I was a little unsure going into this book as I liked but didn't love Laura's YA book "Our Infinite Fates" but I really really enjoyed this!

This was like an adult Harry Potter with mafia vibes, and I ate it up. The world/magic system was easy to understand, and the concept of magic being fuelled by pleasure and pain was fun, it gave more depth to the characters that chose to use other people's pain to refuel themselves too.

The main character Saffron was fairly likeable but for me, the real star of the show was Levan He was broody, complicated, dark and a really good love interest/villain. Some parts were a little obvious, but at this point, it takes quite a lot to get passed me so I didnt feel this was a negative for the story.

The ending was really good, I am excited to find out where the series will go now given that ending (iykyk)!

Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for the ARC!

Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.75, rounded down for now)

Silvercloak was a wild ride—and while I’m not giving it a full 4 stars yet, I had a genuinely enjoyable time reading it. The world is dark, the magic is brutal, and the characters are complex in a way that keeps you hooked, even when you’re yelling at their choices.

The story follows Saffron, a girl caught in the middle of a magical conflict, political schemes, and a deeply personal quest for truth. She gets tangled up with Levan, a mysterious boy from the enemy side, and of course, the tension builds from there. Their relationship starts off in familiar territory: mistrust, banter, the reluctant alliance… then the softening, the spark, the bonding over shared grief. At first, I was into it. They had some genuinely sweet moments that made me pause and go, “Okay… maybe.” But as their bond deepened, the book leaned hard into fate-based coincidences—shared neighborhoods, parallel trauma, the same healing book—and it started to feel forced. Like the romance was trying too hard to justify itself instead of letting the chemistry build naturally.

Then the big twist hit: Levan is a Compeller—someone who can bend others to his will—and suddenly everything shifted. The book tried to balance the reveal with emotional weight, but I felt it undercut their entire relationship. There’s a line that shouldn’t be crossed, and compelling Saffron? That was it for me. What made it worse was his earlier promise that he would never compel her… only to do exactly that when it mattered most. It made me question every moment they’d shared before. If he was willing to break that promise, how do we know he hadn’t crossed the line earlier too?

Worse still, we learn that Levan had been compelling his own father to carry out the most horrific acts—acts that Saffron had always blamed on the father alone. So now the accountability is split… but the book doesn’t spend enough time exploring the implications of that. It left me unsettled and unconvinced that Levan could (or should) be redeemed.

Meanwhile, Saffron herself was a bright spot. She’s determined, thoughtful, and layered in a way that’s refreshing for YA fantasy heroines. And her dynamic with Nissa? Electric. I will not lie—I’m officially rooting for that pairing. Nissa and Saffron have far more emotional tension and history than anything between Saffron and Levan, and if the next book leans into that… I’m here for it.

The magic system (pleasure and pain as currency) was intriguing, and the stakes felt high throughout. Some parts were a bit underdeveloped or rushed, especially in the emotional aftermath of big revelations. But the ending sets up a lot of potential for a darker, twistier sequel, especially as Saffron starts making more morally gray choices herself.

I’m cautiously optimistic. This was a solid start with some rough edges, but if book two lands well, it could retroactively elevate this one.

Recommended for readers who enjoy high-stakes fantasy, secrets and betrayals, a morally gray love interest (if you’re still into that), and slow-burn political tension. Also: if you love queer undertones turning into actual plot threads, keep your eye on Nissa.

⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭒ ⭒
3.75 stars

♰ spoilers ahead

╰┈➤ Okay, so I need it to be known that I’m torn between giving this book 3 stars or 4 stars. I’m sitting at a solid 3.75 because despite the flaws, I really enjoyed my time with it.


╰┈➤ The Plot

ᝰ.ᐟ The story follows a girl named Saffron. When she was a child, her parents were killed by the Blood Moons (a violent mage gang that causes chaos, tortures people, and essentially operates as the most feared group of magic users)

ᝰ.ᐟ Their attack sets Saffron’s entire life on a mission: she joins the Silvercloaks, a sort of mage-police force, hoping to one day bring the Blood Moons to justice and prevent what happened to her from happening to others.

ᝰ.ᐟ But things go sideways. She ends up being assigned to infiltrate the Blood Moons as a spy. The person who was supposed to take them down from the outside was corrupt. But if they could get solid, undeniable evidence from the inside, they could stop that.

ᝰ.ᐟ Saffron was the perfect candidate because magic doesn’t work on her. So, torture methods like truth elixirs? Useless. The Blood Moons use a magical brand that binds spies with death spells, but since magic bounces off her, she’s immune. This makes her the best possible infiltrator.


╰┈➤ The Worldbuilding

➼ Honestly, it felt a little undercooked. The settings weren’t vivid, and the sense of place was lacking. I never really felt where we were. The magic system was simple enough to follow, but it felt like the rules kept changing.

ᝰ.ᐟ For example, we’re told that having more than two powers is rare. Then suddenly Auria’s doing three, then four, then almost five. And I’m sitting here like… didn’t we say that wasn’t possible? Then there’s Levan…he ends up being everything. Like, every kind of powerful. It just felt like the system was being made up as the story went.

➼ Also, the core of the magic is either pain-based or pleasure-based, which was an interesting concept.


╰┈➤ The Characters

➼ Saffron
ᝰ.ᐟ Shockingly, I liked her. main characters like her(silver haired) usually get on my nerves, but with Saffron? I hit 80% of the book without once getting annoyed. Not once did I sigh, cringe, or throw my pillow. That’s a big win.

ᝰ.ᐟ She’s headstrong, but that’s not her whole personality. She’s smart, she’s chill, and she’s actually cool. not in that try-hard “cool girl” way. Just genuinely cool.

ᝰ.ᐟ My favorite moment was at the end, when she had to choose between betraying Levan or betraying the Silvercloaks. And she said: absolutely not. She wasn’t about to let some lingering feelings for Levan push her into saving him at the expense of everything she stood for. The Blood Moons needed to go. I was like yes. Clock it🤏🏾
I love you now. That scene sealed it.

➼ Levan
ᝰ.ᐟ Listen, I don’t really vibe with Levan. As a character on his own, he was just… there. Not bad, not good. Just meh. He had a few cute scenes, and maybe one joke that made me almost laugh. Like 0.99% funny.

ᝰ.ᐟ But my main issue with him was in his relationship with Saffron. Every time they interacted romantically, I just cringed. It didn’t work for me. At all. Take that away and he’s fine, I guess. I’d give him a 5 out of 10. He’s strong, sure, but I wasn’t impressed. I honestly feel like I could take him in a fight.

➼ Nissa
ᝰ.ᐟ Nissa isn’t even a main character, but I’m submitting a formal petition to make her one. Because you really cannot dangle a sapphic relationship in front of me and expect me to root for a straight one. That’s not happening.

ᝰ.ᐟ She barely had scenes, but every time she appeared with Saffron? I was all in. Even ant 80% Saffron was STILL COMPARING LEVAN TO NISSA AND THINKING ABOUT NISSA WHEN WITH LEVAN!!!

ᝰ.ᐟ I’m a full Nissa x Saffron truther. If this doesn’t become canon, I will commit chaos.

➼ Auria
ᝰ.ᐟ Auria tested every bit of my patience. For most of the book, I didn’t care about her until the end, when I actively disliked her.

ᝰ.ᐟ She was messy, hypocritical, and exhausting. I don’t understand why Saffron was going so hard to protect her. As far as I’m concerned, the moment she pulled that “It’s your fault, you’re lying” even when all evidence clearly showed otherwise. Like should I tell you whose lying? Your little boyfriend who betrayed y’all 💋


➼ The Kingpin
ᝰ.ᐟ Now this surprised me! I actually felt bad for him at the end. I was like… damn. He didn’t even want to be this person. He used to be an agricultural farmer, for crying out loud.

ᝰ.ᐟ What made me pause was how Saffron handled him. She kept preaching about how villains are made, not born, and offering grace to people like Levan—who literally tortured others—but the Kingpin? She was like, “I’ll kill you.” EVEN AFTER hearing his sob story

ᝰ.ᐟ That didn’t sit right with me. He deserved at least a sliver of the grace she was handing out to others.

➼ Aspar
ᝰ.ᐟ And lastly, Aspar. I have beef. Why was she the only person who knew about the undercover mission? Like, no backup? No contingency plan? What if Saffron hadn’t told Nissa? That would’ve been game over. It was such a dumb, unrealistic decision, and it made me roll my eyes so hard.

➼ Everyone Else
Kinda forgettable.


╰┈➤ <b> Relationship </b>

➼ I have a lot of thoughts. We’re going to start from the beginning.

➼ Their relationship follows the classic, overused, and frankly dumb trope: “Oh no, I hate this group of people, but wait there’s one hot boy who’s not like the rest, and even though he’s supposed to be evil, he’s actually kinda nice. So… do I love him?” You know the one. The cliche.

ᝰ.ᐟ But here’s the thing, I didn’t care as much as I usually do with this trope. Maybe because in other books, it’s usually tied to bigger themes like oppressive regimes, and the “love interest” is part of some colonial or racist system.

ᝰ.ᐟ But here? He’s just a guy who tortures and murders people. Still bad, yes but not layered in the same political way. So my hate never got to that visceral level it usually does.

➼ That said, they did have some cute moments. I won’t lie. Occasionally they’d say something, and I’d be like, “Awnn.” But then I’d shake my head real quick because no! Saffron and Nissa have to end up together. I am pushing that agenda with my full chest. And I won’t breathe until it happens

ᝰ.ᐟ Anyway, things progressed in a very typical way. Their dynamic started out kind of fun. It was the usual “I don’t like you” vibe, but let me be clear: this is not enemies to lovers. I’ve seen people describe it that way, and it’s just not.

ᝰ.ᐟ They’re more like wary acquaintances at the start, not enemies. Then eventually they get closer, start sharing things, open up, blah blah blah.

I wasn’t invested, honestly. It was mid.

➼ Then they started doing this whole invisible string theory thing like, “Oh, we lived in the same neighborhood! Our parents died on the same day! We read the same book when we were depressed!” And I was just like… girl, breathe.

ᝰ.ᐟ It felt so try-hard. Instead of making the relationship feel meaningful, it made it feel forced. Like the author was trying too hard to convince me they’re “meant to be.”

➼ But the final nail in the coffin for me was the plot twist at the end when Levan is revealed to be a Compeller. And honestly? That ruined everything.

Let’s unpack that.

ᝰ.ᐟ When it’s revealed, Saffron spirals understandably. She’s like, “Oh my god, he was manipulating me from the beginning.” And I was right there with her. Because damn. That plot twist actually hit.

ᝰ.ᐟ Now, I’d noticed the red flags especially the moment he managed to use magic on her, even though magic isn’t supposed to work on her. But at the time, I brushed it off as the author throwing in another “fated connection” thing. So when the truth dropped, I was shocked… and then immediately frustrated.

ᝰ.ᐟ Because here’s the thing: the book doesn’t fully explore how serious it is that Levan is a Compeller. We find out that he’s been compelling his father to carry out the worst parts of his orders. Like his father, who Saffron always thought was cold and ruthless, turns out to be unable to stomach most of the actual violence. So Levan forces him to do it.

ᝰ.ᐟ What does that mean? It means Saffron’s hatred for the father—while valid—should also extend to Levan. He was the one pulling the strings.

ᝰ.ᐟ Then instead of this being deeply explored there was a sob story then a kiss🫩

➼ Then he swears that he has never ever compelled saffron because he hates compelling. But when push comes to shove, when the situation becomes urgent, what does he do? 💀

ᝰ.ᐟ He compels her. And suddenly, we’re supposed to trust that he never compelled her before?

ᝰ.ᐟ Absolutely not. Every moment of Levan’s journey has been crucial. So why should I believe that now, this is the first time he ever crossed that line? I don’t buy it. Once he used his powers on her, that was it for me. A point of no return.

➼ I already know what’s coming next. The classic, tired “I should hate him, but I don’t” trope. The fake-angst redemption arc. But honestly? He’s a bad person.

ᝰ.ᐟ I’ll admit, part of my rage is probably fueled by how hard I’m rooting for Nissa and Saffron. But also I just genuinely think his character was butchered in the final stretch of the book.


╰┈➤ Then there’s the ending. They try to frame Saffron as “going dark” which was kinda cringe to be honest but that last like did eat a bit.

╰┈➤ Still, I’m really excited to read the next book. I want to know where all this is going. And how the next book plays out will definitely influence how I rate this one. Because as it stands, I don’t want to rate this too high, only for book two to flop. So for now, I’m staying at 3 stars.

╰┈➤ I did enjoy the book. The journey was fun. Some things annoyed me, yes, but I’m not foaming at the mouth or flipping tables. Not yet. Maybe I will in the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving this ARC, and this doesn’t influence my review. I had to DNF. The start was just info-dumping characters, places, and terms that made no sense.

Read if: you love a morally grey character and unique world and magic system.

The premise of this book is so interesting - a magical detective going undercover in the organisation that killed her parents with a super fun magic system. I really enjoyed the worldbuilding and the overall story of the book. Everytime Saff was uncovering the mystery or having to make difficult decisions I was so engrossed. The setting was well developed with lots of side characters who felt interesting and important in their own right.

I appreciate that the magic system was well developed with real limits and consequences for the characters when they push these limits. This book was dark at times with Saff having to make difficult decisions that develop her into an increasingly morally grey character. There are real repercussions for her decisions and the stakes in this book felt consistently high. The tense atmosphere and fast paced plot made this book incredibly fun and easy to binge.

My main issue with the book is that I just wish the romance had taken longer to develop. I really like Saff as well as the MMC, Levan, and I did feel at times that their relationship was realistic and compelling. However I just felt that a bit more time to develop their feelings would have made more sense for this story and would have allowed both characters to shine on their own which in turn would have allowed the reader to feel more invested in the relationship. Sometimes both main characters motivations and actions seemed like they were designed only to push the romance forward and not in line with how they'd been characterised.

I'm excited to read the sequel and to see how Saff and Levan's relationship changes after the events in the final chapters of this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“You can either yield to grief, or you can use it. Those are the only two choices in the end…Grief can bury you, or it can fuel you.”

Many times while reading this book I kept thinking this feels very HP to the point I eventually had to google whether it was a reskinned fanfic. It—in fact—is not, but while it is wildly different than the magic system of the HP world and the general vibe, there is something about it that fills that space in my brain. It may just be that the it’s an incantation wand based magic, but idk there’s something about the whimsy of the world and then ofc you have the orphaned child whose parents were killed by the evil gang of the world (Bloodmoon just sounds like a derivative of Death Eaters).

BUT BUT before I lose you with the HP talk, unlike JKR, this world is inclusive (from the beginning and not retconned into inclusivity) like it’s canon that everyone is gay (very bi4bi lots of same sex couples etc…) there is also not the reliance on like weird magical racism and bloodlines like there is in HP…essentially, all this to say, it captures some of the nostalgia whimsy of the series without being problematic lol

I enjoyed the thought that went into this world and of course the diversity is good. I really wished we could have had more time to dig into the academia aspect that the book starts out with bc it seemed really fun. The magic system was very interesting (sometimes a little corny tbh). You can tell alot of thought and time and effort were put into creating something unique. I love the gritty dark feel of being in a criminal underworld and the inherent high stakes of an undercover cop type story. Ofc I’m always down for a forbidden love enemies to lovers i should hate you esque story which this delivers on in spades. The ending slapped. I love where it seems our two mcs are going and the arcs this book seems to be setting up, so I absolutely will be looking for the next book.

Now for my not so positive thoughts….This is LK Steven’s first adult novel. They have written like 10 or 11 YA books I believe, and you can tell this is their first adult novel. I don’t mean that in a super negative way bc I love a YA book. It’s just clear in the way its written that it’s kinda a upper YA novel just pulled into New Adult by virtue of the sexual content—which by the way there is alot. Like it’s not an overly smutty book like there are 3 explicit sex scenes throughout the book, but there is a constant undercurrent of sexuality due to the magic system being based on pain and pleasure. That’s were some of my issue with the YA dragged into NA territory comes from. A lot of the writing feels like par for the course in a YA novel but then there’s all this sex baked into the world that feels kinda like the author was like “how do I write an adult fantasy? oh, I’ll just make everything about sex because that’s what makes it an adult fantasy rather than a YA.” So sometimes that sexual content just felt forced and corny.

The writing style definitely isn’t for everyone. I had to push through sometimes because something about it didn’t flow in my head, but that’s a small concern really.

Another thing I didn’t love is just the level of world building info-dumping that happened in the beginning only for it to feel like some of that was forgotten by the end. We spent too much time in the beginning getting like political rundowns and info about other countries and the way the magic works only for it to kinda just fall away by the end.

All that being said, despite the flaws the book has, I really did enjoy it. The beginning was a little touch and go, but it did have my interest from the start. Ultimately, like could the execution have been better, yeah, but I had a good time and would recommend it, so I can’t say it was all that bad. It’s one of those books where like I’m not gonna rave review it, but I’m also not gonna say it was even remotely bad. It’s a nice average book. (Why does it almost feel like it’s worse to say something is average than saying it’s good or bad lol)

I would recommend this book to people who read HP growing up and have a soft spot for the series, people who like truly morally gray characters like the ends always justify the means vibes, who love a little mafia organized crime vibe and spying, and you didn’t hear this from me but *cough*potentially a corruption arc*cough*

Silvercloak is book one in The Silvercloak Saga by L. K. Steven. It is an enemies to lovers fantasy romance that will have you in a chokehold from page one.

The Bloodmoons brutally murdered Saffron Killoran’s parents, and she’s been out for revenge ever since. Finally tasked with a deep undercover mission to infiltrate the Bloodmoons and bring them down from the inside, she’s so close to the revenge she seeks that it is palpable. What she doesn’t expect is to develop feelings for the kingpin’s son, Levan. As loyalties are questioned and all hope seems to be lost, can Saffron continue on her path of vengeance, or will it slip through her fingers?

L. K. Steven has masterfully woven a unique world and magic system that is as addictive as the Loxlure referenced in the book. Saffron has a one track mind - to avenge her parents’ death - and she’ll stop at nothing until she has accomplished her goals. Levan is equally single-minded, and the two will soon find they are far more alike than different. As they bond over past tragedies, the tension and chemistry between Saffrona and Levan is absolutely undeniable. Silvercloak is beautifully written, and I would highly recommend it to any fantasy readers.

Thank you, Del Rey, for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you @prhaudio for the early ALC and @delreybooks for the early ARC!

There is a lot going on with this book. It’s got so much information to learn and characters to remember. Some parts of this really lagged for me (the middle), but I was invested enough to keep going. Worth it for the ending.

Loved

Queer normative world!
Queer main character
Wand Magic
Undercover mage infiltrating the enemy Bloodmoons
Spicy scenes! with wands! (Not like that!)
Audiobook was well done
THE ENDING!!!!

Didn’t love

Wordy, info-dumpy ALOT!!
The middle really had a lull to it that it took me a long time to read this
A lot is explained but confusing too? The spell work is never explained

Overall, it took me a long time to finish this book, which I figured was because it was an adult fantasy book with a lot of information to learn. This is a “saga” so I’m assuming 4 books? I definitely thought I might DNF this because of the wordiness but I kept going and was rewarded with a crazy whirlwind of an ending! I hope the next book is less info-dumpy and more storyline because I NEED to see what happens next.

🎧 Audiobook narrator does a great job with this narration. She has a British accent and speaks very clearly. It is only from Saffron’s POV so she is only really doing her voice. She does a good job changing her tone for when she’s doing dialogue for other characters. 5/5 ⭐️

There are a lot of dark elements to this story!

TW:

Torture
Death
Parent death
Killing

I've been thinking about this for a few days before writing my review, because I wasn't quite sure what I thought about the book.

For one, I really loved the magic system. I'm sure it's not TOTALLY unique (what elements of fantasies are?) but it's definitely very unusual, and that added some intrigue. The idea of a well of magic being refilled by pleasure and also sharpened by pain added a lot to the story, both with some unique world building elements and also some plot-relevant tie ins as well. The idea that there are some spells that people just can't do because they aren't talented at that particular kind of magic, coupled with the idea that a lot could be brute force learned anyway, added complexity to the system. I could have read an entire book really delving into the ins and outs of how magic worked in this system.

I also enjoyed the darker themes of the book. The setting had a gritty vibe, and the stakes were constantly very high despite the fact that magic could heal or undo a lot. The plot line of deep cover infiltration of a crime organization added intrigue, especially when you had a mixture of people who were evil and people who were forced into the organization, people on the "good" side that were clearly being bribed, and even people who were so rigid in their sense of right and wrong that they lacked empathy. I feel like the overall theme of this book is questioning, "how does someone slide into becoming the villain?" and the fact that Saffron clearly sees how easy it would be to try to fix everything for her personally, for her family, for her loved ones, and damn the consequences to everyone else, really drove that home. She's a selfish, complex character that I would not necessarily describe as good or evil, which makes a really interesting book.

However, what I didn't love was the romantasy trope elements. I felt like there were the typical enemies-to-lovers story beats between Saffron and Levan, and I do not want it, don't like it, just straight up hoping that's not where the story is going. This isn't advertised as a romantasy (which, by the way, I enjoy romantasies! I am not anti-romance generally) so I was surprised to see this big chunk of it being romantasy-shaped, except that there is nothing that will redeem Levan enough for me to ever want him as a love interest. So it'll be really interesting to see where book 2 goes with that storyline. I am hoping he's NOT the love interest, which would really resolve a lot of my up in the air feelings about this book.

Finally, I do wish we had gotten a little more. A little more discussion of how being immune to magic works, a little more on timeweaving, a little more on the political structure currently, a little more on the neighboring countries and how they work, a little more. However, this is just book 1, you know? And it's also already a pretty lengthy book. I do get that not every book can be 600+ pages. So I will leave this as, I will definitely be picking up book 2, and I think my feelings on this book will be greatly impacted by how the rest of the series goes.

Silvercloak has a lot going for it conceptually. The premise is bold, the world is dark and richly imagined, and the revenge-fueled storyline is compelling. The magic system, powered by pain and pleasure, adds a creative twist that opens up space for deeper emotional and physical stakes. The mafia-style Bloodmoon dynamic was an especially interesting addition to the romantasy space.

That said, the execution didn’t fully deliver for me. The prose leans toward telling rather than showing, and internal repetition often pulled me out of the story’s emotional beats. Saffron’s arc started strong but felt inconsistent in the second half, and while the relationship between her and Levan had potential, it lacked the chemistry I expected for such high personal stakes. The worldbuilding is ambitious, but occasionally weighed down the pacing with exposition.

There is definite series potential here, especially for readers who enjoy morally grey characters and magic school settings. With tighter character development and more subtle storytelling, future installments could shine.

Tropes included:
🖤 Enemies to lovers
🪄 Magic academy
🔪 Revenge plot
🎭 Undercover infiltration
💋 Slow burn romance
😈 Morally grey characters

The book was fairly decent, had an interesting premise and the magic system was pretty cool, and it was a fairly well done revenge story. I just don’t think that it was for me since the book was filled with the same overused tropes that have been prevalent in all recent romantasy books.

Where can I begin with this one? This book was absolutely brilliant and it absolutely destroyed me over and over again.

Silvercloak, though easy to compare to some more well-known fantasy series’ and tropes, has a very unique take on all aspects. Ranging from dark academia to intense magic and cultures; mafia-esque wars to royal coups; a whole world painted in Morally Grey. From the first pages, you are given a strong sense of the characters and the workings of the world. A queer-normative land filled with rejuvenating pleasure balanced with power-building pain - a wholly creative magic system that works in harmony with the plot to present a truly riveting experience.

The cast of characters were compellingly crafted, and the struggle of “Good vs. Evil” well navigated. The connection between Saffron and Levan is dangerously exciting, and I couldn’t help but root for them (I know, I’m such an “I-can-fix-him” fan, I need therapy 😅). Filled with tension and high stakes, the plot twists were well constructed and easy to follow, whilst opening so many new questions that I couldn’t believe we leave off at such a note. My enjoyment of this book is also my torture as I now painstakingly await the next instalment.

Thank you to Laura (L. K.) Steven and the publishing/NetGalley team for once again allowing me the opportunity to give an advance review. This is an exceptional entry into the darker fantasy genre and I am wholeheartedly anticipating the next, earning 5/5 stars ✨

Thank you to Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for gifting me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the most amazing book I’ve read this year, from a girl who has read 73 books so far. Definitely Harry Potter vibes but with undercover detectives.

I’m so close to the edge on saying that this is one of my favourite books of all time. I just can’t rave about this enough, it’s my new obsession and I’m telling everybody I know to stop whatever they are doing and read this immediately.

LK Steven’s imagination to create this World and what happens with these characters, is amazing. Every time something happened or there was a twist, I just kept thinking how is this even in someone’s mind, and to create it into a book in this way just for me makes me truly appreciate somebody who is just amazing at writing!

Saff, I loved her, I wanted her to succeed.. when so many fantasy books has a very annoying FMC, Saff was just perfect for me, humble, lost, trying to do her best for everyone. Levan is not the usual MMC either that we are used to, yes he’s hugely powerful but he’s so lost, as well trying to deal with so many emotions and trauma, my heart just went out to him and I just wanted to wrap him up in a huge hug.

This book was not predictable at all, at any stage I never had any idea how this would resolve or what would happen next. This is a true enemies to lovers book and thats really the only massive trope. It was so refreshing not to see all the usual things in these fantasy books like trials etc… it was just so fresh in its approach.

Just read it… I can’t wait for book 2.

You really got my heart hurting with that ending. I was so convinced that everything would be okay and I was wrong. I liked the magic system how they had wands but also had to refill their wells of magic in a sense by pain or pleasure. I like that it was different. You absolutely nailed the enemies to lovers. I absolutely loved Staff and Levans relationship. I always enjoy getting to read how the main characters try to overcome every obstacle and keep on the good side but that does not always work out! I was not expecting that ending and I need the next book ASAP.

how far would you go to avenge your parents’ death? for saffron killoran, there are no bounds.

honestly requested this arc based on vibes alone and vibes is exactly what i got. i had a fun time reading this but there are a few things that could’ve been better (imo). one, the world building! if you’re going to give me this whole
pleasure and pain magic system, i need something more unique about it instead of “yea everyone just fucks to fill their well”. i had to stop myself from rolling my eyes a few times while reading. two, the characters felt a little too YA even though i believe this is being marketed as adult (there is some spice, eventually). the relationships within the cohort could have been a bit more developed but maybe that’ll come with the next title? one can dream.

idk, this was ok! the plot was fine, characters were alright, the magic system interesting enough that it kept me until the end. i’m not too sold on saffron and levan just yet and i’m hoping that my opinion on them will change. this was a decent urban fantasy that got me out of my rut of romantasy reads.

ty del rey for providing me with an early copy ♡

ARC review
4,5 stars
Release date: Jul 29 2025

"Silvercloak" by L. K. Steven is the first book in the "The Silvercloak Saga".

I received an e-ARC from Random House Publishing Group (via Netgalley).
Opinions from this review are completely my own.

What you can expect:
- magic
- enemies to lovers
- undercover work
- prophecies
- revenge
- slow burn romance
- betrayal

This book got me interested from the first chapter.
We have two rival groups - Silvercloaks and Bloodmoons. Saffron's parents were killed by Bloodmoons when she was 6 years old.
20 years later she gets into Silvercloak Academy and receives the opportunity of going undercover and destroy the Bloodmoons.

There are a lot of things that I like about this book.
The magic can be replenished though pleasure or pain, there are different types of powers, the Bloodmoons are like magic mafia and there are a few unexpected twists.
Saffron has a good development as a character and she was willing to sacrifice a lot for revenge.
While undercover, she spends a lot of time with Levan, the kingpin's son.
This doesn't usually happened for me with morally gray characters, but I liked him from the start.
Even if we do not have his POV, we find out a lot about him, his powers and his childhood.
He is a complex character and I hope we get to find out more about him in the next book.

If you like fantasy books with magic, secrets and slow burn romance, you should read this book.

This book has a lot of promise and I can see it picking up as the series continues.

The pacing was good, the enemies to lovers dynamic was well done and the world building was intricate (although it does feel very reminiscent of Harry Potter at times).

My biggest struggles with this book were the writing and the impact of the magic system on the plot. The writing felt almost too literal and lacked emotion (a lot of “telling” versus “showing”) and I found myself frustrated with things being repeated.

There was a lot of info dumping and yet heavy things weren’t really explored such as the aspect of how six months in solitary confinement would impact someone. Also the constant long winded flashbacks from the past kept taking me out the story.

I liked the idea of a magic system being fuelled by pleasure and pain but I also felt like the magic system in general left a lot of be desired. I do find it frustrates me when things that happen can be avoided with a spell that just isn’t used for no discernible reason. There are aspects of the magic system that didn’t really make sense to me, but there is room for things to be explained better in subsequent books.

Thank you NetGalley, Del Ray, Random House Worlds, and Inklore for the ARC!

Thank you to the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

FMC Saffron seeks revenge and justice for the death of her parents by the Bloodmoons hands by joining her city's elite order of magical detectives. However, she's harbouring a secret, and when found out, she faces a choice to be cast out or work undercover to bring down the Bloodmoons from the inside.

In a queer world where magic is fueled by pleasure and pain, Saffron's journey to her end goal is far from simple, and the things she knows are not what they seem. Her discoveries along the way and the gruesome deeds she's forced to commit results in loss, lies, love, grief & hope. The story is a slow burn in all aspects from the start rising to a dramatic crescendo that left me feeling shocked and folorn but desperate for more.

It's easy to fall in love with this world and its unique magic system, it felt like learning another language. The lore goes hard in the first 30% but has a great payoff. Spells, wands, magical creatures left me feeling totally immersed. Fans of Harry Potter will love this. Can't wait for the next installment!

I honestly was totally along for the ride in this book. It’s brutal, fast paced, and has a very compelling magic system.

Saffron wants to become a silvercloak to avenge her parents who were killed by bloodmoons 20 years ago. She finds herself going undercover and testing her loyalties and everything she ever knew.

Of course there are so many unanswered questions by the end of this book but it’s a series and I can’t wait to see how the story escalates and more secrets are revealed.

All of these characters are super morally grey and each carry their own motives. I loved seeing personal histories playing out against personal loyalties. The whole time I honestly had no idea what motivations were going to be at play. These characters do not hesitate and are absolutely ruthless. It’s something you don’t see too often, and I thought it was a lot of fun!

Silvercloak dutifully and skillfully checks all the boxes of a good Romantasy. For some readers this will be perfect. Others (me) might wish it was more daring.

The quick-moving prose is clear, skillful at world-building and with the right amount of emotion to drive the romance and action. Saffron is determined, emotional, snarky, talented, with a classic tragic backstory motivating her towards revenge. She fits in right alongside similar protagonists. Levan, her love interest, is brooding, controlled, powerful, and far kinder than he seems at first beneath his hard exterior. The enemies-to-lovers arc hits all the right beats, while also separating and separates itself from other Romantasy books that I’ve read. It’s a slower burn with more emphasis on the emotional rather than physical (I thought the physical attraction was a weak spot) and better uses their status as enemies for emotional tension. Saffron and Levan continue at cross-purposes even after they fall in love. The story is completed with side characters that are easy to love or hate and a twist-filled plot.

However, while the twists aren’t predictable in Silvercloak, they aren’t shocking either. Few fundamentally alter the trajectory of the plot or the reader’s understanding of the world in the way of the best twists. More often, they confirm the trajectory of the plot or else hint at something different before veering back, feeling safe rather than revelatory.

Silvercloak’s premise of a world where magic is fueled by pleasure or pain could have gone so much further in its world building and plot. I wanted a world where people fight while having sex, where empathy is revered because of its potential to channel the pain and pleasure of others. Instead, little happens that couldn’t have with a different magic system.

Silvercloak is a good bet for Romantasy fans. For others intrigued by the premise, it’s a shakier prospect.