Tal is a bodyguard for the Destroyer but only does so in the name of his God. Elodie is The Destroyer, the sister of the Empress and a weapon for the regime in power. Nyx is Tal’s sister who would do anything to save her brother from his disastrous situation.

This was a very solid YA fantasy. Starting with the most enjoyable parts: this book’s plot is so well done. The pacing is quite quick and every single scene moves the plot forward. The plot premise and twists were all so intriguing and added so many layers to this story. The book is paced so fast, I was approved for the arc and read the entire thing in one day. Very easy to get through and is written in a way that makes it easy for any reader, well versed in fantasy or not, to get into the story very quickly.

This speed, however, did throw me off at times because the story did feel quite superficial in terms of world-building and exploration of the systems (both magical and not) in place for this story. It felt like we were told a lot about how this world worked but not necessarily given scenes to show us those instances. While this did help the plot move along and kept the interest high, it felt like I was missing out on a lot of substance to round out the story as a whole. Combined with some convenient things happening, it felt like there were some things sacrificed in making the plot so fast and making the relationship move quickly.

Speaking of the relationship, I am probably not the target audience here but it was still enjoyable for me to read. Believable? Not really. Enjoyable to read anyway? Sure. The main issue I had was that because the plot moves quickly, there is not much character development for anyone other than Tal and Elodie. They had the biggest and most satisfying arcs from the cast of characters, but it still felt like they only developed when it was needed to push them together and I wasn’t sure I was too on board with that. I think the pacing just made me feel a little less invested in their relationship because I thought it happened so quickly. However, this is a personal preference so really this could work wonderfully if that speed is not a problem for you. It reminded me of Bone Crier’s Moon in terms of the relationship and pacing of the character development. Not necessarily bad just not for me personally. I also recognize this might be a product of the fact that it is YA so there are tough choices in picking what to give more depth and what to touch just a tad.

I wish we got more about the magic system and the world outside of just these two characters over the course of a few days because it seemed so interesting. I wanted to learn more about the politics and the societal structures at play. Also, the religious aspects of the society were so interesting, I wanted more of that. In essence, I guess I wanted more political intrigue but I recognize that probably isn't what this book set out to do. So, again, this comes down to personal preference more than real issues. I don’t know if that’s asking too much but those are the parts that I truly fell in love with here. The writing was great, the world premise was great, the pacing and plot were great. I just wanted more depth to the parts that I saw had potential but maybe that’s outside the scope of what you can fit into a YA fantasy in 400ish pages.

If you want the focus to be the romance, and you like the insta-love enemies-to-lovers style, you can definitely count on this to deliver. I can see this being a huge hit with the vibes of Bone Crier’s Moon, Serpent and Dove, or The Shadows Between Us mixed with a very fun magic system based on metals and blood. Very fun overall and earned a solid 3 stars from me. Excited to check out more from this author.

Mercurial is a character-driven story about magic, revenge, and redemption. What lengths would you go to for someone you love?

I would recommend you pick this one up! It's a self-published stand-alone fantasy novel that's fast-paced. I read and finished this book in a single sitting. It comes out on March 16th, 2021.

The character development was great throughout the book and I loved how flawed the main characters were. Also, I've realized that I love rooting for morally grey characters.

I personally would have liked for there to be more world-building and court politics as it felt as if we barely scratched the surface of what could have been on that front. The same goes for the magic system! I would have loved to read more about metal magic and how each type differs.

Thank you to Naomi Hughes and Netgalley for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Who said that road to redemption is ever easy...
I chose this book mostly because I loved the cover art and the premise interested me. At first glance, it was a classic enemies to lovers trope but as I kept reading I understood it was so much more. It's about forgiveness and fierceness.

Tal was a simple boy with a deadly secret. He pledged his life to protect the Destroyer. His actions guided by his god. In this book we journey with Tal through his faith, loss of faith, and his regained faith. I'm not normally big on religious angels but I believe it was necessary in this book to drive the plot forward.

The Destroyer, what a fitting name for a cruel girl set to be the perfect weapon for her sister. That is until we learn her tragic secret.

Nyx, an assassin fueled by a deep desire to save. She grapples with her own emotions when it comes to making the ultimate decision.

It's hard to write a review without giving too much away, but I'll say this. If you enjoy a good redemption arc this book is for you.

Negatives; At times it feels like this book is a bit rushed. It takes place within 1 week. The author does attempt to give plenty of backstories to make the redemption arc plausible though.

Wow! An extremely fun, interesting adventure this book takes you on. And I’ve seen no hype for it.
Naomi Hughes did an incredible job. The writing was done well and the story didn’t lag. It was an easy read, and I mean that in the best way possible. Also LGBTQIA+ representation!
The magic system was unlike anything I’ve ever read before and the world building was seamlessly woven into the story. I found the most of the characters to be interesting and complex to read about, especially Elodie.
In no means do I think this was a perfect book. There were some characters I just couldn’t connect with and annoyed me every time I read about them. And I would have loved somethings to be expanded on, for example the dynamic of the relationship between Nyx and her mother. But overall I really enjoyed it. And highly recommended you pick it up when it comes out.

I was so impressed with this book, the ending gave me chills!

"The blade of vengeance has no hilt, [...] It cuts all who wield it."

Mercurial is a standalone fantasy novel about an empire grudgingly held in check by the frightening power of the Destroyer, who also happens to be the younger sister of the Empress. The Destroyer is wielded like a tool to serve the empire, usually to brutally murder any individual or group of people who are suspected of treason with the merciless flames of her magic. Tal, her bodyguard, has sworn a magically binding oath to protect the Destroyer at all costs, at the insistence of his god who gives him visions through the forbidden magic in his blood. After years in the Destroyer's service, he begins to resent his god for sending him to her. But everything changes when Tal's sister, Nyx, attempts to rescue Tal by ending the Destroyer's life. But who has the right to end a person's life, and how far does someone need to go to be beyond forgiveness?

This novel features a metal based magic system similar to Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series and a guard-and-charge relationship reminiscent of Sarah J. Maas's Throne of Glass. I loved Hughes's poetic language, her descriptions are full of beautiful metaphors and similes that definitely enhanced my reading experience. This book will make you ponder your own morals as these characters develop and test their beliefs. I was a little confused about the limitations of the magic used, but overall I really enjoyed this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of Mercurial in exchange for an honest review. It was a pleasure to read!

Mature content: mild profanity, violence, graphic deaths, drug and alcohol usage.

Thank you to the author and netgalley for an e-arc to read in exchange for a review.

Rating: 3.75/5 stars

Let's start off with the good things. First, I love this book cover. It's pretty simple and both character look very bad-ass. Like yes, (I assume) Tal and the Destroyer!! Yessssss. Second, I enjoyed the world. Metal is used to heal people or as a power--a trope that I wish more authors wrote about. Our main character, Tal, has silver blood, meaning he has the ability to tell the truth (which makes him dangerous). Our other main character, the Destroyer/Elodie, has the ability to wield fire. Third, the overall plot was pretty good. The Destroyer loses her power and her memories in a very interesting way. There's a rebellion going on. There's family issues. Lots of drama.

Now... Onto the bad things. First, I wish there was a little more world/character-building. I wanted more from the rebellion's perspective and more of the politics. I would have liked to see more of Saasha and Sarai. They seemed like pretty interesting characters that could have been explored more. Second, the Destroyer didn't really feel like The Destroyer to me. She just felt like a mean, asshole girl to me. We hear that she's tortured and killed a bunch of people [and yes, we have one scene where she tortures someone], but we hardly see her being as evil as she is described. I have a third critique, but it's a spoiler. Generally speaking, it's a trope that I don't like to see.

Would I recommend this book? Yeah, I would. I don't think it's a bad book. Could it have been written better in my opinion? Yeah, but I enjoyed reading it. I believe that this is a standalone novel, so no need to worry about reading yet another series. Also, it was a pretty quick read. Nothing too difficult to understand. Characters were cool. Plot was good.

I really really enjoyed this book. I had such a fun time reading it. It kept me on my toes and I read this in like one or two sittings.The plot of the book is amazing and very engaging. The writing style is super easy to get into and I really love it. The characters are so complex and interesting to read more I really enjoyed this

I was provided an e-ARC by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Wow! Going into this book I had only a faint idea of what it was going to be about. Nothing prepared me for what i read though.

"Once, there was a boy who believed"

Immediately, the reader is sucked into this immersive fantasy world, introduced to these powerful and deadly characters; Tal, The Destroyer, and further on we meet Nyx. The dynamic between these three main characters was really interesting; they were all connected to each other whether they wanted to be or not, whilst a subtle struggle for control coursed through the action.

The character development was especially mesmerizing, leaving me on the edge of my seat, forcing me to carry on. Watching The Destroyer become Elodie, Tal understand his fate, and Nyx recognize the consequences that she caused.

One of my favourite things about this book is the constant exploration of faith and religion. Often, books use religion as nothing more than a plot device to highlight differences between characters. However, Hughes presents a painfully accurate portrayal, recognizing that "sometimes being a believer ... meant inviting pain". It was refreshing to read about a faith that wasn't filled with faults, wasn't perfect, and genuinely added to the plot.

Overall, I would give this book 4.5 stars. I enjoyed reading the plot, I was intrigued and attached to the characters and their backstories, and the writing style was enjoyable, and felt authentic. In terms of Representation, this book was really strong. Nyx was in a healthy wlw relationship that only improved her character arc, and Helenia (her girlfriend) was powerful in her own right. All in all, the story was unique and I really felt as though I gained something after reading it.

I wasn’t aware of this book until I came across it on Netgalley. It was a “read now” so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try especially because the cover is fantastic and blurb sounded quite intriguing. Sadly, this is probably a case of it’s me and not the book as others have really enjoyed it, but I never found myself ever connecting with it.

When it came to the characters, I was intrigued at the beginning. There was a lot of potential for them. They do go through a lot, especially Tal and the Destroyer aka Elodie but without a connection I just couldn’t feel any emotions towards what they were going through. There is also memory loss but I feel like that stunted their overall growth.

Nyx was the character I enjoyed the most because she stayed true to her actions and who she was. I liked that she was determined to save her brother no matter the cause.

There are two different relationships in the book. The relationship with Tal and Elodie just didn’t work for me. I think a lot of the development happened off the pages in the two years of him being her bodyguard leading up to all of this. I never felt the chemistry and I don’t think the memory loss helped. I understand that he was devoted to her but it isn’t enough to convince me of their love for one another.

Another issue I had was the world-building. It was very lacking and I still have many unanswered questions when it comes to their magic system, their religion, and even the empire as a whole. There wasn’t much description for the places they were at either.

The last thing I wanted to talk about was how sometimes things just didn’t make sense.

*Spoilers!*
One example of things not making sense is how did Tal go his whole time in the empire not ever getting a cut to where people would know he bled silver which was a death sentence?

Elodie aka the Destroyer finds a boy (Tal) after being in an explosion and sees that his leg is bent behind him. She doesn’t realize he bleeds silver until the next chapter? (If I remember correctly) because he gets a cut. If he was in an explosion and he has a broken leg, wouldn’t there be some form of blood?

Now, she is dealing with memory loss at this time and that would be a good excuse but I’m pretty sure she still had her memory loss at the time he gets cut. So yeah, I don’t get it.

*End of Spoilers!*
The action of the book is pretty good and the plot twists aren’t bad. They are the two reasons I kept going. They just weren’t enough for me to like this one.

Overall, it was okay. I wish I could have loved it but it just wasn’t for me. Like I said above, others have enjoyed this one and I’m sure there will be more that will like it too.

First of all, I am a sucker for memory loss stories, so the synopsis of this book got me hook, line, and sinker … and it did not disappoint at all. (This is also probably the closet I'll ever get to my dream of 'Overboard' but make it fantasy, so I am Very happy!) Memory loss trope aside - I really enjoyed this book.

While I'm normally quite good at anticipating twists and the overall plot of a story, this book kept me on my toes and surprised me constantly, which made for an enjoyable ride and an addictive page turner.

Two main themes throughout the book are religion and redemption. Their constant exploration, interwoven with the story was fascinating. Tal struggles with both, following his god has lead him down a path of suffering and he struggles to forgive himself for the things he had to do. Elodie might have lost her memories but everyone else still remembers her as The Destroyer, the woman with powers that leave only leave pain and destruction behind. Can someone be punished for a crime they do not remember committing? Can a person gain forgiveness, or is there a point of no turning back?

These two were very complex characters with a lot of internal conflict, and you cannot help yourself but to like them. I loved the bond they developed throughout the story so much (that lake scene will live in my head rent free), my only gripe is that I need more of them!

I also enjoyed what we got to see of Tal's sister, Nyx, she was intense, in the best of ways. Her relationship with Tal was very 'ride or die' to the point that her mother convinces her of two different schemes to save Tal that verge more on the 'die' part. Her mother seems kind of lost in a radical way of following her religious beliefs and not the best mother all together. Her girlfriend on the other hand seems like a good influence in her life and they had great banter between themselves. I only wish we could've seen more of them together because I enjoyed their dynamic a lot.

Typically, I'm not one to just jump blindly into a book. I read the synopsis, look it up and check it's rating, and more often than not, I'll also check out a couple reviews on both ends of the spectrum to better understand what's to love and hate about any given book. In this one instance, however, I couldn't do that. There was no rating, there were no reviews, the Kindle version of the book wasn't even loaded into Goodreads. That had never happened to me before.

I'd been distracted whilst browsing Netgalley and had thought Mercurial was a request-type book. I clicked, and only then realised it was actually a read-now book. The blurb was really interesting, the cover was very graphic-novel-esque and cute, and even though the book didn't have any ratings or reviews to give me an inkling on what to expect, I already had it in my (virtual) hands. So, I decided "eh, what the hell, let's just do it" and went for it. Let's just say, it all turned out to be rather serendipitous.

From the very beginning I kept thinking how much potential this story had to be adapted into a movie or TV show. The plot is great, yes. But that's but a small part of it. The imagery was so well described, the story so skillfully woven and the visuals so arresting and magical. Seeing this story come to life would be nothing short of amazing.

Also, I love a good antihero. Those characters you know you're supposed to dislike, but can't help but root for. The Destroyer was such an amazing character. Flawed, complex, violent but innocent, aloof but lonely. And Tal wasn't far behind, at war with himself, his feelings and beliefs.

I'm not a religious person in the slightest, so when Gods and faith are introduced into a book, I tend to get slightly apprehensive. Being preached to is not what I'm looking for in my novels. But I really enjoyed how religion and faith was portrayed here.

The God was an intrinsic part of the mythology and lore of this world. It was imbued into the very blood that flowed through those with magic powers, but was also separate and distant. And I really appreciated how Tal struggled with his beliefs and faith in this God through it all. The grief, guilt and feelings of betrayal destroyed his once idealistic, naive mindset. Learning and coming to terms with the fact that life is not divine intervention, but that we all have free will and choose the paths we follow. That we can love something we hate and hate something we love. These were all very deep, very philosophical topics to approach. And it was done masterfully.

Now, after all the praise I've rained down upon this wonderful book, you may wonder why not give it 5 starts then? Well, because of one big point, and another smaller one.

I did not very much like the character of Tal's sister, Nyx. She was a very important part of the story, as the main antagonist to our female protagonist Elodie/The Destroyer, but for the life of me, I couldn't understand her motives. Nyx's whole purpose was to basically save her younger brother. And she was so savagely dedicated, blindly relentless and doggedly persistent in this task. But why? Why did she feel so responsible for Tal? Why was she willing to give up everything and more to save him? And these questions were reinforced by the fact that Elodie's older sister, the Empress Sarai, was just as fiercely protective of her, and there was an actual meaningful, heavy reason behind it (no spoilers!). So, yes, all that made it impossible for me to empathize with Nyx and like her character.

As for the smaller reason for docking the book a star, I would really have liked an epilogue. The ending was good, it neatly brought the story to a close, but I would have liked to see a little more. The was a tiny tease of a mini epilogue at one point in the form of a vision, but c'mon, that wasn't enough! After so much violence, hurt and suffering, I would have liked a little domestic bliss; peaceful, happy cohabitation. Also, I wouldn't have been mad at a little more PDA. Something to keep in mind for the next book maybe? Let a girl dream.

**I received an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

I heard this was character driven and I was sold. Boi did it not disappoint. It really does get you dragged into the characters and their relationships with each other. This was quite unique as a ya fantasy, and I loved that about it. the only flaw may be the fact that I wanted to know more about the universe of this read, but maybe there will be a sequel that will delve into that! I sure hope so

Whilst browsing through Netgalley, I stumbled across this book and requested it in exchange for an honest review. Less than 24 hours later and I have already read the whole book and loved every minute of it!

This book follows Tal, who has visions of himself vowing to protect the Empress's sister, commonly known as, The Destroyer. Tal believes in this vision without knowing why or at what cost and makes this vow. 2 years later and a rebel attack means The Destroyer has forgotten her identity and lost her power. Tal and The Destroyer (now known as Elodie) have to work together to survive whilst Tal battles with himself on where his loyalties lie. And so much more happens! But I will let you pick up the book for yourselves to find out!

First of all, I loved the writing in this book. From the very first sentence, you are thrown into the story and quickly learn of the characters and the situations they face. I loved how complex Tal and Elodie and rooted for both of them. I also enjoyed the side characters in this book and overall themes of power, survival, relationships and family. The pacing is fast, with lots of obstacles and twists that I wasn't expecting.

This is a very character driven story, which for me was perfect, although, I would like to learn more about the world and the magic. I really hope there is going to be a sequel as I'm not ready to say goodbye to these characters yet!

This book was very different from what I am used to reading but it was so good! I loved the main characters' twisted relationship and the story plotline. I could not get enough of Tal and the destroyers story and was so sad when I finished the book. I will be recommending this book to my friends.