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.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶
Wow. This book blew me away. There were twists and turns. The magic system was unique. The political turmoil and morally gray characters mixed with a love story had me captivated to the very last page.
*slow burn
*romantasy
*Peaky Blinders vibe
Easily my favorite read for March

I don't know whether to thank you, Stacey McEwan, or kick you for how much I loved this book. I'm now realizing that I am going to be waiting forever, dwelling on that cliffhanger, for book #2 to be released. I'm already pre-ordering a shelf trophy for my bookcase of this book. And a reread is necessary. I can already see this book topping my 'Best Reads of 2025' list.

Release Date: July 1, 2025
ARC review

What a phenomenal book! We’re introduced to Nina and Patrick as children in the opening chapters and are then offered their dual POVs as adults for the rest of the book. The magic system is fresh and creative while the world building is through without being clunky or confusing. Most of the characters in this book are morally gray, but none more so than the MMC. The FMC is smart and complex, making her very easy to root for. My only complaint about this book is the anxiety it caused in the last handful of chapters and the cliffhanger that I now have to live with!

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for the opportunity to provide an early review of this book. All opinions are my own.

I wasn't thrilled with this, The cover is pretty but this is so boring. I get that certain authors use their first book to use for laying down background and future events, but that kind of series is not for me.

3.5 ⭐

I will be the first to admit that A Forbidden Alchemy is not a book I would typically pick up as the genre has almost always fallen flat for me. But I absolutely adore Stacey McEwan's social media presence and thought if anyone could make me enjoy dystopian romantasy, it would be her. And I was right.

Nina has her moments of insufferableness (nothing like the FMC McEwan mocks in her socials) but overall I can see how, and why, she makes her choices. Patrick is dreamy is a rough and tumble, protect everyone and everything I love kind of way. The chemistry between the two is definitely strong and watching them dance around one another and their feelings was nicely done.

There were definitely twists I didn't see coming, and a few I did, but those didn't detract from my enjoyment. Though there is the requisite world building, it didn't drag on and on the way I feel it does in so many other books of this nature.

While I didn't absolutely LOVE this book (100% a me thing, not the writing), I did enjoy the story and characters enough to want to read the next book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. Absolutely amazing start to a series by the great Stacey McEwan. I am so happy and yet so devastated to receive this ARC because I’ll have to wait that much longer for book two. The world building, the characters, the vibes were all pure perfection. Will be shoving this book down all my friends’ throats for the foreseeable future. Stacey, if you want to let me read the draft of book 2, I’m game.

OMG! I wasn’t into it at first, but I kept reading, and reading, and reading, then I finished it and my mouth was WIDE open! It is split between two of the main characters of the story and there are some flashback scenes. This book is so good and the fact I don’t know if it’s a happy ever after yet is atrocious. I cannot wait for the next in the series. If you enjoy dystopian novels like the hunger games or divergent, this book is for you. It reminds me of the genre so much and is written so well you are right there with the characters.

This one was tough to rate. It had a lot of twists and I could never really tell who was on which side or if there was a double cross. So it kept me interested to see what was happening but I also was a bit bored at the same time since it was hard to care about the stakes. I didn't really care much for the characters themselves or the romance aspects. The magic system seemed cool to begin with but then it just seemed like a background element and it was more about politics.
I'm not sure if I will end up reading the next one.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Nina Harrow is a young girl, living in the mining town of Scurry. At the age of 12 years old, she has the opportunity to travel to Belavere City to be tested for magical ability. Nina’s family belongs to the Craftsman class, but if the test reveals that she has magic, she will join the Artisan class, and become a weilder of powerful elemental magic. When she meets Patrick Colson at the siphoning ceremony, the two make a shocking discovery that could devastate the class system. Nina and Patrick end up on different paths, following the ceremony, but changes have been set in motion that could bring them back together on opposing sides. With the outbreak of war between the Craftsman and Artisans, Nina and Patrick will have to navigate lies, betrayals, and long-held feelings for one another, as those in power fight to keep it.

A Forbidden Alchemy was unputdownable! I devoured this book in a two day span, and fell in love with the setting, story, and characters. I love books with elemental magic, and McEwan adds a great twist to it, with the secret that the Artisans have been hiding. The setting really drew me in, with a mix of the mining towns and the juxtaposition of the opulence of the Artisans school. It definitely gave me vibes from Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone series, with the dregs of society (Kaz Brekker and company) and the Grisha being the upper class of society.

I really liked Nina as an FMC. She grew up leading a hard life, and has the hope of finding something better with the possibility of becoming an Artisan. But her hopes eventually lead to manipulation by those in power and she has to find a way to survive on her own. Patrick is a great balance to Nina, with his hardened outlook and not trusting those around him. The two work well as a couple, because of their differences, and I loved the tension that built up in the relationship between the two of them.

McEwan also creates a looming sense of suspense throughout the story. You know things are not going to go well for the main characters, since this is the first book in the series, so the final chapters are definitely nail biters!!

If you love fast paced fantasy books, with opposing class systems, intriguing magic systems, opposites attract, and secrets and betrayals, then I would highly recommend A Forbidden Alchemy.

There are two tropes I've been loving in romantasy books recently--a historical fiction setting and when the FMC/MMC knew each other in childhood, and this ARC completely delivered for me!

Patrick and Nina live in a world divided between the magical Artisans and the non-magical Craftsmen, but during a brief chance meeting as children they discover that Artisans are made, not born. As adults, they find themselves on opposing sides of a conflict between the two groups.

This book is one of my most anticipated releases of 2025, and it did not disappoint! If you've read Ledge, you know Stacey McEwan will leave you with your jaw hanging in surprise more than once. 😆

Patrick has lots of rough edges, and Nina has baggage from a life full of secrets. I found myself really sympathizing with both characters.

Thank you to the publisher Saga Press, the author, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review 🫶