The Accidental Alchemist (An Accidental Alchemist Mystery, 1) by Gigi Pandian (Epub)

Description

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.

Praise:

A 2016 Lefty Award winner for Best LCC Regional Mystery

“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

“Mysterious, captivating, and infused with the rich history of the Northwest…fantastic.”―Portland Book Review

“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 Chees Shop Mysteries

“Zoe and Dorian are my new favorite amateur-sleuth duo!” ―Victoria Laurie, New York Times bestselling author

“Readers won’t want to put this book down.”―Vegetarian Journal

User’s Reviews

Review A 2016 Lefty Award winner for Best LCC Regional Mystery “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 “Mysterious, captivating, and infused with the rich history of the Northwest…fantastic.”―Portland Book Review “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 Chees Shop Mysteries “Zoe and Dorian are my new favorite amateur-sleuth duo!” ―Victoria Laurie, New York Times bestselling author “Readers won’t want to put this book down.”―Vegetarian Journal

Reviews from Amazon users, collected at the time the book is getting published on UniedVRG. It can be related to shiping or paper quality instead of the book content:

⭐ I am only a quarter of the way through this book, and it does tick the boxes of cozy and mystery, but I find the main character’s constant references to Veganism, and how healthy it is, to be distracting. It got so bad I started to joke with myself about how many pages the book could go before referencing her Vegan diet – and it always happened sooner than I even predicted. I have no problem with a Vegan diet, (Hooray Vegans!) but the rate, repetition, and focus on the topic would be just as distracting if every 2 pages the charachter notes to themself, and others, that they were Irish or missing an arm. “You may not have noticed this about me, but I only wear one glove, because I am missing an arm.” “Welcome to my tea shop. Since you only have one arm, allow me to open the door for you.” “I love your tea shop, and I appreciate you having left-handed mugs, since I only have a left hand.” The writing has charming moments, but then I find myself being brought up short by awkward phrasing and descriptions. I am hoping this book gets better, and I am willing to keep reading.

⭐ “It was a good thing I’d added extra chia seeds and cocoa powder to my smoothie that day.” Oh, gag, and I don’t mean the chia seeds. This should have been a fun read, but it was so choppy and stupid just as the story should have gotten engaging. The elements were there for a fun, creative departure from the usual tired urban fantasy goop. But the writer just. Couldn’t. stay. on. task! Yes, healing foods are amazing and it makes sense for an umpty-hundred year old alchemist to be vegan, but the compulsive dietary notes weakened the main point: Ms. Thankful-for-chia-seeds happened to be hefting a duffle bag full of sentient gargoyle! How do you think a reader can suspend daily cares and disbelief when you throw in a “brought to you by the power of a plant-based diet” plug every other paragraph? It could have been so much more smoothly, at least. This turned into a goofy waste of time. I just could not get into this little world, and it should have been so good. I loved the ideas, but execution was downright irksome.

⭐ It’s difficult to say why I was not particularly entertained or captivated by this paranormal mystery story. Dorian, the living, breathing, gargoyle who stowed away in Zoe’s boxes when they were shipped from Paris to Portland Oregon should have been enough. He is a gourmet cook, he has the ability to hide in plain sight by turning back to stone, he has extraordinary night vision, and he is good company. In fact, his plight drives most of the plot, since he needs Zoe to decipher an ancient alchemy book to keep him from turning to stone permanently. The book was stolen as part of a murder on Zoe’s front porch. But the rest of the book is less engaging. Things not to like: the characters are poorly developed and not particularly likable, the romance is not interesting, Zoe’s immortality, the anticlimactic resolution of the stolen book problem, the Portland setting which is not defined beyond Zoe’s small rainy neighborhood, and the frequent vegan preaching which includes unappetizing vegan recipe details. The book could be rated G or PG at worst since there is a murder and there are teenagers in jeopardy. The pacing was steady and the tension levels remain low. This book is the first in a series, and I am not in a hurry to read the next one.

⭐ I wanted to like this book. Alchemy! A French gargoyle! Secret tunnels under Portland! But I bounced off of it three times before I managed to finish it. The main character suffers from too much angst. The secondary characters were more interesting. The plot kept being interrupted by unnecessary vegan recipes. I didn’t mind those for a dinner party, but toward the end where the plot should be accelerating, the main character pauses to have a chia smoothie, then about five pages later stops in the middle of the action to remind us about the smoothie because it gave her energy. If the character had been an omnivore, the action wouldn’t have stopped to explain about a hamburger. The plot dragged on but then was resolved very easily with little effort in a rush at the end. The author needs to spend more time on plotting and less on pushing her vegan lifestyle.

⭐ The Accidental Alchemist was an imaginative read. There are quite a few reviews so I will write what I liked about the book. I liked the bonding or friendship between Zoe(300 year old alchemist), Dorian(a gargoyle who has come to life) and Brixton ( a 14 year old neighbor who is left on his own probably too much).Zoe has been on the move for over 300 years . She survived the Salem witch trials and fled to France. She fell in love with Portland Oregon and has decided to try to put down roots. Dorian is French, a gourmet and a superb chef. I am smiling when I write about him as he is my favorite character. He searched out Zoe to help him with a life threatening problem. Next is Brixton who breaks into Zoe’s house out of curiosity, sees Dorian and wants to share that information with the outside world.They are all outsiders and form a close family type unit.(not a typical unit) I did find some humor in the story mainly from Dorian and Brixton. A murder occurs right away when Zoe moves into her run down house with a history in the neighborhood. Items are stolen from her house. One item is a book which she needs to save Dorian’s life.I enjoyed reading about alchemy which I knew very little about. Also, some information was given on the history of the tunnels beneath the city of Portland.However, Dorian stole the show and was quite endearing and likeable.

⭐ This new series is off to an excellent start an intriguing — and eccentric — amateur detective. Zoe isn’t your average Nancy Drew, however; she’s an alchemist, a vegan, and a woman who survived the Salem Witch Trials. Omnivores and vegetarians alike will be dying to try the vegan dishes cooked up, and the sardonic — and very French — Dorian is a fantastic foil for the serious Zoe. This reviewer is eagerly anticipating more from this series, and a return of a cast more fun than an episode of Portlandia.Summary: When Zoe Faust moves to Portland, Oregon, she feels as if she’s come home. She’s determined to give herself a new start in her fixer-upper home. The last thing she expects to find is a gargoyle named Dorian come to life packed in her boxes. But when the contractor she hires shows up dead on her doorstep, and alchemy books are stolen, Zoe has to find the culprit — because one of the books may save Dorian’s life.This review originally appeared in the January 2015 issue of RT Book Reviews. An excerpt of that review may appear above in the item’s editorial reviews section.

⭐ I’d never heard of the Accidental Alchemist series until I was at a recent writer’s group meeting. I hopped on Amazon, read the reviews and the first couple of pages and knew this book had to be in my Kindle library. Zoe, Dorian, Max and Brixton are four people I would love to have in my life. Zoe is so dedicated to finding a cure for her best friend, Dorian, that she is sacrificing her own health to do so. I love that the book wrapped up neatly in the first book BUT there were enough underlying themes and plots that are revisited in the second and third books — yes I am devouring these books. There is a thread that goes throughout the three books I have read, but each book has tied up neatly enough that I don’t feel cheated. I also love that the author, who is a breast cancer survivor like me, realized her dream when she wrote and had these books published. Am loving every one I have read thus far.

⭐ Other than the gargoyle, the characters never fully developed. The protagonist spends her time running around aimlessly while fretting about the work that she needs to do. At first I thought the author was humorously cashing in on the old adage “how do you know someone is a vegan? Oh, they’ll tell you” with her constant reference to the main character being a vegan, but after twenty plus references it ceased to amuse. Vegan, check, please move on. Hopefully the sequels tighten up and and/or editor steps in. Could then be a winner.

⭐ A dip into fantasy every once in a while is a good thing, as is Gigi Pandian’s imaginative writing. Here, she has paired Zoe, an alchemist who has already lived hundreds of years, with Dorian, a gargoyle who is struggling not to turn to stone. Together, they must solve the mystery of who has taken the gargoyle’s ancient book of alchemy that holds the formula Zoe needs to use to find the cure for Dorian. Along the way, they must also discover who among their new acquaintances in Portland is a murderer. I enjoy Pandian’s unique characters.

⭐ This book was really enjoyable. The characters are interesting and I was absorbed into the story. However I feel there is something that needs to be addressed. Yes the main character is vegan, yes that plays into the story yes the author is also vegan however I don’t feel like this book is preachy or an attempt to make people vegan as I saw in some reviews and the vegan recipes in the back look really tasty though the author and I will continue to disagree that Kale will ever be tasty (its so not in my opinion)

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