Review: FitzDuncan’s Alchemy by John Spearman

Another well-crafted adventure by John Spearman, FitzDuncan’s Alchemy is the second installment of this medieval series, where the titular character – a reliable finder of lost things – must use all his wits and wiles to unravel a lucrative cargo scam, in a clever, character-driven caper.

Navigating the pitfalls of new love, and avoiding the manipulative clutches of the royal court, Caz schemes and sneaks and supplicates with charm and grace, making it hard not to root for the book’s roguish hero, even with his roving eye and soft spot for beautiful women. Executing a clever plan that could cost him his head or make him a fortune, and solidify his reputation as a serious solver of secretive problems, this tense and entertaining tale does not disappoint.

The slick operator at the heart of this story seems to have a rapport with everyone, which keeps the pace of the tale high, though that doesn’t save him from taking the occasional bruising for his tricks and troubles. There is also keen self-awareness to the narration that is subtly amusing, fully allowing the protagonist’s personality to play. Caz and Lucy also make a stunning pair of orbiting, possibly ill-fated lovers, though some of their more vulnerable interactions near the end of the book are less passionate than their relationship at the start.

With a fast-moving storyline and few side stories to distract from the main investigation, the plot unfolds quickly, and even as the unique cast of characters widens, the prose remains focused and gripping. Notably, this is a short read, ideal for an escapist afternoon, yet the author manages to pack in quite the tangled plot, evidence of his economic use of language and fine editorial eye in terms of overall storytelling. The book has undeniable heist movie energy, despite the centuries-old setting, and readers are pulled right along in the scheming, as few details are left out of this thoroughly word-smithed story.

Technically, the writing is clean and well-edited, particularly the sharp, meaningful, and dramatic dialogue. However, some phrases, behaviors, and situations do feel somewhat anachronistic and out of place; posed as a piece of medieval fiction, these moments can pull readers briefly from their immersion to question the setting and era. Additionally, some of the minutiae the author does include feel unnecessary, overly instructive or already implied by the context of the writing, such as lines about characters entering and leaving spaces, basic comments on the weather/environment, or flat emotional characterizations. On that note, the cast of characters can be hard to keep track of, as there is a great deal of action tightly packed into 150 short pages, but keeping up with the urgent, fast-talking prose is a surprisingly fun challenge.

Operating on the granular level of interpersonal drama, while also expanding the broader storyline of the series, this creative clash of the classes makes for an impressive historical thriller. Spearman has a knack for offbeat storytelling and well-drawn characters, and has delivered a page-turning read in his second FitzDuncan Series adventure.