Propulsive and somewhat anxiety-inducing, I couldn’t put this down. Silvercloak stats with a strong hook, and I found myself compelled to keep turning the pages. Overall, I quite liked the dark edge to this mafia-esque romantasy. The magic system wasn’t overly complex, and I felt fully immersed in the world.

I recommend this for readers looking for a darker fantasy romance with lots of tension.

What to expect:
🖤 Morally messy heroine
⚔️ Hidden identities
🪄 Blurred lines
🖤 Enemies to lovers tension
⚔️ Revenge plots
🪄 Pleasure/Pain based magic system

“In this addictive new fantasy series set in a world where magic is fueled by pleasure and pain, an obsessive detective infiltrates a brutal gang of dark mages—knowing that one wrong move will get her killed. . . .”

I wanted to love this one. I really did. It started off strong and then somewhere along the way things got bogged down and slow and never really picked up. Everything was OK and I did wind up finishing, but only because I really needed to see what the ending was going to do.

For me, all in all, an OK book with a lot of potential. Hopefully the other books are able to pick up the pacing and the main character energy and chemistry.

A very special Thank You to NetGalley, Del Rey, and the author for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am so conflicted on this one because on one hand, I did really enjoy the story and the magic system, and then on the other hand, the pacing made it difficult to stay engaged throughout a fair amount of the book. Enjoyed the magic system (even though I think some of it could have been explained). Enjoyed both of our morally grey characters. The ending definitely leaves you guessing and interested in what will unfold in book 2!

Rating: 3.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for an e-ARC of this book - all opinions are my own!

I think this may be the best read of the year. I love books about witches (mages) and magic. This author creates her own spin on it and creates a unique world that keeps the reader locked in. The ending was a cliffhanger (which I don’t love if I don’t have the next book lol).

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hi! Thank you, Random House Publishing and Del Rey for giving me the opportunity to read L.K. Steven’s Silvercloak in advance.

I listened to L.K. Steven’s Our Infinite Fates and enjoyed it, so I was looking forward to reading Silvercloak.

I downloaded the book to my Kindle to read. Unfortunately, I’ve had a hard time getting into the story. It has nothing to do with L.K. Steven’s writing. Based on my listen of Our Infinite Fates, she’s a good storyteller.

However, I’m not sure if it was the story I couldn’t connect with or if it’s me as a mood reader. Because I downloaded the advance review copy to my Kindle, I’m hoping I can give it another try and come back to update my review.

With all of this in mind, I’m going to mark this book as NRN (Not Right Now). Thank you again for giving me the opportunity to read Silvercloak in advance. I’m not sure how to rate this book since I’m categorizing as NRN, so I’m going to mark this book with 3🌟🌟🌟 for her initial writing. In Goodreads I won’t mark it with any stars and put in my NRN folder.

Went into Silvercloak completely blind, didn’t even read the blurb. Just saw a few trusted mates rave about it, hit request on NetGalley, and oh boy… no regrets.

Saffron Killoran’s life shattered the night the Bloodmoons murdered her parents. Years later, she’s all sharp edges and vengeance, sneaking her way into Silvercloak Academy: home to the city’s elite detectives, with one goal: take them down. From the inside. But when her cover gets blown, instead of being booted out, she’s handed the most dangerous second chance imaginable. Eeeeee you guys!!!

We’re talking rival gangs, sinister smuggling rings, a vicious prophecy, and a fallowolf with serious bite. And just to make things complicated? The enemy’s tortured son…the kind of morally messy love interest who makes you want to throw the book at the wall and then immediately pick it back up.

By the time the epilogue hit, I didn’t know if I was laughing at the audacity of the twist or ugly crying into my coffee. One moment I was muttering “no no no no noooo” and the next I was ready to beg, bribe, or barter for book two.

Tropes you’ll love:
🩸 Enemies to reluctant allies
🪄 Magic fuelled by pleasure & pain
🐺 Dangerous animal companion
❤️‍🔥 Forbidden romance with the enemy’s son
🔮 Prophecy with deadly consequences

Big thanks to Del Rey, NetGalley, and the authors for an ending that wrecked me in the best possible way

So, this book was so not what I expected but in the absolute best way.

I went into this book not knowing anything but the very basic premise, but boy, I did not know the absolute wild ride I was in for. We start out with learning that our FMC's parents are murdered right in front of her when she's still just a tiny tot. This trauma is what absolutely fuels her, her desire to become a Silvercloak ((essentially a magical cop?)) to seek her revenge on the mafia that took them from her. She has spent years studying ((while cheating)), making it to the final test to finally become a full fledged Silvercloak, for things to go completely awry. Her only savior? being put undercover in the ranks of the Bloodmoon who have quickly been taking control of the city, the same mafia who took her parents from this world.

I have seen so many people make comparisons to HP, calling this a Romantasy, but I cannot disagree more. The mages in this world that Steven created use wands and cast their magic verbally, but this has been a traditional approach to mages or "wizards" for almost as long as the fantasy genre has existed. HP does not own the rights to wands and verbal casting. Our mages in this world rely on pleasure and pain to rebuild and strengthen their magical well, they need these things in order to regenerate their abilities. They do not have an endless well to just access. Does romance exist in this book? yes, but it is not the point of the story, this story is built on the morally grey actions of Saffron and the consequences of choice. The blurred lines that can be obliterated in the quest for being purely good or having the best intentions. Saffron says it best in a soon to be very quoted statement. "Oh, this is how villains are born."

Thank you so much to Del Rey for the arc, all opinions are my own.

A mage fails her trials, revealing a forbidden power, so she is asked to infiltrate the enemy order to produce proof in order to bring them down
🩶
Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨/🌶️
I enjoyed the story for the most part.

However, there were so many similarities that I questioned if it was supposed to be a Dramoine fanfic: similar HP spells, transmutation, password protected entry into their lair, good mages vs bad mages with a brand that demands total loyalty. There is an hourglass and time magic that made me think of the time turner, the wands are “paired” to the mage, the FMC’s parents are killed in front of her, and the FMC and MMC also have White/blonde hair and brown hair (like a Dramoine hair reversal).

Lastly, the infiltration into the Bloodmoons is like an Auror goes under cover as a Deatheater.
🩶
However, if you aren’t as familiar with the HP series, all of those can be overlooked.

I was really enjoying it, but the last 2 chapters took a 1/4 star away. It ends on a cliffhanger and that was just meh. It could have gone a different way and been amazing.
🩶
I enjoyed it enough to read the next one.
🩶
If I had to summarize the premise in one sentence:
“The crazy things you are willing to do when you allow your grief to turn into revenge”

Silvercloak. OH. YES… YES… YES!!! This book had me hooked from the beginning. It has it all. Magic? Wands? Mafia bad guys? Undercover informants? Really cool cloaks? YES! This book has it all. From the beginning you get told here is a premonition… but getting there, and the will this happen… how will this happen… does this actually happen… moments kept me going. I loved it. Can’t wait for the next book in series.

Thank you to Del Rey and to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4⭐️ Silvercloak had me intrigued from the moment I read the summary and had me completely engaged the whole way through.

Beginning in a magical academy with a group of the school’s top mages during their final days before graduation, we meet Saffron, a talented mage whose magic seems to defy the norm and her motivation fuelled by her desire to take down the dark magical mafia, the Bloodmoons.

After graduating, Saffron is offered an opportunity to infiltrate the bloodmoons in a secret undercover assignment, throwing her straight into the action. This is where she meets the Kingpin’s son, Levan, who is so complicated and guarded that I had trouble working out who he truly was.

Having not trained to be an undercover agent and having only a short time to prepare meant that Saffron made many mistakes. I appreciated the realism of an ill-prepared undercover agent being bad at her job until she found her feet, and even then wasn’t especially good at it.

I thoroughly enjoyed following two morally grey characters, always questioning their motivations and longing for redemption arcs. The mirroring of two characters whose life experiences have been linked without them realising until now and watching as the ‘good’ and the ‘bad’ blurs so much as they fit together like puzzle pieces. It was a complicated pairing with a slow burn coupling that I really enjoyed.

The magic system running on pleasure and pain was fascinating and opened so many opportunities to question the morality behind our choices. This type of system kept magical fruitful and available to so many people within this world.

I have seen many people speak about Silvercloak as Harry Potter for adults but I didn’t see the link myself. I’m glad that I only heard this take after I finished the book as I think I would have been disappointed if I went in expecting that and this is a fantastic book which I absolutely loved.

If you love a fantasy book where the romance is secondary, the characters are complicated and their choices often unpredictable, the magic system is interesting and opens conversations about humanity, morality and feels possible and the takedown of the bad guys is not as easy as it seemed… then give this one a go!

This book had everything I love in a dark fantasy, sharp prose, morally gray characters, and a plot that kept twisting until the very end. It was giving the book-series-that-will-not-be-named vibes.

The heroine? Dangerous and calculating but also so vulnerable underneath the armor. The love interest? If you’re into emotionally repressed assassins with tragic pasts and tension you could cut with a knife… yeah. I was obsessed. Their dynamic had me clinging to every page.

The world-building is rich without ever feeling like info-dump city, and the pacing? No skips. Just danger, betrayal, and vibes.

Tropes:
🖤 Forbidden romance
💕 Forced proximity

🗡️ Stabby slow burns

🧥 Secret identities and dangerous missions

🔥 Enemies-to-lovers

How am I supposed to wait for the second book? I’m unwell.

The world building was excellent, the writings mesmerizingly descriptive. What stopped me from rating this book higher was character work: Saffron felt like a tangled net of ideas masquerading as a person. She stumbled too many times for a hardened professional, and it just took me out of the story whenever it happened.

I wish that I had a better time with this book, but Silvercloak will certainly find its audience.

Silvercloak is a complex and creative fantasy. Saffron suffered a tragedy as a child that has set her on a path to revenge. She has made her way through the ranks of a rigorous academy and successfully hid her secret- magic doesn’t work on her. When she is placed in deep cover, Saff has to lie to her closest friends to take down a criminal organization. As Saff gets deeper into her cover, she will have to decide how far she will go for revenge.

Silvercloak grabbed my interest from the opening chapter. L.K. Steven is a dynamic writer who expertly balances the pacing and tension, while writing an action-packed fantasy adventure. The magical world-building is so intricate and compelling, especially the idea of magic being fueled by pain/pleasure. Saff is a fascinating character who it was very fun to see go undercover. She has to make difficult choices while determining how far she will take the mission. I enjoyed the queer normative world and excellent LGBTQ+ rep. Saff and Levan have an intriguing connection and the final scene had me SO ready for the sequel!

Thank you to L.K. Steven, Del Rey, and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.

I have been reading a bit less romantasy lately, but I am happy to report that Silvercloak hit all the right spots for me. I honestly loved it and could not put it down!

This is the first installment of a new series by L. K. Steven and from the very beginning I was pulled into the story by the action, characters, and unique magic system. Early in the book, a prophecy is revealed that my brain kept trying to pick apart (both *if* and *how* it would come to pass) as the events unfold. It kept my mind whirring and i think added to the level of suspense. I loved that the “enemies-to-lovers” were truly enemies to start. And actually, kind of the whole time 😆 I also found that the idea of magic being fueled by both pleasure and pain was unlike anything I’ve read before. And of course, I’m always happy to see a queer normative world (“almost everyone in Ascenfall was attracted to all genders”) - with both of our MCs being bi or pan.

I knew from friends reviews that the ending was 🤯 but still I was not ready!

Incredible debut into the adult high fantasy world. There's a lot going on but not so much that it's confusing, the world building is so well done that it's not overwhelming, it gently builds around you, immersive and vast. You can see just how much thought, time and love has gone into writing this book, it's not just another fantasy book full of fae and fated mates (as much as I love them). It's unique, full of action with a subplot of romance. I love a spicy fantasy as much as the next person but it's refreshing to have a high fantasy book that's not solely driven by romance.
What really makes this book stand out is the magic system, it's so interesting and well thought out, it could have so easily been 'It's fantasy so of course there's magic' but it isn't, it has limitations and complexities and in a way is so very human, because the things we love give us energy and pain makes us stronger right? We can only hold so much so why should magic be any different?

I'm so so excited to continue with this saga and can absolutely see it becoming a household name.

Silvercloak follows the story of Saffron as she goes on a secret mission to infiltrate the Bloodmoons from within - the people behind her family's murder. Saf has made it her life mission to destroy the Bloodmoons no matter the cost, and she's the perfect agent for the job because she has the rare ability to be immune to magic being performed on her.

Immediately, this story grips you. I was emotionally invested in the journey since the prologue, and was enraptured by the magic system, the academy to train the Silvercloaks, and Saffron's bite. She is phenomenal. Relentless, spicy, troubled, complex. I cared about her, and in turn, it made me care about the other people she cared about. The magic system was sexy, with the magic well being replenished by pain and pleasure. It made it feel really dark but also really sensual and unique to the story, something I've just to experience in another romantasy.

I loved getting to know Levan, the kingpin's son. I had the general feeling that not everything is as it seems in this book, like being told the Silvercloaks are the "good guys" and the Bloodmoons are the "bad guys" - LK Steven did a really lovely job showing the layers and complexities and flaws on both sides. The "villain" origin story is heart wrenching even if you don't like where it leads. This back and forth and banter between Saffron and Levan is fun and juicy, but also painful, as you watch enemies become friends become lovers who then become enemies once more. There were so many twists and turns and unexpected moments, so many unexpected delights (like the wolf companion that joins Levan and eventually abandons him to bond with Saf!)

I was hoping this would have been better.

The magic system was fascinating. I loved that they used wands and that there were limits to their powers and magic wells. I did not love the sex aspect. It made it less special and more like work. I wished it had been a bit less of that.
I thought the betrayal was great, the ending was a fun shock. That last line was exciting!!
But honestly it was way too long and descriptive of things that didn't matter. It could have been like 200 pages less and I still would have liked it.

I've heard a lot of great things about Silvercloak, so I was very excited to give it a read. Unfortunately, these high expectations may have dulled the shine of my reading experience.

The magic system in the world of Silvercloak was interesting and innovative. I liked how there were options for the gathering of magic and that characters tended to be aligned according to the source of their own power. This made the Bloodmoons a cool concept that I enjoyed. However, I did find that the stakes seemed disproportionately low for the FMC and that the characterisation of the Bloodmoons was a bit inconsistent.

Also, the situations encountered by the FMC were a bit repetitive, and I didn't enjoy the recklessness of her actions. The plot really picked up near the end, though, and I ended up loving some of the interactions between the two main characters. There are a lot of mysteries still to unravel, and I can't predict where the plot will go in the next book!

Although this book didn't 100% align with my expectations, I had a fun time reading. I would recommend it to readers who like banter between their main characters, as well as a slightly darker tone to their magic.

Considering how we started to how it ended, what an intense journey throughout.

Saff becomes an orphan at such a young age, to avenge her parents and make them proud she takes on a journey to become a silvercloak - in doing so with many secrets of her own she quickly realises she must sacrifice must more than she realised and takes an unthinkable turn.

Up until about 45% I did struggle, I found it quite slow, quite repetitive but with lots of time jumping. It made the flow quite challenging however, I believed it was going to become compelling and I was right. I didn’t want to put the book down by the end - the end, my heart is in pieces I’m so stoked for book two to see how it all unfolds.

Talk about a high stakes fantasy, this is it - watch how it deliciously unravels and makes you hold onto the edge of your seat. The magic system is brilliant, it explores pain and pleasure. It was so intriguing and had me gripped.

I highlighted so many quotes, so many nuances and mini Easter eggs along the way.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing! I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience and the emotions invoked while reading this!

Thank you Netgalley

Really enjoyable fantasy, I enjoyed the romance and the magic system was fun.

Will definitely read the second