By Ava Shaffer
“To preserve the existence of these women whose names would otherwise be erased from history. The world is not kind to us...There are few places for a woman to leave an indelible mark.”
3.5 STARS
Read This Book If…
You’re interested in a Sweeney Todd-esque story of an apothecary killer
You’re drawn to historical fiction, with a little fantasy twist
You want to read about complex 18th century women and the ways in which they interact with the men who control their lives
You’re looking to be completely immersed in a different time period and different setting
Spoiler-Free Review
This story started off slow, never really grasping my full attention until the last 100 pages. I found the characters boring and lacking in personality, although their interactions and places within history were compelling. The toggling between the past narratives and present were very well done and it was evident the story had been incredibly thought through.
Full Review
The Lost Apothecary is an incredibly immersive story with a compelling premise. When I read the blurb on the Book Of The Month website, I was ecstatic. A fantasy novel about a man-killing feminist apothercary? Sign me up please! As excited as I was, I felt like I was dragging my feet through the first two thirds of this book. I wanted the characters to be spunky and vibrant, but they sort of fell flat for me. Although I liked the interactions between Nella and Eliza, I didn’t particularly care much about either of them. They seemed to lack in personality, which I’m not sure was an omission from the author or just a product of 18th century characters. But what I did care about was the plot. The final 100 pages of this book were so fast-paced, it was impossible for me to set down the book because I needed to know what would happen next. The multiple plot twists (such as the wax imprint of Nella’s logo, Eliza sacrificing herself, and Caroline’s almost arrest) kept the story intense and suspenseful. I’m still conflicted about how I feel about the ending. Although it was obvious throughout the whole book Caroline would get a divorce and move to London, I was surprised by Nella and Eliza returning from the dead. I think this was a very ambiguous and open-ended ending, which can be debated if they even returned at all. On one hand, I liked seeing the characters finally have a happy ending and end to their suffering, but on the other hand I felt it wrapped up too easily. I think I would have rather read a bittersweet, heart wrenching ending that didn’t legitimize magic because it took power away from the apothecary’s talent. Overall, I am glad I read this book because it got me more interested in historical fantasy fiction.
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