Dorian and interesting characters who just happen to be an alchemist and gargoyle. True, it does present a few challenges, especially for Dorian, but it works.
This specific book starts off with Zoe seeing a painting and recognizing her mentor - the person who introduced her to alchemy. He had vanished centuries earlier with only a single clue, but with the painting, Zoe has to look for him. Adding to the challenge of finding Nicolas is that the person who might be able to help her died recently. She’s also juggling how and how much to tell her love, Max, about her alchemist past.
Altogether a fun book - highly recommended. I plan on looking for other ones in the series!
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.com and voluntarily chose to review.
This specific book starts off with Zoe seeing a painting and recognizing her mentor - the person who introduced her to alchemy. He had vanished centuries earlier with only a single clue, but with the painting, Zoe has to look for him. Adding to the challenge of finding Nicolas is that the person who might be able to help her died recently. She’s also juggling how and how much to tell her love, Max, about her alchemist past.
Altogether a fun book - highly recommended. I plan on looking for other ones in the series!
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.com and voluntarily chose to review.
January 14, 2019
This was a delightful mystery and a compelling read. I had to force myself to put the book down in order to get some chores done over the weekend. I just wanted to read it cover to cover without stops.
I have only read the first book in this series, so I had a basis for the background, but apparently a lot has happened in the books I have not read yet. This did not impede my enjoyment of this story. I hope it did not also spoil any of the prior books in this series once I read them.
I did not know a lot about alchemy. I was completely convinced that the alchemists in this story could perform their activities as written, until I stepped back and brought reality to bare once again.
There is a murder mystery here, but you are dealing with a lot more than the 21st century Portlanders caught up in the investigation. There is art forgery, and a lot of characters who are more than they seem to be. Everyone has a secret. Unraveling them was a wonderful use of my weekend.
I won a copy of an ARC of this from the author. There was no promise of a good review in exchange, but I am happy to provide one.
I have only read the first book in this series, so I had a basis for the background, but apparently a lot has happened in the books I have not read yet. This did not impede my enjoyment of this story. I hope it did not also spoil any of the prior books in this series once I read them.
I did not know a lot about alchemy. I was completely convinced that the alchemists in this story could perform their activities as written, until I stepped back and brought reality to bare once again.
There is a murder mystery here, but you are dealing with a lot more than the 21st century Portlanders caught up in the investigation. There is art forgery, and a lot of characters who are more than they seem to be. Everyone has a secret. Unraveling them was a wonderful use of my weekend.
I won a copy of an ARC of this from the author. There was no promise of a good review in exchange, but I am happy to provide one.
October 25, 2025
I have continued to enjoy this series. There's an element of mystery, but it is mostly 'about' the interactions of the characters. Zoe is an alchemist and several hundred years old, though she looks only in her 20s. Dorian is a Gargoyle accidentally brought to life -- also several hundred years and an accomplished French chef. Max is a police officer, and maybe Zoe's boyfriend, but she's not told him everything about herself yet.
This adventure starts when Zoe spies a painting in the window of a gallery that looks eerily like her old mentor, Nicolas Flamel. But when she goes back, the painting is gone. AND it turns out the man who owned it had died sometime shortly before, thought to be a suicide. But things don't add up for Max's boss, Detective Vega -- a student of historical crime -- and when the dead man's family starts throwing up road blocks to her even seeing it again, she is suspicious.
Zoe also has the help of old friend and fellow alchemist Tobias, and escaped slave and current EMT, as well as Brixton and his teenage pals. It all comes together well and concludes satisfyingly. I'll definitely continue with the series.
This adventure starts when Zoe spies a painting in the window of a gallery that looks eerily like her old mentor, Nicolas Flamel. But when she goes back, the painting is gone. AND it turns out the man who owned it had died sometime shortly before, thought to be a suicide. But things don't add up for Max's boss, Detective Vega -- a student of historical crime -- and when the dead man's family starts throwing up road blocks to her even seeing it again, she is suspicious.
Zoe also has the help of old friend and fellow alchemist Tobias, and escaped slave and current EMT, as well as Brixton and his teenage pals. It all comes together well and concludes satisfyingly. I'll definitely continue with the series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews