Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing me with an ARC of this book and for letting me participate in the blog tour of A GOLDEN FURY!
Today I am so excited to be bringing you guys an interview with Samantha Cohoe, author of A Golden Fury. This was a book that drew me in right away. I mean, what’s not to love about a fantasy set during the French Revolution about an alchemist as she tries to create the philosophers stone? With a lush setting and fascinating characters, I absolutely adored this book. But enough about me, lets see what Samantha herself had to say!
What should readers know about A Golden Fury that isn’t in the synopsis?
They should know that this is a story with a very intelligent heroine who will make some serious mistakes. I personally wouldn’t call them stupid mistakes, because I understand why she made all of them, and I don’t think they come from stupidity. But some readers might call them stupid mistakes, and even if they do, I hope they’ll try to remember that we all make them!
What drew you to set your book during the French Revolution?
I like historical periods that are full of change and turmoil, particularly if that change and turmoil is caused by ideas. And to me, there was a similarity of spirit between the utopian promises of the French Revolution and the wild promises of alchemy that made it the perfect time to set this story.
What was the most challenging part of writing A GOLDEN FURY? What was the most enjoyable part?
The most enjoyable part was channeling Thea’s voice. She’s not sweet! Her voice is a bit sharp, but I always enjoyed her company. The most challenging part was writing the madness. I’m not a horror reader! It’s too scary for me. Sometimes I freaked myself out writing the horror elements in A GOLDEN FURY.
Thea is such a strong and driven young woman, did you draw inspiration from any real life people when writing her?
I have always been drawn to women with ambitions. In particular, though, I’d just spent a year in St. Louis spending a lot of time with a friend who is a philosopher. That’s a very male-dominated field, and it was inspiring to me to watch her find her place in it. Now, her style is really different from Thea’s! She’s actually a much gentler person, but just as strong. Actually, I’d like to imagine Thea finds a friend like her a few years down the road.
Do you ever see yourself writing another book in this world? If so, would it include some of the characters from A Golden Fury?
I really don’t! I’ve had a few readers ask about this and I’m so glad they loved the world and characters enough to spend more time in it. But I think any story that came after this would be a very different sort of story, and one I’m not sure I know how to write. But there’s always fan-fiction!
What would you like readers to take away from your book?
Mostly, I want them to enjoy it! I didn’t set out to write a book with a message, though it might accidentally have a few. Like, be careful what you wish for, and don’t trust anything if you can’t see where it keeps its brain. Or maybe, more seriously, that you can find your place in the world, no matter how hard it seems when you’re young.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Thea Hope longs to be an alchemist out of the shadow of her famous mother. The two of them are close to creating the legendary Philosopher’s Stone—whose properties include immortality and can turn any metal into gold—but just when the promise of the Stone’s riches is in their grasp, Thea’s mother destroys the Stone in a sudden fit of violent madness.
While combing through her mother’s notes, Thea learns that there’s a curse on the Stone that causes anyone who tries to make it to lose their sanity. With the threat of the French Revolution looming, Thea is sent to Oxford for her safety, to live with the father who doesn’t know she exists.
But in Oxford, there are alchemists after the Stone who don’t believe Thea’s warning about the curse—instead, they’ll stop at nothing to steal Thea’s knowledge of how to create the Stone. But Thea can only run for so long, and soon she will have to choose: create the Stone and sacrifice her sanity, or let the people she loves die.
Check out A Golden Fury here!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Samantha Cohoe writes historically-inspired young adult fantasy. She was raised in San Luis Obispo, California, where she enjoyed an idyllic childhood of beach trips, omnivorous reading, and writing stories brimming with adverbs. She currently lives in Denver with her family and divides her time among teaching Latin, mothering, writing, reading, and deleting adverbs. A Golden Fury is her debut novel.
Find Samantha on Twitter and Instagram!
A Golden Fury is out today, so be sure to pick up a copy if it sounds interesting. I’ll be dropping my full review in the next few days as well, so keep your eyes peeled for that. Until then, let us know whether or not you’ve got the book and what you think of it so far!
Ellie x