Oh my gosh this book is amazing. The last 10% of it I had to stop after each chapter and scream each and every time. It was dramatic and very necessary. I can’t begin to describe how much I love this book and the main characters, I just highly encourage you to try it for yourself. It’s a wonderful fantasy and I am dying for the next one. Damn you Stacey McEwan, you write such amazing books and I may be left in a book slump.

All the excitement about this book was so real! The pace is a bit slow at the beginning but once the action starts I was HOOKED. I was very invested in Nina's story and felt the tension she felt as she was pulled between two sides of this conflict. There were multiple twists that I did not see coming. The shorter chapters kept me wanting to keep reading. And that ending?? I'm going to need book 2 ASAP because I need to know what happens next!

ARC review of A Forbidden Alchemy by @staceymcewanbooks author of my favourite 'The Glacian Trilogy'.

Immediate ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ as I knew it would be. Stacey is one of my auto-buy authors who I will follow to the ends of the earth. Thank you so much for giving in to my shameless pleading for this ARC! I am not kidding you, I am kissing you.

Releasing on the 3rd July 2025.

The story begins with the meeting of two mining town children, Nina and Patrick, arriving at the city to determine their future as either an Artisan or a Craftsman. Nina has dreams of leaving her small town life behind for a future of magic, art and bigger things as an Artisan. Patrick wants nothing more than to return home to his loving family, living the life as a Craftsman of physical labour in the mines.

As the two wait for their futures to be chosen, they happen upon a dark secret that will alter everything. Artisans are not born, they're chosen. 

This book is beautifully written with the world building and unique magic system, giving a dystopian slow burn fantasy/peaky blinders vibe. Yes Patrick, I will happily be thrown over your shoulder to be dragged anywhere you want. Stacey writes longing and tension so well, just hold on for the open door scene 🔥 Also, we all enjoy a love triangle... right?

There's some fantastic banter, with one character in particular standing out for his one liners that you didn't see coming... (You'll see what I did there.. 😜)

I do however have a warning. Stacey plays with your heart. You will be drawn into a false sense of security then be hit by bombshell after bombshell. Do not trust her.

That being said, you cannot finish this book without needing the sequel immediately. So Stacey, I hate you, but I am also in love with you.

I really wanted to love this book. The writing is beautiful, and the story itself had all the elements that should have worked for me. There were moments I found really engaging, but somewhere in the middle it lost momentum, and I struggled to stay fully invested.

That said, I can absolutely see why so many readers adore this book. The author has a strong voice, and the concept is unique and well-executed. It just didn’t completely click for me personally—something felt like it was missing, even though I can’t quite pinpoint what.

Overall, a solid read that I think many fantasy fans will fall in love with. For me, it landed at 3.5 stars.

⭐️⭐️⭐️½

4.75 stars rounded up

Thank you to Saga Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, and Netgalley for providing me with this book to read in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts & opinions are my own

The timeline / pacing is very difficult to follow in the beginning. Like every chapter jumps 2+ years but once the story gets into the nitty gritty it’s much better. This romantasy has everything you are looking for; a class rebellion, dual POV, a tender love story with lots of tension and banter, and an interesting magic system. That’s not to mention the heavy themes of oppression and exploitation of the working class. I found myself so invested I felt real anxiety in the end and so frustrated with that ending. I need book two immediately!

SO many people are comparing this to a magic Peaky Blinders and I can't say I disagree. There is a slow burn element with Nina and Patrick, but I actually really enjoyed the pacing of their relationship. All in all a great read and I can see this book blowing up on Booktok in a few months!

I was so excited to get this arc especially after seeing a certain celebrity get one too! I had a great time reading this. Thank you!

WOW. this book was STUNNING! This is like hunger games x peaky blinders. There's lots of banter, tension, and the plot twists were TWSITING!! I love a smart FMC with a feisty, morally gray MMC. SO MUCH FUN! THE FANTASY BOOK OF THE MONTH!!

4.5 Stars

Nina Harrow is a young girl, living in the mining town of Scurry. At the age of 12 years old, she has the opportunity to travel to Belavere City to be tested for magical ability. Nina’s family belongs to the Craftsman class, but if the test reveals that she has magic, she will join the Artisan class, and become a weilder of powerful elemental magic. When she meets Patrick Colson at the siphoning ceremony, the two make a shocking discovery that could devastate the class system. Nina and Patrick end up on different paths, following the ceremony, but changes have been set in motion that could bring them back together on opposing sides. With the outbreak of war between the Craftsman and Artisans, Nina and Patrick will have to navigate lies, betrayals, and long-held feelings for one another, as those in power fight to keep it.

A Forbidden Alchemy was unputdownable! I devoured this book in a two day span, and fell in love with the setting, story, and characters. I love books with elemental magic, and McEwan adds a great twist to it, with the secret that the Artisans have been hiding. The setting really drew me in, with a mix of the mining towns and the juxtaposition of the opulence of the Artisans school. It definitely gave me vibes from Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone series, with the dregs of society (Kaz Brekker and company) and the Grisha being the upper class of society.

I really liked Nina as an FMC. She grew up leading a hard life, and has the hope of finding something better with the possibility of becoming an Artisan. But her hopes eventually lead to manipulation by those in power and she has to find a way to survive on her own. Patrick is a great balance to Nina, with his hardened outlook and not trusting those around him. The two work well as a couple, because of their differences, and I loved the tension that built up in the relationship between the two of them.

McEwan also creates a looming sense of suspense throughout the story. You know things are not going to go well for the main characters, since this is the first book in the series, so the final chapters are definitely nail biters!!

If you love fast paced fantasy books, with opposing class systems, intriguing magic systems, opposites attract, and secrets and betrayals, then I would highly recommend A Forbidden Alchemy.

I really liked the premise, but the execution just didn’t live up to it. I ended up DNF-ing at 55%. The story actually had a lot of potential, but it never felt like it truly explored it. The beginning set up an interesting tone, but as things went on, it only seemed to lose momentum. After a while, it felt like not much was happening, and I found myself getting really bored. I was expecting more focus on the revolution and the mining towns, but what I got just wasn’t enough. The time jumps didn’t help either, since they didn’t add much and only made the pacing feel uneven.

Also, the relationship between Nina and Patrick didn’t work in my opinion. They met once as kids and apparently never stopped thinking about each other, which felt too much like insta-love. Sometimes I don’t mind insta-love if it’s backed up with some real development, but here, there was none. Their chemistry felt forced, and both characters came across as flat and hard to connect with. Overall, while I can see this appealing to some readers, it just didn’t deliver what I was looking for.

Possibly 4.5?

This book has been extremely hyped, and overall, I had a lot of fun with it. There were moments I was kicking my feet, squealing, then others where I was gasping in shock. I did not see most of the twists coming which is always fun.

It was close to a five-star read for me, but the beginning was a little slow for me. I also really wish I could have gotten over this - but the fact that they met at age 12 and only for maybe a handful of hours wasn't enough time together for me to buy into the normally swoon-worthy quotes. If they started at age 16 and had more time together (at least a few weeks?), I would have been all in.

Aside from that, I still had a great time and am looking forward to the next book!

A few things you will find:

✨ Unique Magic System
✨ Moralley Grey MMC
✨ Forbidden Love
✨ Found Family
✨ Plot Twists

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy.

I enjoyed this book as it held my interest from the very first chapter. In this world where the division of class is strictly upheld, we meet Nina who has a very fortunate opportunity to elevate from oppression. After her mother leaves and she's stuck in a miner's town with her dad, she is determined to carve a different future for herself.

The first half of the story lays the foundation and the last half ups the stakes as most of the action happens here. We have a slow-burn romance amid deception and the fight for freedom, as well as some unrequited love. There is a very cool scene with the use of magical abilities andni wish there was more of that throughout the story. The reveals at the end were awesome and had me hooked. I loved when a fantasy book sticks a big landing at the end, so I can't wait to see where the story goes from here.

This is how you do fantasy romance! Stacey McEwan knocked it out of the park with A Forbidden Alchemy. I am very critical of the genre lately, but I think this book is one you need you put on your radar as soon as possible.

A Forbidden Alchemy is equal parts plot and romance and never gets bogged down in the world building or magic. Stacey McEwan writes a swoon-worthy romance and has her story paced really well. I was entertained throughout the book, and I thought it was the right length for a story like this.

12 year olds Patrick and Nine stumble upon a secret their society has kept for a long time. In a world where people are split between Artisans and Craftsman, where will Nina and Patrick fall and what does their fate hold? Both of these characters have important choices to make that will change the trajectory of their lives and the lives of those around them.

I'll admit, I was weary at first due to the young ages of our main characters. I was worried it would be youthful in nature, but the story picks up speed and years progress each chapter in the beginning. There are a few time jumps and flashbacks toward the end of the book that were slightly confusing, but overall, it's pretty straightforward.

I have read enough fantasy romance books to guess a few plot twists, but I was really happy the book went in the direction I predicted. I think these reveals will enhance the story and I really look forward to seeing what McEwan does in the next installment.

Finally, the setting is something that made my time reading more enjoyable. From the terrible conditions of the mines, to the communities run by these workers, and finally the Artisan city of Belavere with their magical school. It was unique and did not feel like every other fantasy romance book on the market.

I will absolutely be reading the next book!


Thank you to Saga Press for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

10/10 Stacey McEwan did it again. I LOVED Ledge, Chasm and Valley and was extremely lucky to be able to receive ARC copies for Chasm and Valley and that trilogy was a WILD ride. A Forbidden Alchemy is un-put-downable. I did take a while to finish it because I was savoring every last moment even through the twists and turns that had me SWEATING. I am greatly looking forward to indulging in this story again by listening to the audio. Stacey has such an incredible knack for writing stories that have you deeply invested and on the edge of your seat.

The book was incredibly easy to read while giving me so much more to think about and if I ever decided to write a book, I hope it would have just as much depth to it as A Forbidden Alchemy does.

Nina is a complex character and yet I can understand what drives her to act and her sense of self. I can relate to her, and I love how this isn’t a book where I question the main characters actions constantly and I genuinely agree with most of her decisions, in a world where you have to choose between two different guns.

Patrick, omg Patrick, LOVE OF MY LIFE. He is SOOO down bad for my girl, and while I can’t blame him, man, this man could be such a lover boy if he wasn’t leading a rebellion. I just want him to have everything he ever wanted ever please and thank you Stacey.

I can not wait to read book two, especially cause it leaves us on a cliffhanger and I’m very afraid for literally everyone in the book!!! Thank you so much to the publishers for the e-arc, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

At the age of 12, all children in the country of Belavere Trench go to the capitol city to be tested to see if they have the capacity for magic. The magically blessed are trained and become part of the Artisan class. The have-nots are classified as Crafters and return to their villages to reassume their lives as farmers and miners and live a menial, often-hard existence supporting the ruling Artisan Class.

Nina has long dreamed of breaking out of her depressing mining town and having magical powers. When she goes to Belavere City for her test, she meets Patrick, and together they discover a long-held secret and are faced with a choice that will determine each of their futures. Many years later, their paths intertwine again as revolution has taken over the country and they are again faced with secrets and choices that will not just determine the course of their lives, but also will swing the pendulum of fate for the entire country.

This book was a breath of fresh air! I read a LOT of fantasy, romance, and romantasy, and it's been a while since I've read a fantasy book that's this high of caliber. Once the gears get going on this book, it hits the ground running, and it doesn't get stuck in any eddies in the narrative current. It kept me engaged as a reader as McEwan plumbed the depths of her characters and made the story ever more complicated. I could see the train wreck the characters were heading for at the end and even though I dreaded it, the story kept me along for the ride as a reader. (I did not see the plot twist, however! It's going to be a tortuously long wait for the next book...)

The writing itself is excellent, the story well structured, and I was 100% emotionally invested in the characters all along the way. I was grateful to be picked as an ARC reader for this book, and I've enjoyed reading McEwan's previous books and seeing how she's evolving as an author, because this book is exactly what I want as a fantasy reader. I loved the elements of political machinations, the revolution brewing, the magic system, the found family, the haunted pasts, and romance, and McEwan did a stupendous job alchemizing them together into an enjoyable, engaging well-written novel.

I was so blown away by how much this story gripped me. 😭there was so many times where I was holding my breath and waiting for the next thing to happen. I AM GAGGED

Nina and Patrick, both from poor mining towns outside the more elite Belavere City, find themselves in the city at age twelve, awaiting the moment they'll find out if they'll have the privilege of becoming an Artisan, one of the city's magic wielders. When they accidentally stumble upon the secret that the government chooses specifically who is and is not bestowed with this magic, they must both decide what to do with this information. Nina embraces her chance at a new life, finding herself the first Earth charmer in centuries, whereas Patrick returns to his family and old life. When the two meet again under drastically different circumstances, they learn more about each others' choices and past, they grow closer to each other and more dangerously involved in the war between Crafters and Artisans.

From the first chapter, the reader is told how the government is corrupt--something that takes other books in this genre an entire first book of a series to do. I appreciated that we learned the secret early and got to watch how two characters chose to handle the information and use it to control an aspect of their lives. The magic system was fun, especially near the end when you begin learning of some of the other shapers that exist in the world. But my favorite part was the character development. McEwan was able to create characters who have deep motivations for their actions, realistic internal struggles, and actual reasons for not communicating with each other about their secrets or feelings. I loved the Colson family (despite their many flaws) and Kenton Hill.

I did find the novel was a bit heavy handing with its foreshadowing at times and had a predictable ending. Once you get to know the characters, it's easy to see how things will shake out. The only other issue I took with this one was how derivative it was of other media. The Artisan school felt too reminiscent of Hogwarts, with the awaited letter at a similar age and for a similar sorting event (not to mention a Professor Dumley, which just translated to Professor Dumbledore for me). The Colsons too felt derivative of Peaky Blinders, with Patrick starring as Tommy Shelby, Gunner and Donny as Arthur and John, and even Tess playing a convincing Polly. The scene where Patrick tells Donny they need to go visit a friend and Donny asks if there will be "any cuttin'" felt like it could have been taken right from the show! But luckily I love Peaky Blinders, so it worked for me.

I'm mad at the ending, but that means I'm hooked in for book two!

I’ll be the first to admit it: I am deeply disillusioned with Romantasy right now. Everything feels like it came off the same assembly line—marketed as enemies-to-lovers (even when there’s barely a whiff of it), a FMC with a mysterious past she’s either hiding or conveniently discovering, a “uniquely gifted” heroine who still somehow depends on the MMC for every major turning point… you know the drill. We’ve all read versions of this story so many times we could write it in our sleep.

That’s why A Forbidden Alchemy was such a refreshing surprise. While it ticks a few familiar boxes, it also brings a sharp edge and a layered world that made me care. The story begins with a single childhood encounter between Patrick and Nina—seemingly small, but it sends ripples that will shape the fate of Belavere for years to come. From there, the plot weaves together political corruption, simmering class tensions, and a magic system rooted in elemental forces that actually feels thought-out, not just window dressing.

Patrick, with his calculated charm and razor-sharp ambition, is basically Thomas Shelby in fantasy form—cigarettes, whisky, and all, plus a touch of alchemy. Nina, meanwhile, is more than just a love interest; her arc is tied to the beating heart of the conflict, and her choices carry an immense amount of weight.

If you’re tired of cookie-cutter Romantasy but still want romance, magic, and a world worth sinking into, this one’s for you—especially if you like elemental magic systems, social class divides, corrupt governments, multiple POVs, and yes… unapologetic Peaky Blinders energy.

There were things I liked and disliked about A Forbidden Alchemy by Stacey McEwan.

I was very intrigued right from the beginning, however, I felt like things really slowed down after about 20% of the way in. I started. noticing plot holes and didn't really feel the chemistry any longer between the two main characters.

I did however, really enjoy the world building and the premise of the story.