A review by bookdnbusy
The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter by Theodora Goss

adventurous dark funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

“No wonder men did not want women to wear bloomers. What could women accomplish if they did not have to continually mind their skirts, keep them from dragging in the mud or getting trampled on the steps of an omnibus? If they had pockets! With pockets, women could conquer the world!”

i LOVED this book so much! it’s the perfect mix of sci-fi, adventure, and mystery sprinkled with a little historical fiction in there. every character is loveable in her own way, even diana, who seems insufferable in her own way! 

i wish they would’ve delved more into the alchemist’s society, all that foreshadowing for it to not be fully resolved or at least give us more insights into it. though, some may argue that it’s the whole point of the trilogy and how and why the athena club came to be. me, i wanted a little more going into the next book.

from the start, i felt like an honorary member of the athena club, a silent one that only provided huffs, puffs, and giggles. i LOVE that the author wrote it in such a way as to not only give the characters full autonomy of their story, but to allow the reader more than just the reading experience and actually be a part of the club as an honorary member, capable of their own commentary (even if from home). 

i really enjoyed that this could be seen as a classical retelling of jekyll & hyde’s story, but from the perspective of what they left behind and what exactly they might’ve gotten into separately, but always linked. the addition of all these others made scientists is just cherry on top as a long time fan of each of them individually!

i cannot wait to continue the series and see what other adventures i can get into with these magnificent friends i’ve come to love and cherish!
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