5 stars!! What a fabulous fantasy story I loved everything about this, the characters, plot and worldbuilding were perfect and the ending was shocking but amazing! I can't wait to reread this again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the eARC of Silvercloak by L.K. Steven, which releases in the UK on July 24th. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

One of the first things that captivated me about this book was the magic system. It’s both refreshing and original, built around the dual forces of pleasure and pain—something rarely explored in recent fantasy. The reintroduction of wand-based magic was also a nice touch, adding a classic but underused element to a distinctly modern system. I especially appreciated how the contrasts between pleasure and pain magic were described and developed.

The worldbuilding is strong, with layered settings and a solid introduction to the political and magical dynamics at play. The opening scenes do an excellent job of immersing the reader without overwhelming them, gradually feeding in key details and building tension without resorting to info-dumping. The story moves at a fast pace, and the writing is accessible—if I’d had more time, I would’ve easily devoured this in a single sitting.

Saffron, our fierce and headstrong protagonist, really stood out for me. She’s stubborn, determined, and unafraid to throw herself into danger. I don’t usually gravitate toward grittier or more violent reads, but the darker, more brutal elements worked well here and suited both the character and tone of the story.

That said, a few of the larger plot points didn’t land quite as strongly. Some emotional moments lacked the depth I was hoping for, and certain scenes—like Saffron’s time with the Bloodmoons—felt like they were building toward more intense or threatening dynamics than we ultimately got. The group never felt quite as menacing as initially implied, which left some tension unresolved.

Still, Silvercloak was a thoroughly enjoyable read, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing where the story goes next. A promising start to what could be a compelling series!

AMAZING!!!! The magic system was absolutely thrilling and I was hooked from the very first page! I love Saffron and I cannot believe that ending! Need the next book ASAP.

Read this if you love:
-Enemies to lovers
-Brutal, dark mages
-Magic school setting
-Diverse cast of characters

Thank you Del Rey for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley, DelRay and L.K Steven for the e-arc for Silvercloak! I read Our Infinite Fates, and loved it, so really wanted to read Silvercloak!

The story centres around Saffron, who after witnessing the murder of her parents at the age of 6 by the Bloodmoons (a criminal organisation who are taking over the city) trains to be a Silvercloak (magical detectives) in order to exact her revenge. This goes wrong when at the final assessment stage hidden truths about her magic are revealed, and she is unable to qualify. However, a deal is offered her whereby she poses undercover within the Bloodmoons to gather incriminating evidence and bring them down, and in return she will be made a Silvercloak. Falling for the Kingpin’s son is definitely not part of the plan, and makes Saffron question everything, and struggle with reconciling what she needs to do, and what her heart wants. Add in some prophecy and forbidden magic and you have a book I just couldn’t put down.

The main characters are multifaceted, and the development of them throughout the book is really well done. The main characters both have tragic and traumatic pasts, and are both flawed in their own ways. We see Saffron struggling with what she knows is right, and the things she needs to do in order to achieve her aims, whilst juggling her developing feelings for Levan. With Levan, we are introduced to a hard-hearted killer, with extraordinary levels of power, but as Saffron gets to know the man underneath, and the undeniable similarities in their situations creating a connection between them, it gets harder and harder to see what the right path is for both of them to survive.

The magic system was unique, and the use of pleasure and pain being used to fuel and renew a mage’s well of magic was genius! I’ve seen it compared to Harry Potter, which yes they use wands to cast spells and in particular pain/killing spells, but the pain/pleasure element differentiates the two nicely.

The world building is also really well done, and detailed! I feel there is a lot of layering going on in this book and we will see this coming to light in the next book.

Silvercloak ends with some unexpected twists, and a satisfying conclusion which leaves it open for a very interesting book 2, which I am really looking forward to!

All in all, I loved it! There are some dark parts, a lot of diversity, discussions of addiction, and mental trauma, love, betrayal, and Rasso the Fallow Wolf! I’m intrigued for where this story will lead us in book 2!

2.5 ✨

🪄 Soooo let's start this review by saying I was really surprised to see that this fantasy world was definetely inspired by the Harry Potter universe. And then you're gonna ask: Yes, but can't anyone else write a book with wands and spells? Oh yeah for sure anyone can get inspired by anything and write whatever he wants but the detail is how succesful you can do it and whether you can take the readers mind from the certain universe that already exists! It's not only about the wands or the spells (killing curse, torture curse, compelling, yeah you're right if it rings a bell) it was also for example, the books that were moving and doing funny things(like fanning themselves), magic ceilings and magic bookshelves...

🪄 And that's when my first point comes, because I just could not get my mind off that this book reminded me of this particular very well known fantasy world.

🪄 Now I come to the other point, the fact that I didn't enjoy the writing and I didn't connect with the characters so much. So, the writing was a bit excessive in my opinion with too many unnecessary details and descriptions at some points that I got bored.

🪄 The characters were ok nothing crazy, I was more intrigued by the MMC and his backstory. Their connection wasn't something wow and I didn't like the first time they did something.
Also I felt like the LGBTQIA+ representation was put just to be put in the book (idk that's what I personally felt).

🪄 The pacing was also an issue, after the 60% mark where some big events happened the book got slow significantly and then we got to the end, which I really liked but also at the sime time was kinda "convenient" from the author to write it this way, I don't want to say more because there will be spoilers.

🪄 I really liked the plot and the idea behind it!

Maybe it's a me thing and I guess some people may like it 🤷🏻‍♀️

𝐀 𝐡𝐮𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰.

This review is for Silvercloak by L.K Steven which releases in the UK on the 24th July! Thanks so much to Netgalley and Del Rey for giving me an eArc copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The first thing that drew me into this story was the magic system, as we see magic that is fuelled by pleasure and pain as well as the use of wands which we really don’t see much anymore. It’s a fairly unique system and I loved how they described the differences between the pain and pleasure magics.

The world building is also well done, with well layered characters and settings. The opening scenes did a great job of setting up the narrative for the rest of the book, as well as showing us the ropes for the political and magical aspects of the book. It never felt like a massive information dump, and you gradually get all the information you need while going through the story. It felt super fast paced and easy to read, if I had more time at the moment this definitely would have been finished sooner!

I loved the more violent themes, especially when it came to our FMC Saffron. She was super determined, stubborn, headstrong and not shy about throwing herself into harms way. It’s a lot grittier and gory than I usually like to read, but actually enjoyed it as it definitely fit in with the story.

Some of the larger plot points did feel a little flat though, and some of the emotional connections felt a little lackluster. Like when Saf was with the Bloodmoons, they just never felt as horrible as it was first described…

Overall I did really enjoy the book, and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next one!

It was honestly tough to keep this review spoiler-free because Silvercloak is packed with so many twists and intense moments. But wow, this book seriously hooked me from the very first page and didn’t let go. Laura Stevens has created a gripping story full of revenge, betrayal, and impossible choices all set in this wild world where magic is powered by pleasure and pain.

Saffron, our fierce main character, is on a mission to take down the Bloodmoon crime family that destroyed her life years ago. Her journey is full of tension, tough decisions, and moments that really hit hard emotionally.

What I loved most were the complex, morally grey characters who aren’t just good or bad but they’re real and flawed, which made the story feel that much richer. And the slow-burn romance? Absolutely electric. The chemistry had me hooked, especially with all the conflicting loyalties thrown into the mix.

The world-building is fantastic, especially the magic system. I think this might be the first time I’ve read about a magic system where power comes from pleasure and pain. With my allergy meds making my memory a bit foggy I might be wrong. Plus, the political intrigue and plot twists kept me on my toes the whole time.

If you’re into dark fantasy with complex magic, characters who walk the line between hero and villain, and a steamy enemies-to-lovers romance, Silvercloak is a must-read. With its gripping story, perfect pacing, and immersive atmosphere, this book is a standout for fans of romantic fantasy and tales of vengeance.

Thank you to Del Rey for this eARC. The magic system in this book is really unique, I loved the concept of filling your well through pleasure (and pain!) and how they live accordingly, indulging in food, the arts and other pleasures to stay powerful. Unfortunately though overall the book didn’t quite hit the mark for me, I wasn’t emotionally invested and found it hard to stay engaged. Loved the undercover/dectective side of it but romance didnt feel very believable or that they had a true connection. The events felt a bit disjointed and to be honest many elements reminded me of another wand wielding series which took me out of the story at times. Loved the magic system and Saff but not quite the book for me

Dnf'd at 17%

Firstly thank you for the opportunity to read this arc, In exchange for an honest review.

Ooooooo I really wanted to like this one especially after reading the blurb.
The magic was lovely, something totally different, but just didn't or enjoy the book itself, I'm so sorry.

I just felt disjointed and confused while reading it. It is such a shame because I honestly wanted to like it but I was pushing myself for 10% and I just can't force myself. Having said that I do know a lot of people that would and will enjoy this book, and I will never and don't like to put people off books if I've not liked them as reading is subjective

I went into this so excited as I love Laura’s work and the premise is so good! And the concept really held up, the way the magic works feels fresh and interesting. We also get to have the fun of the undercover scenario and knowing pretty much everyone has something to hide all the time!

However the first half or so of the book felt a little rushed to get to the action and in places a bit plot-hole-y? I really enjoyed it after Saffron has settled in to the Bloodmoons but there were a couple of times where it all happened a little too easily or felt sort of cliched? And there’s a lot of cool small things in the world building that I’d love to see more of.

Into the second half, there are still a couple of shakier moments but mostly it really picks up and we get to actually know the characters and the organisations Saff is interacting with. I do still have a few questions, especially around motivations, but I am very much looking forward to seeing how it all plays out in book two as there were so many reveals by the end!

The romance is sort of meh - I did like it when they were sort of coming together, but I’m not sure I agreed that either of them would have got there - especially with what we end up learning!

It’s difficult because I did enjoy the book and maybe was let down by high expectations, but I’ve been seeing everyone raving and that’s just not where I was with it sadly. I am still giving it 3.5 stars cause it does a great job of being a specific sort of magical society that I’ve not read a lot of recently, and I definitely missed that; and because I do really still want the next book.

Silvercloak is an adult fantasy with a really intriguing magic system, messy character dynamics, and a world that definitely has potential.

I loved the idea of magic being fuelled by pain and restored by pleasure. It’s such a unique concept and brings something fresh to the genre! I just wish it had been explored more, although that might happen in the next book.

The world-building had its moments, too. There are glimpses of other regions and tensions that I’d love to see more of in future books. But I’ll be honest, some parts reminded me so strongly of other fantasy series (Ahem... Harry Potter) that I found it a bit distracting. It sometimes felt more familiar than original.

The pacing felt uneven and a little all over the place. The beginning was slow, and I kept waiting for things to really kick off. It especially slowed down towards the middle and then REALLY picked up towards the end. I’m definitely curious where the story will go from here, but I think I expected more to happen early on.

I was also a little underwhelmed by the
romance. I love an enemies-to-lovers romance, but I didn’t really feel the tension or conflict between Saffron and Levan in the beginning. He was very sweet from the start, which made their dynamic feel more flat than fiery. I wanted more spark there, too.

Still, I didn’t have a bad time reading this. It was entertaining, and I think there’s room for this series to grow into something stronger. Given that things got more interesting towards the end, I'll definitely be picking up the next book.

For now, this was a 3.5 star read for me. It was a solid start, but I wanted just a little more.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. - Freya, arc & monthly book box pick reviewer

Years ago, Saf's parents were murdered in their home, but they had hidden Saf when the assassins came. Unfortunately, she witnessed their murder through a hole, though. She goes to a magic school to learn about magic and later on joins the Silvercloaks, an elite academy of magical forces of sorts. Think of them as magical detectives. But some of Saf's secrets are discovered and she has to make a choice which came to be to infiltrate the Bloodmoons, which are like magical criminals. She gets close to the kingpin's son and well, secrets, betrayals, lies, bloody scenes follow.

This is one of the most hyped books of the year, and I was so excited to read it. However, it wasn't for me.

Oh my, okay, let's start positive! Silvercloak has a cool worldbuilding!! Mages use wands!! I have missed the usage of wands! It has clear rules, too. It depends on pain and pleasure, as in mages get their power from pain and pleasure, and those ofc manifest in different ways. Some find pleasure in music, others in chocolate, etc. I also liked how their spells use a prefix, and that prefix indicates if the intentions are good or bad, for example.

However, there are quite a few not so positive things. First of all, there is one instance in the text where it described a character's eyes as sl@nted. Since this description is commonly known as a slur, I wish that those eyes were described with a different word choice. Secondly, I didn't like the motivation behind the Bloodmoons' actions. When it was revealed, I raised my eyebrows and thought, "what, is that it?" It doesn't make much sense to me. Thirdly, we learn something about Levan (the kingpin's son) which makes him even crueler. On the one side, they are really enemies. On the other side, no, thank you. Furthermore, I would roll my eyes less if I didn't see Saf talk about Levan's endless magic all the time. This is becoming like a pile-up but I didn't like the ending, either. For me, that's a cop-out. And lastly, for someone who infiltrated a very brutal criminal organization, she could talk her way out of her problems quite easily.

I am sorry to say that this wasn't for me, and I wish that eye description gets deleted at the next printing if it is not already removed in the finished copy. If it is deleted, then I'd recommend it to readers who like wands and cool magic systems.

I devoured this book.

From the very first page, I was hooked, heart racing, breath held, completely sucked into a world where magic is fuelled by pleasure and pain (yes, it’s as intense and twisted as it sounds). The concept alone is wildly addictive, but what really grabbed me was Saffron: obsessive, furious, brilliant, and spiraling ever deeper into the very darkness she swore to destroy.

The world L.K. Steven has built is gritty, sensual, and dangerous - magic laced with pain, politics, and power games. Add in rival gangs, black-market spells, and a slow burn romance with the kingpin’s tortured son (hello, emotional chaos), and I was all in. Their dynamic? Tense, tragic, and soaked in prophecy - literally.

And the epilogue? I still haven’t recovered. I don’t want to spoil it, but it was absolute perfection - haunting, satisfying, and full of shock.

If you love morally grey characters, undercover missions that spiral into emotional ruin, and fantasy worlds that feel both seductive and deadly, you need this book.

Seriously. Send help. Or the next book. Preferably both.

Thank you to the team at Delrey for gifting me this proof copy for review.

From the moment I first heard about Silvercloak, I knew I would love this book. A new wizard-type book, but for adults where they are already magically trained and going on to their adult magical jobs? …. Yes please! Sign me up! Honestly I don’t know what kind of crack LK Steven wove into this book, but right from the very first chapter, I was hooked and knew this would be the easiest 5-star rating I’ve given this year. Spoiler Alert: It was!

Silvercloak follows the story of Saff, a mage whose parents were tragically murdered when she was a young child. She saw the savage Bloodmoons, the underground criminal network of evil mages, killing them. Ever since that day Saff has been determined to train and join the elite Silvercloaks, this world’s magical enforcement to help protect and save people. When her long time deception is discovered, Saff is given the chance to go undercover and join the Bloodmoons… as a double agent.

Honestly, right from the very first chapter of this book, I was absolutely hooked! I absolutely flew through this book, I honestly couldn’t put it down at all. I’m in love with this world, where pleasure and pain fuels magic. We’ve all read books about mages/wizards before, but I felt like the pleasure/pain aspect put a really new twist onto it. It was dark and gritty in the very best way. We are hit with the hard hitting topics such as parental death right from the start, but it fuels Saff’s entire journey and I absolutely loved that.

I’ve seen Silvercloak dubbed the new Romantasy series but I personally disagree with this. While there is some romance in this, the main focus of the book is definitely the plot of bringing down the Bloodmoon’s and Saff finding out the ins and outs of this group. There is a hint of some enemies to lovers romance in there, which is delightful for any fan of this trope, but it’s definitely not the main focus of this book. Which for me, was a definite plus. While I do like a romantasy book, romantic fantasy is my preference, as I prefer the plot to be the main focus and that’s definitely what was happening here. Honestly when the romance first started kicking off, I personally wasn’t bothered by it and didn’t really feel it, as I was so invested in the storyline. By the end, I was definitely rooting for the two main characters though, so it’s a bit of a slow burn for me.

Silvercloak was honestly such an excellent fantasy book. It had everything that you could have wanted. Intrigue in terms of the criminal underbelly of the city, Saff’s history and her coming to grips that not all of the Bloodmoon’s are necessarily 100% evil. There’s a hint of romance and lots and lots of action packed magical fighting scenes. (I originally typed wand-fighting scenes but that sounds rude and I don’t want to give you the wrong idea of what this book is!). I loved every single moment of it, and that ending has absolutely killed me off! While I guessed most of the twists early on, that cliffhanger ending left me reeling. I absolutely cannot wait for book 2. Someone tell me how to bribe Laura into being an early beta reader for her. I need it!

Silvercloak is the magical book we have all been waiting for. It was everything I possibly could have wanted and more. If there is only one fantasy romance release you are going to buy this year, make sure it is this one and it was an absolute magical masterpiece. LK Steven has once again cemented herself on my favourite authors of all time list. There is nothing this woman can’t write! Pick this one up as soon as possible… I promise you won’t be disappointed.

I’m grateful to have been given the chance to read Silvercloak ahead of its publication. The novel is an entertaining fantasy that, while enjoyable, struggles to find its own voice at times. It borrows heavily from established works — most notably Harry Potter — to the point where some elements feel more imitative than inspired. From the "Eldin Wand" to artifacts like "The Enchanted Necklace" and "the Gilded Hand," many moments echoed J.K. Rowling’s universe a little too closely, making it difficult not to draw constant comparisons.

The pacing is consistent, which kept the pages turning, but not a lot actually happens until the final third of the book. For a story with high-stakes magic and political intrigue, much of the narrative feels like setup without sufficient payoff early on.

One of the biggest letdowns for me was the "enemies-to-lovers" angle. The main male character was far too sweet and accommodating from the beginning, which made it hard to buy into the idea that there was ever true enmity between the leads. The tension that usually drives this trope just wasn’t there.

The magic system — based on the intriguing idea that pain and pleasure fuel power — had real potential, but it felt underused or oddly placed in the scenes where it did appear. It never fully integrated into the worldbuilding or plot in a satisfying way.

That said, Silvercloak does have charm, and there’s enough promise in the world and characters to keep me reading. It's an easy, entertaining read — just not one that breaks new ground in the genre.

This review reflects my personal experience and perspective. Every reader brings their own tastes and expectations to a book, so while these were my honest impressions, others may feel differently and find more to connect with in Silvercloak. I encourage anyone interested in the genre to give it a try and see how it resonates with them.

In a world where a mage’s well of magic is refilled by pleasure and spells are intensified by pain, Saffron must bring the corrupt group, known as the Bloodmoons, down from within. Fuelled by grief and rage, Saff seizes an opportunity for revenge that has been two decades in the making.

Unsurprisingly, what makes Silvercloak really stand out is the pleasure/pain based magic system. Exploring the dynamics made this such a fun read and I was pleasantly surprised as it continued to expand as the story unfolded. This magic system formed the foundations of a dark and seductive world that is interspersed with just the right amount of wonder and whimsy. My only grievance is that, while lending an air of nostalgia, at times, the world felt slightly too reminiscent of Harry Potter.

I did find the first 40% more challenging to read as details were reiterated continually and there was little room for the reader to interpret details themself. Often we were told rather than shown how characters were feeling etc and circling back to details the reader should pick up on time and time again really slowed the momentum of the early plot. On the other hand, this may make this book more accessible to newer readers to the high fantasy genre.

For the next 60% I must say, I became absolutely hooked. Once Saff infiltrated the Bloodmoons and the stakes continued to rise, I could not put this book down. I particularly loved Levan, the son to the leader of the Bloodmoons. He quickly became my favourite character with his contradictory traits and mystery. I became particularly invested in the romantic subplot and loved the softer moments between Saff and Levan. Frankly, I’ll admit Levan stole my heart.

I was absolutely glued to the end of this book. With such an explosive last 100 pages, I need book 2 yesterday.

This book kept me up way beyond my bedtime! Saff is a Silvercloak, a mage detective. She is sent deep undercover to infiltrate the Bloodmoons, a vicious criminal gang with a tight grip on the city. There she meets Levan, the kingpin's son, a man who she grows close to, all the while knowing of a prophecy which shows her killing him. This was a fantastic read. Anxiety inducing, but fantastic! It had me on the edge of my seat at times as I wondered if Saff was going to be discovered. And as for the half page epilogue...Well let's just say, book two cannot come soon enough!

“𝐎𝐡, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧.”

I didn’t just read Silvercloak—I devoured it, just like I did with Our Infinite Fates. At this point, it’s safe to say that I’m a Laura Steven fan through and through. If you love your fantasy epic and emotionally charged, with just the right mix of romance, betrayal, and high-stakes magic, this one delivers. The magic system is clever and immersive—I’m still debating which mage order I’d belong to (Timeweaver? Necromancer? Hoping for these 100%)! 🧙🏻‍♀️

the vibes ™:
- betrayal / undercover mission
- prophecies
- unique magic system
- enemies to lovers
- queer representation
- so much more!

From the very first chapters, Silvercloak had me completely hooked. We're plunged straight into the action as Saffron and her Silvercloak cohort embark on their final test mission before graduating from the academy. Interwoven with this present-day storyline is a glimpse into Saffron’s childhood—particularly the pivotal moment that changed the course of her life. Both timelines raise intriguing questions, and I found myself compelled to keep reading just to uncover how everything fits together.

One of the strongest elements of the book is its focus on character relationships, especially the shifting dynamic between Saffron and Levan. Their bond is complicated, messy, and deeply human, and I’m eager to see how it develops after the events that unfold at the end of Silvercloak. Neither character is perfect, they make flawed, sometimes frustrating choices, but given the trauma they both carry, it wouldn't feel real if they didn’t. Their emotional depth adds a lot of weight to the narrative.

The magic system is another standout. It’s rooted in both pleasure and pain, a concept I’ve personally never seen explored in fantasy, and it gives the story a fresh, visceral edge. I’m also fascinated by the hints we get about other countries and cultures within this world. There’s so much potential for expansion, and I’m hoping future books delve deeper into these regions and their unique ways of life.

Thank you to Del Rey and Netgalley for this eARC to review.

Silvercloak is a dark and gripping fantasy debut that follows Saffron Killoran, an orphan-turned-spy who infiltrates the cult that destroyed her family. Set in a lush world where magic feeds on both pleasure and pain, the story combines high-stakes espionage with a slow-burning, enemies-to-lovers romance. The unique magic system, morally grey characters, and constant tension keep the plot engaging and unpredictable.

While the sensual elements and darker themes won’t suit all readers, fans of Fourth Wing and A Court of Thorns and Roses will appreciate the seductive danger, emotional complexity, and rich world-building. It’s a bold, twisty read full of secrets, betrayal, and power plays—perfect for romantasy lovers looking for something sharp, sexy, and unafraid to get messy.