Silvercloak

Silvercloak Saga #1

by L.K. Steven

In Silvercloak zoekt Saffron wraak op de meedogenloze Bloodmoons, maar komt terecht in een dodelijk web van intriges. Een spannende romantasy vol avontuur, geheimen en gevaar.

In Silvercloak, het eerste deel in deze spannende romantasy-serie van bestsellerauteur Lauren Steven, werden Saffrons ouders jaren geleden op brute wijze vermoord door de meedogenloze Bloodmons. Vastbesloten om wraak te nemen komt ze onder valse voorwendselen binnen bij de Silvercloak Academy. Ze wordt opgeleid tot elitedetective, maar heeft ondertussen maar een doel: de Bloodmoons voor het gerecht brengen. Wanneer Saffs bedrog aan het licht komt, krijgt ze in plaats van weggestuurd te worden een zeldzame kans: undercover gaan en de Bloodmoons van binnenuit afbreken. Tussen rivaliserende bendes, sinistere rituelen, levensgevaarlijke tegenstanders en de verwarrend aantrekkelijke zoon van de bendeleider weet ze dat e?e?n misstap haar dood kan betekenen...

Silvercloak is een totaal meeslepende pageturner, vol briljante worldbuilding en onvergetelijke personages. De prachtige gebonden limited edition komt inclusief bonushoofdstuk dat niet in de Engelse editie zit.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Adult, Fantasy Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Fiction

511 pages, Hardcover

First published July 29, 2025

Reviews

[Esta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine if every magic spell you cast had to be paid for in ecstasy or agony. In this undercover detective meets queer magical crime noir with wands romantasy, power isn’t destiny, but it’s how much joy you can wring out of life + how much pain you can endure to build mana, aka your well of magic. Waving around magic wands and shouting spells in Latin also occurs, if you're into that.

However, here, food, sex, love and even your emotional support cat can recharge you. Unless you live up north, where sadism and masochism are the batteries of choice. (Why refill on delicious pastries when you could nap on a bed of nails?)

Enter Saffron, magical detective, tragic backstory (is there any other kind?). She’s immune to spells, which makes her uniquely suited to infiltrate the Bloodmoons, the magical mafia who murdered her parents. The Bloodmoons are monsters, but the Silvercloaks also have the moral clarity of a politician. Which is to say none.

Anyway, it’s whimsical, horrifying and queer and I inhaled this like I inhale oxygen, which is to say, like my life depended on it. And given the mixed reviews, I was pleasantly surprised I enjoyed it so much. But reading is subjective and one person’s pleasure is another person’s pain. Fitting, really.

Speaking of which, this is definitely romantasy or fantasy romance, where the enemies-to-friends-to-lovers-to-enemies dynamic is a key driver of the plot and is complicated and morally compromised which made it far more interesting than your standard enemies to lovers fare. So if you see this being marketed as fantasy, be aware that the romance element is strong in this, complete with a couple of spicy scenes.

Add to that time-manipulation, which means it can be paused or rewoven, with caveats. I actually loved that, but if you think time travel is a cheap plot device, this book will probably feel unbearable to you... just a heads up.

Finally, don’t expect comfort in this romantasy-fantasy. It’s quite dark and gritty and throws torture, coercion, gambling addiction and debts, fantasy drugs and drug addiction, blackmail, organised crime, bigotry and historical genocide into the mix. Nobody comes out clean. I was never sure who the villains were. Probably everyone. Except for Rasso, the wolf/doggo, he is the purest and the best. We love Rasso.

I devoured this, then immediately questioned why I was so invested in magical gangsters and their BDSM power batteries.

Thank you so much to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey for the ARC.

〰〰〰〰〰

Bloodmoons killed her parents → infiltrating the magical gang that murdered her parents to seek vengeance → oops but the enemy is attractive.

Classic. Here for it though, wish me luck.

[Maddie Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

RATING BREAKDOWN
Characters: 4⭐️
Setting: 5⭐️
Plot: 5⭐️
Themes: 4⭐️
Emotional Impact: 4⭐️
Personal Enjoyment: 4⭐️
Total Rounded Average: 4.5⭐️

I had a marvelous time with this fantasy romance, centering a criminal syndicate infiltration mission! The standouts were the setting and plot. This is a soft but intricate magic system, with enough rules to give it structure and depth, but enough left to interpretation to make it thematically interesting. The main character is a wielder who is invincible to magic effects herself. Magic is cast as spells with positive or negative connotation. Wielders are gifted in certain branches of magic, not all, and there are forbidden, forgotten, and taboo magics as well. Magic essence is fueled by pleasure and pain. For the romance readers who wish for a little more complexity in the fantasy worlds they read, this will scratch that itch! And the plot is gripping. Tasked with infiltrating the infamous crime ring, The Bloodcloaks, the main character must sacrifice her reputation, safety, and friendships to avenge her parents. Along the way, she will fulfill a prophecy; she just doesn't know when!

The primary characters are well-developed, likable, and believable. As the series progresses, I hope to feel even more connected to the supporting characters and more emotionally invested. This is meant to be an emotional story, riddled with grief and loss, and it grapples with self-worth, identity, and moral ambiguity. It has legs, and the layers are being stacked. That said, the writing style is pretty explicit and explanation-heavy at times, so the emotional and thematic beats don't yet have the sophistication of some of the higher fantasy series I've read.

I appreciated the queer and sex positive world Steven created. It makes perfect sense with the way the magic system works, and doesn't feel forced or included for spice ratings. I found the spice to be well-balanced with plot, minimal, and earned. I also felt ZERO cringe.

I had an amazing time, and compared with other romantasy titles, this one has a lot going for it in terms of style, sophistication of the world, and concept. Really looking forward to the rest of the trilogy to see how Steven more fully utilizes her beautiful map and this world she has invented. I'm eager to see these characters become even more complex and morally grey, and to explore the themes her plot has opened up! Such a promising book one, and a breath of fresh air for romantasy readers!

[Laura Greenhalgh · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ “This is how villains are born.” GOOSEBUMPS!!!

This was high stakes from start to finish that had me reading on the edge of my seat so many times! We have wand wielding mages with a unique feeling magic system built on pain and pleasure, diverse characters, secrets, betrayals, trauma - basically everything you could want in an adult fantasy. Our FMC Saffron is a Silvercloak detective that has to go undercover to infiltrate the Bloodmoons (mafia vibes) and bring them down from the inside. The romance is definitely a subplot with the fantasy plot being front and centre but the romance element made the story even more gripping and I can’t wait to see how everything unfolds in the next instalment of this saga.

[Kristen Christen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rated 4.5 stars rounded up for Goodreads!

Starting book 1 in a series is always so challenging for me. I am usually pretty cautious and don't want to get my hopes up too much. All that to say Silvercloak was a solid start and I will be reading book 2 as soon as it hits the shelves!

The setting feels like the Carnival Row show mixed with Ketterdam from Six of Crows! This grungy and dangerous vibe always works for me. 5 stars for setting.

When it comes to the characters I really liked both our FMC and MMC which is RARE! I enjoyed our side characters, but I think I needed more to feel emotionally connected to them. I am looking forward to getting more of them in future books! 5 stars for characters.

Plot was fast and punchy! The amount of time spent explaining the magic system, building of the world, and backstory/history was perfectly sufficient. 5 stars for plot.

My personal enjoyment and emotional impact of Silvercloak was 4 stars which is why I landed on 4.5 for the book. Strong start to a series! I would recommend this to anyone that wants a unique fantasy that has many strong elements outside of the romance, but with a good romance! L. K. Steven really captured my imagination and brought me back to my childhood nostalgia from my Harry Potter.

[Ricarda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here I am again with the romantasy after I said that I would let it go. But I was lured by a world "where magic is fueled by pleasure and pain" and I couldn't resist. And I can happily report that the world and the magic system indeed did not disappoint here. But everything else can be described in one word: okay. The characters: okay. The plot: okay. The romance: okay. As you can see, I'm not exactly bubbling with excitement for this book, but really everything was okay here. This will probably still be a review where I list things upon things that bugged me, but there are no hard feelings on my part. It's better than your average romantasy book in my opinion, because the romance is not the sole focus and there was made an effort with the fantasy part.

It's the story of Saffron Killoran, 26 years old and about to graduate from the magical Silvercloak Academy together with her cohort. But things don't go as planned when her long-kept secret of her immunity to magic gets revealed. This ability is basically unheard of in the all magical world, and it's the reason why Saffron doesn't start a normal Silvercloak job but is sent to infiltrate a crime organization instead. It's basically the magic police vs. the magic mafia, if you will. It's the same people that killed Saffron's parents when she was a child, so she wants to destroy them anyway and joins their ranks to do so. I tell you how it is: the cool magic and the interesting world are kinda wasted on the whole undercover-in-the-mafia plot. I was so fascinated by the descriptions of the magic in the beginning – the magical objects made by Saffron's father or the cities that are built with the intent to restore magic – but that wasn't part of the later story at all. Instead the book focused on Saffron collecting intel and on her growing relationship with the kingpin's son Levan. I felt nothing for their romance, but it was bearable. I think that their interactions were way to casual for her just entering the organization. Like, he literally fired a killing spell at her during their first meeting and then they still warm up to each other? I don't really get Levan's character anyway. He's killing nonchalantly but then I'm told that he is actually a tortured soul and a bookworm. And I haven't even mentioned that he's basically all-powerful for some reason. I never stopped rolling my eyes when it came to him. I mean, if that's what Saffron wants it's fine, but she had a hot and badass dragon girlfriend in the beginning, just saying. Saffron's whole situation was honestly not as bad as the author tried to sell it to me. Yes, the crime boss forced her to inflict violence against her will, but she wasn't under strict surveillance and was even able to get help by her Silvercloak friends. I never had the feeling that she was in danger, because she either bullshits her way out of tricky situations or she's acting recklessly without any consequences. Saffron gets a loyalty brand that would prevent her from betraying the organization if she wasn't immune to magic, and I can't even count how often she pointed at it and said: "Look here. I couldn't possibly be a rat." Honestly, it was such a cop out. Saffron's newly acquired magic is also one big cop out, but it was foreshadowed so clearly throughout the story that it at least didn't come as a surprise. In the end all I can say is that I wish that this story took literally any other direction than the police-mafia one. I didn't hate it, but I was always thinking about what could have been. 2.5 stars.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

[bee (on and off) · Rating 5 out of 5]

queer harry potter with organized crime and timeweaving

i'm obsessssed full rtc at later date

[jenny reads a lot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tons of potential + a unique concept + interesting world.

This would be a great choice or those that aren’t picky about repetitiveness, or a book that leans a little into the tell not show.

I was very excited for this book, perhaps too excited? Expectations can really impact how I feel about a book and my expectations for this one were through the roof. I was certain this was going to be THE fantasy. It is a unique world and such a cool concept. In the end this fell flat for me.

I think it’s important for me to point out that I did enjoy a number of aspects of this book.

The number one issue I had with this book, and the main reason for this being a miss was the hand-holding, over-explanation, repeated phrases, and the constant reminders of plot-points. These are things I expect in a YA book, young readers often need a little reminder, clearer foreshadowing, etc. As an adult I do not.

The hand-holding and over explanation tends to feel a lot like tell not show, but the thing is, the author is doing a decent job of showing, unfortunately she follows up that show with a detailed explanation of exactly what the character meant.

Lines similar to these were constant….. “Saffron scanned the room for threats and exit points, as was deeply engrained in her by the academy” — We really don’t need the explanation of why she scans the room, at this point the author has established that Saff is well trained — we can reasonably assume she’s scanning the room bc of her training, as scanning a room is pretty standard behavior for someone with military or police training. The over explanation bogs down the writing - bloating it in places it doesn’t need it.

There were also lots of instances where exactly phrasing and lines were repeated within pages of each other.

Sigh… I’m off on a tangent.

As for the world building, it feels rich in terms of atmosphere but it also felt like it lacked in details that were actually relevant to the world. Perhaps this is a case of me already being frustrated with the bloated prose, but I found myself so uninterested in the world building.

What’s to love…
- unique world + magic
- lush world-building + atmospheric
- queer-normative + sex positive world
- Morally grey characters
- forbidden love
- characters with depth

What’s not to love…
- In addition to the tangent above?
- This was a bit predictable for me.
- Everything felt insanely easy considering our FMC makes some ridiculously disastrous choices for someone who is so well trained.

🌶️ - This is adult, explicit scenes included, but also this whole book is about pleasure and pain. Don't pick this up if you're uncomfortable with a sex positive world.

3.35⭐️| IG | TikTok |

Thank you NetGalley and Random House/Del Rey for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

[Booksblabbering || Cait❣️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Harry Potter meets the Mafia.
Saffron has one goal: bring down the killers who murdered her parents. This is enabled when she is set a secretive mission after being falsely thrown out of the Silvercloak elite force academy so she can infiltrate the Bloodcloaks, branded but protected from their compulsion due to her immunity to magic.

Saf is not shy about getting her hands dirty and bloody. This is dark and gory with torture and brothels and drugs.

The romance is not rushed or forced or the centre of the plot. The magic system is interesting and there are limitations and costs.

Oh, she thought, horrified and fascinated in equal measure. This is how villains are born.

What I didn’t like:
This had such a promising set up and start, yet I felt Saf’s time with the Bloodcloacks were lacklustre and her experience there felt too easy compared to everything we had previously heard about them and the cruelty they dished out.
I lacked emotional connections with the characters which didn’t help.

What really brought my rating down was the last 25%.
This incorporated a troupe I hate that I view as a cop out which greatly brought my rating down. This is a personal preference and I cannot state it without spoiling major parts of the book, but it is to do with magic and powers.

Physical Arc gifted by Random House Cornerstone.

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[Zana · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hated this book. It literally read like original character AU Harry Potter fanfiction.

If you come in with low expectations, then unlike me, you might actually enjoy this novel. This is the type of read where you'll fare a lot better if you turn off your brain and don't question anything.

Also, if you're of the ACAB persuasion, don't even bother.

The synopsis sounded cool, but the whole undercover thing felt amateurish to the point where you really have to work hard to suspend your disbelief. Early on, Saffron pulled a Pete Hegseth, and I just couldn't get over it.

The writing style and characterizations were very YA and romantasy, even though this is advertised as adult fantasy. I had to double check to make sure that this isn't being published by Red Tower Books. It sure as hell belongs next to Fourth Wing.

And in Red Tower knock off fashion, of course the nepo baby bad boy love interest was explained in excruciating detail:

"He had the chiseled face and physique of the carved statues that stood outside Saints halls."

"His body was a map of the person he was. It was lean and toned from his running and combat training, knots of muscle in his arms and shoulders and chest. His stomach was more concave than she suspected it usually was, with two hollow grooves either side of his belly button, the sharp V of his hips disappearing into his waistband."

"His hair felt impossibly soft. Every other part of him was hard, honed, a stoic construct against the world, but his hair felt like skimming the bolts of satin her uncles used for the royal cloaks. As her nails scraped over his scalp, he let out a long, slow sigh. She felt the reverberation all the way up her arm."

The way that Saffron instantly folded every single time she saw him or interacted with him was giving hormonal teenager. I'm too old for this shit. I didn't sign up for a Red Tower romantasy. Get me off this ride.

Every time a new concept was introduced, it was overexplained to the point of exhaustion. It felt like reading footnotes. More than half of the time I didn't care about the history or backstory of x, y, z. They added nothing to the story. It was so much fluff.

Turned out the ending plot twist was the only thing I ended up liking. It was like something out of a Marvel comic book or movie. And I'm a basic bitch for that kind of thing. And trust me, the twist was the epitome of cliche.

Actually, there was another scene that I liked. But only because I'm a freak. Saffron shoots Levan's dick and balls with a magic spell to make him cum while they're having sex. That was fucking hilarious.

Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for this arc.

[Maeghan 🦋 HIATUS on & off · Rating 3 out of 5]

Silvercloak felt very unique & compelling to me for 75% of it. The last 25%??? What was that. I’m just sitting here, wondering what exactly went wrong and what I can say for sure is that there’s an insane tone shift between the first 75% vs the last 25%.

My thoughts are a bit scattered but I will admit I was disappointed that everything the FMC is built up to be in the first 100 pages was immediately thrown away when she infiltrated the Bloodmoons. It gave me the impression that I was reading about a completely different character and that her foundations were fickle. She was described as an intelligent planner who didn’t talk much. And this was completely reversed upon joining the Bloodmoons. She never stopped talking.

The magic system is very original. I think this was incredibly well thought out. So was the world building.

It’s a tough world with villains in every corner. For that reason, I did think the MMC warmed up too fast to the FMC. It gave me whiplash. He was also too forgiving of her. All of this made the supposed high stakes not so high after all.

The writing was very repetitive… it gave me the feeling the author was trying to hold our hands while reading but it wasn’t needed. Entire sequences were repeated NONSTOP… it didn’t add anything to the storyline.

Given the romance in the author’s previous work Our infinite fates… I didn’t think the romance would be a problem but unfortunately… it felt forced - the FMC had extreme chemistry with Nissa… but not with the MMC.

The last 25% is where it all went downhill for me. It was just so convenient! I predicted everything that happened and it left me with a sour taste because I was strongly hoping it wasn’t going to follow the trajectory I had in mind. Before this last part, I thought I was going to continue with this series but now… I’m sincerely leaning towards a no.

[BookishByTammi · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️
This is my type of detective fantasy! Laura’s writing just works for me, I was gripped the whole time.
The magic system is so unique yet easy to understand, I fell in love with the characters and their nerdy quirks. Bonding over a fantasy series that got them through their childhood trauma, absolutely relatable!

I was on the edge of my seat for basically the whole book but especially the ending, the high stakes of Saff being undercover was thrilling.
I can’t wait for book 2!

[Hallie (thecommonroomshop) · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH SO THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST FANTASY BOOKS I HAVE READ IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!!!!!! infinity stars♾️⭐️

I don’t even know how to find the words, but I’ll be posting all the tik toks and youtube videos about this one. I am in awe!!!!!!!!

[Gigi · Rating 2 out of 5]

At first I was really hyped up about this book.

Saffron's parents gets killed by a criminal organization called The Bloodmoons when she was six years old. Saffron grows up planning to seek revenge for her parents. Her chance shows up when she's offered an undercover job to infiltrate the Bloodmoons and collect evidence, because she's the only one who can by pass their security measures due to her immunity to magical spells.

This book started great. I loved the idea of the magic system. The pain and pleasure aspect was really interesting. The story had so much potential.

Unfortunately, this didn't feel like an adult fantasy. It was juvenile and some scenes were just too easy and convenient. I expected some high stakes, nerve wracking scenes while the FMC trying to investigate the Bloodmoons but that didn't happen. The FMC is supposed to be this well trained detective but she just made a joke of the undercover job. She keeps making ameture mistakes and revealing her friends secrets.

The characterization was inconsistent and characters would do and say things that makes no sense. I felt nothing towards any of the characters and was really disconnected to the story.

As I stated above, I loved the idea of the magic, but the execution was not done well. The author kept breaking her own magic rules. The world building needed some depth and complexity.

Moreover, we get repeated lines that has no significance to the plotline, and the fact they were mentioned a few pages back, it felt repetitive and disjointed.

The ending was the last straw for me, it was such an easy way out. I'm sure a lot of readers will love this book but it's not for me.

All opinions are my own. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the e-arc.

[DianaRose · Rating 5 out of 5]

a favorite read of 2025🩵

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!

what a ride silvercloak was! buckle up folks, because this is going to be one of the biggest fantasy books of the year!

i keep seeing people compare this to Harry Potter but they are extremely inaccurate imo — this is nothing like HP outside of the wands and verbal spellcasting, especially considering the mages in this world gain their strength from either pleasure or pain; the quantity and quality of their magic depends on how much pleasure or pain they acquire, and of course, pain ensures the quality of magic is the strongest.

silvercloak opens with our young fmc saffron witnessing the murder of her parents in her own home by the mafioso-esque bloodmoon group, and from there, her goal is to murder those who ruined her life. years of studying (and cheating), land her in the final stages of becoming an honored silvercloak, where of course things go awry and she is forced to go undercover and infiltrate the bloodmoon ranks.

i find that stevens writes phenomenal enemies to friends to lovers to enemies characters (our infinite fates portrayed that so well), and she outdid herself with saff and levan’s relationship as well.

truly, i also enjoy characters who try their hardest to keep their morals, but ultimately end up morally gray/wrongly viewed as villains in their world… it just makes the character development (and suffering!) that much more realistic. and oh, how poor saff tried her hardest to maintain her code of conduct but “oh, this is how villains are born”… JUST AMAZING.

overall, I NEED BOOK TWO IMMEDIATELY!!

[Ashleigh (a frolic through fiction) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Initially compelling with its writing style suggesting an almost dark academia take on magic, Silvercloak is one that grabbed my interest from the get-go. I loved discovering this world where power is built from pleasure and pain, how that formed its society and the way experiences proved so inherently formative to each character not only on a personal level, but in their power too.

I feel like the tone we began with didn’t quite match the romance leaning plot line this became geared towards, and I couldn’t help feeling I’d read two separate stories somehow. As such, I couldn’t get hooked on the romance enough to feel the tension driving the story, which was a real shame given so much emotion could be pulled into the very magic system at play.

I’d still be interested in reading the sequel, I think especially given how things ultimately did play out. I just felt pretty ambivalent towards the latter half, so I’m hoping for more emotion to be drawn in book 2.


[Thank you to the publisher for providing an eARC on Netgalley!]

[Heathers_readss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally a refreshing take in the fantasy genre!

If you grew up on Harry Potter and are having withdrawals this book will definitely satisfy your cravings. The opening scene gave me “voldemorts time of rule” vibes with wands and death spells. As heart breaking as this chapter was it gave you a really good indication of how important the FMC would be moving forward through a time jump.

I loved the elementary setting with the brain storming, team exercises and ruthless tests (not your run of the mill school exams, try life and death scenarios that require magic use, spells, cunning and flair). The only downside was that the training setting was only for a short portion at the beginning of the book, we did get a couple flash books but I’d actually love to read a prequel about their full time in the academy, giving deeper insight into how the main character got accepted and their time in training

This book was a breath of fresh air for me I don’t want to say too much to spoil the contents but I really liked the world building, the setting, the spell casting, the main characters and the plot. Definitely keep this on your radar!,

Thank you to random house publishing group and L K Steven for the ears!

Publish date: July 29th 2025

[Odette · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hodge podge of mediocre books all mashed together.

Not sure what the plot twists were supposed to be? I guessed the MMC goal at 50% and considering they were both so over powered, nothing else was a surprise - thank you human time turner and someone to represent literally everything else.

If you said this was YA I'd not be surprised, it didn't have the depth I love in adult fantasy. The only partially adult element seemed to be the explicit scenes that are bleeding into younger literature.

I did like the romance, the inner conflict etc was very fun. The banter was again fun but didn't really make that much sense considering their situation.

The magic system was fun but if anyone can basically do everything it gets confused quickly and you run into breaking magic rules. To be honest if it's all explained in the next book that's great but I don't care enough about this to continue with this series.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC

[Dayna | daynas.bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Silvercloak is a MASTERPIECE that will take the fantasy world by storm.

in a world where magic is fueled by pleasure and pain, Saff will do whatever she must to avenge her murdered parents- even act as a double agent and join the very crime gang that killed them. to make matters worse, her loyalty is tested by none other than the son of the kingpin himself. in a twisty, magic ridden world Saff also must navigate a fated prophesy surrounding them (will it come to pass?) that tilts the very worldview she stands on.


hooooooly shit i loved this book so much. L.K. Steven has become an auto-buy author for me after coming out with TWO of my top favorite books of 2025 (the other being Our Infinite Fates). her writing is stunning and her fantasy world & magic system were so refreshing! this woman knows how to write a tortured soul, let me tell you.

fantasy with romantic subplot is arguably a lost art but BOY OH BOY does L.K. Steven know how to infuse crack into a slow burn romantic subplot. both characters are so tragically tortured and their actions make sense!! they both have motives to further their own agendas and are convinced they’re doing what’s right- helloooooo morally grey.

i loved the conflict surrounding the Silvercloaks (“good guys”) and Bloodmoons (“bad guys”- crime gang) and felt that it was easy to follow while still being deliciously complex. my head was constantly spinning with new theories and i STILL was caught off guard at times.

this book is perfect for readers who swoon over morally grey characters, become feral when faced with forced proximity and slow burn, love a healthy dose of “fate”, and those who loved the vibes of Six of Crows (just imagine more magic). literally going to reread my tabs because YES i highlighted on the first read!! a 5 star indicator!!!



thank you to del rey and l.k. steven for the opportunity to read and review this book early. i truly loved every second of it!

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

oh what a WILD time!!

[Emelie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has been generating a lot of buzz in the fantasy community.
I was eager to dive in, especially with its intriguing premise and the hype surrounding it. However, I found myself struggling to connect with it.

A book needs to capture me early on, to
pull me into its world and make me care
about the story, the characters, or even just
the atmosphere.
This book, however, failed to do that. While I understood the plot and followed the events, I never felt invested.
My mind drifted, I found myself rereading passages not because they were profound,
but because I wasn't paying attention the
first time. In the end, I finished it, but it felt
like had simply processed words rather
than experienced a story.

What Didn't Work for Me:

The concept of magic being fueled by pleasure and pain was unique, but personally, it made me uncomfortable. I often find that adult fantasy leans too heavily into sexual themes, and this was no exception.

I didn’t click with the romance subplot at all. The dark-haired, morally grey male lead has been done a lot, and this version didn’t bring anything fresh to the trope.
The whole "hurt me, then" dynamic just isn’t for me—it focused more about physical attraction and dominance than emotional depth. It felt possessive and further distanced me from the characters and their relationships.



Potential Positives for Other Readers:
While the book didn't align with my preferences, there are aspects that others might appreciate:

While the story didn’t grip me, I did appreciate the world itself. The setting was rich and well-developed, and the way magic worked was interesting (even if I personally didn’t enjoy the pleasure/pain aspect). The mechanics of it were well thought out, and I can see how people who like darker fantasy elements would be into it.

L.K. Steven’s writing is solid, and I never had an issue with the pacing or structure. Even though I wasn’t emotionally invested, I never felt like the book was badly written—it just wasn’t the right fit for me.



Conclusion:

Silvercloak didn't resonate with me personally. It lacked the emotional connection I need to really feel a story. I finished it, but I never felt hooked.

Yet, I still recognize that it offers unique elements that may appeal to other readers. If you're intrigued by an innovative magic system, rich world-building, and diverse representation, this book might be worth exploring.
However, if you share my reservations about certain tropes and themes, you might approach it with caution.


Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[lexie · Rating 3 out of 5]

dnf halfway

1) the fmc is so embarrassing. i understand making mistakes for plots’ sake and intrigue but she’s literally just incompetent. (also the abundance of cringey one liners as a self proclaimed defense mechanism…please leave that term out of my fantasy books 😭)

2) nothing has happened thus far. where is the plot going. why do i care about these characters. what is this baloneyyyy i was promised a cliff hanger but i don’t give a rats ass about anything before it!!

3) this is painfully showing not telling. if i have to read “you’ll meet your demise? i think that means he wanted to kill me!” or some variation one more time i was going to off myself

thank you to netgalley and del rey for the arc

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m tapping out at 60%. I skipped to the ending and guessed early on how this would end and I was correct. I hate this trope…

I started out really like this, and then everything that happened was either too convenient or added at the last seconds an after thought to fix a plot hole. Lazy writing and storytelling. For an Adult book, it came across rather juvenile and surface level. I also felt no connection whatsoever between the main characters.

I’m rather bummed because I was looking forward to this. I’m sure plenty of readers will love it. I just didn’t.

[Liana Gold]

Mafia and Harry Potter sounds like my type of read. Thanks to my friend Kristina for gifting this deluxe edition to me, just because 🫶🏻
Let magic games begin 🪄

[vanshikha · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐

Thank you Laura Steven, Del Rey UK and NetGalley for the ARC!

Silvercloak is an addictive romantic fantasy, set in a world where magic is fuelled by pleasure and pain, an obsessive detective infiltrates a brutal gang of dark mages —knowing that one wrong move will get her killed . . .

This book blew my mind in the best way possible. I was immersed into the world, and was hooked to the point I could not see the ending coming. It was a stunning read, so easy to fall into the world and be swept away by the interesting and intriguing aspects of the magic system implemented.

The plot had me on the edge of my seat for the entirety of the book. The high-stakes dangerous missions, combined with emotional depth and ruthless characters who will stop at nothing to achieve their goals, made this book impossible to put down. There were so many unexpected plot twists that made the story even more compelling. I also really enjoyed the political intrigue and the corruption that was uncovered.

The magic system is so wonderfully unique and complex with consequences and limits that continuously challenge the characters throughout the book.

Seeing the power balance between Levan and Saffron was very interesting too. Their chemistry was sizzling the entire time and the way it all played out at the end had my jaw-dropped.

I don't think my review does justice to this amazing book! The ending had me still thinking about the book and I can't wait for the next installment!

[Emily-Rose At The Rose House · Rating 4 out of 5]

“She was the pain, and the pain was her”

The ending was pure chaos so I need to collect my thoughts 🤯

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pleasure was magic, and magic was pleasure.
But pain was also magic, and magic was also pain, and therein lay the problem.
(…)
Because in a world built on pain and pleasure, there were always going to be those who pushed the very outer limits of it - who exploited the fact that magic could not exist without those twin pillars.

Silvercloak sounded right up my alley, and I was so excited to dive into this story. The beginning was really promising. I loved the whole premise with the revenge arc and the young detective going undercover to take down a notorious gang of dark mages. Some parts of the story had a lot of potential, but I had trouble getting past the messy magic system full of plot holes, a main character who repeatedly does the opposite of what any undercover agent should do, and the constant interruptions to the story’s flow with random, over-the-top sexual remarks.

The world-building, like many other things in this book, started off with promise. You can tell the author put a lot of thought into the setting, but it felt like she gave up halfway through. There are lots of interesting little details mentioned early on, but the world-building quickly takes a back seat so more focus can be put on the magic system.

And sadly, while I usually love a good magic system, this one just didn’t work for me. Magic in this world is powered by pleasure and pain, which sounded intriguing at first, but the deeper you get into the story, the more obvious it becomes that the author lost track of her own rules. There are way too many inconsistencies, and especially toward the end, some things just didn’t make sense anymore.

We’re introduced to different magic classes early on. One of them is extinct.
I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say it’s pretty obvious what category our main character ends up in. There’s also another character who turns out to be completely overpowered, and the explanation behind that doesn’t match anything we’ve learned about how magic works up to that point. At first, we’re told that most people can only use one class of magic, maybe two in rare cases, but by the end, it seems like people are casting whatever spells they want with no restrictions.

Magic was commanded verbally, and when casting a spell, one had to announce one's intentions. Ans represented honourable intentions, while sen represented ill. An important distinction, a built-in failsafe, making it difficult to injure or destroy by accident.

Spells are cast verbally, and there are supposedly rules and limitations tied to intention and execution, but like the rest of the system, those rules quickly fall apart. There are also wands, which is something you don’t often see in newer fantasy books, and I was intrigued by that. But again, the logic was shaky. For example, it’s possible to extract spells from a wand so they can’t be used again ...so why did no one ever think to do that with the killing curse? That’s just one of many plot holes.

Because magic is fuelled by pleasure and pain, the book leans heavily into both. Pleasure increases the quantity of magic, pain the quality. While I thought the concept was interesting at first, the execution didn’t work for me. Almost every character is either obsessed with pleasure, pain, or both ...and the author makes sure to let you know it at every opportunity. In this world, everyone is bisexual and extremely pleasure-driven, which probably isn't an issue for most, but the writing is filled with unnecessary sexual comments that completely pull you out of the story. Here are a few examples that stood out:

…was said to be the most powerful mage who'd ever walked Ascenfall. His list of credits included (...) possessing a cock of unprecedented stature. In the dragon mural, the crotch of his trousers bulged beyond all feasibilty.

Almost everyone in Ascenfall was attracted to all genders, and almost everyone was kinky as all hells.

…while Murias the Mighty, who had cast the very first wards around Atherin, appeared to be ogling the resplendent cock with little to no sense of decorum.

Saints, she needed to get to a pleasurehouse, or she was in real danger of mounting any particularly phallic lampposts she saw streetside.

Saffron's eye was drawn by several curious artefacts: a pair of rings engraved with some Old Sarthi she couldn't translate; a neat silver set of what looked like enchanted butt plugs; and a blackwood ornament…

Some readers might find that kind of humour funny, but I found it distracting and a bit immature. And because of the pleasure/pain element, we’re also introduced to a bunch of spells that tie into that theme. There are so many things about the magic that just weren’t properly explained or thought through. One example: there’s a scene where Saffron casts an illusion by saying a spell and the name of a person she’s never met before. She then goes on to describe their appearance in detail, even though she’s seeing them for the first time. That made no sense to me, especially since people can share names. And unfortunately, that’s just one of many similar moments.

She was no Foreseer, and yet somehow, she knew that she and Levan were at the centre of something enormous and devastating, something that would end in mutual ruin. Something that would not just unmake them both - it would unmake everything.

Saffron, the main character, tells the story through her POV. She starts off strong, but it quickly goes downhill. I really wanted to root for her, but she constantly does the exact opposite of what any good undercover agent would do. She makes careless mistakes, gives out sensitive information, and instantly regrets it, only to repeat the same behaviour again. It got really frustrating after a while.

I was looking forward to the undercover storyline, but it didn’t deliver. We’re told over and over again how dangerous and ruthless the Bloodmoons are, but Saffron never really seems to be in danger. She doesn’t have to work her way into the organisation, she’s taken everywhere right away by the Kingpin’s son. We also barely get any insight into how the gang actually operates.

It also felt unbelievable that this supposedly dangerous gang would accept her so easily, even though they know her parents were killed by them and she clearly has a reason to hold a grudge. No one questions her motives, and she’s never even asked to explain herself.

Levan, the Kingpin’s son, is a somewhat cliché character, but still interesting. I actually liked the romance between Saffron and Levan for a while, they realise they have a lot in common and genuinely connect. But the ending completely ruined that for me. After everything that happens, I just can’t root for them anymore. The book makes it clear where certain characters’ loyalties lie, and it left a bad taste in my mouth.

And speaking of the ending, it was a mess. I don’t want to give away spoilers, so I’ll just say that if I had any doubts about whether I should continue with the sequel, the ending cleared them up. I really disliked how the prophecy storyline was handled, and the romance couldn’t recover from how everything played out. I honestly felt annoyed that I’d spent so much time on this book.

It wasn’t until I finished the story that I realised this is the author’s adult debut. To be honest, it reads more like a YA novel, except for the constant sex jokes. It’s safe to say this one wasn’t for me.

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.'

⇢ 2 stars


Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[sanne ♥ (sann_reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️

the kylo ren girlies are going to love this

[Maddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

such a strong start such a bad finish - latter half did NOT work for me

[mackenzie (hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“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...”

this book started out with a basic romantasy formula that had me like oh, well, okay...

BUT WHO WAS I TO DOUBT THAT DESCRIPTION!!!!! this was so good and so immersive and so UNIQUE and took turns that i absolutely was not expecting one bit. yes, a romantasy, but also so much more. there’s action and politics, there’s friendships and rivalries, there’s romance – a little bit of everything that can appeal to anyone regardless of what sort of fantasy you lean towards.

a lot of reviews i’ve seen mention being a little iffy on the writing style, which i can totally understand, but it worked for me so well. probably won’t be for everyone (obviously), but if you like it then you will LOVEEEE this book.

this was such a great sort of re-introduction to fantasy for me, because i’ve been in the deepest romance hole this year but i think this may have just sent me spiraling down a fantasy rabbit hole... stay tuned 🫡

pre-read:
craving a little fantasy action (which hasn't happened in so long omg i'm so excited) so gonna sit on the little balcony of where i'm staying in greece and knock this one out today <33

thank you to netgalley & the publisher for an arc! all opinions are my own <3

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

NO LAST LINE HAS EVER SLAPPED LIKE THIS ONE DID full review soon this is my fav read of 2025 by FAR

EDIT: full review *MINOR SPOILERS*


I haven’t been as immediately enchanted by a book like Silvercloak in years. It’s a dark, whirlwind of a story that is thick with secrets and dripping with magic.

The magic system in Silvercloak is what immediately drew me to this story. In which pleasure fills your magical well, and pain sharpens it is so clever and almost salacious in its application, and the way the fictional world is shaped around these two sensations makes for a rich and complex setting for this wonderful story.

Saffrons thirst for vengeance is so tangible in the first parts of this story, her single minded focus in growing up is so sharp you can feel it from within the pages, and her journey to infiltrating the Bloodmoons, giving up her life, her friends, and her reputation for her mission shows how the weight of this vengeance balances against the rest of her life.

One of my favourite parts about Silvercloak is the dynamic between Saffron and Levan. I absolutely love a sad boy, and Levan seems to be the most tortured soul of all. The way Saffron and Levan slowly get to known each other, revealing parts of themselves that mirror the other is almost gentle, almost as if we as readers are baring witness to something secret. But where this romance really comes to life for me is the struggle for Saffron to reconcile the murderous, cruel son of the Bloodmoon Kingpin with the boy whose favourite book matches her own.

The culmination of this romance, and the spicy scenes that follow, are so hot, and the plot twists revealed WITHIN these scenes had me absolutely screaming.

The storytelling of Silvercloak is remarkable, it’s a perfectly-paced, intriguing story with brilliant world building and a scorching romance to boot. My favourite read in 2025 by far.