The Secrets of Silver Edge

by Shirsten Shirts

Thick vines choke every inch of the otherwise idyllic village of Silver Edge—except for Autumn’s home...and now Moonwell Manor. Suspecting the newly arrived Mr. Moonwell might be hiding a secret as dangerous as her own, eighteen-year-old Autumn devises a plan to confront him and finally rid herself of the magical curse plaguing her body.But when two handsome strangers—a brilliant potion prodigy and a grumpy wizard—intercept Autumn, the three of them, along with an ancient witch and a fallen star, begin to uncover dark truths lurking in Silver Edge. Before she knows it, in the midst of shadowy forests, lopsided castles, and first love, Autumn finds herself in a race to outrun Moonwell, her curse…and Silver Edge itself.The Secrets of Silver Edge is a charming and mysterious fantasy-adventure with touches of romance, perfect for fans of The Hazel Wood and Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries.

Genres: Fantasy

588 pages, Paperback

Published February 15, 2025

About the author

Shirsten Shirts lives in a 113-year-old cottage in Utah with her husband and four girls. When she’s not writing, she loves reading, spending time with family, and bingeing early 2000’s television.

Reviews

[Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun read! It’s a cozy fantasy book filled with magic, mystery, fabulous details that bring the world to life, and a touch of romance. The characters are interesting and complex and I love the different relationships between them all. There’s great tension built up for a very exciting and action packed climax/ending. The cliffhanger ending has me anxiously awaiting the next book!

[Julia Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like 3.9 stars. This was much better than I was expecting, considering I think this is the author's first book. Loved the setting. For some reason, it really gave me WW2 vibes, but more cozy fantasy? I really liked Rasmus, but I feel like the main romantic relationship is kind of toxic. It honestly reminded me of Blue and Adam from the Raven Cycle, but worse because Adam and Blue were never really together. Both the main character and the love interest in this book kind of...I wouldn't say bring out the worst in each other, but they just don't know how to help each other and they end up just stressing and worrying each other more. That being said, I'm intrigued to see how it will play out and if this love interest is end-game or not.

The ending? Solid. Honestly wasn't sure I was going to buy the next book, but now I have to know what happens next. The way the ending started, I was thinking, 'Hm. This is kind of predictable.' But then it went in a completely different direction and went so much worse than I thought it would and now I don't really want to wait a whole year to see what happens next. I am excited about the direction it seems to be heading--especially that I think we'll get to go more into another character I'm curious about. Definitely recommend.

[Abbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

*4.5 stars*

The Secrets of Silver Edge is a sweet, cozy fantasy full of atmosphere and heart! The book feels like a classic, but with a new and unique story.

Autumn is a precocious and (unfortunately) cursed teenager who is determined to find a way to break her curse. The story follows her as she makes new friends, begins to find love, and discovers that the mysteries surrounding her extend far beyond her own curse.

This charming tale of found family, adventure, and magic is perfect for fans of Howl’s Moving Castle; it even has a grumpy wizard, one of my personal favorite tropes. Autumn is a well-written protagonist that you can’t help but root for, and the story plot is very good; but my favorite part of this book was the various relationships between characters. This author writes relationships and emotions so well. I really enjoyed this book, and I can’t wait to see where the story goes next!

I would recommend The Secrets of Silver Edge to fans of cozy fantasy looking for a unique and sweet story.

[Alexa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a magical book that gives me cozy/warm hug vibes, truly YA (12+) with mystery and adventure. 

Autumn lives in Silver Edge with her adopted parents, who she has been with since she was very young after unknown circumstances. Silver Edge is a perfectly normal place, except for the vines that cover the entire village, Autumn's strange curse she is desperately trying to keep to herself, or better yet rid herself of entirely. A strange mysterious newcomer, odd forests, and all the deeply buried secrets that Autumn and her newfound allies stumble across in the hopes of getting them back to their own world.

I would say this is a medium paced book with, with maybe the start of a budding romance? The world is described in a way that feels tangible and I love the way information is collected throughout the whole story. Rather than just given to you all at once. And there were some  moments I wasn't quite expecting either! Which is always a bonus!

But overall, and without giving too much away, because it's too fun to do that to you!  It is a very sweet, magical, adventurous, story of self-discovery, with twists, kind characters with real reactions and I'm excited to see what comes next. 

Slower paced fantasy isn't always my go to but Shirtsten is becoming one of my favorites in this genre! And I would gladly read this with my kids too. 

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so good! Autumn feels just like a real teenager and is so well written. This story flows so well and I absolutely live for a good dad who would burn the world down for his kiddo. My only complaint is that it ended, and on a cliffhanger at that! To be fair, I was kind of expecting that since it is the first book in a series, but I was absolutely not ready for this story to end. I can't wait to see what happens next, because let me tell you, I was not expecting that ending!

[Andrea Anaya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am an avid reader and this is one of my very favorite authors! She brings things alive with her whimsical and clear descriptions. Her characters are relatable and complex, and most of all you feel! Fear, concern, frustration, joy, love. Her ability to make the world and the experience come alive is beautiful. Can’t wait to read more.

[merlin513 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost DNF’d this one about 1/4 of the way in. Am glad I kept going because ‘WOW’ things did NOT go as I thought they would 😅

I liked the characters well enough but for some reason they just didn’t grab me. Interested to see how this all wraps up tho, so I will be reading book 2. Just maybe not immediately.

Loved the cover artwork! That’s what immediately grabbed my attention.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zorian girl 4 life

[Julia Marcum · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars! Oh mannnnn that cliffhanger 😭😭😭 Full review coming soon!

EDIT:

“Because after everything, this was right. It felt right. The two of them understood one another. Had found each other, against all odds. Here was the proof that he needed her the same way she needed him—“ 💚🧹🖤🏰🤎🥀☠️✨🧪

Thank you @shirstenshirts for the ARC of this fantastic book! I’m working on catching up on my past-due ARCs and so glad I finally got to read this one 😍😍

When Autumn Kapoor suspects that the town’s newest resident, Mr. Moonwell, holds secrets similar to her own, she plans to confront him in order to rid herself of her unpredictable magic. However, everything goes sideways at their first meeting, and she runs away from home, into the woods infested with tangled vines.

She falls in with a quirky witch and two young wizards, and begins to slowly unravel the mysteries of her origins and the secrets Silver Edge has kept deeply buried. All the while, they are running out of time 🕰️

This book was beautifully written, and I enjoyed it a lot!! The world was absolutely atmospheric, the surroundings and intensifying curse haunting and suspenseful. At the same time, it had all the cozy vibes of woodsy fantasy, with plants and cottages and antiques….this book really had allllll the right vibes 😍😍

The romance is definitely not at the forefront of this book, but it was compelling nonetheless. Rasmus was certainly the main love interest in this first book, but with the way it ended (WHYYYYYY 😭), I get the feeling that Zorian will get his love-triangle spotlight in the sequel 😏 I loved Rasmus, and the tenderness that he showed Autumn. And hers and Zorian’s banter was also perfect haha 😂

“Found Family” finds a couple meanings in this book, and I got real emotional during one such reunion….iykyk 🥹

Can’t wait for Book 2!! 💚🤎🖤 And in the meantime, I need to read Marianne’s novella 👀

Edit to add: OBSESSED with this cover 😍😍😍