Reviews - Alchemy of Secrets: A Novel

521 reviews for:

Alchemy of Secrets: A Novel

Stephanie Garber

4.08 AVERAGE

sfindysz's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

suzikw's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

thebookishstephanie's review against another edition

"It starts with a class in an old movie theatre. Folklore 517: Local Legends and Urban Myths, taught by a woman called the Professor."

I've actually never read a Stephanie Garber book (despite having many of hers on my shelf), so I was super excited when I received this arc from Hachette! I absolutely adored this.

Alchemy of Secrets is a magical scavenger hunt, with characters you never know whether you should trust and a ghost of the past haunting our main character.

The old Hollywood atmosphere added another level to the vibes of the folklore and legends Garber created for the story. Holland was also a fun FMC to follow, and had some complexities about her! I just wish she didn't trust everyone, it stressed me out 😂

✨ unreliable characters
✨ secrets
✨ dark academia
✨ old hollywood vibes
✨ mystery and quests

Thank you to Hachette for an e-arc, all opinions are my own.

herdarklibrary's review against another edition

5.0

What a book! It was beyond a pleasure to be back in one of Garber’s worlds. This may be my favourite book from the author now…

Like any Garber book you get a collection of people surrounding the main character. Each one here for their own motivations and games but you have to figure out what that is by reading on. So many twists and turns. I do love when you can’t tell if a character is a goodie or baddie.

This book is like one big scavenger hunt but with magic. I felt like the writing did such a good job at including the reader in the journey. Interestingly, there are some chapters smattered throughout the book in 2nd person. The way it’s done is so immersive, I felt like I was in a lecture, researching, part of this world. It was a really well used writing device for this story!

I didn’t know what was real and what was a trick at any point, there are so many hurdles and corners that keep you guessing. It hooked me so well that I couldn’t put it down. This book a masterclass in how to keep your readers interested.

My biggest love from Alchemy comes from the overall atmosphere that’s created. Old Hollywood spilled through every page; folklore and legends gave me a thrill. If you have ever read or watched something about a curse on a movie set, a legend about a haunted hotel or a tale about a mysterious murder, and thought this sounds fascinating - then this book is for you.

I couldn’t help but feel like I was in a mixture of American Horror Story, Doctor Who and Angel. The hotel probably played a huge part in these comparisons. It was a perfect setting and some of my favourite chapters took place in the Roosevelt Hotel. The vibes were immaculate.

Things I loved:
* Complicated Sister relationship ✔️
* Unreliable men swanning in and out ✔️
* Dead dad club ✔️
* Magical bank and hotels ✔️
* Old Hollywood vibes ✔️

I want so badly to be running across L.A with Holland trying to figure out what on earth is going on! I NEED to know what my ability would be and above all I need book two immediately.

5/5 ⭐️

Release date: 7th October 2025

So grateful to @gollancz for gifting me an early copy to read and review.