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4.33 AVERAGE
4.33 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I skimmed a good majority of this- it was a slow start. Also kind of insta-lovey and I don't love that. But it picked up and was entertaining. I get Nina is in a hard spot, but she makes dumb decisions. I'll still be reading the follow-up!
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The plot hung on by mere threads of barely-there worldbuilding, the pacing was terrible, and the characters only existed as vessels for banter
Took a long time for me to get hooked in but I appreciate that now it was all about character and world building.
Agonising angst especially with the deception involved. I dreaded to read on in fear of the characters being caught or the betrayal becoming known. It was thrilling, especially towards the end. Really enjoyed it.
Agonising angst especially with the deception involved. I dreaded to read on in fear of the characters being caught or the betrayal becoming known. It was thrilling, especially towards the end. Really enjoyed it.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Forbidden Alchemy is pitched as a stunning slow-burn romantasy full of yearning, but for me it never really delivered. We follow Nina, who rises through the ranks of the Artisan School with a rare magical talent, and Patrick, whose loyalty to his Craftsman family ties him to a brewing rebellion. Years later, their paths cross again when Patrick needs Nina’s help on a mission that could alter the fate of Belavere City. Caught between him and her first love, Nina is forced to make an impossible choice.
Sounds epic, right? But honestly, the execution fell flat. It’s marketed as slow burn, yet it felt more like insta-love with a dash of love triangle drama. I didn’t really connect with any of the characters—Theo (who should have been compelling) was boring, and Patrick, who was supposed to have that gritty “Peaky Blinders mafia boss” energy, just wasn’t it. There was no yearning, no tension, and no spark to keep me invested.
Instead, most of the book meanders with little action (a lot of tunnel digging, not much else). The writing leaned heavily YA in tone, which isn’t necessarily bad, but it wasn’t what I was expecting from the way this was marketed. Overall, kind of blah.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No