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.

There have been moments in my life when I wished magic was real. My consolation is that I’m able to escape into books and experience magic on the page. If you’re anything like me and are always on the search for magic hidden in the everyday, I’m happy to share that Alchemy of Secrets is the adventure for you.

Our story follows Holland, a grad student, who firmly believes that magic is real and will not accept any other explanation for the unexplainable. In fact, she takes classes like Local Legends and Urban Myths very seriously and often spends her free time seeking truth in the legends she studies. After months of searching, Holland finally discovers the truth behind one of the many local legends she’s studied in class—the Watch Man. Except when she meets the Watch Man, he tells Holland her death date…and it’s much sooner than she anticipated. Soon, Holland is on a mission to reverse the Watch Man’s prediction and find the one magical artifact that might save her: the Alchemical Heart.

It’s hard to capture how much I loved Alchemy of Secrets in just a few paragraphs, but if you love your fantasies with a triple dose of mystery, adventure, and heart, this is the book for you. Let yourself be swept up in Holland’s journey through the heart of Los Angeles and its magical secrets.