That ending?? Immaculate.
The slow burn? Burning.
The plot twist at the end?? Spun my head.
I fear I will not be sane until I know how this is going to end.

If you like full metal alchemist, you'll absolutely love this book too.
The writing flows beautifully and there isnt a dull moment to be found.

“You chase love like an offering and somehow haven’t found it. Tell me, what do you think you must give to earn it?”

Well damn, I needed a night to compose myself while writing this review, I received an advanced readers copy to read and leave an unbiased reaction.

I could barely put this book down, once I started I just wished for more time to read (stupid life getting in the way). Set in a fantasy world where all the gods are presumed dead, the people are split into houses but ruled over by the Prime (head of one of the house holds). The story follows Revel on her mission to collect a god shard, kill one of the warriors who terrorise the kingdom and free her mother and sister. The characters are relatable, deep and grow with their experiences, there is trials to over come, demons and monsters to battle. All the characters stay with you, both main and side characters. Tina has brought us characters in which we can see something of ourselves and that creates a very immersive world.

Reading this book ruined me, so far it has been the best I’ve picked up this year and I am so grateful that I have had the chance to read an unfinished copy of this book. I cannot wait to read the final copy and get a shelf trophy once released in December. I cannot wait for the rest of the series in the Ruinous Fate Saga.

Loved this!

Really unique, creative magic system and intriguing world building.
Very fast paced and action packed.
It's described as dark but none of the content was off putting for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

I KNEW this was going to be one of my favourite books of all time. Tina is such a devoted lover of the genre and this really shines through in her ability to write excellent drama, pace, and characters you’ll fall in love with. The plot was clever and interesting, whilst the alchemical magic system was fascinating and easy to follow. The monsters are scary and the lore is rich and an endearing nod to Tina’s own ancestry and family. I am so thrilled this was exactly what I wanted as I’ve been desperate to read it for so long.
Our enemies to reluctant allies to…..(hehe) swept me off my feet and I just can’t get enough of tortured souls finding one another. I am pining for the next book already. Fantastic.

Thank you, .HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction | Magpie and NetGalley, for the chance to read this book early in exchange of an honest review

In a world ruled by warring noble House and the tyrannical Prime, power lies in god-shards, divine fragments that grant abilities to those getting them. Revel's brother was killed in pursuit of one and when she avenged him, her whole House was destroyed, her mother and sister captured. Captured and forced to undergo trials after trials, one day Revel gets the chance of a lifetime: compete against House heirs in a bloody contest in order to reach and get a god-shard to protect her family. She will have to kill the formidable alchemist, the Warbringer to get her family's freedom.
Except the Warbringer isn't exactly as Revel imagined him and soon, involved in a dangerous race, with allies and enemies around her, Revel will have to do everything in her power to survive and to know who to trust.

I loved reading This wretched Alchemy. Set in a gladiator inspired world, with alchemy and warring House, Revel is the daughter of a destroyed House and she's a competent alchemist. She's stubborn, sarcastic, strong and intriguing. Forced to compete in a brutal race, between betrayals, allies and enemies, monsters, magic and dangerous creatures, Revel is soon torn between her family's freedom and a budding relationship with the mysterious Warbringer, in a race where nothing is certain.
This wretched alchemy is set in a complex and fascinating world, with intricate alliances, enemies to lovers, murder attempts and magic and it's incredible. This book is filled with bickering, moments where the reader is giggling and gasping, laughing and praying for more delicious torment.
A dark, epic love story, mixed with alchemy, monsters and friends and enemies, with Asian folkore and gladiator inspiration. I can't wait to read the next book!

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC!

WHAT AN ENDING! IT BLEW MY MIND. I need to know what happens, need book 2 immediately. Overall, the story was very unique. The magic system was different. One of the best books I've read this year!

Obsessed! Right from page one you are thrown into the ruthlessness and brutality of this world! Revel is imprisoned after tragedy and is literally fighting for her life while protecting her mother and sister. In a world ruled by warring noble houses, divine fragments called “God Shards” are saught after because of the crazy abilities to whoever holds them.

Forced into a bargain to keep her family safe, Revel has to compete for the very house that imprisoned her. Shes pitted against other house heirs in a deadly contest to find a shard and to kill the Warbringer; the strongest alchemist in the realm. Her options ? Win and be free or lose and die. Her past made me so emotional the fact that she remains so strong and resilient despite everything she’s been through, the pain she’s carrying is incredible. You watch her grow throughout the book, she learns that she actually matters, that she has worth and to trust in herself and her own alchemy and strengths to overcome her past.

And then…. In comes Axus Tassian, aka the Warbringer. The exact man she’s sent to kill! But he takes an interest in her straight away, and they literally can’t seem to stay apart, all roads lead back to one another. The subtle touches, the stolen looks, their heated conversations lead to so much simmering tension and chemistry. From the very start the banter between them was top tier, and watching Axus slowly unravel before Revel was EVERYTHING, ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING! The way he stumbles through his emotions, admissions! And when the heat arrives!!!! BOY DOES IT ARRIVE!!🥵🔥🌶️!

“You are already enough” he said firmly, stepping closer. “You were enough the moment you were born into this cursed world”

“We were both women who’d believed the greatest lie of all time: We must be useful to be loved”

Tina, oh my god, at least leave me with a little bit of hope! The blend of Gladiator with Japanese and Asian folklore, myths, and legends was so clever. The fantasy elements had recognisable parts that made the world-building so easy to understand. It was an absolute page-turner from start to finish, but that cliffhanger was just plain rude—it hurt! There is going to need to be some serious healing in book two for my poor emotions. Asking for a friend... when is book two coming out?!

"He looked at me like I was his doom. And maybe I was. Maybe he was mine too."

- This Wretched Alchemy, by @tinamarsbooks

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️||🌶

AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH WTF WAS THAT? I am UNWELL. When I tell you there were SO many quotes I highlighted in this book - and I am NOT a highlighter- I hope it conveys just how FREAKING GOOD it was. Let me tell you, you are not ready for This Wretched Alchemy. It is dark, it is twisted -  it is ELITE romantasy. Get 👏it 👏on 👏your 👏tbr 👏NOW. In fact, I must order the special edition - I need this book in every form it is available in.
The Warbringer  is exactly as deliciously dangerous as he sounds, and our girl Revel is a formidable FMC whose self doubt and imposter syndrome is relatable AF... but the book explores deeper themes than what it is on the surface- and what it is on the surface it does incredibly well: high- stakes adventure through a deadly trial where everything is trying to kill you? Check. Found family of elite proportions? Check. Betrayal? Check. Magical tattoos? Check. TRUE ENEMIES TO LOVERS? CHECK. Magical tattoos? Check. Check. But, yea, beyond that it is a story about forgiveness and self- acceptance; stepping into your power; believing you are worthy of love; and finding your place in a world that can be unbearably cruel.
And that ending. I can't even think about it without swearing internally. This Wretched Alchemy isn't even out until December in the UK and I already need the next book.
Maybe I can transmute it into existence? 🤣😭
Thank you so much to the benevolent book gods at @harpervoyager_uk for the #gifted copy of this outstanding proof. Just look at that character art as well.
This Wretched Alchemy is out December 3rd. Cancel your Christmas plans. Read this instead. ✨️

Well that was intense! I did not want to put ‘This Wretched Alchemy’ down. It was full of tension, it had you on the edge of your seat at all times. This series is going to be a new favourite, I just know it.

I went in completely blind with this book, only knowing that it was an enemies to lovers romantasy… it was so much more than that. Characters were morally grey, giving us more tension than anticipated, at times I wanted to scream into the book.

The story itself was completely jam - packed from the start, everything unravelled after every chapter and you got more of an insight into Revel’s (our FMC) life, and how she got to where she is. She’s completely ruthless, although stubborn at times, but aren’t we all. Her relationship with Axus was completely compelling, I was itching to find out what happened next, the sexual tension was off the charts.

‘This Wretched Alchemy’ has absolutely everything, alchemy, trials, gods, monsters, what more could you want? What a book, I can’t wait to read what happens next in Revel’s story.

A huge thankyou to Harper Voyager at HarperCollins and NetGalley for an ARC of one of my most anticipated reads this year, it was everything and more!

I went into this expecting a dark romantasy with enemies-to-lovers tension…
but I was not prepared for how intense this actually felt???
Like from page one it just throws you into this brutal, high-stakes world where nothing is simple, no one is fully trustworthy, and every decision feels like it’s going to backfire in the worst possible way. And I was immediately invested.
The whole concept?? Addictive.
Deadly trials, warring Houses, god-shards, revenge-driven heroine...say less. I’m already seated.
But what really got me was how layered everything felt. The worldbuilding is rich without feeling like a history lecture, and the alchemy-based magic?? Actually interesting and not something I feel like I’ve read a hundred times before.
And the characters???
Messy. Questionable. Making decisions that had me like girl please.Exactly my type.
Revel especially… she’s driven, complicated, and not always easy to agree with,which honestly made her feel more real. She’s constantly stuck between what she wants and what she has to do, and you can feel that tension in basically every choice she makes.
And then there’s the Warbringer.
I’m not even going to pretend to be normal about this.
The dynamic??? ELITE.
It’s all distrust, tension, reluctant connection, and that constant push and pull where you never fully know where either of them stands and it makes every single interaction feel charged. Like something could snap at any moment .
The stakes are high, the emotions are higher, and the whole time there’s this underlying feeling that everything is one bad decision away from completely falling apart.
And honestly? I ate that up.
Overall this is such a strong start to a series and I can already tell it’s going to get worse (affectionate) from here. If you love dark romantasy with dangerous trials, morally grey characters, and tension that borders on unbearable. You’ll want this on your radar.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of this book.