Stephanie Garber has written two young adult fantasy series that have enchanted me in the past, so there was no doubt I would pick up her first adult fantasy, Alchemy of Secrets. Garber’s fantastical fairytale dust is coating this story, but this time, the golden sparkles are shifting a familiar urban setting into a new and somewhat terrifying light.
After taking a secret college course from the “Professor,” Holland learns that magic is alive and well in Los Angeles, if you only know where to look. But when she stumbles into the Watch Man from one of the Professor’s unbelievable tales, Holland learns that she only has 24 hours to live—unless she finds a magical item called the Alchemical Heart. Holland has no choice but to enter a mad, magical treasure hunt with several strange characters helping, or hurting, her along the way.
Los Angeles is as much of a character as Holland is in Alchemy of Secrets. It’s the perfect setting for the story that Garber wants to tell, where the gossip, rumors, and magic can mingle merrily before getting dashed upon the city’s hot pavement. Los Angeles is a city that buzzes with a unique energy of its own, and the weirdness and glamour in its DNA are nothing but complementary to the magic that is seeping into Holland’s life. People will do whatever it takes to chase their dreams in LA, so no amount of mundane traffic or magical hotels can get in Holland’s way. As much as LA is a city for dreamers, it’s also a very exclusive place that caters to the rich and elite. This element perfectly aligns with the book as Holland enters these exclusive magical spaces and attains knowledge that shouldn’t be widely known. It very much fits in with the city’s ability to section itself off from the everyday and have pockets of spaces that are only seen, heard, and accessed by those “in the know.”
Alchemy of Secrets is wonderfully weird and wacky. It’s got a super-fast plot that blurs the world around you, like the Technicolor swatches of palm trees and billboards passing you by when driving on the 405. Holland only has 24 hours to live, and the plot rises to the challenge to make those few hours one hell of a wild ride. As we hang on for life to unravel the mystery, Garber misdirects our trust throughout the entire story. Many strange people pop up in Holland’s journey, and the push and pull of where her trust lies never finds a safe space to roost. I like that Garber doesn’t let us catch our breath. We’re constantly dashing toward another clue and questioning the company we keep. It makes the story feel alive and chaotic, with numerous surprises up until the very end.
This story feels different from Garber’s earlier work in that the character relationships are a little more shallow and wishy-washy. Both the Caraval and Once Upon a Broken Heart series have significant relationships—whether it’s a sibling, friend, or romantic partner. These established character connections create the tension in those stories. But in Alchemy of Secrets, the tension lies in Holland finding the Alchemical Heart before she dies, and with the fast-moving plot, there really isn’t time or space for the relationships to be significant. It’s not bad per se, just a departure from the stories I’m used to Garber telling. I had some disappointment early on because I anticipated the same intriguing relationship development, but I quickly adapted my expectations and shifted my focus to the magic moments and secrets that this story wants us to focus on.
Alchemy of Secrets is a fun, magical mystery that is full of secrets that spill out all over Los Angeles’s art deco bars and movie production lots. If you’re a fan of Stephanie Garber’s earlier work, I think you’ll easily make the jump and enjoy this surreal adult fantasy.
Rating: Alchemy of Secrets – 8.5/10
-Brandee
