Reading With Tyler

Name: Alchemy of Secrets
Series: Alchemy of Secrets #1
Author: Stephanie Garber
Publisher: Gollancz
Format: Hardback
Genres: Adult, Contemporary Fantasy, Magical Realism
Spice Rating: Glimpses & Kisses🌶️

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Review:

I had a great time with Alchemy of Secrets! It started off a bit slow, and much like our FMC, I didn’t know what the hell was going on – who I could trust – or what I could trust… None of that is a bad thing, it worked really well with this book! I could have done without it being slow off the bat, since you want something to pull you in immediately… but once it happened, I was in.

The book began with a chapter in second person – that was jarring as hell, but I actually came to love those chapters! I can’t necessarily figure out if they were just to give us some additional information before Holland put together the pieces – giving us a head start… or if there was something more to them that either went over my head or won’t be relevant until future books. Currently, I’m leaning towards head start figuring out the clues…

But the main chapters were all from Holland’s POV – our FMC is obsessed with the myths and legends she learns about in a hidden class taught by The Professor. And honestly, I can see why! Who doesn’t want to believe there is a bit of magic in the world? But in Hollywood, I loved the implication of these myths and legends helping or hurting those who looked young forever, or had careers out of no where etc… I didn’t expect to love it, but I did!

Holland felt quite real to me – she was put into an impossible position on a number of occassions of trying to figure out who to trust and who she could believe when all she ever had to go off was the idea that her twin sister had sent these guys to her. There were a number of messages and voice notes exchanged between me and my friend as we were ALSO trying to figure out who could be trusted!! I loved feeling like I was in it with Holland.

Elephant in the room: Caraval. Yes, I understand the ‘Caraval’s older sister’ comments now after having read Alchemy of Secrets – but I don’t see that as a bad thing. Stephanie Garber is very good at writing stories that feel like a treasure hunt! The MC (and you as the reader!) are trying to solve clues to lead you to an answer (and in this case, save the MC’s life!). If you’re expecting something else, then you’ll be disappointed. However, if you’re expecting this then it isn’t a surprise that it’ll feel like Caraval’s older sister.

My main fault with Alchemy of Secrets was for a short book, it shouldn’t be taking as long as it did for me to get into it. It did really help that I was reading it alongside a friend and she was ahead of me as she started before I did and so could entice me enough that I stuck with it. However, I loved the story and the magic and the rules behind the magic once we really got into it.

The other was that it did feel kind of rushed in the end – certain things felt like I was being told them quite abruptly rather than experiencing it and again I do feel like this is an unfortunate side effect of writing an adult book that felt like it had a lot to give and explore.

I am sadly either really stupid or just wasn’t with it by the time I read the bonus content in the Waterstones edition that I have because I didn’t feel like it added anything at all, it being there… I was a little disappointed by that honestly.

All in all, I really enjoyed it! I will absolutely be picking up book 2 when that is released! Who doesn’t love a bit of magic in their life? Some parts felt cheesey and I was 100% on board and loved it, some parts felt pretty emotional, but ultimately I loved the hunt and I can’t wait for the next part.

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