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The Elusive Elixir

(An Accidental Alchemist Mystery #3)

Gigi Pandian (Goodreads Author)

4.07 · Rating details · 901 ratings · 122 reviews

Dorian Robert-Houdin, the three-and-a-half-foot gargoyle chef who fancies himself a modern-day Poirot, is slowly turning into stone, and it's up to Zoe Faust to unravel the alchemical secrets that can save him. When they discover that a long-lost stone gargoyle with a connection to Dorian has reappeared in Europe, the stakes are even higher. From Portland to Paris, Zoe sea

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Kindle Edition, 314 pages

Published January 8th 2017 by Midnight Ink

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Aug 09, 2018 Bonnie Shores rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery, supernatural

4 STARS = a grade of B for me. It was good, but not great. Having read the first two books in the series, I feel that this book was the weakest. If not for the fact that I love "science-y stuff" I don't think I would have liked it at all. The details, fact and fiction, of alchemy were discussed over and over again. And by over and over, I mean repeated. I wanted to shout, How many times are you going to explain the same thing?

description

Another aspect of the story that probably would have gotten real old r ...more

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Aug 07, 2016 Sarah (Workaday Reads) rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley, read-in-2016

I love this series so much. Who'd think that a stone gargoyle with impeccable cooking abilities would be such a lovable character? Dorian is so sweet. He's main motivation is to be able to just live his life, and that's such a human desire.

Zoe at times annoys me. For being so old, she can be incredibly naive and stupid. She's just far too trusting. A little more thought about basic human behaviour and most of the mess in this story would have been avoided. At least it made for entertaining read. ...more

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Mar 07, 2020 Eden rated it it was amazing

Shelves: mystery-and-suspense, 2020-review-of-the-year, sf-fantasy

2020 bk 83. Opening in Paris, Zoe is set upon by a woman who swears she knows her - and her secrets. After determining that there is indeed another living gargoyle turned to stone, she cuts her visit short, and returns home not to find the calm she is seeking, but rather chaos. This is a tale of secret societies, good versus evil, duplicity, betrayal, loyal friends, and sacrifice. Gigi Pandian has written a unique trio of fantasy/mysteries that hold the attention and remain after the stories are ...more

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Nov 24, 2016 Olga Godim rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy-scifi

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Zoe, the protagonist of this cozy mystery, is an alchemist. Three hundred years ago, she accidentally found the elixir of life and made herself immortal. Since then, she’s tried to lead a quiet life and help as many people as she could with her healing herbs, infused with her magic, but life keeps throwing hurdles in her way.
This novel, #3 in the series about Zoe, starts with her visit to Paris. Some time ago, her friend, roomm I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Zoe, the protagonist of this cozy mystery, is an alchemist. Three hundred years ago, she accidentally found the elixir of life and made herself immortal. Since then, she’s tried to lead a quiet life and help as many people as she could with her healing herbs, infused with her magic, but life keeps throwing hurdles in her way.
This novel, #3 in the series about Zoe, starts with her visit to Paris. Some time ago, her friend, roommate, and gourmet cook, stone gargoyle Dorian, accidentally made himself flesh and blood. Unfortunately, his transformation seems to be reversing its effect. He is slowly turning back to stone, and Zoe is searching for a way to arrest his reverse metamorphosis. She wants him alive and cooking.
Dorian’s predicament seems to be linked to backward alchemy, the branch of alchemy whose adherents cut corners. As lazy and ruthless as they come, backward alchemists wish to be immortal without first going through the discipline and rigorous research of the true alchemists, like Zoe.
Centuries ago, the backward alchemy rituals were recorded in a mysterious book Dorian has in his possession. Zoe is trying to unlock the secrets of the book – that’s why she traveled to Paris – but no matter how hard she tries, how many questions she asks, she can’t find the cure for Dorian’s malady. She’s managed to decode a small part of the book, but her potions and spells based on her partial understanding only slow down his petrification process and make Zoe herself sick.
Her fumbling in Paris in her quest for the cure for Dorian also brought her to the attention of a bunch of backward alchemists, and they will stop at nothing until they learn all of Zoe’s secrets and recover their long-lost book. They follow her back home, to Portland, they break into her home, they threaten her friends. Their short-cut immortality is as unstable as Dorian’s unnaturally mortal body, but unlike him, they seem evil. Or maybe they just want to stay alive and don’t care who else might suffer to sustain their immortality.
The idea behind this tale is fascinating, but the execution is weak. The plot meanders without a focus. The characters are flat and uninteresting, even the gargoyle. The writing is unprofessional and leans towards telling and explaining instead of showing. And the murder mystery doesn’t conform to any of the mystery genre rules: there are no clues, no suspects, no clever revelations, and no questioning of witnesses. In fact, nobody is a detective in this story. It seems to solve itself.
Also the formatting of this Kindle book was dismal, but that might be because it was an ARC. I hope the publisher at least fixes it before they release this novel in Jan 2017.
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Apr 17, 2017 Georgia rated it really liked it

I loved this series and I am sad to see it end. The ending seemed rushed and this disappointed me but maybe I am just saddened by the conclusion. I could easily read further stories featuring the Gargoyle and his friends. I still think this is a wonderful idea for a unique character.

This is an easy listen and such a fun story of a Gargoyle Dorian who must fight time and foes to prevent turning back to stone--permanently! His friends help him on this quest but his presence primarily affects his ...more

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May 10, 2017 Michaela rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi

Not bad. Liked the story. But I absolutely hate that the writer is repeating the same points, sometimes even in the exact same words, again and again. I get it!

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Dec 01, 2020 Karissa rated it really liked it

Series Info/Source: This is the 3rd book in the Accidental Alchemist Mysteries. I borrowed this book from the library. There are currently four books in this series.

Story (4/5): Zoe goes back to Paris to track down some leads regarding Dorian’s condition and is hoping to hunt down the other living gargoyle. However, while she is there an old woman recognizes her and threatens her with legal action over the murder of Zoe’s lab assisstant from the 1940’s (Jasper). Zoe ends up having to flee back Series Info/Source: This is the 3rd book in the Accidental Alchemist Mysteries. I borrowed this book from the library. There are currently four books in this series.

Story (4/5): Zoe goes back to Paris to track down some leads regarding Dorian’s condition and is hoping to hunt down the other living gargoyle. However, while she is there an old woman recognizes her and threatens her with legal action over the murder of Zoe’s lab assisstant from the 1940’s (Jasper). Zoe ends up having to flee back to Portland but things are going strange in Portland too. Zoe’s friend Ivan is becoming obsessed with alchemy as he gets sicker and sicker, someone is spying on both Zoe and Ivan, and someone from Zoe’s past shows up and shocks her in a big way. As Zoe’s past closes in around her she still struggles to help Dorian; things are looking very dire. I enjoyed the story a lot and absolutely loved the resolution here.

Characters (4/5): I continue to really enjoy the characters in this series. We finally get to meet Brixton’s dad in this volume and also get to meet the second living gargoyle that was made. I like that Zoe is taking more people into her confidence and enjoy getting to see more of Zoe’s past. It’s interesting to watch Zoe grow as a character as she learns to trust people more and works to embrace her past rather than run from it.

Setting (4/5): I enjoyed a lot of the time spent in Paris and continue to really enjoyed all the history around alchemy. This book bounces between Paris and Portland. I also loved the time spent in Paris’s underground.

Writing Style (4/5): This is again mainly a mystery and is a very well done mystery. I really continue to enjoy the history around alchemy and the alchemy performed in the book too. This is very easy to read, and in addition to the excellent mystery, has very endearing characters who are easy to engage with. This is just a very well balanced story and I enjoyed it a lot.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I really liked this. This is a fun series with excellent mysteries and lots of interesting alchemical history. I also love the characters a lot. I absolutely love the ending of this book so much….go Dorian!!! I plan on continuing the series. I was disappointed to read that Midnight Ink shut down right after the publication of the fourth book, so it sounds like this series is unfinished. ...more

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Sep 30, 2016 Jennifer McLean rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: mystery, supernatural, thriller

Shelves: favorites

"The Elusive Elixir" by Gigi Pandian is the latest book in the Gargoyle series and it comes out January 8, 2017. I love this series, it's so wonderfully creative. The previous books are: "The Accidental Alchemist" and "The Masquerading Magician", just click the links to read my reviews on these previous books.

Zoe Faust is and alchemist, she uses plants and herbs to make healing elixirs. Her best friend is a gargoyle named Dorian who has come to life but now is inexplicably turing back into stone "The Elusive Elixir" by Gigi Pandian is the latest book in the Gargoyle series and it comes out January 8, 2017. I love this series, it's so wonderfully creative. The previous books are: "The Accidental Alchemist" and "The Masquerading Magician", just click the links to read my reviews on these previous books.

Zoe Faust is and alchemist, she uses plants and herbs to make healing elixirs. Her best friend is a gargoyle named Dorian who has come to life but now is inexplicably turing back into stone. Zoe has been trying desperately to find a cure to save Dorian before he is trapped in his own stone shell.

This time Zoe travels back and forth from Portland to Paris looking for answers to cure her friend and solve another murder that seems connected to alchemy. Zoe feels watched and wonders if she has a stalker who is interested in the dangerous backward alchemy she's researching to cure Dorian. Is it possible her stalker is also the murderer? It will take all her "little grey cells" to winnow out what is happening and she just might have to sacrifice herself to save her friends.

I love this series. I have rated both previous books as an excellent romp through a unique mystery that combines magic, alchemy, cooking and the benefits of a vegan lifestyle. Before I started this series I knew nearly nothing about Veganism but since I've gone Paleo in the last several years, I eagerly devoured the side themes in this mystery series. Dorian is not only a living gargoyle but he is also a professionally trained french chef. His mentor was a famous chef who went blind and so without knowing Dorian was a gargoyle, the blind chef taught all he knew to the "strange, deformed little man".

I also loved how the author weaves alchemy into her wonderfully imaginative mysteries. I would love it if magic were true so reading about alchemical possibilities imbues the mystery within Pangian's book with a sprinkling of magical whimsy.

I would highly recommend that if you haven't picked up this series, that you start at the beginning before reading "The Elusive Elixir" as you just wouldn't enjoy it as much without all the background. This latest book brings many of the open story lines to a satisfying close, although I'm sure there will still be more gargoyle books. We are left hanging about finding the person who is stalking Zoe and weather she is in danger from him. As I said previously, I have loved this series for it's unusual and unique story line. I do have to admit though that this latest book was only a 3.5 out of five for me. I did really enjoy finally getting answers to questions from the last two books though so if you have read previous gargoyle books you'll love getting conclusions from this book. It's just fun to read a less serious mystery that is full of whimsy and great food! I recommend that you suspend your disbelief, buy this series and curl up with a good book. You'll be so glad you did. ...more

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Dec 24, 2017 Gail rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audio-book, fantasy

This is the third in a trilogy starting with The Accidental Alchemist. What a wonderful trilogy. It ended with enough of loose ends, once can hope that there will be more. Eva Faust is many many years old, an alchemist, having accidentally discovered the Elixir of Life. She abandoned her practice centuries ago and is now living in contemporary Portland Oregon. Not one to develop attachments, she has developed many in her short stay here. Solving mysteries, finding friends, and maybe love. As wel ...more

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Mar 20, 2020 Nancy rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery, fantasy

It’s a race against time for accidental alchemist Zoe Faust to save her gargoyle friend Dorian from turning to stone forever. Her research leads to Notre Dame in Paris and to a mysterious bookseller who might have a text with the knowledge she needs. But then people connected to her start dying, and she realizes she’s not the only one who wants the forbidden book. Mythology mingles with murder in this unusual mystery. Recipes and cooking details add to the appeal.

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Jan 18, 2021 Julie Totsch rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I didn't see that coming

I'm pretty good at figuring out who the bad guy is. I totally didn't see it coming in this book. I really need to read these books slower, because I'm moving on to book 4 and five won't be out until later this year. (Or, we could convince Gigi to write faster.)
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Feb 24, 2019 Tasula rated it liked it

Enjoyable story, but a bit too much explaining about the "science" of alchemy and details about vegan food and drink. Also the heroine was quite gullible and overshared information with untrustworthy people. Still, the gargoyle was endearing. ...more

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Apr 05, 2017 Monika rated it it was amazing

I love these books. they are light and fun and I even learn new things not to mention great receipts in them!

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Apr 24, 2020 Ellie Mackin rated it it was amazing

Read the whole trilogy in a month. Funny, exciting, eventful and unpredictable this is definitely one of the best new authors I've discovered this year. ...more

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Jan 10, 2017 Gail rated it really liked it

This, the third book of the Accidental alchemist series, takes us out of Portland Oregon to begin in Paris. I do have to open by saying that I feel Zoe Faust is a little slow on the uptake when it comes to figuring out things, and much of the time the other characters are what keep me loving these books so much.

The author can really bring to life the personalities of gargoyles, teens, unaging alchemists and a police detective, and make it not only work? But it's enjoyable.

Part of what makes th ...more

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Mar 06, 2017 FangirlNation rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, mystery

Dorian and Zoe make for a delightful team, as ever. Zoe's alchemical background comes into play here as she has to unravel a mystery in two times. Meanwhile, Dorian's situation continues to deteriorate as he comes closer and closer to turning to stone.

The interlocking mysteries are masterfully created and the personal interactions are top notch. Also, there are recipes!

Pandian is a truly admirable mystery writer and manages the rare genre of cozy mystery fantasy with skill. ...more

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Jan 04, 2017 Kristina rated it really liked it

The Elusive Elixir by Gigi Pandian is the third book in The Accidental Alchemist Mystery series. Zoe Faust is in Paris hoping to find answers to help her gargoyle friend, Dorian Robert-Houdin. Dorian was changed from a stone gargoyle at Notre Dame Cathedral’s Gallery of Gargoyle’s into a live gargoyle. But over the last few months he has slowly turning back into stone. Dorian will be alive but trapped in his stone exterior. Zoe wants to save him and has come to Paris for answers. Another gargoyl The Elusive Elixir by Gigi Pandian is the third book in The Accidental Alchemist Mystery series. Zoe Faust is in Paris hoping to find answers to help her gargoyle friend, Dorian Robert-Houdin. Dorian was changed from a stone gargoyle at Notre Dame Cathedral’s Gallery of Gargoyle’s into a live gargoyle. But over the last few months he has slowly turning back into stone. Dorian will be alive but trapped in his stone exterior. Zoe wants to save him and has come to Paris for answers. Another gargoyle was recently spotted alive in Prague and it was turned over to the Paris University (Zoe has not been able to get access). Before Zoe can get some answers, Blanche Leblanc approaches her. Blanche claims to have known Zoe in 1942. The woman then has her nephew, a police officer, talk with Zoe regarding the fire of Elixir (the herbalist shop Zoe owned in Paris) and the death of Jasper Dubois. Zoe cannot risk her secrets coming to light and flees Paris. Back in Portland, Ivan Danko, Zoe’s neighbor and friend, is busy trying to discover the Elixir of Life (he does not wish to die). Zoe soon realizes that someone has followed Zoe back to Portland. They want Dorian’s book Non Degenera Alchemia, which talks about backward alchemy. Life has taken a very dangerous turn for Zoe. Will she be able to rescue Dorian and keep the book safe?

The Elusive Elixir is well-written, easy to read, and fascinating. There are a lot of details and it can be hard to keep them all straight. I have not read the previous books in this series, but it did not hinder my enjoyment of The Elusive Elixir (the author provides the necessary background information on Zoe and Dorian). I give The Elusive Elixir 4.25 out of 5 stars (I really liked it). I did find some information to be repeated several times (that Max Liu is Zoe’s “sort of” boyfriend, the basics about backward alchemy, and information about Zoe’s past). Zoe Faust is a great main character. She is intelligent, strong, and resourceful. I appreciated Dorian. He is humorous and entertaining (and an excellent chef). I found the mystery fascinating, but I did figure it out (it is wonderfully complex). I am looking forward to reading the other novels in The Accidental Alchemist series.
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Dec 25, 2016 Katreader rated it it was amazing

THE ELUSIVE ELIXIR by Gigi Pandian
The Third Accidental Alchemist Mystery

Shocking truths from the past are revealed as Zoe travels to France to hunt for a cure for Dorian who continues to turn into stone. As Zoe copes with these revelations upon her return to Portland, even more secrets are revealed and the dangers of not untrue alchemy prove deadly. Will Zoe be able to save Dorian without sacrificing herself, or anyone else? Will Max be able to accept all that Zoe is?

In this third book in the A ...more

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Jan 01, 2017 Chocolategoddess rated it did not like it

Shelves: ebook, fantasy, netgalley, unfinished

I received a copy of The Elusive Elixir courtesy of NetGalley, who unfortunately didn't mention this was the third book in a series. I got the feeling this was the case almost as soon as I started reading: there were many little asides in the narrative explaining things that had happened before. At first I thought "oh this is useful, I can still understand this without reading the previous two books". Unfortunately these little asides carried on and on until I got to 30% of the way through and h ...more

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Feb 06, 2017 Jeanne Adamek rated it it was amazing

This is a mystery series that I have always been pleased to read. It is different--unusual. I love the characters. Characters that the author has described so well that I can actually see them. And although I know that I will never be vegan, I find that in this book, the aspects on hearing how the food has been enjoyed I know that I will (and have) try the food.

The mystery in this story wasn't too hard to solve. This didn't bother me as the story contained so many more elements than mystery. The ...more

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Nov 11, 2017 Empress Reece (Hooked on Books) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: zzexp_2017-read, fantasy, paranormal-supernatural, 2017-releases, netgalley-read, favorites, own-it, zzexp_2017-ha-tbr-tackle, arc, alchemy

I absolutely love this series and its quirky characters- Zoe and Dorian, the gargoyle! Alchemy is one of my favorite subjects to read about and this series has plenty of it. Zoe is still trying to find the alchemical secret that will stop the process that's slowly turning Dorian into stone.

This book starts off with Zoe in Paris. She doesn't think she'll be recognized in such a big city but of course she is. That's how it always go isn't it- when you don't want to be seen, you see everyone under ...more

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Aug 29, 2017 Daniel rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.0 of 5

Ah...finally. The story develops, is focused and we get the read that we've been looking for through three volumes.

Zoe Faust is a 300 year old alchemist. Her specialty is creating potions of healing, But all her knowledge and years of experience aren't helping her heal her good friend Dorian. Dorian is a living gargoyle, but he is slowly converting back to stone and Zoe is his only hope or he'll be alive but trapped in hi ...more

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May 16, 2018 Wendy Kendall rated it really liked it

Centuries-old protagonist Zoe Faust, the accidental alchemist, is traveling between Portland, Oregon and Paris, France, in search of an Elusive Elixir that can help her friend and sidekick, Dorian the three-foot tall gargoyle chef. He is facing a dire dilemma as he is slowly turning into stone. As you can imagine, Dorian has to keep a low profile around Portland to avoid scaring the residents, although his innate talents and humor are truly a delight. Only Zoe can unravel the alchemical secrets Centuries-old protagonist Zoe Faust, the accidental alchemist, is traveling between Portland, Oregon and Paris, France, in search of an Elusive Elixir that can help her friend and sidekick, Dorian the three-foot tall gargoyle chef. He is facing a dire dilemma as he is slowly turning into stone. As you can imagine, Dorian has to keep a low profile around Portland to avoid scaring the residents, although his innate talents and humor are truly a delight. Only Zoe can unravel the alchemical secrets that may save him. During her distraught search, she is also confronted by a cold case murder from one of her previous lives that she’s compelled to solve. As you can deduce, this inventive author has raveled some supernatural and paranormal elements around an irresistible mystery.

As Zoe explains, “Alchemy is a personal transformation. Its core principle is transforming the impure into the pure, be it lead into gold or a dying body into a thriving one.” She is dedicated with a deep passion to her science. She’s also a loyal friend and struggles with her extraordinarily lengthy life in the social ties she makes. In this book she revels in the joys of romance, while still shuddering as she contemplates the secrets she’s keeping from him. The reader is treated to almost the feeling of time travel as Zoe recalls adventures of her previous lives. The author writes in such gorgeous details, different eras are magically brought to life.

Gigi Pandian is a USA Today bestselling author with three books in the Accidental Alchemist series. She’s received the Left Coast Crime’s Lefty and Rose awards, as well as short listed for the Macavity and Agatha Awards. She spent much of her childhood travelling the world with her cultural anthropologist parents, undoubtedly enriching her writing by bringing depth to her settings and brilliance to her characters. She is also an enthusiastic, almost vegan health food dynamo. She treats her readers to delicious, easy-to-make recipes in her books as well.

This is truly an original mystery, laced with supernatural components, and a modern twist on an ancient science. Will that Elusive Elixir be found in time to save Dorian from a horrific nightmare, trapped alive within stone? Will the cold case murder be solved to Zoe’s satisfaction, before she is herself accused of the murder from her past life? And can romance thrive through it all? You’ll enjoy reading about it all.

And if you want to hear more from the author listen on YouTube to Kendall & Cooper Talk Mysteries with Gigi Pandian
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Nov 01, 2018 Lissa Notreallywolf rated it liked it

Shelves: alchemy, fantasy, fiction, mystery, speculative-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. OKay second time around for trying to write a review of the reluctant Alchemist series and this novel in particular. I am glad we can look forward to another novel involving Dorian and Zoe, and I am still crushed out on the French gargoyle chef. But I am somewhat less enchanted with the writing. I keep finishing these books on the strength of my emotional attachment to Dorian, but after I read them I am hard pressed to remember the plot of the novel. This cannot be due to increasing age on my pa OKay second time around for trying to write a review of the reluctant Alchemist series and this novel in particular. I am glad we can look forward to another novel involving Dorian and Zoe, and I am still crushed out on the French gargoyle chef. But I am somewhat less enchanted with the writing. I keep finishing these books on the strength of my emotional attachment to Dorian, but after I read them I am hard pressed to remember the plot of the novel. This cannot be due to increasing age on my part, after all Zoe has a few hundred years on me and is sill making the same mistakes I make in misjudging people.
So, ze plot, Zoe goes to Paris to see about Dorian's 'brother' another gargoyle brought to life. She is frustrated because the academics have locked the statue up for study. She is also being pursued by a woman who claims to have witnessed the aftermath the fire in her shop and recalls her 'grandmother' as being exactly like her. There is a gendarme involved, who is pursuing Zoe, and there is a bookseller who happens upon a volume of the the backwards achemists of Nortre Dame. My disconnect occurs when Zoe breaks in to see the bigger gargoyle and addresses him in the tu form of French, something I find unlikely. Others have complained about the author's French but this is what stuck out for me. She has to beat a hasty retreat because someone is after Dorian's book, and because a policeman is investigating her shopkeep's demise.
She returns home and her research assistant is acting weird, the son of her long ago lover has appeared and Brixton is up to his neck in survelliance activities and detection. Dorian is dragging not only a leg but an arm. It's a bad time. Blue is in jail still. Heather is running the tea shop and Dorian is still the nocturnal pastry maker. And there are shadowy figures running about.
I won't entirely spoil the plot, but several times I found myself rereading because the transitions were so abrupt. And again we have the common memes of urban explorers, herbal medicine, lots of dead bodies appearing and people's mysterious pasts bobbing up at the worst possible times. As much as I like Dorian, the message here is clear-your salvation is your own responsibility.
Nuff said. ...more

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Mar 14, 2017 Imjussayin rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, series, woman-protagonist

The Elusive Elixir: An Accidental Alchemist 3
Reading in chronological order advantageous.

In A Nutshell Zoe a vegan alchemist sets out to save her best friend from lock-in syndrome. Fantasy writing that captures the heart and tickles the ribs. Good read.

The Protagonist: Pick your protagonists. Zoe Faust, a nearly 200-year-old alchemist with naturally platinum hair. Or Dorian Robert-Houdin, a 3.5-foot gargoyle chef with a Poirot complex. Dorian is cute and funny although he is also capable of bei ...more

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Mar 28, 2019 Lisa rated it really liked it

So excited to finally toggle this from want-to-read to currently reading, thanks to my library!

Number three in the series is darker than the first two, as it centers around the aspects of backward alchemy and the sacrifice required to go down that path. Oddly, not as much discussion of food and recipes as in previous entries in the series, considering Dorian has a new part-time gig as a chef for the blind man from #2. The reader finds Zoe Faust, a 300+-year-old alchemist, in Paris, scouring Notr So excited to finally toggle this from want-to-read to currently reading, thanks to my library!

Number three in the series is darker than the first two, as it centers around the aspects of backward alchemy and the sacrifice required to go down that path. Oddly, not as much discussion of food and recipes as in previous entries in the series, considering Dorian has a new part-time gig as a chef for the blind man from #2. The reader finds Zoe Faust, a 300+-year-old alchemist, in Paris, scouring Notre Dame for clues that will help her solve the mystery behind the deterioration of anything achieved through the backward alchemy described in her grotesque's book, Non Degenera Alchemia. (Or is Dorian a gargoyle, in that he has a spout?) There, she is faced with her past, having been recognized and perhaps implicated in the death of her assistant from several decades ago, Jasper Dubois, who she thought ran off rather than fell victim to murder. Before fleeing back to Portland, Zoe sneaks in to see the gargoyle/grotesque that's been seen in Prague and seems to be suffering the same fate as Dorian and whom Dorian calls his 'brother.' There, she tests some of the tea of ashes on his tongue, which brings him to life, albeit briefly, before he turns back to stone and she must leave. Back in Portland, life goes on: Ivan is inching toward understanding alchemy, Brixton's mom is questioned by the police when Brixton finds a body the police suspect is her dad, and Dorian is, well, Dorian - always there for Zoe but also pursuing his own interests. All in all, quite a bit going on in this book, and the pace of the writing is perhaps meant to imbue the reader with a sense of the hectic pace of Zoe's life: Dorian seems to be getting worse, and Zoe is ready to try anything to help heal him, even at the cost of her own life; meanwhile, she hasn't told Max about alchemy and its role in her life...stress from all sides compounds daily. SPOILER ALERT: Throw in Ambrose's son Percy still being alive and showing up in Zoe's life, and it's quite frenetic.

Spoiler alert: Rock on, Dorian, and your methods to unravel the secrets. A great way to reinforce that there are often many paths to the oft-elusive final answer; one just has to know where to begin.

Was this my favorite of the series? No. Will I continue the series? Indeed. Pandian has a way with words, whether going into detail describing someone or someplace, or using fewer words to slip in some info the reader needs without being too forward or in-your-face about it.
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Feb 27, 2017 Erin rated it liked it

I really struggle with review for this series. Each book feels more like a 2-star ("it was okay") kind of book, but since I've continue to read through three of them, there is clearly enough there to keep me coming back. So 3 starts for the return factor.

This particular book was really rather extra implausible. Which is funny, considering the overarching premise is a 300-year old vegan alchemist trying to save a stone gargoyle who has been brought to life. But it was the international travel log ...more

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Dec 27, 2016 Penny rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviewed

The third book in the Accidental Alchemist finds Zoe still on a quest to keep Dorian her gargoyle from turning permanently into a stone statue. While on her quest for the solution, her past raises its head in many ways. Will she finally find answers or will her past finally catch up to her in a deadly way? I have read the first two books in the series and was excited to see a third book. Ms. Paladin is an excellent writer, especially in how she makes her characters so flawed but likeable, even t ...more

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Jan 08, 2017 JG rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc-netgalley, series, fantasy, magical-realism, cozy-murder-mystery

The Elusive Elixir is the third book in An Accidental Alchemist Mystery series. It can be read as a standalone despite the fact it has on overarching plot regarding the fate of a most delightful side kick. Zoe Faust is an alchemist, to be precise she is a 300 plus years old alchemist who accidentally for some reason has turned sort of immortal. As she prepares to live her life as an herbalist exploring and settling down in Portland, Oregon, she comes into contact with Dorian Robert-Houdin, a thr ...more

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Nov 17, 2016 Becky Burciaga rated it it was amazing

This third in the Accidental Alchemist Mystery series has built upon the previous two books (which I recommend reading first for a solid backstory) to answer many questions left unanswered, yet leaves the door open (thankfully) for more for Dorian and Zoe. I enjoy Ms Pandian's writing, it's clever, quick and truly makes you think. It opens a door to different lifestyles, and ways of thinking.

As with this author's other stories, there is nonstop movement of a journey (metaphorically and otherwis ...more

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About Gigi Pandian

Gigi Pandian

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Gigi Pandian is a USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award-winning mystery author, breast cancer survivor, and accidental almost-vegan. She's the child of cultural anthropologists from New Mexico and the southern tip of India, and spent her childhood traveling around the world on their research trips. She now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and a gargoyle who watches over the ga ...more