Alchemist of the Wilds by A. T. Valentine
Author: A. T. Valentine
Narrator: Jonathan Sleep
Publisher: Tantor Media
Format: Audiobook / ALC
Genre: Cozy Fantasy | Adventure | Romance
Publication Date: August 18, 2026
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Synopsis
Lianthorn Belladonna was born into a family where poisons, schemes, and doing the kingdom’s dirty work are simply part of life. But after years of being trapped in a future he never wanted, Lian finally decides he’s had enough.
Leaving his family and their expectations behind, he travels far from everything he knows and eventually arrives at a secluded frontier village where the Belladonna name means nothing.
Determined to earn his place in the community, Lian begins using his knowledge of alchemy to help rather than harm. Between gathering ingredients in the wild, protecting his new home from dangerous creatures, forming unexpected friendships, and growing closer to a certain red-scaled Draconian carpenter, Lian may finally have the chance to build a life that belongs entirely to him.
My Thoughts
This audiobook was SO, SOOOO much fun!
Almost immediately, Alchemist of the Wilds reminded me of Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside, which I absolutely loved both as a manga and an anime. Apparently, the whole “I’m done with my dangerous old life, please let me disappear somewhere far away and live peacefully” setup is very much my thing. ^^
Lianthorn comes from the Belladonna family, where poisons, schemes, and doing the kingdom’s dirty work are basically the family business. The problem is that Lian doesn’t want any of it.
So he runs.
And when I say far away, I mean faaaar away.
He eventually reaches a secluded little frontier village where nobody particularly cares about the Belladonna name. But simply arriving doesn’t guarantee him a place there. He has to convince the village elders that he’s worth allowing to stay and that his knowledge and abilities can actually help their community prosper.
From there, the story settles into this wonderful cozy rhythm as Lian slowly begins building an entirely new life for himself.
Lian is definitely on the introverted side, and I really enjoyed watching him gradually form friendships with the other villagers. He starts going on little adventures into the wild to gather herbs and other ingredients for his potions, uses his alchemy to solve problems around the village, and even helps protect everyone when monsters and predators become a threat.
One of my favorite parts of his journey was watching him realize that his abilities don’t have to be defined by the way his family used them.
The same knowledge that allowed him to create poisons can be used to create medicines and things that genuinely help people. His skills themselves were never inherently evil; it was what his family chose to do with them that caused so much harm.
I loved seeing Lian slowly discover that distinction and decide for himself what kind of alchemist, and person, he actually wants to be.
The cozy fantasy elements also worked incredibly well for me because the story never became too quiet. We have the comforting small village atmosphere, friendships, potion making, gathering ingredients and Lian gradually finding his place in the community, but we also get adventures, monsters, dangerous situations, and enough action to keep things moving.
Basically, it was cozy without becoming boring, which is exactly the balance I like.
And then we have our lovely red-scaled Draconian carpenter.
Hihi. :D
I LOVED their relationship.
For now, I’d describe it more as a close friendship with some very obvious hmmm... are we heading somewhere here? energy rather than an actual on-page romance. Their connection develops naturally alongside everything else happening in Lian’s new life, and I really liked that it wasn’t rushed.
But I am absolutely invested now.
So, book two?
Give me more, please and thank you very much!
Especially because the book decided to end with THAT little cliffhanger.
As if I needed another reason to continue the series. :D
Audiobook Thoughts
I really enjoyed Jonathan Sleep’s narration.
His voice was incredibly relaxing and suited the cozy atmosphere of the story perfectly. Even during Lian’s quieter moments around the village, the narration remained engaging, and it transitioned nicely into the more adventurous and dangerous scenes.
The combination of the story and his performance made this such an easy audiobook to settle into, and I could very happily listen to him narrate another adventure with these characters.
Preferably book two.
Soon.
:D
Final Thoughts
Alchemist of the Wilds was exactly the kind of cozy fantasy I wanted: an introverted former assassin and poisoner trying to build a quiet life, alchemy and potion making, a secluded frontier village, adventures in the wild, monsters, found friendships, and the beginnings of what could become a very cute romance.
I especially loved Lian’s journey from using his abilities because his family demanded it to discovering how those same skills could be used to help people and create the kind of life he actually wanted.
Add the cozy atmosphere, enough adventure to keep things interesting, a certain Draconian I am now very invested in, and Jonathan Sleep’s wonderfully relaxing narration, and I had such a good time with this audiobook.
And after that ending?
I officially need book two.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
ALC Disclaimer
I received an advance listening copy of Alchemist of the Wilds in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this copy did not influence my opinion of the audiobook.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Media for the opportunity to listen to and review this ALC. All opinions are my own.
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