An apothecary and a doctor look for a long lost spell book to cure their immortality. After centuries as friends and enemies, and heroes and sort-of villains, the two finally cross paths in America looking for the book. Just shy of 5 stars, I still remember it fondly after having read it months ago. ( )

I received this book from Pyr through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review: my thanks to both of them for granting me this opportunity.

When I saw this title in the list of the books offered for review I was immediately intrigued, since the story promised to combine old myths and modern conspiracies in what looked like an irresistible mix. Gaelan Erceldoune is an apothecary in mid-nineteenth century London, a man harboring a secret that goes back to more ancient times. When he is approached by Dr. Simon Bell, a man desperate to save his beloved wife Sophie from cancer, he concocts a substance that could cure her, provided his client follows instructions to the letter. Sadly, Sophie dies anyway and Simon, in a fit of desperation, drinks the rest of the elixir to follow her into death, but only manages to make himself immortal, just like Gaelan who drank a similar potion to cure himself from the plague two centuries earlier.

From that moment on, the destiny of both men becomes inextricably linked: as Simon tries in vain to kill himself, not realizing yet the change effected by the potion, Gaelan becomes the victim of a deranged scientist who submits him to terrible tortures for years in the hope of finding the secret of his rapid healing and immortality. When the two reunite again they will need to pool their resources to find the key to their condition in a mysterious book of ancient remedies that was Gaelan’s family heirloom and that disappeared after his incarceration. Gaelan hungers for the old wisdom contained in the book, the only link that remains to his long-lost family, and Simon only seeks the way to reverse the procedure and finally join his beloved Sophie in death.

The story unfolds on two tracks – the events from mid-nineteenth century London and those from the present day – that intertwine around each other not unlike DNA strands, an image that recurs often in the course of the novel. This narrative style makes for a quick, fascinating read, even more so for the past, as we follow Gaelan’s soul-wrenching experiences at the hands of doctor Hailey and his cronies, who could give the infamous Mengele some points. In the present, the danger comes from the research of an unscrupulous pharmaceutical company that has gotten wind of Gaelan’s existence and tries to hunt him down for the obvious advantages that could derive from the study of such a unique individual.

I did enjoy the story overall, though I felt more partial to the half of it set in the past: to me it held the attraction of a period piece interlaced with some mystery and a few touches of ancient magic, and I loved the peek it allowed into the times’ mores and thought processes, even though the language sounded a little too flowery for my tastes.

The present-times section had a more… unfinished flavor for me, and it contrasted starkly with its twin half: if I wanted to put my feelings into images, I could say that the nineteenth century sections were in full color, while the twenty-first century ones seemed somewhat faded and less real than their counterparts. After a while I found myself thinking that the author must have felt this way as well, and needed to anchor the writing for the present times to some firm points: I believe this must have been the reason for the liberal (and in my opinion often unwarranted) use of the f** word or the brand names of the various articles of clothing, drinks or electronic equipment mentioned in the course of the story, that always felt to me like pasted-on additions that somehow did not truly belong in there.

That said, The Apothecary’s Curse is a swift, interesting read that will appeal to the estimators of the genre.


Originally published at SPACE and SORCERY Blog ( )

** I won an ARC of this novel through a Goodreads giveaway. **

This was an interesting travel through time, with the characters and plot moving from the Victorian Era in England to modern times in the US. The science/magic was well developed, as were the characters. I truly enjoyed this story but have to admit that I enjoyed the Victorian parts more than the modern ones. The story felt more real and the antagonists were much more realistic in the historical period. There were times when I just wanted to get the modern sections over with and just go back. However, the modern-day portions are an important part of the story and they were also very well-written. Solid 4 stars and I would definitely recommend this to Victorian mystery fans, magical science fans, and alchemy fans. ( )

Holy sweet pinata of Santa Maria!!!

*stops to take a breath*

OK, OK, that was one heck of an opening, but hot dang, was this book a shock to my senses or what?!

Dr. Simon Bell, one of the finest in London, visits an acquaintance of his to ask for a cure - his sweet wife Sophie is slowly dying from cancer. Said acquaintance, an apothecary going by the name Gaelan Erceldoune, is a bitter widower who didn't have the chance to save his own wife, one year prior to Simon's visit. He claims he has a cure, but it results in Sophie's death. Simon, not willing to live without his wife, downs the potion he gave her - only to become immortal. Now, the two of them must find a way to reverse his immortality so that he can finally die in peace.

Admittedly, this was only HALF of what I wished to write as a summary for the book, but I'm trying my damnest here to not give away any more spoilers, so bear with me. As a matter of fact, I don't think I can say a lot of things I want to say without treading in dangerous spoiler waters, so I'll keep it at a minimum.

Let's start with what didn't work for me in the story: hmmm, NOTHING! Everything was absolutely perfect. The timing, the pace, the plot twists, the characters. Even if I hated some of them - I'm looking at you, Simon! - I couldn't help but be sucked in what was going on and keep turning the pages to see the rest of it. Some of the twists were predictable (YASSSS, MY SHIP WAS CONFIRMED!!!), some others not, yet the book still managed to keep me intrigued to the very end - dear Mrs. Barnett, that last scene freaked me out and I almost started crying until I realized what really took place, my poor heart nearly stopped!

There's only one last thing left to be said: go read it! ASAP! It may confuse you at first, but you'll learn to love it before the second chapter is even done. Besides, if that, too, fails, there's always Gaelan - the man was a delicious shot of bitter and cynical awesomeness, and you can't help but love him to death!

***I was given an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.*** ( )

First, I loved this book, and I’ll tell you why in a minute. But second, I feel the need to manage some expectations before I get into my review.

When I first saw a listing for The Apothecary’s Curse, it was labeled urban fantasy. And it is… sort of. It’s not your hero or heroine kicking-ass kind of urban fantasy, though. It’s not Victorian steampunk. It’s not what I call a “popcorn” book–the literary equivalent of a summer action blockbuster that you can enjoy without much mental effort.

This book is much meatier than that. This book jumps time, and not always chronologically. In fact, the first chapter is actually set between the Victorian and modern narratives that run throughout the rest of the book. The characters in this book exhibit the speech patterns of their time; in the Victorian narrative, the characters use flowery language and long sentences that can prove difficult for modern readers. This book is slow to reveal itself, letting the two narratives unfold in their own way until the reader finally starts to see the connections emerge. There is very little fighting or action in this book at all; it is a thinker’s book to be sure and feels very literary.

I say all this because I know that, labeled urban fantasy, this is not what some readers will be expecting. And I would hate to see bad reviews of this book simply because a reader had the wrong expectations.

All of the things I listed above are why I LOVE this book. There is a time and place for “popcorn” books; I love them dearly. But I also find great joy in the more literary, more challenging reads. The Apothecary’s Curse is one of these.

Four of the things I particularly love about this book are:

*the multiple ways in which Simon’s and Gaelan’s lives entwine and mimic each other.
*the way in which Simon’s guilt and sorrow over his wife’s death manifests itself.
*the parallelism between Gaelan’s two loves in the book.
*the possible interpretation of an ancient, and supposedly Fae-wrought, book of healing in light of modern medical science.

Every book has a few things that could be different. It seems as if there are a couple of story threads left dangling, such as a bit about Anne’s family history and her acquisition of the book, but nothing so central to the story as to be distracting.

I’m really very happy with The Apothecary’s Curse. It’s one of those books that, upon reread, will likely reveal even more of its secrets. I can see this being a good choice for a fantasy book club or creative writing class as there is a lot here that could be mined for discussion. I highly recommend this to any fantasy or historical fiction reader who is looking for a substantial, satisfying read. ( )