Alchemy & Ashes Book Review

Alchemy & Ashes Book Summary From Goodreads

Perfect for fans of Danielle L. Jensen, Carissa Broadbent, and Sarah J. Maas, Alchemy & Ashes is a high-stakes, enemies-to-lovers romantasy where two sisters’ plan to assassinate the king who killed their father goes awry when one of them falls in love with him.

The daughter of a failed rebellion. The king who killed her father. A love that could tear the kingdom apart.

Sylvie has always lived in her sister Adria’s shadow. But at the Great Festival, she finally has her chance to step into the by striking down God-King Ronan, the man who destroyed her family. Adria may have led the rebellion, but Sylvie will be the one to finish it.

Ronan has spent years rebuilding a kingdom broken by the war that claimed his father and shattered his faith. But peace has come at a price. Surrounded by enemies and burdened by secrets too dangerous to reveal, he’s losing of his court, his magic, and maybe even himself.

The closer Sylvie gets to Ronan, the more she’s drawn to the man she vowed to kill. Wanting him would mean betraying not just her sister, but her people and the memory of her parents. Trusting Sylvie could cost Ronan the throne—or his life. Because even if Sylvie refuses to strike, Adria won’t hesitate to finish the job.

The road to the throne runs through his heart. And only one sister will claim it.

Alchemy & Ashes is the first book in the Shadowbound Duet.

About the Book and Where to Buy Alchemy & Ashes

Available November 11, 2025

Amazon

• Paperback
• Kindle Unlimited or it’s currently $0.99 for ebook (as of Nov 7, 2025)

Barnes and Noble

• Paperback

My Thoughts on Alchemy & Ashes

Let me start off this review by saying, our MMC isn’t morally gray and neither is our FMC, and it’s kind of refreshing. 

Our FMC and her family have been invited to visit the king for a few months while a festival is taking place where there will be competitions like archery, swords fighting and showing off their magic. 

There’s only one catch, her fiesty sister and their family’s heir want to use this long invite for our FMC, the third in line for the crown to seduce and unalive the king. With their father having been unalived by the king, as well as their mother, they have been living in their lands planning a rebellion. 

There are so many mysteries and plot twists going on while our story is playing out. Who is kidnapping all the shadow born? Who else is trying to unalive the king? Who is the real enemy? Where is her brother and what is he doing? 

Tropes
– She’s there to unalive him
– Family Drama galore
– Elemental Magic
– Political scheming/Rebellion
– Enemies to lovers
– Slow burn
– Feminine rage

I devoured this book in less than 2 days. The writing was so good and had me hooked from the get go. All the scheming and plot twists that were happening while our girl tries to accomplish her one task, diabolical. The slow burn and the tension was top tier. They both try to flirt and seduce to cozy up to one another, but does someone actually go and catch feelings? And the author is hurting us with that cliffhanger ending. 

There’s an underlying theme throughout this book, you don’t know who to trust. 

Available November 11, 2025 

Thank you so much Amy for the eARC!!

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