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.

4.5/5

Enjoyed this so much! Silvercloak is an excellent first book in a new fantasy trilogy that I think has the potential to be a big hit. The expansive worldbuilding, the fascinating magic system fueled by pleasure/pain, and the gritty/high stakes "detective-infiltrating-a-magical-mafia" plotline make this a refreshing and unique romantasy story that will work well for readers who enjoy the genre but may be feeling burnt out (like me). The writing is fast-paced and cinematic with each chapter ending on a mini-cliffhanger which makes this book hard to put down and has a thrilling ending. The reading experience reminded me a bit of my experience reading Fourth Wing for the first time, but I think Silvercloak is stronger in basically every way.

L.K. Steven put a lot of thought into the worldbuilding of this story. It's a large and detailed world but manages not to be too overwhelming (cannot wait to get my physical copy which has a beautiful map). Steven gives readers enough information throughout the book to have a good grasp of the world without ever infodumping. It's a story that's very accessible to readers who are not seasoned fantasy readers but detailed enough to be enjoyable for fantasy readers who want romantasy to have a bit more depth. There's a lot of potential here for the story to grow in scale. While I don't think I would classify this particular book as "epic fantasy", the series has the potential to evolve into that subgenre which is exciting. It's also always fun to have a story with a magic system that has significant limits (especially when there are characters who are very powerful).

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the romance. I've been struggling a lot with the pacing of romance in romantasy stories lately and I was thrilled to discover that this enemies to lovers plot line was perfectly paced for me. The romance between Saffron and Levan is a slow burn that is heavily built on emotional connection rather than just physical attraction making it much more of a enemies to friends to lovers situation than I expected going into this. Their connection is believable and the ending hit me hard because of this. I'm excited to see how their complicated dynamic evolves throughout the rest of the trilogy.

Despite how much I loved this book, a couple of things kept this from being a 5-star read for me. There were times where I felt like character motives/internal thoughts were overexplained to the reader as if the audience couldn't be fully trusted to put pieces together. This is something that I feel is due to the author shifting from writing YA to writing Adult and it's not a dealbreaker for me by any means but it still was frustrating at times. This also causes some parts of the writing to feel repetitive.

I also struggled a bit with the protagonist, Saffron, while reading. I liked her a lot but I felt her actual characterization throughout the story clashed with how she was set up in the beginning of the book which threw me off a bit. In the beginning of the book we're told that she's a cold, calculating character who thinks before taking action and this is what makes her a good detective. In reality, she's reckless and impulsive, acting on her emotions before fully thinking them through. She is, however, good at improvisation and thinking on her feet (which does make her a good detective, just not in the calculating way that I was expecting from the beginning).

Once I got the full picture of her arc in this book however, I do wonder if this was an intentional choice - this is a story in which the protagonist, who feels confident that she can handle this mission, gets in over her head for many reasons, makes a lot of mistakes, and faces a lot of consequences because of it. While this makes her an occasionally frustrating protagonist, it also makes her an interesting one. Her ultimate arc and ending in this book was unexpected, but it did make sense to me in hindsight. I just wish we might've gotten a bit more time seeing her as the competent detective we're told that she is in the beginning of the story before seeing her unravel.

Overall, I really hope this book gets the love it deserves when it's released. There's a lot of great stuff in here that makes me super excited for the rest of the trilogy. It's also one of those stories that I think is perfect for a TV series adaptation which I would love to see one day.

Oh My Goodness, this is Steven’s best work yet in my opinion! This book is fuelled by magic and so rich in the darkness of it, it haunts my heart-even after I finished it. I read this in two late-night sittings, and I’m being punished for it by my toddler this morning-but there are no regrets at all!

Without spoiling it: The world building for this novel is layered with lore, pleasure and pain, and it unravels as you get swept into the book, and you are introduced to Saff and her story. I immediately rooted for Saff, who will do anything to avenge her parents who were murdered. Saff must play both sides, and navigate the choices she makes, while a fated prophecy follows her journey.

Steven weaves in good verses bad, with the Silvercloaks and Bloodmoons, amongst the elementary magical system (I can see why people keep saying its like Harry Potter-but I don’t agree personally), which was easy to follow, despite it being complex in the scheme of things. With all the unravelling theories, you just have to keep reading-and get taken aback as the answers are revealed. I need a book two immediately, because I think this probably is one of my favourite books for this genre read this year!!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an Arc for this, for an honest opinion and review.

Silvercloak follows the story of Saffron (Saff), she’s experienced a lot of pain and turmoil in her short life so far and that’s only just the beginning. The plot picks up quickly and we are introduced to a number of characters, many of which are vital to the storyline. There’s clever clues placed throughout and many reveals as well.

I quite enjoyed my time reading this but since I knew it was going to be part of a saga before I set off, I expected that I wasn’t going to love the ending and I was right. I’m interested to see how the story will continue however and would recommend this one to people.

The premise of this book really intrigued me, and I do think it delivered what it promised. The main character, Saffron, is orphaned due to a violent mafia-type group and grows up preparing herself to take revenge. She ends up with the perfect opportunity to join the group as an undercover agent and exploit it from the inside. All of this takes place in a magic-centered world where individual power is fueled by pleasure and pain, putting a unique twist on a world’s rules.

Some of these rules didn’t seem as steadfast as they were originally portrayed at the beginning of the book, and there were some inconsistencies that I noticed but wasn’t terribly bothered by. I do think the series has potential and I’m interested in future books. The romance isn’t over the top, and there was plenty of mystery and plot to keep going. The ending throws in a bit of a twist that I’m excited to see how it plays out in the next book, but it definitely isn’t a traumatizing cliffhanger.