Silvercloak is an emotional and exciting fantasy.

Saffron Killoran's parents were killed by a ruthless gang when she was a young child. In the years since, she has vowed to get revenge on the Bloodmoons. To do so, she trains to become a Silvercloak, the city's elite crime fighters, by honing her magic and training relentlessly, But Saffron has a secret - she is immune to magic. This makes her the perfect candidate to go deep undercover, and root our the Bloodmoons' corruption at the source. But when she meets the kingpin's rutless son, Levan, she sees a side of him that he rarely shows to the rest of the world. Can Saffron continue to infiltrate the Bloodmoons and remain true to her cause to bring them down, knowing she will have to betray Levan in the end?

I really enjoyed this one! I had recently read Our Infinite Fates by this author, and I fell in love with the flow of the prose and writing style. This was also such a unique world of magic - I really enjoyed the worldbuilding and I hope we get to see more in future books. The character development is also nicely done - we see Saff grow into her magic a bit, and struggle as she plays both sides. Levan was an interesting character - definitely morally grey, a person who does villainous things for a greater good. We also learn more about their motivations and the secrets they keep. I did feel that the relationship developed quickly and went very deep very fast. I would like to have seen this drawn out a bit more and a little more relationship building between the two. But overall, I found this to be an exciting and engaging read, and I am absolutely looking forward to the next in this series!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore - Del Rey for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Five stars for the immaculately chaotic vibes and the fabled time-hopping murder puppy. I’ll take two.

Our story follows Saffron, a uniquely gifted individual with a tragic past. That trauma has shaped every decision she’s made and led her here: working undercover as a rat in the very magical organization that murdered her parents and has spent years terrorizing her city.

Now, were there moments when I nearly dropped a star? Absolutely. Saffron constantly reminds us how clever and strategic she is while repeatedly being stunned by the completely foreseeable consequences of her impulsive choices. Life-altering decisions are made with approximately zero forethought. Many of the book’s dramatic turns could’ve been avoided with even just a touch of planning.

And yet, I LOVED this. Was I frustrated? Deeply. Did I devour this like I needed these pages to breathe? Also yes. I thrive on the chaos of others, and this book? It’s pure chaos in book form. Give me all the magical messy drama and I will give you my soul.

“Then came the axis tilt, the perspective shift, the great pitching of the world beneath her feet.

A thunderclap of terrible understanding.

Oh, she thought, horrified and fascinated in equal measure.

This is how villains are born.”

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore, and L.K. Steven for the privilege of this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

Unfortunately this book didn’t really grab me. I was intrigued by the premise and thought it would be up my alley, but I could never get into it.

Silvercloak has: a deeply atmospheric setting with sex positive characters in a queer normative world. The magical system is detailed and I believed in the mechanics of the magic. It fell apart a bit when it came to the romance. I didn’t see that same level of detail and drama when it came to the emotional impact of the story and interaction of the characters. While I didn’t connect to the characters how I hoped, I do think fans of unique magic and strong world building would enjoy this one.

I think this will be a wildly popular Romantasy read this summer! Silvercloak gives off Harry Potter vibes in the same sense at having wands and casting spells, but this story is uniquely different. For one, the magic is fueled by pleasure and pain. We have the Bloodmoons (a rival gang) and the Silvercloaks (an elite order of detectives). Saffron is undercover and Levan is the kingpin’s son. Both are hiding their own secrets.
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🪄morally grey characters
🪄wand Magic
🪄enemies to lovers
🪄forbidden romance
🪄unique magic system
🪄1st book in the series
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I will be completely honest here, Levan definitely stole my heart in this book and I found it hard to root for Saffron most of the story. However, I am excited to read book 2 because i want more nerdy tortured Levan. I think Saffron could redeem herself in the next book.
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3.5 rounded up to a 4 star read.
The ending was 👌🏻😱🤩
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Thank you netgalley and Del Rey for the opportunity to read and review this book!

This book destroyed me in the best way. Who at the publishing house can I trade one of my organs for book 2 immediately??

This had everything I love: kicking my feet giddy while she argues with an evil enemy, my heart literally pounding out of my chest with the drama/action. TRUUUUUEEE enemies to lovers (if even). The plot was so smart and well executed.

My only qualm which keeps it from a 5 star read (for me, I see it being a 5 star read for many readers) is how complicated the world was. I felt myself being distracted from the plot by trying to keep up with the groups of people and their ideologies / geography / history / magic system / politics.

The best way I've found to describe this book to friends is Harry Potter x Sopranos x Blue Bloods. I loved the concept and how unique and creative it was!

I was really looking forward to Silvercloak since I enjoyed Our Infinite Fates, but unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into this one and ended up DNFing at around 33%. The story felt overly complicated right from the start, with so many unfamiliar names, places, and spells thrown at me that I struggled to keep track. It could have benefited from a glossary or some clearer explanations.

The magic system was definitely unique and had potential, but I found the repeated reminders that it was fuelled by pleasure and pain to be a bit much, and it didn’t feel fully developed in a way that pulled me deeper into the world. While the characters were okay, I didn’t feel enough connection to them to stay engaged.

Overall, this one just wasn’t for me. But if you’re into layered plots, immersive fantasy worlds, and don’t mind a steeper learning curve, you might end up enjoying it more than I did.

Thank you, NetGalley, and Del Rey for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Saffron goes undercover to infiltrate the Bloodmoons armed with her unique ability and a prophecy suggesting a seemingly impossible romance she feels well equipped to get the information the Silvercloaks need. But the longer she's undercover, her belief is almost everything begins to waver.

From the start the prophecy really reeled me in. I was so curious to see how it would all go down. The more I read the more I liked the love interest, he was a complex character who was equal parts sweet and vicious. The end of the book (think the last quarter) was strong and the pages went quickly.

However, the worldbuilding felt clunky to me. I was pretty confused who was who and why we were doing anything we were doing throughout the book. The world also confused me, a mix of modern day and medieval that felt a bit jarring, or maybe I'm just a medieval purist. I liked the main character Saffron, she felt realistic, but at the same time a bit bumbling in a way that annoyed me. She seemed to make the same mistakes over and over. Her actions, and some of the events, felt repetitive to me.

I'm undecided if I will read the sequel, but for now I'm not thinking I would recommend this one.

I had an incredible time reading this. It’s written in such a compelling way, that I needed to know where this was going next. What is also really interesting with this book, is that no one is safe, anyone can be killed, guilty or innocent they will die.

The magic in this world is very well developed, there’s a language to the spells, which I would have liked to have explained a little more (but that’s because I want to be able to create and understand how to write spells) but the idea that spells change depending on the intent behind them is fascinating. The idea that there are also these powers that people can develop but also inherited powers that caused the eradication of a whole group of people.

The romance element of this was definitely a slow burn, but it was what felt so right. Saffron and Levan are drawn together by fate and everything seems as though it’s been bringing them together their whole lives, but a series of events caused them to become different people with their own secrets. I loved the more tender moments where they could just be themselves, without the external pressures of their lives. But also, when they fought and when there was that heat between them it was so good.

Levan is such a complicated, nuanced character who felt real, he his a past, he has motivations and he’s obsessed. He also had his softer side which I loved. My favourite thing, aside from the rest of this book, was how nerdy Levan was, I mean, the cloaks? His interests and the way that he threw himself into it was the cutest thing, it’s a shame we found out what he did…

Silvercloak is a sharp, fast-paced fantasy that grabbed me from the start. The world-building is vivid without feeling heavy, and I loved how the story balanced action with moments of real character depth. The lead characters are flawed but compelling, and their dynamics kept me hooked throughout.

The plot has plenty of twists and tension, with just enough mystery to keep the pages turning. At times, I wished for a little more breathing room to explore the world and its history, but that’s more a sign of how much I wanted to stay in it.

L.K. Steven’s writing is clean and engaging, with a cinematic feel that makes the battles and big reveals stand out. A really solid read – I’ll definitely be picking up whatever comes next.

Review: Silvercloak by L.K. Steven

I couldn’t put this one down. Silvercloak pulled me in with its dark, high-stakes plot, but what stuck with me was Saffron—flawed, fierce, and deeply human. Her grief-fueled mission for revenge felt so real, especially the way she wrestled with who she was becoming just to survive. I related to that need to stay strong while hiding the pain underneath.

The undercover storyline had me on edge the whole time, and the tension with the kingpin’s son? Complicated, aching, and impossible not to root for. This book balances danger, loyalty, and vulnerability in a way that felt sharp and honest. If you’ve ever tried to stay true to yourself in a world that keeps asking you to change—this story gets it. Cannot wait for it!

At first I wasn't sure I was going to like this one because it took a little while to get into but by the time I hit the halfway point and the world building had been established, I was completely sucked in and could hardly put it down. I was really sad that the next book wasn't out when I finished because I NEEDED to know what happens next.

I will be adding this book to my collection and recommending it to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Del Rey for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

4.5 ⭐️s!

Saffron Killoran’s parents are killed when she's only 6 and she spends her whole life wanting revenge. She lies her way into the Silvercloak academy and eventually finds herself undercover attempting to help dismantle the Bloodmoons who so brutally murdered her parents. But in true enemies to lovers fashion, she finds herself falling for the kingpin's powerful son, Levan. Time travel has long been outlawed but could it be the only way to save everyone?

This world was well-written and I am very intrigued by the magic system requiring replenishment through pain or pleasure. Another true enemies to lovers situation. I wanted more. Too much slow burn 😂 I can't wait for book 2 for more of Saff and Lev!

I was sent an advanced copy for review. All opinions are my own. Thanks to Del Rey and Netgalley for the ARC!

Silvercloak is a fantasy mafia revenge story.

After the murder of her parents, Saffron becomes obsessed with bringing down the Bloodmoons, a sort of mafia-esque magical gang in their world where magic is fed by pleasure or pain. In her attempt to become a Silvercloak (magical detective? sort of? magical FBI?) she is sent deep undercover, right to the heart of the Bloodmoons. She does unspeakable things in the name of revenge and keeping her cover. On her mission, she grows closer to the son of the Bloodmoon leader, until she finds unheard of power.

I feel like if I say much more plot wise, it'll give a lot away, so I'll stick with that. I really like Levan, despite the hand chopping, and I'm interested to see where book 2 will go after the ending. It definitely wasn't unexpected, but the way we got there was wild.

L.K. Steven's debut in adult writing is absolutely a masterpiece of epic fantasy! The character, Saffron, out of the gate, is someone you can immediately bond with and root for. The side characters are just as lovable. The world-building and magical system are unique and intriguing. The chemistry between Saffron and Levan is just pure fire. And that you are constantly ethically questioning the morals of good and evil on both sides, I like. The entire story was completely addicting from beginning to end!

The first book of a fantasy trilogy, Silvercloak follows an undercover agent infiltrating an underground gang. I wasn’t that fussed about the romance in this book. The magic system was interesting and the world building was strong though. I really enjoyed the timeweaving and look forward to more of this as the story continues!
Thanks Del Rey for the review copy

DNF at 13%. I loved OUR INFINITE FATES and was looking forward to reading more work by Laura Steven, but this just wasn’t my cup of brew. There were quite a few aspects of this story that was just a throw back to Harry Potter: Killing and disarming spells, a magical academy, ancient wands with powers, nickname for non-magical folks, and Auria was pretty much this story’s Hermione. It was hard for me to fall into and feel invested in a story that just felt like the adult (and tbh ratchet) version of a story I’ve already read.

I also wasn’t a fan of the magic system in SILVERCLOAK. For example, one of the ways they could replenish their well of magic in the story was by eating chocolate and sweets. Umm. Okay. Just really silly, I couldn’t jive with that.

Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for giving me the opportunity to read the e-ARC.

Silver Cloak follows a girl named Ava, who stumbles upon a mysterious silver cloak after the sudden death of her brother. As Ava grapples with her grief, the cloak begins to reveal strange powers: unlocking memories, revealing truths, and guiding her toward a hidden legacy. Through Ava’s journey, the novel explores the pain of loss, the weight of secrets, and the courage it takes to move forward. Sandiford’s writing is tender and evocative, making Silver Cloak a moving read for anyone who enjoys character-driven stories with a hint of the mystical.

I am devastated that this book is the first in a series and I have to wait for the next installment. In this first entry, Saffron, a member of the police force, goes undercover in the murderous gang that killed her parents when she was six. She has seen a prophecy that predicts that she will kiss and kill the kingpin's son. Saffron cannot imagine a circumstance in which she would kiss such a man, until she meets Levan. In a fantasy world where magic is made possible by pleasure and pain, Steven has built a rich world and a thrilling story.

YA author Laura Steven moves into the adult market with the start of her new series as LK Steven - Silvercloak. But despite the change of name, sex and violence, Steven can not quite leave her YA roots behind.
Silvercloak opens with the murder of Saffron’s parents by goons from the Bloodmoon organised crime family. Twenty years later and Saffron is on the verge of graduating as a Silvecloak, the magical police of her world, in her drive for revenge and justice for her parents. Only the head of the Silvercloaks has other ideas. It turns out that Saffron is immune to magic and this makes her perfect to go undercover with the Bloodmoons who use magic to keep their members in line. As she is immune, Saffron will be able to report back on their activities without suffering any effects. When she does this she finds herself falling for Levan, son of the head of the Bloodmoons but she has already had a vision of both kissing and killing him.
The magic system in Silvercloak is interesting. Power is drawn from pleasure and is can be amplified by pain. But the different categories of mages is very unclear, or why it is rare to be able to have more than one specialty. And then there are the wands, with powers pretty much lifted from JK Rowling (the wand chooses the user etc), down to a flashback to Saffron’s first trip to the wand shop.
Boiled down to its essence this is straight YA fare. Young woman on a mission of revenge but in doing so learns who she is. An enemies to lovers story where, despite her life’s mission she cannot help but fall for her rival. And then, of course, it turns out she is some sort of chosen one who can do a type of magic that no one else can do. This is definitely not a novel for kids- there is plenty of violence and sex – but those who grew up with slightly tamer YA novels will feel right out home with the narrative beats of this one.