This is the first book I've read by this author, I'm definitely interested in her other works after reading this story.

I had absolutely no idea what this story was about before I began but I will say that it is extremely difficult to shock me or make me cry, and this book had my jaw actually drop and gasp within the first chapter.

I loved the way the author created pain and pleasure for fueling magic. I've never read a story with this type of magic system before, so I thoroughly enjoyed that.

There are twists and turns that I truly didn't see coming and while some areas were a little hard for me to connect with, and there was maybe one or two things I predicted, I enjoyed the story quite a bit and I'm very excited for book 2!

Thank you so much to Del Rey and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review!

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4,5 stars - a dark story in a whimsical setting that I absolutely ate up

<i>“He looked at her as though she had saved him, which she had, and as though she would be the death of him, which she would.”</i>

I was enjoying myself from the very start! The prologue was such a bittersweet and intriguing introduction to both the worldbuilding and the moments that define the female main character the most throughout the story.
The magic system was so cool; I really liked how simple and easy to understand at a glance it was, but with more depth and complications once things get more complex. The ability to essentially code magic by putting various spells together and into context with each other was amazing. The magic felt like such a vivid and important part of the colourful world, it’s a part of their society and something society is built around rather than just some fun sparkles glued on top. The system with pleasure and pain to replenish was especially intriguing to me, and I loved how that too was incorporated and shaped the world, politics and culture.

<i>“Pleasure was magic, and magic was pleasure. But pain was also magic, and magic was also pain, and therein lay the problem.”</i>

The main characters’ dynamic was so much fun to read, the push and pull between them in the complicated situation they’re in really worked for me. As did the romance and their doomed love story. They’re both traumatised, morally ambiguous (and so sure they’re doing the wrong things for the right reasons) and selfish - yet also longing to be seen and understood.

<i>“She was no Foreseer, and yet, somehow, she knew that she and Levan were at the center of something enormous and devastating, something that would end in mutual ruin. Something that would not just unmake them both— it would unmake everything. Of course, it was very possible she was just in love.”</i>

My only real critique of the book is that I wish we had a more present cast of side characters to get attached to, to support the story and the main characters. We hear about how the female main character’s cohort are her found family, but other than a couple of brief scenes we’re mostly just told about it rather than shown - making it have way less of an impact when anything happens to them or involves them. I think with a more solid and fleshed out found family vibe this book could have been a five star top read of the year for me.

I really really enjoyed this story, and I can’t wait to go back to this world as soon as possible (the ending had me GASPING).
I’d love to learn more about the wider world, explore more of the city, learn more about the various religions and factions and the history of their society and magic. It felt so vivid, colourful and varied, and so ripe for more exploration!

Vibes you’ll find in this story:
- The cutest wolf who I would do anything for
- Dark story in a whimsical setting
- Morally ambiguous main characters
- Enemies to lovers
- Undercover detective FMC x organised crime prince MMC
- Queernormative world
- Chaotic bi MCs
- Kinky magic
- Broody nerd MMC
- Cat and mouse dynamic, except they both fill each role

Thank you to the publisher and net galley for this ARC.

I think this was a really interesting concept for a magical world. The magicsystem and world bulding were fun and interesting. However, I
found myself struggling with the pacing and long descriptions. Itjust didn't have the hook to keep me focused and at times I struggled to stay involved with the plot.
Honestly really enjoyed the concept of the book, but struggled with the execution of it.

I loved this book absolutely could not put it down. I love Laura’s writing, it was clear, the world building is spectacular without being overly complex. The pacing keeps you hooked from the first page to the last page. Laura has become one of my favourite authors.

After Saffron's parents are killed, she lies her way onto the magical police force in her country and goes undercover as an initiate in a violent criminal organization, so that she can find her parents' killers.

i was intrigued by this and the magical system. But then, I realized about half way through where it was going and it landed just a little flat to me.

Pros: New and intriguing magical system
Morally gray characters
magical mafia

Cons
TO ME: I questioned Saffron's actions at every page. Sometimes she was analytical-thinking and sometimes she was reckless and the ending was a little too...predictable . I will read the next book though. I want to know what happens.

Thank you to NetGalley for the Arc. All opinions are my own.

Silvercloak is addictive! I did not want to put it down! Firstly the magic system is unique and fuelled by pain and pleasure. With wand style magic and cloaks I felt a classical fantasy vibe throughout. The world-building is epic, with streets full of characters vivid in my mind, but I could have done with even more in terms of history and culture. I feel this will develop through the series though and cannot wait to learn more.
In terms of the plot, this was really fun and nail-biting, sometimes slightly predictable but I still was on edge.
If I’m enjoying a book, which I very much did, then actually after finishing I find myself lost for words. I can say that I loved the time spent the with Bloodmoons, all too often when I read a book we spend too much time on the ‘good’ side and don’t get to see the ‘bad’. The Bloodmoons are elusive, savage and powerful. The undercover mission is interesting and full of peril.
Overall Silvercloak is a well written fantasy adventure, it includes an amazing animal companion, magic, time travel and the seeking of vengeance! The romance subplot was a nice addition but this book has so much more going for it and I predict this will be hugely successful.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

4 ⭐️

Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy of this book


✨Magic academy
✨Magic based on pleasure and pain
✨Rival guilds
✨Betrayal
✨Morally gray
✨Magic mafia
✨Secret mission
✨Good vs evil

This book was so deep and detailed and had some of the most unique ideas I’ve ever read. The world building is very rich and vivid, painting a compelling backdrop to this story that completely consumes you. Paired with a magic system that is insanely creative based on the ideas of pleasure and pain. Mages replenish their magic through feeling pleasure of varying kinds (favorite foods, wine, reading their favorite book, physical touch, etc) but can sharpen their spells through pain. Such a cool idea!!!

Paired with the epic world building and magic system, we learn about the various societal issues. This kingdom is one at war with itself on all fronts. We have rival mage gilds (thieves, mafia and detectives) all fighting it out over the ideals of good and evil, opposing religious groups who follow either Saints or prophets, corrupt nobility and a rare group of mages called TimeWeavers who were all thought to be eradicated from their world long ago who could remake the very fabric of their reality. All of these details were some of my favorite parts of the story.

One of my other favorite parts was THE ROMANCE! I loved Levan because for the longest time I couldn’t puzzle him out. He was a mystery and so complex all the way to the very end. He’s also borderline morally black. With Levan and Saffron, I love how their broken jagged pieces fit perfectly together to make them whole. They understand one another in a way that only someone who’s been through similar trauma could.

I did knock this down a star for a few reasons. I felt the pacing was off. It felt alittle like whiplash at times where the story would progress but then details from prior would constantly be repeated or Saffron would continue to make the same mistakes over and over again. She was a bit insufferable at time. She was undercover behind enemy lines and made a terrible spy in my opinion.

Overall, this book is worth the read and I really enjoyed it. Looking forward to seeing where it goes from here.

Thank you to Netgalley.com for providing me with an ARC of this title.

I really enjoyed this book! Was it perfect? No, but there were so many aspects of the plot that I adored.

Firstly, the magic system was so unique. A world where magic is fueled by both pleasure and pain. Pleasure fills your magical well and pain sharpens it. The world is shaped around the two sensations and this provides a rich and interesting setting. I thought the mechanics of the magic system were well-fleshed out. I loved her father's magic and what he was able to do too, I wish we had seen more of that!

Our FMC Saffron is in training to join the Silvercloaks (think our version of the police) but during her final assessment, her unique power is accidentally revealed. She is thrown deep into an undercover mission to infiltrate the city's mafia - the Bloodmoons.

The Bloodmoons kingpin is responsible for her parent's murder so Saffron sees this as the perfect opportunity to exact her revenge.

The only problem is that she has a prophetic vision that she will fall in love with the kingpin's son...and then kill him.

Levan, the kingpin's son is not necessarily a unique MMC but I loved his complex character. He is a tortured soul hiding how truly powerful he is. He called to Saffron and I liked the fact that they seemed to understand each other so well. They saw things in the other that they had kept hidden from others.

I enjoyed the romance between the two. They were almost mirror images of each other, it's giving fated mates vibes. I loved the fact that his fallowwolf Rasso loved Saffron. They had such complicated feelings for each other; lust, love, hate, fascination, awe and fear to name a few! Both characters were smart and loyal too. I wish we had a bit more angst and tension between them but I think that will come in book 2 after that ending!

I have a couple of things I was a bit unsure about. Some of Saffron's actions left me bewildered as they didn't seem in character with the shrewd, analytical-thinking detective she was made out to be! Some of the things she did were so rash and reckless, that not much thought or analytical thinking was happening. The stakes in the Bloodmoons didn't seem to be life threatening and the ending felt a little too convenient with her magic ability! The lead-up to the ending though was superb!

The writing was beautiful, easy to understand the world etc and the plot was gripping. It had great pacing and structure. I was not bored and couldn't put it down!

Overall it was a great romantic fantasy read. 4.5 ⭐️

This book was so good...at first I had a little trouble with it because there were name of places n creatures n myths thrown all over the place with little Insight as if I should have k own what the words meant so I struggles to get into it but I'm so glad I stuck with it I loved levan do not ask me why that dude has issues but I have a soft spot for morally grey. Loved the story line , loved the magic and that ending........ugh I need book 2 I need more levan

This was unfortunately a DNF for me, and because of that I didn't use any stars on Goodreads or Story Graph so as not to discourage other readers who may like it.

A quick synopsis: After Saffron's parents are killed, she lies her way onto the magical police force in her country and goes undercover as an initiate in a violent criminal organization, so that she can find her parents' killers.

Silvercloak started fairly well for me. The magic system, wherein the mage replenishes their well with either pain or pleasure, with differing results, was unique in the current wave of fantasy releases. I also found the premise of mage detectives really interesting, and would have been a new way of discussing police corruption if the author had taken advantage of it.

Unfortunately, the novel is too consumed with the "romance" (I use quotes here because Saffron and Levan had all the chemistry of tap water) and doesn't spend nearly enough time on the political and social implications of the magic and government structures of its world. Characterization is perfunctory: we're told Saffron is clever and logical in her thinking, but she makes rash, emotion decisions constantly. Levan is shown to be violent and psychologically controlled by his father, but we're asked to disregard that because he likes the same book series as our protagonist. This whole thread with the aforementioned book series felt trite to the point of childishness. It was so jarring and took me right out of the story.

I really enjoyed this author's other novel, Our Infinite Fates, so I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy this one. With that being said, this book still has a lot of positives and will appeal to a lot of a readers of this genre. I'm just not one of them.

3.75⭐️
I thought this was a really fresh take on the magical/fantasy genre. You’re sucked in straight away to Saffrons world where pleasure and pain fuels the magic world. Think wands, cloaks and magical spells 🪄 mixed with a dark seedy mafia style underworld.

The bloodmoons are the mafia style bad guys and the Silvercloaks are the ones trying to stop them once and for all.

I do feel like this book flitted between YA and adult fantasy. It’s kind of neither one nor the other but a mix of both. There’s trauma, violence and just enough spice that was perfect for the story.

Saffron gets kicked out of the Silvercloak academy only to find herself chucked undercover into the Bloodmoons on a revenge mission to try to locate and avenge her parents deaths.

The world building was written really well and I found it easy to envision the story. It was quite intricate at times when talking about the history between the bloodmoons and the silvercloaks and tbh this went over my head a bit 😂

Saffron was such a badass. So courageous and strong willed And then when the MMC came into it you could feel the tension and angst straight off the bat..LOVED IT!

MAFIA KINGPINS SON - HELL TO THE YES

What I will say though is that I found that the pacing during the middle of the book was a bit slow for me.

And I felt parts of the book were overly described and detailed too much in my opinion and I was losing interest.

This might be because I’m not a massive Harry Potter magical spells and wands kinda girl idk - maybe if I was I would have felt differently.

I think what aggravated me towards the end was that Saffron was acting extremely naive at times.

However having sad that .. I loved seeing the relationship between Saffron & Levan develop and I’m always a sucker for books that leave little secret crumbs throughout so your sat ready and waiting to get to the bottom of everything.

And I’m glad I did push on through because the last 20% of this book was SOOOOO GOOD! Fast paced, action packed and shocking revelations that I did not see coming! And that last line makes has got me BEGGGING for book 2 right now. You just know shit is gonna hit the fan!

The story had so many twist and turn that made it hard to put down. The magic system in the book was very interesting. This book is a fresh breath in the fantasy genre. The ending has me needing book two ASAP.

This one was a bit of a rollercoaster for me. I hovered between 3 and 4 stars for a while after finishing Silvercloak, but in the end, I’m settling on a solid three. It’s a good book—interesting world, compelling ideas—but it didn’t quite land everything it aimed for.

Let’s start with the good stuff: the vibe and worldbuilding are absolutely the strongest aspects here. The concept of magic being fueled by internal wells of pleasure and pain is brilliant, and it opens up so many avenues for moral ambiguity and psychological depth. The atmosphere has a whimsical-dark blend that reminded me at times of Harry Potter—but more grown-up and grittier. There’s an undercover mission in enemy territory, shades-of-grey characters with unclear loyalties, and some fascinating ethical dilemmas. What would you do for someone you love—even if it made you the villain? That question haunts the book in the best way.

I kind of liked the characters too. They're not the deepest I've ever read, but they serve the story well and have some compelling internal conflicts.

Now, for what didn’t work for me.

The pacing falters midway. It starts strong, then sags, especially during the time Saff spends in the Bloodmoon lair, which I felt could have been far more engaging. Then, suddenly, the plot races ahead again, almost too fast.

The characters are in their mid to late twenties, but they often act like teenagers. If this were firmly YA, I think it would have worked better—but the occasional spice and “darker” themes make it feel caught awkwardly between YA and adult fantasy. Speaking of which, some of the violence and “edgy” choices felt forced, as if they were trying a bit too hard to push the story into adult territory. Several acts of violence—especially from Levan—seemed gratuitous and lacked emotional or narrative payoff.

Levan himself is a sticking point. He’s clearly intelligent, well-read, and obsessive… so how does he not understand that the risen aren’t really their former selves? That necromancy doesn’t bring people back but instead creates husks with no real soul or feeling? That undermines his entire motivation. I was hoping for a deeper, more complex goal—like seeking a time weaver to reverse the past (especially since Saff happens to be a time weaver and in the end realizes that's what she wants to do). That would’ve made a lot more sense and carried more emotional weight.

Also... he cold-bloodedly throws killing curses at Saff’s close friends—multiple times—and we’re just… supposed to be okay with that? Saff doesn’t really process this in any believable way, which left me feeling detached from her emotional arc. Trauma doesn’t excuse everything, especially when it’s brushed aside so quickly. So again - if Levan's end goal was to "reset" the world several decades, it would make so much more sense for him to be so blasé about killing.

On the plus side, no harm comes to Rasso the animal companion. That’s an automatic point in the book’s favor for me!

Despite its flaws, Silvercloak is a fun, intriguing read. It doesn’t break the genre, but it has plenty of unique flavor and a world I’d love to explore more of. The book wears its influences on its sleeve but still manages to carve out its own identity. I’ll definitely be picking up the sequel, hoping it deepens the characters and tightens the narrative. There’s real potential here!

The first half of Silvercloak had me hooked. I liked the atmosphere of the academy and the early setup, Saffron’s motivations were clear, the magic system was interesting, and the world felt textured and alive. But once she leaves Silvercloak and goes undercover with the Bloodmoons, the story lost its footing.

The second half felt like the author was borrowing tropes from crime romance and placing them into a fantasy setting without doing the work to make them feel grounded. The gang dynamics didn’t feel believable, the romantic plot lacked chemistry, and the darker elements were more aesthetic than emotionally convincing. I found myself skimming toward the end because I no longer felt invested.

Still, the writing is readable and the premise is intriguing. Weirdly enough I think readers who enjoy crime procedurals might connect with this more than I did.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Rating 2.5

Quick very high level summary.
Saffron’s parents were murdered in there home by the Bloodmoons (a gang of dark mages)
when she was a child. 20 years later she vows revenge for their murder. She uses magic to get into Silvercloak Academy but she is soon found out. Instead of expulsion, she's offered a dangerous undercover mission to infiltrate the Bloodmoons. She has to become a Bloodmoon while keeping her past hidden as well as facing a prophecy foretelling her killing the son of the gang leader named Levan. Levan, who she also has begun to develop feelings for.

My Take.
This started out strong for me. I enjoyed Saffrons time in Silvercloak Academy but it once she was sent to infiltrate the Bloodmoons it lost of the the excitement I was expecting. What happened to the tension and intrigue? Why did our MC suddenly start making such poor yet predictable choices? Maybe there are just too many romantasy’s out there right now and they are starting to become just ok. I think this had so much potential but I needed more high stakes fantasy. I appreciated the world building and character development but with the lack of excitement it just fell flat for me.

What a wonderful novel! The world building is well done. The past is woven into the present. You understand how this magical world came to be and operates. The magic system is unique. It uses different classes of magic, and pain and pleasure are sources of magic. There is a found family trope, which is one of my favorites. There is also a magical creature/sidekick, which I also love. Saffron is a morally gray FMC who is clever and plays both sides. She loves fiercely and wants to prove herself to others. Levan is also another morally gray character who does questionable things, but the reader can understand why. Their relationship is developed nicely. The end is explosive. So many things happened, and with the epilogue, I cannot wait to see how this develops.

Silvercloak isn’t just cool as hell, it’s utterly gripping from start to finish. At its heart is Saffron Killoran, a detective mage tasked with infiltrating one of the most dangerous gangs in the city. But this isn’t just another assignment. This gang is responsible for the brutal murder of her parents two decades ago, and Saff’s not just going undercover, she’s chasing justice with a vengeance. Or maybe revenge. Either way, there’s a score to settle, and she’s not walking away until it’s paid in full.
The worldbuilding here is fresh and inventive in the best way. The magic system alone had me wide-eyed: in Saff’s world, magic draws from a reservoir of pleasure and pain, quantity and quality determined by the emotional highs and lows of the user. It’s intimate, risky, and entirely original. As Saff navigates this brutal landscape, it becomes clear she’s playing by her own rules, with a few tricks no one saw coming.
Her descent into the city’s criminal underworld is a masterclass in tension. It’s dark, dangerous, and constantly keeps you on edge. The twists never feel cheap; they’re perfectly timed gut-punches that keep the plot sharp and the stakes sky-high. And then there’s the romantic subplot, messy, magnetic, and infuriating in the best possible way. I genuinely couldn't decide whether I wanted to throw my Kindle or write fanfic. It’s that kind of dynamic.
If I had one critique, it’s that the conclusion felt just a little too fast. With so many high-stakes threads converging, the final showdown veered into chaos, and I wished for just a bit more breathing room to fully appreciate the payoff. Also, since I read the e-ARC, I’m crossing my fingers that the final edition includes a map, I found myself craving a visual layout of the various territories, especially as the political intrigue started ramping up.
That said, these are minor gripes in a book that completely owned me. The (tragically short) epilogue left me feral in the best way. I’m fully invested, already obsessing over theories, and counting down the days until the next installment. This series has claws, and I’m not getting out unscathed.

Phenomenal book, Laura Steven yet again doing an amazing job at writing! This book was a 4.5 Star read for me, there were a few things I didn't enjoy about the book which prevented me from being able to give it 5 stars.

Before requesting the ARC for Silvercloak, I already had my eyes set on reading this book during its release week. I appreciate being given the opportunity to read the book before its release and to be able to share my review with others.

Silvercloak is a story like no other, yes it may have some resemblance of magic, wands and a story which makes you feel as though you are reading an adult Harry Potter novel but from a completely different perspective and in a whole new world.

The concept of pleasure and pain being the fuel of magic is such a unique concept I have never come across, it was so intriguing to find out about it during the story. Laura was able to keep some aspects of the world a secret until just the right moment! It is hard to guess what will happen next and the plot twists are some of the best I have ever read.

I would recommend this book to all fans of Harry Potter, Prison Healer, Hunger Games, Arcana Academy and Dance of Lies.

I cannot wait to read the next book, Silvercloak 2 is going to be amazing, I'm sure!

This book has a great premise and was executed well. A female protagonist undergoes magical law enforcement school and training in order to infiltrate the magical mob that murdered her parents. There’s a unique magic system where pleasure and pain provide the source for one’s power and world building kept me intrigued. The characters are diverse, queer, and flawed. The plot is a little messy but it made sense for the way the characters develop and the romance was a fun aside. It is dark, so beware there is gore, death, and violence frequently mentioned, as well as manipulation and intentional cruelty. But if you like revenge, enemies to lovers, morally gray characters, this book will likely be a good option.

Wow wow wow. This was absolutely incredible and I could not put it down. From page 1 I was hooked by the brutal world, the characters, and the academy setting - I'd love an academy prequel!!! This has real notes of Manacled and the Auction, despite being completely unique.

It is very dark, so go in with caution, but if you like the above, you will LOVE this.