What a breath of fresh air!
There is a substance that when ingested separates the people into crafters (the regular people, meant to perform manual labor) or artisans (people with abilities to manipulate matter). At twelve years old children across the country are sent to the National Artisan House to be tested. Nina wants nothing more than to escape her crafter life and Patrick wants nothing to do with the capital or its artisans. An unlikely friendship blooms and secrets are discovered. They part ways and don’t meet again for 13 years when they find each other on opposite sides of a war.
Stacey McEwan created an interesting story with hugely entertaining characters.
Thank you Saga Press for sending me an e-arc!

oh my god. OH MY GOD!!! this book might take the spot of favorite of the year for me. it was insanely good. the peaky blinder/ turn of the century setting, the corrupt government. the characters, the romance, THE YEARNING. there's not a single bad thing I can say about this book. i just loved it so much. I loved that it was dual POV. Nina and Patrick were to fantastic characters with so much depth to them. I also love how much time this story covers, we begin with them at 12 and the main part of the story they are 25. I also was gifted an ALC and that added so much to the story. the narrators were fantastic. I won't know peace till I have book 2. im honestly sad this will only be 2 books because I don't want to leave this world.

Excuse me while I cry myself to sleep

<img src="https://media1.tenor.com/m/p-LIY-ce1j4AAAAC/stewie-griffin-family-guy.gif"/>

Thank you to Saga Press Books and Stacey McEwan for the ARC (and the emotional breakdown).

THIS. BOOK. WRECKED ME.

Imagine a world where your entire future hinges on one vial of Idium. Drink it and unlock elemental magic? Congrats, you're an Artisan. If it fizzles? You're stuck as a Crafter, clawing for scraps in a society built to keep you down. But what if the whole system is rigged?

Cue: rebellion, betrayal, and the slow-burn chaos of falling for someone you absolutely should not trust.

Patrick is the morally grey, loyalty-over-everything revolutionary leader of the Crafters, basically if Tommy Shelby had elemental powers and a soul. Every one of his chapters had me ready to risk it all. Then there’s Nina, a powerful Artisan pulled between her privilege and the brutal truth. She’s fierce, torn, and utterly magnetic, especially when Patrick’s in the room. Their chemistry? Explosive. Banter, tension, longing!!!! You’ll be feral!!!!

This book delivers twist after twist, a gorgeously dark magic system, conspiracies that had me gasping, and a found family dynamic that made me sob. The entire cast is dripping with moral ambiguity and I loved every flawed, fascinating moment of it.

One of the best fantasies I’ve read in YEARS. I need book 2 like I need oxygen. I’m obsessed. I’m unwell. I’m begging the author to drop it early.

A Forbidden Alchemy was absolutely incredible, and I am completely obsessed with it. The world building was immaculate. We’re dropped into a gritty, brutal world filled with class separation, power imbalances, corruption, political uprisings, and rebellion. The plot was fast-paced and kept me on my toes. It was bursting with action, conspiracies, betrayals, and twists and turns. The magic system was wholly unique, and I loved the way it was utilized. And the characters were well written and had so much heart. They were complex, nuanced, morally grey, and heartbreakingly relatable.

And as if all of that wasn’t enough, we got the most incredible slow burn romance ever. Nina is taken prisoner by Patrick and his gang of rebels, and though they initially don’t trust each other, they’re forced to work together and be around each other, and they just can’t ignore the spark of attraction that’s always been there. Their relationship had so much tension, pining, and longing that I almost couldn’t stand it. But there was also enough banter, teasing, and flirting to give me butterflies. Patrick is perfect and I will accept no slander of him. He’s the broody rebel leader who is fiercely loyal to his family and town and will go to any lengths to protect them. He’s dangerous, secretive, possessive, and doesn’t trust anyone. But he’s willing to trust Nina, even when he knows that he shouldn’t. I love him.

If you want a romantasy with magic and rebellion that showcases the lengths that those with power will go to keep it, this is the one for you. It perfectly highlights the impossible choice between love and loyalty that you’d have to make in a war. It was emotional, compelling, romantic, and utterly DEVASTATING. I loved it with my entire heart.

Thank you to Saga press, Simon & Schuster, Stacey McEwan, and NetGalley for the eARC and physical ARC.

📔A Forbidden Alchemy
✏️ Stacey McEwan
📆 July 1, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

READ IF YOU LIKE:
⛏️ gritty gaslamp romantasy
⛏️ elemental magic
⛏️ revolution & class war
⛏️ morally grey characters
⛏️ slow burn romance
⛏️ found family
⛏️ dual POV

The way my heart feels like it was genuinely ripped from my chest…and I’m still begging Stacey for more pain. I need book two in my hands immediately.

Once I really got into this book, I couldn’t put it down. I love how we start off following our main characters when they meet as children, and the lies they uncover that shape the adults they’ll both become. I absolutely adored the magic class system and that it wasn’t too hard to follow. I can’t tell you how many times I thought I had everything figured out to just be rocked to my core by another revelation. All the side characters really added to the journey, and I’m so invested in them as well now.

I loved Stacey’s Ledge series, but this may just top it for me. What a brilliant read! I’ll be counting down the days til the next book releases.

Forbidden Alchemy promised it all—slow-burn romance, a rags-to-riches arc, a fraught love triangle, the specter of war, and a cool, intricate magic system. Yet it fell just short of greatness: the pacing lagged, and a leaner edit could have transformed it into a true page-turner. Still, the final chapters were electrifying, and that breathtaking ending—along with the acknowledgements—hint at a sequel brimming with great potential.

Thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for the free eARC in exchange for this honest review.

It’s rare that I go back and edit a 4-star to a 5-star, but I find that a week after finishing this book I’m still thinking about the it and the characters. I highly enjoyed the “Ledge” series by McEwan, so I was pretty excited to receive ARC access via NetGalley. This is a diamond-in-the-rough for the Romantasy genre with a solid plot, magic system, a rich geography that’s not too difficult to parcel out (plus there’s a map), characters with actual development and personality (even the secondary and side characters), and a couple twists that caught me by surprise. As far as spice, I’d say a 2/5, so it’s not the smuttiest thing you’ll read all year, but it by no means is diminished by that. Would highly recommend to Romantasy and Fantasy readers alike!

I really wanted to like this book. That being said, the written work and research is fabulous. The atmosphere/plot just wasn’t for me.

Thank you so much to Saga Press and NetGalley for the eARC of A Forbidden Alchemy by Stacey McEwan. I am so honored to have read this early. It absolutely shattered me in the best way possible.

About the Book
This stunning slow burn romantasy follows Nina Harrow and Patrick Colson, two magically gifted teens who grow up to find themselves on opposite sides of a revolution. Swept from the shadows of their mining towns into the dazzling (but deeply flawed) Belavere City, the two discover that magic isn’t something you're born with, it’s something you’re chosen for. And that truth changes everything. Years later, as an elite Artisan and a rebellious Craftsman leader, their fates intertwine once again in a mission that could alter the course of a brewing war. Secrets, betrayal, longing, and impossible choices—this book has everything.

My Review
This is a book I will think about for years. The ending absolutely gutted me. I closed my Kindle, stared at the ceiling, and whispered “how dare you” to no one in particular. I need book two yesterday.

The vibes? Immaculate. Think Six of Crows meets Peaky Blinders with a splash of Sanderson style magic à la Mistborn. The idium based magic system was fascinating and rich, woven seamlessly into a world where class, power, and revolution collide.

Nina completely stole my heart. Watching her wrestle with grief, loyalty, and survival, I just wanted to reach through the pages and take her hand. And Patrick? Top tier book boyfriend material. Strong, principled, swoony with a side of rebel chaos. What more could I possibly want?

The romantic tension, the moral complexity, the found family elements… it was all so masterfully done. Stacey McEwan crafted a story that’s both emotionally devastating and wildly empowering. Every scene, every choice, every piece of dialogue mattered. And I’m still not over it.

Read this book. And then scream with me while we wait for the sequel.

This book was everything I wanted and more; Enemies to lovers, slow-burn, he falls first, excellent book vibes, amazing plot and crazy cliffhanger 😱😍

I love Patrick so much he needs to be protected at all costs. He loved Nina so much that at times it hurt me to see how much 😭 Don’t get me wrong he is not a weak character on the contrary he is such a strong character I loved to see his villain side. And Nina is not bad but both had different goals and both were trying to achieve them. So both were trying their best with what they had.

Ninas was a baddie she had so much power at her finger tips I enjoyed to see her using them. I love her conviction not to be anyone’s pawn and that she never forgotten where she came from.

The plot was so good full of twists and betrayals. Omg the plot twist at the middle of the book was so wild this one for sure I didn’t see coming. And I’m pretty good at spotting them before they happened. And thus it made the book so much more exciting for me.

I love the fact that this book was dual POV though I’m curious as to why Patrick’s pov is in 3rd person and Nina’s in 1st person🧐.

The magic in this book was amazing I can’t wait to see how the story is going to develop in the next book. After the ending I do need book 2 like right now!!!!

‼️Without a doubt I can say that this book is now my top read this year 🤩😍 I’ll be running to Walmart to get their SE and impatiently wait for my mail man to deliver my other copy.

Imgur link goes to Photo going up July 2nd
Blog post goes live July 11th
Amazon and Barnes&Noble reviews are up, pending system approval
Youtube Review in Friday Reads on July 4th


**TL;DR**: I absolutely ate this up and loved it.
**Source**: NetGalley - Thank you to the publisher!!

**Plot**: Two young kids start a revolution and as adults have to pay the price.
**Characters**: I really liked these two, they weren’t wildly unique in romantasy but I still liked them.
**Setting:** Peaky Blinders style steampunk fantasy! Yes yes yes.
**Fantasy:** This was super strong and well built.

**Thoughts:**

I devoured this in a sitting. Granted I was trapped in a chair for hours getting a tattooed but I was still completely engrossed. The beginning of this is brilliant as we quickly meet and grow with our primary heroine Nina as she is made an Artisan and grows up holding on to a very dangerous secret. She survives a huge loss, runs away, and struggles through a war only to end up back with Patrick, the only other person who knows the secret and who has used it to start a revolution. Then the REAL story starts.

The steampunk vibe of this is so, so good. If you’re tired of the same kind of romantasy settings then you have got to give this one a try. Nina and Patrick are both very familiar feeling but the setting and the magic is lovely. I truly appreciated how it felt like Stacey McEwan built this world from the magic up, instead of character up. There were so many times that I was shocked and surprised, even having guessed half of what was happening.

This is just a well written and fun book. I really think a lot of readers are going to like this, not just Romantasy fans. Fantasy fans will love the setting and magic and romantasy fans will love the romance. That ending too. COME ON. I don’t know what hurt more, the tattoo I was getting or this cliffhanger!

I picked up this book specifically because I thought Stacey was so funny on instagram and just wanted to support her without even knowing about the book. Luckily, I was also approved for an e-galley arc copy and was able to enjoy it pre-release day.

This book takes everything you love about a fantasy book and gives makes it better. The magic system is unique, where people gain their skills through drinking idium, a substance extracted from a specific or by an alchemist. However, as is seen in life as well as books, the wealthy have created a system where only the chosen benefit.

Nina and Patrick find out when they are only 12 that a person becoming a Crafter (low class) or an Artisan (high class) is a rigged system. What happens next is a series of choices, political intrigue, secret identities, and a lot of tension as they meet again when they are older.

Right from the beginning, I enjoyed Stacey's way of describing the world and her choices in writing style. Nina is the main storyteller and is written in first person. Patrick on the other hand is written in 3rd person.

overall, I am unwell with the plot twists and the fact I have to wait who knows how long for the next book!

Highly recommend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️

Wow, wow, what a stunning book! Both the actual physical book and words on the page!

First, the setting! A Peaky Blinders coded fantasy world with a completely unique magic system. The world the author creates is atmospheric and immersive and had me interested right from the start.

But the plot! A tightly wound political intrigue that perfectly balances plot and romance. And the twists and turns? Usually im pretty good at predicting where a book is going to go but with this one I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.A true masterclass.

The characters are where this book really shined. Fully fleshed out with clear motivations? Do you know how rare that is in a romantasy?

Speaking of the romance? Excuse me, but the yearning and slow burn of it all? I love Nina and Patrick. A true morally grey MMC who is soft for the FMC… sign me up. The enemies to lovers/star crossed nature of their romance was *chef kiss*.

To sum up: I loved this book and the hype is well deserved! I cannot wait for book 2!

Read if you like:
- Slow Burn
- Friends to Enemies to Lovers
- Starcrossed Romance
- He Falls First
- Political Intrigue
- Unique Magic System
- Dual POV

Thanks to Saga Press for the free eARC.

I honestly don’t know what to say. This book surpassed all of my expectations. I really thought going into it, it would just be another romantasy with angst and tension and every trope that goes in between. But boy is it so much god damn more.

It has political tension, emotional depth, characters who you’ll love and hate for days. I mean her words felt like magic, they are magic. I have nothing but praise for this story. It’s unique, magical, romantic, and of course soul crushing.

I found myself almost wanting to pause time, because I wanted things to stay where they were. I wanted to live in those moments forever, because I just knew it was going to not end the way I wanted it to. I guess that just shows how good Stacey writes though, since you literally feel what the characters feel. You want to pause all time, keep them locked in those moments where you feel like all is possible. But obviously time has to catch up, and while the ending crushed me like I knew it would, it definitely wasn’t what I thought would happen. I thought something would happen that would just kill me, but oh boy how I was wrong. Stacey chooses words as her weapons and man, can one single line kill.


I beg everyone to read this book, if not solely to just briefly experience the love and joy within this book. Now granted if you’re not good with cliffhangers, maybeeee wait till it gets closer to book 2 because this wait is going to be PAINFUL.

Thank you to both Stacey and NetGalley for this ARC. And thank you to the publishers who gave Stacey the chance to share this story with the world.

McEwan produces some truly lovely pacing in the start as we watch Nina grow alongside a distant revolt. By the time the explosions are at her doorstep, she’s grown into herself and her power, but not her place in the world. A richly crafted setting vibrates in the background as we are forced to ask: How do you choose a side in a war when every innocent person bleeds the same? And What’s worse than refusing to choose a side at all? Sizzling tension between the main characters, a bad boy for a good cause with Peaky Blinders charisma, and enough twists and turns to keep you on your toes.

So excited for the continuation!!! What an ending! Love Stacey McEwan. The humor, the settings, the characters. If she writes it, I'm gonna read it

Forbidden Alchemy focuses on Nina and Patrick; two kids among many who are brought from the brink to Belavere City to test their magical abilities. Those who pass are elevated to Artisan while the others must return home to stay Craftsman.

During the ceremony, they sneak off and discover the scales were always tipped against them. They decide to take their lives into their own hands but follow very different roads. This story focuses heavily on inequality between those with magic and those who do not and what lengths people will go to keep the scales tipped. Nina battles fiercely with her moral compass throughout the book, while Patrick is stead fast in his beliefs. This foil provides lots of tension for their slow burn.

There were so many twists and turns in the second half of this book that I wasn't wholly sure where we were going to end up. The ending, though, didn't leave me as broken as I would have thought! Because you know there's still hope while the canary sings.

A Forbidden Alchemy by Stacey McEwan

*Book Blurb*: 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.
Nina Harrow and Patrick Colson are twelve years old when they are whisked away from the shadows of their disenfranchised mining towns to dazzling Belavere City to discover their magical potential. Those who pass Belavere’s test will become Artisans, wielders of powerful elemental magic destined to fulfill the city’s grand ambitions. For Nina, the Artisan School symbolizes a dream and an escape from her harsh reality, while Patrick yearns to return to his Craftsman family, whose extraordinary physical strength serves the idium mines keeping the city alive.
And then they uncover a devastating truth: Artisans aren’t born, they’re chosen. They part ways on very different paths, leaving them to carry the burden of this secret alone.

Rating: ****
Feels: Mesmerized, Adventure, Kinship , Amazement
Style: Fantasy, Romantasy, Fantasy Romance, Sci Fi Romance
First published : July 1, 2025 : 480 pages Kindle

This is really unlike anything else I have read recently and so amazingly well written as to draw you in right from the opening. Patrick is the epitome of charismatic with that lovely sharp edge that makes morally grey so fun. He will do anything for his cause and those he cares for. The world building, magic system and class contention in this story really made for an amazing backdrop for what was going on with Patrick and Nina. Not to mention all the found family side characters I came to love so well. The strife and devastation are very visceral at times and so well written to really draw you into the story and make you feel all the feels. Nina was everything to this story as the struggling child who just wanted to make it in the world and just wants peace. It is something I think we can all identify with, wanting to succeed , wanting peace and wanting .... well Patrick. You will see. I need book two like now please !!!


Favorite Quote: I was immediately coalesced in warmth and the heady mixture of subtle cologne, fresh linen, washed skin. I couldn't tell if his pulse sprinted as violently as mine. Was he a drug for all the women he touched?

This book has:
Strong FMC
Morally Gray MMC
Found Family
Hidden Identify
Politics/Class Wars
Magic System
Plot Twists
Slow Burn
Cliffhanger

**4.25 Stars**


Peaky Blinders meets magic in this duology. A forbidden alchemy has some spice, banter, jealousy, elemental magic, rebellion, high-stakes, betrayal, and more.

Our FMC Nina has a long history of being stuck in the middle of two classes; the Artisans and the Crafters. Born in a lower class she has always wanted more for herself and upon the day of siphoning she gets to leave the brink and go to the big city very determined to be an artisan; even if the odds are stacked against her. Here she meets a boy named Patrick, who at first rather disgusts her, but he also has a charming personality despite being annoying. Upon the day they meet they stumble on a secret that will turn hatred into a full-blown revolution.

A Forbidden Alchemy was entrancing and kept me on my toes. The plot twists in this book kept on coming and I was feeling as if I was getting buried alive not sure where to claw my way free to come up for air.

Wondering which side our girl will choose? After all, war is a brutal thing, and both sides get their hands dirty. Will love eventually to find a way or is the betrayal just too much? To answer these questions, you will just need to read the book.

✨𝒜𝑅𝒞 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌✨
📖: A Forbidden Alchemy (The Artisan Series, Book 1)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.💫

Nina Harrow first meets Patrick Colson at 12 years old when they are assessed for magical potential. When they discover the deception behind the testing, they walk different paths—Nina enrolls in the Artisan School and Patrick returns to his mining town.

Years later, their paths cross again as the Craftsman revolution amplifies. But as a coveted earth charmer, Nina is on the run. When she’s captured, Patrick bargains for her help in the impending war. Matters are further complicated when her Artisan first love urges her to betray Patrick. Torn between her promises and the tethers to her past, Nina must choose before fate decides for her.

Tropes:
👀Dual POV
🩶Morally grey MCs
💫Elemental magic
🔥Slow burn romantasy
🤫Secrets
💡Gaslamp vibes
☣️Class war

Peaky Blinders meets the Grishaverse in this richly crafted magic system and gritty world on the precipice of war. The dystopian undertones woven with elements of academia and complicated slow burn romance kept me utterly captivated.

Nina lost pieces of herself over the years and finds herself wavering between her loyalty and her heart. Patrick’s life was fraught with hardship and has built walls to keep the ones he cares for safe. As much as they want to trust each other, secrets threaten to tear them apart.

With shocking reveals, heart-pumping action, and a diabolical ending, A Forbidden Alchemy delivers an emotional gut-punch that will leave you simultaneously reeling and begging for the next book!

Huge thanks to the author, Saga Press, and NetGalley for the review copy. This is my honest and voluntary review.