Description: "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"--
Brief description: Stephanie Garber is the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the Caraval, Once Upon a Broken Heart, and Alchemy of Secrets series. Her books have been translated into more than thirty languages.
Review Quotes:
A Most Anticipated Book (New York Times Book Review, Goodreads, Parade, ScreenRant, Paste, Reactor, Gizmodo, IGN)
A Book of the Month Club Pick An IndieNext Pick "Stephanie Garber spins pure magic in her books and her adult debut is absolutely no exception...This time Garber is turning the Hollywood glamour up and taking us on a unique new ride that you won't want to stop talking about."--Cosmopolitan "Stephanie Garber's magical world cannot be matched. She makes the reader feel all the senses while reading her work, and makes you feel like you're watching a movie in your head...Once you start this book, you will not want to put it down. It's like solving a mystery where you, as the reader, have to find the clues and decide who to trust in finding the Alchemical Heart. And once you are in it, you will not want to come out."
--BookTrib
"A novel readers will want on their radar...Alchemy of Secrets vows to take readers on a magical romp through Los Angeles alongside her, making it a 2025 must-read."
--ScreenRant
"Truly fantastical."
--Paste
"I've never read anything quite like Alchemy of Secrets--it's full of adventure and magic and quirky twists that will keep you guessing until the very last line. What a fantastic adult fantasy debut for Stephanie Garber!"
--Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author "As dazzling as a jewel box, Alchemy of Secrets immediately charmed me with its layers of mysteries. magic, and twists. No one does world-building like Stephanie Garber. I want to live in this book!"
--Erin A. Craig, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Thirteenth Child