Praiseworthy Pages

Reader Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ (4/5 stars)

The only other Stephanie Garber book I’d read prior to this one was Caraval, and while that book kept me interested, it didn’t impress me. It didn’t “wow” me, as they say.

This book, however, wow-ed me way more than I anticipated. Before my little sister begged me to read it so that she would have someone to fangirl over it with her, I had heard of the book but didn’t feel any particular draw. I am glad my sister pushed me to read it, because I had so much fun racing around L.A. through the eyes of Holland St. James, the book’s main character.

I love that the book melds a grittier, adult fiction atmosphere with the sort of brightness one expects out of a young adult/new adult fiction novel. While the subject matter could sometimes be dark, I would not describe Alchemy of Secrets as a “dark” book. Garber beautifully infuses the shadowy story with a hopefulness that I think draws from her main character’s optimism. I also loved the way Garber’s magic system here felt original. I’m all for original fantasy ideas!

Overall, I think this book is definitely worth a read, especially if you’re wanting to try a different flavor of urban fantasy or if you’re wanting to step into adult literature without fear of the content becoming too gruesome/dark/inappropriate.

Language: 8/10 (Mild/rare swearing).
Sex: 9/10 (Mild/rare allusions to sex).
Violence and gore: 7/10 (Not detailed or extensive).

Plot: 9/10 (What a blast! Any time a story gives me a good “race against the ticking clock” trope, I’m buckled in. I did find some portions of the story a little predictable, but other parts caught me completely by surprise, which I’m such a fan of).
Characters: 7/10 (Okay, these characters 100% fit the molds of a typical sort of love-triangle, who-can-you-trust cliché, but I do think they’re done well. The characters’ attributes, while themselves can be considered “overdone,” interact with the plot in meaningful ways, so I can overlook their stereotypical-ness to some extent).
Writing style: 7.5/10 (While the creativity in plot cemented my high opinion of this book, some things about Garber’s style have a tendency to rub me the wrong way, like the way her character types were overused tropes and the way that the main character just trusted people so easily. Like, why? While it did feel more “adult” than her other novels, the book still read like it catered to a slightly younger audience than intended).

Genre: Adult literature, new adult literature, realistic fiction, fantasy fiction, mystery
Potential triggers: Murder, betrayal, etc.
Is this book part of a series? No.
I would recommend this book to readers aged 16+.

Review written by: Abbie H.