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A Forbidden Alchemy

an exhilarating slow burn romantasy of first loves and betrayals

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A Forbidden Alchemy

By: Stacey McEwan
Narrated by: Billie Fulford-Brown, Joshua Riley
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‘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 War

What readers and authors have been saying about A Forbidden Alchemy:

‘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, internationallybestselling 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 Action & Adventure Dark Fantasy Editors Select Fantasy Magic War
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Continue the series
A Forsaken Prophecy cover art
A Forsaken Prophecy By: Stacey McEwan

Critic reviews

‘This book is a pressure-corked vial crafted with the perfect romantic tension and pure gangster-style grit. I was ready to be buried beneath the mines that Stacey McEwan created. This story has mettle, raw heart, and inescapable magnetism. I loved every single chapter’ RAVEN KENNEDY, Sunday Times bestselling author of the Plated Prisoner series

‘Stacey McEwan once again delivers a high-stakes fantasy that not only keeps you on the edge of your seat but squeezes your heart until it bleeds’ AMBER V. NICOLE, internationally bestselling author of The Book of Azrael

‘I’m never going to shut up about this book. An epic, breath-of-fresh-air romantasy. A feat of genius magic system and banter so feet-kicking good you’ll need breaks to scream. McEwan’s writing is the kind that leaves you staring at the wall wondering how you’ll go on waiting for the next installment. A Forbidden Alchemy is the romantasy book you’ll never get over’ HANNAH NICOLE MAEHRER, internationally bestselling author of Assistant to the Villain

‘Stacey McEwan's writing has a way of drawing you in and never letting go. A Forbidden Alchemy was no exception, and I found myself gripped by these pages, following the tale of Nina and Patrick and rooting for them every step of the way. I loved the secrets, the tension, and the burning chemistry. Romantasy lovers need to add this one to their TBR’ NISHA J. TULI, internationally bestselling author of Trial of the Sun Queen

‘[A] unique romantasy that seamlessly blends genres ... [and] will resonate with readers who have enjoyed McEwan’s previous series and books such as Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games and Rebecca Ross’s Divine Rivals’ Library Journal (starred review)
All stars
Most relevant
Obsessed. Absolutely love the MMC and FMC dynamic … SWOON! The story, the writing, the slow burn, everything! Cannot wait for book 2 !!!!

LOVEEEE

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Wasn't sure to begin with, not sure if that's due to the start of the book or the narration but I got really in to it and just want the next in the series! Really enjoyed and can't wait for the story to continue.

More please

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I was looking for something new and absolutely loved the characters from page one. Looking forward to starting book 2. Would highly recommend- narrators are terrific!

So good!!

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Nina goes to try and enter the alchemy school to change her fate, but she uncovers a secret that could change the whole society.

To stop from being used, she flees and goes on the run for 7 years till she is taken to the secret mining town where she is reunited with its fearsome leader Patrick (cue peaky blinders vibes)

Patrick is on a mission to free his father and take down the house of Lords, but he needs Nina to turn against them to help him.

I LOVED this book. It was so much fun, the Peaky Blinders Vibe was perfect and the ending left me reeling.......need book 2. The narration was brilliant. Both voice actors brought all the characters to life.

5 star narration

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The write up wasn't kidding about a Peaky Blinders feel, and it's got that in spades, so much so it's quite hard not to imagine Patrick as Tommy, Gunner as Arthur, Donny as John and Tess as Polly, I'm not saying that as a bad thing - I really enjoyed the Peaky Blinder + fantasy mash up, it's quite different than the boxes a lot of fantasy and romantasy books fit in, it makes it an interesting world that you can vividly imagine, with class wars, industrial revolution vibes and the geek in me loved the suggestion of alchemy vs science, a transition from one to the other or the possibility of coexistence.

As per the book blurb I went in to this expecting a romantic slow burn but I agree with quite a lot of other reviews that the story was a bit slow to get going too, it wasn't until about a 1/3 - 1/2 way through that the story actually really caught me attention beyond being interested in the setting and the world, it is worth sticking with, beyond those points I'm not ashamed to say this book actually caught me with twists I didn't see coming that provoked out loud WT...... reactions.

I loved Patrick and Donny, can't wait for the next book and glad I hung on until it was out after how this one ended.

The narrators were really good and added to the whole Peaky Blinder vibes

Stick with it

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