★★★★☆
Book: This Wretched Alchemy: Ruinous Fate Saga: Book One by Tina Mars
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Source: NetGalley ARC
This was my first time reading Tina Mars, and honestly? I had a really good time. This Wretched Alchemy has all the delicious romantasy ingredients: brutal competition, dangerous magic, political power games, vengeance, secrets, enemies-to-lovers tension, and a heroine who is very much not here to make friends. It is dark, dramatic, and full of the kind of high-stakes chaos that makes you think, “Everyone here needs therapy, but unfortunately I am seated.”
What I enjoyed most was the concept. The world felt big, sharp, and full of potential, with enough danger and emotional mess to keep me turning pages. Revel was easy to root for because she has that perfect fantasy heroine blend of rage, grief, stubbornness, and questionable decision-making. The romance also had a strong hook, especially because it sits right in that sweet spot of attraction, suspicion, and “this is probably a terrible idea, so naturally we must continue.”
That said, this was a four-star read for me because there were places where the story fell a little flat. Some moments had the potential to go much deeper emotionally, but they moved on before they fully landed. I also felt like the writing leaned more tell than show at times, which made certain character beats or emotional reveals feel explained rather than experienced. The bones of the story are strong, but I wanted a little more texture, tension, and emotional damage on the page. Respectfully, I came for romantasy pain and I wanted to be personally victimized just a little more.
What worked for me:
– The concept felt big, dramatic, and immediately engaging.
– Revel had strong fantasy heroine energy: angry, determined, messy, and motivated.
– The enemies-to-lovers tension had a lot of potential and kept me invested.
– The competition/power struggle element gave the book solid momentum.
– The world had enough darkness, danger, and intrigue to make me want to keep reading.
What didn’t work for me:
– Some emotional moments fell flatter than I wanted them to.
– The writing sometimes told me what characters were feeling instead of letting me feel it with them.
– Certain relationships and conflicts could have used more depth.
– A few scenes moved too quickly when I wanted more tension, ache, or payoff.
– The world had so much potential that I occasionally wanted more time spent developing its sharper edges.
Tropes and vibes:
Enemies to lovers
Dark romantasy
Deadly competition
Revenge quest
“I should not want him, but here we are”
High-stakes fantasy romance
Touch her and suffer energy
Who should read it:
Read this if you like dark romantasy with competition stakes, vengeance, dangerous alliances, and romance that feels like it should come with a warning label and possibly a knife. This Wretched Alchemy was a strong debut with a lot of promise, and while I wanted more depth in a few places, I still really enjoyed the ride. Four stars for the chaos, the concept, and the fact that I absolutely would read more from Tina Mars.