Alchemy of Secrets: A Novel

by Stephanie Garber

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Hollywood glitz and glam take on a murderous sheen in Stephanie Garber’s gripping adult debut.

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

DELUXE LIMITED EDITION first printing featuring unique case stamp and black sprayed edges

The HOTLY ANTICIPATED adult debut novel by the beloved, #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING author of the Caraval and Once Upon a Broken Heart series: a contemporary fantasy kicking off a brand new series!

What if the urban legends you've always heard about were real?

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250789167
Publisher:	Flatiron Books
Publication date:	10/07/2025
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	352
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Stephanie Garber is the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of Once Upon a Broken Heart, The Ballad of Never After, and the Caraval trilogy. Her books have been translated into thirty languages. Alchemy of Secrets is her adult debut novel.

Editorial Reviews

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

From the Publisher

2025 Barnes and Noble Best New Books of the Year, Long-listed