OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Superman 2025, I don’t think any DC CBM has been released with such a cloud of anxiety over it. You have the DC fans along with the James Gunn fans who genuinely want this movie to succeed wildly and herald the start of a new (and hopefully joyful & colourful) DCU. In another corner you have the DCEU or mainly Snyder diehards who might have a vested interest in this reboot, seeing that it came at the expense of the further expansion of their beloved Snyderverse storyline that Zack Snyder has more than hinted at and gloriously shown in his EPIC 4 hour vision. Then there’s the middle of the road CBM fans like me who would like a new movie that doesn’t fall to the usual pitfalls and entertain us while giving us a good story. We want to watch Supes fly, kick ass and be his good natured self.
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Get SHATTERED for FREE on the author's Patreon (until July 14th)
Official Author Info: Nicholas W Fuller has been writing all of his life. He began writing his first novel while still in fifth grade—a science fiction story featuring an alien race inspired by his neighbor’s basset hounds. While that work remains incomplete, Nicholas has worked on various blogs and stories over the years, including publication in JCM Berne's Grimdwarf Magazine and earning an honorable mention from ElegantLiterature.com. Nicholas also started a youtube channel in early 2023 where he posts videos talking about books and other fun nerdy things as well as his interviews with authors and other creatives.
Thursday, July 3, 2025
SPFBO Champions' League Review: The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble's Braids by Michael McClung
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Michael McClung was born and raised in Texas, lived in Southeast Asia for twenty years, and currently resides in Poland. He has published nine novels, a novella and a short story collection. His first novel was published by Random House in 2003, and in 2016 he won Mark Lawrence's inaugural SPFBO contest with The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble's Braids. He goes by @mcclungmike on Twitter, but doesn’t do the Facebook anymore, because reasons. He occasionally talks about stuff on his blog at somethingstickythiswaycomes.blogspot.com if you're interested in, uh, stuff being talked about.
Published: November 28, 2012 by Michael McClung Length: 208 pages (Kindle) Formats: Literary awards: SPFBO Award for Best Fantasy Book (2015) Series Amra Thetys #1
Buy The Two Lies of Faven Sythe
FORMAT/INFO: The Two Lies of Faven Sythe was published on June 3rd, 2025 by Orbit Books. It is 352 pages long and available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats.
FORMAT/INFO: The Silverblood Promise was published on May 7th, 2024 by Tor Books. It is 528 pages long and currently available in ebook, paperback, and audiobook formats.
FORMAT/INFO: Never the Roses will be published by Bramble Romance on July 8th, 2025. It is available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: At long, long last, the Dread Sorceress Oneira has retired. Having bought her freedom after decades of indentured servitude to any who could buy her contract, she's retreated to a quiet abode where she can spend her final days in peace. But peace doesn't come easy to one who has spent most of her life in war, and Oneira soon finds herself restless. On a whim she can't quite explain, she uses her power over the Dream to travel to a rival sorcerer's library and steal one of his books. This quickly kicks off a flirtatious dance of more thefts and attempted entrapments as Stearanos Stormbreaker tries to discover who would dare pilfer from his shelves. But when it becomes clear that the king Stearanos serves is going to attack Oneira's former queen, their secret relationship becomes far too dangerous for anyone to discover.
Never the Roses is a slow burn romantic fantasy that does a beautiful job building up the attraction between two powerful magic users. It starts as flirtation, as Oneira steals books from the library of her rival Stearanos, and he in turn tries to entrap and discover the identity of his mysterious thief. Through notes left to each other in Stearanos’s library, they tease and poke at each other in turn, enjoying the sensation of a fresh challenge in their lives.
I was absolutely engrossed in the slow build of this relationship. Watching Stearanos be intrigued by someone who could best him, watching the two of them exchange flirtatious and witty letters, wondering when the two would finally meet face-to-face, this was catnip to me. More importantly was the growing realization between the two that they may have each found the only other person in the world who can understand what it's like to be them, to have all of the power and none of the power at the same time.
All of this is told through beautiful, lyrical prose. The tone is of a more serious bent, despite the mischievousness described above. At its heart, this is a tale about healing. Oneira, despite her legendary power, has spent most of her life magically enslaved to do the bidding of others. The things she did to finally break free of her contract broke her as well, and she doesn't know how, if at all, she can pick up the pieces. This romance comes into her life when she's trying to decide if she will ever know real peace again.
I did occasionally get frustrated with some of the repetitive beats of Oneira's character, as she would vow on one course of action and then immediately do the opposite within a day. Human, yes, but repetitive nonetheless.
I also had slightly mixed feelings about the ending. On the one hand, I did cry (in public no less). But there was a part of my brain that was whispering "this is a little over the top." In the moment, I chose to mostly shove that part of my brain into a deep corner, but upon reflection, I wrestle a bit with how that ending sits with me.
CONCLUSION: Either way, I still absolutely inhaled this book. I would recommend Never the Roses for those looking for a fantasy romance that focuses on the characters first and physical attraction second. There is a slight amount of spice, but only after the two have formed a deep connection. I'm so glad I took a chance on Never the Roses, and will definitely be keeping an eye out for more of the author's work.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: At long, long last, the Dread Sorceress Oneira has retired. Having bought her freedom after decades of indentured servitude to any who could buy her contract, she's retreated to a quiet abode where she can spend her final days in peace. But peace doesn't come easy to one who has spent most of her life in war, and Oneira soon finds herself restless. On a whim she can't quite explain, she uses her power over the Dream to travel to a rival sorcerer's library and steal one of his books. This quickly kicks off a flirtatious dance of more thefts and attempted entrapments as Stearanos Stormbreaker tries to discover who would dare pilfer from his shelves. But when it becomes clear that the king Stearanos serves is going to attack Oneira's former queen, their secret relationship becomes far too dangerous for anyone to discover.
Never the Roses is a slow burn romantic fantasy that does a beautiful job building up the attraction between two powerful magic users. It starts as flirtation, as Oneira steals books from the library of her rival Stearanos, and he in turn tries to entrap and discover the identity of his mysterious thief. Through notes left to each other in Stearanos’s library, they tease and poke at each other in turn, enjoying the sensation of a fresh challenge in their lives.
I was absolutely engrossed in the slow build of this relationship. Watching Stearanos be intrigued by someone who could best him, watching the two of them exchange flirtatious and witty letters, wondering when the two would finally meet face-to-face, this was catnip to me. More importantly was the growing realization between the two that they may have each found the only other person in the world who can understand what it's like to be them, to have all of the power and none of the power at the same time.
All of this is told through beautiful, lyrical prose. The tone is of a more serious bent, despite the mischievousness described above. At its heart, this is a tale about healing. Oneira, despite her legendary power, has spent most of her life magically enslaved to do the bidding of others. The things she did to finally break free of her contract broke her as well, and she doesn't know how, if at all, she can pick up the pieces. This romance comes into her life when she's trying to decide if she will ever know real peace again.
I did occasionally get frustrated with some of the repetitive beats of Oneira's character, as she would vow on one course of action and then immediately do the opposite within a day. Human, yes, but repetitive nonetheless.
I also had slightly mixed feelings about the ending. On the one hand, I did cry (in public no less). But there was a part of my brain that was whispering "this is a little over the top." In the moment, I chose to mostly shove that part of my brain into a deep corner, but upon reflection, I wrestle a bit with how that ending sits with me.
CONCLUSION: Either way, I still absolutely inhaled this book. I would recommend Never the Roses for those looking for a fantasy romance that focuses on the characters first and physical attraction second. There is a slight amount of spice, but only after the two have formed a deep connection. I'm so glad I took a chance on Never the Roses, and will definitely be keeping an eye out for more of the author's work.
Official Author Website
Order Perils Of The Past over HERE
Order Perils Of The Past over HERE
Q) Welcome to Fantasy Book Critic Kane! We always love
to welcome new authors and hear about your journey. To start us off, could you
give us a brief introduction about yourself and how your life has brought you
to the wonderful world of self pub?
KW: Thanks for having me. I’m an Australian epic/high fantasy author on debut. Perils of the Past has occupied a place in my mind since I was a teenager. Four years ago (and twice the age I was back then), I sat down to write it in earnest—and now here we are.
KW: Love that reference, especially as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was one source of inspiration. The scene underground where Harrison Ford is searching for the Holy Grail to save Sean Connery’s life is an all-time favourite.
Do you recall how reincarnation was used in The Mummy? Rachel Weisz’s character in present day aligned with who she was in a past life. But what if your past life stood against everything you believe in? That’s woven into Perils of the Past.
I doubt I’d be writing fantasy without J. R. R. Tolkien.
KW: My characters didn’t give me a choice, haha. Or, put it another way, it has persistently been the story that I see when I close my eyes.
KW: The process differed from name to name. Some just came to me; others took hours to workshop. I remember how hard it was to name my female lead character. I must have gone through about 50 before I found one that fit. Her name is Antarna and she’s been training in a temple on a snow-topped mountain. Her name was inspired by Antarctica.
KW: I’ve written the type of book I love to read. It’s a high-stakes, epic adventure set on a unique and dangerous world. There are battles with both man and beast, plus flawed, determined characters you can root for (or against). And, of course, plenty of secrets and twists to keep you guessing.
KW: While most species of spiders are solitary in nature, did you know that the Australian huntsman are social (e.g., often living and eating together)? The only thing more terrifying than a spider is a group of them working together. That made it into a small scene in Perils of the Past.
KW: The novel almost had 4 POV characters, but I craved more time with Antarna (featured on the front cover), Cal (a seer-in-training, who has a great sense of humour), and Zanth (a mage bent on revenge). I needed to explore what shapes them and how their choices collide. They each have a powerful journey to go on—internally and externally.
KW: In primary school, one of my favourite novels was Ice Station by Matthew Reilly (a fellow Australian). It’s a breakneck thriller. In high school, I read all the books he published and a steady stream of fantasy (e.g., from Raymond E. Feist).
I’ve found the writing process for flash fiction (e.g., a story in 50 words) worlds apart from penning my debut novel. I would add, though, that practicing flash fiction has made me a better writer.
KW: As I spent more time with my novel, I developed a clear picture of exactly what I wanted. Parts of this vision were big and exciting—several full-page internal illustrations, illustrated chapter headers and scene breaks, and a second design hidden under the dust jacket of the hardcover. Other aspects were more subtle, from formatting choices to several chapters intentionally lacking a chapter number to tie into a character’s backstory. Self-publishing allowed me to maintain creative control.
KW: Tough choice... but that would have to be writing the first draft: exploring the world with my characters and seeing that word count climb.
KW: As I was writing my novel, I kept a reference folder with my favourite covers and artists. I had a strong sense of the style I wanted but remained open to where the design process might lead.
KW: Antarna enters that very cave in chapter 1. She’ll find more questions than answers…
KW: From the very first sketches, Anderson took my breath away. He was always receptive to feedback, dedicated to bringing my vision for the novel to life. Likewise, I welcomed his artistic insights and expertise. We exchanged so many great emails and communication felt easy.
KW: Surreal; a dream taken material form.
KW: It is intended to be read as a stand-alone—although there’s a chance I may return to certain characters or world in the future. I have an ambitious fantasy novel (packed with action, adventure and intrigue, of course) I’m itching to write that takes place on another world (or two!).
KW: I hope it sweeps readers away. Fantasy has an amazing ability to offer an escape, and this story leans into that—with sword fights, magic duels, near-death experiences and mysteries to unravel. All of this unfolds on a unique world where humans are not at the top of the food chain. But amid the action and adventure, each POV character faces personal struggles and painful truths. The novel explores some important themes, including the extent that the past shapes us and the power of friendship.
KW: Best. Interview. Question. Ever.
KW: You can find Perils of the Past here or add it to Goodreads. Connect with me on X, Insta or the other socials listed on my website.
Review of Book 1, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying
FORMAT/INFO: Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me was published on May 27th, 2025 by Orbit Books. It is 384 pages long and is available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Good news: Davi’s succeeded in her mission to become the Dark Lord! Bad news: the army under her control expects her to lead them on a glorious mission to eradicate all humans. Having been trapped in a time loop in this fantasy world for centuries (a loop that resets upon her death), Davi knows how poorly a wilder/human war will go for the humans. Even more scary, Davi isn’t quite sure how well the time loop is working given recent events. She can’t just endlessly try different solutions to fix the problem because this time, her decisions might be permanent. It’s time for one last Hail Mary gambit: peace talks between the Dark Lord and the human kingdom.
Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me is a solid conclusion to this comedy fantasy duology, even if it is able to have a little less fun with the premise this time around. (If you haven’t read book one, spoilers ahead, proceed at your own risk!) One of the fun things about How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying was that Davi essentially got to treat the world like a video game. She tries something, it fails, she dies spectacularly, she tries again until she’s found a way to master a scenario. With the time loop now in question, Davi now has to treat the world very, very carefully. In short, this adventure becomes much more of a straightforward fantasy adventure with no do-overs.
On the one hand, this pushes Davi into some more character growth. After all, she’s become callous and casual with playing with people’s lives because for her, there are no repercussions. If she kills or betrays someone, they’ll come back the next loop without any harm or memory of what happens. She doesn’t get that out this time. It’s a fact she forgets at first, but leads to her rediscovering her empathy - along with an existential crisis over the fact that the fate of the world is on her shoulders and she doesn’t have a safety net anymore.
Even without the time loop elements, this still manages overall to be a fun and funny story. Davi’s fourth-wall breaking quips return, and she has to go on some wild adventures in her quest for peace. That includes finding out once and for all why this time loop is happening to her in the first place. This finale does a solid job of providing that answer, keeping things relatively simple in both explanation and solution.
Unfortunately, what also returns is Davi’s rampant horniness. It feels like Davi can't interact with a single character without commenting on their attractiveness or impressive physical endowments. It quickly became grating to keep sitting through this objectification. Just because the comments come from a bisexual woman doesn’t make it more palatable.
Setting that aside, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me manages to be a fun summer fluff read. It does manage to be genuinely funny and to make you care about Davi, her annoying habits aside. If you need a breezy break from more serious affairs, give the Dark Lord Davi duology a try.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Good news: Davi’s succeeded in her mission to become the Dark Lord! Bad news: the army under her control expects her to lead them on a glorious mission to eradicate all humans. Having been trapped in a time loop in this fantasy world for centuries (a loop that resets upon her death), Davi knows how poorly a wilder/human war will go for the humans. Even more scary, Davi isn’t quite sure how well the time loop is working given recent events. She can’t just endlessly try different solutions to fix the problem because this time, her decisions might be permanent. It’s time for one last Hail Mary gambit: peace talks between the Dark Lord and the human kingdom.
Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me is a solid conclusion to this comedy fantasy duology, even if it is able to have a little less fun with the premise this time around. (If you haven’t read book one, spoilers ahead, proceed at your own risk!) One of the fun things about How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying was that Davi essentially got to treat the world like a video game. She tries something, it fails, she dies spectacularly, she tries again until she’s found a way to master a scenario. With the time loop now in question, Davi now has to treat the world very, very carefully. In short, this adventure becomes much more of a straightforward fantasy adventure with no do-overs.
On the one hand, this pushes Davi into some more character growth. After all, she’s become callous and casual with playing with people’s lives because for her, there are no repercussions. If she kills or betrays someone, they’ll come back the next loop without any harm or memory of what happens. She doesn’t get that out this time. It’s a fact she forgets at first, but leads to her rediscovering her empathy - along with an existential crisis over the fact that the fate of the world is on her shoulders and she doesn’t have a safety net anymore.
Even without the time loop elements, this still manages overall to be a fun and funny story. Davi’s fourth-wall breaking quips return, and she has to go on some wild adventures in her quest for peace. That includes finding out once and for all why this time loop is happening to her in the first place. This finale does a solid job of providing that answer, keeping things relatively simple in both explanation and solution.
Unfortunately, what also returns is Davi’s rampant horniness. It feels like Davi can't interact with a single character without commenting on their attractiveness or impressive physical endowments. It quickly became grating to keep sitting through this objectification. Just because the comments come from a bisexual woman doesn’t make it more palatable.
Setting that aside, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me manages to be a fun summer fluff read. It does manage to be genuinely funny and to make you care about Davi, her annoying habits aside. If you need a breezy break from more serious affairs, give the Dark Lord Davi duology a try.
(Skull with Cigarette by Vincent Van Gough)
Let's start with the understanding that even the framing of this title is disingenuous and lacks nuance. What is good art? Or, for that matter, a bad person? Are we defined by our worst actions? Can people change?
It all has to do with the way we relate to the person being defined. From the vantage point of someone who has been harmed by another's “bad behavior,” it's easy to see how one might label their perpetrator and similar people as bad. Juxtapose that to a loved one who knows the “bad person” outside of the context of their actions. I assume their view of the bad actor will be more nuanced and leave room for that person to be more than their actions.
What happens when we consume someone's bad actions from the sidelines? Do we empathize with the victim and label their victimizer a bad person? Do we identify as a person who loves or likes the victimizer and leave room for them to be more?
I think this choice is an individual one. However, just because a choice belongs to an individual doesn't mean it won't come with social consequences. There are many factors at play when deciding how to relate to an artist who has acted badly in a public way:
- personal trauma,
- political stances,
- parasocial relationships.
If you decide to publicly consume and support art produced by a “bad person,” many of the same factors that came into play when people defined their view of the artist will also factor into how they view you. This is not a value statement of whether or not that should be the case. It is instead an observational statement.
Everyone has trauma, and we use our experiences to evaluate whether the people in our lives are safe. Those who have experienced trauma related to the harm an artist inflicted on their victim(s) often feel obligated to use people's public opinions of bad actors as a factor in judging whether someone is a safe person in their lives.
For example, if you post your Hogwarts house in your social media bio, a trans person or trans ally may take that public support of Harry Potter and by extension, JK Rowling, as a statement of support for her transphobic views and behaviors. Do they know you, your views, and your personhood based on a silly comment about something you related to as a child? No, they don't have a full picture of you as a person. However, they might not have the luxury to give you the benefit of the doubt when there is rampant violence and hostility aimed at trans people. They may feel they have to read the signs of how you present publicly to determine whether you would be a safe person.
Likewise, if you continue to review Neil Giaman’s works in light of the many accusations of sexual assault, survivors of sexual assault might reconsider their relationships with you.
Just because you can compartmentalize a person’s art from their actions doesn’t mean everyone can. Or wants to.
As our online presence grows, the rate at which we form parasocial relationships with public figures has deepened. Celebrities share their diets, their romantic lives, and embarrassing stories of who they were as a child, and we believe we know them. We grow attached because their art has meant so much to us, and we feel an emotional resonance with them as an artist.
Due to our increasingly parasocial relationships with public figures, many of us struggle when we learn about their bad behavior. Their actions don't comport with the people we built up in our heads. So when someone speaks negatively about them, we respond as if someone is attacking a friend or family member rather than criticizing a stranger. This may lead to us giving an abuser more credit while we discredit their victims.
(Image credit Joss Whedon Twitter)
So what does this all mean? Does this mean I am telling everyone to stop reading Neil Gaiman, listening to Michael Jackson, and watching Joss Whedon movies?
Not necessarily. I believe that the consumption of art is a nuanced decision. We should consume art created by people we disagree with. I also think we should take into account whether the bad actor is financially benefiting from our consumption and if supporting them might help them continue their bad behavior.
In the case of J.K. Rowling, she benefits financially with every new Harry Potter project, and uses her money to support anti-trans groups and legislation. In fact, she has publicly announced her intensions to use her profits from the new HBO series to create an anti-trans advocacy organization. As opposed to Michael Jackson, who is no longer alive and can no longer financially benefit or cause harm.
Additionally, we have to consider private vs. public consumption. In what venue are we consuming art, and will there be people that can be negatively affected by our consumption in those spaces? In general, we need to think about our public consumption as an action and consider the consequences of it.
There is a difference between rewatching Annie Hall in the privacy of your home and doing a deep-dive YouTube review on the “brilliance” of Woody Allen’s script. We throw up signs every day of who we are, whether it is the cover of the book we have on the train or the post we make about how much we enjoyed a controversial video game. Just as we are free to choose the art we consume, others are able to make judgments about what that might mean about who we are.
Fair or not, it's true.
It can hurt when someone we felt a kinship with is accused of doing something terrible and the art we loved is subjected to mass critique. However, in most cases, we do not know the accused. So I personally try to think about the choices I make in relation to their art, how I display my choices to the world, the messages I am sending, and negotiate if I am comfortable with the consequences of my choices.
Some like to reframe all of these discussions as cancel culture. However, I would argue people have been making decisions about what art to consume and how to consume it since the beginning of art. The factors at play are different. The public nature of our consumption is different. But there have always been reasons why people make choices about art and peer pressure surrounding those choices.
I would argue the framing of things as cancel culture has more to do with who is being critiqued rather than the act of critiquing. Oscar Wilde was jailed for his sexuality, and I have no doubt that became a factor in how or if people read his works. Neil Gaiman has been accused of horrific sexual abuse and violence. However, he is a rich, straight, white man, and we have only recently begun to hold those with the most power accountable in public ways. The act of turning public critique on artists with more power in society is newer.
At the end of the day, I don't think anyone should dictate how others consume art. However, I do think that our choices, especially those we make in public, have consequences.
I read a quote, and I wish I could credit it but have been unable to find it again, that helped me think about my personal approach to art I have loved created by artists who have done great harm. "Don’t put your nostalgia for a piece of art over the reality of other people’s futures."
OFFICIAL AUTHOR INFORMATION: James is a nerd with a head full of stories and limited time to put them on the page. He grew up in Grand Rapids, MI, spending an excessive amount of time at a local community theater where he developed his affinity for storytelling. This affinity grew into a deep admiration for language and spoken word poetry while studying mathematics and education at the University of Michigan. He firmly believes that art—even silly books about magic, or maybe especially silly books about magic—has the ability to tell stories that sink beneath the surface.
Buy A Forbidden Alchemy
FORMAT/INFO: A Forbidden Alchemy will be published on July 1st, 2025 by Saga Press. It is 480 pages long and available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: One simple test has the chance to change your life forever. In a matter of seconds, you discover if you are a magical Artisan or a non-magical Crafter. Nina and Patrick are just children when they undergo their test - and discover a secret that changes their lives forever. Over a decade later, the two are reunited as the country is embroiled in revolution. Nina is an Artisan trying to hide from both sides of the war, while Patrick is a leader of the Crafter revolution. After all these years, will their bond stand the strain of conflicting loyalties? Or will the sides of the war keep them apart?
A Forbidden Alchemy is a slow-burn fantasy romance that swept me off my feet. It takes its time to build up the dynamic between the two characters, first introducing you to them as children, when a formative event shaped their lives forever. When Nina and Patrick are reunited, you can feel the weight of history each carries. They’ve both done things to survive that they aren’t proud of. They're each living with the consequences of their choices that fateful day as children, and it has shaped them in very different ways.
It's the differences that keep the romance a slow dance between Nina and Patrick. Although they sparked a bond as children, they haven't seen each other in over a decade. Can they trust each other? Where do their respective loyalties lie? Would one of them put the other above their ties to any family or faction? While they figure out their hierarchy of trust and priorities, Nina and Patrick keep each other at arm's length. Watching those walls slowly crumble is what makes the eventual romance (and brief spice) worth it.
Supporting this romance is the moody and desolate world this story is set in. The bulk of the book takes place in an area that resembles a rural England mining town in the early twentieth century. It's the kind of town where the majority of men are involved in the dangerous work of mining, where people live in constant fear of hearing of a devastating tunnel collapse. The landscape is harsh and unforgiving, and full of windswept moors, the perfect backdrop to a romance fraught with tension.
While A Forbidden Alchemy is a fantasy story, it's a fairly low-magic one, largely due to the fact that it is primarily set in a non-magical Crafter town. The magical Artisans exhibit an affinity for manipulating some sort of element, metal, or other singular material. Nina, for instance, is an earth charmer (essentially an earth bender), while rapid communication throughout the country is facilitated by those who have an affinity for ink and can manipulate it across great distances. Their abilities are used infrequently enough that I sometimes found myself forgetting there was magic in this world, even though the clash between Artisans and Crafters drives the heart of the story.
But at the end of the day, the magic doesn't matter as much because the fight between Artisan and Crafter is really one of class warfare. The Crafters do the back-breaking work that keeps the nation functional, while the Artisans live in luxury, making occasionally useful things, but often things that are just pretty. It's the classic recipe for an uprising.
At the center of it all is Patrick, the heart of a workers' uprising. He's the cold leader of the town who will make the impossible choices so that life is better for the families that come after. He's brutal when he has to be and brooding most of the rest of the time, and yes, it's absolutely catnip for me.
Nina, on the other hand, is out for herself. Not in an actively malicious way, but in that passivity of "I don't want to rock the boat if it's going to mean bad things for me." To be fair, the more we see of her backstory as the narrative unfolds, the more we see how much she has lived in constant fear the last several years, despite being an Artisan. Gaining the confidence to work on behalf of others is as much about facing her own fears as it is about growing a conscience.
My only real flaw was the fact that I ended up having to yell at certain characters for naivete towards the end of the book. While I can see the plot reasons certain choices were made, I found myself banging my head against the wall as I foresaw the inevitable fallout from those decisions.
CONCLUSION: That said, A Forbidden Alchemy may be my first Stacey McEwan but it certainly won't be my last. I found myself completely hooked by the writing and was desperate to pick it up at every opportunity. Truly, my biggest gripe with the book? That it had THAT ENDING and now I have to wait many, many months to see where things pick up in the sequel. I'm ready for the next installment of inevitable drama and angst to be injected into my veins NOW.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: One simple test has the chance to change your life forever. In a matter of seconds, you discover if you are a magical Artisan or a non-magical Crafter. Nina and Patrick are just children when they undergo their test - and discover a secret that changes their lives forever. Over a decade later, the two are reunited as the country is embroiled in revolution. Nina is an Artisan trying to hide from both sides of the war, while Patrick is a leader of the Crafter revolution. After all these years, will their bond stand the strain of conflicting loyalties? Or will the sides of the war keep them apart?
A Forbidden Alchemy is a slow-burn fantasy romance that swept me off my feet. It takes its time to build up the dynamic between the two characters, first introducing you to them as children, when a formative event shaped their lives forever. When Nina and Patrick are reunited, you can feel the weight of history each carries. They’ve both done things to survive that they aren’t proud of. They're each living with the consequences of their choices that fateful day as children, and it has shaped them in very different ways.
It's the differences that keep the romance a slow dance between Nina and Patrick. Although they sparked a bond as children, they haven't seen each other in over a decade. Can they trust each other? Where do their respective loyalties lie? Would one of them put the other above their ties to any family or faction? While they figure out their hierarchy of trust and priorities, Nina and Patrick keep each other at arm's length. Watching those walls slowly crumble is what makes the eventual romance (and brief spice) worth it.
Supporting this romance is the moody and desolate world this story is set in. The bulk of the book takes place in an area that resembles a rural England mining town in the early twentieth century. It's the kind of town where the majority of men are involved in the dangerous work of mining, where people live in constant fear of hearing of a devastating tunnel collapse. The landscape is harsh and unforgiving, and full of windswept moors, the perfect backdrop to a romance fraught with tension.
While A Forbidden Alchemy is a fantasy story, it's a fairly low-magic one, largely due to the fact that it is primarily set in a non-magical Crafter town. The magical Artisans exhibit an affinity for manipulating some sort of element, metal, or other singular material. Nina, for instance, is an earth charmer (essentially an earth bender), while rapid communication throughout the country is facilitated by those who have an affinity for ink and can manipulate it across great distances. Their abilities are used infrequently enough that I sometimes found myself forgetting there was magic in this world, even though the clash between Artisans and Crafters drives the heart of the story.
But at the end of the day, the magic doesn't matter as much because the fight between Artisan and Crafter is really one of class warfare. The Crafters do the back-breaking work that keeps the nation functional, while the Artisans live in luxury, making occasionally useful things, but often things that are just pretty. It's the classic recipe for an uprising.
At the center of it all is Patrick, the heart of a workers' uprising. He's the cold leader of the town who will make the impossible choices so that life is better for the families that come after. He's brutal when he has to be and brooding most of the rest of the time, and yes, it's absolutely catnip for me.
Nina, on the other hand, is out for herself. Not in an actively malicious way, but in that passivity of "I don't want to rock the boat if it's going to mean bad things for me." To be fair, the more we see of her backstory as the narrative unfolds, the more we see how much she has lived in constant fear the last several years, despite being an Artisan. Gaining the confidence to work on behalf of others is as much about facing her own fears as it is about growing a conscience.
My only real flaw was the fact that I ended up having to yell at certain characters for naivete towards the end of the book. While I can see the plot reasons certain choices were made, I found myself banging my head against the wall as I foresaw the inevitable fallout from those decisions.
CONCLUSION: That said, A Forbidden Alchemy may be my first Stacey McEwan but it certainly won't be my last. I found myself completely hooked by the writing and was desperate to pick it up at every opportunity. Truly, my biggest gripe with the book? That it had THAT ENDING and now I have to wait many, many months to see where things pick up in the sequel. I'm ready for the next installment of inevitable drama and angst to be injected into my veins NOW.
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