Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
4⭐️
A refreshingly original entry in the fantasy genre that will hit the sweet spot for readers craving magical school settings with high stakes and clever world-building. From the very first scene—reminiscent of “Voldemort’s time of rule”—this book promises darkness, danger, and an emotionally resonant journey, especially with its impactful time-jump framing.

Set partly in a magical training academy, the story excels in its depiction of spell-casting, strategic combat trials, and team dynamics. The school segments, while brief, offer standout moments that leave you wishing for a full prequel centered entirely on academy life. The magic system is detailed and imaginative, with spells, flair, and clever twists enhancing the plot.

Though the training arc is limited to the early chapters, the story never loses momentum. With strong main characters, engaging plot progression, and richly imagined world-building, this is a standout for fans of immersive fantasy with heart and edge. Keep this one firmly on your radar!

Thank you to NetGalley, L. K. Steven, and Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 stars

This book starts and ends with a bang. There are some slow moments in between. I found the magic system to be unique and interesting. I honestly want to know more about it. I hope we get more of the background story on Lorissa Rezaran. Saff is such an interesting character. She seems to be a morally grey character. I’m loving it. I thought it was interesting how, when they deplete their magic, pleasure helps to charge them so they will sleep with any gender. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book. I highly recommend it! Please check TW.

Thank you to Del Rey and L.K. Steven for this ARC! I had such a good time reading Silvercloak! I couldn’t put this book down. Saff and the amazing world that L.K. built drew me in with its mystery, magic, and intrigue. Saff was daring and calculated, desperate take down her parents killers. Every choice leads her right to their doorstep and the ride only gets better once she’s infiltrated. I can’t wait for book 2!

I do wish there was more development between Saff and Levan, plus I felt like Saff lost herself a bit towards the end, but overall the ending had me gasping!

For starters, I heavily disagree with all the reviews saying this gives Harry Potter vibes. The amount of time Saff is in the school setting is so small, and the magic systems are very very different. That's not to say that the magic is bad at all or I didn't enjoy it! I loved the magic system in this - pleasure and pain both fueling your magic reserves was a fun twist, and I liked that most characters didn't seem to have endless reserves to pull from so they never really felt overpowered (except maybe one person). LK Steven did a great job of setting up the world around us, from the different religions to the different languages for spell casting to the descriptions of the pleasure and pain houses on any given street. This was well written, and a very gripping start to the book as well.

I also liked the story set up for Saff being undercover. I liked her as a main character - her internal dialogue, her tragic backstory, her wit but also her making mistakes that cost her. She was very interesting to read about and it never got boring! I'm a sucker for enemies to lovers romance, and this also didn't disappoint. Nothing is more of a letdown than an enemies to lovers where they become lovers 50 pages in - the development of how they go from enemies to lovers and the self-loathing and back and forth was very good in this, and it definitely doesn't happen in the blink of an eye or without explanation. It felt very clear why they were drawn to each other, as they both got to know more about the other than what's on the surface. I was unsure how LK Steven was going to make me like Levan after how dark he started out, but she pulled through and I enjoyed their romance by the end.

However... the last 20% or so really brought this book down in rating for me. There were a few plot points that I personally really dislike in books, but would spoil the story to write out in my review. I felt like some of the ending was made just to set up a book two and force the couple apart in the next book, and not because it actually was what makes sense for the story. I felt like most of the characters in the last 20% just got really delusional/irrational/had tunnel vision and while it would make sense for one or two people to get like that, it seemed like every character was rigid in their view/want at the end and I felt like it was only to provide tension. That caused many of them to act in ways I didn't love.

Specifically, the last few pages had 2 plot tropes back to back that I personally don't enjoy. On the last page of the book, I feel like it was actually very out of character for that person to say/act that way and was only done to set up tension for the next book. Also, there's a lot of interesting dialogue over whether timeweavers should've been hunted and all killed or not, and how dangerous their powers are. The ending throws a wrench in this and I'm not sure how I feel about it.

Overall, I'm still keeping my pre-order of the physical book and I did mostly enjoy this (thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for the ARC!), but I hope that the second book doesn't dwell too much on the storylines I disliked in the last 20%. I see some potential for a really interesting bigger storyline related to the religions that I hope comes more into play, and there's still some unanswered questions I have that keep me wanting to read more. I still have a lot of hope for this series!

3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 for Goodreads/Netgalley

At its heart, this book wrestles with what it means to do the wrong things for the right reasons. It’s full of moral tension, impossible choices, and characters who contain multitudes. Prophecies, magical wells that must be refilled, an undercover detective storyline, and the ever-tightening bonds of found family weave together to form a fantasy world that feels both gritty and magical.

The romantic arc adds a delicious slow burn, and it’s especially refreshing to see protagonists in their late twenties and thirties rather than the standard YA age range. Their emotional depth and maturity bring a new kind of gravitas to the story.

With its blend of magic, betrayal, and heart, Silvercloak sets the stage for an epic saga. It’s one of those rare fantasy reads that challenges you to empathize with characters even when you question their choices—and leaves you hungry for more.

I had trouble getting into the book because I felt like the writing style was heavy and not so straightforward. I like the magic system based on pain and pleasure and that the magic is not an infinite thing. Also the idea of having to use a wand and cloak for magic.

The intrigue was slow to get into place and I feel like it was a bit easy for Saffron, the main character, like the fact that she goes undercover but she’s not on the bottom of the Bloomons or « magical mafia » organisation that killed her parents but she’s already spending time with the kingpin’s son. The romance was predictable even with the fact that she wanted vengeance from the death of her parents.

I loved Our infinite fates but this one wasn’t for me.

Rating 2,5
Saffron has spent her life preparing to get justice, and revenge, for her parents murder. When she gets the opportunity to go undercover she agrees, she can finally bring down the Bloodmoons. Infiltrating the crime organization she finds herself in more than one tough situation, and some more pleasurable ones. But the clock is ticking and she has to find the information before they discover who she is.

I really thought I would like this book. It has magic, agents, love, deceit, murder..a really exciting mix that appealed to me. Maybe that is why I was so disappointed, because I wanted to like this book.

It was really repetitive, sentences you read only a few pages ago were quoted again, sometimes more than once. At one point I thought if they mention citrus oil once more I’ll have to take a break…and they did. It is supposed to have an adult audience but I think both the writing and story is more YA, except for that the main character is 26 years old and some of the spice. Because there is open door spice but also talk about s*x like “the other kind of pleasure”, and being touched “there”. Well if the audience can handle some open door spice it should be able to handle a less discreet description. There are a few more things that bothered me but I would like to mention a few positive things as well.

The main story is exciting and the description of the world and how society works is well written. I like that the magic system, or the way magic is powered, is more unique and not as in most other fantasy. The cliffhanger promises more action in the next book and probably more insight to the old prophecies. I would recommend it as a NewAdult book or older YA, It wasn't for me but I am sure it will find it's readers.

Thank you to Net Galley and Del Rey for the ARC. Unfortunately this is not for me, I personally prefer more fantasy to romance, but if you enjoy romance heavy fantasy, then you will like this.

THAT ENDING!! I loved this, it felt like a grown up take on some of my favorite tropes, all wrapped up in a deliciously twisted, dangerous mafia world. I loved the magic system and Saff, who won me over within the first few pages. Watching her take on such a deadly mission was exciting and tense, plus the romance.! I can't wait for the sequel.

So glad I read this book, the story was really good and grinning. This was different to what I usually read, this is in my top 10 books of the year, can’t wait to see what else comes next .
The character writing and build in my opinion is perfect, everything I want in a book. And a story

*Harry Potter meets the mafia - no need to ponder overlong, just *yes please*

I went into this ready to love it; it reminded me quite a lot of Harry Potter but I was never able to connect with the plot or characters; and the flashbacks were disruptive which made it difficult to get back into the flow of the book.

I want to get into a story and need to keep reading because I’m truly interested in what happens next. This one, unfortunately, didn’t capture, or hold, my interest.



Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for the DRC

Full review upon publish day. But WHAT A BOOK. One of my best reads of 2025. The world, magic system, character arcs, and THE LORE.

Silvercloak was an absolutely amazing read! The world, magical system, and political aspects were incredibly thought out and explained. The character backstories were great, and we slowly learn more about the characters as the story progresses. I was able to love the main characters, and they were perfectly morally grey.
The ending blew my mind and has me anticipating the next installment of the series.

Harry Potter but making it queer and adult?! Yes please. This one took a minute for me to settle into the story, but once I got past the big worldbuilding chapters, I was hooked. Great summer fantasy!

L.K. Steven is officially an autobuy author for me! I love her writing style, characterization, and queernormative worlds. Our Infinite Fates was my first book by Steven, and Silvercloak is easily another favorite with its intricate magic system built on pain and pleasure.

From the very first page, I was completely engrossed in the story and the characters. All of them have questionable morals, and will go to extreme lengths to protect their families above all else. I loved the exploration of this fine line between right and wrong, and how people contain multitudes. You can be soft and loving to one person and another’s sworn enemy.

This made the plot so wonderfully complex, never knowing how the characters would react in any given situation. I loved the entire undercover detective premise and the concept of a magical well that needs to constantly be refilled. I look forward to exploring more of the world in future novels and the many betrayals sure to unfold. Silvercloak is one fantasy you won’t want to miss!

Thank you to NetGalley, Del Rey Books, and Random House for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED IT. It’s Harry Potter meets the mafia and seedy underground of organized crime and it was amazing. Morally grey is my favorite color and we get it in our FMC and MMC. I felt like the bottom line of this book was that good people do bad things for what they believe to be the right reasons and who are we to judge them? This book deals in prophecies, addiction, found family, magic, and a delightful slow burn. It was also so refreshing to read a book about an FMC and MMC that are in their twenties/thirties and not 19-20 years old. I’m so grateful to have been given the opportunity to read this wonderful book in advance but also so sad because it just means I have to wait that much longer for the next book in the saga!!

This book is an enjoyable read but I don’t think it knows whether it wants to be a romantasy or a gritty fantasy crime thriller and the result is a bit of a mess tonally. An easy to read, well paced mess, but a mess all the same. Still, I’m sure parts of the BookTok community will lose their shit over Levan and love it regardless.

Characters: Saffron frustrated me, mostly because the first few chapters promised a clever protagonist who was sparing with her words and always thought through every possible outcome before making decisions - then the rest of the book failed to deliver. Like so many other FMCs, Saff turned into a quippy fool around the MMC, dropping horribly corny one-liners and making truly idiotic decisions wherever he was concerned. I also struggle to believe she made it into the Silvercloaks (AKA mage cops) and was considered for an undercover role when she’s so damn stupid so much of the time, like constantly asking Levan incredibly suspicious questions. Also, Saff is described as nihilistic multiple times but I don’t think Steven knows what that means… this girl is not a nihilist. That said, if Steven commits to this actually becoming a villain origin story for Saff I think I could really enjoy where her character goes.

Levan didn’t bother me as much, I found him compelling and enjoyed him when he was actually being a believable heir to a crime syndicate. The fact that he goes all gooey and soft over Saff because they both like the same book series (don’t fucking get me started, this was the dumbest plot point) weakened his character for me. Also don’t write multiple times that he likes a bit of pain in the bedroom then give him and Saff such vanilla sex scenes. Let her slap him around a bit, come on.

Lyrian is a compelling antagonist, Aspar works as the strait-laced captain and the rest of Saff’s cohort are fine but forgettable. I like Nissa, but she’s under-utilised.

Plot: Look, I love the idea of a mage cop going undercover in a dangerous magical gang and getting caught up in all that crazy shit but this didn’t execute it well at all. Saff gets into the gang way too easily and the fact that she IMMEDIATELY gets to work alongside the heir to it all makes no sense. I was ready for her to have to go through some serious hazing and work her way up the ranks, but it felt like this was more focused on getting the FMC and MMC together than being believable. That said, the pacing was great and I read this within three days because the plot moved so well and had me hooked in, even when the characters/world/writing pissed me off. The twist with Levan at the end was brilliant.

World: Someone needs to inform Steven that mashing two words together does not a fantasy term make, nor does it constitute solid world building. The biggest issue I had with the world in Silvercloak is that animals, days, months and even times all have random fantasy names that are dropped into the story multiple times before ever being explained, which is confusing, and then when they are explained it’s through a randomly placed info dump in the middle of something unrelated. Why does every animal have to have a weird suffix (mourncrows, fallowwolves, reekhogs, etc)? Why do the days of the week have different names? Why the fuck is midnight called DARKNIGHT??? Better yet, why does the feared criminal gang have a corny ass name like Bloodmoons and why is the worst name the kingpin can come up with to insult Saff ‘filthcloak’? It just feels juvenile in a book that I think could have been stronger if it was a bit more grounded and gritty.

Writing: Overall, this was a pretty well written book and I enjoyed the fact that Steven used such a wide range of vocabulary in what is an otherwise pretty easy read. I think the biggest issue was the tone: Silvercloak couldn’t seem to decide if it wanted to be a cheeky fantasy drama, or a gritty crime story unfolding in a fantasy world. The result is a tonal mish-mash that doesn’t work for either, where you get scenes of Saff brutally gouging a man’s eye out described in gory detail, followed immediately by her joking with the MMC and referencing a fantasy YA book - which, like, what the fuck? The book would have been much stronger and more enjoyable if Steven had just picked a tone and stuck to it rather than bouncing between both.

Could not put this book down - read within a day. I absolutely loved the premise of magic based on pleasure and pain. The book was a little slower to get into it for the first few chapters but after that I couldn’t stop reading. Superb world building and character development.

1.5 stars.

A big thank you to Net Galley and Del Ray for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I felt very naive after starting this book. Hindsight is 20/20, and somehow it didn't occur to me that magic systems based on pleasure/pain had sexual implications. Needless to say, there was a lot of skipping. Additionally there were a lot of little details that were gross and unnecessary. I found myself cringing and rolling my eyes.

The overall concept of this novel was interesting, but this book starts off lazy. In the introductory chapters the main characters are introduced as a list. Could we not have a scene that demonstrates their characters rather than having the reader be told who is what and what they are Additionally, we the reader are told to like something "because it's sexy." One character is described as "She was smoking hot and smoked a lot." What does that even mean? I don't find smoking appeaking, and I immediately lose respect when "sexy" or "hot" is the main attractant.

It took me until about 40% to be interested in this book. The first quarter was slow, and there was a ton crammed into the last 10%. There were still some plot holes, but I did enjoy it towards the end. If the writing was improved and the skippable sex stuff wasn't there, I think this would be a solid concept.

Silvercloak by L. K. Steven was DELIGHTFUL. The story begins when the FMC, Saffron’s, parents are murdered and she becomes hell bent on getting revenge. Fast forward to the present, and Saffron has worked hard to become a Silvercloak - a member of an elite team of, for lack of a better term, detectives. However, Saffron is not exactly as she appears, even at the Academy. When her final test goes awry, she is offered the opportunity of a lifetime – but at a great cost. What follows is a story of truth and lies, trust and fear, and walking the fine line between what is right and what is wrong. L. K. Steven delivers an incredible story full of mystery and intrigue, including a magic system that I’ve never seen before, and the most delicious slow burn, enemies to lovers romance of the year.