Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early.

Silvercloak follows Saffron, a mage who joins the Bloodmoons in order to take them down and avenge the deaths of her parents when she was a child.

It took a bit for me to figure out the world of Silvercloak and how magic worked but once I did I couldn’t put it down. The twists and turns were fascinating and I didn’t see any of them coming. I especially liked Saffron’s dynamic with Levan, as well as her friends from the first section in the book. I want to read so much more set in this world!

The only issue I had was that it was an extremely intricate world with a very complex magic system and while the first section helped me ground myself in the story, I would’ve loved some sort of guide or glossary of the terms of magic and a few of the workings of this world. But it wasn’t a big issue as I was able to follow the plot very well without one and enjoy the story very much.

Thank you Del Rey and NetGalley again for the chance to read this early.

oh fantasy is SO back!!! i loved steven’s YA book “our infinite fates” and this was the most pleasant surprise to receive!!! from the first page, it threw you headfirst into the story and as we followed saff through her adventures of subterfuge i was EATING IT UP. also can we talk about the romance because???? the warring sides?? this is delectable i’m obsessed to be frank. i need to read her grocery list asap

I really enjoyed learning about this world and it’s magic system, it was so unique and complex that there were always more layers to uncover. I loved the morally grey characters and the romance. It was written so perfectly that the plot twists really took me by surprise, especially that ending! I’m going to be thinking about Saffron and Levan for a LONG time!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Silvercloak is an adult debut fantasy by author L.K Steven/Laura Steven about a wand-wielding mage named Saffron Killoran who infiltrates a gang of Bloodmoons to get revenge for the murder of her parents. One of my most anticipated reads of the year, I finished the book in two days. The strength of this fantasy novel lies in its world. Rich, luxorious, dark, and alluring, the world of Ascenfall is incredibly well-written and seductive. The way the author describes every little detail is what makes the world unique and unlike any other fantasy world I have seen. The writing is palatable and the lore is also rich and fascinating. I felt myself drawn towards the pleasure and pain aspect, and how that translated to cultures and religions.

In the hopes that publishers are really looking at arc reviews so that they may edit the final copy before its release: I urge the publishers to consider changing the last name of Nissa Naszi to literally anything else. It's jarring to have a name that resembles and pronounces so similar to Nazi. Especially, because the book explores in depth genocide, torture, and branding. I'm surprised no one has pointed this out during the editing stage because it was disturbing every time I stumbled upon it and I believe the lack of attention to such a glaring detail is a disservice to readers.

i need you all to listen to me: those of you craving the wonder and nostalgia and thrill of wands-and-cloaks magic need look no further.

silvercloak is queer, diverse, morally chaotic, and has a pain-and-pleasure based magic system that is one of the most fascinating i've read in years, both in the way it shapes the world and the way it shapes the characters. laura steven's adult debut is achingly romantic, devastatingly vicious, endlessly fascinating, and pure magical adrenaline from start to finish. i promise you: none of you are ready for this.

silvercloak is the reckoning we've been waiting for.

I love this book. This author never misses. There’s so much I love about this, undercover agent?? the costumes for the event made me cry. The writing of this is fantastic. I cannot wait for book two please 😭

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.

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