A Forbidden Alchemy by Stacey McEwan
Release date: July 1, 2025
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
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This was my first time reading a Stacey McEwan novel and the story sucked me in right away and held my attention the whole time. Since the story starts with the main characters as children and moves ahead to the present timeline with bits of information in between, the characters and rising conflict felt very fleshed out in the early part of the story.

The world felt unique without needing a lot of setup and what world-building there was, it was worked into the story very smoothly. The writing was so engaging and charming, the dialogue made me feel like I knew the characters on another level and truly added personality to them.

There are some really interesting reveals throughout the story that surprised me but worked within the story. The pacing was also great, it never felt like we were in one place too long and new information was always being revealed. The only area I felt I didn’t learn enough about and felt slightly rushed was the school description in the beginning, but I think I prefer that to spending too much time there.

Overall, I adored this book. I fell in love with the characters, especially the whole Colson family. I’ll be eagerly awaiting the next installment! I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romantasy without an overemphasis on the romance.
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“You don’t like women who speak?”
“Can’t fuckin’ stand them, truth be told,” he said. “They have a way of talking over the stuff they don’t want you to hear.”

Will start with a few good things:

1. The first 10% of the book really drew me in. There were certain things happening that had me stressed I could not take my eyes away from the book.

2. Which brings me to the writing in general. I think the author was able to use her prose to invoke emotions out of the reader, and for that I commend them. Also the prose was really able to set the scene and make the reading experience immersive as far as the aesthetic of the world goes.

Now for what just really did not work for me:

1. I found the whole premise, the way the world and the society is set up, just completely, fundamentally flawed and the actions of essentially all characters throughout this book lacked common sense.

2. The plot had a lot of plot holes, there was a twist that just didn’t make sense given that we follow Nina from a 1st person POV (I actually think it would have been good if everything was just in 3rd person tbh). The rest of it was predictable from basically chapter 2.

3. The main characters had no depth, I felt zero emotion towards them, the side characters were there just to serve a specific function.

4. Felt no chemistry between the love interests. This is kind of a love triangle but it’s so superficial. I feel like I as a reader had to constantly fill in the gaps of what happened off the page for it to be remotely believable.

The book ends on a cliffhanger yet I just don’t care what happened next and won’t be reading the next book.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an eARC. All opinions are my own.

A Captivating Journey into a World of Forbidden Alchemy! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Stacy McEwan’s “A Forbidden Alchemy” is an absolute triumph that swept me away from the very first page! This enchanting slow-burn romantasy follows Nina Harrow and Patrick Colson, two young individuals from disenfranchised mining towns who are whisked away to the dazzling Belavere City to uncover their magical potential. However, their journey takes a dramatic turn when they stumble upon a world-changing secret, thrusting them into a war filled with love, loss, and heart-wrenching betrayals.

McEwan’s writing is eloquent and incredibly descriptive, allowing readers to be fully transported into the richly detailed world she has created. Each sentence draws you deeper into the narrative, making you feel as though you are right alongside the characters as they navigate their emotional landscapes and thrilling adventures. Because of this, I formed strong emotional connections with the characters, making every moment of this read a truly enjoyable experience.

Nina, our protagonist, is a character I found incredibly relatable and endearing. Her journey is filled with twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat, eager to anticipate what would happen next. Just when I thought I had her figured out, McEwan would surprise me with a morally grey revelation, adding depth and complexity to her character and the story as a whole.

The world-building and magic concepts in this story are so intricately woven that it’s clear they must have taken hours upon days to dream up. The magic flows and integrates so cohesively with the narrative that it’s almost hard to believe Belavere isn’t alive and well in some far reaches of our planet. To me, this is exactly what Romantasy should feel, read, and look like and Stacy executed it perfectly.

The ending was a complete shock to me, leaving me eagerly anticipating the next installment! I’m thrilled that “A Forbidden Alchemy” is the first book in a duology, and I could easily see it soaring to the same heights as other popular duologies, like “Divine Rivals.”

I wholeheartedly recommend “A Forbidden Alchemy” to anyone seeking a gripping, beautifully crafted fantasy. This book is a treasure that you won’t want to miss, especially if you enjoyed series like “Divine Rivals” and “The Crimson Moth.” I can’t wait to see what McEwan has in store for us in the next book!

I’m forever grateful to Saga Press Books for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this stunning tale! <3

This was an epic read! It’s giving peaky blinders x bridge kingdom and I was so here for chaos that the author brought.

With so many twists and turns and betrayal at every corner, I felt on the edge of my seat for most of the book!

The MMC & side characters were the stars of this show and I am now in love with a fictional character!

A must read!

4.25 stars. This was a great book, probably my favorite from the author. The world and magic system felt engaging and largely original, the main character had great growth, and the relationship dynamics grew well. This wasn’t a five star for me though because there were some plot areas that could have been improved. Firstly I wish we had gotten a little more of school at the beginning to understand who she was as she grew up and her friend dynamics. It led to a lot more telling rather than showing. Secondly Nina and Patrick’s relationship would have been more believable if they had know each other slightly longer. It didn’t feel like it could be this strong or emotional without a little more backing. And lastly I didn’t think her mom was really a good draw for her to betray the union. We got very few stories of them together and it seemed contrary to Nina’s character to betray the union for her mom who abandoned her at a young age.

I love this author and this is 1000000% the next viral fantasy! It has all the elements I love unique magic, slowww burn romance, lots of plot twists, secrets/mystery and dual POVs, didn't want this to end, loved the characters I want moree!

If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would. The way I consumed this book was next level. From the minute I picked it up I was hooked and I had my Kindle strapped to my hand until I was finished.

At the age of 12 all children are sent to Belavere City to uncover their magical potential. They are required to drink a vial of Idium which will reveal if they have elemental magic within them. If they do they are labeled as Artisans and sent to study at the Artisan School, but if nothing changes then they are labeled as Crafters and sent back to their homes to start working.

Nina and Patrick meet when they are 12 years old awaiting their turn to take the trial. They stumble across a deadly secret that will change everything.

This book has:

-Elemental magic
-Unique magic system
-Class wars
-Deadly secrets
-Slow burn romance
-Plot twists
-dual POVs

This story has the morally gray characters of my dreams!! The characters are so well developed. The tension and banter is absolutely everything. The plot twists and betrayal were wrenching. Patrick is one of my all-time favorite MMCs I will never stop thinking about him. I absolutely don’t know how I am going to be able to wait for book 2. Especially after that ending!! I will be telling everyone that I know to read this book. I NEED MORE!!

The most massive thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars because I already know this will be in my Top Favorite series category.

Peaky Blinders but with magic- dystopian- found family- morally gray- slow burn- betrayal! The banter is so good, the love triangle, the chemistry, the plot. I devoured this book!

As someone who enjoys world building as well as character development with a little romance sprinkled in, I really appreciated Stacey’s humor, wit and attention to detail. She made me fall in love with these characters and become invested in their individual journeys. This story gave us a few plot twists and ends on a cliff hanger that is going to keep me absolutely starving for the next in the series.

A Forbidden Alchemy is a unique story in romantasy (or fantamance 😂) all its own. This book was my first read by Stacey, it consumed my thoughts until the very end and still does.

Thank you so much to Stacey McEwan and Saga Press for the opportunity to read this!!

Loved this book!! I've been feeling romantasy fatigue lately but this one feels SO fresh and different!

I absolutely loved the dual POV as it gave different perspectives. I also enjoyed how Stacey slowly gave varying information that swayed my opinion of the different characters as the story progressed. I think that Stacey has an amazing way of keeping the reader on their toes and invested in the narrative.

Awwww this was such a cute story. I was just captivated by everything that was taking place. It was just so easy to get into these characters' lives and you just can't help but fall in love with them. I can't wait to see what's next from this author.

4.5 stars

Thank you for the early e-arc of A Forbidden Alchemy!

I loved Ledge and so was very excited to see this new book from Stacey McEwan. I went into this without reading the summary and going entirely on the author, cover and title! I was not disappointed! This book immediately captured my interest.

It starts when both of the main characters are children. This world has a test kids take to see where they will grow up- will they work hard jobs like mining in a poor town or go to the richer cities and attend school and be an alchemist. I loved this concept and was really pulled in by the world, writing and the characters. It alternates between Parick and Nina's POV's, and I loved both of them. Their voices were totally different (I wouldn't have even needed their names on the chapter to know who I was reading about). The world was built very well; I loved the magic use and side characters. This book had a school setting as well as Six of Crow/found family/ revolution vibes. It was such a unique take on a fantasy book and really was beautifully done.

My only negative about this read was that a tiny bit of the middle dragged for me just a small amount. I could have used for the story to progress just a tiny bit more but once things picked up, they really escalated.

I really enjoyed A Forbidden Alchemy. Stacey McEwan has such a vivid, moody writing style that pulls you into this dark, magical world right away. The whole vibe—alchemy, forbidden magic, that slightly gothic academic setting—was right up my alley. It took a few chapters to find its rhythm, but once it did, I was hooked.

What I loved:
• The magic system felt fresh and different. I liked how it wasn’t just flashy spells, but something more grounded and dangerous.
• The tension in the romance was so well done—slow-burn, forbidden, and full of longing.
• The main character was easy to root for. She’s layered, messy at times, but feels very real.
• The writing itself has a moody, immersive quality that really suits the story.

What didn’t quite work for me:
• It started a bit slow—I wasn’t totally sold until about a third of the way in.
• There were moments where I wished the world-building had been a little more detailed or explained.
• A couple of scenes dragged a bit, especially in the middle.

That said, by the end I was fully invested and already looking forward to what’s next. If you like dark academia with emotional stakes and a touch of forbidden romance, this one’s worth picking up.

I read this book as an advanced reader copy through NetGalley. It is an enemies to lovers story and reminds me of Rebecca Ross’s books . This was a cute read with romance, magic and betrayal.

This gritty war filled world was full of secrets that kept me guessing til the end. While the timeline made the pacing a little slow in the beginning, once things get moving this is so hard to put down. The magic system was unique, and there were a few big twists at the end!

First off, thank you, Netgalley, for allowing me to read and review A Forbidden Alchemy.

This was a great read.

We start off with a girl from a small mining town longing to be something. Belavere City whisks away all the 12 year olds to find new artisans from all the surrounding towns. Nina Harrow and Patrick Colson, as they wait for their towns name to be called, find the vials of idium that they give the kids. As they're in the room of idium they discover that there's the real idium and the fake vials they give to the outer towns, so they steal one vial of each, to decide their own fate.

As Nina decides to become an artisan, Patrick returns home. She becomes the only Earth Charmer. Years go by and on her graduation day a war begins and she escapes only to be captured years later by the miners union and back into Patrick's world.

Thrust back into each other's lives on opposing sides of the war, Nina must decide on love or her job to take down the union...

That ending wrecked me. Took me a few days just to recover enough to write a review. So emotional and breathtaking. Can’t wait for the next book.

The second half of the book had me barely breathing with all the shocking twists, turns and betrayals. Brilliant magic system with a twist on elemental magic. Can’t get enough of the MCs and side characters. Infectious banter and chemistry.

Everything changed when they were just 12 yrs old. While sneaking around they discover a secret that will ignite a viscous class war that will last for many years. Craftsman vs Artisans. One boy and one girl. Both make different life altering choices. One stays and one goes back to their home in a mining town..

13yrs later, they are reunited under precarious circumstances. Something ignites between them that can’t be ignored but they are both hiding secrets that could destroy what they have while bringing everyone down with them.

❤️‍🔥 Slow Burn
💜 Found Family
⚗️ Dual POV
🪄 Forbidden Magic
⛏️ Class War
🤯 Twist-Turns-Betrayals
🌶️🌶️ and so much more!!

This story is brutal and so different from the other romantasy books I have read. Are you in a book slump? If so, then I highly recommend this book!!

Thank you to the author, Saga Press and NetGalley for this gifted ARC for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Stacey McEwan—are you seriously going to leave me hanging like that?! This was my first book by her, and I am hooked. If I could give it six stars, I would. I lost count of how many times I gasped while reading. The magic system in this book was amazing—unique, well-developed, and so immersive. And the found family trope? Absolutely devastating in the best and worst ways. The emotional punches hit hard, and I felt everything. Everyone needs to get their hands on this book the moment it hits shelves!

THIS BOOK. WOW.
Divine rivals meets hunger games!!! I loved this so much, I’ve been so lucky with my ARCS lately!

Patrick?!?!?!! What a MAN. And Nina?! I loved a flawed, badass, relatable, powerful woman! Every character came to life and I adored them. Even the ones you love to hate.

The magic, the world building, the lore?! Incredible. I can picture every place and scene in my head VIVIDLY.

That cliffhanger will have me on edge for months. Gave me the same rush that reading "There is no District 12.” Did the first time.

I RAN to preorder it. You should do the same.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this ARC!

I, sadly, have to dnf at 14%.

It's a me thing but the writing/story just isn't grabbing me. I find myself bored in the long conversations and extra details.

Thank you, Netgalley.