Quicksilver
By Callie Hart (2024)
Fantasy Romance
★★★★★ 5 Star Review
Description
Twenty-four-year-old Saeris Fane is good at keeping secrets. No one knows about the strange powers she possesses, or the fact that she has been picking pockets and stealing from the Undying Queen’s reservoirs for as long as she can remember. In the land of the unforgiving desert, there isn’t much an orphaned girl wouldn’t do for a glass of water. When Saeris’ thievery catches up to her, she is sentenced to death, but instead during her escape she inadvertently reopens a gateway between realms. The Fae have always been the stuff of myth, of legend, of nightmares…but it turns out they’re real, and Saeris has landed right in the middle of a centuries-long conflict that might just get her killed. The first of her kind to tread the frozen mountains of Yvelia in over a thousand years, Saeris mistakenly binds herself to Kingfisher, a Fae warrior, who has secrets and nefarious agendas of his own. He will use her Alchemist’s magic to protect his people, no matter what it costs him… or her. His past is murky and his attitude sucks, but he’s the only way Saeris is going to make it home.
“We take more than we’re given, or we die. It’s an easy decision. You’d do the same if it meant the difference between life and death.”
Thoughts & Review
Kingfisher is irresistibly tormented and brilliantly sarcastic. His humor was truly one of his best characteristics and made falling in love with him make sense, because he truly is a likable MMC. I surprisingly loved not getting his POV because it added to the mystery and intrigue of him as a character.
Saeris is a wonderfully entertaining heroine, and the whole story is from her POV, which I loved. She gave me Katniss Everdeen energy. She's a very confident, selfless, and empathetic character. Love a FMC that asks a lot of questions, because that’s exactly what I would do if I was suddenly thrown into a strange Fae world. However, her bargain skills… not so great. I love her humor and I am glad that Callie chose to include a healthy amount of swearing in both the dialogue and inner thoughts of Saeris. Makes things more relatable and provides the opportunity for a more mature sense of humor all around.
“Rumors are next-door neighbors to gossip, and gossip always breaks bread with lies. It’s just the way these things go.”
Carrion begins as a side character, who quickly grows important to the story with his witty banter and self-deprecating humor. I don’t think the story would have been the same without him, which makes him a valuable character to me. Definitely provided the comic relief and excited to see how his storyline plays out in future installments.
Beyond Carrion there are a fantastic circle of friends who join them along the way, each of them bringing something unique to the story. It’s a wonderful ‘found family’ feel, with minor storylines for them shaped really well, and I loved their interactions, their teasing, and their heartfelt care for each other.
“You’re the chink in my armor, Saeris. The soft spot where the knife slides in. You are the thing that Malcom will hurt to hurt me.”
Beautifully written romance
The romantic chemistry was wonderful 10/10. From the banter to the steamy tension to the vulnerable conversations, it was perfect to me. Definitely giving you are my soulmate and I will find you in every lifetime type of beat. A sacred romance if you will.
Unique magic system & lots of action
The world building is very easy to digest and I was immediately sucked in from the second I started reading. The perfect balance of plot and romance. The magic system was unlike anything I’ve ever read before and I love how it plays such an integral role in the overall story. Not always entirely related to magic, but the action and battles scenes were absolutely INCREDIBLE! I also thought it was so cool how Saeris can imbue magic abilities into the weaponry she is making in the forge. So cool. I am hoping to dive deeper into this in future books.
Perfect pace
Quicksilver was able to hold my attention throughout the entire book. Which is amazing when I can find a book that does that. There were no boring moments and the pace was quick from the get go. I especially loved how the author dropped us in the world and we learnt along the way without any info dumping. This book ends in a good place, and while it’s not exactly a cliffhanger, there are some pretty huge twists to end the story and I’m so excited for more.
“His gaze was heavy as a sword’s edge, resting against my throat, sharp enough to cut.”
Writing is not without issues
Was the writing perfect… no… “Rigid iron wrapped in silk and velvet”: referring to a male appendage... enough said. It’s no Shakespeare, maybe I lost some brain cells, but I loved it anyway.
3.5/5 Spice Scale Rating
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