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The Elixir
With a witchfinder skulking about town, gifted healer Ann and a young Isaac Newton must be careful not to draw too much attention in this high-stakes story from Lindsay Galvin.
Will the discovery of the Elixir of Life lead to a death sentence for a talented young healer?
Ann Storer has inherited her grandmother’s mysterious gift of healing, which she shares through the special tinctures she dispenses in her family’s apothecary shop. When she combines her talents with the genius of a young Isaac Newton, recently arrived to board above the shop, the two create an incredible elixir with seemingly unlimited powers.
But seventeenth-century England is a dangerous place to display any special abilities, and Ann must hide all evidence when witchfinder Abel Geach arrives in town.
So when the plague starts to run rife and those she loves are in danger, will Ann risk everything to help them?
Particularly suitable for readers aged 9+ with a reading age of 8.
Will the discovery of the Elixir of Life lead to a death sentence for a talented young healer?
Ann Storer has inherited her grandmother’s mysterious gift of healing, which she shares through the special tinctures she dispenses in her family’s apothecary shop. When she combines her talents with the genius of a young Isaac Newton, recently arrived to board above the shop, the two create an incredible elixir with seemingly unlimited powers.
But seventeenth-century England is a dangerous place to display any special abilities, and Ann must hide all evidence when witchfinder Abel Geach arrives in town.
So when the plague starts to run rife and those she loves are in danger, will Ann risk everything to help them?
Particularly suitable for readers aged 9+ with a reading age of 8.
120 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 5, 2025
41 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 19, 2025
In a Nutshell: A middle-grade historical fantasy taking partial inspiration from real-life events. The fantasy is intriguing, but the history is quite disturbing. Loved the blend of reality and imagination, but would recommend this only to children who can handle dark tales (with a bittersweet ending.)
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Plot Preview:
Bookish Yays:
⚗️ An unusual middle-grade historical fantasy in terms of content as well as emotional intensity.
⚗️ Ann as the lead – brave, clever, courageous. Loved her personality and her narration!
⚗️ The focus on how traditional apothecaries worked. Might make kids look at medicines and medical practitioners with respect. (And hopefully, also create a curiosity about legitimate non-allopathic healing techniques that are still practised in several cultures.)
⚗️ Ann’s synaesthesia, though this word isn't explicitly mentioned in the book. Her ability to see colours was actually integrated consistently into the plot instead of just being a superfluous plot device.
⚗️ The Isaac Newton connection. The author’s note at the start reveals the factual basis for Newton’s days as a boarder in Grantham. The book also includes some of his actual scientific experiments and studies.
⚗️ The fantastical content, from the colours to the magical elixir and its effects. Turns a typical historical story into a memorable one.
⚗️ The fast-paced storytelling that covers quite a lot within just 120 pages.
⚗️ The historical feel, with a highlight on the superstitions of the era and the blatant gender discrimination. (My favourite part was how Newton never had to worry about being taken for a witch despite his working with similar potions.) This is probably among the few MG novels to include two troubling historical events: the plague and the witch hunts. A good learning opportunity here.
⚗️ The vocabulary – mostly simple enough, but also doesn’t shy away from some beautiful long-forgotten words such as tinctures and apothecary.
⚗️ The Barrington Stoke advantage: the special dyslexia-friendly font, Hi-Lo approach (lowering the reading age while keeping the content tween-friendly), and the high-interest plot. Always a win!
Bookish Mixed Bags:
🧪 A few disturbing scenes, which is to be expected given the main events in the plot: the plague, witch hunts, and also some personal challenges in Ann’s family. Some scenes might be a bit too traumatising for sensitive readers. The fantastical parts help alleviate the traumatic scenes to some extent.
🧪 The ending. I didn’t see it coming. It was realistic but also bittersweet. I don’t know if I really liked it, but I also don’t know how else the story could have ended. 🤔
🧪 The B&W illustrations. In almost all cases, they supplement the story well. But I wish one particularly disturbing scene hadn’t been chosen for illustration.
All in all, this is a one-of-a-kind book for this age group. I am not sure if it would be a good option to sensitive little ones as some scenes are quite troubling, but it does offer a true glimpse of what actually happened in those days. Perhaps it would be better read in classroom settings to offset the shock with group discussion.
This is my first book by this author, and given her historical forte, I’d love to give more of her works a try.
Definitely recommended to middle-graders, as long as they are okay with reading somewhat upsetting scenes in historical stories.
4 stars.
My thanks to Barrington Stoke for providing the DRC of “The Elixir” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
1655. Grantham, England. Ann Storer has a secret talent that only her late grandmother knew about: she can make special tinctures based on the colours she can see when she touches a person. She uses her skills to dispense tinctures at her family apothecary shop. When a young genius named Isaac Newton moves into their spare room as a boarder, the two end up creating a special elixir with seemingly unparalleled healing powers. But with the witch hunt and the plague at the doorstep, Ann needs to be careful about displaying her abilities, even though she doesn’t agree with Newton about the elixir.
The story comes to us in Ann’s first-person perspective.
Bookish Yays:
⚗️ An unusual middle-grade historical fantasy in terms of content as well as emotional intensity.
⚗️ Ann as the lead – brave, clever, courageous. Loved her personality and her narration!
⚗️ The focus on how traditional apothecaries worked. Might make kids look at medicines and medical practitioners with respect. (And hopefully, also create a curiosity about legitimate non-allopathic healing techniques that are still practised in several cultures.)
⚗️ Ann’s synaesthesia, though this word isn't explicitly mentioned in the book. Her ability to see colours was actually integrated consistently into the plot instead of just being a superfluous plot device.
⚗️ The Isaac Newton connection. The author’s note at the start reveals the factual basis for Newton’s days as a boarder in Grantham. The book also includes some of his actual scientific experiments and studies.
⚗️ The fantastical content, from the colours to the magical elixir and its effects. Turns a typical historical story into a memorable one.
⚗️ The fast-paced storytelling that covers quite a lot within just 120 pages.
⚗️ The historical feel, with a highlight on the superstitions of the era and the blatant gender discrimination. (My favourite part was how Newton never had to worry about being taken for a witch despite his working with similar potions.) This is probably among the few MG novels to include two troubling historical events: the plague and the witch hunts. A good learning opportunity here.
⚗️ The vocabulary – mostly simple enough, but also doesn’t shy away from some beautiful long-forgotten words such as tinctures and apothecary.
⚗️ The Barrington Stoke advantage: the special dyslexia-friendly font, Hi-Lo approach (lowering the reading age while keeping the content tween-friendly), and the high-interest plot. Always a win!
Bookish Mixed Bags:
🧪 A few disturbing scenes, which is to be expected given the main events in the plot: the plague, witch hunts, and also some personal challenges in Ann’s family. Some scenes might be a bit too traumatising for sensitive readers. The fantastical parts help alleviate the traumatic scenes to some extent.
🧪 The ending. I didn’t see it coming. It was realistic but also bittersweet. I don’t know if I really liked it, but I also don’t know how else the story could have ended. 🤔
🧪 The B&W illustrations. In almost all cases, they supplement the story well. But I wish one particularly disturbing scene hadn’t been chosen for illustration.
All in all, this is a one-of-a-kind book for this age group. I am not sure if it would be a good option to sensitive little ones as some scenes are quite troubling, but it does offer a true glimpse of what actually happened in those days. Perhaps it would be better read in classroom settings to offset the shock with group discussion.
This is my first book by this author, and given her historical forte, I’d love to give more of her works a try.
Definitely recommended to middle-graders, as long as they are okay with reading somewhat upsetting scenes in historical stories.
4 stars.
My thanks to Barrington Stoke for providing the DRC of “The Elixir” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Threads || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
August 16, 2025
This a brilliant read that hooked me in straight away. This was something different for Barrington Stoke but not for the author. I've always enjoyed reading this author and as usual she never disappointed.
I loved how the author was able to include an important figure from history Isacc Newton and how in parts he wasn't a nice character. And that ending, never saw that coming.
I loved how the author was able to include an important figure from history Isacc Newton and how in parts he wasn't a nice character. And that ending, never saw that coming.
April 26, 2025
Lindsay Galvin is an exceptional writer. Having read The Great Phoenix of London, I already knew that going into The Elixir, but she continues to prove me right with this fantastic, dyslexia friendly novel. Her ability to convey so much description, action, emotion, characterisation and plot in such inclusive language and structure is masterful. I could not have adored The Elixir any more than I did!
With a drive, passion and a touch of magic, Ann is a marvellous protagonist. Her ability to treat and heal people through colour is a brilliant take on magic but grounded in the reality of apothecary. Tying in the history of Isaac Newton makes this feel possible and given then ending (which I won’t reveal here), I foresee plenty of reader looking at doctors, nurses, medical professionals differently in the best way possible. And that, again, is testament to Lindsay Galvin’s storytelling.
As well as writing wondrous protagonists and ‘good guys’, Galvin writes amazing antagonists with Abel Geach. He’s abhorrent, biased, ignorant, and the type of person all of us wish to never encounter, which is what makes him a superb villain. Again, no spoilers here, but I was shocked where his storyline went, and I think this is one that will have readers turning page after page.
Yet again, Barrington Stoke have struck gold with The Elixir by Lindsay Galvin. This is a book I hope to see live forever, and if you haven’t yet, make sure you go preorder (especially to get to relish in the illustration talents of Kristina Kister with this STUNNING cover). Perfect for readers needing dyslexia friendly books, and anyone wanting a splendid adventure, The Elixir is sure to be a hit of the summer and I cannot recommend it enough!
With a drive, passion and a touch of magic, Ann is a marvellous protagonist. Her ability to treat and heal people through colour is a brilliant take on magic but grounded in the reality of apothecary. Tying in the history of Isaac Newton makes this feel possible and given then ending (which I won’t reveal here), I foresee plenty of reader looking at doctors, nurses, medical professionals differently in the best way possible. And that, again, is testament to Lindsay Galvin’s storytelling.
As well as writing wondrous protagonists and ‘good guys’, Galvin writes amazing antagonists with Abel Geach. He’s abhorrent, biased, ignorant, and the type of person all of us wish to never encounter, which is what makes him a superb villain. Again, no spoilers here, but I was shocked where his storyline went, and I think this is one that will have readers turning page after page.
Yet again, Barrington Stoke have struck gold with The Elixir by Lindsay Galvin. This is a book I hope to see live forever, and if you haven’t yet, make sure you go preorder (especially to get to relish in the illustration talents of Kristina Kister with this STUNNING cover). Perfect for readers needing dyslexia friendly books, and anyone wanting a splendid adventure, The Elixir is sure to be a hit of the summer and I cannot recommend it enough!
May 9, 2025
I read The Elixir as an eARC and, as always with a Barrington Stoke title, I knew I was in for something special. Their books are clear, simple, and incredibly accessible—perfect for all kinds of readers, especially those who might find reading a bit tricky. The gorgeous front cover was the first thing that drew me in, and thankfully, the magic continued all the way through.
The story follows Ann, a girl with a secret gift, who must protect both her family and their apothecary when a witch finder comes to town. With the deadly plague looming and secrets piling up, including a life-changing discovery made with none other than their new boarder—Sir Isaac Newton—Ann is faced with impossible choices. Will she be able to keep everything she holds dear safe?
One of my favourite things about this book was the magical vocabulary. Words such as “tinctures” and “witch finders” really bring the world to life and transport you back to the days of apothecaries and old superstitions. It’s packed with interesting, unusual language that will spark curiosity and imagination.
I also absolutely loved the illustrations throughout the book - they’re super enchanting and fit perfectly with the simple yet gripping storyline, adding something a little extra to the reading experience.
The plot itself is super intriguing, mixing real historical elements like England’s witch-hunting past with the scientific genius of Isaac Newton. It’s a clever combination that makes the story feel exciting and different.
Overall, I would recommend this book to readers who love science or magic (or both!) and any reader who is keen to expand their vocabulary and try something a little different!
The story follows Ann, a girl with a secret gift, who must protect both her family and their apothecary when a witch finder comes to town. With the deadly plague looming and secrets piling up, including a life-changing discovery made with none other than their new boarder—Sir Isaac Newton—Ann is faced with impossible choices. Will she be able to keep everything she holds dear safe?
One of my favourite things about this book was the magical vocabulary. Words such as “tinctures” and “witch finders” really bring the world to life and transport you back to the days of apothecaries and old superstitions. It’s packed with interesting, unusual language that will spark curiosity and imagination.
I also absolutely loved the illustrations throughout the book - they’re super enchanting and fit perfectly with the simple yet gripping storyline, adding something a little extra to the reading experience.
The plot itself is super intriguing, mixing real historical elements like England’s witch-hunting past with the scientific genius of Isaac Newton. It’s a clever combination that makes the story feel exciting and different.
Overall, I would recommend this book to readers who love science or magic (or both!) and any reader who is keen to expand their vocabulary and try something a little different!
June 2, 2025
Lindsay's first book for Barrington Stoke, who have simply amazing authors signed up. I've read all her MG novels so was very much looking forward to this!
Ann Storer's family run an apothecary shop. As part of the shop Ann collects and makes other tinctures which she was taught by her Grandmother Willmot. Grandmother unfortunately died in prison, after being accused of witchcraft, her trial date wasn't reached so the family was able to continue in the Apothecary. Ann inherited her grandmother's ability to see a person's colours, she could help when the colours were not right by balancing them.
When a young stranger called Isaac Newton came to board with them, he was interested in the shop and it's medicines. Anne and he began working together on a special elixir.
But it's 17th century England and the Witchfinder is still very much a piece of life. When those she loves are ill, will Anne risk everything to help?
Really enjoyed this as I expected to. The thought that Ann could be a witch is there throughout after we are told about Grandmother and teh skill that she and Ann share.
Including Isaac Newton in teh story because he boarded above an apothecary shop whilst at Grammar School is a good idea, he is a renowned mathematician, physicist, astronomer and alchemist, and would be an ideal candidate to help Ann.
Looking forward to taking this to school, already told my Y6 readers group about the book.
Ann Storer's family run an apothecary shop. As part of the shop Ann collects and makes other tinctures which she was taught by her Grandmother Willmot. Grandmother unfortunately died in prison, after being accused of witchcraft, her trial date wasn't reached so the family was able to continue in the Apothecary. Ann inherited her grandmother's ability to see a person's colours, she could help when the colours were not right by balancing them.
When a young stranger called Isaac Newton came to board with them, he was interested in the shop and it's medicines. Anne and he began working together on a special elixir.
But it's 17th century England and the Witchfinder is still very much a piece of life. When those she loves are ill, will Anne risk everything to help?
Really enjoyed this as I expected to. The thought that Ann could be a witch is there throughout after we are told about Grandmother and teh skill that she and Ann share.
Including Isaac Newton in teh story because he boarded above an apothecary shop whilst at Grammar School is a good idea, he is a renowned mathematician, physicist, astronomer and alchemist, and would be an ideal candidate to help Ann.
Looking forward to taking this to school, already told my Y6 readers group about the book.
April 8, 2025
Just imagine if, through a mixture of aura-reading and synaesthesia, you can see the 'colours' of everything and everyone, and manage to match people to the perfect mixture of herbs and chemicals to cure them of all their ills. Just imagine if your grandma was once thought a witch – and that a witchfinder is in town even now. But then imagine what might happen if a young Isaac Newton was lodging above your apothecary, and was determined to combine his science with your craft to create the Elixir of Life…
Such is the scenario facing Ann Storer in this historical drama. It's a pacy, rich read, as well, perfectly suited to the Barrington Stoke branding, for it delivers the story quickly and easily, with no nonsense, and no fuss – and it's probably a story the young audience might actually surprise themselves by enjoying. Here are witchcraft allegations and the drama surrounding them, but here too is the balance between science and herbal lore – the split between the male student who would never be thought guilty by a witchfinder and the female specialist doing very well by everyone in town and yet under permanent threat something worn by these pages quite classily. It's a clever, unfussy read, and is probably four and a half stars.
Such is the scenario facing Ann Storer in this historical drama. It's a pacy, rich read, as well, perfectly suited to the Barrington Stoke branding, for it delivers the story quickly and easily, with no nonsense, and no fuss – and it's probably a story the young audience might actually surprise themselves by enjoying. Here are witchcraft allegations and the drama surrounding them, but here too is the balance between science and herbal lore – the split between the male student who would never be thought guilty by a witchfinder and the female specialist doing very well by everyone in town and yet under permanent threat something worn by these pages quite classily. It's a clever, unfussy read, and is probably four and a half stars.
August 12, 2025
I really enjoyed this book! It had a really intriguing storyline, and it kept me gripped.
Ann Storer works in seventeenth- century England at her parent’s apothecary, and she has inherited her grandmother’s peculiar gift of healing. When she combines her odd powers with young Isaac Newton’s genius, the pair create a mysterious elixir which could possibly change the world. However, it is quite dangerous to show any special abilities, and Ann must hide any evidence if she wants to survive. So when the plague hits her town and a supposed ‘witch finder’ turns up in the village, she needs to make a decision. Will she save her town, even if that means risking her life?
I really enjoyed this book! It was a dyslexia-friendly book, which was amazing. It had such a gripping storyline, and I just didn’t want to stop reading it! I love Lindsay’s writing, as I have also read her book Darwin’s Dragons which I LOVED. I enjoyed it so much, I would actually like to read it again. It is nice and short, and the illustrations inside were gorgeous. I can’t wait to read more of her work.
Ann Storer works in seventeenth- century England at her parent’s apothecary, and she has inherited her grandmother’s peculiar gift of healing. When she combines her odd powers with young Isaac Newton’s genius, the pair create a mysterious elixir which could possibly change the world. However, it is quite dangerous to show any special abilities, and Ann must hide any evidence if she wants to survive. So when the plague hits her town and a supposed ‘witch finder’ turns up in the village, she needs to make a decision. Will she save her town, even if that means risking her life?
I really enjoyed this book! It was a dyslexia-friendly book, which was amazing. It had such a gripping storyline, and I just didn’t want to stop reading it! I love Lindsay’s writing, as I have also read her book Darwin’s Dragons which I LOVED. I enjoyed it so much, I would actually like to read it again. It is nice and short, and the illustrations inside were gorgeous. I can’t wait to read more of her work.
April 27, 2025
I enjoy Lindsay Galvin’s historical fiction with its hints of magic and the inclusion of famous figures from history. All of that is here in this shorter length novel.
Set in the seventeenth century, against a backdrop of alchemy, witch trials and the plague, the story dives straight in with the arrival in the main character’s life of both a young Isaac Newton and a witchfinder. Ann works in an apothecary and has special talents in healing, marking her out as someone to be investigated. There’s plenty of historical information delivered within the story, making it easy to digest and enough action to keep the readers interest. I did like the twist at the end.
Set in the seventeenth century, against a backdrop of alchemy, witch trials and the plague, the story dives straight in with the arrival in the main character’s life of both a young Isaac Newton and a witchfinder. Ann works in an apothecary and has special talents in healing, marking her out as someone to be investigated. There’s plenty of historical information delivered within the story, making it easy to digest and enough action to keep the readers interest. I did like the twist at the end.
April 27, 2025
This is another historical novel loosely based on a famous historical figure by the author. The other one, Darwin's Dragons, is already a fixture in my course. I was really excited to read this. And it surely does not disappoint. It is a story about witch-hunt which is a war of superstition against superstition, the plague and Isaac Newton. It is amazing how all these can be tied up together so nicely. It is a very engaging read. I might include this in my courses in the future when I update the reading spine.
August 19, 2025
Loosely based on real life events, The Elixir tells the story of Ann, a young healer who has special powers. When a young Isaac Newton comes to stay at her family's apothecary, they work together to try to create the Elixir of Life. When the plague threatens the village, will their elixir save the day or will it put Ann under suspicion from the witch finder?
As always with Barrington Stoke books, this is extremely readable while maintaining a high level of interest. Would be a great addition to any upper key stage 2 bookshelf.
As always with Barrington Stoke books, this is extremely readable while maintaining a high level of interest. Would be a great addition to any upper key stage 2 bookshelf.
May 22, 2025
this was a good quick read for me. for children I think it will be a great transitional read from the easier books they might have been used to when they were younger, to something just a little more complex. nothing about it is too difficult to understand, the language is relatively simple, but it still provides an interesting story. I think this is a perfect bridging book for reading skill levels and I recommend it!
April 24, 2025
This was a wonderful little book, as most Barrington Stoke-published books usually are. I enjoyed how historical fact and fiction combined in and entertaining, thought-provoking and informative way. The story was pacy, the characters believable, and the critique of the time in which it was set was spot-on.
June 5, 2025
A charming, beautifully written adventure. The Elixir had such heart, important messages and a magical feeling to it.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC.
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August 17, 2025An intriguing blend of historical fantasy & reality for middle-grade readers with themes of gender discrimination and right & wrong. An ideal read for young readers with an interest in science or the witch trials.
August 26, 2025
This was a very nice read.Iloved the magic and story .Loved it such a nice break from the big chapter books hehehe.🤪
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2025
The best book i have read this year. Amazing and i love it ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
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