A Forbidden Alchemy

3.9(17)
Hardcover€24.50Paperback€19.50
Not availableFree shipping
Buy Now

About the book

'This book is a pressure-cooked vial crafted with perfect romantic tension and pure gangster-style grit ... I loved every chapter' RAVEN KENNEDY, Sunday Times bestselling author of the Plated Prisoner series. Peaky Blinders meets Six of Crows in Australian BookTok star Stacey McEwan's stunning new slow-burn romantasy duology traces a fated pair who stumble upon a world-changing secret in youth and are catapulted into a violent class war in adulthood, finding each other amidst love, loss and devasting betrayals.Nina Harrow and Patrick Colson are only twelve years old when they are whisked from their disenfranchised mining towns to dazzling Belavere City to test for magical abilities. Nina's lifelong dream is to become an Artisan, a powerful elemental mage who fulfills the city's grand ambitions, while Patrick wants only to reunite with his family of Craftsmen in the mines. But together, they discover a devastating secret: Artisans aren't born, they're chosen. With this information, they part ways. Patrick returns home, while Nina finds her place as one of the rarest, most coveted types of Artisan.When a Craftsman revolution ignites years later, Nina is captured by Patrick's rebel group - and he hasn't forgotten her. In fact, he needs her help for a mission that could shift the tides against Belavere City. She reluctantly agrees to aid him, battling the sparks between them. But when Nina's first love reappears, asking her to betray Patrick for the Artisans, she faces an impossible choice that will determine the fate of their world. A concoction of all the best romantasy tropes:Elemental magic 
Found family
Tension & Slow burn 
Political Intrigue / Class WarWhat readers and authors have been saying about A Forbidden Alchemy:'This book will haunt me ... storytelling on this level is just remarkable' KATHERINE HEIGL, actress'If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would ... This story has the morally gray characters of my dreams!! ... I will be telling everyone that I know to read this book. I NEED MORE!!' READER REVIEW, 5 stars'I'm never going to shut up about this book ... the romantasy book you'll never get over' HANNAH NICOLE MAEHRER, internationally bestselling author of Assistant to the Villain'It catapults readers into an immersive romance, a rustic setting, dynamic characters, a world of secrets, ghastly betrayals ... I am obsessed with this book ... this is the best romantasy I've read' READER REVIEW, 5 stars 

Editions (4)

ISBN9781398537293
PublisherSimon & Schuster UK Ltd
Publication Date07/03/25
Pages336

Reviews & Ratings

17 ratings

4 reviews

3.9

Tap to filter

  • josiscupofcoffee
    josiscupofcoffee

    61 Followers

    5.0

    “We’re stuck between two guns now…That’s all there is to it.” An angsty romantasy thick with tension that felt like someone gently cupping my face and whispering "Just so you know, privilege comes from generational exploitation". Nina is a powerful FMC and I loved her perspective and growth. I did like Patrick a tiny bit more, because he was more relatable, but Nina went through a lot. Readding about her past in Scurry and her relationship with Theo, I understood her a lot more. The backdrop is everything but glamorous, set in a mining town filled with morally gray, calloused-hands characters and systemic inequality designed to keep people down. Acts of love and care don't soften the story, it sharpens the contrast to the themes of power, manipulation, exploitation, classism, and the hoarding of wealth and privilege by the “chosen” elite. The dialogues felt authentic and the banter was fun. Add twists and turns, a unique magic system, conspiracies, seamless world building, and no lulls in the story or lengthy explanations you have to struggle through, just great pacing throughout the book.

    Apr 23, 2026

  • suemy
    suemy

    19 Followers

    5.0

    4,5 ⭐️😍 Ich habs geliebt. So eine gute slow burn romantasy mit einem einzigartigem Magiesystem, Themen wie soziale Ungleichheit, Klassismus werden behandelt. Und peaky blinders vibe 🤭❤️

    Aug 3, 2025

  • ichbinjill
    ichbinjill

    585 Followers

    5.0

    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️,5 Ich hab kurzzeitig wirklich daran gezweifelt ob ich jemals wieder ein Buch beenden werde lol und hab an diesem hier bestimmt 10 Tage gelesen? Daran ist aber nicht das Buch Schuld, weil leeeeeute das hat mir richtig Bock gemacht! War mal was ganz was anderes, ich bin dezent verliebt in Patrick und freu mich doll auf den nächsten Teil. Auf jeden Fall eine Empfehlung! Hat kaum bis kein Spice.

    Jan 16, 2026

3 of 4 reviews

Reading is better with the READO app.

Discover books, track progress, read together.

Library

Keep track