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3.5 

The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter

By Theodora Goss
The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter by Theodora Goss digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

Based on some of literature’s horror and science fiction classics, this “tour de force of reclaiming the narrative, executed with impressive wit and insight” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) debut is the story of a remarkable group of women who come together to solve the mystery of a series of gruesome murders—and the bigger mystery of their own origins.

Mary Jekyll, alone and penniless following her parents’ death, is curious about the secrets of her father’s mysterious past. One clue in particular hints that Edward Hyde, her father’s former friend and a murderer, may be nearby, and there is a reward for information leading to his capture…a reward that would solve all of her immediate financial woes.

But her hunt leads her to Hyde’s daughter, Diana, a feral child left to be raised by nuns. With the assistance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Mary continues her search for the elusive Hyde, and soon befriends more women, all of whom have been created through terrifying experimentation: Beatrice Rappaccini, Catherin Moreau, and Justine Frankenstein.

When their investigations lead them to the discovery of a secret society of immoral and power-crazed scientists, the horrors of their past return. Now it is up to the monsters to finally triumph over the monstrous.

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1854 Reviews

3.5
Slightly Smiling Face“The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter has a unique writing style from the beginning. I both appreciated it overall, but at times didn't prefer it. The main characters in the book speak interruptions and anecdotes into the overarching narrative. I enjoyed this story and was attached to the characters and their stories. I think the book could have been a bit shorter and faster paced, rather than being 400 pages. I will probably check out the next book in the series, however I'm not in a hurry to do so. Many, many appreciation points from the Bechdel perspective for having so many female characters talking with each other throughout!”
“Starting 2025 off right! This is a weird book, and I say that as a person who enjoys weird books. It's like someone wrote crossover fanfic of all their favorite 1800s novels to give the women a happy ending. There are characters from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein, Rappaccini's Daughter, The Island of Dr. Moreau, the Sherlock Holmes series, and more. There is a Jack the Ripper-esque mystery. There is a found family element. And I loved it all! I had read Rappaccini's Daughter and The Island of Dr. Moreau in preparation for this book. It wasn't at all necessary for understanding the story, but if you enjoy classics, I recommend reading them. It was fun seeing how the author switched up the plots and sprinkled in Easter eggs. Onto the actual book! I think my favorite part was the found family. Each person had distinct personalities that bounced off of each other well. The device of having Catherin writing the story with the others interjecting in the margins portrayed that well. I wasn't sure about it at first, but I grew to like it because it was often funny and gave more insight into each character. I also loved how the author combined all of the different novels into one retelling. Having a society of alchemists that these famous scientists were a part of was genius. It lent well to the book not feeling disjointed and emphasizing the mistreated/monstrous women. Some minor nitpicks were that there wasn't much in the way of character development, though that didn't hamper my enjoyment. Towards the end of the book, the characters don't dwell on a character's injury as much as I would've expected. And, finally, there was some occasional repetition in conversations and thoughts. TL;DR: It made me want to read the 720-page sequel, which should tell you everything you need to know.”

About Theodora Goss

Theodora Goss is the World Fantasy Award–winning author of many publications, including the short story collection In the Forest of ForgettingInterfictions, a short story anthology coedited with Delia Sherman; Voices from Fairyland, a poetry anthology with critical essays and a selection of her own poems; The Thorn and the Blossom, a novella in a two-sided accordion format; and the poetry collection Songs for Ophelia; and the novels, The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter, European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman, and The Sinister Mystery of the Mesmerizing Girl. She has been a finalist for the Nebula, Locus, Crawford, Seiun, and Mythopoeic Awards, as well as on the Tiptree Award Honor List, and her work has been translated into eleven languages. She teaches literature and writing at Boston University and in the Stonecoast MFA Program. Visit her at TheodoraGoss.com.

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