Philip's Reviews > The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter

3.5 stars

Clever and witty in the vein of many Victorian classics but much more accessible, if not necessarily as sophisticated.

There's a colorful cast of women based on said classics who are often charming and enjoyable to follow. Mary, the eponymous Alchemist's Daughter, is especially lovely and admirable. Her foil- and half-sister- Diana, is sometimes one-note in her perpetual disagreeableness, but always entertaining in her interactions with Mary. The inclusion of the reputable duo of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson adds another fun element, even more so because they are mainly relegated to supporting character status allowing the female cast to shine.

Goss employs the literary device of allowing her cast to interject their thoughts and reactions during the "writing" of the novel by Catherine, one of Dr. Moreau's creations. While it's cute and sometimes provides insight into the thoughts of the characters, it's not strictly necessary and comes off as more of a frivolous conceit.

The pacing is disjointed, the last third (basically all conclusion) especially, although I actually did enjoy Justine's lengthy monologue. It shows Goss's connection, love, and understanding of the source material and ended up being quite touching. Overall not incredible, but with the possibility of a sequel left wide open, (view spoiler)[(the strange case of the alchemist's daughter is never actually solved) (hide spoiler)] I'm more than willing to follow the Athena Club around on their next adventure.

Posted in Mr. Philip's Library