Alchemy of Secrets

Alchemy of Secrets #1

by Stephanie Garber

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.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Fiction, Adult, Dark Academia, Historical Fiction

334 pages, Hardcover

First published October 7, 2025

About the author

Stephanie Garber is the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the Caraval and Once Upon a Broken Heart series. Her books have been translated into more than thirty languages. Alchemy of Secrets is her debut novel for adults and will be published around the world.

Reviews

[Ali Goodwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars! It's so great to be back in a magical world created by Stephanie Garber. Stephanie Garber is AMAZING at creating magic, wonder, and adventure in her books. This one felt like a high-stakes treasure hunt through the secret magical side of Los Angeles. A good chunk of chapters also take place in a university class all about magical myths and urban legends, so the book felt like a fantastic fall read!
I will say that I did expect this book to be a 5 star read for me just based on how much I loved the Caraval and Once Upon a Broken Heart series. The things stopping this one from being 5 stars for me:
1. There are a few potential love interests at the start of the book and they're all very mysterious which was cool for the plot but it was hard to get invested in them when I didn't know much about them.
2. Soo many unanswered questions at the end! I understand this is a series so not everything will be wrapped up but I wish a little more loose ends and the magic system/history of the world were explained.

Overall, so so so magical and creative!

[Sara Carrolli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok idk where to start with this one 🤨 it was good? But I wanted it to be great ☝🏼

Holland is our main character & she has 24 hours to find the Alchemical Heart or she dies (this is given by a character called the Watch Man). This was Stephanie Garber’s first adult fantasy, but if I’m being honest it read completely the same as her previous books

It had so many similarities to Caraval & OUABH - ESPECIALLY the way Holland acts!!! GIRL TRUSTED EVERYONE! SO EASILY!!

Things I liked: the old Hollywood setting, the high stakes mystery, how fast paced it was, & the whimsical feel

Things I didn’t like: the story felt surface level, I didn’t find myself caring about any character, the magic didn’t feel developed, the “romance” was so odd, & the ending was unsatisfying

[Clace]

This cover reveal was the biggest jumpscare of my life 🧍🏻

(not hating 😭 was just very unexpected considering how her other covers look)
__
Stephanie Garner writing an adult fantasy will be my undoing 😩

It's gonna be five stars for sure considering all her other books were five stars for me 🤭

[♥︎ Heather ⚔ (New House-Hiatus)]

Tell me why Bruna just sent me a screenshot of this book and I screamed! Omg Omg Omgggg 🤸🏻‍♀️🤸🏻‍♀️🤸🏻‍♀️🤸🏻‍♀️🤸🏻‍♀️🤸🏻‍♀️

We have a cover!! 😍

A new Stephanie Garber book! Yeeeee Christmas comes early this year! 😍

I'm so excited! Counting down to September 2025! I can't wait! 😭😭

[Genevieve (GenLikesToRead) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars
0 spice

Oh Stephanie. I trusted you, I trusted the process, and I was disappointed. This was messy! I could tell she was trying to be very clever but it just didn’t work the way I think she wanted it to.

The beginning was very alluring. She sets you up with so many questions and you trust her to take you on a journey. Unfortunately, the actual journey was all over the place (literally and figuratively).

And why have a love triangle with two boys when you can instead have a *trust* triangle with two boys? Girl was all over the place with her decisions and who she decided to trust. It was giving me whiplash and nearly had my eyes permanently stuck in an eye roll.

Also, I just have to say that not knowing your twin sister’s (and best friend!!) phone number is so Gen Z of her it hurt.

The big reveal at the end felt lackluster and the ending was unsatisfying.

I also felt like characters popped in and out of the plot like pawns instead of like actual characters.

Now, I was certainly intrigued the whole time, and I thoroughly enjoy her writing, but the payoff let me down. I didn’t hate the book by any means but it just didn’t work for me like her other books have.

—————————————————————————————
Pre-review:

Stephanie could write a grocery list and I’d read it. So excited for her Adult debut!!

[bruna]

๋ · ˚ 🖇️ ⊹ ⌇ pre-read. ⋆
⤿ started on december 1, 2025.

my first read of december! 🌟 eek i’m just so excited to start off the month with this one. 🤭 i read the ‘ouabh’ series a few months ago and absolutely loved it, so i’m trusting this one is going to be another work by this author that i’m going to love. 🧘🏻‍♀️ crossing all of my fingers! 🤞🏻

buddy read with my favorite person in the world maya. 🧚🏻‍♀️🪩

[Jaime Fok · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so magical! I will ALWAYS love Stephanie Garber’s whimsical writing.

This felt like a twist on Caraval - solving clues, and trying to figure out what’s real and not real. But less carnival/game, and more Hollywood mystery.

I will say, I was excited to read Stephanie Garber’s first adult novel… but to me, this still felt YA? The story & voice of our protagonist felt quite young still, reminiscent to Scarlett in Caraval.

[Bailee Latham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good, I just expected… more? It felt a lot like Caraval in a different font. Which is fine, but I just wanted a bit more. Lots of things were left open ended, but I do think this is going to be a series! I liked it, don’t love it. Enjoyed Caraval more, actually.

[ivy · Rating 3 out of 5]

೯⠀⁺ ⠀ 𖥻  2.75 stars ✶

— review contains minor spoilers (will not disrupt your enjoyment for the book!)

⤹ starting this review off with a controverisal opinion that could very well get me cancelled.. this was better than ouabh. not by much, but better. alchemy of secrets gave me a very specific feeling - i feel like stephanie garber’s writing developed even more in this book - a certain magical feeling that i can’t really explain. throughout the book, i felt like i was immersed in the world. her descriptions were so beautiful and overwhelming in an enjoyable way. her imagery was definitely my favorite part of the book.

⠀⠀ ☆ (  the characters ) ...

﹒ꗃ holland ; her character was very bland and i feel like that’s mostly due to the plot being the main focus of the story. we were constantly looking for the alchemical heart, learning new things about the world, and discovering other characters that we barely had enough time to focus on our main character that we’re supposed to empathize and care about - especially since we read about how much she supposedly misses her father. her father definitely came into play in the ending of the book, but that was such a big part of her (starting from the beginning) and we didn’t even get to see much of that throughout the book.

﹒ꗃ adam — gabe — mason ; stephanie why do we have THREE love interests in this book 😭 and why am I rooting for mason.. the other two were so bland and so obviously manipulative throughout the entire book.

﹒ꗃ january — the professor ; i really wish that we got to see more of them throughout the book - especially january. however, i’m confident that we’ll see more of them in the next book(s).

﹑ꕤ﹒୧  ??? this book was so confusing and the world-building made my head spin. istg, this was one of the weirdest books that i’ve read all year. so many peculiar things would happen throughout this book and i was questioning everything the entire time. the plot was so different from any romantasy that i’ve ever read (and i don’t say that lightly). wow!! as i’m writing this, i am still feeling so overwhelmed at what happened.

⤹ ( the pacing ) the pacing was one of the biggest problems with this book, and dare i say with ouabh and caraval too. there were parts that would move so fast and would hook me in, but then the story would suddenly slow down and i would get bored. there was such a good streak in the middle where i couldn’t put the book down, but then it suddenly got boring. stephanie: please work on the pacing of your books.

୭౿ ！🗝️ overall, it was a quick and enjoyable read. as I said, this book is very confusing but once you get past that, you’ll have a fun time.

⌇💐⁺ thank you to my dearest + most wonderful bff, ash, for reading this with me. reading anything with you makes it a million times more enjoyable! 💗
⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹

☆ ── preread ⊹
finally reading this 😚

BR with my favorite, ash! so happy to be br'ing with you again <3, fall book #5

[manas (suffering) · Rating 3 out of 5]

alchemy of secrets ❌

children’s bed time story ✅

[aeryn rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

Genuine question: when does Stephanie Garber NOT deliver a banger? This was so so good I thoroughly enjoyed every second reading this book.

If there is one that that Stephanie nails every time, it's the magic system. This was so mysterious and enchanting and I wish it was longer than just over 300 pages cause I ATEE it up. Just when you thought you figured something out, BAM plot twist. This book was full of them. The ending was so crazy and I couldn't predict what was going to happen whatsoever and I LOVE that in a book.

This was not your typical fantasy. This was more like a mystery with magical elements and I'm not complaining at all; I had a great time. I felt like I was watching a tennis match with how much back and forth there was between Adam and Gabe. 😭 I was like who do I trust? WHO DO I TRUST??? But in the end, it all just clicked.

Speaking of Adam and Gabe, I really enjoyed the characters in this book. This is not a book where the characters are fully fleshed out and you're left questioning your entire life but they're entertaining! Holland didn't feel like a gullible, naive character while reading this which I did enjoy. I just think there could've been a bit more to her.

Overall, this book is such an easy binge and you could probably knock this out in a day just from how engrossed you are in the story. Once I picked it up, there was no putting it down it was just THAT entertaining. However, don't go into this thinking it's purely fantasy because this is not that. Like I stated before, this is basically a mystery with magical elements. That being said, don't let that deter you from picking this up cause it hit all the marks for me and I think those who are fans of Stephanie would still really like this. 🤎

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭: ✨🤎

Got an early copy through BOTM and I am SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS! 🙂‍↕️

[Bailey Chadwick · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got this book for free and I still want my money back.

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had more complex feelings about this book. Don’t get me wrong—I adored the premise, and I immediately grew attached to Holland, a nerdy cinephile who still believes in magic and sees the world through a vibrant, almost Panasonic-colored lens. She’s the kind of high-spirited dreamer who seems to summon cartoon birds with her optimism—someone who deeply resonates with my own way of seeing the world.

What held me back, though, is that too many questions could’ve been answered without saving everything for the sequel. There wasn’t much of a cliffhanger to make me scream in frustration or beg for the next book’s early release. Still, what I loved most was how the story felt like a love song dedicated to Los Angeles—not the superficial “La La Land” version people often imagine, but the city’s real soul: its rich history, hidden myths, and the ghosts still lingering in iconic places like the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel (where I’m actually heading tonight for a Halloween party—strangely fitting for this book’s haunting plot).

The author beautifully weaves in recognizable landmarks—Greystone Mansion, the Queen Mary, and the Colorado Street Bridge—turning Los Angeles into a map of mysteries waiting to be explored. I truly hope the sequel continues this magical treasure hunt across the City of Angels, with even more chaos, secrets, and urban legends to uncover.

The story centers on Holland St. James, a Folklore 517 student with a tragic past who immerses herself in studying urban myths and local legends—research that begins to mirror her own family’s buried secrets. Guided by her enigmatic professor, Holland investigates the eerie myth of The Watch Man, a figure said to predict the exact time of one’s death. But when the myth becomes terrifyingly real and The Watch Man tells her she’ll die at 11:59 on Halloween night unless she finds the mysterious Alchemical Heart, Holland is thrown into a race against time.

Along the way, she’s thrust into a car with a strange man sent by her sister to protect her and meets another charming, suspicious figure who claims to replace her professor—each offering conflicting stories that threaten to shatter her reality. What is the Alchemical Heart? How can an ancient object save her life? What really happened to her family? And why are so many people desperate to catch her before she learns the truth? Holland must unravel the puzzle her father left behind to survive—even if it means losing everything she thought was real.

Overall: The story started strong and atmospheric, but it sometimes dragged, with side characters that left me uncertain about their motives and blurred the focus of the main mystery. Still, I couldn’t resist the book’s mythic charm and its mesmerizing blend of folklore and Los Angeles lore. I’ll definitely be reading the sequel—not just to find answers about Holland’s fate, but to dive once again into the city’s luminous chaos and ghostly magic.

I’m giving this one four mystical treasure-hunt stars and can’t wait to see what this brilliant author conjures up next.

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[Erin Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Already screaming for Book 2! This was flawless. Get it on your Fall TBRs tout de suite!

[Ashley (back!) · Rating 2 out of 5]

so! what the hell was that. rtc very soon

-

veerali said this is ouabh and caraval from temu so this might essentially be my worst nightmare (i absolutely abhor those series). anyway! buddy reading this with my absolute favourite!!

[veerali · Rating 3 out of 5]

caraval and ouabh from temu.

[ariyel ୭ · Rating 2 out of 5]

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ “what is magic, if not something that makes you
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ believe and feel and wonder?” ‎ ‎ ── ⋆˙⟡ 2.5 stars! ★‎ ‎

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎⌗ ❪ contains spoilers ❫ ⸝⸝

🔎⌇ ⤿ my thoughts. ⟢ i don’t even know what to say about this book. i didn’t have high expectations going in, but i was hoping to at least have fun. maybe something fast paced. maybe something weird and atmospheric. instead i got one of the most frustrating reading experiences i’ve had in a while.

and here’s the thing—i actually liked some of the setup. the idea of a secret folklore class that isn’t on the school’s website? cool. a professor who tells stories that turn out to be real? cool. the watch man, the old legends, the vintage movie clues, the ticking countdown to midnight—all of that had me interested. i even liked the historical fiction setting more than i expected to. the film references, the hidden hollywood past, the time travel stuff? conceptually very cool. but nothing delivered. nothing stuck. nothing felt fleshed out.

the plot was a mess. it was hard to follow not because it was complicated, but because it was built on half formed ideas and no follow through. the mystery was boring. the magic didn’t make sense. the twists weren’t earned. i would’ve liked the hunt for the alchemical heart if it actually felt like a hunt. instead it was just her wandering around la trusting every random man who gave her a cryptic sentence and an intense stare. and the annoying part? the thing she was looking for barely mattered until the very end. the heart was supposed to be this life or death thing and yet the urgency never hit. i was never worried. i just wanted it to be over.

also i don’t think i’ve ever seen a story introduce so many people saying “don’t trust him” only for the mc to respond with “i hear you but what if i did.” it got old fast. and by the time the ending hit, i was annoyed all over again. this whole thing was a letdown.


🖋⌇ ⤿ characters. ⟢ holland st. james ‎ ─ ‎ i don’t think i’ve ever been this consistently annoyed with a mc. she was just so stupid. like in a way that actively made the story worse. she made terrible choices, ignored every red flag, blindly trusted strangers who were clearly lying to her, and then acted shocked when they betrayed her. adam was suspicious from the second he showed up. she was warned about him over and over again. she even questioned him herself. and she still let him manipulate her until he literally almost killed her. and her reasoning?? she said she trusted him because he didn’t seem interested in the alchemical heart. and she said that more than once. it was insane.

but beyond that, she was just kinda boring. her narration didn’t feel distinct. her reactions to things made no sense. she repeated herself constantly. she didn’t learn. and i genuinely think nothing about her felt compelling enough to justify being stuck in her pov.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ೯ gabe cabral ‎ ─ ‎ i kinda liked him at first. for maybe five seconds. but once things got even slightly romantic i was out. then it got weird. like overly flirty for someone she just met. and then they kiss?? and she’s already thinking about sleeping with him?? it’s been like three hours. literally what are we doing here. and then he vanishes for most of the book and by the time he shows up again, i didn’t care. i still don’t know if he was actually sent by her sister or not. and honestly? i don’t even care enough to find out.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ೯ adam bishop ‎ ─ ‎ did not like him from the second he was introduced. i don’t know how anyone could read this and not be suspicious of him. and holland was warned like five separate times and still kissed him. then found out he could mess with her memories. and still kept hanging around him. and then he tried to kill her. and she was shocked. like… you really didn’t see that coming?

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ೯ mason bishop ‎ ─ ‎ he showed up way too late to fix anything, but he was the only one i liked. which is kinda insane considering we barely got to know him. and yet somehow? still better than the others. if i ever do read the next book, it’ll be for him. but i also think continuing this series sounds miserable. so probably not.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ೯ side characters ‎ ─ ‎ didn’t care. none of them stood out. her friends were all a blur. and the professor? still not even sure what her deal was. and then january… i don’t know. not only do we not find out if she actually sent anyone, but the missing sister plot just reminded me too much of caraval, which i hated.


🪡⌇ ⤿ romance. ⟢ i would not call this a romance. i would call this an absolute mess. what the fuck was going on here. we’ve got three (???) love interests and not one of them is actually romantic. gabe was insta lust at best, adam was the villain, and mason showed up way too late to count. there is zero emotional connection or chemistry. just red flags and weird tension and a bunch of moments that felt completely unearned. also this book takes place over two days. two. days. and somehow she’s out here kissing multiple people, feeling jealous, acting like she’s got some deep bond with these guys she barely knows?? i genuinely don’t get it. nothing about the romance made sense. and it made me dislike everyone more. especially holland. her kissing gabe was weird enough. but kissing adam too?? after being warned about him??? she has no standards. this whole “romantic tension” subplot should’ve been cut entirely. it added nothing except more reasons to be annoyed.


🗃️⌇ ⤿ extras. ⟢ the magic system? what magic system.
⊹ the fact that she kept saying “adam’s lack of interest in the heart makes me trust him more” ???????? i will never forgive that line.
⊹ the safe… why did she think the alchemical heart would just randomly be in that safe…
⊹ the writing style didn’t help. just made it harder to stay interested.
⊹ the 24 hour death countdown didn’t feel urgent.
⊹ everything about the alchemical heart was underwhelming.
⊹ the film references and old hollywood stuff were interesting. probably the only part i’d want more of.


📌⌇ ⤿ overall. ⟢ i thought the concept was cool, the setup had potential, and i actually liked the historical film stuff. but the rest? the characters. the pacing. the “romance.” the execution. all of it just fell flat. i didn’t care about the magic system, i didn’t believe in any of the relationships, and i was mostly just waiting for it to end. i’m not sure yet if i’ll read book two. i want to see what happens with mason, but if it’s anything like this? i might just read a summary and call it a day.

. . . . . ◟੭

☆ 🖇️ pre-read 𖥻 ＜꒱ — ❪ 0368 ❫
i’m going in blind and very unsure. i’ve read both caraval (hated) and ouabh (loved), so truly anything could happen here. also didn’t realize this was historical fiction until now so. no clue how this is gonna go.

[Susan Carolynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

EASILY one of my favorite books of the year! Stephanie Garber delivered above and beyond with Alchemy of Secrets. I read this in a day.

I absolutely LOVE the contrast of the gritty LA backdrop + Hollywood glam, art deco vibe with fantasy folklore and urban legends. Stephanie Garber's writing is so magical, and I loved how the whimsical writing style of Caraval and OUABH still translated to a different genre of fantasy. While Alchemy of Secrets was romantic, it wasn't a romance. I loved that it went in the urban fantasy, mystery/treasure hunt direction. It had a hint of Lady Midnight and Addie LaRue vibes as well.

The pacing was excellent, and I seriously could not put this book down. Everything felt so visual. It truly seemed like I was watching a movie in my head. Which, by the way, perfectly aligns with the screenwriter + Hollywood themes of this book. The magical underbelly of LA + all of the folklore was everything.

And the whole time while reading, I was thinking, "this feels like a Lana Del Rey song," and then she references Lana Del Rey? Iconic. The ticking time only added to the stakes. Plus the events taking place around and on Halloween makes for the perfect fall book. And the plot twist after plot twist...I couldn't get enough. If there's one book you read this fall, make it Alchemy of Secrets!

[Laura (Hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

2025 just became better

[⋆˚୨ৎ˚⋆ Kim ⋆˚୨ৎ˚⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

જ⁀➴ 4 stars
⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾𖤓 ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾𖤓 ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾𖤓 ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾𖤓 ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾𖤓 ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾𖤓 ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾𖤓 ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾𖤓 ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾𖤓 ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾𖤓 ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾𖤓 ⋆⁺₊⋆
Stephanie Garber's adult fantasy debut did not disappoint! I haven't read any other books by her except for Caraval, and that was back in 2018, right before Legendary came out. I haven't picked up any books from her since, but I do have a goal of trying to read through the entire Caraval trilogy and the OUABH trilogy before the year ends. I've forgotten how magical her books are, and Alchemy of Secrets is no exception to that.

✎𓂃Full review to come soon once I get my thoughts sorted out a little more!
⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾𖤓 ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾𖤓 ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾𖤓 ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾𖤓 ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾𖤓 ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾𖤓 ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾𖤓 ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾𖤓 ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾𖤓 ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾𖤓 ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾𖤓 ⋆⁺₊⋆
⋆˙⟡ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹 (9/10/2025): I'm so excited to be able to read this early! I didn't get this as a formal ARC, but Book of the Month had this as an early release as one of their September 2025 picks for their box, so I managed to get my hands on an early copy! The only other book I've read from Stephanie Garber is Caraval, so I can't wait to see what her adult debut has in store!✨🗝️

⋆˙⟡ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹 (1/16/2025):

Update: I preordered it lol. It comes out the same week as my birthday so I'm preordering this as a (very) early birthday present for myself. Sign me tf up; I’m ready for this. I love me a good dark academia story! This is Stephanie Garber's adult debut so I can't wait to see where she goes with this.

Here’s the blurb posted by Stephanie Garber on IG:

"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. There isn't a man in Hollywood who you can call to find out the time you'll die. There's no haunted hotel bar in Los Angeles that the devil likes to frequent.

There's no such thing as magic.

But... Most students don't have the same tragic past as Holland St. James.

Now a graduate student, Holland is hoping to use her thesis to rewrite her past by proving that some of the most infamous deaths in old Hollywood were actually murders committed by the devil. She has no idea that this quest will lead her into a deadly world of century-old secrets and unimaginable lies, and onto the path of two very dangerous men, both of whom are willing to do whatever it takes to find a magic that will either forever alter Holland's life or completely destroy it."

[Paige]

Orion, if you’re seeing this, I’m prepared to crawl for an early copy 😩

——

Prepare for me to be INSUFFERABLE when this comes out. If her YA books were anything to go by can you imagine what this adult fantasy will be like 🪭😍

[lauren‎♡₊˚ &#x1f9a2;・₊✧ (semi-ia) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75💫

i really felt like this was a 5 star. i think it would have if she didn’t rush the ending.

the overall plot was very captivating and magical. i love this world that she created and the scavenger hunt she took us on. i wish we got more class chapters because i love how they really pulled you into the book because its second person POV, which i never read much. i felt like i was in class and i love how she did that. the rest of the book was in third person when it was hollands adventures.

i think holland was entirely too trusting and sometimes chose to ignore the very obvious red flags. i did enjoy her story tho and following along with her as she tried to find these clues.

the book as a whole was so fast paced and entertaining, but once we got close to the end of the book, it seems like it was wrapped up very quickly and there are so may things unanswered. like im soooo confused by a lot of things and thats what bumped it down to a 3.75 from a 4. these aren’t like small unanswered questions tho, like they are very valuable to the plot of the book and i just feel more confused than entertained.

i still recommend this book! i think the writing and the storytelling were beautiful and so captivating. i enjoyed being in this world!

[ଘRory]

➳ I am ready to dive in 🤸

[chantalsbookstuff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holland is going to die unless she finds the Alchemical Heart in 24 hours. Great premise but poor execution. For a fast paced premise it didn't feel fast paced at all and the magic was very underwhelming. I will hold out for book 2 as I did like the idea of the book.

[lexie]

STEPHANIE YOU LITTLE TART i am so fucking excited to read this holy shit

[aleeza♡]

ੈ✩‧₊˚ 𝕡𝕣𝕖-𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕 ੈ✩‧₊˚

buddy reading with my stunning girlie alina 🤭🌷


7/10/25
guess what just arrived at my door!!! it’s a signed edition too 🤭

okay so… to be honest! I have no idea how to feel about the MMC being the devil. I mean, I know I shouldn’t take it seriously but Death as an MMC and Devil himself being love interests are two totally different things to me. We’ll see how I like the book anyway!

I have mixed feelings about Stephanie Garber books so I really hope this decides for me if I should continue or not since it’s a different universe. I want to do the same with Lauren Roberts’ books because imo idrc for her books so I’m just waiting for her to start a new universe as well for me to decide if I want to read her books again.

also that cover sucks sorry not sorry 😭✋

[niyya نية]

̨ ╭╯ꗃ 12. 2. 25 ˚﹒

︵࣪ ˖ ໒꒱ pre-read

╰› wow, I have not written a pre-read in... God knows how long. I think July. BUT to the important point, END OF THE YEAR BUDDY-READ WITH MY IGGGLERS > sama, maysa, yusra, april, and almas (nat u are dearly missed pls come back) 💗 stephanie we are so ready

[jolie]

the way this book came out only a day ago and has already been picked up for a show?? im def reading this asap. i also need the caraval and ouabh developed next ty!

all that edging from stephanie on ig was worth it to find out this is AN ADULT NOVEL!!! i’ve been waiting for this i’m so excited 😭

[sarah سارة (slump free?)]

if this is anything like caraval im gonna need 5 business days to recover

[˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ Val ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚ “What is magic, if not something that makes you believe and feel and wonder?” 𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚

First off, I just realised this is actually my first review to hit over 50 likes, tysm I love you guyss xx

Sooooooo…what was that ? I don’t actually know how i feel about this one guys 😭. But I will say that this isn’t my favourite book she’s ever written, but the mysterious Old Hollywood vibe is definitely one of my favourite things about it. It kinda fell flat for me towards the end ? I don’t know, it had the same kind of mystical vibe that her other books have, but while her other series sucked me in, this one was a little boring. The historical film concept was also really good and it has SO much potential. But the romance ? Fell flat, if you can even call it romance.

༺☆༻ Holland ༺☆༻

She reminds me of Evangeline Fox in an odd way, possibly because of her naivety. But I love her character, she has that charming Luna Lovegood vibe, a little odd, but still loved by lots of people. If I’m being honest, I didn't feel as much of a connection to her as I did to Scarlett or Donatella or Evangeline (from her previous series). The whole thing with her sister january was confusing as fuck too, but at times, she’s a little frustrating. And WHO. THE. FUCK. IS. HER LOVE INTEREST ? THEY ALL CONFUSE ME. And NONE of them are trustworthy.

˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚ “Falling never scared her as much as failing to find out the truth.” ˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚

ੈ✩‧₊˚ Adam Bishop ੈ✩‧₊˚

This man right here is gaslighting final boss. I NEVER trusted him, but I was gaslighted into it for a couple chapters. He was so charming thooooooo he low key could’ve had a really good redemption arc filled with yearning and grovelling… AND we know little to nothing about him. Is he going to somehow make a comeback ? Is he even a love interest ? Stephanie what the fuck is going on.

˙⋆✮ Gabe Cabral ˙⋆✮

Alright. Just like Adam, I have NO clue what the fuck his intentions are, if he’s trustworthy or not, or if he’s a fucking love interest. He definitely had my attention for the first half of the book, but he was kind of shoved into the background for the second half. And what the fuck do you mean he had a wife ? I'm so confused. We barely got any context about him, which made it kind of hard to trust him, but I suppose that was Stephanie's goal.

ੈ✩‧₊˚ Mason Bishop ੈ✩‧₊˚

I feel like his character was added in so randomly, and really late. He kinda just…showed up, flirted with Holland, saved her and vanished ?? Like…hello ? Dude ? I could see him as a potential love interest, and I would definitely support, but at this point, I don't know who’s trustworthy or not anymore.

I won’t lie, the only thing that saved this book was buddy reading this w my gorgeous angel Chertzo, we had sooo much fun giggling and crashing out over the characters and plot ! xx

Overall, I'll be continuing the series, but I'm not too sure where this is heading. Stephanie please don’t let us down !


ˋ°•*⁀➷ Preread ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

One of my most anticipated reads of the year so I'm so excited ! I want to start off with thanking my bae Chertzo for buddy reading with me xx 💖 I love old hollywood vibes, and from what I've heard, this book seems absoloutley magical ✨