It has already been a decade since Stephanie Garber made name for herself as an author, debuting with Caraval. This is the first book in the “Caraval” series, which is beloved by many. However, there is some controversy around it, as these books are not for everyone. This successful series is followed up with the “Once Upon a Broken Heart” trilogy, set in the same universe. These books are all written for audiences within the young adult age range. With her newest novel Alchemy Of Secrets, the author dipped her toes into adult fiction. We’ve seen some other renowned authors making this transition before, with alternate success. How is Garber holding up?

About the book

Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber
Series: Alchemy of Secrets #1
Published by Flatiron Books on October 7, 2025
Pages: 352
ISBN: 9781250789150
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️,5

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

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.

My review

Before reading

When I first saw this book, I straight away knew I had to keep an eye on it. I was still a bit reluctant though, because aforementioned transitions from renowned and beloved YA authors into adult fiction haven’t always gone well. Furthermore, I am pretty much out of the loop with the newest releases and hypes. I wasn’t truly sure whether this book would be for me, so I picked the audiobook up with not many expectations. I have to admit that I’m still a bit unsure about my opinion, because this novel has its pros and cons.

Characters

One of the elements I’m truly conflicted on, are the characters. Holland Saint James is our main character, although she is a bit superficial. She has a backstory which is touched upon as it plays a key role in the plot, but apart from that, I feel like I barely got to know her. She’s in love with scavenger hunts, as this is a passion she shares with her dad. Furthermore, she loves folklore and myths, she even believes in them. This is the element that sets things in motion though. One day, she decides to interact with a myth she learnt about from The Professor, which leads her on a 24-hour quest to find the Alchemical Heart. And that’s where the secondary characters come in. They deserve all the credit here, because this bunch actually carries the story instead of the main character. There are two or three important ones, who let Holland and the reader astray simultaneously. Whom to trust and whom to avoid? This is a question that is constantly top of mind. And by the end of this book, we still don’t know the real answer, that’s how well-written they are.

Writing

Garber has made name for herself with her whimsical and poetic writing. This is present once again, which lets your imagination speak for itself. You are engrossed in the world and are even mesmerized by it. This writing style is wat kept me engaged as the plot itself failed to really intrigue me. It’s an easy read and to me it didn’t feel like I was reading an adult fiction novel. The writing is similar to this author’s YA novels, but just with older characters. It’s easily recognizable, which almost makes this feel like a comfort read. At least it’s not too complicated like most fantasy novels can be.

Plot

As mentioned before, the plot is not too intriguing on its own. This book relies heavily on the atmosphere, writing style and side characters. The quest for the Alchemical Heart is interesting, although there was not much tension for me personally. Perhaps, this might be due to the audiobook narration as well. It was good, but somehow I zoned out multiple times. The fact that Garber made me astray a lot was what kept me going, because I wanted to see all my questions answered. However, I never felt urgency or tension, but that could just be a me thing. It might be that you might view this differently when you read the book. This is therefore another element I’m conflicted on. The plot is not too complicated, has several twists and turns as well as unexpected revelations. However, these don’t stick for me. Furthermore, I still have questions after finishing the book, not everything seems to be resolved. This leaves the impression that this might be the start of a new series rather than a stand alone.

Final thoughts

Overall, I had some joyful days with Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber. This book is this author’s debut into adult fiction and whereas many former YA authors did this transition before, they had alternate success. This author was pretty successful in my opinion. The plot was quite interesting, although I didn’t feel the urgency r tension of the quest. The revelations had me shook, because the secondary characters let me and main character Holland simultaneously astray a lot. I still don’t know whom to trust or to avoid. Holland as a main character wasn’t too interesting though, hence why I’m so conflicted on my thoughts of this book. The writing saves a lot for me, it’s magical, whimsical and makes the story pretty atmospheric. Unfortunately though, many of my questions remain unanswered and that’s pretty unsatisfying. It leaves room for one or more sequels, although I was kind of convinced this was to be a stand alone. Whoops.