Why I DNF Alchemy of Secrets at 63%

There is nothing worse than a good idea being ruined by the execution. Stephanie Garber released her adult fantasy debut novel Alchemy of Secrets in early October 2025. Known for her beautiful worldbuilding and alluring characters in the Caraval and Once Upon a Broken Heart series, Garber decided to attempt a step outside her comfort zone of the young adult fantasy world. Keeping the enchantingly mysterious atmosphere while injecting a touch of modernity into her latest novel. 

Starting the world building off during a University lecture with a side character, The Professor. Our perspective is one of a student, learning a key premise of the magic system through myths that hint to the reader that all is not as it seems. Throughout the story (or what I read of it) we frequent flashbacks to this astral classroom. Providing further contextual clues to the overarching mystery.  Personally I found these recollections the most engaging part of the narrative as It felt like the most considered part of the story. Despite the non-linear narrative, it slotted into the story shockingly better than other aspects. 

As main characters go I suppose Holland wasn’t quite as dull as she could have been. Immediately she is introduced as a doe-eyed manic pixie dream girl. She’s trying her best to find love in LA all the while writing her thesis. Immediately we are expected to perceive her naivety, but acknowledge her intelligence. So she’s smart enough to be the best student in her class but dumb enough to get in the car with a random stranger that promises he was ‘sent to protect her’?

Meet our two love interests: Adam and Gabe. One is introduced as a youthful professor who is ‘not like other teachers’ because he wears plaid shirts over denim jeans. After a mediocre flirtatious comment to our heroine she finds herself thinking of him in place of her dating partner. Whose death segued into the second romantic introduction, Gabe. I feel these characters were supposed to mirror each other in a good vs evil dramatic way. Unfortunately they were about as interesting as boiled chicken. Adam is sly because he knows how to lie well, Gabe is hard edge because he doesn’t let anyone get close. Talk about the most basic written personality known to man. Their development with Holland was so service level that I got angry at points because how are you talking to these men like they didn’t just shoot each other for no reason? Oh but don’t forget the weird yearning these male figures have towards our beautiful heroine for no reason other than plot convenience. I could only tell them apart because that damn plaid shirt Adam wears was mentioned more than anything useful to the plot.

What I was most hopeful for was the magic system, which due to the poor pacing of the story made absolutely no sense. How do you turn magic into the most dull concept in the modern day? Make it so a BANK is responsible for ‘loaning’ them out. A concept that was supposed to make magic seem tangible in the present day, immediately became reduced to a rental situation. 

It comes as no surprise that I was sincerely disappointed as a fan of the OUABH series. Instead of a well researched, whimsical word built on rules that make sense, we got a half arsed modern day retelling of House of Anubis esque tale. All it needed was less dramatic hooks that contributed nothing to the story, one love interest (not three that I learned shortly after finishing this research) and a consistent story that isn’t reliant on shock value. 

Due to this being a DNF, it is 1/5 stars. 

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