Book Review: A Forbidden Alchemy by Stacey McEwan
A Forbidden Alchemy by Stacey McEwan
Published: July 1, 2025
Series: The Artisan #1
Genres: Adult // Romantasy
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Quick Thoughts: A Forbidden Alchemy follows Nina and Patrick who discover as children that their society's power system is rigged, then reconnect years later as part of a class uprising. This book has it all — a sweet, tender romance, political tension, exploration into themes of exploitation and class rifts, and diverse characters. One of my favorite reads this year!
Amazon | Bookshop.org | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
-
Addiction/Drug Use
Death
Grief
Abandonment by Parent
War
-
Magic
Dual POV
Love Triangle
Second Chance Romance (kind of)
Enemies to Lovers
Captive to Lover
Political Tension
Conversation about social themes (like wealth and class)
Back of the Book Details
This stunning slow-burn romantasy follows a fated pair who uncover a world-changing secret and are thrust into a violent class war, navigating love, loss, and devastating betrayals.
Nina Harrow and Patrick Colson are twelve years old when they are whisked away from the shadows of their disenfranchised mining towns to dazzling Belavere City to discover their magical potential. Those who pass Belavere’s test will become Artisans, wielders of powerful elemental magic destined to fulfill the city’s grand ambitions. For Nina, the Artisan School symbolizes a dream and an escape from her harsh reality, while Patrick yearns to return to his Craftsman family, whose extraordinary physical strength serves the idium mines keeping the city alive.
And then they uncover a devastating truth: Artisans aren’t born, they’re chosen. They part ways on very different paths, leaving them to carry the burden of this secret alone.
In the years that follow, a Craftsman revolution ignites, thrusting Nina and Patrick into opposing factions of a brewing war. Now an elite Artisan with the very rare talent for charming earth, Nina has turned her back on the fight, haunted by the loss of her found family. But fate intervenes when she is captured by Patrick’s rebel group. Despite the years and conflict that separates them, Patrick hasn’t forgotten Nina. He desperately seeks her help for a mission that could shift the tides against Belavere City. Reluctantly, she agrees, battling the sparks flying between them. But when Nina’s first love reappears, asking her to betray Patrick for the sake of the Artisans, Nina faces an impossible choice that could alter the fate of their world.
Initial Take
Ugh…I started putting off finishing this book when I hit 60% because I just knew the ending would hurt. Lately, I’ve been struggling to find a book that felt original but this one really stands out as one of the best books I've read this year.
My Review
I went into this book expecting romance with tension and yearning, but I didn't expect it to tackle such profound themes at the same time. Somehow, it delivered on both fronts beautifully.
The author masterfully weaves the romance and rebellion together through dual POV and alternating timelines, creating a world and characters with enough depth to keep me hooked from start to finish.
The story kicks off with 12-year-old Nina and Patrick at their Siphoning—a ceremony where children get their powers awakened by taking a substance called idium that determines whether they'll become Artisans (the elite) or Crafters (the working class). Together, they discover that the whole process is rigged, with the existing elite handpicking who gets to have power (this is not a spoiler btw).
Though Nina and Patrick go their separate ways after this revelation, it's clear this moment serves as the "spark" that shapes both their lives differently. When they reconnect years later, this shared foundation helped me understand their decisions and roles in the rebellion so much better. I'll admit, I was really frustrated with some of Nina's choices and all the miscommunication in the latter half of the book, but having this backstory made her actions feel more believable, even though they annoyed me to no end.
The romance isn't smut-heavy but instead focuses on sweet acts of love and care, which creates this beautiful contrast against the backdrop of a mining town caught in the middle of a class rebellion. We dive deep into themes of power, generational exploitation, and classism through the characters' daily lives. On paper, it doesn't sound like the ideal setting for romance, right? But that's exactly what makes it work. Patrick being this feared, morally gray character while showing such tenderness with Nina strengthens the romance instead of letting the tense political setting overshadow it. The romance feels incredibly satisfying because it builds alongside the escalating political tension.
“Rather, our eyes caught on each other’s, and there was a long pause. Prismatic blue shifted, melted. A jump along his jaw. I wondered if there was something in his middle that cracked and spilled out, as it did in mine.”
What really impressed me was how the author used the characters' backstories to show the complexity of choosing sides in a war. We have the lovable, calloused-handed Colson brothers, but there are also three Artisans mixed in with the rebels. There's Theo, son of a Belavere Lord; another Artisan from a middle-class town where Artisans and Crafters live together; and Nina, a miner's daughter from the poorest town who was never supposed to have a shot at becoming an Artisan. Each brings different lived experiences and motivations to the rebellion, which defines their roles throughout the story. Most rebellion books feature characters who've only ever known life within the resistance, so seeing the conflict between the Artisans and getting Nina's internal dialogue added so much intrigue to the plot.
I highly, highly recommend this book. If you need me, you can find me stalking the author’s socials waiting for the announcement of the second one. I cannot wait to get my hands on it!
Check out this review on Goodreads or Storygraph.
Happy reading!
Kim
A Forbidden Alchemy FAQs
Just a heads up, some of the answers may include spoilers. Read with caution.
-
Yes. A Forbidden Alchemy is part of a series (The Artisan). As of the writing of this post, the release date of book 2 hasn’t been announced yet.
-
Yes, A Forbidden Alchemy is spicy. The spicy chapters are 48, 49, and 61.
-
Not to worry! Neither Patrick or Nina dies in A Forbidden Alchemy.
-
In the literal sense, yes. Patrick and Nina are physically together at the end of A Forbidden Alchemy. However, they will have to work through feelings of betrayal and mistrust to continue their relationship.
A FORBIDDEN ALCHEMY SPOILER RECAP
If you haven’t read the book yet, stop reading here unless you want the ending spoiled. I put together these spoiler recaps, so readers can refresh their memories on the ending instead of re-reading the whole book.
So without further ado, here is how A Forbidden Alchemy ended.
I’ll start where the ball officially drops…Nina finding out that Domelius Becker is dead at the end of Chapter 58. Remember at this point, Nina knows that Belavere City’s attack is imminent. They’ve asked for the location of the tunnels and expect to hear from Polly. Nina believes she can stop the attack and save her mother and Patrick’s father by trading them for the last Alchemist. Polly is pressuring Nina to figure out where the alchemist is before she’s forced to tell Tanner the location of the tunnels leading to Kenton Hill. At this point, Theo is gone after he ran away.
Patrick explains that after they capture Domelius, he kills him as his father ordered him to. Nina doesn’t understand how she’s been taking idium if the last alchemist is dead. Patrick then reveals that Domelius wasn’t the last alchemist, Patrick himself is. Flashback to when Nina and Patrick met at the Siphoning ceremony. Patrick took two vials marked for Artisans and only gave Nina one. All those years ago, he took the second vile and his powers awakened. Nina promises not to tell anyone. At this point, only Patrick’s inner circle is aware he is the alchemist.
Nina is devastated because that means she no longer has anything to trade for her mother. Patrick promises to use the tunnels, invade Belavere City, and save Nina’s mom. Patrick asks Nina to marry him when he returns. She doesn’t give him a solid answer.
The next day, Nina goes to see Polly at the post office and tells her the alchemist is dead. Nina also tells her that she’s going to tell Patrick about the imminent attack. Polly insists Patrick will kill the both of them and wants her to continue hiding the truth. We end that scene with Nina telling Polly she has a chance to run but she hopes she decides to stay.
After leaving Polly, Nina heads back to the tavern where Patrick’s brother and mother are waiting. Nothing super important happens here but they know Nina knows Patrick’s secret and threaten her life if she were to reveal it. She finds out Donny is a Smith of silver and Gunner is a Smith of copper.
Patrick is returning from Baymouth after attempting to meet with an associate. The associate doesn’t show but a woman covered in blood told him that he was shot in an Artisan raid. The woman warn’s Patrick that the Artisan army could be headed his way. He heads back to Kenton Hill but he thinks he can hear marching boots and artillery in the tunnel. The chapter ends with Polly’s letter to the Artisan House. She tells Tanner that she seeks safe return to Belavere City, the alchemist is dead, and sends the location of the tunnels.
Back in Kenton Hill, the Artisan army flood in through Margarite’s Modern Ladies, Seamstress Extraordinaire. Gunner accuses Nina of exposing them. He doesn’t kill her but knocks her unconscious and hides her in a bunker to let Patrick decide what to do with her. Patrick arrives and jumps into the fray. His first hunch is that Theo is responsible and then he runs into him.
Theo claims he came back for Nina because she was scared Patrick hurt her. He also tells Patrick that he didn’t let the army in. The only way they’d know is if Theo had a scribbler, which he didn’t. He connects the dots and understands that Polly must’ve sent a note to the Artisan House. He believes Theo and lets him fight with his water charm.
Patrick, Tanner, and the Colson brothers confront the army. Patrick learns a few things: the Artisans were sent by Tanner to inform on the Union, Theo claims Nina is gone, and that they are to return to Belavere City so Tanner can award them for their success. They also learn that Polly told them about the Alchemist and that they’ve been ordered to find Patrick and bring him back to Belavere. (Remember: Nina did not tell Polly about Patrick being the last alchemist and Polly didn’t write that in her letter, so we don’t know how the Artisans have this information).
Nonetheless, Patrick feels betrayed and corners Theo to ask if Nina was really sent by Tanner. Theo confirms she was sent by Tanner but that she wanted to stay for Patrick. Patrick still believes Nina told Tanner about him being the last alchemist. For now, Patrick decides to leave Theo alive because he can see Theo really cares for Nina and believes that is the only reason he came back to Kenton Hill.
Nina wakes up and runs into guards. She tells them she is the earth charmer. They eventually meet up with Theo and the Colsons. Patrick holds a gun to his head and tells the Artisan Army that he is the last remaining alchemist. He says if they stop the attack on Kenton Hill, he’ll go back to Belavere City willingly. The Artisans are ordered back to the tunnel and Patrick orders the miners back to their houses. Nina gets to Patrick and runs to him. It’s then she realizes that he thinks she betrayed them all. Patrick tells her to run. Nina refuses and turns herself over to the Artisans. The gun is wrenched from Patrick and him, Nina, and Theo are taken to the tunnels.
They are on the way back to the tunnels leading to Belavere City. Nina tries to talk to Patrick and Patrick pins her against the wall and says “If there was ever a small part of you that loved me, then you will sink this tunnel. Bury us all.” Then he was wrenched away and they were taken down to the tunnel shaft.
The book ends with “And somewhere beneath us, cycling up the shaft, a canary sang.”