3.75 stars rounded up, light spice. This book is fun and unique with a peaky blinders vibe (plus magic!), slow burn romance, and so many twists that I did not see coming! I really enjoyed all of the charcters, but especially morally grey Patrick! Nina is strong, brave, and super smart, but also vulnerable and has such a good heart. The author does a great job balancing the world building, magic, and romance. That ending!!! I need book 2 asap!!
*I have a feeling this will be SO good on audiobook and I'll def be listening once that's available!

Thank you to NetGalley, author Stacey McEwan, and S/S Saga Press for this digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thanks to Netgalley and Saga for the ARC!

This was an interesting take on a fantasy romance. I was intrigued by the magic and magic school elements but the magic turned out to be more a background element than anything. The thrust of the novel was more political drama set in a fantasy world with Peakey Blinders vibes.

The frequent time jumps in the first quarter were quite jarring.

Rating: 3.5⭐️

A Forbidden Alchemy by Stacey McEwan
I loved this book. And the fact that it will be a duology? Even better.

It took me a minute to get into the rhythm of it—there’s quite a bit of setup in the beginning—but it’s necessary and really well done. Once things clicked into place, I was all in. The early chapters give us a glimpse of Nina and Patrick as kids, but we grow up with Nina. We see what she learns, how she changes, and how the world around her shifts as the rebellion builds. Patrick’s absence in this part leaves a bit of mystery—which ends up being one of the fun elements of the story. It’s a smart way to write the beginning and lays the groundwork for everything that follows.

Nina and Patrick’s reconnection is where the real story kicks in. I loved watching them find their way back to each other while navigating betrayal, politics, and everything they’ve lost. There’s a bit of miscommunication, yes—but it makes sense given the stakes and how much they’re both holding back. And you are just begging them to get to that point when they will trust eachother.

The world-building really works. The Artisan vs. Craftsman class system is a familiar setup, but how Stacey McEwan spins it feels fresh. Magic isn’t random here—it’s purposeful. Every elemental ability has a role in how this society functions, and the rarity of certain powers adds real weight to the story. It makes sense, and I appreciate that.

And Patrick? Total book crush material. He’s rough around the edges but smart, protective, and has just the right amount of emotional depth under that guarded exterior. You can picture him immediately—and it’s a good picture.

As always, I’m a sucker for found family, and this book hits that note so well. Once the story takes us to a certain little town (no spoilers), that dynamic settles in beautifully. The mix of personalities, loyalties, and tensions adds heart to the plot.
One heads-up: it ends on a cliffhanger. And since I read it as an ARC, the wait for book two feels especially unfair. But if this setup is any indication, the second book will be so worth it.

You do not want to miss this high stakes, slow burn Romantasy with Peaky Blinders vibes, rebellion, betrayals, and plot twists to make your jaw drop! I finished this in less than a day because my adrenaline was pumping and I could not stop! The plot development was perfection! The magic and how this leads to the societal classes and the animosity between them was portrayed very well.

The characters have so much depth and you can empathize with each character’s different decisions on all the moral dilemmas placed before them. The tension between Nina and Patrick had me squealing and the development of the relationship, the importance of trust, the struggle with doubt, and their inner thoughts were so real! The found family was amazing and added an element of levity to the book that I loved.

The ending had me flying through every emotion at lightning speed and I absolutely NEED the next book! This is one of those cliffhangers that had me clicking my kindle wishing it was going to go to the next chapter!!! Cannot wait for book two!

Thank you so much to Saga Press, Netgallery, and the author for the eARC! This is my honest and voluntary review.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. A Forbidden Alchemy started out a little tough for me, I had a hard time connecting to the main characters for the first... 40-50%, but once I pushed past that part, I liked the story a lot more. The plot twists were slightly predictable but still enjoyable, and there was more development behind the character's motives as we got farther in, though I feel like that could have been told a little earlier on. All in all, I believe this story was more laying the groundwork for the rest of the series, so I'll certainly read the next one to see what'll happen next. A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads for release.

3.75 Stars

Thank you Netgalley and Saga Press for the ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5/5
The dual pov story starts with 12 year old Nina Harrow and Patrick Colson discovering a secret at Belavere City. Both go separate ways and meet again as adults. Nina having turned an Artisan and Patrick a Crafter. There is now a war and Nina must decide which side to take. As this is all happening feelings between them grow making it harder for Nina to decide since Patrick is part of the Crafters Union and needs her. From the very beginning i was drawn to the main characters and the even the side characters. I loved the writing and the time skips. The plot twists and secrets were well put that i didn’t see them coming! In the end i was mostly frustrated with Nina for who she trusted. I loved the chemistry between Nina and Patrick and I can’t wait to see how the second book plays out with them! Book also gives Peaky Blinders vibes for whoever loved the show! I totally recommend giving it a read!
This is my honest review and thoughts.

Just finished and oh my god! That is how you start a series!!! The line to her readers in the acknowledgments? Iconic. ♾️⭐️- my mind is blown, jaw on the floor. This is one of the best books I’ve ever read and I’m going to be waiting with bated breath for any crumbs on book 2 of this trilogy.

A Forbidden Alchemy is a beautifully fresh romantasy with unique magic systems, strong characters & the most delicious slow-burn romance I’ve read to date! 🔥 Stacey McEwan grabbed my attention the moment our main characters met at age 12 in Belavere City. Fast forward many years later, long kept secrets have been discovered and they are living in a violent class war between the Artisans and Craftsmen. The atmosphere perfectly fits McEwan’s inspiration of Peaky Blinders + Six of Crows (Colson brothers 🤝 Shelby brothers) and she expertly weaves us into this world of miners and magic wielders with a gripping plot keeping me engaged the entire time. I’m completely satisfied with the ending and can’t wait to read what happens next.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for the eARC of A Forbidden Alchemy in exchange of my honest review. This book was an absolute JOY to read and I hope special editions are planned because I need all the pretty versions of this masterpiece. 🤩

Upon reading the description of the book, I thought it would be a dark academic book - but after a few brief chapters of the main characters as children, this is a book which is much more interested in the results of choices Nora and Patrick made when they were still children. This seems to have its roots in the British mining strike of the 1980s, and yet feels incredibly of the moment. It's an unusual period of history to consider in fantasy, but it's an incredibly poignant result. Nora and Patrick meet as children, where the two of them uncovered a secret that upended their whole understanding of how their society, and their government functioned. The two each made different choices and when they met again over 10 years later, they are on opposite sides, but the connection between them is still there.

The ideas of this book, about enshrining intergenerational power, about dealing with drug addiction, about what is acceptable damage, feel more poignant to our current reality than a lot of fantasy books do. And I will say that while many books have the trope of love of first sight, McEwan does a really amazing job of showing us two characters who are so drawn to each other and who understand each other, despite the many reasons that they shouldn't be together. I wanted Patrick and Nina to just lay out all their cards on the table, but they are wonderfully drawn enough that I understood why they couldn't. I understood where Nina's best friend Polly was coming from, and I wanted to know more from her perspective. My heart broke for Patrick's brothers, who are doing their best in a world that tries to break them in the mines.

And most of all, I wanted to know what happens next. This book will stick with me for a long time. I'd recommend to anyone who enjoyed Veronica Roth's Divergent or Rebecca Ross's Divine Rivals.

I need book 2 right now! A Forbidden Alchemy hooks you early and keeps you hooked until the end with multiple twists and turns.

⭐️ Star Rating: 10/5
🌶️ Spice Level: 3/5

What to expect:
- Magic
- Lol hilarious
- Multi-POV
- Slow burn
- Love triangle
- Flashbacks

TW: Alcohol, Classism, Cursing, Death, Drug Use, Sexual Content, War

Thank you S&S/Saga Press for granting me an ARC! All opinions are my own and not influenced by the publisher.

A Forbidden Alchemy by Stacey McEwan was a great book. I really enjoyed reading it.
The first third of the book has a lot of character and world building, which is needed, since this is a fantasy world like no other I have ever read. And Stacey does a really good job of not making it an information dump and not dragging it out forever. It was very tastefully done.
Nina is our FMC and she was born a miners daughter, but always wanted to be more. When an opportunity presents itself when she goes sneaking around with Patrick, one of our MMC, that she just met at 12 years old, it was too good for her to pass up, and she is granted magic.
While at school to learn to use her magic, she meets Theo, one of the Lords sons. They are paired together and over the next 6 years grow very close.
Then disaster strikes and everything changes, and Nina goes on the run.
There is a plot twist in this book that I didn’t see coming that had my jaw on the floor. I also love Patrick’s brother, Donny in particular, he is a character!
I cannot wait for book two, it will be a must read for me.

Wow!! This book had me hooked from the beginning when you find out it’s all a scam. I loved following Nina’s story!

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

Peaky Blinders- Hunger Games- found family- morally gray- betrayal! The banter is so good, the love triangle, the plot. I devoured this book!

A Forbidden Alchemy is a unique story in romantasy all its own. This book consumed my thoughts until the very end and still does. I can not wait for the rest of the series.

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

This book has everything! A unique magic system, plot twists I never saw coming, & a slow burn with a hint of a love triangle.

I usually a vibe reader & this book has it- sucked me in from day one! I love the Peaky Blinders feel. It touched just enough on the back story to build & then threw you right in the drama. Loved every minute of it!

This fantasy novel was a captivating journey from start to finish. With richly imagined world-building and a cast of compelling characters, it strikes a great balance between action, emotion, and lore. The magic system was creative without being overwhelming, and the plot kept a steady pace with just enough twists to stay unpredictable.

WOW WOW WOW. I was so excited to get this arc and it absolutely did not disappoint. This was a glorious combination of Six of Crows/Peaky Blinders/Hunger Games (ish) and I loved it so so much.
In this world, when children turn 12 they receive a vial that determines their fate and reveals if they possess any magic and can become Artisans. Nina desires this more than anything in the world but when her and Patrick discover that it's not so much destiny as it is predetermined by older Artisan officials, they change their fate and years later find themselves on opposite sides of the coming war.
First of all, I loved that this read as a dystopian, but Nina and Patrick are twenty-something. I appreciated this detail when things got steamy (but not overly so).
The found family in this was glorious.
I loved Nina and Patrick's instant connection and their banter was A+.
The last 20% had me pulling my hair out and this sequel can't come soon enough.

This is my first book by Stacey McEwan and I was not disappointed! It was a slow burn type of story but so beautifully written.

I have been super excited to read this one! A revolution with non-magic users pitted against magic users.

While I was super invested in the story, I will say my only complaint is that it felt like it started very slow. I didn't dislike the book in any way, I actually really liked it, but it took me two weeks to get through the first half of the story. It wasn't until ~35-40% that it felt like the plot really started moving.

It definitely picked up and overall I really enjoyed it, and I will definitely be reading the second when it comes out.

This is Stacey McEwan's best book yet! I enjoyed this book from the very beginning. This was such a unique start where we see the main characters, Nina and Patrick, as children. They are very similar but come from completely different backgrounds so I loved their interactions. The world building caught my attention straight away. This is such an interesting world and the way children are at 12 years old to be Artisans, elemental magic wielders, or Craftsman, physically strong people tasked to serve the idium mines, was such a strong start to the book. Nina is determined to be an Artisan as she wants so much more than her life back in the mining town. Then there's Patrick who wants nothing to do with Artisans and only wants to go back to his Craftsman family.

The timeline for me really made the book special. I think it's very unique to read about the main characters growing up where usually we just see them as adults. I loved how this book develops once the characters are adults. We get excellent political scheming and maneuvering, we learn more and more about the idium mines and their purpose for magic, and we get to see a great romance unfold. Overall I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to see what comes next!

Who can I contact to get another star because this deserves 6 stars

Holy fkn shit, I’ve not read anything like this before and now I don’t know what to do with myself.

This story is so beautifully written, the slow burn is perfection and the twist and cliffhanger had me gasping.

A top read for me this year already.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion!

"This stunning slow-burn romantasy follows a fated pair who uncover a world-changing secret and are thrust into a violent class war, navigating love, loss, and devastating betrayals."
This blurb drew me into this novel and WOW, what a read! This romantasy is going to be a lot of people's favorite new read in 2025, I'm calling it already. Peaky Blinders x Hunger Games fans......get ready for greatness!!