A Forbidden Alchemy

De: Stacey McEwan

Narrado por: Billie Fulford-Brown, Joshua Riley

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.

©2025 Stacey McEwan (P)2025 Simon & Schuster Audio

Prepare for emotional damage

This is a great story, it's a dystopian setting with a unique magic system. There's dual POV, found family, tension and slow burn🔥

The story starts of with the main characters meeting when they're 12 and learning that what they've known about their magic system is a lie. With that revelation, they each make their choices and part ways, it isn't until many years later that they meet again as adults caught up in a revolution.

Incredible from start to finish

Love the narrators, LOVE to story, love it all! Can’t wait for the next one

Alchemy, Attitude, and A+ Banter

I absolutely loved A Forbidden Alchemist! The character development was incredible—each one felt real, layered, and easy to connect with. What really stood out to me was the banter between them—it was clever, witty, and added so much charm and emotional depth to the story. Stace McEwan has a gift for making you laugh one moment and ache the next. I can't wait to read more from this series!

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED IT

Five stars easily for the female narrator. No notes.

3.5 stars for the male narrator - he spoke too slowly (had to speed it way up), when reading the narrative, but he did a great job with the dialogue and the different character voices.

The story itself was interesting and unique, and the pacing was well done. I was never bored or counting down the minutes to the next chapter. I thought the world building was expertly crafted, the magic element is very cool, and there is plenty of emotional twists and turns to keep you glued to your seat.

I cannot wait for book 2!

Two POV with nice plot twist

Loved the two POV story telling. The world building was just enough detail to let your imagination fill in the gaps. I wish the mfc had a less damsel in distress mindset however, her battle with trauma makes her more a more real and relatable character. Can’t wait for the next book in the series!

love this author!

Stacey does it again! I loved the Ledge series so I was very excited for this to come out. and it did not disappoint! a new magic system mixed with a peaky blinders feel makes it different than anything I've read before.

Amazing story!

I absolutely love the story and I cannot wait for the next book! The female narrator was amazing, but the male narrator was kind of lackluster and read, at a much slower pace than she did, so it kind of threw off the synchronicity a bit.

Fantastic story

I love this book so much. Definitely fell in love with Patrick and his brothers. Nina is an amazing FMC. Cannot wait for the next one to come out.

Idia take the wheel!

This book has me in a chokehold! The magic, the world, the heat🥵 is so well thought and paced. The character development and dynamics are hilarious and make you want to cry sometimes. Can’t leave out our favorite boy, Donny💕 Just finished, but I am already itching for the next book!

Hunger Games meets Pinky Blinders

I shouldn't be surprised by how much I loved this novel, judging how much I've loved every Stacey McEWAN book thus far! Perhaps blasphemous, but this one may be the best yet. We start out at the reaping. The poor crafters getting their once in a lifetime lottery ticket to possibly enter the world of the rich artisans. There, two twelve year olds discover that the lottery is rigged and you make your own fate. So they did. One heads off to Hogwarts, elevated...the other back home, to their poor working class roots. We all have our own minds, don't let anyone make it up for you. Back in district 12, Pinky Blinders enters the arena. Full of intrigue, drama, conflict, love, political tension, betrayal, and so much magic! Stacey deserves praise and I deserve an early copy of the next book because of how she left me. The narrators are sooooo soooo good as well. Even the woman's male voice is fire!!!!