I was sold on the premise! I love a quirky read and the travelling medicine show folks of the 19th century always intrigued me. This book did not disappoint me at all! Love the characters and the plot- it's well written and just draws the reader in! just great for a summer evenings read!

Alchemy seems to be in fashion. This is the third book in about as many weeks that I have read with alchemy taking a prominent place in the story.

Alexander Potter was a Civil War doctor who has gone above and beyond the normal atrocities that doctors were noted for during the Civil War (that primarily being a great deal of amputations). Now Potter travels with a freak-show/circus where he hawks his snake-oil cure-all. Most of the tonic is useless but there is a tonic that will bring the strongest men to their knees - or something much worse.

But Potter is not the villain here. Potter is a pawn to the much more villainous circus manager, who in turn is a pawn to someone further behind the scenes back on the coast. They travel through backwoods towns relieving rubes of their money and bringing about a little horror.

Early in the book, as the character of Dr Potter was being established, I was really captivated and interested. I could hardly wait to get in to his story. Then we got to know a few more characters. And the story? Well, it was sort of being told to us along the way but we weren't really being drawn in to experience the story ourselves. But it was close ... oh, so close.

My biggest issue with the book was the characters. Potter is our central character, but no one, including Potter, was particularly likable. If you're going to have a story with a bunch of despicable, or at least unlikable, characters, then you need a story that is really strong and this one just didn't have it.

Though I didn't really expect a horror novel from Angry Robot, that is what we get here and I've said it before - it's really hard to write a horror novel. Being able to sustain the suspense and keep the reader on edge is something few people can do well (and why those who can do it well manage to stay at the top).

There's some promise here, but giving us somebody to root for would have helped.

Looking for a good book? Dr. Potter's Medicine Show by Eric Scott Fischl is a promising Civil War-era horror novel but doesn't quite rise up to give us engaging characters or a very strong story.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I have read many books in this type of setting, which is what appealed to me in the first place. While I am sure the book is well written and will appeal to many, after attempting to engage with it three times it is time to admit defeat. Thanks Netgalley and the publishers for letting me try!

Alchemy, travelling circus-type outfit, snake oil seller, cowboys ... what's not to like! This was a strange, disturbing yet compelling story, beautifully written and amazingly visualised. It was pretty gruesome in places, so much so that I didn't take this one to bed with me. I love a dose of this kind of fantasy/magical realism or whatever genre this is, and haven't read anything like it for a long time. Would read more from this author.

Review of advance digital copy from the publisher.

Wisst ihr, was eine Medicine Show ist? Im 19. Jahrhundert reisten selbsternannte Wunderheiler in Pferdewagen durch die USA und versuchten, selbstzusammengerührte Heilmittelchen an die Leute zu bringen. Meist waren diese Verkaufsveranstaltungen mit einem Unterhaltungsprogramm verbunden. Eine Mischung aus Zirkus, Kirmes und Kaffeefahrt. Da Herstellung und Vertrieb von Medikamenten noch keinen gesetzlichen Regelungen unterworfen waren (erst ab 1906), konnte sich jeder zum Quacksalber aufschwingen, der den Willen und die finanziellen Voraussetzungen besaß. Dementsprechend waren diese Mittel oft wirkungslos oder sogar schädlich – großzügig versetzt mit Alkohol, Opium oder Kokain. Eine Geschichte, die in diesem Umfeld spielt, erschien mir äußerst vielversprechend. Ich konnte nicht widerstehen, als ich „Dr. Potter’s Medicine Show“ von Eric Scott Fischl bei Netgalley entdeckte.

Hereinspaziert, hereinspaziert! Kommen Sie näher, kommen Sie näher! Überzeugen Sie sich selbst von der wundersamen Wirkung von Dr. Hedwiths Chock-a-saw Sagwa Tonikum! Kopfschmerzen, Schlaflosigkeit, Rheuma – dieses großartige Elixier heilt jede geistige oder körperliche Krankheit!
Diese oder eine ähnliche Ansprache hält Dr. Alexander Potter in jeder neuen Stadt, die er mit seiner Medicine Show besucht, obwohl er weiß, dass das Tonikum im besten Fall lediglich abhängig macht. Im schlimmsten Fall… erweckt es die Menschen. Zu viele Jahre arbeitet der Sezessionskriegsveteran schon für Dr. Hedwith und seinen grausamen Handlanger Lyman Rhoades, trägt eine alte Schuld ab, die ihn auf ewig an den Doktor fesselt und in dessen alchemistische Experimente verstrickt. Zu lange schon wartet Alexander darauf, seine Freiheit zurückzugewinnen. Seine Chance kommt, in Person des verzweifelten Zahnarztes Josiah McDaniel, dem das Sagwa Tonikum alles nahm und der nun schwört, sich an Dr. Hedwith zu rächen. Gemeinsam stellen sie sich dem Kampf gegen einen Mann, der nichts zu verlieren hat – außer der Unsterblichkeit.

„Dr. Potter’s Medicine Show“ ist ein Erstling. Leider spürt man das beim Lesen. Das Buch ist auf skurrile Weise unfertig, ja gar unvollkommen. Es ist oberflächlich, besitzt so gut wie keine Tiefe und wirkt folglich wie eine grobe Skizze. Eric Scott Fischl konzentrierte sich fast ausschließlich auf die Handlung; es fehlen all die liebevollen Details, die diese lebendig hätten werden lassen. Atmosphäre? So gut wie nicht vorhanden. Es fühlte sich an, als hätte ich lediglich die Hälfte einer grundsätzlich interessanten Geschichte vor Augen. Die andere Hälfte… Tja, wer weiß, vielleicht schwirrt die immer noch durch den Äther. Das ist wirklich schade, weil die Hälfte, die ich lesen durfte, durchaus über Potential verfügte und im Ansatz sogar ziemlich clever konstruiert ist. Die Leser_innen treffen Dr. Alexander Potter 1878 in Oregon, während einer weiteren seiner zahllosen Verkaufsveranstaltungen. Ihm ist nur allzu bewusst, dass alles, was er den Leuten über das Chock-a-saw Sagwa Tonikum erzählt, hausgemachter Mumpitz ist. Er ist ein weltverdrossener, kranker, müder, alter Mann und seine Crew besteht aus ähnlich abgerissenen Gestalten. Bereits in den ersten Kapiteln wird deutlich, dass niemand freiwillig Teil der Show ist (mit Ausnahme des jungen Ausreißers Ridley) und hinter den Kulissen seltsame Dinge vor sich gehen. Im Verlauf der Handlung stellt sich dann heraus, dass die Show lediglich als Tarnung für Dr. Hedwiths alchemistische Experimente dient; als Bezugsquelle für unwissende Versuchsobjekte, die ihm helfen sollen, eine Formel für ein bahnbrechendes Wunderelixier zu finden. Hedwiths Methoden sind skrupellos und überraschend okkultistisch. Fischl erwähnt im Nachwort, dass die Alchemie in vielerlei Hinsicht als Vorläufer der modernen Chemie angesehen werden kann, obwohl einige Versuche definitiv magischen oder religiösen Praktiken ähnelten. Ich hätte mir gewünscht, dass der Autor erklärt, welche Annahmen oder Prinzipien hinter Hedwiths Experimenten stecken, denn ich habe nicht verstanden, warum das Elixier durch ein kompliziertes Ritual aktiviert werden muss, um seine Wirkung zu entfalten. Hedwiths Forschung, deren Zweck und Umsetzung, ist eine der zwei zugrundeliegenden Komponenten von „Dr. Potter’s Medicine Show“. Die andere Komponente ist die Aufklärung der Frage, wie die einzelnen Figuren in Hedwiths Machenschaften involviert wurden, wie sie sich kennenlernten und an einen toten Punkt der Verzweiflung getrieben wurden, der sie zwingt, Zeuge und Mittäter monströser Verbrechen gegen die Menschlichkeit zu werden. Mir gefiel diese Herangehensweise an die Geschichte, die Kombination zweier Hauptlinien, doch unglücklicherweise ließ mich die Vergangenheit der Figuren meist kalt. Ich fand die Rückblenden willkürlich eingesetzt, ohne erkennbaren Kontext und mochte keinen einzigen Charakter wirklich gern. Im Großen und Ganzen waren sie mir alle egal, ich schloss niemanden ins Herz. Wie hätte ich da Anteil an der Geschichte nehmen sollen?

„Dr. Potter’s Medicine Show“ hat insgesamt sehr wenig Eindruck bei mir hinterlassen. Ehrlich gesagt bin ich sogar erleichtert, dass ich überhaupt eine Rezension zustande gebracht habe, denn mein vorherrschendes Gefühl der Geschichte gegenüber ist ein herzhaftes Schulterzucken. Bereits beim Lesen wollte ich das Buch lediglich so schnell wie möglich beenden. Ich denke, Eric Scott Fischl ist bedauerlicherweise einfach kein besonders talentierter Erzähler. Meiner Empfindung nach hat er kein Händchen dafür, seine Leser_innen zu fesseln und emotional einzubinden. Er rasselt die Ereignisse herunter, ohne sie auszukosten und versucht, mit nett gedachten, im Endeffekt aber eher platten Methoden Spannung zu erzeugen. Dementsprechend kann ich leider keine Empfehlung für „Dr. Potter’s Medicine Show“ aussprechen. Es lohnt sich schlicht nicht, diesen Roman zu lesen.

Vielen Dank an Netgalley und Angry Robot für die Bereitstellung dieses Rezensionsexemplars im Austausch für eine ehrliche Rezension!

Dr Potter's Medicine Show (Eric Scott Fischl, review copy from Angry Robot) is a dark and lush gothic horror set in frontier America.  The titular Dr Alexander Potter is a seller of snake-oil, taking his touring circus and freak show round the Western states of America.  But the mystery potion that Dr Potter is selling - The Chock-a-saw Sagwa Tonic - is not your usual concoction, part placebo, part laudanum.  This Tonic is an alchemical preparation, part of an experimental series designed to unlock the secrets of eternal life.  
This is a novel populated by grotesques and monsters, none more so than the sadistic Lyman Rhoades, who has the whole medicine show under his control.  The venal and cowardly Dr Potter is dependent on his patronage to get access to the Sagwa Tonic that is keeping him and other key Medicine Show people alive.  But Rhoades himself is merely the roving agent of a reclusive chemist, Dr Morrison Hedwith.  He brews the Sagwa Tonic as part of his experiments, and sends the Medicine Show out on the road in the hopes that its travels will conceal some of the more horrific results of his experimentation. 
This is not an easy read.  Expect lots of graphic violence and sadistic torture, including sexual violence and its threat.  There is no white hat hero for the reader to identify with.  But the darkness and violence fits the overall tenor and style of the novel.  It rattles along as a satisfying thriller, building to a climactic and horrific close. 
Goodreads rating: 3*

At first glance, the plot of this novel appears to be relatively straight-forward. Alexander Potter is a charlatan, little more than a con man. He travels from town to town with his medicine show, separating the locals from their hard-earned cash. The Sagwa tonic he is peddling is nothing but a sham, it has no medicinal properties at all. Of course, looks can be deceptive, there is far more to the story than that. It turns out that one form of the tonic is utterly fake, but there is another variant that has the potential to be something miraculous.

Dr Potter is a fascinating fellow. It’s quickly established that he has been ground down by his time in the world. A series of ill-advised decisions has left him in a situation he can’t get out of. Forced to travel the back roads of America, he must sell the Chock-a-saw Sagwa Tonic because he has no other option. In his mournful state, he reflects on the man he once was. In his younger days he was brilliant but brash, the fastest surgeon with the skills to match. Potter is burnt out by the horrors he witnessed during the Civil War. There is only so much blood and guts one man can stand, so he lost himself in the bottom of a bottle. At his lowest ebb he was given a choice – be in thrall to someone else or die. In his weakened state, he chose the former. A choice he comes to truly regret with each passing decade.

For every hero, no matter how flawed, there must be a villain. Dr Potter may be the public face of the enterprise, but there is another who is pulling all the strings. Potter’s nemesis is Lyman Rhoades, a corpulent beast who runs the medicine show from behind the scenes. I don’t think I can adequately express how unpleasant he is. Rhoades truly is a vile piece of work. I’m always impressed when an author manages to pull this off, to make me genuinely loathe a character. Rhoades is evil, but don’t confuse that with being two dimensional. There are reasons why he is the way he is. I almost felt empathy for him when his backstory is revealed… almost.

The other members of the travelling show are an eclectic bunch. The chanteuse is in an abusive relationship, the fortune teller is a drug addict and the strongman is in just as much trouble as Dr Potter. There are even a group of ill-treated oddities who are forced to live in cages and take part in a sinister scheme. Now you might be thinking this all sounds horribly downbeat, and to an extent it is. There is certainly an underlying melancholy to this novel that I don’t think I was expecting. The thing is though, I rather like it. Why? Well, it gives the narrative some nice additional depth. It also allows Potter and his friends the chance to seek something akin to redemption. The characters are well observed, you get the sense that they are all broken in one way or another. Potter most of all, he is almost crippled by his regrets. The doctor has done horrible things because he believes he lacks the inner strength to do what is right. Can he finally make amends before it is all too late?

Eric Scott Fischl also does a wonderful job of capturing the intimate details of the lives his characters lead. As part of the run-down medicine show, they travel dusty trails in carts and caravans that have seen better days. You get a real sense of mind numbing repetition. They are all trapped in their own prescribed roles, ground down by the drugery. It’s like everyone is existing in their personal form of Purgatory. Each of them has a secret they are trying hide, or something they are trying to run away from.

I’ve been pondering this one for a while now and I reckon I have the perfect music recommendation to go along with this read – the soundtrack to Carnivàle by Jeff Beal. The book and the television show cover similar thematic ground so it only makes sense that the musical accompaniment for the television series almost perfectly complements the book. A little bit Western and a little bit Gothic turns out is an ideal fit.

If you’re looking for subtle but engrossing fantasy with a deliciously dark heart, then look no further, the doctor will see you now. Dr Potter’s Medicine Show is published by Angry Robot and is available now.

Dr. Potter’s Medicine Show by Eric Scott Fischl is the kind of story you should read while chugging cheap whiskey straight from the bottle and cussing up a storm. It’s an intense ride full of alchemy, death, and violence.

How to describe the book? It's almost as if Mary Shelley had set Frankenstein, or Robert Louis Stephenson Doctor Jekyll, in the Old West.

But weirder than that, and funnier too.

The eponymous Doctor Alexander Potter sells patent medicine - "the Chock-a-Saw Sagwa tonic" - from the back of a wagon in 1870s Oregon as part of a travelling show featuring, among other attractions, a Chinese fortune teller, a black Hercules (complete with lionskin), a freak show and a French singer, Mercy (who's forced by her husband Lyman Rhoades to provide other services to the customers after the show). Lyman is the presiding (evil) genius of the show, with Potter only a catspaw: in turn Lyman is ruled by the mysterious Morrison Hedwith, who produces the Tonic - and who's into some really strange stuff beyond that.

In short, Hedwith is an alchemist, almost the last of the alchemists, committed to the Great Work - the creation of the Stone which can give immortality (and transmute lead to gold). The show is part of his plan: as if it's not already evil and twisted enough (and with Lyman in charge, believe me, it is) the show is a vehicle for this singularly evil and twisted man.

Which is where Frankenstein and potentially Hyde come in as this is - among other things - a story that explores both the dark side of knowledge and the pre-modern science that Shelley invoked in her novel. It's full of desperate men, seeking immortality or at least, seeking to stave off death, who regard everyone else at best as tools or objects, at worst as playthings. Some of these men are purposefully cruel (Lyman, whose treatment of his wife is as spine chilling and loathsome as anything I've read in fiction - be aware that this makes for difficult reading in places) while others simply don't care what damage they cause.

The suffering is redeemed, to a degree, by the presence of a trio who start out almost as a comic subplot - a couple of would be outlaws, D Solomon Parker and his brother Agamemnon Rideout and and the respectable dentist Josiah McDaniel who hires them for revenge. Perpetually whisky sodden and inept, they, with Josiah's sister Elizabeth, are the closest thing this book has to heroes as they track the Show for revenge. Elizabeth, especially, who's trying to save Josiah's comes across as more determined, level headed and brave than anyone else here. She's undoubtedly the true hero of this entertaining if at times dark story, setting out into the wilderness to save her brother even though she barely knows how to saddle her horse.

The determination of the quartet, who squabble and drink their way through the wilderness, lightens the book and recalls those classic Westerns where an ill assorted and distrustful bunch must work together to survive. Pitting them against the malign Rhoades makes for a tense if at times blood soaked plot and a vert entertaining read.

One aspect of the story, though, detracted, for me, and that was the extent to which its women end up in jeopardy and as motivation for rescue. I don't want to overdo that: after all, Elizabeth ends up trying to save her brother, but a string of women in this book end up suffering an unpleasant fates and/ or providing motivation to the men (another is Mary, wife to Josiah, but there are others as well). That seems unnecessary because there's plenty here to motivate and involve the reader and the characters.

Overall though this is a different and truly weird tale, which maintains tension to the end and features some great characters.

This is my first look at this great author! Loving the world-building and truly hoping for more!

This book was super problematic in the way it handled disability, but I thought the writing was beautiful and the concept was surprisingly engaging!

thanks Angry Robot Books and netgalley for this ARC.

This book just was not my cup of tea. I didn't get halfway thru before giving it up as boring

Alexander Potter, a disgraced American Civil war surgeon who was once known for being the quickest with a bone saw, now spends his days hawking a cure-all tonic to the poor, desperate public of the Pacific Northwest, and drinking himself to death. He travels with a seedy, rundown circus, boasting no more than a strong man, an exotic singer and a smattering of unremarkable acts. At night, however, the circus transforms into something much more nefarious. The ‘dark tent’ opens to those willing to pay a little more, the exotic singer is rented out to the highest bidder, and another version of the tonic is sold to suitable candidates. All this happens under the watchful gaze of Lyman, the omnipotent, brutish owner. As the circus trundles from one damp, downtrodden town to the next it leaves behind it a trail of destruction and death that is not immediately obvious to the unsuspecting patrons. But one man has taken notice, a man with nothing left to lose who is hell-bent on revenge.

This violent, disturbing thriller delves into the dark side of alchemy in 19th Century America. The characters are all so well developed that, while you deplore their cowardly acts and grow frustrated with their weakness, you also hold out hope that the dying embers of humanity within them will eventually be flamed into action. All except Lyman. He is the most evil, terrifying character to crawl off a page, and his psychotically barbaric acts of cruelty towards his wife, his employees and his innocent victims will cause readers to squirm with discomfort. The novel is exquisitely written, with rich descriptions that paint an unsettling picture of life at that time. It expertly combines history, humour and horror, and keeps the reader hooked as the truth behind Lyman’s malevolent plans are slowly revealed.