Thank you Netgalley and Saga Press for an arc in exchange for a review!

A Forbidden Alchemy revolves around a class war, set in a small mining town, with a lovely slow burn romance and unique magic system. We are first introduced to Nina and Patrick when they meet at 12 years old when they travel to the capital city, to drink a magical potion that will reveal whether they are an artisan or a craftsman. Artisans are admitted into the country’s school for magic, while craftsman are sent back to their towns to work in the mines. During the process, our main characters uncover a dirty secret about how artisans and craftsman are determined. They go separate ways after this day, and we see the following years in brief glimpses. The story picks up again when they are 25, and the class tensions have bubbled over into a fullscale war between the artisans and craftsman.

At first, I thought that A Forbidden Alchemy was gonna give dark academia/hunger games vibes, but I feel like it was a little more like a western, which is not my typical cup of tea but I actually really enjoyed it in this book. Stacey did an incredible job writing the setting, it was very immersive and the world building was well done. A big highlight of this book for me were the side characters. They were so loveable, Donny made me laugh out loud multiple times. Overall, this book is definitely worth a read when it comes out July 1st!

Read A Forbidden Alchemy for:
🔮Class tensions
🔮Unique magic system
🔮Small coal mining towns
🔮Enemies to lovers
🔮Slow burn
🔮Light kidnapping
🔮Love triangle-ish
🔮Loveable side characters
🔮Plot twists
🔮Cliffhanger

A Forbidden Alchemy was such a unique and fun romantasy! The magic system was interesting and definitely reminded me of the Grishaverse in a lot of ways. The overall worldbuilding was really well-written, with plenty of opportunities for development in the next book.
Patrick and Nina were an excellent couple, and I love how much depth they had. The dual POV really served to develop the characters and their complexity. I also like that the plot wasn't overshadowed by the romance, and there was an excellent balance between action, romance, and plot development. I can't wait to read the next book!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Saga Press for the eARC!

A Forbidden Alchemy is easily one of my favorite fantasy romances I've read in some time! It has a comfortable familiarity for readers with its tropes while also giving readers a nicely developed gaslamp fantasy setting and world that currently feels fresh. It was easy sliding into the story, but intriguing enough to keep me turning pages late into the night. I loved so much about it, even if Stacey left me broken and staring at the wall with the cliffhanger.

We first meet Patrick and Nina as children when they meet at 12 years old. Events unfold that day that have them going their separate ways, but also result in lasting repercussions for the whole nation. Years later, they reunite in the midst of the war -- under duress and on different sides.

Nina Harrow is a slightly disillusioned dreamer torn between two worlds while also possessing incredible power in her medium. She is fierce and determined when she sets her mind to something.

Patrick Colson is...everything. I loved everything about him and his arc throughout this book. The love he has for his family, how terrifying he is to his enemies, the way he falls for his woman so shamelessly hard... He's a new top favorite MMC for sure.

Together, their chemistry and their choices had me going through all the emotions. I will probably not shut up about this book for a while and already cannot wait for book 2!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Saga Press for this digital ARC!

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this book, but by the end I knew I had to read the next one. It starts off a little slow, but the magic system is different enough from other fantasy stories that I was interested. It may be a little predictable at times, but I still enjoyed all the secrets, manipulation, and deceit that all of the characters were doing, whether to try to protect themselves or others. I think the difficult decisions the characters had to make to decide who they wanted to be/where they want to stand in the conflict made it interesting. I do think the love triangle and the miscommunication could have been left out as it just was there to allow more problems to be created, but I understand they were the plot devices that allowed the author to get to the cliffhanger at the end.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A forbidden alchemy by Stacey McEwan was a page turning masterpiece. In a world reminiscent of the hunger games we have two opposing classes; artisans and crafters the have and have nots if you will. Add in a magical element and this world is easy to fall in love with. The first book of this series, follows Nina and Patrick through the dichotomy of their schooling, beliefs and and roles in a conflict far from over.

The magic, world building character development and romance were spot on and I cant think of a book I’ve enjoyed more throughly in quite some time. The only down side to this is waiting for the next book to come out. If I could give this 6 stars I would.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me this ARC I am so thrilled to have read this book.

This is my favorite read of the year so far, and I would not be surprised if it’s still top 5 (if not #1) by the end. It’s also my first ever 5 star ARC read.

I hadn’t read Stacey McEwan’s prior work, but after A Forbidden Alchemy I fell completely in love with her writing. Crisp descriptions, lovely metaphors, tension-filled slow burn, interesting side characters, and a touch of humor - it was just absolute perfection for me. I was hooked the moment I started reading, and found myself smiling at my Kindle because I was just so throughly overjoyed with how good this book is. I immediately pre-ordered the deluxe edition, bought all the books in Stacey’s Glacian series, and added her to my list of auto-buy authors.

Truly, thank you so much Saga, Net Galley, and Stacey McEwan for this ARC. I am so happy with this read!

If you found yourself in the middle of a war, which side would you choose?

Nina finds herself caught in a war between the Artisans (magic users) and the Crafters (non-magic users). Instead of choosing a side, she runs away. Several years later, she is captured and brought to a small mining town, where she runs into someone from her past. After years of staying neutral in the war, Nina must finally pick a side.

Stacey McEwan really hit it out of the park when she wrote this novel. The plot was addictive, the characters were dynamic, and the romance was red-hot.

This book balances the romance and fantasy elements extremely well, which most books in this genre fail to accomplish. It also happens to be so much more than a "romantasy." It tackles important social issues like human and workers' rights, class systems, prejudice, and does so in a non-forced, organic way.

The plot twists throughout the book were so satisfying when they were revealed. I never saw them coming, and I think they helped elevate the plot. You run the risk of plot twists being used just for shock value, but that wasn’t the case here.

My one gripe with this story is that I wish the plot itself had been beefier. It didn’t really feel like a lot actually happened content-wise. I’m hoping the sequel will be more fast-paced. Also, the story starts off linear, then jumps around the timeline before returning to linear, and I wish it had jumped back and forth the entire time. I think that would have made the story slightly more impactful throughout. The world-building could have been executed a bit better. We only visit a handful of locations, and since there is a war going on, more context on cities and their locations would have made it easier for me, as the reader, to follow the plot better.

I’m very excited to read book 2 to see what happens next!

Thank you to Saga Press for gifting me an early copy of this book before its official release.

Love, love, love.

At the beginning of this story, I wasn't sure what to expect. Now upon finishing, I find myself left on a cliff with no rescue in the near future.

Following Nina's journey from miner's daughter, to artisan to rebel to who knows what now was suspenseful and heartbreaking and thrilling.

In comparison, this story reminds me of Hunger Games and Divergent. Power controlled by the few, good people sacrificing all to protect their own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Stacey McEwan for the advanced copy. Is it too early to put my name out for number two? I can not wait!

Wow. I love everything about this book. I love the unique magic system and how one’s powers can only emerge if they ingest a substance controlled by the high lord and they must maintain doses or lose their abilities. I love the world building and character development. I love Nina and Patrick and how their relationship progressed. There was so much deceit, and so many twists and turns I stayed up way too late to finish as I could not put this down. I cannot wait for the next book, as one will love rent free in my head from now on.

If Stacey McEwan writes it I will immediately go to read it! This was so fantastic! The chemistry, the plot twists the use of alchemy I was obsessed! The world building is beyond incredible and one of my favorite male main characters in the longest time! Cannot wait to add this to our library collection!

When it comes to Stacey McEwan the only information I need is that she wrote it and I will immediately want to read it.

This book was simply amazing. I couldn’t put it down once I started reading. The world created in A Forbidden Alchemy was reminded me of why I love this genera so much.

Nina is twelve when we meet her, on a train adventure to what she hopes will be a life changing event. From there we get to see her make friends, learn that life isn’t what is seams, the world is just as unfair away from home as it was in it and that’s people cannot be trusted. I loved her drive to get everything she wanted in life. I loved the pace that we got from adolescence to adulthood.

The plot twist!! I was so deeply sucked into this world that I forgot briefly that Ms. Stacey McEwan thrives on torturing her readers and didn’t see it coming.

The romance! Ugh I adored Patrick and Nina so much, the tension between them couldn’t have been better.

MISS STACEY!!!!! How dare you?!? How have you done this to me yet again. You've ripped out my heart and stomped on it, smothered it in gasoline, lit me on fire, and then waited as I burned to ash. Good lord woman! This book was amazing and as par for the course - the betrayal and cliffhanger was EPIC.

If Peaky Blinders met The Hunger Games and a ton of magic, this would be the book! You follow Nina Harrow and Patrick Colson (very Tommy Shelby vibes) and their journey as Craftsman and Artisans. Both are from Craftsman (non magic) families and have to travel to the capital at 12 years old to get "siphoned" (kinda like a Reaping vibe in The Hunger Games) where they drink a tincture to see if magic lives in their blood. The two take separate paths in life and don't meet again until years later when they're all grown up.

You'll like this gorgeous story if you enjoy:
- seriously morally grey MMC
- lovable side characters (Donny - we NEED a Donny book)
- friends(ish) to enemies(ish) to lovers (definitely no "ish" there)
- banter
- betrayal
- cliffhanger (would it be a Stacey McEwan book if there wasn't a cliffhanger?!?!)
- unreliable FMC POV (seriously Stacey - what did you DO to me?!?!)

Stacey - ma'am - this book was PHENOMENAL! I always get worried about an author's second series (sorta like a second book) where there might be a bit of a slump. You did the exact opposite of whatever a slump is. You skyrocketed to the top of the mountain. Loved this book, loved the pace, loved the chemistry, loved the side characters (seriously need a Donny book) - it was everything I thought it would be. Now I have to wait even longer for book 2.

Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

A Forbidden Alchemy is now officially my favorite romantasy of the year. If you are looking for a plot-heavy story with an angsty romance and peaky blinders-esque atmosphere, this is for you.

Plot –

In a sharply divided realm, society comprises two distinct groups: the magically gifted Artisans and the laboring Craftsmen. Upon reaching the age of twelve, children are summoned to Belavere City to test their inherent magical potential. Those who demonstrate power are granted a life of privilege, receiving formal education and honing their abilities. Conversely, those deemed powerless return to their families, destined for lives of toil and poverty.

It is within Belavere City, at this pivotal age, that Nina Harrow and Patrick Colson's paths first cross. Both hail from humble mining towns, but they have very different hopes for their futures. Nina wishes to escape her circumstances to become an Artisan, and Patrick only wishes to return home to his family.

During their time in Belavere, the two children unearth a shocking truth: the magical aptitude test is a sham. Artisan status is not a birthright, but a carefully orchestrated selection based on societal standing. Together, Nina and Patrick manipulate their individual tests to shape their own destinies. Nina emerges as an exceptional Artisan, the first earth charmer in centuries, while Patrick is allowed to return to his family.
Years pass, and simmering discontent among the Craftsmen erupts into open rebellion against the Artisan elite of Belavere City, igniting a brutal class war. Amidst this conflict, fate orchestrates a reunion between Nina and Patrick, now adults standing on opposing sides of the battle lines.

Characters –

Having navigated both the privileged world of Artisans and the harsh realities of the Craftsmen, Nina possesses a sharp intellect and formidable capabilities, coupled with a deeply empathetic understanding of their fractured society.

Patrick exudes charisma and is fiercely devoted to his family. He navigates the injustices he faces with remarkable eloquence and holds profound care for those within his close circle. Author Stacey McEwan has cited Tom Shelby from Peaky Blinders as inspiration for Patrick, a connection that resonates perfectly in his demeanor and motivations.

Thoughts –

While echoes of familiar fantasy tropes may resonate, the world-building, character dynamics, and societal conflict in A Forbidden Alchemy offer a refreshingly distinct perspective. This isn't the predictable romantasy narrative so often encountered; McEwan crafts a unique enough experience to feel genuinely engaging. Although the book has a substantial length, the significant reveals and plot twists are strategically placed, maintaining a compelling rhythm that keeps the reader invested throughout.

I don’t really have much to critique here, as this was the perfect book for me. I can’t wait to read the second installment in this duology once it’s available!

The first 1/4 of this book seemed very unnecessary or could have been told in flashbacks. Once we get past the exposition is engaging enough, but failed to live up to my expectations.

This book was PHENOMENAL. I'm trying to put into words how much I enjoyed reading it. The magic. The politics. The Peaky Blinders vibes. The romance. The friends to enemies to lovers. I could not put this book down. Patrick is my new favorite fictional human being and I knew he would be from the moment him and Nina met as children. I also really enjoyed Nina as an FMC. Is she perfect? No. But she is dealing with so much. The twists and turns this book takes are written so spectacularly. I was gasping out loud on multiple occasions. The side characters with their personalities and their bantering, literally gave me life. I just wanted to dive into this book and live in this world with them all. I knew like 60% in that I would be experiencing a major book hangover with this one. Not only do I have to wait until July to even talk to other people about this book, but I have to wait even longer for book 2. It'll be a struggle, but gosh I just know it'll be worth it! Cannot recommend this book enough. Add it to your TBR and actually just pre-order it now!

Absolutely perfect. No notes. This filled the Tommy Shelby-sized hole in my heart and I can’t believe I have to wait so long for book 2.

In A Forbidden Alchemy, we follow the journey of Nina Harrow and Patrick Colson. The first time Nina and Patrick meet in Belvare City, they uncover a lie and twist that launch them onto two different paths in the future!


Nina has always dreamed of becoming an Alchemist—individuals who have the ability to wield elemental powers and are destined for greatness. She envisioned herself attending the Artisan school. As for Patrick, that is the complete opposite of his dream. He has no interest in becoming an Alchemist and wants to return to his home. However, while they are in Belvare City, they discover together that the notion they grew up with—specifically, how Artisans are born—is a complete lie, and that they are actually chosen. Nina is determined to become an Artisan, but what seems like a childhood dream turns into a nightmare when she finally achieves it, after she and Patrick uncover the secret.

Once again, Nina’s dream becomes her nightmare. After years of training to become an Alchemist at the Artisan school and falling in love with another Alchemist, she runs away to avoid being used in the war that has been brewing between the Alchemists and the Craftsman community. After some time on the run, she finds herself reunited with none other than Patrick Colson, who is no longer a fellow child, but a man who now leads the rebellion. He convinces her to help him plot against the very academy she spent years training for and to become their weapon.

A Forbidden Alchemy features a truly unique class system, unexpected twists, and political injustice, making it hard to put down! The slow-burn relationship between Nina and Patrick had me yearning for them to be together. The plot was so unique and fascinating that it kept me more intrigued than the romance! I can’t wait for everyone to read this beautifully unique story!

Thank you so much to Saga Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC!

Gosh, this book was SO dang good! The slow burn, the world-building and imagery, the characters... chef's kiss.
This was everything I wanted in a romantasy, and the banter and politics were both done so well and high points for me.
The pacing was on point and the action, tension, and corruption absolutely kept me invested in Nina and Patrick's journey.
10/10 no notes

A great fantasy read for anyone that likes mobsters and magic. As children, Nina and Patrick discover a terrible secret that is being kept from the people of their nation that would change everything, especially for those in the brink. Unrest grows larger every day as word begins to spread. When war breaks out, who will win?

The book started off a little slow for me for the first hundred pages, but picked up quickly after that. I enjoyed the slow burn chemistry between Nina and Patrick and look forward to the next book to see what happens.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me this amazing opportunity to read A Forbidden Alchemy by Stacey McEwan. This book was incredible!!! Stacey knows how to build unique worlds, complex characters, and create tension. I swooned over Nina and Patrick's relationship and loved seeing their banter and relationship grow. The political turmoil in the story is too real and made me want to go fight things! Stacey did a fantastic job creating a unique magical system and creating characters that I absolutely love. Patrick is becoming one of my favorite love interests and I would join the cause to be with him! I 10/10 would recommend reading this book. I told my husband after I finished the book "I want the second book to be released" with him stating, "the first one isn't even out yet!" I can't help it, I'm obsessed with this book!!!! Please please please go check it out when it releases, This book is something else. Well done Stacey McEwan!