This was absolutely incredible. This book hands down had the most interesting magic system. It was like Harry Potter, (because they use wands and spells), but the magic is controlled in a sense by pain and pleasure. That is UNHEARD of. & then throw in rival gangs?! It had every element that I love in fantasy.

In short- our main girl Saffron’s parents are killed when she was young. She joins this group called the silver cloaks, which are supposedly the good guys (this whole book will have you blurring the line between good and evil). She goes to school for years and years hoping to be the best of the best and one day take down a ruthless group called the Bloodmoons (the ones responsible for her parents death). She finally gets the opportunity to go undercover and infiltrate when she makes her self indespinsible to them and claims she can help them track down a necromancer. Because of this she ends up working with the head of the bloodmoons Son, Levan.

Sweet sweet Levan. He seems like your classic morally grey MMC. But no. Levan is a truly tortured soul. & Saffron and him become very close. However how will he react when he discovers she’s not who she says he is?! What will she be required to do in the end?

Tropes:
-Tortured soul MMC
-rival gangs/
groups
-pain/pleasure magic
-queer representation
-adventures/quests


READ IT!

thank you Del Rey & netgalley for the arc ❤️

This was such a fun read. This story follows the main character Saff as she attempts to avenge her parents and engages with mafia-esque magic organization responsible for their deaths.

I loved the world building and vivid descriptions throughout. The adventure after the MC’s graduation had me at the edge of my seat. There was a bit of messiness in the writing and characterization, but the adventure and world sucked me in so well that I could overlook it. I found myself with the same complicated feelings toward Levan as Saff did, and I enjoyed their dynamic. Some of the twists really got me!

I did find the characterization of Saff vs what we’re told her character is like (take a shot for every time you read the word nihilist—and I also didn’t buy that she was a nihilist) didn’t totally align. The beginning few chapters up through Saff’s graduation felt rushed and could have been executed more cleanly. There were generally some of my pet peeves with prose in here (e.g. “Something tightened in her chest”) which can spoil a book for me, but there was so much I liked here that I could deal.

I will definitely read the sequel to this and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a charming Magical World with *wands*, romance, morally complicated characters, and a revenge mission.

I have some majorly mixed feelings about this one. On one hand, I really enjoyed the world building and magic system. It was easy to follow but compelling and added some great layers to the story. Saffron's experience while infiltrating the magical underground had me equally as invested in the story itself and finding out how the magic worked. The plot itself was also very fun, and the pacing picked up enough speed to make this the kind of book I could easily devour.

On the other hand, I found some of the character work fairly underwhelming. The narrative often tells us how a character is perceived, while showing them behaving in the opposite way. I'm told over and over that Saffron is sharp and clever while she often makes deeply stupid choices. If I have to be *told* a character is smart, it's honestly already a red flag.

I can see the author's YA side of their writing coming out, and while I know they have a YA book debuting around the same time as this one, I was hoping the adult fantasy would feel vastly different and truthfully it didn't. If this had been a YA book perhaps some character elements would have worked better and been more believable, but when it comes to adults making these decisions I just can't buy it half the time.

4.25 stars!

Wow, this book was fascinating. I LOVED the magic system and was in awe of the way L.K. Steven built a unique world and magic system. I saw a reviewer describe this as Harry Potter meets the mafia, and was hooked to start, but I also think this book is more than that. There are layers to all of our character’s, including Saffron, our main character that kept me reading. I really enjoyed this book, and am excited to see where the story goes!

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for the ARC!

This one was definitely wild! Lots of juicy world building and terms (which is refreshing, though hopefully there will be a glossary in the final book). I loved the high stakes and wand-based magic, and Saff is both a wild card but entirely relatable. Though I had an inkling about the prophecy, the last 10% was unpredictable in the best way, and I'm looking forward to the next installment!

This book was pretty good, I would definitely recommend

~This was given by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

3.75 ⭐️ thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this arc!
I really enjoyed this story. Saffron the fmc is fueled by this huge loss she suffered. Her grief steering her through life. Her working undercover and pretending to be something shes not had me on the edge of my seat. The small details, that aren’t really that small, with her magic, and the things that got revealed later in the books were so good! I just hope that we get to see more of her being smart and clever and not just being told that she is whilst doing the complete opposite of that.
I was so intrigued by Levan and his story as well and I can‘t wait to find out what will happen in the next book! The side characters were great & really like the magic system!

Although this book had a bit of a slow start for me, once it got going I was hooked. The premise is a nod to the Harry Potter of our younger years, even referencing an eerily similar series of books in their world, and the nostalgia of a traditional magical system with wands and cloaks and enchanted items was enough to make this a worthwhile read for me. Beyond that, though, is a complex story that weaves (ahem, yes pun intended) together that magic with other more sci-fi reminiscent elements, along with a romance and the theme of fate that this author seems to love.

I found the MCs to both be complicated and flawed - as the author points out to us, people are not strictly black and white, we exist in multitudes and shades of gray. Lovers of the morally dark trope will enjoy their story, as well as the almost-but-not-quite enemies to lovers that flops back and forth throughout this book, and the ending will give us no closure on that front going into book 2.

Laura (LK) Steven has solidified her place for me as an automatic buy with this and Our Infinite Fates. Can’t wait to read the rest of this series.

2.5 stars rounded up

Sadly, for me, this didn't live up to the excitement of the premise; the start is strong, and I love the idea of training to exact your revenge, eventually infiltrating your enemy's gang. The execution fell a little flat, though. Mostly, I couldn't connect with the characters--I feel what we're told about them and how they actually act are too different. We are *told* that Saff is calm and quiet, yet she seems to incessantly be cracking jokes that didn't land with me, for example. I also struggle with characters who just seem to be able to do everything: every single kind of magic, no matter how rare and difficult. I wish they'd been a little less perfect.

I finished this book in less than 24 hours, and devoured every last little bit!
The entire premise had me so intrigued, we have a magical system where your well of power is drawn from pleasure and pain ( I mean come on how amazing does that sound?!) Despite this it wasnt overly spicy which I loved because sometimes you just need a break from overly graphic spicy scenes. (but also hellooo forked tongues, more of that in 2025 thanks!)

The world descriptions & spells used were reminiscent of childhood books about wizards so felt comforting to read and delve into and I enjoyed that the characters were unapologetically queer as hell.

We follow Saff, a Silvercloak cadet about to face her final assessment which of course goes horribly wrong, & she gets thrown into a deep (way deep) undercover operation. She must become one of the very people she loathes, and accept the brand of the Bloodmoon's, the very people who she watched murder her parents in cold blood when she was a little girl.

While I really loved this story, my rating is a bit lower because I just wanted more from it. I felt that the set up was amazing, the basis for the story had everything that I loved, but the actual time Saff spends deep undercover was lacking.
Things seemed to go too smoothly, and when they went wrong there wasn't enough drama to keep me interested at times so felt like I was pushing through some parts and not totally immersed.

In saying that am I already dying to read the second book? Yes. I will 100% follow it through because despite lacking in some areas the world, characters and plot sucked me right in and I still couldn't put it down.

I fear that I am going to be disappointed in the majority of the books I read this year after finishing this banger.

No, but seriously. This story is an insanely complex and dark narrative about the struggle to find one’s place in a world in which power is fueled by pleasure and pain. Saffron watched her parents death at the hands of the Bloodmoons, a fringe organization kept afloat by crimes that cannot be proven. Saffron becomes a Silvercloak, the “police” of this world, with the ultimate goal of bringing down the Bloodmoons. The exit exam reveals her huge secret, which allows her to go undercover in hopes of destroying the Bloodmoons from the inside.

The premise itself is promising, but the depth of this story is incredible. I want to say it’s a dark Harry Potter, but it doesn’t even compare. Magic is wielded through wands, but replenished through pleasure and pain. The resulting world is incredibly sex-positive with very, very dark edges. Saffron’s every move is compelled by her traumatic beginnings. Grief, ptsd, and overall trauma are thoughtfully explored themes. The idea of timeweaving - or turning the clock on time itself - is a fun concept that is woven throughout the story. Oh, the world building! Like I said before, it’s complex but oh so compelling. The characters are all adults (at least 26 years of age) and function as adults with layered feelings and the ability to think through their problems. It’s so refreshing. Saffron’s self-preservation through banter is hilarious. The romance is great. The ending has me yearning for the next book - and for some fresh therapy.

This book is for anyone who enjoyed a rich but twisted and dark narrative, fantasy, mafia vibes, and unique magic/world building with lush imagery.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for the gifted eARC.

Silvercloak is an electrifying blend of sci-fi and fantasy, set in a world where magic is fueled by both pleasure and pain. The worldbuilding is rich and immersive, striking a perfect balance between complexity and readability. The magic system is unique, seamlessly woven into the narrative without ever feeling overwhelming. Saffron is a compelling protagonist, constantly torn between her thirst for justice and the moral cost of achieving it, while Levan’s layered character keeps the romance as unpredictable as the dangerous game they are playing. It is fast-paced, darkly seductive, and filled with intrigue. It is a thrilling start to a series that promises even more twists, betrayals, and heart-stopping moments. I am already impatient for the next book and would definitely be recommending it too.

An amazing book! I loved where it ended but it has me desperately needing the next one ASAP.
I'm living for the world and characters.

This was a 3.5 star read for me, rounded up to a 4 because I do think it has the potential to be a 4+ star series.

The beginning and end of this book were bangers. The middle lost me a bit with not enough emotion. I wasn't a huge fan of either MC, but that the ending revealed that I am supposed to be conflicted about them so that was a nice surprise. I literally said "yaaaaaaaas" at the last sentence before the epilogue. The romantic tension felt a little too YA for my taste, as did the MCs themselves. I kept forgetting Saff was supposed to be almost 30 because she came across as more of a young 20 something. The magic system is interesting, if not a little confusing. But I do feel like that is where the series has potential to shine if executed well.

Overall, I enjoyed it and will be looking forward to the next one in the series.

EArc provided courtesy of NetGalley
Eagerly awaiting sequel
Nevertheless found the writing a little clunky at times, mostly towards the end once Saff found the full extent of her magic. Speaking of the magic system it felt a little like the reader was being told about it rather than learning about it through the world.
I found the concept of plain and pleasure as a source for magic intriguing, and how it then informed the various world cultures from the Nyrøthi painful approach to the hedonistic Vallin approach.
I would like to know more about the Ludders as I felt that they mostly existed so Saff never had to reach the true bottom of her society in order to complete her mission. For me it would have been more interesting without the ludders.
Also I'm quite curious about how the magic system would work for asexual/aromantic people, as it appeared that sex was the speediest way to replenish your well, I'm hoping that'll get answered in a future book.
Other than those small gripes I found the plot to be thoroughly enjoyable with good pacing.
Pleased to see Laura Stevens writing what is definitively an adult book just as skilfully as her YA books.

✨4.75 stars ✨
🌶️1 spice🌶️

"I see you, Silver. For all that you are."

This was truly a wild ride and such an incredible story of loyalty, prophecies, and betrayal and I didn’t want to put it down!

Thank you to Del Rey for the netgalley eArc in exchange for an honest review. Here we go again!

This book was incredibly well done. It was action packed alongside romantic tension and interesting characters.
The two main characters, Levan and Saffron, were both well thought out characters. On opposing sides through their loyalties yet falling for one another despite their differences. The tension between the two was INSANE.

I found the plot super intriguing. There was never a dull moment and I felt the plot remained consistent throughout the book. I also really enjoyed the writing style and how emotions were portrayed in the book.
This book was kinda like Harry Potter but add organised crime/mafia. I know, insane right?!?

I definitely think every romantasy/fantasy romance reader should pick this up ASAP.

Check TWs and CWs
Happy reading 🩶

Adding another auto-buy author to my lists this year in L.K. Steven, I guess!

I was so excited to read Silvercloak after reading Steven's YA Fantasy "Our Infinite Fates" earlier this year—I'd never read anything by her before but was immediately swept up in her character building and storytelling prowess that I was ready to consume everything she put out. Silvercloak's premise on its own is incredibly appealing—in a world where magic is powered by both pain and pleasure in equal but different measures, Saffron, our protagonist, is training to become a Silvercloak. They protect people, and she lost her parents very young to a murder in their home by members of a gang known as the Blood Moons—and Saffron wants revenge. After a few of her secrets come to light, she ends up entering in a dangerous mission to go undercover in the Blood Moons. Tied up in all of this is the fact that she's seen a prophecy where she kills a man—the Kingpin's son, Levan—shortly after kissing him.

Steven builds out a rich, interesting universe with unique magic classes and abilities in a way that is easy to pick up as a reader but is still complex and has depth—I'm not always a fan of an overly complicated universe, because in lesser writers' hands, it's very easy to get lost. I don't read to constantly be frustrated with the fact that I can't remember what a spell does, or have to look at a glossary for in-universe terms. With Steven's incredible writing, I always felt grounded in the work and the world and knew who everyone on the page was despite the large cast of characters, and followed along with her original universe so well because she set me up for success without dumbing anything down. It takes a really great writer to do so, and I found myself often craving to learn more about the universe which is not always something that happens for me as a character-driven reader.

There's also a lot in this book that, on paper, shouldn't have been for me. I shouldn't have liked this book—mainly because I'm not usually an enemies to lovers girl. I'm a friends to lovers girl! What can I say—I need mutual interests and quiet bonding. Somehow, Steven wrote a spectacular romance between Saffron and Levan that I believed every step of the way. Levan is a character with quiet depths, an onion that kept getting layers pulled back one at a time as I learned more about him—I was constantly shocked with what I learned about him, and yet felt it all made sense in one cohesive character. Saffron—also known as Saff—is just as complex. She's a female character wrought on revenge who prides herself on always having a plan. She's got an interesting moral code that is challenged multiple times throughout the book, and I spent a good portion of the book wondering where she'd go next...likely because she often didn't know herself.

I loved so many smaller details about this book too—the queer normative world, the cast of side characters, the language used for spells, the limitations of magicians, the religious lore around prophets—and I am so incredibly eager for the next installment already.

Laura Steven knocked it out of the park with her adult debut! Silvercloak starts off extremely strong and hooked me in immediately after reading the prologue. I found the story to be extremely bingeable, though it did drag a bit for me in the middle. I expected a bit more cunning behavior from Saffron and higher stakes considering that she had to go undercover with the Bloodmoons. The pleasure/pain magic system is so unique and I adored the time weaving aspect - will be recommending to anyone looking for a unique fantasy story!

OK, so this book is a LOT! The prologue had me audibly gasping at what was happening, it was straight into the action and brutality and really gave a good foundation for our main character Saffron's motives. Cut to 20 years later and Saff has nearly finished at Silvercloak school - basically training to be the magic police in the city of Atherin, the good guys. But Saffron has always had, how shall we say, issues around magic. It doesn't affect her how it does other people (so how in a world full of mages nobody has noticed this in her entire life I'm unsure) and she is forever masking this with illusions and enchantments. Anyway, for some reason that also doesn't really make sense she ends up going undercover with the BAD Bloodmoon gang. They're BAD did we mention that?! Her first run-in with the shockingly gorgous son of the kingpin of this BAD gang has him repeatedly removing somebodys hand and reattaching it - standard Saturday night for somebody so BAD am I right?! Anyway, the story and character's motives/intentions/decisions are constantly flipping backwards and forwards and there is a hefty bit of overlooking glaring contradictions and nonsensical plot devices needed BUT, if you can do that the book is a rollercoaster that starts off as good vs evil, takes a detour via enemies to lovers and ends up at WTF just happened - but it is worth a read and judging by the end of the book, the sequel will be equally bonkers and I can't wait!

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ / 🌶️ (4.5 stars rounded up)

- dark high adult fantasy
- organised crime
- magic academy (minor subplot)
- forbidden love
- queer
- intricate world-building
- gorgeous prose
- soft magic system

For everyone who didn't hear me screaming on my Instagram story and Goodreads update feed about this -- I could not physically stop reading this book. I think Laura put a Compelling Charm on this one because oh my, just typing this review and thinking about the book has me physically kicking my feet and grinning, this made me SO happy and sad and SO MANY EMOTIONS I CANT STOP THINKING ABOUT THIS ONE I AM SO DISTRAUGHT????? THIS IS THE KIND OF STUFF I WOULD READ FANFICTION ABOUT BUT (I should probably turn capslock off BUT LISTEN I CANT THATS UM I'M DEFINITELY COMPELLED) BUT THIS BOOK ISN'T EVEN OUT YET SO THERE'S NO FANFICTION, NO SEQUELS, NO SPIN-OFFS NO *ELICITS DEAFENING SCREAM* How am I going to survive the months (probably years) of wait till the sequel comes out :((

OKAY SO *DEEP BREATHS*

This is a beautifully written high fantasy which will have you on the edge of your seat throughout, be careful lest you fall of that edge. Few books manage to hold you captive throughout, there was SO much going on, so much that could (and did) go wrong, that you just couldn't stop reading? The magic system is intricate -- although it is a soft magic system, there's loads going on, time-manipulation, charms, necromancy??? potential dragons?? (There are bits where the magic-system feels too powerful/there's points where it feels like a last minute solution/twist to things but this is the first of a series so I am hoping there's bits that get explained in the future books, regardless, this has turned Laura into an auto-buy author for me)

Levan and Saffron -- I shouldn't like them together. I REALLY SHOULD(N'T????? )THEY'RE SO WRONG (RIGHT) FOR EACH OTHER. And for the most part, I really didn't (or so I like to tell myself?) BUT THEY ARE SO?????? Like I was screaming because the BETRAYAL the DECEPTION the EVERYTHING MEANT TO GO WRONG the FORBIDDEN-NESS OF IT ALL I WILL BE SUING IF THEY BREAK MY HEART. Also, we love non-heteronormative worlds, such a WIN!


-----------


I CAN'T I CAN'T I CAN'T I NEED THE NEXT BOOK NOWWWWWWWWWW IM IM IM WHATTTTT WHAT ON EARTH

RTC

4.5 STARS

I CAN'T GET THIS OUT OF MY HEAD I'VE SPENT MOST OF MY DAY READING THIS IM IM IM UNDONEEEEEE WHAT