this was a great scifi novel, the characters were great and I enjoyed the world that was built on this book. I loved the memory loss plot and enjoyed going through learning what was going on.

unfortunately i couldn't connect with this book at all. it wasn't really hitting the right spot, the characters fell flat, the plot was predictable and the writing wasn't enough to keep me invested or at least enjoying it. i do know why people would like this story though, so i'm giving it a generous 2 star.

- thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing the digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

DNF. I could not get into these characters and find myself to care. I tried. The ratings and reviews sounded great, but I don't think this is meeting my expectations or quality standards.

Mercurial by Naomi Hughes is set in the Alloyed Empire. It might look similar to the setting of Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings – mountain ranges, forests and a bit of scorched Earth. I think it could be set in the Victorian era. There are trains and magic but no dragons.

Tal has been ordered by his God to protect The Destroyer. Everyone thinks the order is odd. Why would The Destroyer need protection from anyone? She has literally destroyed villages with her fire power. Imagine an adult version of Firestarter. So Tal pledges an oath to The Destroyer to protect her at all costs. After the pledge, Tal is linked to The Destroyer until the end of their lives.

The Destroyer’s sister is the empress. The Destroyer does the bidding of the empress. Whatever or whoever the empress wants to be set on fire, The Destroyer does it. She doesn’t have too many feelings or regrets about all of the death and destruction.

Nyx, Tal’s sister, is on a mission to find Tal and bring him home. Part of her mission is to destroy The Destroyer because it may be the only way to release Tal from his oath.

After an incident at a train station, Tal and The Destroyer escape. The Destroyer has lost her memory and her powers. Now she was just a regular girl named Elodie. She still had a powerful sister and a lot of angry people looking for her. Well, they didn’t know the nice, powerless Elodie. They were searching for The Destroyer to either end her life or capture her power. Of course, no one but Tal and Elodie know that she doesn’t have powers anymore.

It kind of puts a wrench in Tal’s plan to kill The Destroyer. He likes Elodie and cannot end her life. Nyx is still on their trail and has no qualms about killing The Destroyer/Elodie. There are a few more twists that I won’t tell you about because that would be wrong.

If you like fantasy adventure stories, then you will probably enjoy reading Mercurial. I enjoyed it quite a bit and didn’t find it to be boring or anything.

People who can relate to Grima Wormtongue or any other slimy, lying villain will not appreciate Mercurial quite as much as they should.

Heart pounding, pacy, romantic, and devastating at turns—I could not put this down, and wanted to re-read it immediately after finishing. Hats off, Naomi!

This is one of those stories that just gets better around every corner and I’m sorry it took me so long to pick up on my NetGalley list that seems to be never ending. It’s got all the pieces and the author did a fantastic job at putting it all together. Whilst I believe that, the story also didn’t blow me away which is why it isn’t a full stars review. I liked the characters, I loved the plot and the magical elements and creatures were unique and unpredictable, I just wanted a bit more of something between the characters, a little more of a push of emotion here and there between them to get me emotionally invested. It didn’t give me a book hangover that had me craving more, just a content ending that I was able to put down and move on without much thought.

There were parts of this book that were so unique and wonderful. I especially liked the magical element through metal, certain people were born with various metal in their blood that gave them abilities such as healing, crafting, alchemy as well as power over the elements. This divided society and social standing in ways it didn’t look into which felt a bit lacking, I was intrigued by it all and felt the author could have created more depth into the magical world she created.

The story is told through three perspectives, Princess Eloide (The Destroyer), Tal her bodyguard and Nyx, Tal’s sister. I do have to say, the character build up was excellent, you really got to know them through their actions and flashbacks throughout their story, each one being pushed in a direction they didn’t want to take, forming a connection between them they never realised they had.

Once, there was a boy who believed..

Tal was a great character who stood strong for his beliefs in his role as the princess’ protector. While he did clearly regret his choice taking the oath and being stuck by the side of the most dangerous weapon at the Iron Empress’ disposal, he knew he played an important part of bringing peace to the empire, he just had to wait out the horrors that came along with it. He was exactly how you would picture a young bodyguard; deadly, silent and strong. He kept his anger deep within himself and only started to show any emotion when his princess suddenly became innocent and human. Even then though, he was still too unemotional for me to really fall in love with his character.

Once, there was a girl who was afraid..

Elodie The Destroyer was definitely the best character for me, she was amazingly layered and dynamic, her character development was strong throughout and you couldn’t help but love her through it all. As the Destroyer, she’s adapted to a life being feared and powerful and uses it to her advantage to keep herself safe. She’s a recluse who doesn’t connect to anyone on any real level besides her sister where formality and titles are dominant. The only person she trusts is Tal, and that’s only because he is bound to her and has no choice. When she loses her powers, her character completely changes to an innocent young woman with a sense of humour and lacking basic survival instincts. I would have liked to have seen a bit more emotion to her character, especially since she knew she felt some connection to Tal with or without her mercury abilities.

Once, there was a girl who believed only in her brother..

Nyx. I’m honestly not sure what to say about her. I’m getting the impression that you either love her or you hate her. Whilst she was a strong interesting character that did bring the story together, I didn’t like her personality. She was so angry and obsessed with saving her brother, she refused to believe in anything different than killing the Destroyer to solve all their problems, even if it meant sacrificing herself. She was so blinded by rage and hate, she couldn’t see the whole story. Yeah she had spent the last few years of her life becoming a skilled assassin, but it wasn’t the only thing she had and it made me feel sorry for Helenia, always coming second place after Tal. It felt like she was taking life for granted at times.
I did love her relationship with Helenia, it was sweet and the one piece of happiness in the whole book. As an additional character, Helenia was probably the most powerful piece of the puzzle, she was always there in time to save the day and asked for nothing in return. She held the right balance for all the characters with her desire to see Nyx happy and to help lead the rebellion against the empire. She was a complete badass.

‘In a single sentence, Helenia stripped away all of Elodie’s imagined control, and she did it without ever letting her smile fall. Elodie began to realise that she had underestimated this girl. Helenia’s face still radiated warmth and naivety, but Elodie began to see now how she might use that as a weapon.’

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a good middle grade/ ya fantasy full of unique magic, enemies to lovers, and unexpected plot twists around every corner! Check it out!

<i> Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review <i/>

Mercurial is one of the best books I have read recently. The worldbuilding in this book is top notch! From mountains, to magic, to changing landscapes, to fierce and wonderful creatures, this book has everything.

Also, the characters are fabulous! There are three main characters and we get to see some amazing character development throughout the book for all three. I loved how we get to see a full in depth look at each character and how they are who they are at the beginning of the book. By the end of the book, it is soo good! Each of the main characters are lovable in their own way, and I loved that Hughes was able to write each one with such clarity.

The magic system in the book is amazing.

Oh! Mercurial is soo diverse without even a second thought. It just is! From LGBTQ+ rep to diversity in races, it has everything, without being forced.

Such a great read! I will be picking up more of Hughes books in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

Sadly, this is a DNF for me. I tried on and off for months to read this book and every time it just didn’t work for me. The writing was great, but I couldn’t find myself getting into the story or the characters and, with characters being the most important part to me, I felt myself getting into a slump because of it. I still love the premise, so maybe one day I’ll return to this book but for now it’s best if I put it down.

" The unforged God looked out upon the emptiness of the universe and was displeased. Desiring a new creation, he tore himself into pieces: copper, silver, gold, iron, platinum, and all the other metals. With these pieces, the world was created. Into some of the men and women who rose up were planted the seeds of divinity: metal flowing through their blood, lending them one of the divine magics and the special connection to the unforged God. These people God named Smiths."

Tal was a silver smith, which meant he had silver running through his blood. A gift that allowed him to see visions of the future, and a curse, because where he lived having silver blood was a death sentence.
When a vision leads him to the Destroyer, the Empress's younger sister and most important weapon, Tal has no choice but to follow. Guided by his heart and faith in his God, he offers his services to protect the Destroyer secretly believing that this is the only way to rid the people of the tyranny of the rule of the Empress and her sister.
To prove his loyalty, he swears a metal oath, which is unbreakable, except by death or the fulfillment of its terms. This oath compels Tal to do anything to protect the Destroyer, to protect his enemy. But when some major event causes the Destroyer to lose her magic, Tal starts to see new things about her character. He sees her in a new light, as someone he could like.

Characters:
Tal is a brave character. At the beginning of the book, he is a believer. As the story progresses, his character witnesses some major changes and development.
Elodie aka the Destroyer is person who shows a merciless face, but beneath the surface her personality is sweet. Her character development was so strong, and her personality portrayed so much of what she has been through.

What I liked about the book:
- I loved the idea of the book and the character development.
- The ending, especially the bonus story was so good.

What I didn't like about the book:
- Some of the choices the characters made were really weird, for example Saacha's character.
-The amount of violence that Nyx showed throughout the novel and how all she wanted to do was kill the Destroyer.
- The fact that no one saw Tal's blood, despite the fact that he was injured in a couple of fights while trying to save the Destroyer's life was not so convincing.

Overall, this was a good adventure about belief, faith, and love.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 ⭐
Snow, blood, and magic: this story is perfect for fans of the Grishaverse and The Winner's Kiss series.
From the cover to storyline, I enjoyed every second of it.
The plot was outstanding! Characters are very adorable and likeable! The chemistry was a bit forced but other than that, I enjoyed this book.
It is really well written with unique plot and wonderful characters.
The world building and plot twists are my favourite part of this book!!
I definitely recommend this book 📖

Mercurial is a brand new read that I was honestly quite wary about reading primarily. Safe to say, this absolutely did not disappoint and everyone alive should read this, without a doubt!

Mercurial gripped me from the first chapter and held my attention to the end. It is fast-paced with a lot of action but a short enough novel that I could sit and read in one day. There is some romance, also with some LBGTQIA representation, but isn't explicit.

Mercurial is reminiscent of classic medieval fantasy novels but also felt surprisingly fresh with its unique magic system. The book's exploration of faith, redemption and the power of love was compelling and kept me reading to the end. The exploration of religion is especially integral to the plot with Tal's struggling over his decisions and their consequences as the platform for this analysis. Rather than view it as inherently good or bad, it is a more analytical approach, questioning such things as what it means to adhere to one's faith. While Tal is interesting, I was mostly invested in Elodie, who ultimately became my favorite character.

Definitely, a feel-good fantasy read everyone should check out!

I wanted to like this book so badly. It had a really cool original story idea and it immediately sucked me in. But unfortunately, it really lacked and I felt bored. I loved the main character, Tal. The Destroyer? Not so much. I wish I had more to say about this story and it had the potential, it just was not my cup of tea.

I do wish that instead of 3rd person this book had been 1st person with split POVs so that you could really get more into the characters heads.
I do think that the writing was great, it’s perfect for fans of Ya fantasy. The pacing was fast and worked well for the vibe of the book.
The characters were well developed and I liked how they were written and the characteristics they displayed. I also liked that each character was so unique and how their pasts affected how each character acted.

Thanks to Netgally for making the book available to me as a review copy.

I have to be seen for me it is a bit difficult to judge the story because I unfortunately no longer had the opportunity to read it that has already been archived.
Personally, I was drawn to the cover because it reminds me of Avatar. It is written in the 3 perspective and we are pursuing three characters.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Oh man! Oh man! I am so happy that I got the chance to dive into Mercurial. Even though I actually dove into the eARC after it was published, oops?, I still really enjoyed the heck out of the book.

In it, you will meet Tal, Nyx and The Destroyer. Tal is the bodyguard for The Destroyer. What he doesn't plan on doing is actually falling in love with the girl. Which is completely weird since I was shipping them after their very first encounter. It was honestly pretty easy and I just knew something was going to form between them after her first evil smile.

I'd like to call it a gift. An evil gift.

Then there's Nyx. She is Tal's older sister and she is going to free her brother no matter what. Her number one plan is to kill The Destroyer but, of course, her plan doesn't go smoothly. Mostly because he stopped her from committing the deed and then shit sort of hits the fan. I loved all the chaos and I wanted more.

As for the romance, I just really enjoyed Nyx and her girlfriend. Their bantering gave me life. Then there's Tal and his evilness slowly gravitating towards one another. Which, yes, also gave me pure joy. I think I just wanted everyone to end up happy and stuff.

In the end, I'm definitely happy that I finally got to dive into this. The little bonus story was freaking adorable too.

Unfortunately, I didn't have time to finish this book, and cannot provide substantial feedback. I really liked what I have read, and hope to finish it when I have the chance!

An enemies to lovers and thrilling fantasy

The Destroyer is the sister of the Empress. The metal in her blood gives her powerful fire magic and she is feared for it in the entire empire. Tal has sworn to protect her with his life but when an unexpected accident changes everything, he will stop to see the Destroyer as just a heartless murderer. All the while, Tal's sister, Nyx, will do everything in her power to save her brother from his oath and the entire empire as well.

What a surprise this book as been! I saw it on Netgalley some time ago and the cover drew me in. But I never expected to like it that much. I loved everything about it. Fast-paced, enemies to lovers, morally gray characters, LGBTQ+ representation, a unique fantasy world and so on. I am honestly blown away by this book and I cannot recommend it enough. Tal is very well constructed and his development is amazing. The Destroyer was an enthralling surprise and I loved that she was both the villain and the hero in some way. And Nyx was so strong-hearted and brilliant! But this is more than just the main characters. Because the world the author has created is simply breathtaking. Original, magical, unique but also violent, hard and beautiful. I'm kind of sad that this is a stand alone, not because the story should get a sequel because I think the ending is perfect, but because I'm way too invested in this universe now! The writing was amazing as well, simple but efficient and I ended up being hooked. Be aware that it is a little slow at the beginning but please hang on because what happens next it more than worth it, it will blow your mind and break your heart, and shatter your soul in the most exciting and beautiful way.

If you like intense fantasy with magic, tension and enemies to lovers, DO NOT HESITATE!!!!

"We were made to withstand such things."

*I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

I had hoped to like this book more than I did, but that's not to say I didn't enjoy it. I just feel like it could have been . . . more. The writing style was fine, and so were the characters. I suppose some aspects of it just felt somewhat hollow, for lack of a better description.

Tal (18) and Elodie (18) had a complex relationship. I don't even necessarily mean romantically--their entire acquaintanceship has been one of oath-bound protection Tal's part, despite his hatred. In a way, I feel like their romantic relationship developed rather too quickly considering the two years they've spent together. It's not that I am against their attachment; I actually did want it. I just feel like it happened unbelievably fast. And I honestly wasn't a fan of Nyx (20). She was too violent, too angry, and flung the world "girlfriend" around far too often.

I did like the concept of magic in this book, though. Having characters' powers stem from the presence of certain metals in their blood was interesting and not something I've encountered before.

Note: A little swearing. Two LGBT characters, including one narrator.

There was so much to love about this book! The characters were fantastic, the magic was super cool and intriguing, the plot kept me hooked, and the dialogue was used so well to show what these characters were all about.

There were some exciting surprises along the way and many interesting motivations behind the actions of the characters. This book was mostly about how these characters related to each other and how their decisions impacted who they were & wanted to be, but even though the plot mostly lacked action, I was still very interested in this story.

Tal and Elodie grew and changed so much over the course of this story. They were both really complex and well-written characters, and I really liked going on this journey with them. Nyx was also very important to the plot and narrative structure, as she also had POV chapters, but I didn't like her as much as Tal and Elodie. It was really cool that every character in this book had such complicated motivations, wants, and needs, as it made it harder to guess where the storyline would go next.

I would have loved to see more magic use explored, as the premise for how it worked and what they could do with the different types was fascinating. But the setting and worldbuilding limited what could be done with magic for a large chunk of the book, so we sadly don't get to see much magic use. Good thing the awesome character growth and relationship dynamics made up for the feeling that anything was missing!

I was super happy with this fantasy read and would recommend it for anyone looking for a character-driven story with plenty of deceptions, a side of romance, and complicated feelings.