Everything about this book was incredible! Truly I would give it more than five stars if I could! The writing was beautiful, the world building and magic system was clear, the romance was full of yearning and felt SO REAL!! The characters were fun and engaging and I loved having all of them (MCs and side characters in page). The pacing was so well done! Love this so much!!!

This book was so good. The class system and magic system were beautifully intertwined, and the fantasy and romance were perfectly balanced.

Stacey McEwan is so good at creating side characters that I become just as emotionally attached to as the main characters. I absolutely love that I was picturing the Colson brothers as the Shelby’s the entire time!

Patrick is EVERYTHING. I love him so much. He’s sweet and soft only to Nina, and their story is one of the cutest ever.

OMG! THIS BOOK! Did it keep me glued to the pages? Did it keep me up at night until I finished it? Am I dying for the continuation of the story? Yes, to all of the above!

This book blew me away. I had seen rave reviews but didn't check the synopsis; I only knew it was a romantasy, and I’m so glad I ventured in blindly.

I was swept into the story from the very first page. I immediately loved the magic, the world-building, and the characters.

Patrick and Nina are amazing! I now have my favorite romantasy book boyfriend: Patrick!! 💜🙌🏻💜

The story is captivating, perfectly paced and with so many twists.

Book has academy settings and war setting.

I loved every page of this book. And it will be favorite romantasy now!

I can’t wait for everyone to read this book once it out in the world on July 1st. Thank you so much @sagapress for opportunity to read it and gifted ARC.

Dark, gritty, and absolutely addictive—A Forbidden Alchemy is everything I want in a fantasy read! Think Peaky Blinders meets Six of Crows, with a rich, unique world, high-stakes tension, and a romance that hurts in the best way.

We follow Nina and Patrick, two kids from the struggling Craftsman class who uncover a dangerous secret that changes everything. Years later, they’re thrown back together—on opposite sides of a war.

Nina is fierce, determined, and shaped by betrayal, while Patrick? Patrick is giving Thomas Shelby energy—calculating, intense, and impossible to ignore (swoon). Their chemistry? Off the charts. Their choices? Nothing short of heart-wrenching.

Stacey McEwan’s writing pulls you in with vivid worldbuilding, relentless twists, and emotions that hit hard. And that ending?? I need book two immediately. If you love fast-paced fantasy with tension, secrets, and a brooding, morally gray love interest — this one’s a must-read!

“A Forbidden Alchemy” hits shelves July 1st, 2025 and the hardcover first print has gorgeous detailed edges that fit the mood of this book to a T! A huge thank you to NetGalley and Sagapress books for the opportunity to read and review this arc for an honest review.

As many have said before I think I need a vacation to process and recover from this book and the improbable wait for book 2. Thank you Saga Press and Stacey McEwan for bringing us to Kenton Hill and into the lives of the Colson’s and Nina Harrow. You have a lot of retribution on your plate for us readers. And yes even though I am a middle aged woman I see myself as Nina and of course Patrick as Pedro Pascal. Never stop writing-5 stars.

📖 ARC REVIEW 📖

Thank you @sagapressbooks for an early copy of A Forbidden Alchemy by @staceymcewanbooks. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. 🤍

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Release date: July 1st, 2025

Blurb: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/213660564-a-forbidden-alchemy?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=86aoxzoEhP&rank=1

🛑Read on with caution; review may contain spoilers🛑

A Forbidden Alchemy’s story begins with two children Nina and Patrick, about to be siphoned into two distinct classes, Artisan and Crafter. Before their names are called, they stumbled into a secret that changed everything they were taught of and everything they knew. Nina becomes an Artisan while Patrick goes back home as a Crafter, only to find themselves entwined again after thirteen years and in the brink of a war that began when they discovered the secret all those years ago.

This book’s world building sucked me in, grabbed my attention within the first chapter, and made me wish I had all the time in the world to devour this book in one single sitting, but unfortunately, life gets in the way, and I finished this in two days. There wasn’t a point as I was reading this that I wanted to put it down; there was never a dull or boring moment in the story, although I felt devasted when I finished this because it was just so good I want more!

The magic system was flawless 👌🏻 and the main characters have complex personalities with lots of room for development, yet seem well-developed already, as they are morally gray. McEwan’s writing is just delicious and if you think that you can predict or at least theorize what happens in this book, the plot twists and betrayals will surprise you.

Even though I know I usually just give 5/5 stars for those novels I really loved, A Forbidden Alchemy exceeded my expectations and the fact that it has a complex world building and magic system that’s very easy to follow and understand, sweet, slow burn romance, social class division and intriguing politics, I feel like it deserves a lot more stars than 5. It’ll be a while before we get our hands on the sequel, and that cliffhanger just kills me! But I know I’ll enjoy re-reading this book repeatedly and never get tired of it until then. If I haven’t hyped up this book enough, just see what everyone else says about it. 😉

Such a great story! Magic, love, power struggles, love triangles and all!

The cover is absolutely beautiful and the story inside was as well. A slow building story but sets you up for an epic ending that makes you want more. Nina and Patrick are 12 when they meet. Sent to the capital to drink idium and test if they have powers. If they do, they stay and attend school that teaches them about their power. If not, they are sent back to their different cities to work.

Nina and Patrick discover something that changes them. Separated, they now meet again and have to work together or be enemies.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!

I don't know how to write a review on this. Think Blood over Brighthaven mixed with Peaky Blinders. It was SO GOOD. Like easily broke my rating scale and hit 7 stars and made it to legendary status. The twists were actually unpredictable, the main characters were well developed but realistically flawed, the world and magic were unique and interesting, and the side characters were wholly fleshed out and added to the overall story.
I think I would die for Patrick Colson.

I dont even know where to start, This book was everything.

<b>Peaky Blinders meets Six of Crows?!</b> I stood no chances, I was going to love it either way.
Stacey set up the story beautifully. The world building wasn't overwhelming but you could feel it on the page. The characters and the places felt alive.
Patrick is the perfect broody, do-what-he-must kinda guy and we love him for that. There's nothing he could do that would make us not love him, You're stuck with us Patrick Coulson.
Nina is so relatable in just wanting to do the right thing and the hardships of war are hard on a woman, Especially one as extraordinary as her.
All the found family is amazing, her character writing is on point. I love them and I need more of them immediately. I also need them *safe* Stacey!

Buckle up, because the romance is *<i>chefs kiss</i>*. I love a "lets not talk about this 'thing' kind of thing" but then its a YOURE MINE kind of story. <i>Melt</i>

I'm going to recommend this from the rooftops y'all. If you love a good fantasy that kind of feels like a historical fantasy and you get a Thomas Shelby character on top? Run, do not walk. I wont mention the fact that the ongoing suspense nearly killed me. No, we wont talk about that.

My only regret is that there is no next book yet. Send help.

This book captivated me from the beginning. It expertly blends mystery, magic, and forbidden romance into a tale that is both thrilling and heart wrenching. The world building is incredible, with every detail crafted to draw you into the story. The magical systems are unique, making the world feel alive and full of endless possibilities. The unpredictability of the story keeps you engaged!

Now I am eagerly awaiting the next installment

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC!

I have absolutely no idea why, when I received the email, I jumped on this ARC. Truly, my FOMO is unhinged sometimes.

I absolutely hated Ledge. I DNF books easily because, imo, there are too many books and too little time. No way I'm wasting my time on books I'm not vibing with. But Ledge...I finished. I hate-read the hell out of that book. I took notes on how awful it was.

So I went into this expecting to hate it. I actually was dreading reading it because I anticipated hating it so much. (Again - why did I jump on this ARC? WHY? I have no answers other than unrestrained fomo).

So imagine my surprise when, 20% into A Forbidden Alchemy, I was really enjoying it. I ended up staying up all night until I finished it because it had sucked me in completely.

While the worldbuilding is fairly basic and not really anything novel or original, the characters drew me in, especially Nina. I enjoyed getting to see her grow up, but quickly, not having half the book be her adolescence and the setting up for the current day story. The story kept me on edge, desperately wanting to know how things would shake out.

That said, there is a significant cliffhanger at the end, so if you don't like cliffhangers I highly recommend waiting to read it until the second book comes out.

I also wish there'd been less miscommunication. I know it's the probably the most used trope, but truly so many of the problems Nina, Patrick, Kenton Hill, etc. face could be solved if someone just opened their damn mouth.

Also I really need a POV from <spoiler>Polly</spoiler> because <i>what the actual fuck?</i>

Anyway, I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait for the second!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC
Holy crap I honestly think this is the best book I have read over the past year! I loooooved the characters, the tension, the world building and magic. The pacing was perfect, I absolutely could not put it down. I’m actually so sad that I don’t get to just binge the series! Please give me the ARC for book 2 ASAP!
Slow burn, political intrigue, war, betrayal, found family, I could go on and on but I’ll just summarize my review as you need to read this book.
Please please please have book 2 be anywhere near as good. I need more Patrick and Nina, and Donny (one of my favorite characters).

This was such a good book. It reminded me of Red Queen and other dystopian books. Nina is such a great character, and I really enjoyed her journey through the entire book. Patrick is always interesting and the different things that happen and that he is hiding makes his story even stronger. It was interesting to see how their lives ended up. This is an action-packed book with a slow burn romance. I can't wait to see what book two.

This cover pulled me in and immediately had me interested, then I read it & loved it as well! Such a magical read!

Growing up in a mining town, Nina had big dreams for a better life. When, at 12 years old, she traveled to the big city for a ceremony to determine what she would do for the rest of her life she met Patrick, a boy from another mining town with very different aspirations from her own. Before the ceremony the two stumbled upon a highly classified secret and decided to take fate into their own hands to get what they wanted. Years later they reunite on opposite sides of a war thats seeds were planted the day they met.

A Forbidden Alchemy is the first book in, what I believe will be, a trilogy. This book had me hooked from the very beginning. If you're a fan of books with class struggle, like Divergent and The Hunger Games, but aged up with a touch of spice and Peaky Blinders inspo, you'll love this. It doesn't hurt that Patrick is an absolutely swoon-worthy book boyfriend! The things this man says 😍

I first learned about Stacey McEwan on IG and read The Glacian Trilogy in a week. I simply could not stop. When I started hearing about her next book I knew I'd have to read it. Thanks to NetGally and Saga Press I had the great fortune to read an advanced reader copy of this book, and the great misfortune of joining the other unfortunate souls that are now clamoring for the next book before this one has even officially been published.

A Forbidden Alchemy hits shelves July 1, 2025, but you can pre-order now and receive a little treat on your Kindle or at your door come release day. In the meantime, check out The Glacian Trilogy, it's complete and so so so good!!

WOWOW no notes, this book is incredible!

I was hooked from the beginning and truly could not put it down. Everything flowed beautifully and I loved the dual POVs.

The world building is really well done, and the stage is set from the beginning when the two main characters meet at the age of 12. There are a couple of time jumps but they are done perfectly and at no point did I feel like anything was missing.

It is the slowest of burns but worth every second. There are also some great twists and found family. I cannot wait for book 2!

A million thanks to Saga Press and NetGalley for providing me with this arc!

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025 and it did not disappoint!!! The reader can feel the angst of every decision Nina makes throughout her journey. Patrick’s character is so well developed that it’s effortless to fall for his harsh, all consuming love.

I found the jump from first to third person a little distracting in the beginning but, ultimately it works with the flow of the story.

And the end!!!! Cannot wait for book 2. Thank you Stacey for this new world to submerse ourselves.

A Forbidden Alchemy is all about magic, romance, betrayals, twists and turns! I had no idea that I would love it so much, because it was boring at the beginning. However, as I’m reading more of this book, it picks up and it does not disappoint! This is a book that does have morally gray characters and it does have some political turmoil in it as well. I feel like the author wrote this book perfectly, because it kept me wondering what was going to happen next! It is uniquely written, in a beautiful way. It is a slow burn romance, mixed with fantasy! That ending was left with a cliffhanger, so I am hoping a sequel to this book comes out soon.

This book is about two twelve year olds, a girl named Nina Harrow and a boy named Patrick Colson. They both pass a test to become artisans in Belavere City. Their views on becoming an artisan differ. Nina sees her magic as an escape to reality, whereas Patrick wants to return to his craftsman family. As the story unfolds, you will see what all happens between these two characters and all the magic that comes with it! Be sure to read the content warnings before reading this book. I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars rating!

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!

This book is set to be published on July 1, 2025!

•• “𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯. 𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵”

Slow clap, well done, you got me good. This ending hurts in the best way and my mind is still reeling, but I can’t wait for more of this story. Peaky Blinders x Panem vibes filled with unique magic, secrets, twists, and betrayals - this is truly something special.

As children, Nina and Patrick meet by chance and uncover a dangerous secret that changes not only their own fates, but also changes the course of history. As the world around them erupts into war, they must both choose a side and deal with the consequences.

Every time I thought I knew where this was going, something new would shock me. It’s a wild ride that kept me on my toes but also held me in a trance. Despite the all the brutality, there was a lot of beauty to be found in this world and I found myself falling in love with the people of Kenton Hill just as Nina did. And with Patrick too, of course 😏

•• “𝘈 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘳𝘶𝘱𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝘓𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥”

Yeah, what’s not to love? I can’t say much more without spoiling things so take my word for it and get your hands on this book.

Tropes include:
•𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺
•𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘆 𝗕𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘅 𝗣𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗺 𝘃𝗶𝗯𝗲𝘀
•𝗙𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀
•𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘆
•𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 - 𝗶𝘀𝗵
•𝗗𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗼𝘃
•𝗧𝘄𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 / 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗹𝘀

Ohhhhhh My Gosh!!! I am blown away. How fantastic was this first book in a new fantasy series?!? I LOVED it. The world building, the unique storyline, the bad ass FMC, the hunky MMC - all of it!

Read if you love to see:
*** Unique world building that hasn’t been done before
*** A strong female lead
*** Destined lovers
*** Twists and turns that unravel throughout the whole novel

Nina and Patrick both go to the Artisan School at 12 years old from different villages to determine if they will become powerful wielders of elemental magic, or go back home to continue as Craftsmen. They find out a devastating truth that changes everything they’ve ever known, and must decide what path they will follow knowing this secret.

This was my first novel by Stacey McEwan and I absolutely plan on reading her previous fantasy series. I am so invested in this new series (hello cliffhanger!). I can’t believe how long I need to wait till Book 2.

Already preordered my own copy for when this comes out in July. Must read if you love romantasy!

Thank you to Netgalley and Saga Press for the ARC of this novel; all opinions are my own.