The first half of Silvercloak had me hooked. I liked the atmosphere of the academy and the early setup, Saffron’s motivations were clear, the magic system was interesting, and the world felt textured and alive. But once she leaves Silvercloak and goes undercover with the Bloodmoons, the story lost its footing.

The second half felt like the author was borrowing tropes from crime romance and placing them into a fantasy setting without doing the work to make them feel grounded. The gang dynamics didn’t feel believable, the romantic plot lacked chemistry, and the darker elements were more aesthetic than emotionally convincing. I found myself skimming toward the end because I no longer felt invested.

Still, the writing is readable and the premise is intriguing. Weirdly enough I think readers who enjoy crime procedurals might connect with this more than I did.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Rating 2.5

Quick very high level summary.
Saffron’s parents were murdered in there home by the Bloodmoons (a gang of dark mages)
when she was a child. 20 years later she vows revenge for their murder. She uses magic to get into Silvercloak Academy but she is soon found out. Instead of expulsion, she's offered a dangerous undercover mission to infiltrate the Bloodmoons. She has to become a Bloodmoon while keeping her past hidden as well as facing a prophecy foretelling her killing the son of the gang leader named Levan. Levan, who she also has begun to develop feelings for.

My Take.
This started out strong for me. I enjoyed Saffrons time in Silvercloak Academy but it once she was sent to infiltrate the Bloodmoons it lost of the the excitement I was expecting. What happened to the tension and intrigue? Why did our MC suddenly start making such poor yet predictable choices? Maybe there are just too many romantasy’s out there right now and they are starting to become just ok. I think this had so much potential but I needed more high stakes fantasy. I appreciated the world building and character development but with the lack of excitement it just fell flat for me.

What a wonderful novel! The world building is well done. The past is woven into the present. You understand how this magical world came to be and operates. The magic system is unique. It uses different classes of magic, and pain and pleasure are sources of magic. There is a found family trope, which is one of my favorites. There is also a magical creature/sidekick, which I also love. Saffron is a morally gray FMC who is clever and plays both sides. She loves fiercely and wants to prove herself to others. Levan is also another morally gray character who does questionable things, but the reader can understand why. Their relationship is developed nicely. The end is explosive. So many things happened, and with the epilogue, I cannot wait to see how this develops.

Silvercloak isn’t just cool as hell, it’s utterly gripping from start to finish. At its heart is Saffron Killoran, a detective mage tasked with infiltrating one of the most dangerous gangs in the city. But this isn’t just another assignment. This gang is responsible for the brutal murder of her parents two decades ago, and Saff’s not just going undercover, she’s chasing justice with a vengeance. Or maybe revenge. Either way, there’s a score to settle, and she’s not walking away until it’s paid in full.
The worldbuilding here is fresh and inventive in the best way. The magic system alone had me wide-eyed: in Saff’s world, magic draws from a reservoir of pleasure and pain, quantity and quality determined by the emotional highs and lows of the user. It’s intimate, risky, and entirely original. As Saff navigates this brutal landscape, it becomes clear she’s playing by her own rules, with a few tricks no one saw coming.
Her descent into the city’s criminal underworld is a masterclass in tension. It’s dark, dangerous, and constantly keeps you on edge. The twists never feel cheap; they’re perfectly timed gut-punches that keep the plot sharp and the stakes sky-high. And then there’s the romantic subplot, messy, magnetic, and infuriating in the best possible way. I genuinely couldn't decide whether I wanted to throw my Kindle or write fanfic. It’s that kind of dynamic.
If I had one critique, it’s that the conclusion felt just a little too fast. With so many high-stakes threads converging, the final showdown veered into chaos, and I wished for just a bit more breathing room to fully appreciate the payoff. Also, since I read the e-ARC, I’m crossing my fingers that the final edition includes a map, I found myself craving a visual layout of the various territories, especially as the political intrigue started ramping up.
That said, these are minor gripes in a book that completely owned me. The (tragically short) epilogue left me feral in the best way. I’m fully invested, already obsessing over theories, and counting down the days until the next installment. This series has claws, and I’m not getting out unscathed.

Phenomenal book, Laura Steven yet again doing an amazing job at writing! This book was a 4.5 Star read for me, there were a few things I didn't enjoy about the book which prevented me from being able to give it 5 stars.

Before requesting the ARC for Silvercloak, I already had my eyes set on reading this book during its release week. I appreciate being given the opportunity to read the book before its release and to be able to share my review with others.

Silvercloak is a story like no other, yes it may have some resemblance of magic, wands and a story which makes you feel as though you are reading an adult Harry Potter novel but from a completely different perspective and in a whole new world.

The concept of pleasure and pain being the fuel of magic is such a unique concept I have never come across, it was so intriguing to find out about it during the story. Laura was able to keep some aspects of the world a secret until just the right moment! It is hard to guess what will happen next and the plot twists are some of the best I have ever read.

I would recommend this book to all fans of Harry Potter, Prison Healer, Hunger Games, Arcana Academy and Dance of Lies.

I cannot wait to read the next book, Silvercloak 2 is going to be amazing, I'm sure!

This book has a great premise and was executed well. A female protagonist undergoes magical law enforcement school and training in order to infiltrate the magical mob that murdered her parents. There’s a unique magic system where pleasure and pain provide the source for one’s power and world building kept me intrigued. The characters are diverse, queer, and flawed. The plot is a little messy but it made sense for the way the characters develop and the romance was a fun aside. It is dark, so beware there is gore, death, and violence frequently mentioned, as well as manipulation and intentional cruelty. But if you like revenge, enemies to lovers, morally gray characters, this book will likely be a good option.

Wow wow wow. This was absolutely incredible and I could not put it down. From page 1 I was hooked by the brutal world, the characters, and the academy setting - I'd love an academy prequel!!! This has real notes of Manacled and the Auction, despite being completely unique.

It is very dark, so go in with caution, but if you like the above, you will LOVE this.

Heat Index: 6.5/10

—Harry Potter but make it kinky (okay not really)

—magic but make it organized crime (okay but really)

—enemies to lovers

The Basics:

When she was a child, Saffron Killoran watched the Bloodmoons kill her parents. Now she's a Silvercloak, and thanks to a series of Somewhat Fortunate(?) events, she's been sent undercover to take the Bloodmoons down from within. Too bad she keeps on having visions about how she's both going to kiss and kill Levan, son of a notorious kingpin. The killing part? All good. The kissing part? Complicated, especially since they live in a world where magic is powered by pleasure and pain.

The Review:

I will say right off the bat—kinky magic is where it's at. I love a magic system where people recharge their magical batteries through orgasm, and maybe a little bit of sadomasochism as well.

What did throw me off, immediately, was the fact that Saffron's parents are killed with "killing spells" from wand-wielding gangsters. The gangster part, I'm all good with. The "killing spells" with people who actually use wands was a little jarring. I don't think this was supposed to be a direct Harry Potter reference or anything, and the world is obviously quite different outside of that and the general wand usage. So I'm going to go on in good faith and assume that any similarities are just sort of vaguely unintentional; I'm not an expert in That Series, and I wasn't much of a fan before the author author succumbed to mold in her walls, so. It was just a bit of a surprise to see the deaths handled that way, specifically.

Okay, SO!

I think there might be some debate over whether this is a fantasy novel with a big romance subplot, or a fantasy romance novel. Who knows what romantasy is between the of them, which is kind of the issue with that categorization. It's an ongoing series, so HEA is TBD, but that doesn't mean the series won't ultimately have one.

I personally really enjoy a "we're fated to kiss and kill each other" plot, and you certainly get that here between Saffron and Levan. I liked their interactions; I also liked that they were given love interests who existed before they met each other, and that wasn't considered Bad. This is also a very queer-normative world, which is always good to see in fantasy.

The thing is that I get why this is going to work for a lot of readers, and it's not that it like... didn't? Work? For me? It was a nice read, it just wasn't a very memorable one. And honestly, maybe my mood was off. But again, it's not that I disliked it. I think I just found the crime plot a bit too paint by numbers. Levan and Saffron's relationship was good, and if you enjoy that sort of fated enemies, undercover and falling in love thing, you'll probably like or even love it. I think for me, it just felt like I was enjoying a dynamic versus attaching to the characters.

It's another adult fantasy romance or romantic fantasy that felt... not bad. Just YA-ish with explicit sex. Better than some of the others on that front because the writing quality is solid, it just won't stick with me beyond the pleasant time I had reading it. I'd recommend it to some readers, I just don't know that's I'd recommend it to me. If I wasn't me. If you get what I'm saying.

The Sex:

I really love pain/pleasure interplay in sex scenes, though these were kinda tame considering the premise of the novel. The one thing that did throw me off was how they used wands during sex? Not the way you'd think. Imagine pausing mid-thrust to point a wand at your partner's bits and go "LIGHTNING BOLT" or something. So they could get a little zap. It does make you pause a little, right?

The Conclusion:

Not bad! I can definitely see this one being a hit. I just wish it was a hit for me.

Thanks to Del Rey and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was so excited to receive this and I was not disappointed. Probably one of my favourite books this year.

Thank you!

I am unfortunately in the minority for this book. I had to dnf because I was so uninterested. I couldn’t connect to any of the characters and skipped a lot of description.

Thank you to Del Ray for sending me this arc!

I went into this expecting it to be one of my top books of the year and, unfortunately, I was disappointed.

The good, first of all, is that the world is incredibly interesting. I do think things could get infodumpy at times with the worldbuilding, but the entire magic system as well as the politics of the world were well thought out and unique. At the end of the day it's what really stopped me from DNFing because I have hope it can be built on in the future into something better. The first 25% of the novel was incredible, I was incredibly immersed and couldn't put the book down. Once Saffron joined the Bloodmoons, it went downhill for me.

There were massive disconnects between who we are told Saffron is as a character and how she actually acts. She often makes stupid, rash decisions after setting up how important it is that she doesn't make any stupid rash decisions. I found her romance with Nissa to be interesting, but ultimately we didn't get much interaction between them. I liked her romance with Levan at times, but more often than not I just found it to be grating. Saffron and Levan together don't really feel like a couple so much as they feel like a bunch of popular romantasy tropes smooshed together to create something that will blow up on booktok. While I think Saffron's magical immunity was powerful but balanced, Levan is just completely overpowered and we go most of the book without having any of that explained. Unfortunately, this is also one of those books where things will just be...convenient. There was never any suspense because it was always pretty clear something was just going to Happen to advance the plot in the direction it needed to go regardless of whether or not it really made sense.

I am intrigued enough by the ending that I'll likely pick up the next book, but I'm not going to be in any particular rush to do so.

WHEN I TELL YOU ALL THIS WAS A WILD RIDE, I MEAN IT!!! The ending absolutely floored me and had me gasping, covering my mouth in shock, and hanging my head in my hands with the twists, reveals, and unexpected deaths. Silvercloak absolutely blew my expectations out of the water and I need at least 3 business days to recover. I haven't had such a visceral reaction to a plot twist since A Forbidden Alchemy, and I didn't think I'd experience it again so soon. This is definitely a must read for any fantasy fans out there!! I also want to bring up the literal perfection of Saffron and Levan's dynamic. I adored getting to know Levan over the course of the book and their chemistry was off the charts. I cannot wait for the next book, especially with that insane ending. I'm going to be frothing at the mouth!!

Thank you to Del Rey, NetGalley, and the author for sending me an early copy!

L.K. Steven's "Silvercloak" is an absolutely electrifying fantasy debut that grabbed me from the very first page and refused to let go. As an advanced reader, I was completely swept away by this intricate world where magic is powered by pleasure and pain – a truly unique and fascinating system that adds incredible depth and tension to the narrative.

Saffron, our protagonist, is a force to be reckoned with. Her journey, driven by a thirst for vengeance and forced into a high-stakes undercover mission, is compelling and fraught with morally grey choices. I particularly loved the complex dynamics she navigates, especially with the tortured son of the kingpin she's meant to betray. The enemies-to-lovers trope is executed brilliantly here, simmering with undeniable chemistry and psychological complexity.

Steven's world-building is rich and immersive, painting vivid pictures of a city steeped in hidden magic and dangerous factions. The plot is a relentless cascade of intrigue, betrayals, and thrilling action sequences that kept me on the edge of my seat. The pacing is superb, building suspense and delivering satisfying twists that I genuinely didn't see coming.

"Silvercloak" is a dark, dazzling, and utterly addictive read. It masterfully blends high-stakes fantasy with intense emotional stakes, exploring themes of loyalty, revenge, and the blurred lines between good and evil. That cliffhanger ending has left me desperate for the next book! This is a must-read for fans of complex characters, unique magic systems, and morally grey fantasy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this Advanced Reader's Copy.

The main character, Saffron felt as if she had ZERO personality. The author makes no qualms about the fact that her entire personality is wrapped around the death of her parents. We are taken back to the moment of their deaths so much, that clearly we were NOT Supposed To Forget It! Levan, the main male love interest is about as deep as a kiddie pool. His whole personality can be summed up in the lyrics to the chorus of Ohio is for Lovers by Hawthorn Heights. He's so emo, he cuts himself to remind himself of how many people he's killed. I don't think that's a spoiler and it definitely made me roll my eyes and almost throw this story across the street.

The other characters are pretty one-dimensional, each having just one thing that they do and it's pretty clear what purpose they serve in the plot. The Only Character I have any interest in is Russo, the white fallowwolf, but I already have a prediction about their backstory and it's not enough to continue to keep up with this story.

Reader's will like this if they love a fated pair romance, a brooding emotional male love interest, and bisexual main character representations with a few explicit smut scenes. Enjoy!

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I went through a lot while reading this book in the last 24 hours. I will attempt to convey them while reviewing this.

Around 18%, I was interested in the story and having a good time, although it definitely felt very familiar. This is like a more adult version of Harry Potter, but that’s almost part-and-parcel with a story utilizing wands and spells. There is similar magic too, with some sort of Latin-esque language for spells and them working in a similar way. There are potions and TimeWeaving (turning) and many other elements. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing at this point, because HP is in the zeitgeist and it didn't feel like a blatant rip off.

Around 83% and I described this book to my husband as Temu Harry Potter, but the section of Temu with knock-off sex toys that you aren't sure what they are even for. I still wouldn’t be surprised if this turned out to be HP fanfiction that was re-written. I was also right about almost all of my predictions. Everything felt like it was telegraphed VERY early on and so none of the twists were actually surprising. It's unfortunate because this could have been conveyed so much better within the world-building or a few things left for further installments. I do not understand what could possibly be done in the next book when almost every plot point was wrapped up nicely?

After finishing this book, I cannot give it more than a 2.5 to 3 Stars. And I go back-and-forth between the two because on one hand, this book was definitely readable (I finished it within 24 hours) and the story wasn't like a typical romantasy wherein the first 2 chapters you get all the tropes thrown at you and detailed descriptions of the main love interests face, body and genitals. But, this story really meant nothing to me in terms of the characters, world-building or even it's emotional impact. And the fact that it's not as bad as the fodder that's been published lately doesn't mean it deserves a higher rating. So, I've landed on 2.5 Stars.

Silvercloak by L.K Steven is a book that will stay with me forever. The first in a trilogy, it begins the story of Saffron Killoran, a young detective assigned to infiltrate the organisation responsible for her parents' death.
The worldbuilding is a feat on its own. Silvercloak is set in a world where magic is fuelled by pleasure and pain. A queer normative world that plays into the story, with different classes of magic, different religions, and a long, complex history of war and magic long lost. A world developed not only with great scope, but with attention to detail down to the way characters swear.
The characters are just as complex. Both Saffron and Levan are complete with internal conflict, past trauma pushing them forward, and an end goal in mind. Not to mention the constant chemistry between them. Each character, even the supporting ones, stands out from the page. Each with a past and present, a motivation, and a conflict.
The plot kept me on the edge of the seat, filled with twists and turns, refusing to let me darken the screen and go to bed.
My only quandary with this book is that it ended, and I cannot wait to read number two and three.
If I could give Silvercloak by L.K. Steven 6 stars, I would, but for now I'll settle for the 5 star limit. I urge every fantasy reader, just starting or seasoned in epics, to pick up a copy of this book (because I need to talk about it).
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the e-arc of this book.

I DNF’d this around 60%- it got to the point where I think I was just tired of the main character. HOWEVER, I do think this book has a lot of over 4 star ratings for a reason- it’s a great plot, and it has good twists from the very beginning. i think that I also just wasn’t a fan of the timing of the main character’s romance, but I think other readers will enjoy it- at least the romance itself. I was intrigued enough that maybe I can finish it sometime, but I just need a break for now. I think even with that though, it’s worth a 4 star rating!

Silvercloak had a slow start for me. The first few chapters felt dense with court politics and setup, and it took a minute to find its rhythm. But once things started moving, I was intrigued enough to stick around.

Kaelin is a former spy who gets pulled back into the political mess she tried to leave behind. She’s closed off, cautious, and constantly calculating, which makes sense for her backstory, even if it sometimes kept me at a bit of a distance. Thorne, the commander who ends up tangled in her world, is stoic and predictable in that “I’m pretending I don’t care but I definitely care” way.

Their dynamic is a slow burn with more tension than actual payoff, but the build-up works once the plot picks up in the second half. I wouldn’t call it swoony, but it felt earned.

The story shines most when the stakes become personal and Kaelin has to make real choices instead of just surviving. There’s solid world-building, a few good twists, and enough emotion by the end to make it feel worth the read.

Not a new favorite, but definitely a solid fantasy if you're in the mood for something slower, character-driven, and politically messy.

I really enjoyed the world that is created in this book. A magical city where mages refill their magic "wells" by indulging in pleasure, albeit food, drink, love or other pleasures "wink wink". It really isn't a super spicy book though there are a few scenes. Our main character Saffron has a secret that she cannot let her fellow mage classmates know about. But when their final exam for getting her becoming an official Silvercloak ends in disaster, her captain reveals that she knows what her secret is and in order to redeem herself Saff must accept a deep under cover job as a new recruit for the Bloodmoons, a rival mage group that uses pleasure AND pain to feed their magic wells. She must get intel on the groups to try to take them down but when the kingpins own son takes an interest in her, the plans become complicated.
I really enjoyed the world building and magic system. So if you love a morally grey villain and an enemies to lovers story, this is for you. Thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Silvercloak is an exciting fantasy filled with magic, romance, and emotion. The magic system is unique, using pain and pleasure in a creative way. The characters face difficult choices, and the story handles grief and trauma powerfully. It’s emotional, surprising, and steamy. The cliffhanger ending makes you want the sequel. Silvercloak has all the makings to become a major fantasy hit!

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!

what a ride silvercloak was! buckle up folks, because this is going to be one of the biggest fantasy books of the year!

i keep seeing people compare this to Harry Potter but they are extremely inaccurate imo — this is nothing like HP outside of the wands and verbal spellcasting, especially considering the mages in this world gain their strength from either pleasure or pain; the quantity and quality of their magic depends on how much pleasure or pain they acquire, and of course, pain ensures the quality of magic is the strongest.

silvercloak opens with our young fmc saffron witnessing the murder of her parents in her own home by the mafioso-esque bloodmoon group, and from there, her goal is to murder those who ruined her life. years of studying (and cheating), land her in the final stages of becoming an honored silvercloak, where of course things go awry and she is forced to go undercover and infiltrate the bloodmoon ranks.

i find that stevens writes phenomenal enemies to friends to lovers to enemies characters (our infinite fates portrayed that so well), and she outdid herself with saff and levan’s relationship as well.

truly, i also enjoy characters who try their hardest to keep their morals, but ultimately end up morally gray/wrongly viewed as villains in their world… it just makes the character development (and suffering!) that much more realistic. and oh, how poor saff tried her hardest to maintain her code of conduct but “oh, this is how villains are born”… JUST AMAZING.

overall, I NEED BOOK TWO IMMEDIATELY!!