Oh, I'm really torn on this book. I thoroughly enjoyed the first 80%—fast-paced, fantastic world-building, and a gripping plot. But the ending left me a bit disappointed.

If I had to rate it in parts, the first 80% gets a solid 5 stars; the last 20% is more like 2 or 3 stars. Overall, I’m landing on 4 stars.

Pros:

World-building:
The magic system is fresh and inventive, and the author puts in real effort to explain it without overwhelming the reader. The world-building is revealed gradually through flashbacks and in-world context, making it accessible and engaging without info-dumping.

Plot:
Saffron (or Saff), our FMC, is an undercover Silverclock—a kind of magical detective. The MMC is the son of a mafia king, directly tied to her parents' deaths, which creates intense emotional tension. On top of that, her former allies from magic school consider her a traitor, while the mafia doesn’t trust her because of her past as a cop. She's constantly under pressure from both sides, and the pacing keeps the stakes high and the story addictive as she works to survive each day.

Characters:
Saffron is a strong, focused protagonist. She’s driven by the need to avenge her parents and dismantle the mafia from within. Her commitment to her mission and her willingness to make sacrifices make her a compelling lead. That’s part of why the ending felt like such a letdown—it didn’t feel true to her character.

Cons:

Flashbacks:
While some flashbacks added emotional depth, others felt unnecessary and poorly timed—especially during high-stakes scenes where the tension was undercut by sudden trips down memory lane. Not all of them added much value, and they often disrupted the pacing and emotional momentum.

Ending:
The first 80% is full of suspense—Saffron is constantly questioned, surveilled, and on edge. But in the final stretch, it's as if all that pressure disappears. No one seems to doubt her anymore, and she’s able to act without resistance, which slows the pace considerably. Some of her decisions toward the end didn’t make sense to me and felt out of character. The resolution felt rushed, predictable, and didn’t live up to the promise of the beginning. I personally think the story could’ve wrapped up more satisfyingly in a single volume instead of ending with such a cliché.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC. This review reflects my honest opinion.

We’ve got a second book review today and we stay in the fantasy genre with L.K. Stevens’ Silvercloak. This story is an interesting blend of a heavy magic system with noir tropes as we follow Saffron Killoran, a Silvercloak detective, sent undercover to investigate the Bloodmoons, a dangerous criminal syndicate who were also behind the murder of her parents. Silvercloak has a lot to offer to different types of readers. There’s fantasy, magic, danger, romance, and a little bit of spice for people into that. I really found the story of Saff herself to be engaging as well as the people within the Bloodmoons that she meets along the way. The ideas of justice vs vengeance as well as what makes a good individual are themes that are handled well here. The ending and reveals are also truly something to stick through the book for and have made me highly anticipate where we go with the next book as this is the first in a new series. I really like how magic is explained in this world with the spells being relevant to whether it’s pleasurable or painful but also with how many rules surrounding it that prevent certain things from happening. It seems we’ll have to wait until next time though to see how that’s expanded upon. As for Silvercloak, I recommend it to anyone that’s interested in the romantasy genre with some noir elements and a hard magic setting.

.ೃ࿐ <i>Thank you to NetGalley & Del Rey for the opportunity to read and review the ARC before release! All thoughts and opinions are my own.</i>

<i>5 ★</i>

ੈ✩‧₊˚ <i>my thoughts</i>

<b>My newest obsession.</b>

Saffron - a detective obsessed with bringing justice to her parents’ killers - infiltrates a criminal organisation of dark mages. In a world where magic is fueled by pleasure and pain, Saff learns about a prophecy that involves her and a fellow dark mage, and she struggles to find the path through her future.

This book was so unique! Not only did it have a unique magic system, the politics were unique, the society was unique, and the story was unique with unique politics and gang complexities. For a romantasy new release it is seems hard to have so many unique elements in a story, but Steven really pulled it off here.

This is not criticism towards the book, but I felt weird reading several reviews that reference HP, especially as I'm not aware of the book being marketed as being related to HP. I guess its probably because of the wands, but it made me a little uncomfortable and might be something the publisher watches out for.

I need book 2, like yesterday.

I'm going to sit with my thoughts for a few days because this book really made an impression on me and I might be adding more thoughts to my full goodreads review.

I really liked the chemistry between Saffron and Levan but other than that, the rest of the book fell flat for me. The world building was good and the romance just didn't hit like I wanted it to either. I think people will enjoy this book, it just wasn't my favorite.

I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. I have seen numerous polarizing reviews about this book. It has some hype, and you never know how you will end up feeling about it. I tend to have a harder time with hyped-up books. I’m glad to say that was not the case here.

I flew through this book because I could not get enough of the power balance between Levan and Saff. They had so much chemistry, and I couldn’t get enough. The enemies-to-lovers trope added so much tension. It is written so well, and I loved every minute of it! The magic is interesting and unique. They derive their magic from pain, and pleasure was an interesting choice. There are many ways that those in power get their magic; some great and some not. I do see a lot of people talking about Harry Potter vibes, and yes- I can see that. I do think there are enough differences that it doesn’t feel too similar. We do get a little of the magical “school” and how they compete for their jobs. The moment that we knew Saff was hiding potential, I knew it was going to be good.

The undercover situation was so stressful! I always love a good undercover scenario, but this one was so intense. Saff had a lot to lose, but she was also trying to figure out her boundaries. How far will she succumb to horrible things to keep her cover? There’s a struggle within, and it was nice seeing that. Things are not always black and white, which Saff is learning the hard way.

I thought this was a fun and tension-filled read. I cannot wait for the next book after that epilogue! I think Steven is going to do a fabulous job with it since I loved how she created so much tension in this book.

Thank you, Del Rey and Netgalley, for an e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

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.
.
🪄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!