Steph

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Steph is Currently Reading

Steph is currently reading

A Forbidden Alchemy (The Artisan Trilogy, #1)

by Stacey McEwan (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: favorites, currently-reading

Reading for the 2nd time

read in March 2026

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Steph said: " If you enjoy gritty fantasy, rebellion plots, and men with Thomas Shelby energy… this is for you.

Wow this had me in a chokehold, I could not put it down. Its full of Peaky Blinders vibes (gritty, industrial, heaps of tension) with the addition of ele If you enjoy gritty fantasy, rebellion plots, and men with Thomas Shelby energy… this is for you.

Wow this had me in a chokehold, I could not put it down. Its full of Peaky Blinders vibes (gritty, industrial, heaps of tension) with the addition of elemental magic.

The world is divided between the working-class Craftsmen and the elite Artisans. At age twelve, every child is sent to the capital, given a dose of rare mineral idium, and tested for magical ability, which determines which class they’ll belong to for the rest of their lives.

We follow Nina and Patrick, two kids from bleak mining towns, arriving in the capital for their sorting. Nina is desperate to escape her harsh and isolated life in the brink with her angry alcoholic father. She dreams of bigger places and is determined to leave her small town behind and become an Artisan. Meanwhile Patrick is prickly and full of resentment for one so young, he refuses to be swayed by the wealth and privilege of the Artisan city and is set on returning home to his family of craftsmen and do his duty. Together they stumble onto a dangerous secret about the legitimacy of the sorting process and it sets off something much bigger than either could imagine.

Years later, with war waging between the classes, they meet again on opposite sides with even more secrets between them and a plan to bring the revolution to the capital if they can get past their distrust of one another and rekindle the connection from their childhood. I loved seeing the slow development of trust and vulnerability blossom between the MCs. The generational trauma and the weight of responsibility they both carry made them feel layered and real. The minor characters are also well developed and memorable. I loved the Colson family with their moral ambiguity and fierce protectiveness of one another and their town.

Admittedly, I did predict a few of the twists (sorry, it’s my toxic trait) but honestly it didn’t take away from the experience in the slightest. This book was SO compelling and the ending left me on the edge of my seat. Im already hungrily awaiting the sequel.

Highly recommend!! And for my listener besties, the audio production of this was fantastic 🎧 ...more "

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"Reread time 😈" — Jul 29, 2026 08:53PM

Mar 13, 2026 11:45PM · see review

Steph’s Notes & Highlights

Book cover for Fallen Stars (Heavenly Bodies, #2)

Fallen Stars (Heavenly Bodies, #2) by Imani Erriu

1 highlight

“How does a reader bare their soul, if not through which parts of a book moved them? You always wished to know what went on in my mind. Now you do.”

Steph’s Quotes

“I would love to see you burn with splendor. I would love to see your words catch fire with mine.”
― Rebecca Ross, Ruthless Vows

193 likes

“Oh, she thought, horrified and fascinated in equal measure.
This is how villains are born.”
― L.K. Steven, Silvercloak

17 likes

“I am the thing in the dark your father warned you of, Princess.”
― C.C. Davie, The Pendragon Wytch: The Pendragon Chronicles

2 likes

“I have lived a long time and I’ve seen a great many things, and I can assure you, there is no point in the future where problems do not exist. Where your doubts are no more. Your hardships gone. Where things are easy.”
― Nikki St. Crowe, The Fae Princes

6 likes

“The love of one’s fate. Sometimes I think about those words. It takes just one decision. It may seem small at the time or inconsequential. But that one small decision can change the course of everything.”
― Nikki St. Crowe, The Fae Princes

3 likes

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