I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to Independent Book Publishers Association for providing me this arc via Netgalley!
I'm not usually a fan of standalone fantasy novels, but this was amazing. The plot kept me hooked, the characters were all super complex and interesting and the magic system and world building were so innovative. The romance was perfect as well, on both couples.

An interesting read. I found the characters interesting and enjoyable, a bit of fantasy with a splash of the old and a bit of new. There were some occassions where I felt the flow and the quickness of the read, however, did a disservice to the book. For instance, I would have liked to know a bit more about the metal bloodlines and how that made unique powers. This didn't come fully into light until towards the end when a gold blood person with sleeping powers came up. It would be nice to see this world built just a little more.

MERCURIAL is a YA fantasy centered on three interconnected teens and the lengths they’ll go to save the ones they love. Set in the Alloyed Empire, a country where the noblest of blood also possess the power of Metals, Tal is a bodyguard who possesses the dangerous power of Silver. Driven by visions from his God, Tal swears an oath to protect the Destroyer, the heir to the Alloyed Empire, sister to the Empress, and the Empire’s sword against all enemies. In response, Tal’s sister, Nyx, sets in motion a plan to save her brother no matter the cost.

I actually sped through this book and finished it in just two sittings. Overall, while I thought the beginning was a little oddly paced, it made more sense once I got to the real plot of the story and past the first set up the story felt compulsively readable. I thought the writing was polished and at times downright beautiful, and there were quite a few passages I found myself highlighting just because of the beauty of the prose.

Another thing I really enjoyed was the deep and nuanced discussion of religion, which isn’t exactly surprising seeing as the author specifically mentioned that being a motivator in writing the book in the first place. I thought the discussion of translation and interpretation refreshing and much appreciated as someone who has struggled against their own religious upbringing and what they were raised to believe.

However, discussion of the religion aspect of the story brings me to the one thing I did have a problem with. Warning for slight spoilers below.

Full disclosure: I have not yet read WINTERKEEP, by Kristen Cashore, however while reading MERCURIAL, I kept coming back to discussions I’ve seen play out online in the weeks since Winterkeep’s release. In particular, regarding the relationship between Nyx (who is biracial) and her mother Saasha (who is Black).

As a white reader, it’s not my place to speak to the representation of a Black or biracial character. However I will say that there was something that felt a bit … weird to me about a Black woman (and the only living parent in the story) being made out as willing to sacrifice anything and everything-including her daughter-to achieve her goals. I think the story attempts to pin it on her beliefs but to be honest, I just don’t think that makes it better, even with Helenia there to provide a foil.

I looked around a bit but so far haven’t seen any reviews by Black readers, so I’m going to be keeping my eyes out for those, as I definitely want to see if this was just a me problem or if its something others noticed while reading as well. (If you know of any/have written one, please drop them in the comments!)

Overall, I thought this was a fast paced, well written read that definitely provoked a lot of thought on my end. Ultimately, though, I think it ended up falling short in a few places.

**ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book has a strong biblical theme and I would recommend it to those looking for something like that, but would be hesitant to suggest it generally.
The magic was really interesting and well developed.

Honestly I adored this. Tal was one of the best characters I've ever read about in a YA. One of my favourite reads of 2021.

"Once, there was a boy who believed. Once, there was a girl who was afraid."

The Destroyer is the sister to the Iron Empress and also her weapon against all who stand against the empire. Tal swears a metal oath to the Destroyer to protect her at all costs, but in doing so he is turned into the Destroyer's personal assassin. Until there is an explosion that takes away the Destroyer's powers and robs her of her memories. As she learns who she is and remembers her past, Tal and The Destroyer must make the decision to save themselves or save the empire. Meanwhile, Nyx, Tal's sister has sworn to be The Destroyer's undoing, adding complications at every turn.

The magic system is very unique with powers coming from different types of metals being present in a person's blood. Metals are also powerful and respected, an oath sworn while touching metal is binding for life.

Mercurial gripped me from the first chapter and held my attention to the end. It is fast paced with a lot of action but a short enough novel that I could sit and read it in one day. There is some romance, also with some LBGTQIA representation, but isn't explicit. Definitely a feel good fantasy read everyone should check out!

😧 I held my breath for like half of this book, so it’s only fitting to call it BREATHTAKING! 😧

Thank you to *Naomi Hughes* *netgalley* for the privilege of reading this book in exchange for an honest review!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/ 5 stars

“And then he opened his eyes, and realized he was not dreaming at all.”

Reasons to love this book (slight spoilers!):
-Enemies to Lovers trope
-Character conflict/Redemption
-A constant wondering “what will happen next?!”
-Tal ⚔️
-Nyx 🏹
-Elodie 🔥
-Helenia 💖

Review:

I won’t lie: the first few chapters really had me in doubt. I requested this ARC pretty blindly because I wanted to go into a book blindly. (I’d read maybe one line of the description). Naturally, I went in feeling a little confused and lacked investment.

But then came the plot twists! This book had some absolute switchback level twists and turns... and it was FABULOUS! I found myself chuckling with Tal and crying with Elodie. I also spent a fair amount of time wanting to rip my hair out over a multitude of frustrating moments (ahem, looking at you Nyx and Saasha).

But ultimately, all of these emotions pulled me into a story that I want to read again and again! I can’t wait to have the opportunity to buy the physical copy to love and loan many times over! 💕

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

Everyone in the Alloyed Empire fears the Destroyer. The metal in her blood gives her incendiary powers, and the coldness in her heart makes her the empress’s perfect weapon…until a rebel attack leaves her with no magic and no memories. Her bodyguard, Tal, has long since regretted his idealistic hope of saving the Destroyer. Now that she’s powerless he can finally end her reign of terror—if he can stop himself from falling for the wicked, funny, utterly unfamiliar girl she’s become. Nyx was furious when her brother, Tal, abandoned her to protect a tyrant. Now, she hones herself as a rebel assassin until she can kill the Destroyer and rescue Tal. But the closer she gets, the more she realizes the entire empire hinges on the decisions the three of them will make.

Tal is an interesting character. His religious beliefs spurred him into pledging himself into service to The Destroyer, as her bodyguard; sworn to protect her and never harm her. I felt that his character seemed to change in the snap of your fingers. One moment he is hating that his oath binds him to The Destroyer, then the next he is wanting to help her. It’s confusing and takes away a layer of realism that all characters have to make them engaging and likeable. His sister Nyx is quite similar. I love that she is LGBTQ+ but that’s perhaps the only endearing thing about her - she doesn’t seem like a well-rounded character, instead more one-dimensional, an after thought; as much as I hate to say it.
The Destroyer is a character who is ruthless and doesn’t shy away from harm. Which is why I was shocked to see Elodie so different - to the point that I felt a massive disconnect to the character. Yes, her memories and magic disappeared but even when she began remembering, it didn’t feel right.

The concept for this story really drew me in. But I just felt that is was lacking in various areas which made it less enjoyable for me. The characters felt a little one-dimensional and the story rushed which had my focus drifting instead of being laser-focused on it compared to how I normally am when reading, which is a shame.

Overall, Mercurial is an interesting story, I just felt the execution for me was sadly a little lacking.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advanced copy of this book. Review will be live on my blog on release day.

Eternally grateful to Netgalley and Naomi Hughes for providing me an ARC of Mercurial in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating: 4.5

I LOVE the idea of this book- blood, bodyguards, and magic, I couldn't ask for more. Mercurial delivered and I will be picking up all of Hughe's past and to come novels! The cover for Mercurial is perfect, it represents the story and is BEAUTIFUL.

Tal: My heart breaks when Tal's heart breaks. I feel what Tal feels. I might be in love with Tal. I loved his personality and his growth. He learns who he wants to become and the steps he will take for the ones he loves.

Nyx: Is probably my favorite. She's a fierce female, she breaks down walls and will suffer for the people she holds close. She pays attention to those around her and holds sympathy. Her energy is fun and determined. She's dedicated and I just love her character so so much!

The Destroyer: I love who she becomes. She learns to understand people and listen to them. The Destroyer takes everyone by surprise at each turn of this book! She's one of my favorites!

The plot is pure genius, it's twisty, original, and VERY fast-paced. It's everything I look for in a book. Mercurial is such a good book because the writing, plot, and characters are so well done. All elements have to be well done to create such a masterpiece. I couldn't predict this book- not once. I didn't know how it was going to end, who would live, or who would die.

My favorite element of this series is the worldbuilding. Words can't tell you how much I adore it. It's filled with magic, mountains, and majestic creatures. I love how important the magic is to the plot and how well structured it is. I can understand it and it inserts crazy plot twists. I love each of the settings and I can envision every movement and living thing.

I really enjoyed the writing style! I felt emerged in the book and loved the author's descriptions! There were a few times I cringed at some of the lines and the characters' thoughts but in the end- reading about the characters' thoughts is important to their personalities. This book felt MAGICAL.

I love the representation in Mercurial. It doesn't feel forced- it makes my heart warm and will welcome all readers!

Mercurial is a gem and I recommend it without a doubt!

An amazing enemies to lovers ya romance. I went into this with really not knowing much, but I came out really loving it! It was one of those quick reads that you find yourself reading. Thanks Netgalley for the ARC!

Mercurial was a simple and sweet book with an enchanting romance. Slow at times but wonderful nonetheless. While I had found myself despising a few of the characters, it held nothing against the book.

An enemies-to-lovers young adult fantasy with thought-provoking messages about faith, forgiveness, and the murky line between good and evil, Mercurial is a compelling read! I enjoyed the characters, the magic system, the thought-provoking messages, and, of course, the romance in this standalone novel.

Several characters in the story that stand out as favorites! The Destroyer, also known as Elodie, is so interesting. Though extremely powerful, she feels very alone. She is feared, justifiably so, for her violence and cruelty. Even when she loses her powers, that loneliness envelops her. Her story is so intriguing, especially considering how murky her past is. Plagued by nightmares, Elodie struggles to remember certain parts of her past, and her story becomes even more shocking as the story progresses. It’s clear that Elodie is on her own. Tal is one of the only people she can trust, and that’s mostly because he has taken an unbreakable oath to let no harm come to her.

Tal goes through many internal and external obstacles throughout the story, and his character is so well-developed. Tal is quite devout and is deeply affected by his religious beliefs and spiritual guidance. However, for the majority of the story he goes through a spiritual struggle and tries to reconcile his faith with his ever-changing feelings.

Tal also struggles to understand his changing feelings toward Elodie. At the start of the story, Tal despises The Destroyer and wishes he had never sworn himself to her. He has seen her do, and he has done unspeakable and unforgivable things, and he doesn’t understand why his God propelled him to protect The Destroyer. However, as the story progresses, Tal sees that there is much more to Elodie than just being The Destroyer, especially after she loses her memory. These conflicting feelings confuse and anger Tal. Elodie is more aware and quicker to reconcile her feelings for Tal. There are interesting messages here about trauma, forgiveness, acceptance, and the power of love, and I enjoyed Tal and Elodie’s enemies-to-lovers romance.

Speaking of love, I have to talk about how much I love Nyx, Tal’s sister. Nyx is determined to rid the world of The Destroyer and free her brother, and she is unflinching in her goals. She is a fighter, and she is passionate about those she loves. Though she is brutal and strong and unrelenting, she turns into a softie whenever she’s with her brother and her girlfriend. I love that we see so many sides of her character from her ambitions to her fears and everything in between. Like her brother, Nyx struggles to reconcile her feelings toward The Destroyer and her religious beliefs.

I found the religious aspect of this story really interesting. I didn’t find it preachy but instead felt it was more philosophical in examining and questioning religion. Characters like Tal, his mother, Nyx, and Nyx’s girlfriend show the difference between faith and fanaticism. They also show ways in which religion can help a person and when it can harm. It’s fascinating to see people who read and follow the same religious texts pull opposite interpretations depending on their own motivations and desires. It really makes you think about the different ways in which culture and religion influence people.

The world and magic system are unique and immersive, and the author skillfully creates a dynamic and fascinating setting. In addition to the intriguing world and magic, secrets, lies, fighting for a cause (or person) you believe in, political intrigue, and many heart-pounding scenes make for an immersive read. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

This book isn't even out yet as of me writing this review, but I'm here to tell you that it's already underrated and will be bullying everyone in my life to add this to their TBR's immediately.

Mercurial really is a gem of a novel. While nothing about most of the tropes it uses are unique (blood based magic, enemies to lovers, enemies have to rely on each other to survive, Big Bad with secret tragic past, over protective misinformed siblings... the list really goes on and on) I don't think I've really seen any of them (especially an enemies to lovers standalone) handled this expertly before. This is also a trial perspective standalone fantasy which I've normally only seen done to flesh out world building or page count, but all 3 characters are believable and complex and every single chapter here adds to the narrative.

I'm absolutely obsessed and hopefully, you will be too.

(Will contain slight spoilers!!)

Two things I like about this book, one is the simplistic and easy to understand magic system and the politics. I find it interesting to see it as a backbone of this book, don't get to see them a lot in YA Fantasy. Props to Naomi Hughes on that.

The characters are a hit or miss to me. For instance, the Destroyer as the villain doesn't seem like one, and I get that the narrative weaved the character as morally grey but I just don't feel it. At times, the Destroyer started out to be this terrible and dangerous villain, according to various context. But when Elodie was reveal to be the Destroyer, her character suddenly change, showing the kind-hearted person she was. It feels unnatural, and really juxtapose the first part of the narrative. Did Tal forgot how abusive the Destroyer was? The only characters that I enjoy reading about are Tal and Nyx, especially their relationship as siblings. I could tell they both really cared for each other.

Like most of YA books, I don't put much thought in the enemies to lover trope and sometimes it could be insta-love. And in this case, Tal and Elodie relationship hits close being an insta-love.

Overall, I rated this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed reading the book but it was okay and decent in my opinion. Really hope the characters were develop more, has strong wlw representation, the worldbuilding is strong (it keeps me reading). Full review will be posted in my blog.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found Mercurial through NetGalley's "Available Now" section and I am so glad I did!

Mercurial revolves around the Alloyad Empire, and they fear The Destroyer. The metal in her blood gives her incendiary powers, and the coldness in her heart makes her the empress's perfect weapon until a rebel attack leaves her with no magic and no memories of herself.
Tal is a royal guard, protecting The Destroyer, who has now since regretted his hopes of changing The Destroyer. Now that she is powerless, he plans to finally end her reign of terror-if he can stop himself from falling for the wicked, funny, and utterly unfamiliar girl she has become.
Nyx was furious when Tal, her brother, abandoned her to protect a tyrant. Now, she hones herself as the rebel assassin until she can kill The Destroyer and rescue Tal. But the closer she gets, the more she realizes the entire empire hinges on the decisions all three of them will make.

This book had me by surprise. I went in expecting this fantasy story to be one that had barely any representation but MAN was I wrong!! Nyx has a girlfriend, Helenia, and she has dark brown skin. Tal is described as having lighter skin than Nyx, but he is not described with white skin.

My favourite character in this story has to be Nyx. I connected with her straight away. She reminds me of myself in a way (and not just because she is gay, like myself). The way she talks, the ways she thinks, reminded me of myself.

The plot itself was so interesting to read. There was never a part in the book that I was bored with and wanted to stop reading. The world-building is so well done for how long the book is. I did not think that the world-building would be so well done but I was blown away!

The romance between The Destroyer and Tal is great. You could say it is enemies to lovers, but The Destroyer never hated Tal. Tal hated The Destroyer so it can be added as enemies to lovers, but not exactly. I still loved it because you could tell through the entire story (when in The Destroyers POV) that she has feelings for Tal but never thinks about them until near the end of the book. I loved every second of being in one of their POVs and seeing how they think of one another. (Also, side note, the book is written in third person omniscient)

If you are looking for a fast-paced, memory loss, vengeance, and fantasy story, this book is for you!

Let me preface this review by saying that I’m not in the target audience for this book, and I can definitely see younger readers enjoying it more than I did.

The story follows Tal, a bodyguard to ‘the Destroyer’ (a.k.a. Elodie), sister to the empress and a fierce fighter known for violently quashing rebellions. Tal is under oath to serve as Elodie’s bodyguard, and hates every minute of it. Meanwhile, his sister Nyx has become involved with the Saints, a group of rebels. However, everything changes when after an accident, Elodie loses her memory, and she and Tal are forced to work together to survive in the wilderness.

When I’m reviewing a fantasy series, one of the most important elements for me is world-building - a superficially-developed world can tank an otherwise decent story. The world-building in Mercurial is OK - I’ve seen better, but I’ve also definitely seen worse in YA fantasy. I liked the magic system and the religion based on metals. It reminded me somewhat of the magic in the Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson, as that book’s magic system was also metal-based, but Mercurial had a different twist on it that I enjoyed. Another aspect that interested me was the world’s religion, especially Tal’s struggle with his belief in the Unforged God after his visions ended up with him suffering under his oath to the Destroyer.

The writing style was a little repetitive sometimes. I lost count of the number of times the word ‘mercurial’ appeared on the page. As for the plot, I enjoyed the various twists and turns the story took, as well as the themes of redemption and to what extent you can really forgive people.

*SLIGHT SPOILERS*
However, my biggest criticism of this book is that I think that the relationship between Tal and Elodie changed too quickly. Considering how she abused him while he was sworn to be her bodyguard, I felt that his change in feelings towards her happened too quickly. Even though Elodie became a completely different person once she lost her memories, I don’t think that spending one day in her company as a different person would completely erase all the harm she had caused him and how much he hated her. I didn't really buy that he fell for her after everything she had done to his friends and family, and how she had made him complicit in this violence.
*END OF SPOILERS*

Overall, this book was entertaining, and definitely kept me intrigued as to what would happen next. However, I had a few too many issues with some of the character development to fully get invested in the story.

I received this book for an honest review

Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read this story. An amazing Young Adult read I can't wait until the next one in the series.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book (and stayed up too late to finish it). The story was fascinating, with excellent character development and plenty of twists and turns. At times it reminded me of Mistborn (with the metal magic) and a bit of Beauty and the Beast. I love that the story was complete in itself. The author could write more about the world, but I was satisfied with the end.

If I had to find a critique, the character dialogue, especially among the saints, wasn't as polished as it could be. But, that was pretty minor in the grand scheme of the story.

I would certainly read another fantasy book by this author! Thank you NetGalley for the free e-arc.

Thank you NetGalley for a chance to review an ARC of Mercurial!

You know that feeling when you're reading and you're so invested that you forget everything else until you suddenly look up and realize that you are in fact reading, and that no, it isn't actually happening in real life. That's what reading this book felt like. I had gotten about halfway through when I got interrupted and realized that I had been so pulled in that i forgot that it was fiction.

Needless to say, I was thoroughly impressed by this book. I picked it up on a whim without knowing too much about it, mainly because I was bored and in the middle of a reading slump. Yet from the very first page, this book kept me hooked. The story follows three POVs: Tal, a boy whose faith in his God led him to swear an oath he would later regret; The destroyer, a young girl with incendiary powers that make her empire's most lethal weapon; and Nyx, a sister who just wants to save her brother and kill the one person responsible for his pain, the Destroyer.

The character dynamics and relationships within this book were complicated and muddled with contradictory feelings. Reading about Tal's anger towards the Destroyer, I expected this to be just another enemies-to-lovers. But it took me by surprise. At its core, this is a great story of forgiveness and redemption, of love and family, and of faith. I came to care for all of these characters and to root for all of them, even if they were all on seemingly opposite teams. I really enjoyed the sibling relationships in this book and how the bonds of family drove the characters and complicated the story.

I would 100% recommend this book to people who love fantasy, enemies-to-lovers, morally grey characters, family dynamics, and political fantasy.

I loved this book so much! I cannot believe that I actually spent the entire day reading this, neglecting everything else in my life! It was so addicting and fast paced. Each chapter left me wanting to read on and on!

Characters:
This book follows three main characters. The Destroyer, sister of the Empress, with enough fire magic to burn a city. Tal, her bodyguard, tricked by his god into swearing to protect her. Nyx, Tal's sister, risking everything to save his life. The entire empire's future rests on these three's actions.

Writing and Atmosphere:
Hughes' writing style was really captivating. I was especially hooked during the final arc of the book, and couldn't put it down. The pacing of her writing was consistent with what was going on in the book, and was done really well. In the final arc, with the highest stakes, Hughes completely slowed down the pacing to counter it with tense atmosphere, so we could actually experience what the characters were feeling.

World-building:
The magic system seems like a combination of the metal magic in Sanderson's Mistborn series with the different colours of blood in Aveyard's Red Queen series. Those without magic have red blood, whereas those with magic have different coloured blood. These people have an affinity to a specific metal, which gives them access to special powers. For example, the Destroyer has mercury in her blood, giving her incendiary magic (basically magic that makes you go BOOM!).

Overall, I'd definitely recommend this book to those who like a good YA fantasy. There's even the classic enemies-to-lovers trope (which I always love!).