Red Sulphur: The Greatest Mystery in Alchemy

Bosnak debuts with a high-stakes fantastical tale set largely in the Netherlands during the late 17th century. Mundanus, an Italian alchemist, sets out on a mission to visit the venerated Dutch physician Helvetius. He brings with him the famed Philosopher’s Stone, forcing Helvetius to reconsider his skepticism of alchemy. Meanwhile, Mundanus is drawn to Helvetius’s wife, Marianne, who is herself an alchemist, and to her ailing niece, Clara. Mundanus and Marianne begin to use an alchemical compound called red sulphur in experiments, many of which have life-altering effects. He also hopes to prove himself a better physician than Helvetius by curing Clara’s lingering illness. Occasional modern colloquialisms and phrasing hinder the flow, and the atmosphere suffers as a result. However, Bosnak excels at depicting human drama, particularly the love triangle among Mundanus, Marianne, and Clara. Bosnak’s characters are three-dimensional, and the interactions among them are often thought provoking. The fantastical elements assist but never overshadow the main story, and the characters’ emotional entanglements are balanced by a complex plot with a well-realized historical setting. [em](BookLife) [/em]