Book Review: Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber
Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber
Publishing Date: October 7, 2025
Series: Alchemy of Secrets #1
Genres: Adult // Fantasy
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Rating: 🌶️ (Glimpes & Kisses, no spice)
Quick Thoughts: While Stephanie Garber's adult debut Alchemy of Secrets delivers a fun treasure hunt premise, it lacks the whimsical escapism that makes Caraval and Once Upon a Broken Heart so magical. It's still worth reading if you want fast-paced urban fantasy without much emotional investment, but temper your expectations if you’re expecting Garber’s usual enchanting storytelling.
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Blood/Violence
Murder (Parents)
Alcohol
Suicide (Off Page)
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Scavenger Hunts/Quests
Not knowing who to trust
Magic in real life settings
College setting
What is Alchemy of Secrets About? (Spoiler Free Summary)
The HOTLY ANTICIPATED adult debut novel by the beloved, #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING author of the Caraval and Once Upon a Broken Heart series: a contemporary fantasy kicking off a brand new series!
It starts with a class in an old movie theater.
Folklore 517: Local Legends and Urban Myths, taught by a woman called the Professor. Most students believe the Professor’s stories are just fiction, but Holland St. James has always been convinced that magic is real. When she tracks down a local legend named the Watch Man, who can supposedly tell you when you’ll die, the world finally makes sense. Except that the Watch Man tells her she will die at midnight tomorrow unless she finds an ancient object called the Alchemical Heart.
With the clock ticking, Holland is pulled deeper into this magical world in the heart of Los Angeles—and into the path of a magnetic stranger. Everything about him feels like a bad idea, but he promises Holland that her sister sent him to protect her. As they chase clues and stories that take them closer to the Alchemical Heart, Holland realizes everyone in this intoxicating new world is lying to her, even this stranger. And if she can’t figure out whom to trust, not even the Alchemical Heart will save her.
Alchemy of Secrets Review
Stephanie Garber is one of my favorite authors. I adored both Caraval and Once Upon a Broken Heart, so when I heard she was venturing into adult fantasy with Alchemy of Secrets, I could not wait to get my hands on it.
Full disclosure: I soft DNF'd this after 30 pages the first time around. I went in expecting the whimsical, fairytale-esque escapism that made me fall in love with her YA series and realized this isn't that kind of story. Once I reset my expectations and gave it another shot, I found myself enjoying it – though it doesn't quite reach the magic of Caraval or OUABH.
Writing, World-building, & Pacing
The premise hooked me immediately. All of Stephanie Garber’s books so far involve treasure hunts or some sort of quests, and this one is no different. I found myself obsessed with breaking down the clues and trying to piece together what would happen next. The world-building was refreshingly straightforward – probably because it's set in Los Angeles rather than her usual fantastical setting, and the magic system is interesting but not too complicated to understand quickly, which meant that it was easy to just sink into the story.
On the other hand, the pacing was really slow, which is part of my initial struggle to get into it. The actual plot doesn't kick in until halfway through the book. The first half establishes the relationships and connections between characters, which seems important, but frustratingly, most of it didn't matter once the plot got moving.
What I missed the most was the childlike wonder that makes Garber’s writing feel like stepping into a dream. While she does sprinkle whimsical touches throughout Los Angeles, a real-world setting and a plot that's more geared towards adults just doesn't deliver the escapism I've come to crave from her books.
Characters
The characters were flat as a board, including our main character Holland. For someone who's supposedly dying in just over a day, she has zero urgency (or any other emotion, for that matter). Throughout the book she insists she understands the stakes and the fact that people are hunting her down, but it did not feel that way. The disconnect between her words and actions was odd.
This is part of a larger issue I have with the characters -- they just all felt like plot devices and detached from each other. At times I feel like the author's focus was building out the bigger concepts like the magic system and the treasure hunt that she forgot the smaller details that bring stories to life like the character growth, personalities, and motives.
So, should you read Alchemy of Secrets?
While I enjoyed Alchemy of Secrets, it lacks the enchanting spark that makes Garber's YA books so special. It's not a bad book by any means, but I expected more depth for her adult debut.
I think you'd enjoy this if you're looking for a fast-paced fantasy that doesn't require much emotional investment. If you're looking for the usual lush, immersive escapism brought to you by Caraval or Once Upon a Broken heart, you'll need to temper your expectations.
Check out this review on Goodreads or Storygraph.
Happy reading!
Kim
Alchemy of Secrets FAQs
Some of the answers may be spoilers if you haven’t read it already. Proceed with caution!
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No, Alchemy of Secrets is the first book in Alchemy of Secrets duology. As of this blog post, the second book has not been announced.
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Alchemy of Secrets is a 1 🌶️. There are some very short kissing scenes but no spice.
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Mason reveals that Holland has been living in a time loop where she needs to find the Alchemical Heart before time runs out but she fails every time.
Holland remembers her father’s clue that essentially says she already has everything she needs. Eventually, she realizes the Alchemical Heart is the professor’s notebook, which is already in her possession.
Because the watch man said she just has to find the alchemical heart, this stops the time loop.
She uses the alchemical heart to free Mason, trap Adam in the Roosevelt Hotel forever, and gives herself an ability.
Holland sends the Alchemical Heart into the future to a person who won’t use it for bad.