Alchemised

Wow, this book was a beast! Literally and figuratively. It was fully immersive, which is what I need in a story. Some of the subject matter could get a bit "cringy", but overall I enjoyed it, and was rooting for Helena and Kaine. Some of the alchemy history and applications just went over my head, and that took away from my enjoyment. Also, the book is so long, you forget a lot of things that happen because the reading is so intense that you are trying desperately to keep up. That took away from it as well. But what a good story. I liked the idea that our main characters had to operate within a morally gray area, nothing was black or white. Sometimes decisions have to be made, even if they are the hard ones that don't seem to make show more sense.

A very strong read that sinks its teeth into you! show less

⭐ Alchemy | War | Devotion

I pre-ordered this book.

I honestly would’ve finished this book sooner if it weren’t for work, because once I started Alchemised, I didn’t want to put it down. This was one of those rare stories that completely pulled me in from the start, and annotating my first edition physical copy made the experience even more special.

One of the moments that stood out to me most was when Kaine allowed Helena to inspect his ring during the time she’d lost her memory. Later on, discovering the true meaning behind that ring hit beautifully,it tied his devotion to her in such a poetic way.

Another scene that really stayed with me was when he was forced to play spouse to Aurelia; even in that moment, he kissed her while show more locking eyes with Helena in the distance. That was such a powerful image, Kaine isn’t ashamed of his love for Helena. He’s proud and loud about it. He does everything he can for her, no matter the circumstances.

To him, Helena is his rose in a graveyard life of war. His care for her well-being above all else was both fierce and tender, and it made their bond unforgettable.

Alchemised was an emotional, romantic, and gripping read,one I’ll definitely be thinking about for a long time. show less

I picked this book up at the Library because of all of the hype. I had no idea what it was going to be about. My daughter had read it and given it 5 stars and she is picky about her books. A few chapters in I text my daughter and asked if there was ever going to be any romance. Okay that was a yes, I was even more intrigued, would it be Luc or with Farron? Absolutely loved it! Helena the healer actually had the hardest role in my opinion, just loved all of them really. I honestly did not want to put it down, but my library check out expired. No! I realized it is very reasonably priced for as many pages as it has. Lol! I finished this up and it is such a great read, so pleased with the story line, the ending, well written. For someone show more who had no idea what she was in for and having never read anything near like it. I was very pleased with the genre. I may stray out of my total romance read comfort zone after all! show less

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 Stars

First of all… can we talk about the size of this book? Because *Alchemised* did not arrive to be casually read. It showed up like it needed its own zip code. I’m pretty sure I got a workout just holding it. This book is a commitment.

Once I got past the “am I reading a book or lifting weights?” moment, I was pulled into a dark, complicated world filled with war, alchemy, secrets, and characters carrying enough emotional baggage to need their own luggage cart.

Helena Marino was a character I couldn’t help but root for. A healer and alchemist who wakes up after the war with missing pieces of her memory, she is trying to uncover what happened, what was taken from her, and who she can actually trust. show more And honestly… I was right there with her because my trust issues were working overtime.

The world of Paladia was fascinating, brutal, and full of secrets. Between the aftermath of the war, the Resistance, and the power struggles happening around Helena, it felt like everyone had an agenda. Because apparently, fantasy characters cannot just sit down and have a normal conversation. Everyone needs to be mysterious. Everyone needs therapy. 😂

Kaine Ferron, the High Reeve, was complicated and definitely kept me guessing. The tension between him and Helena had me thinking, “I don’t know if I should trust you or run away from you,” which, honestly, is exactly the kind of chaos I expect from a fantasy romance.

I loved the ambition, the world-building, and the emotional depth of this story. The only reason it wasn’t a 5-star read for me was the length. There were moments where I was completely invested and moments where I thought, “Okay… we could have gotten here a little faster.”

Overall, *Alchemised* was a dark, intense, and beautifully detailed fantasy read. It was a journey — a very large journey — but I’m glad I took it.

Four stars from me.

**Main Characters:**

**Helena Marino** — A healer and alchemist whose missing memories hold secrets connected to the war and the truth she is trying to uncover.

**Kaine Ferron (The High Reeve)** — A powerful figure investigating Helena’s past whose complicated relationship with her is filled with tension, uncertainty, and secrets.

**Lucien “Luc” Holdfast** — Someone connected to Helena’s past and the Resistance who represents the life and loyalties she had before everything changed. show less

This book really tested my patience at times, mostly because of Luke. He genuinely got on my nerves throughout big parts of the story. His decisions, his attitude, and the way he handled things made it hard to like him consistently. On the other hand, I felt so bad for Helena. Everything she goes through, especially emotionally, is heavy, and the book does a good job showing how deeply the war and its consequences affect her.

Speaking of the war, that part of the story was intense. The violence, the fear, and the constant survival mode added a lot of weight to the book. The trauma the characters carry feels real and lasting, not something that just disappears when the fighting stops. I appreciated that the author didn’t gloss over how show more damaging all of it was, both physically and mentally.

That said, the book is long. Really long. Some parts dragged more than they needed to, and I think the story would have been just as strong if it had been a bit shorter. There were moments where I felt like scenes or inner thoughts repeated themselves without adding much.

! SPOILER: !
The escape was one of the strongest parts of the book for me. It felt earned, stressful, and emotional, and it finally gave the characters a sense of hope. Seeing them build a life afterward, especially with their children, was really rewarding. After everything they suffered, the happy ending felt deserved and comforting.

Final Thoughts:
Despite being longer than necessary and having a main character who annoyed me, this was a powerful and emotional read. The war, the trauma, and the slow healing afterward were handled well, and the ending made it all worth it. show less

If you’ve been wanting to read this book, I highly recommend it. It was so good and I wish I had read it sooner, honestly.

😭 For Fans of:
- crying
- trauma
- torture
- Dark
- Disturbing
- Emotional
- multiple timelines
- single POV

👀 TW:
- torture
- r*pe
- bl♾️d

🤪 Unhinged Synopsis
The war is over and Helena can’t remember anything important, because it IS really important to the whole war and her life. Anyways, now she’s this guy’s prisoner but actually it’s so much more than that and just read the book because I can’t even sum it up.

✏️Spoiler-Free Review
Holy freakin heck.
I thought this book was going to be overhyped and over sexualized but it wasn’t. It was worth the hype and was somehow a total political show more fantasy adventure story with romance—but a realistic and true romance, with all its ups and downs and difficulties. I definitely don’t think I was IN love with Caine, but I don’t think that took away from my enjoyment of the book at all. If anything, it made me more interested and emotionally invested in the timeline.

I’m not a big romantasy person but this book reminded me of the political pawns of The Hunger Games with the world building being something purposely spoon-fed to you in a digestible way in part 2. In fact part 2 of the book clears up a lot of confusion and questions from part 1 so don’t feel discouraged!

I loved the writing, the emotions, and the pacing. Even the end gave me all the feels I was craving.

⭐️ 5 True Rating BUT it’s not for everyone.
Lots of triggers but thankfully not as gore-detailed as I was worried it would be. If you can watch a serial killer movie, you can likely read this. show less

My feelings were all over the place reading this book. I love the story as much as I hate the writing 😅

I think the plot is good—great, even! It’s a dark fantasy war story with a touch of love at its core.

It starts with a heavy, dark, and quite triggering Part 1. I almost DNF’d it a few times. Then Part 2 comes in with a flashback that explains everything. And finally, Part 3 delivers a bittersweet resolution with an ending that… didn’t really do justice to Hel and Kaine, but I guess we can still call it a happy ending 🤷‍♀️

The emotional rollercoaster in this story is intense. Sadness, fear, hopelessness, anxiety, love, hate, anger, hope, betrayal, surrender, it’s all there in one book.
This is the first book that show more made me want to doodle and scribble all over the pages because I was so emotionally invested :')

But in my opinion, the best part of this book is how it brings real-world issues into the story.
One of them is war itself. Usually, people focus on the soldiers — the ones holding weapons. Here, the focus shifts behind the scenes.
On the Healers who only get the worst parts of war. And on the spies whose contributions will never be recognized — forgotten, or worse, labeled as villains.
The most painful issue for me was the misogyny portrayed in Alchemised:
- Women are considered inferior beings.
- Women aren’t trusted to become Paladins and are constantly belittled, even when they’re highly skilled.
- Women’s wombs are treated as a source of disease (and sadly, this has happened in real life too).
- Women are forced to choose: family or career. You can’t be a healer unless you’re sterilized.
- Women are used as objects, a “bargaining tools” and “baby-making machines” in war.
And so on.

The book also touches on religion — or perhaps more accurately, belief systems.
Just like in the real world, in Alchemised there are people who lie and exploit faith to manipulate others. To keep people hopeful. To make them trust their leaders. To keep them obedient. Because they’re promised victory and “heaven.”
It also discusses how some belief systems reject scientific advancement simply because “it’s not in the holy book.” Sounds familiar?

But I can’t give it 5 stars. Because I really don’t like the writing 😭

Honestly… if I’m being blunt, the writing is pretty bad. There’s too much unnecessary information that just thickens the pages without adding depth. Too many unfamiliar terms that aren’t properly explained. And ironically, in other parts, the diction feels too plain, not poetic enough, & not deep enough.
But okay, considering this is a debut novel 😅
The writing does improve toward the end, though.

People say that to make it more enjoyable, you should read it in this order: Part 1 – Part 2 – then back to Part 1 – and only then Part 3.
And yes, I agree. It’s not even about making it more exciting. The book is just so long that if you don’t revisit Part 1, you’ll forget all the tiny details 😩
After finishing Part 2, going back to Part 1 makes you go, “Ohhh, so THAT’S what it meant,” or “No wonder that was their expression!”
So yes, I recommend reading it that way too. It’s already long… might as well make it longer 😂😂😂 show less