The Crystal Alchemist is the second novel in The Silver Order series. It can be read as a stand-alone, some plot related infos won't make much sense though.

I enjoyed The Crystal Alchemist, but it wasn’t without its flaws. The concept of alchemy was really interesting, and I liked the world-building, but the pacing was a bit slow and there were a few plot points that didn’t quite make sense to me.

Hazel and Theo had a great dynamic, and I really liked their relationship. That said, Theo felt kind of underdeveloped, and I wish we’d gotten to know more about him.

Overall, the book was decent but didn’t blow me away. The author has potential, so I’ll definitely check out more of her books in the future.

I think this one fell flat for me because I didn't read the first one before jumping into this one. It took me so long to finish it because I felt like it was dragging and I didn't understand much of what was happening. I think it had a really well thought out idea. I just feel like it wasn't for me. It is definetly more fantasy with some dabbles of romance.

The plot of the story was similar to peeling the layers of an onion until you get to the actual center of it. It had parts that dragged a bit yet for the most part it presented as an interesting gothic types novel with some fantasy build into it. The characters were unique in how they were portrayed bringing depth to the main ones and leaving some gaps on the secondary ones. Interesting and a joy to read.

My neighbor and I were discussing plants a few years ago and he told me that he absolutely hates vines. How you can't get rid of them and how they'll grow through anything. I nodded along, thinking, huh... he really does hate vines. I didn't have a strong opinion either way.

Now, after reading this book?? HALE NO. Absolutely not. Immediately no. Burn them with fire!! I'm a believer now.

Hazel doesn't know who she can trust. Her father was the head of an order and he was m*rdered. Now Hazel's got m*rderous plants, poison, visions and a secret club that intends on doing her harm. Her childhood friend Marcus says he has her best interests in mind. Theo also claims he is on her side but he's a slippery one.

Hazel was a strong lead and probably could have done just fine, if not better, on her own. She's proof that even back in 1891 they could've been saying, "Why do men?"

I think going into this series it is important to note that this feels like a fantasy book with a some romance. The alchemy part is very interesting, it is my favorite part. I also feel really sad for Hazel, it seems like every man in her life does not prioritize her, even her love interest in this story. Which made me greatly dislike him. For example, at one point he draws her blood and she faints. After he checks on her while she is still passed out, he has to tell himself to not get turned on by her rising chest. He was getting turned on by her BREATHING, which like I guess? That really turned me off and a few other things about him which are more related to potential plot spoilers so I will keep them to myself. And just like the previous book, the "bad guy" is just so bad. Like almost diabolic.

I think this may not be the series for me at this point, I enjoyed the first one but didn't love it so I was hoping I would enjoy this one more.

3 Stars

This one had an interesting premise around the use of alchemy, healing elixirs and potions to give people visions of the future. I enjoyed the premise, but rhetorical execution wasn’t to my taste.

Theo and Hazel were sweet though the romance felt very underbaked and the historical time period (1880s) didn’t make a huge amount of sense with the alchemy element.

I do however think the author has a lot of potential.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of the eARC - this is my honest review*

This book has a really nice blend of spice-free romance, Gothic vibes, and mystery. Right away readers are driven into a mystery. Our FMC knows something we don't and curiosity drove me to continue reading to discover what she knew and how it would shape the rest of the novel.

The author vividly details the manor and it's grounds. The Gothic vibes scream spooky and really draw a reader in. I felt like this lent well to the mystery of the Order and it's rituals. I wanted more alchemy detail simply because I found it facinating and it was large part of Hazel's upbringing.

Our FMC and MMC are well developed. Both have complicated pasts that they have to work through to be in the present. I personally really enjoyed Theo and felt like his character evolution stole the story for me. I wish some of the supporting characters and their motives had been developed a bit more, but the overall idea is present.

I just finished The Crystal Alchemist, the second book in Ella Leon’s The Silver Order series, and I’m still wrapped up in its magical, moody world. This historical fantasy romance, set in Victorian England, pulled me in with its Gothic charm and left me eager for more, even if it wasn’t perfect. As an ARC reader, here’s my honest take on what I loved and what didn’t quite work for me.
What I Loved:
• A World That Feels Alive: The Malvern Hills and Whitestone Manor are practically characters themselves. The way Leon weaves pagan lore, misty landscapes, and the eerie secrets of the Silver Order made every page feel like stepping into a dream. I could almost smell the damp earth and hear the creak of the manor’s floors.
• Hazel Steals the Show: Hazel Grey is the heart of this story. She’s not your typical heroine—she’s stubborn, grieving her father, and wrestling with doubts about the supernatural. Watching her grow from skeptical to embracing her own power felt so real and rewarding. Her chemistry with Theo Pierce, the dashing love interest, had me grinning. Their slow-burn romance is tender, steamy, and full of heart.
• Gothic Romance Done Right: If you love Amanda Quick or Adalyn Grace, this book’s for you. It’s got that perfect mix of mystery, romance, and a touch of danger. The love scenes are spicy but never overdone, and they deepen the connection between Hazel and Theo in a way that had me rooting for them.
• Twists That Kept Me Guessing: The story peels back layers of secrets—about Hazel’s past, her father’s death, and the Silver Order’s true motives. Just when I thought I had it figured out, Leon threw in a curveball that had me flipping pages late into the night.
What Didn’t Quite Work:
• A Bit Slow in the Middle: There were moments, especially in the middle, where the story dragged a little. Some side plots, like the tug-of-war over Whitestone Manor, felt like they could’ve been tighter to keep the energy up.
• Side Characters Needed More Love: Hazel and Theo are fantastic, but some of the supporting cast, like Hazel’s childhood friend who pops the question, felt flat. I wanted to know more about what made them tick, but they came off more as plot devices than real people.
• A Few Predictable Moments: The romance is swoony, but Hazel’s vision early on made it clear where things were headed with Theo. It didn’t ruin the ride, but I wished for a bit more uncertainty to keep me on edge.
My Final Thoughts:
The Crystal Alchemist is a book that swept me away with its haunting vibes, a heroine I couldn’t help but cheer for, and a romance that gave me all the feels. It’s not flawless—the pacing stumbles a bit, and some characters could use more depth—but it’s a story that lingers, like a half-remembered dream. If you’re into historical fantasy with a side of Gothic romance, this is one to curl up with. I’m already counting down to the next book in the series!
Note: I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Dragonblade Publishing and Ella Leon for providing me with an ARC of The Crystal Alchemist in exchange for my honest review.

The Crystal Alchemist is book number 2 in The Silver Order Series. The Crystal Alchemist is a rich blend of gothic atmosphere, simmering romance and intrigue. Hazel Grey’s return to Whitestone Manor pulls her into a web of secrets, alchemy, and a slow-burn connection with Theo Pierce. I found this novel a bit slow in the middle, but still a captivating read that fans of historical fantasy will enjoy.

Whew what a ride I am still not sure if Pierce in this story was the Pierce in the previous one!
We have Miss Hazel Grey who saw a secret horrifying ritual involving her father! She ran to London and never looked back!
This was probably for the best at the time as she never could have fully comprehended the evil that had preyed on his Heath and participated later in his demise!
We have the neighbor Hazel had a tendre for Mr Marcus Mortibel solely dedicated to the Order and willing to do anything to be the Chairman be it marrying or murder!
Hazel doesn’t realize how very evil these people in her orbit are!? I find this puzzling after living on the fringes of the Ton! The Ton is known for wicked pursuits and she should not have been so naive! She clearly made the wrong decisions over and over that had bad outcomes!
Marcus comes and tells her of her father’s demise and invites her to a memorial but it’s not! She nearly looses her life and he is injured! These events do not open her eyes to his madness!
I want to smack her several times! When a person shows you who they are; BELIEVE THEM!
Enter Theo Pierce who previously owned the estate Hazel has inherited from her father and he is very eager to purchase it!
He is also a part of the Order and has a deadly feud with Marcus! Hazel is torn unto she sees a glimpse into her future! This future includes Theo but she fights against it! It Is not proper and she’s been taught all about what is proper by her aunt!
The Order has secrets and members are fanatical about keeping them!
There is betrayal, murder and a sort of redemption for Hazel and Theo! Do I think it’s really a HEA? No this secret Order raises more questions than it answers! It does end on a positive note against all odds! Bravo

Overall thoughts: I, like with the first book in this series, really liked the concept of this book. The story is intriguing and the mix of alchemy and history and magic is fun. I also saw an improvement in this book in pacing from the first book. However, the execution of this book is still just not for me. I was given an ARC of this and while I'm glad I read it I was left with way more questions than answers. And for the second book in a series that is just not my favorite thing. It would be one thing is a new question was introduced but my questions from the first book still aren't answered and now there are new questions... I wasn't a fan of that. I still don't know how the Order was started. What the Order really is... Why people are SO loyal to the Order besides money and power. There are tons of ways to get money and power. And even with the magic elixir... how did people become loyal enough to be given it without being told about it first? SO many questions. I need more descriptors/descriptions about the world, the alchemy, the order, the buildings, the pacing. A lot.
I did like some of the new additions to knowledge about the order like the alchemy behind it but I needed more. I did feel the build of emotions between the FMC and MMC was much stronger in this book compared to the first and I was rooting for them!

What made my weirdo heart happy: Crystals!

Will I read more books by this author?: Probably not.

Would I recommend this book to a friend?: No. Unfortunately.

(3.5 stars) I read this book as an ARC through Net Galley, and as of today it is 2 weeks until The Crystal Alchemist is released, so it is unlikely that there will be more edits made by then.

The Crystal Alchemist is a light fantasy, historical romance featuring Hazel Grey, a young woman living in London with her aunt at the start of her book. When she was quite young, she ran away from her father's home in the country after witnessing him participating in a violent and gruesome ritual as part of a secret society known as The Silver Order, of which he was the Chairman.

Theodore Pierce comes from a long line of Pierces, who have always ruled The Order, until Mr. Grey took charge. After Grey's death, he is determined to take back his family's legacy, and that starts with buying the estate back from Hazel, who wants absolutely nothing to do with The Order and does not believe in its practices of alchemy. During Theo's time at the estate, he teaches Hazel about her father, whom she barely knew, and she slowly comes to learn the truth about The Order, and in turn, the cause of her father's death.

I gave The Crystal Alchemist 3.5 stars because while I did enjoy reading it, there were a lot of parts that could have been developed more. The first chapter/prologue does not start out very strong, with short sentences and a lack of description. The writing picks up pace though, and becomes a lot more enjoyable the further along you read. For me, I wish the characters were more developed, especially Theo. I just felt like he didn't have much personality, and the chemistry between him and Hazel didn't feel real to me because of that. There were also times where he seemed just as toxic as Mortibel, which made the romance all the more unbelievable for me. Overall, I did enjoy this book, I just preferred the storyline and learning about The Order, rather than following the characters.

A mystical story of an order dedicated to supernatural rites and some that are based on science.
Hazel used to help her father with his herbs and potions but then she extracted herself from that life.
He dies and she tries to sell the house with all its relics and laboratory.
Theo is interested in purchasing his past family home but it is complicated by Mortibel a man wanting the secrets and rites.
Hazel is torn between the two men and has to decide how to move forward.
Twists and surprises abound while trying to solve all the mysteries of the home, its past and the future.
Spellbinding story with love winding through it.

3.5⭐️

The Crystal Alchemist is the 2nd book in The Silver Order trilogy that follows the FMC, Hazel Grey and her return to her childhood home, Whitestone Manor, following her father's death, and MMC, Theo Pierce, who's family was forced to sell Whitestone Manor when he was a child. Theo has dedicated his life to getting his home back and redeeming his family's honor at whatever cost.. Set in the Victorian era, this historical fantasy (light) romance delves into Hazel's father's involvement in The Silver Order, a secret society that she has hated and feared most of her life, and the secrets that's they keep.

This was my first historical romance and I was pleasantly surprised! As an avid fantasy reader, I think this book is great for anyone that wants a taste of "fantasy" but isn't quite ready for crazy world building and magic systems. It was a bit of a slow burn, but I really enjoyed the atmospheric feel of this book as it's set in Victorian England. I wish we would've had a bit deeper character development, but overall really liked it! I was absolutely locked in for the last 25% of the book and felt like the story wrapped up nicely.

🩷 Thank you to NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Crystal Alchemist by Ella Leon is a third person dual-POV historical light fantasy romance set in the Victorian era. Hazel wants nothing to do with magic or alchemy, as her father’s work with the Order has not done her any favors in society. When her childhood friend wants to buy the house her father lived in, Hazel sees a way to get rid of it and maybe marry her long-time crush. But Theo Pierce also wants to buy the house and he’s also attracted to Hazel.

Theo will fight for the house and Hazel and does a lot to help Hazel understand more about what the Order was doing and the part her father played. We learn early on that Hazel doesn’t actually believe that magic exists despite her father being deeply entrenched in alchemy and even teaching her some of the skills, so Hazel really does need someone to tell her that these things are real. I think Hazel would have been fine not knowing, but she always would have carried resentment towards her father whereas learning about these things helped her at least accept his actions a bit more. The main bulk of their relationship is this exploration of Hazel’s father’s work and the Order as well as their mutual attraction.

Like the previous book in the series, this is more of a light fantasy or speculative historical fantasy. Alchemy is the only really fantastical aspect and Theo pushes that science and magic are the same (which is a common thing in works dealing with alchemy and I love it every time), which grounds the fantastical even more. I love a high fantasy where the author makes everything themselves, but I also love lighter speculative elements that are allowed to breathe and be explored.

I would recommend this to fans of Victorian Romance with light fantasy elements and readers of fantasy romance who also love Regency/Victorian Romances

Unfortunately I found this story quite difficult to get into. The pacing was slow at the beginning and I did DNF at about 12%. The magic system is well thought out and I did enjoy this aspect. The MC is also likeable.