Five stars. Loved it. Literally cannot wait for the next one.

The magic/world is really interesting but not difficult to follow/grasp. Obsessed with the characters and their relationships. The plot twists and turns were exciting and kept me on my toes. I didn’t want the book to end. And the cliffhanger ending is absolutely killing me. I highly recommend this book!!!

This book was wonderful! The story was very interesting and the plot twist was something I did not see coming! Would recommend this book!

I am honestly still reeling from this book. I cannot thank the publisher enough for the e-arc because this book captured my attention from the get-go and still won’t release me from its clutches. Magic. Conspiracies. Rebellion. Love. Fraud.

If I could, I’d give this book so many stars. This has deftly been one of my top reads for the year and I cannot get enough. I immediately need the next book because I need to know Nina and Patrick make it. I need to know.

The only downside to me reading this books is that it doesn’t publish until July 1, 2025.

Uh oh... I'm obsessed! I knew from the description alone that I was going to love this one, and it truly did not disappoint. The FMC and MMC were both perfect, and I was entertained from start to finish. Now the real problem is that I'm going to have to wait so long for the second one to come out, and Ms. Stacey really left me on quite the cliffhanger!

Freaking amazing!! I was a fan of this author before, but this is just next level exciting. The magic system and the world building was so creative and new. I couldn’t put it down. I thought it would take me a few days to read and I stayed up having to know what’s happens next.
Between the morally gray charters and the plot twists, this book had me gripped. Brilliant!

This book sucked me in from the prologue! How the main characters meet as children, grow apart due to circumstance, and then find their way back to each other as adults was chefs kiss. I loved the world building and the dividing of classes based on their access to resources. I adored the power dynamic between artisans and craftsman and having two children struggling to decide who they are and what path they want to take when the choice is placed in their paths.

How we moved through time and years of their lives was interesting and I enjoyed how it allowed us to learn the personality of Nina from a child all the way up until adulthood.

I enjoyed alternating POV‘s once Patrick came back into the story. The plot twists I didn’t see coming and loved them. I was so invested in the characters that when somebody was doing anything, I was yelling at the book trying to shake some sense into people I cannot wait to see where the story goes

A Forbidden Alchemy by Stacey McEwan

A Forbidden Alchemy by Stacey McEwan is my first 6 star read of 2025. It drew me in with the first line and had me ignoring all my responsibilities till the end... Even tho it left me standing on the edge of a cliff.

It's told in dual POV (1st person for Nina, 3rd person for Patrick/Patty/Pat).

If you grew up in a poorer rural community you're going to connect to these characters, the setting, the town folk.

I loved how unique each person's voice was. And give me all the morally gray characters. The pacing was perfect for the story unfolding. The banter was perfection. I loved all the characters for what they were (some good some bad). I was expecting some twists and turns but my jaw was on the floor with some of them... I'm not sure how I'll stand to wait for book 2 because I need it immediately.

Thank you to Saga Press, Netgalley and especially Stacey McEwen for the ARC of this book.

“You used to do that a lot.”
He frowned. “Dance?”
“Laugh,” she said. “Have fun. You were sunshine once.”

—

Thank you Netgalley and Saga Press for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Welp. Clearly, I need to immediately watch Peaky Blinders because I inhaled this in one day!

Forbidden Alchemy is a story about a magical class war between Artisans - the magical elite - and Craftsmen - men and women stripped of magic and opportunity, choking from soot in small mining towns. It’s also a story of our main protagonists, Nina, Patrick, and Theo caught in the fold.

The plot and pacing were well done, but I really loved the setting and how vividly the writing captured it. Objectively, the relationship felt a little fast, but I’m a sucker for fated lovers, and Nina and Patrick’s
chemistry had me in a chokehold. This is my first book by Stacey McEwan, and it definitely won’t be my last.

Please do note that there is a (semi) love triangle, and a cliffhanger ending 🥲🥲 I need the next book immediately!

I am almost too stunned to speak. That ending?! I think I only predicted 1 twist correctly! I was about to give this book 4 stars (still great) but the ending!!!

The story feels very unique, starting with 2 main characters who discover a major secret as kids. As adults, they’re forced to survive in a class war. The world building is fantastic and all of the characters are well developed, despite not being able to tell outright who might be good or bad. I liked knowing that Patrick and Nina came from similar walks of life despite being from different places, but even so their experiences were still drastically different.

Now I’m going to be extra cranky cause I have to wait so long for the second book.

A miner’s daughter, Nina Harrow is called with other 12-year-old children to Belvedere City’s magic school to be evaluated for talent. It’s supposed to be an opportunity to escape their poverty, and when her friend Patrick learns the testing is a fraud, he and other miners rebel using terrorist tactics, and Nina questions whether she can support him.

She then finds that the values she grew up with clash with those of her classmates, and must decide if she wants to conform to fit in. She is bullied, though why, with her power, she puts up with it, I can’t imagine… She has a classroom romance, but it doesn’t turn out as expected.

I felt that Nina was too timid in using her powers to save herself and others. She was also a bit wishy-washy in deciding a side to support. Patrick finds her again, and their steamy salt and pepper love play is wonderful, but seriously, get a room and fade to black…

I enjoyed this book, finding it fantasy take on the struggles of miners in the US 1800s. It was also believable that someone could be drawn into terrorism when trying to protect their family. The characters were three dimensional, the heroes/heroines being fickle, and the villains actually having some admirable qualities.

The story has some sexual scenes that may not be suitable for high schoolers, but will be welcome for college students and adults.

The cliffhanger was unexpected and frustrating after I’d bonded with Nina and Patrick.
I’ll have to wait till the next book to find out if they survive >:{

I love this fresh take on romantasy! Stacey incorporates beloved tropes but with a delivery that keeps you wanting to devour every page. The book opens with our main characters as children, meeting and going on a bit of an adventure. There’s immediately a twist I didn’t see coming followed by a lengthy separation. The FMC Nina endures so much to pursue the life she dreamt for herself and sacrifices for. Just when I thought I figured things out, there would be a twist that made it impossible to put the book down. The world building, time jumps and surprises had me hooked. Patrick is the MMC you can’t stop thinking about, he’s the epitome of morally grey. Slow burn, long lost friendship, touch her and die, dystopian vibes and incredible dialogue and banter! I already want to re-read and look forward to book two!

I have struggled to read fantasy/romantasy lately but this book got me. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The story itself is interesting and engaging. I'd love a bit more about the magic system but I think that will be more in book 2!

I really loved the morally grey MMC, Pat. He's a good one. Check please. I like this progression throughout the story and I felt more connected to him than any other character. The FMC, Nina, the verdict is still out on her, if I'm honest. I was 100% behind her, until it was revealed that she isn't as she seems. I'm not too much a fan of the lies, just be honest. I'll definitely read book 2 and report back on her when it comes out. I get the tension between Theo, Nina and Pat, and how it made Pat believe Nina (when she was acting a certain way) but I don't know if Theo is redeemable. And Polly. I'm going to leave that right there.

The ending happened fast. I would've loved to have more there at the end instead of the complete jump off the cliff. But it's sure to start book 2 with a bang.

I loved the writing style and the overall pace is perfect for the story. The banter and slow burn are highlights that I loved.

Thank you to Saga Press and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. Can't wait for the next one!

Holy crapola!!!!! This book!!!!! How am I getting so lucky with these fantasy arcs. So thanks to NetGalley and saga press for this opportunity. This is for sure a 6 star read and when it comes out will be a hit. And the ending I don’t know how I will wait for this next book to come out because my goodness that was a wild ride! The world Stacey has built was so freaking cool and I loved all the characters and how the story unfolded with them. The class system in this book really does weirdly mimic our world in ways and shows how far people are willing to go to keep things the way they are. And Patrick oh my gosh this man!!!!!!! He was such a well rounded character and the whole time you are just rooting for him. Also I loved getting dual povs in this book. I always love getting to see both sides of a relationship. Can’t wait to explore more of this world in the future!

I happily lost sleep over this incredible book.

This is absolutely perfect for fans of Peaky Blinders or Six of Crows! It has the same dark, gripping energy and setting, but with a fresh twist that sets it apart.

Start to finish this was a deeply satisfying read, packed with high-stakes elements, a unique magic system, and a beautifully done slow-burn romance brimming with tension.

I love how we shift from the main charaters adolescence into their adult years. We get tons of backstory to support their motives, and I can't wait to see how their relationship and the storyline progresses in the next book.

If you're a lover of plot twists this read is full of them!

This book was absolutely everything I was hoping for and more. The magic system is unlike any that I’ve ever read before, and I quite enjoyed it. Love the romance, it very very lightly whispers of second-chance in a way, with touches of (not quite)enemies-to-lovers. It’s got twists and turns that had me literally gasping on more than one occasion. Cannot at all recommend it enough!!! This ends on such a huge freaking cliffhanger since it’s obviously the first in a series (I’m assuming series, could possibly be a duology, I have no clue and will not come back to update this so take that as you will)

I was able to read and review this ahead of its release date thanks to the people at NetGalley, and I couldn’t be more giddy for the opportunity on this one! Part of me wishes I hadn’t been so dang excited for this book to the point where I almost begged for an ARC, because now I’m gonna be constantly fiending until the next book comes out and I can figure out what happens next.

I don’t know what I expected going into this, but I am so happy I read this. McEwan paints a fantastic picture with magic and so much drama. Nina and Patrick make such interesting characters. The drama, the tension and everything else. Wow. And oh my gosh - the betrayal. I’m going to be recommending this book for the rest of my life.

A Forbidden Alchemy follows two people who come from very similar walks of life, but when presented with a life changing choice, decide to take separate paths. When they eventually find their way back to one another as adults amidst an intense class war, the years have made them guarded. Yet, as many of us do, they yearn to trust each other and embrace the possibilities of a better future.
This is a book with easily relatable themes (such as found family, distrust, classism, and being under immense pressure) that I think will spark the empathy of every reader. Stacy McEwan writes incredibly strong-willed, complex, and compassionate FMCs and multifaceted, loyal, and intense MMCs that have us all rooting for them. No character is flat in this book. I especially enjoyed Donny’s humorous quips! They have faults and scars, making them human and relatable…even when the reader literally wants to slap some sense into them sometimes (I’m looking at you, Nina).
In true Stacey McEwan fashion, the ending had me desperate for more, wishing the next book was already published so I could dive right back into her world and get some closure. In short… I loved it and cannot wait until the next installment!

Wow, I don't even know where to start. I had to pick my jaw up several times after twists that I definitely did not see coming. The plot is chef's kiss, truly so unique and unlike anything I've read so far. It was giving Peaky Blinders vibes and I've never even seen it 😂

At the age of 12 children take part in a siphoning ceremony where they will be designated an Artisan or a Craftsman depending on the effects of the Idium they consume. Nina and Patrick stumble upon the truth that Artisans aren't born, they are chosen. This sets them on separate courses that eventually collide with impossible decisions to be made.

I appreciated the world building as it really made things easy to follow for me. The feelings of loyalty as well as betrayal cut deep! The banter was incredible between main characters as well as wonderful secondary characters. I was so invested in this whole book, but there were times that I felt like I literally couldn't read it fast enough because what was happening was so heart pounding!

I am just beside myself waiting for book two, because the cliffhanger it left on basically punched me in the gut and stole my lunch money. This is 100% one of my top reads, not just of this year, but of all time.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Saga Press and Stacey McEwan for the ARC of A Forbidden Alchemy, it was incredible.

This. Book. Is. Stunning.

The twists and turns. The morally grey cast of characters. The unique magic system. The conspiracies. Hands down one of my favorite MMCs, and a really well developed and complex FMC. The found family aspect of this both enveloped me and broke me. If you want to be devastated, but in a really satisfying way, this is it for you. I think it may be among one of my top reads/series ever, which is a high bar! The biggest problem about reading an ARC? I have to wait even longer for book 2.

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

This book was absolutely amazing. Patrick and Nina were everything and more and the plot twists absolutely wrenched my heart out. I haven’t read a book like this in a while. It’s a different type of fantasy than I’m used to, kind of mixed with steam punk and such a crazy read. Some characters definitely have some redeeming to do in the next book