October is the perfect time to curl up with some enchanting fantasy reads. Today, I'm sharing two adult fantasy novels. While I found both to be somewhat lacking, I don’t regret reading them. One features a captivating Hollywood setting infused with dark academia vibes, while the other is a romantic fantasy that exudes major Gothic elements, making it an ideal choice for the month of October.
Goodreads says, "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."
Holland St. James is enrolled in a college course titled "Folklore 517," taught by a mysterious professor. The class often feels more like a scavenger hunt than a traditional lecture, but everyone assumes that the content being taught is purely fictional. Right? Not quite. Through this course, Holland becomes convinced that she must track down the Watch Man, an elusive figure who supposedly reveals when you will die. Once she finds him, she is told some ominous news and she believes she needs to find the Alchemial Heart. Enter a mysterious stranger whom she thinks might assist her—though it’s uncertain if he will. Set against a Hollywood backdrop with dark academia vibes, Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber is a fitting October read, despite some parts feeling flat for me.
Alchemy of Secrets is the first novel I've read by Garber, and at times, I didn’t particularly enjoy her writing style. I found myself more invested in the fantastical journey than in the characters themselves. Some chapters are written in the second person, which initially seemed interesting but eventually became jarring. While the focus on magic and film noir provides moments of fun, the lack of character development detracted from my overall experience. Ultimately, it was just an okay read.
Goodreads says, "Sybil Delling has spent nine years dreaming of having no dreams at all. Like the other foundling girls who traded a decade of service for a home in the great cathedral, Sybil is a Diviner. In her dreams she receives visions from six unearthly figures known as Omens. From them, she can predict terrible things before they occur, and lords and common folk alike travel across the kingdom of Traum's windswept moors to learn their futures by her dreams.
Just as she and her sister Diviners near the end of their service, a mysterious knight arrives at the cathedral. Rude, heretical, and devilishly handsome, the knight Rodrick has no respect for Sybil's visions. But when Sybil's fellow Diviners begin to vanish one by one, she has no choice but to seek his help in finding them. For the world outside the cathedral's cloister is wrought with peril. Only the gods have the answers she is seeking, and as much as she'd rather avoid Rodrick's dark eyes and sharp tongue, only a heretic can defeat a god."
Sybil Delling, also known as Six, is one of the "sisters" at the Aisling Cathedral, where they scry magical springs to interpret omens. As Six and her sisters approach the end of their time at the cathedral, they are eager to explore the world beyond its walls. However, everything changes when the new King of Traum arrives to receive his omen. Six receives dark, ominous signs about the future, and soon after, her sisters begin to disappear. Determined to uncover what happened to them, Sybil teams up with one of the King's knights, Rory. They are complete opposites, and Rory does not even value her work at the cathedral, which makes their partnership challenging. Nevertheless, Sybil is ready to leave the confines of the cathedral, venture into the world, and discover the truth about her missing sisters. Rachel Gillig's The Knight and the Moth is an epic romantasy set in a medieval-esque world filled with Gothic fantasy elements and rich atmosphere.
This is my first experience reading one of Gillig's novels, and I find her to be a fantastic writer. Her prose is lyrical and filled with vivid imagery, which brings the world to life beautifully. My only issue with the novel was the lack of character development and world-building. I struggled to connect with the characters, making the story feel slow-moving at times—except for the last 25% of the book, which raced forward at breakneck speed. The world-buidling was confusing for the first half of the book, which really impacted my enjoyment of the The Knight and the Moth. However, the character I enjoyed the most was Bartholomew, a gargoyle; he was truly the best! If you're looking for a page-turning romance, I believe the genre is oversaturated with good options, so you might want to skip this one unless you are a devoted Gillig fan.
