It took a bit for me to get into this one but I'm glad I stuck with it because I really did enjoy this unique story.
I really liked the magic system especially and loved that it brought back wands and spells that just fed my inner Harry Potter fan, a little darker since magic feeds on pleasure and pain.
I liked the concept of magical law enforcement and how she went undercover and the enemies to lovers was well done. I will be reading book two to see what happens next!

For starters I had seen a few people read and review this book and the feedback was sooo positive. I was so so so excited and had high expectations...did this book hit those expectations??? YESSSSSSS! I loved it so much. - it was a very easy YA fantasy read that was fun and enjoyable.
Firstly, the use of wands and spell as the magic source was just so nostalgic from the days of reading HP - I don't think I've read another book that uses wands, so that was an extreme bonus, And to make it just that more unique, their magic 'wells' are fuelled by pain and pleasure, which I just thought brought a fun unique spin on the magic system.
The characters were great - this really pulled on the 'morally grey' type but in a way that really portrayed how your behaviours and perspectives can really be twisted when you start justifying your 'bad; actions in the name of what you believe in. Both of the main protagonists committed some horrendous acts yet you as a reader kind of route for the characters because they are justifying it.
Enemies to Lovers trope is actually VERY enemy to lovers - like they are literally enemies and the slow burn romance blossoms whilst the characters are still hating each other and pushing the bond between them away. The male protagonist is very broody but with a soft side that made him feel more human and I felt that it just showed 'nature vs nurture' very well.

The story in summary is the main character goes on a revenge path to infiltrate a criminal organisation - the Bloodmoons- to take them down after they murdered her parents years prior. She is working for lets call it the policing / law / government organisation - the Silvercloaks and is feeding them information, with the ultimate goal to find out what the bloodmoons real goals are. However, her past is wound tightly with the bloodmoons and she finds herself relating to them in more ways than she ever realised.
There's a lot of action, a lot of twists and turns and the ending was perfection!!!!

Only cons I personally would say is there wasn't a huge amount of world building and I feel the world the book is based in could just be so so much more! There's references to other cities and creatures like dragons, and other cultures and religions but there really isn't much more to it, and I just want to know more!!!!A lot of things just weren't expanded on that felt quite important.
Also, I didn't feel like the main character was in too much danger a lot of the time despite a lot of horrible things that were done to other people and how bad the Bloodmoons were meant to be. She gained the trust of the Bloodmoon leader and other members very quickly despite being known as a previous Silvercloak - I get they believed in the curse mark thoroughly but I just felt she was privy to a lot of inhouse things very quickly.

but regardless, I enjoyed the read and would definitely recommend it as an easy fun fantasy read.

This was 3.5⭐️ For me . Although the plot was interesting and this book was fast paced I didn’t enjoy certain aspects of it and the writing style as much. The main one being the magic system and how it worked. They had to fill up their empty magic wells, through pleasure or pain? And I didn’t enjoy how everyone just slept with each other and how sexualised things were because of how the magic system worked. . It was just not my cup of tea unfortunately but overall it was an interesting read. Saying that , I really enjoyed the concept of going back in time and how this was described.

Omg! I simultaneously wanted to devour this and didn’t want it to end! The politics, the betrayal, the romance! I will be impatiently waiting for book 2!

I am still reeling from reading this enthralling book with a dose of spells, dark magic and romance ( it was HOT!). There’s too much pleasure pain in this book.
The FMC and MMC build-up throughout the story was gratifying and interesting.
I cannot wait for the next magical adventure.

Thank you NetGalley and to the publisher Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for the ARC.

LK Steven is the true necromancer because she singlehandedly brought the fantasy romance genre back from the dead. The world building is practically unparalleled in this age where good fantasy romance is a dying bread. I'm so happy to report that this is, in fact, a true enemies to lovers, with actual morally gray characters and a slow burn.

3.5 stars

“Silvercloak” is an intriguing fantasy mafia romance in which a young woman named Saffron rises to the ranks of magical learning as a law enforcement officer, then to be publicly “disgraced” in order to take on a dangerous assignment undercover in the magical mafia. There, she grows close to Levan, the son of the evil kingpin responsible for the murder of Saffron’s parents. She works to unravel a conspiracy, understand her own unprecedented immunity to magic, and get to the root of Levan’s trauma.
This book was reasonably entertaining. I was primarily annoyed that Saffron’s name was Saffron, that Levan had a less hot name than his evil gross dad (Lyrian), and that I don’t ship Saffron and Levan (because Nissa exists). Otherwise, there was sufficient action and intrigue to at least keep me turning the pages, and a very compelling setup for book 2 that asks: who is really the villain in this story?

I submitted to get this ARC at NetGalley because the cover reminded me of Moon Knight, and was positively surprised by Silvercloak. No this has anything in common with Marvel, and despise having magic and wands, the comparisons with the young wizard saga is so unfair.

I confess that at first, the book wasn't catching my attention. I thought some things didn't make sense, like why Saffron's mother would act like she did in the beginning, she could've saved people if she was more honest with the Bloodmoons. I didn't think the prophecy was important enough to affect the world, but I kept reading and I got the answer (yest, it does affect others). And because I kept reading, I got invested in the story, how Levan wants to be good, but his ending goal won't allow it, and he embraces his cruel side. He is full of layers, and Lauren Steven convinced me in his nuances. Saffron is the main character but I really like how she's not a badass, even with her unique abilities. She makes mistakes and has to use her brain to escape some situations, like when she met the kingpin for the first time and he knew exactly who she was.

The most interesting thing is the magic power in place. Pleasure gives stamina to make spells, and pain makes these spells more efficient. Someone can run out of stamina and can't do magic, so things around the characters are used to be a source of pleasure, such as paintings and music. I also like that the author isn't afraid of killing characters, or to show them doing illegal stuff, even Saffron has to commit crimes. The plot is adult, the language could've been more polished (the people complaining about repetitions are right, but it didn't bother me), but by the end I found my jaw on the floor, didn't see that coming and I can't wait for the second book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey / Random House Worlds / Inklore for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Silvercloak started off strong—the prologue completely drew me in, and I thought I was in for something really special. But as I continued, my excitement started to taper off. Pretty early on, I found myself wondering: are there just too many similarities to Harry Potter?

One of my biggest struggles was with the magic system and worldbuilding. Instead of gradually immersing the reader into the rules and culture of the world, Silvercloak dives in headfirst and starts throwing out magical terms, spells, and concepts without much explanation or context. In contrast, Harry Potter does this well—with spells like Alohomora or Expelliarmus, there’s a clear sense of what they do, when and why they’re used, and how they tie into the character and story. I found myself skimming over spells in Silvercloak because they didn’t make much sense or carry any weight.

The pacing in the first 20% felt rushed, and the epic fantasy elements lacked the development I was hoping for. It was catchy in places, but not quite grounded. I also struggled a bit with the FMC—her decisions often felt reckless or unwise, and that made it harder to connect with her. I prefer when female leads are written with sharper intuition and decision-making.

That said, the book did get better around the halfway point. The action picked up, the plot felt a bit more structured, and I started to enjoy it more. But unfortunately, the ending tipped things back in the other direction—it felt too chaotic, too much happening all at once, without enough cohesion or clarity. It left me feeling a bit unsure overall.

I’m torn on whether this book is really for me. There are moments of real promise here, and readers who enjoy fast-paced magical adventures with familiar tropes may get more out of it than I did. But personally, I was hoping for more depth, clarity, and originality.

4.5 ⭐️

Not gonna lie, the audiobook almost ruined this one for me. I really was not a fan of the narrator and almost DNFed at about 20% in but decided to give it another try physically reading it and ended up really enjoying it!

Don’t go into it thinking this is another magical academy book like I did, as that is only about 20% of the book.

This book fed my wizard-loving inner child in all the right ways. It had wands & spells, prophecies, good guys vs villains, a wizard mafia, magic based on emotions, a wolf familiar, time reversal, revenge, and so much more. And OF COURSE a super juicy enemies to lovers to enemies plot line. With that big conflict at the end, I’m very excited to continue this story in book 2.

Thank you to Del Rey and PRH Audio for an ARC & ALC!

Silvercloak surprised me in the best way. Sure, this is a romantasy and yes, it has your typical angsty banter and tension, but I didn’t expect how so much else this book had going for it.

There’s magic, politics, bloody fights, rivalries, trauma, friendships, betrayal… The magic system? Super cool! You’re not dumped with 50 pages of lore off the bat. The author spoon feeds you the good stuff slowly and at the right moments so it actually sticks.

As for Saffron and Levan… Am I head over heels for them? Not really. Did I enjoy their dynamic? Absolutely. What I appreciated the most is that both characters actually function outside of their romantic arc. They’ve got their own stories, trauma and motivations. Their romance feels earned and not just “and now they kiss”.

I do wish we had more of the Academy side of things. I could not have cared less for Saffron’s friends but I would’ve loved to get a better sense of daily life at Silvercloak. A prequel about that? Sign me up yesterday!

You’ll like this book if you’re into:
✨ magic academy
⚔️ good vs evil

🔥 enemies to lovers

🩶 morally gray characters

Oh my god what an amazing read. I was on the seat of my pants the entire time I was reading. I don’t think I’ve read anything like this book. I loved the unique magic system and rich world building. The FMC and MMC were both very intriguing and I loved seeing where the story would take them next.

Silvercloak was a fine read. Nothing groundbreaking. The magic system was relatively unique. I like the idea of pain and pleasure being the source for magic, but I don't feel like Steven explored that enough.

The book felt too convenient. Saffronconveniently wasn't affected by magic, until it was convenient that she could be. All of Levan's abilities were convenient for whatever was going on in the book. The big reveal at the end, especially.

This series has a lot of potential. It'll be fun to see how she wraps everything up.

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for the advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Ideal for a reader who craves morally tangled, undercover revenge quests where the line between justice and corruption blurs amid simmering enemies-to-lovers tension.

If you ever wanted a spicy, dark adult version of The Book that Shall Not Be Named, then you will love Silvercloak. This book was fast paced and the world building was so in-depth. L.K. Steven really transports you into a dark and gritty magical world. Saffron Coomber narrates which is fun because the FMC’s name is also Saffron. She manages to bring the magic of the spells and actions of the characters to life.

This is one of those books that you fall in love with from the very first page, and don't get bored for a single second. Silvercloak delivers in every aspect. A thrilling plot that made it impossible to stop reading? Check. Beautiful whimsical prose that was nostalgic yet dark and fresh? You got it! A solid and unique magic system? Yep. A morally grey fmc and mmc? Yessssss.

Interestingly enough, the romance was the thing that left me the most on the fence - undecided whether to root for them or not. And in a way, this made the book even more enjoyable. Sometimes it's nice to read a romantasy that doesn't make the romance so obvious - but instead leaves you questioning not just "will they won't they?" but "should they?"

And BOYYY that ending. Honestly one of the best closing lines in a book. Give me the next book please Laura!!

I wasn’t the target audience? I was from the cover art expecting dark gritty fantasy police type adventure? Not the kind of not super appealing romance. I didn’t hate it, I didn’t love it. Good start with the tragically murdered loving parents. But it didn’t quite mesh with the romance part of the story for me. I’d still try another book by this author. It wasn’t bad. It just didn’t quite work for me.

I absolutely loved this book! If you want a magical world with wands and curse slinging, snag this book! It's rekindled that love of magic I had as a kid, but re-imagines it for an adult audience. Because magic is fueled by pain and pleasure, there is so much raw emotion explored in this story. What lengths would you go to for those you love?

I was captivated by this world and completely immersed. I haven't read a book like this in so long! The writing is beautiful, and the magic system functions extremely well! I've read recent books with clunky magic systems, so this was a breath of fresh air! L.K. Steven is an auto-buy author for me! 5/5 you need to read this!

"Six years of silence, a lifetime of grief."

Silvercloak follows Saffron attempting to become a Silvercloak to avenge the death of her parents by the Bloodmoons when she was a child. She ends up undercover within the Bloodmoons organization and what ensues is pure magic, deception, and the start of a tender love.

This sort of felt like the movie Lawless but with magic.
Like the Silvercloak and Bloodmoons were rival street gangs constantly at each other's throats.

The world building was rich and expansive without being overly wordy. It was fascinating learning the magic system and how it was entwined in every aspect of their lives. To upkeep their well of magic with pain and/or pleasure.

I think the presence of nearly constant fear and grief throughout the story truly set the tone for Saffron's mission. You never knew the motives for such horrendous acts and when the facts started coming to light, it was hard to reconcile what I wanted for Saffron and what was right.

"I see you, Silver. For all that you are."

I know this is a complete nonsense review because I do not want to spoil anything for y'all 😭

Over all, I enjoyed Silvercloak. I'm really excited to see the what happens next and the ramifications of a certain sometimes revelations 👀

Thank you Del Rey, LK Steven, and NetGalley for the earc. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I was instantly sold by the “Harry Potter” meets the mafia vibe of this story and I was happy to see that the magic system did not disappoint! I loved that things hit the ground running in the beginning and sucked me in right away.

The wands and magic almost felt nostalgic but I really enjoyed the darker twist on the magic and the intentions behind it. Some aspects felt a little YA for me, but overall this was an enjoyable read with a really unique premise.