Oh my gosh this book was PHENOMENAL. Like I was hooked in from the very first chapter and did not want to stop! Nina & Patrick were perfection & the plot had me hanging onto the edge of my seat! Loved it!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟5 stars — 10/10, no notes.

Forbidden Alchemy by Stacey McEwan absolutely wrecked me in the best possible way. From page one, I was hooked. Like, cancel-all-my-plans level hooked. Every time I had to put it down to deal with real life, it physically hurt.

Nina and Patrick’s chemistry? Off the charts. Their trauma bonding tore my heart out, and the side characters—wounded, lovable, and layered—only made me fall deeper into this world. I was living for the relationships, the secrets, the betrayals, and OH the plot twists. Mind. Blown.

And just when I thought I couldn’t love it more, that Peaky Blinders vibe swept in like a perfectly placed cherry on top. Gritty, stylish, emotional—it gave the whole story this unique edge that made it stand out as one of my absolute favorite reads of the year.

And that cliffhanger?? I need the next book yesterday.

Thank you to Saga Press and Stacey McEwan for this ARC.

Full disclosure: after finishing A Forbidden Alchemy, I stared at the wall for an undisclosed amount of time, contemplating my life and the fact that Stacey McEwan just destroyed me in the best way. 🥹🔥

💙 What did you love the most?
McEwan took everything I love from Peaky Blinders (hello, Thomas Shelby 😏) and added elemental magic, class politics, and a brewing rebellion. It’s dark fantasy with romance and an easy-to-follow magic system, layered with rich worldbuilding and gritty atmosphere. 🙌

The class tension, secret agendas, and family loyalty gave me major dystopian fantasy vibes (think Red Queen or Legend) but with its own voice and style. 🗡️

💙 What to expect:
🗣️ Dual POV
🔺 Slow-burn love triangle
🌪️ Elemental magic system
🖤 Found family & blood ties
🎭 Political intrigue

🔥 Steam level: open door

💙 How was the pace?
The first few chapters are slower as the world unfolds, but the plot picks up fast with expertly placed time jumps. The tension builds with every chapter.

💘 How was the romance?
Patrick Colson is my new favorite morally gray book boyfriend. Think broody Thomas Shelby energy, but softer around the edges when it counts. His banter with Nina? Top-tier. Their chemistry is electric, and the angst and longing is perfection. 🥰

💙 Do you recommend this book?
Absolutely. This book is binge-worthy, emotional, and wildly entertaining. Full disclosure though: the plot twists (esp Chapter 34) will leave your jaw on the floor. 🤯

If you’re craving a fantasy romance with magic, rebellion, and unforgettable characters, this one delivers. 🎉

💙 Perfect for fans of:
📚 Peaky Blinders
📚 Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
📚 To Kill a Shadow by Katherine Quinn

💙 Mood:
🖤 Broody & magical
🔥 Intense & emotional
⚔️ Class warfare with a romantic twist

💙 Read if you like:
🪄 Accessible fantasy with political intrigue
💔 Love triangles that actually work
🥀 Morally gray heroes & fierce heroines
📖 Found family & high-stakes romance

Wow! Amazing book ! I felt immersed into Kenton Hill and Nina and Patrick’s romance. You almost want to feel bad for Theo but he was such a jerk in the way that he left her when they were 18 and then how he was so nasty to her because he was jealous of her and Patrick . Let me tell you nothing in this world can prepare you for that ending though I mean it’s just so abrupt! 😱Thank you Saga Press and Stacey McEwan, I can hardly wait for book two .

INFINITE STARS!! A Forbidden Alchemy is the first book I've read from Stacey McEwan and it won't be the last. The entire journey was phenomenal; from the pacing and character development to the world-building, I was completely enthralled by this story.

It's so refreshing to read a unique romantic fantasy book and this was exactly what I needed. The twists! The romance! The unique magic system and exceptional morally gray characters! I was eating up the dual POV and dramatic irony.

A Forbidden Alchemy is one of the best books I've read this year, so do yourself a favor and add it to your TBR! Plus, the sprayed edges are gorgeous and you might leave with a new book boyfriend 😉 I promise you'll be thinking about A Forbidden Alchemy until Book 2.

Three more things:
1. Oh my god!
2. Holy sh*t!
3. THAT ENDING!!

My throat still hurts from screaming at the end.

Thank you Stacey McEwan, Karintha Parker, and Simon & Schuster for the eARC. This is my honest review.

Could not put down!
This book had everything for a great romantasy and book! Twist, turns, banter, tension. It was the recipe needed for amazing story.
This story is how it's described with six of crows meeting peaky blinders with the dual pov the plotting. The magic is different with the use of having to activate the magic with a substance and those who have it are trained at school to work for the government and those who don't are sent back to their village to work in the mines.
The main character Nina want to leave her village and finds out having magic isn't what she always imagined. The internal conflicts she has with herself creates amazing character depth and you want it know more about her. And it switches POV with Patrick the boy she met when they got tested at 12. I absolutely love the dual POV but for those who have 1st and 3rd pov preferences this book switched between both. Nina is in 1st and Patrick is in 3rd which I enjoyed.
The government and world is simple to follow and well explained on why things are happening. This action packed story is exactly what is needed and for those who read her Glacian trilogy this holds no comparison to it! I found it so much better!

I can’t. It was too good for words to even work. I will try my best though.

My palms were sweaty, nails bitten down to the quick, I had to continuously take breaks from nerves and impending doom, which felt like was behind every corner. IT WAS INCREDIBLE. Think fantasy Peaky Blinders. The world and magic systems, the divide, the struggles, everything was just done so meticulously well.

Then we have Patrick. My newest morally grey book boyfriend. He was utter perfection. No notes. Chef’s kiss. I’m obsessed. The connection between him and Nina from the get go was unforgettable. They had some mad chemistry and I loved them so much together.

Nina was put between a rock and a hard place. How the story unravels is phenomenal. The twists and where the plot thickens and GAH. It is going to be a hard wait for the next book is all I’m saying. Such an easy 5 stars. Can’t wait to reread it with the audiobook.

Wowwww this was so good. I went into the story not knowing much and that's how I'd recommend going into it! So how will you know if you'll like this? I would consider it a historical romantasy. If you like a Peaky Blinders vibe--you'll enjoy this. If you like a story where the characterization is strong and the romance is good but not overbearing--you'll enjoy this. If you enjoy stories with great pacing that keep you enthralled--read this.

I'm SO excited for book 2 and it has been a while since I've read a first book and wanted the next book in the series immediately.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

A gripping, slow burn romantasy that won’t let you come up for air.

“A Forbidden Alchemy” follows Nina Harrow and Patrick Colson after they uncover a world-changing secret and are thrust into a violent class war, navigating love, loss, and devastating betrayals.

McEwan draws inspiration from “Peaky Blinders” and “Six of Crows” to create a version of our world that has been transformed by elemental magic. From page one, I was hooked by the high stakes atmosphere built up by the dangerous secret Nina and Patrick are made to bear—that the siphoning ceremonies are fixed to ensure that high society families remain the only class with magic—and the war waged by Craftsmen when the truth comes to light. I read each page with bated breath as I navigated McEwan’s plot twists and her characters’ devastating betrayals.

The romantic elements in “A Forbidden Alchemy” are what make this story so magical! I loved alternating between Nina and Patrick’s perspectives across the span of several years, because it allowed me to gauge how their motivations change over time and connect with them on a deeper level. Their development from friends to enemies to lovers despite the conflict that separates them is paced well and deeply emotional. Just as everything begins to fall into place, however, it all falls apart…and that catastrophic cliffhanger is a doozy. Readers will have no choice but to pick up book 2!

What a ride! A Forbidden Alchemy is a stellar start to a new trilogy from Stacey McEwan.

I relished in the vibrant backdrop and atmosphere of this stunning romantic fantasy. The pacing was brilliant with surprising reveals sprinkled throughout the book.

In a genre that has felt particularly diluted, A Forbidden Alchemy shines. This is a must-read!

I tandem listened to audio while reading my gifted ARC, and I loved the dual narration. Billie Fulford-Brown and Joshua Riley are fantastic.

My rating: 5⭐️

I can’t wait for book two!

I’m stuck somewhere between 3 and 3.5 stars for this one. I think people are really going to love this one. It has all of the makings of a good romantasy/fantasy story. I’ve seen it described as a mix of Hunger Games and Divergent and other popular YA fantasy/sci fi series, and I definitely see the connection there.

The magic system with the charmers is interesting and the politics were interesting and exciting. The beginning reeled me in and I found the starting point in the story to be enticing and exciting. I just unfortunately did not feel like I connected very much with the characters in the story, which hindered me from feeling really immersed in it.

Once again, I think a lot of people are going to like this one, it just was not for me.

4.5 stars, rounding up!~

I feel like you should go into this book only having read the first paragraph of the. back of this book, because this book is truly done so well and going in blind is the way to go to just truly appreciate all the twists and turns that this book has to offer. As someone who has never been into Peaky Blinders, I was so surprised at how quickly I fell in love with our MMC Patrick. This man is broody and charming and possessive and witty and literally no notes about this man, he is just that good.

The story has you hooked from the very beginning, with a prologue that has you wanting to read more and more and more. Once I got about a quarter of the way through, I literally could not put this book down. I loved the Alchemy aspect of it and it was sort of giving me Six of Crows vibes, with different people having different powers to pull of some sort of big scheme with an underlying romance filled with tension.

Overall would recommend, and I hope this one pops off as the next big romantasy because it was so good!~

Thank you to Saga Press Books and Netgalley for the eARC!~

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

**A Forbidden Alchemy** by Stacey McEwan is an absolute triumph that completely exceeded my expectations. Imagine Minecraft Divine Rivals, and the high-stakes drama of Mockingjay all brilliantly woven together. The result is a captivating narrative that gripped me from the first page to the last.

What makes this novel truly exceptional is how McEwan crafts such compelling characters and places them in a richly detailed world with its own unique rules and dangers. The protagonist's journey is both emotionally resonant and action-packed, creating a perfect balance that kept me thoroughly engaged throughout.

I should mention that I approached this book with some hesitation, as I wasn't particularly impressed with the author's previous work, "Ledge." However, A Forbidden Alchemy represents a significant evolution in McEwan's storytelling abilities. Her prose has become more refined, her plotting more intricate, and her character development more nuanced.

The chemistry between the main characters sizzles with tension, and the supporting cast is equally well-developed, each with their own motivations and arcs. The magic system is innovative and thoughtfully constructed, with consequences that feel genuine and impactful.

The ending left me absolutely stunned - that cliffhanger is the definition of page-turning perfection! I'm already counting down the days until the sequel's release. I can confidently say this is one of my favorite reads of the year so far.

A Forbidden Alchemy releases on July 1st, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. If you're a fan of immersive fantasy with heart-pounding action and emotional depth, this book absolutely needs to be on your TBR list.

A stunning book with a great magic system, rich setting, and complex and striking FMC and MMC. So invested in Nina and Patrick’s story! Cannot wait for the sequel. This book deserves to be a hit.

This was my first book by Stacey and I really enjoyed it overall - very Divine Rivals vibes meets Peaky Blinders with a little Six of Crows thrown in the mix. By the ending I truly didn't know what exactly I was feeling because I had so many emotions running through me.

The story spans the course of 13 years but you spend most of the time with Nina being 12 and 25 years old - the in between years are described throughout the story. The plot is well structured and the writing is very...careful. There are times when you assume something means one thing only to learn later you should have taken in another way (which is fun tbh).

I felt like the magic system wasn't explained very well, a lot of parts of it didn't quite make sense but that's not uncommon when it come to book 1s in fantasy series so I'll withhold judgment until I read book 2.

I enjoyed that there isn't necessarily a very clear "bad guy" per se - war is messy and everyone thinks that they're the ones that are doing what's "best". Classism is a large part of the story and it tackles a lot of difficult subjects surrounding poverty and opportunity.

Nina and Patrick are both well written lead characters with a lot of baggage. The romance in the story is very slow burn but they both balance each other very well and I'm looking forward to seeing the angst in book 2 that I'm sure is coming. Their banter is top notch and well written (re: realistic). Theo is a wild card for me, I'm truly intrigued by his character and I'm dying to see where his story is going in the next book. He's very complex and has a lot of conflicting feelings going on.

Tropes: He Falls First, Slow Burn, Morally Grey Leads, Friends to Enemies to Lovers (ish),

This book started slow for me. It’s a new magic system and world building which took a while to follow. I did really enjoy the magic system it was really unique. I would say the plot really picked up at 50% for me. I really enjoyed the timeline that we followed the characters and the different plot twists I wasn’t expecting! overall a great book and i’m excited to continue with the series!

My god did I love this!

This started a bit slow for me, and since I knew the general premise I assumed there’d be a big time jump from the prologue and then flashbacks intermittently spread throughout the rest of the book. So I was waiting for that and when it didn’t really hit that way I wasn’t really sure how to feel about the pacing haha. But by maybe the 15-20% mark, everything was flowing really well for me!

Plot twists GALORE - most I was not able to guess/predict which I always love!

The FMC was a little unreliable which isn’t always my fav but worked well for this! She did get on my nerves with some of her decisions and the secrets she was keeping 😭 but it’s okay I still love her

I especially liked that she didn’t feel like your typical FMC, she’s not a reluctant hero who hates her power or a cocky badass with exponentially power and skill - she seems so like normal and down to earth? despite being the last of her “kind”. It was incredibly refreshing to me!

The side characters were enjoyable as well, I have a special soft spot for Donny 💕 but with some like Theo and Polly it was a bit hard to distinguish their true motivations - but that could also go hand in hand with what POVs we had and some unreliable narration though 🤷‍♀️

All in all, I cannot wait to read the sequel!!

I think I'm the odd one out here when it comes to A Forbidden Alchemy, but I did not vibe with this at all. The concept sounded up my alley, and the execution was fine, I'm just feeling a tad ambivalent about the book.

Woof this one triggered me a little bit while reading during the current state of the world so just be mindful about the parallels between what’s going on in the book perhaps not being the best escape from real life - however, plenty of people love political war heavy fantasies and this one has romance too!

This felt heavy at times but I still really enjoyed it and would love to continue the series!

Thanks to NetGalley & SagaPress for the ARC in exchange for my review!!

Stacey McEwan, I don't forgive you for this. Also, please do it again and again!

Forbidden Alchemy was such a ride! First of all, the writing and storytelling were fantastic. The pacing was great and I flew through this book in two days. I was so intrigued by the world and the magic system, but didn't feel bogged down by the world building. I've seen this compared to Peaky Blinders meets Six of Crows. I happen to love both of those things, so it's no surprise that I loved this book.

This book is chock full of morally grey characters. Who's right? Who's wrong? Everyone? No one? Stacey McEwan brings so much nuance that sometimes it's hard to tell. Well ok, I'll admit that there is one pretty clear evil villain. The last 15% of this book had me so stressed. Like watching a train crash knowing there's nothing you can do to prevent it. I need the next book asap!

A Forbidden Alchemy comes out on 7/1/25 and I'm gonna need all my fantasy lovers to run to their nearest bookstore to pick this up.

Thank you to Saga Press, NetGalley, and Stacey McEwan for the advanced copy of this book. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.