Sometimes a single sentence is enough to tell you exactly what kind of book you’re about to read.
That is precisely how Stacey McEwan describes the opening novel in her new The Artisan Trilogy, A Forbidden Alchemy. And if you’re a fan of dark fantasy worlds, social conflict, and slow-burn romance, this might already be a book worth adding to your reading list.
A fantasy inspired by Peaky Blinders
In interviews, McEwan has openly admitted that she is a devoted fan of Peaky Blinders, the acclaimed series in which Cillian Murphy created the unforgettable character of Tommy Shelby.
„I wanted to combine my love of war fiction with dystopian fantasy. I also have a small obsession with Peaky Blinders and couldn’t resist creating a world that captured that same gritty atmosphere.“
The inspiration is immediately apparent.
Instead of medieval castles and kingdoms, readers are transported to the Belavere Trench—a harsh industrial world filled with coal mines, smoke, steam, whiskey, muddy streets, and rival gangs.
Its magic system is equally distinctive.
Power comes from Terranium, a mysterious blue mineral that not only fuels magical abilities but also determines wealth, social status, and political power.
Magic is not a gift
The novel follows Nina Harrow, a miner’s daughter who dreams of escaping poverty.
To her, magic represents the only path toward a different life.
When she travels to the capital to undergo testing, she hopes to be chosen among the rare individuals believed to possess innate magical abilities.
The truth, however, proves far more dangerous.
Together with Patrick, the boy she meets during the trials, Nina discovers that the entire system is built upon a lie.
Magic was never an inherited gift.
It has simply been reserved for a privileged few.
That revelation tears the two apart, and years later they find themselves on opposite sides of a revolution that threatens to dismantle the established order.
A character inspired by Tommy Shelby
McEwan has never hidden the inspiration behind Patrick.
He is a direct homage to Tommy Shelby—a cigarette-smoking, flat-cap-wearing gang leader who is fiercely loyal to his family, ruthless toward his enemies, and guided by a strict personal code of honor.
It’s the kind of antihero readers tend to remember long after turning the final page.
Slow-burn romance and revolution
McEwan describes the novel as:
„A slow-burn adult fantasy romance with constantly escalating tension, unreliable motives, and plenty of deeply flawed characters.“
That is precisely what separates A Forbidden Alchemy from many traditional romantasy novels.
The romance is important, but it never overshadows the story’s central conflict.
Instead, the novel focuses on class division, political power, rebellion, and the difficult choices between personal happiness and the greater good.
More than romantasy
Over the past few years, romantasy has become one of publishing’s fastest-growing genres.
A Forbidden Alchemy, however, appears to be aiming for something more.
Beneath the smoke-filled streets, magical battles, and revolutionary conflict lies a story about a society where power is monopolized by the few—and where the truth itself may be the most dangerous force of all.
And if the description „Peaky Blinders meets Six of Crows with magic“ proves to be even half accurate, The Artisan Trilogy is likely to become one of the fantasy series readers will be watching very closely.
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