I forgot to leave a review for this, but I really enjoyed it! It's been out for ages, so I won't say much more than I need to for my star rating. <3

This was a really fun read by an author I hadn't heard of before. I found the characters engaging and the plot wasn't predictable.

I really enjoyed the story and the world building, but it was such a slow starter. I loved the characters, especially the side characters-Dev’ friends. This was a fun, adventure spy novel.

Thank you NetGalley and Inkyard Press for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review which is not affiliated with any brand.

Interesting LGBTQ+ representation and a fun and fast paced fantasy adventure. Will definitely recommend for teens and great as a standalone.

I went into this one knowing very little about it and I'm glad I did because that meant I had little expectations. I really liked how well crafted the magic system and base of history was and felt that was developed well. Where it fell a little short for me is that I had a hard time connecting to the characters. I felt they were likeable in general, but couldn't identify with them during the story. That's not to say that someone else wouldn't, I'm sure they would, they just weren't characters that resonated with me personally.

I did overall enjoy the world that was crafted and found many elements of it intriguing, just had a hard time really connecting with the characters.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC of this title. I enjoyed reading this title. Would recommend for my library.

I was unable to provide review due to time constraints of me starting college. I look forward however to reading this book in the future simply as a fan, not a reviewer.

This book is one of my favorites of the past year! I really enjoyed the world and the magic in it, and especially the rich history. I also loved the characters. It’s rare that I talk about the theme of a book, but I found it masterfully woven into the story. Highly recommended!

Silver in the Mist by Emily Victoria follows a spy named Devlin. Eight years ago, Aris was attacked and her father was killed. Her mother is the Whisperer, the head of the spies of Aris. Devlin wishes for a relationship with her mother, but ever since that day, she had withdrawn emotionally. Devlin knows that The Mists are swallowing Aris and they are vulnerable to an attack from Cerena, their wealthier neighboring country. The magic casters of Aris are beginning to burn out. Devlin is sent on a mission to infiltrate the royal court of Cerena and get close to their most powerful caster, Alyse. When Devlin and Alyse become close friends and discover they have common goals, Devlin learns that the stories that both countries are told about each other are not exactly true.

This fantasy novel is a very engrossing read. I liked how unlike most fantasies, there was no romance, as Devlin is asexual. This novel focuses on friendship and knowledge coming together to make a better world.

3/5

i really enjoyed the worldbuilding in this story and i do love a spy story, especially an undercover mission one! i think that the magic could've been explored a little bit more, but that may just be because i thought it was pretty different and wanted to understand it better. weirdly, i kept getting thrown off by the word 'layde'? abought halfway through i was like oh that just means lady doesn't it (i'm still not sure)

parts of this felt very slow and i'm having this weird Moment in reading where a lot of these standalone fantasy books have endings that feel very abrupt or unearned and this one sort of felt that way? i couldn't put my finger on it but the book ended and i was like oh well. hm.

also i saw that a bunch of reviews were commenting on the fact that devlin is supposed to be ace (or aroace?) and while i totally get the struggle of not using that specific term in high fantasy, i genuinely don't know if that came through super strong? and that's ok since i didn't like see the marketing of this as an ace main character, but i think it could definitely be disappointing if people are going into this book specifically for that representation. i just read it as a fantasy with no romance which...doesn't necessarily make the main character ace? i know she is in this instance and i'm not taking that away, i just wonder if it could've been written in a way to make devlin's sexuality more clear because i think it's a really easy miss

I felt like the book could have used a little bit more world-building. Overall, the world felt a tad flat and could have benefited from adding unique elements to it.
I stopped reading around 75%

This book was really interesting! I was intrigued by the storyline and that's what initially drew me to this title. I also really love the cover artwork.

Devlin has never wanted to be a spy, yet she’s one of the best. Her mother is The Whisperer, head spy of Aris. Their country is under threat from The Mists, an ever-growing malevolent magical force that is encroaching on their lands and brings wraiths with it. Always looking for ways to earn her mother’s love, Devlin is ecstatic when she’s assigned a top-secret mission to their neighboring kingdom to steal their strongest magician in an attempt to help save Aris. As Devlin is on her own for the first time in her life, she begins to learn that not everything she’s been told is the truth.

Devlin was a fun protagonist. I enjoyed her complicated relationship with her mother, and how her views on several different things evolved throughout the work – there was some excellent character growth. I also enjoyed that there was no real emphasis on romance in this work. It was refreshing to read a YA fantasy where the protagonist makes real connections and has solid friendships, rather than falling in love over the course of three pages. The other characters were also well written with enough depth to make them feel like real people.

Overall, the worldbuilding was simple yet still interesting. I would have liked a bit more of an explanation of the magic system earlier in the book. Magic is called “Filagree” throughout the work, but it isn’t until one of the last chapters that this term is somewhat explained. I would have liked more explanation of other terms used as well – the term “Layde” is used for nobles, but the first several Laydes introduced are all women. So, when a male Layde was introduced, I was confused for a bit as there was no explanation offered.

While I enjoyed the plot, I felt that it was a little bit lacking. For a story about a spy infiltrating an enemy kingdom to steal a powerful magic user, there was no real tension present. This didn’t read like the high-stakes mission it was supposed to be, which did detract some from the immersion of the work.

This was an entertaining standalone fantasy read that I do recommend, especially if you’re not interested in insta-love. My thanks to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Silver in the Mist by Emily Victoria sounds promising on paper but was not as impressive as I hoped upon finishing it. While the story is entertaining enough, I feel much of it lacks the depth I've become accustomed to experiencing when reading young adult fantasy. The characters lack development, and the plot is very straightforward. Again, this isn't bad, but it is not what I'm used to reading in YA. I did enjoy Silver in the Mist but didn't love it.

Seeing ace representation, especially in fantasy is so important for my work. I love sharing new and different fantasy with my YA Fantasy readers, because I have a lot in my library.

This was a great YA fantasy novel! Both the characters and the plot were well written. Overall, I would definitely recommend trying this book!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Interesting world and premise, started to fall into some of the stereotypical YA action/adventure holes. Would be interested in reading more into the world.

Okay so I really, really wanted to like this book. I love the idea of an Asexual lead character being Ace myself. But it just sorta fell flat for me. Although, this novel was interesting and I enjoyed it overall.

Silver in the Mist is a fantasy spy story. If you've been searching for covert missions, sneaking around, and undercover missions, add this to your TBR. The action is alone to keep you reading. There are court politics in a world where no one wants to give up their power. Silver in the Mist is a setting full of enemies and alliances from years back, but is there a way forward? One that doesn't end in our destruction? But what I loved the most was the character journey of Devlin.

The Review

This was a brilliant YA Fantasy read! The author did an incredible job of world-building and creating a suspenseful atmosphere within these two warring kingdoms. The mythos of the Mists and the origins of this feud between the two kingdoms was inspired, and the imagery the author infused into the writing really brought this fantasy-driven world to life, both the magical side of things and the visceral side of spy work and the impact secrets can have on a world.

The powerful theme work that this narrative played into and the character development really stole the show in this book. The themes of parental bonds with their children, the impact of loss and how grief can blind us, and the dark side of secrets and lies and how it can drive the course of history as we know it all fused beautifully together into a complex tale that heightened the magic of this world. Combined with rich character growth for the protagonist, including her friendship with a fellow spy and the connection she forms to someone from the kingdom she is at war with, this novel brings the heart and engagement that fantasy-driven narratives are known for.

The Verdict

Mysterious, thrilling, and entertaining, author Emily Victoria’s “Silver in the Mist” is a must-read YA fantasy read of 2022. The amazing inclusion that this cast of characters has, including asexual characters, and the depth of emotions the characters evoke through this mythology-heavy narrative made this one book that readers are not going to be able to put down.