Gigi Pandian

From USA Today bestselling author Gigi Pandian comes a modern tale of ancient intrigue Unpacking her belongings in her new hometown of Portland, Oregon, herbalist and reformed alchemist Zoe Faust can't help but notice she's picked up a stowaway. Dorian Robert-Houdin is a living, breathing three-and-half-foot gargoyle--not to mention a master of French cuisine--and he needs Zoe's expertise to decipher a centuries-old text. Zoe, who's trying to put her old life behind her, isn't so sure she wants to reopen her alchemical past . . . until the dead man on her porch leaves her no choice. Includes recipes! Praise: "This reviewer is eagerly anticipating more from this series, and a return of a cast more fun than an episode of Portlandia."--RT BOOK REVIEWS 1/2 "Pandian . . . launches a supernatural cozy series that hits high marks for a modern twist on an ancient practice. Amusing supporting characters and historical details solidify this engaging mystery."--LIBRARY JOURNAL "[A] lighthearted supernatural mystery . . . Pandian sets this series apart from other fluffy paranormal mysteries with Zoe's cute nonhuman sidekick and some mouthwatering vegan recipes."--PUBLISHERS WEEKLY "A whimsical and charming supernatural mystery."--MYSTERY SCENE "What really makes this book stand out, however, is the originality . . . Pandian has managed to create an eccentric and charming cast of characters readers are going to want to spend more time with."--RT BOOK REVIEWS ONLINE "The Accidental Alchemist is a recipe for a great read. Gigi Pandian's pen never disappoints."--JULIET BLACKWELL, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE WITCHCRAFT MYSTERY SERIES "A magical, whimsical cozy that will delight readers who enjoy Juliet Blackwell and Heather Weber mysteries!" --AVERY AAMES, AKA DARYL WOOD GERBER, AUTHOR OF THE CHEESE SHOP MYSTERIES "Zoe and Dorian are my new favorite amateur-sleuth duo!" --VICTORIA LAURIE, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR

The Accidental Alchemist

Rebecca C Wright

I love this series. I have to admit that the character that really kept me hoping was Dorian. Who doesn't love a gargoyle that is also a French chef! The story will keep you wondering what will happen next but the characters will make you love each minute you spend in Pandian's world. Theres is romance and mystery but the friendships and the journey each character is what makes this series special and so lovely.

Colleen

1 Star

This review contains some spoilers.

Awful! Truly awful! I thought The Accidental Alchemist would be something like  the Aisling Grey, Guardian series, a fun Urban Fantasy series. The premise sounded interesting: a 300-something-year-old alchemist, a talking gargoyle, a mysterious ancient book, and a murderer on the loose. There were some good ideas there. Unfortunately, those ideas were utterly wasted through the stiff, stilted writing, boring plot, pathetic insta-love, and piss-poor character development. But the most monumentally tedious thing about The Accidental Alchemist was that the author used it as one giant soapbox to preach her vegan lifestyle. Now, it does not really matter what view, lifestyle, belief, etc that an author is selling - I HATE it anyone spends more time proselytizing than they do writing their damn book. And that is exactly what Gigi Pandian did here. This is basically a long-winded vegan cookbook (yes, there are even recipes included) with occasional story points jotted in the margins. The main character, Zoe Faust, seemed to exist for no other reason to campaign the author's beliefs. Or as I like to call them: Page Puppets. Every author puts parts of themselves into their works. But most manage to at least write a semi-decent story to surround it. Zoe was one of the most useless, boring sad sacks I have ever read. She was right up there with Bella Swan in terms of pathetic ineptness. 

Basically, it went something like this:

ZOE: Hi! I'm Zoe. I'm an alchemist. I'm over three-hundred-years-old. A talking gargoyle just showed up in my house with a mysterious ancient book. But never mind all that. Let me tell you all about the most important thing: I'M VEGAN!
ZOE: Being vegan is the best! I barely even eat carbs because I love veggies so much! And herbs! Especially in my herbal tea! Do you like herbal tea?
ME: Um, yeah. I drink herbal tea every day.
ZOE: Of course, that doesn't really count unless you raised the herbs yourself in a special organic garden or wildcrafted them.... that means harvested them from nature.
ME: Whatever. Do you maybe want to talk about growing up during the Salem Witch trials?
ZOE: Oooooh. No. Those were terrible, dark times. None of them were vegan. I was not even vegan back then. But that was because I did not feel worthy of taking care of myself. Once I realized that my life was worth living, I immediately became vegan and turned my immortal body into a precious Vegan Vessel.
ZOE: I will repeatedly allude to a tragic past then revert back to talking about veganism every time. For example, one of the most important parts of my holistic vegan lifestyle is that I drink organic vegan smoothies at least once a day! They are soooo amazing! People can't believe how tasty I can make my organic vegan smoothies! Here let me list out a bunch of ingredients that I like to put into my organic vegan smoothies.
ME: You've got to be kidding me.
ZOE: Aren't these the best? Don't you just loooove organic vegan smoothies?
ME: If by "organic vegan smoothies" you mean strawberry daiquiris with extra rum in them, then yes. Yes, I do.
ZOE: I'm so sensitive to the energies of plants. 
ZOE: Oooo. A hot guy. But he looks like he is more in need of a healthy vegan meal than hanky panky. I'm going to ask if he likes organic vegan smoothies.
DORIAN: Bonjour. I am a gargoyle. More importantly, I am French. I will now spend almost all of my time creating vegan gourmet meals that blow everyone's minds to support Zoe's incessant campaign to convert everyone to veganism.
ZOE: I respect everyone's life choices. But I know I am absolutely right, and it's my immortal duty to convert everyone to veganism. Even if I have to waterboard them with my organic vegan smoothies.
ZOE: Oh, a neglected neighbor boy. I've never seen him eat a vegetable. That is going to change. I will make him eat vegetables and he will like it. Whether he wants to or not.
ZOE: I studied with Nicholas Flamel. Because no one can write a book about alchemy and not mention Nicholas Flamel. But I don't like to talk about my tragic past. Did I mention I'm so attuned to the sun that I wake up immediately at dawn every day no matter what?! I get my strength from the light! It's so unhealthy to be awake when it's dark out! 
ZOE: Let me tell you about what else I like to put in my smoothies...
ME: There's a dead dude on your front lawn. He was murdered. Do you maybe want to dedicate some page time to that?
ZOE: OMG that's terrible. I need to cleanse my aura! Where is my neti pot?! I can't function with all this negativity!
ME: I think I hate you.
ZOE: OMG, I caught a tiny whiff of chemical! My previous Vegan Vessel is contaminated!! Quick! I must detox! Where is my wheatgrass and dandelion root?! 
ME: Yup, I hate you.
ZOE: Ahhhh! How can you expect me to be awake until MIDNIGHT?!? That's so barbaric! I'm going to have to drink an extra special organic vegan smoothies just to try to stay awake.
ME: I hope you develop a deadly allergy to smoothies. I hope your neti pot suffocates you. I hope you choke to death on your own smug sense of self-importance. 
ZOE: I'm going to finally talk about my tragic past, but I'm going to barely go over it. It will be emotionless and boring as all get out. Then I will wax poetic about herbs and vegetables.
ME: You useless twit. Do you want to do something about those missing children? The ones probably being held captive by a murderer? 
ZOE: That's so terrible. And stressful. So stressful that before I can even think about investigating the missing children I must make an extra special, stress-reducing organic vegan smoothie. Let me tell you about my special ingredients and how they will benefit you!
ME: Are you effing kidding me?? You really took the effing time to detail your stress-reducing smoothie before going after the missing children?!
ZOE: Mmmphh mmmmmaahamm mmmmmmph.
ME: Yeah, it's kind of hard to rant about your vegan ways when your book is shut, isn't it? Take that you horrible, self-absorbed nitwit. You are definitely going on the Worst Books of the Year list. 


RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 1 Star
Writing Style: 1 Star
Characters and Character Development: 1 Star
Plot Structure and Development: 1 Star
Level of Captivation: 1 Star
Originality: 1 Star

Don’t miss the first book in the Anthony Award-winning Accidental Alchemist Mystery Series by USA Today bestselling author Gigi Pandian. A chance for a new beginning in Portland, Oregon. A stowaway from Paris who needs help deciphering an ancient book. And an alchemical mystery neither can refuse. Unpacking her belongings in her new fixer-upper house, alchemist Zoe Faust can't help but notice she's picked up a stowaway. Dorian Robert-Houdin is a living, breathing gargoyle―not to mention a master of French cuisine―and he needs Zoe's expertise to unlock the secrets of a centuries-old text. Zoe, who's trying to put her old life behind her, isn't so sure she wants to reopen her alchemical past...until a crime committed on her front porch leaves her no choice. Includes recipes! Praise Winner of the Left Coast Crime Lefty Award for best regional mystery. "Zoe and Dorian are my new favorite amateur-sleuth duo!" ―New York Times bestselling author Victoria Laurie "A whimsical and charming supernatural mystery."―Mystery Scene "Mysterious, captivating, and infused with the rich history of the Northwest...fantastic." ―Portland Book Review "This reviewer is eagerly anticipating more from this series, and a return of a cast more fun than an episode of Portlandia."―RT Book Reviews "Pandian...launches a supernatural cozy series that hits high marks for a modern twist on an ancient practice. Amusing supporting characters and historical details solidify this engaging mystery." ―Library Journal "[A] lighthearted supernatural mystery...Pandian sets this series apart from other fluffy paranormal mysteries with Zoe's cute nonhuman sidekick and some mouthwatering vegan recipes." ―Publishers Weekly "Readers won't want to put this book down." ―Vegetarian Journal "[A]n eccentric and charming cast of characters readers are going to want to spend more time with." ―RT Book Reviews Online "A magical, whimsical cozy that will delight readers who enjoy Juliet Blackwell and Heather Weber mysteries!"―Agatha Award-winning author Avery Aames (aka Daryl Wood Gerber) "Gigi Pandian's pen never disappoints." ―New York Times bestselling author Juliet Blackwell

An Accidental Alchemist Mystery #1

Dave | Storyphoria

The premise here is that Zoe Faust, an alchemist that's been alive and doing her best to live in anonymity as much as possible, has just moved to a new home in Portland. Upon arriving she finds a living gargoyle has stowed away in her shipping crates from Paris and needs her help deciphering his special book because he's dying. The next morning the handyman she's hired to do some work on her new home is found dead on her front porch, stabbed and poisoned, and suddenly Zoe finds herself in the middle of a magical murder mystery to find the killer and the stolen book of the Gargoyle.

So... here's the thing.

This book presents itself as a fantasy story, with the magic of Zoe's alchemy, the living gargoyle, etc.

But when it comes down to it, this is more of a murder mystery with hints of fantasy and a healthy dose of the "found family" trope to keep things interesting. As far as the mystery goes, it's not a SUPER INTENSE thriller either.

In the end it feels much more like a YA murder mystery with some fantasy elements thrown in and while I won't say it's an AMAZING read, it's a perfectly enjoyable experience and a great palette cleanser after a month of July that was SO disappointing in terms of the stories I consumed.

If you want a cozy feeling, murder mystery with hints of fantasy that you don't have to get TOO involved in, this is a solid option.

I found it enjoyable, though really wished it had just picked a direction and gone all in with it rather than try to tip-toe the line between fantasy and mystery while really just being a mystery.

Jose Manuel Lopez Reyes

This book promised much more than what it ended up being, as other reviewers said. I very much doubt that I will be continuing the series.