🚨 I HAVE BEEN RUINED. 🚨
Silvercloak by Laura Steven just sent me into a spiral, and I will never emotionally recover. This book has officially entered my “will shove into everyone’s hands” tier of fantasy romance. If you love morally grey characters, enemies-to-lovers, slow burn, and a heroine on the razor’s edge of villainy, then buckle up, because this book will consume you.

🩸✨ The vibes?
Think The Dagger and the Flame meets an adult Harry Potter with magic fuelled by pleasure and pain. YES, you heard me right. Magic in this world doesn’t just come from spells or artifacts—it’s fed by raw sensation, from euphoria to agony, and honestly?? That entire concept had me hooked from the first page.

But let’s talk about the reason I actually sold my soul to this book:

🖤 Saffron Killoran: The Unmaking of a Hero
This girl?? OBSESSED. A walking contradiction—hardened but vulnerable, righteous but reckless, silver-tongued and sharp as a blade. Two decades ago, she watched the Bloodmoons murder her parents, and from that moment on, revenge became her only reason for breathing. She joins the elite Silvercloak Academy under a literal false identity just so she can find a way to burn the Bloodmoons to the ground.

But when her secret gets exposed?? Instead of expelling her, they give her a choice—go undercover and take the Bloodmoons down from the inside… or lose everything.

I love a heroine who has to fight for every inch she gains, and Saffron?? Fought dirty. I felt her internal struggle with every morally questionable choice. The constant tension of “am I becoming the monster I swore to destroy?” was giving Nesta energy, and I lived for it.

"She'd always possessed a kind of nihilistic fearlessness, a bravery born not from heroism or gallantry but from the fact the worst had already happened."


She walks into the lion’s den with her head held high and a knife behind her back, fully prepared to destroy the Bloodmoons. What she wasn’t prepared for?

💀 Levan Celadon.

🔥 Levan Celadon: The Kingpin’s Son & Ultimate Heartbreaker
Oh. My. GOD. This man. This deadly, brilliant, tortured heir to the Bloodmoons who sees everything and trusts no one. The moment he stepped on the page, I knew he was going to ruin my life.

"There is a villain inside us all, and my greatest gift is coaxing that villain out."


EXCUSE ME, SIR?? I had no choice but to simp. He sees through Saffron’s lies from the start, but instead of killing her, he keeps her close—because he knows she’s dangerous. Because he likes that she’s dangerous.

He calls her Silver (because of her hair, and I love when the enemy/love interest gives a term of endearment 😭). And the moment he tells her: "You're not alone, Silver."
I ascended. Someone revive me.

🔥The Romance: Slow Burn to Mutual Ruin
The push and pull between them had me screaming at the pages. The slow-burn tension was unreal. This was not insta-love. It was will destroy you before you destroy me, but god help me, I can’t stop looking at you.

And Levan?? He’s not just dark and broody—he’s the kind of morally grey that makes you question everything. He’s ruthless. He’s cunning. But he’s also so much more than the role he’s been forced into.

"The power is all yours, Silver. Do with it what you please."


BRB, sobbing.

But the part that fully broke me? The way they bond over their shared love of a childhood book. The book that got them both through grief. When the author visits their town, Levan makes matching golden costumes for them, because Saffron doesn’t want to wear her red Bloodmoon cloak.

THIS IS A MAN WHO LISTENS.
THIS IS A MAN WHO CARES.
THIS IS A MAN WHO WOULD TEAR THE WORLD APART IF YOU ASKED HIM TO.

And yet, they’re both so painfully aware that their story can only end in tragedy.

"You're going to be the unmaking of me, Silver. And I swore myself I'd never be unmade again."


I CAN’T DO THIS ANYMORE.

💀 Morality? I Don’t Know Her.
This book masterfully plays with the line between good and evil. Saffron is forced to do truly heinous things to keep her cover, and you feel her soul breaking every time. She hates what she’s becoming, but she also understands it.

"He had re-enchanted her necklace and shown...mercy and spent hours making her a homemade costume... Yet hadn't she seen him cause world-ending pain? Hadn't she dodged his killing curses herself?"


That is PEAK moral conflict. This book doesn’t let you look away. It forces you to ask, what would you be willing to do if vengeance was all you had left?

🔥The Best Lines That Took Me Out:
✨"Hurt me, then." (Absolutely lethal.)
✨"If I somehow make it out of this situation alive, I'll enchant another. It won't be the same, I know. But it'll be something. A place for your hand to go when you're feeling too much." (This man saw her soul and said "mine.")
✨"This is how villains are born." (THE MIC DROP OF AN ENDING.)

🩸That Ending?? I Will Never Recover.
I can’t say too much, but HOLY PLOT TWIST. My jaw is still on the floor. The last few chapters?? Chaos. Betrayal. The kind of emotional devastation that makes you stare at the wall for hours after finishing.

Laura Steven, why would you do this to me?? Where is book two?? I need it in my hands immediately.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Final Verdict:
Utterly phenomenal. A masterclass in dark fantasy romance. If you love morally grey characters, found family, and enemies-to-lovers so intense it physically hurts, this book will consume you.

Sign me up for the ARC of book two. Until then, I’ll be lying on the floor, questioning all my life choices. 😭

The best fantasy has a side plot of romance it's a tear jerker. I would recommend it to anyone who loves heavy fantasy with just a smidge of romance and a bit of enemies to lovers this is up your street. Can't wait for the next one I need it now.

“𝙞 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙧. 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚”

in a world where magic is fuelled by pleasure and pain, an obsessive detective infiltrates a ruthless gang of dark mages, knowing that one wrong move could cost her life. dark schemes, dangerous magic, and high stakes make silvercloak an intense ride from start to finish

first off, the world-building was incredible. the atmosphere, the magic system, and the political intrigue gave me major harry potter (𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵) vibes, and i was completely immersed from the start. i also really appreciated the inclusion of queer characters - it felt natural

the dynamic between the characters was a standout for me, especially how their loyalties and motivations weren’t always clear. it kept me guessing and made the stakes feel so much higher. the romance subplot was a nice touch too a it wasn’t too overpowering but still added an extra layer of tension and made me root for the characters even more

however, the pacing was a bit uneven. some parts felt a little dragged out, especially in the middle, and i found myself wishing for a bit more action at times. also, while i loved the main characters, i think some of the side characters could’ve used a bit more development - they had so much potential that wasn’t fully explored

overall, silvercloak was a really enjoyable read with a rich world, high stakes, and a diverse cast. it just needed a bit more balance in pacing and character depth to be perfect

Wands, cloaks, gambling houses, criminal gangs, forbidden romance and a fantastic magic system? Silver cloak has it all, and absolutely did not disappoint!

The magic system worked so well and felt very fresh. Being fuelled by pain and pleasure meant that the magic wasn’t limitless and the characters had to resort to other measures to fill their cups.

The world was very queer normative, which I love to see! (We need more queer normative books please) And was also filled with morally grey characters (MCs included) everyone is battling their own demons, and as a reader, you’ve no idea where the next fork in the road was going to to be.

This book gripped me from the get go, and I didn’t want to get off the wild ride! The stakes were sky high, storytelling fast paced and I loved every minute of reading this book.

This is one of the most refreshing books I’ve read in so long! It manages to take much loved classical fantasy tropes and give them a new and exciting spin. There’s been a lot of comparisons to Harry Potter and as someone that grew up loving that series I really do feel like this is the book I’ve been searching for my adult life. It’s dark, violent, sexy and the pacing is immaculate. I’m convinced Steven is going to be one of the biggest authors of the next decade.

Thank you to Del Rey and Netgalley for this Arc!

I went into this completely blind and am so glad I did. I had a great time and would recommend this to anyone who likes unique magic systems and morally grey, complex characters.

As a big fan of enemies to lovers, I personally would classify this as enemies AND lovers and I am here for it. You can also expect rival mage societies, prophecies, heartbreak, and just an all around sense of feeling so sad for characters.

I am not looking forward to waiting for the sequel but, I will happily read the author’s other book release, Our Infinite Fates, in the meantime.

Nicely nastolgic for magic and wizardry with a hint of strong friendship especially at the beginning. The sides of friendship we have all either seen or experienced before. And on top of this the main characters is trying to be a detective? This is amazing for Adults now that we're growing up with HP!

There are small grammatical mistakes of course and some words being reacted within the same sentence kind of take the reader out of it but honestly for a an early arc it is really well kept.

I have read earlier books by this author and I must admit I prefer the more adult version of her writing not only the sexual content is more out there but the horror of the world she has created is also more vivid and therefore more available to dive head first to.

Honestly a fantastic blend of nostalgia, new ideas, and just a constant desperate need to turn the page. This will definitely be one of my favourite books of the year. I couldn’t put this book down. Still reeling from this book. An absolute ride.

Phenomenal. What a book! Have you ever read something so well written that it’s cinematic? Where the world leaps off the page and is so vivid that you watch it play out in your mind as you read? It is just the BEST experience when you’re lucky enough to find a book which has this secret and special ingredient. I absolutely adored it. A superb 10/10 5 ⭐️ read from Laura. This is book one in a trilogy and I am so excited to see where the story will go and to return to the world.

The magic system is unique and so wickedly brilliant. To have a world where magic is fuelled by pleasure and pain? How addictive, how intense 😍.

The characters are incredibly interesting and offer so much depth to the story. I was invested from the very first page and find myself wanting a prequel for some characters that don’t feature much in this novel! Please @laurasteven - can we have a prequel for the parents?!(No names given to avoid spoilers!)

Please don’t hesitate to read this when it’s released on the 24th July. Thank you so much to @delreyuk and @netgalley for the e-ARC 🙏🏻

Thank you to Del Rey and Netgalley for this advance copy of Silvercloak.

When I saw I got approved for an eARC of Silvercloak, I screamed. Then, when I finished my ARC of Silvercloak, I screamed again. Bereft to have finished this masterpiece when book 2 is so far away. Steven’s writing is pure mastery, and this book gripped me more than any other fantasy has in a long time. Add it to your TBR!!!!

No spoilers review! So will try not to give too much of the story away! First and foremost this book is beautifully written even the way that clothing and furniture, scenery is described is so intricate and descriptively detailed. Which really helps with the concept of the magic whereby it is fuelled by pleasure and pain, it is such a different magic system to anything I’ve read before and is a really clever and different idea! Loved the journey of the training academy to become a silver cloak and the different tests and trials. There’s some real action going on between the blood moon gang which is yet another world that we are introduced to and again so well described, sucks you right into the story and the silver cloaks who are trying to protect against this. I love the use of wands, anything that takes me back to childhood nostalgia and I’m sold! The characters are complex and our MMC very morally grey! The Romance is well written but doesn’t over ride the storyline which I really liked! Just a brilliant book and fantastic twists and turns with the plot! Please can we have another!! There has to be?!

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!

An epic fantasy adventure with thrilling action, political intrigue, and a richly developed world. L.K. Steven delivers a gripping story full of magic, betrayal, and unforgettable characters. Fans of classic fantasy will love this!

Absolutely outstanding. I loved Our Infinite Fates and was so excited when I got approved to read an early copy of Silvercloak. WOW. As always, Laura Steven hit it out of the park. A fantastically written book with characters I adored and such a unique but classic fantasy plot. I loved every moment and cannot wait for book two! Thank you for the early copy!

*Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, & L.K. Steven approving me with an eARC of Silvercloak in exchange for an honest review

Perfect for people who loved Harry Potter growing up (but are now adults) and the game Sleeping Dogs.

The magic system that was introduced by Steven, was highly interesting and I loved how not everyone can master each and every type of magic there is. The world building was also very picturesque and I hope when this book comes out that a map will be included to show the lay of the land, as well as the places of interest mentioned in the book.

A gripe that I had was that Saffron did a lot of stupid decisions during the story that I found very stupid, especially as she was described as someone highly intelligent and planned her moves.

I am looking forward to when this comes out, and can't wait for the next book.

P.S. nothing better happen to Rasso. He has my heart.

For the whole way through this book, I wasn't sure if I loved it or hated it...

Magic is fuelled by pleasure and pain - it was definitely an interesting concept. The only thing that initially put me off was the amount of info dumping at the start; so much thought had gone into the worldbuilding and the magic system, it was almost too much to take in. It reminded me of Crescent City, you just gotta go in and try not to absorb it all in one go, instead just get through it and know that it will (kinda) make sense further down the line.

I really liked the plot, and I kept reading solely for wanting to know how it'd unfold. There are a few side characters but none of them really stood out, I think it was mainly a story for the two main characters - who I didn't really vibe with until the end. It almost felt like they had no personality, but given the world in which the story was set I could totally see how that was the author's intention. They were both so multilayered and it was interesting to see how I grew to understand them as the story developed.

The final 25% however had me glued to the pages. I loved how the story took a turn, and I will be definitely reading book 2 to see what happens next.

Yes! This is the villain book I've been waiting for! This adult wizarding book had everything and all done exceptionally well in my opinion. True, very morally grey characters with depth, motivation and an honest admittance of their wavering feelings and objectives. An established magic system based on pain and pleasure, the normalisation of supposed taboos was refreshing. Levan the mmc - oh my days, just everything about this character was so good in the darkest ways his rare softer admissions were achingly heart wrenching. Saff was an excellent fmc and handles her conflicting emotions brilliantly, I don't think she irritated once! So many twists and reveals, action, betrayal and heartbreak and a perfect epilogue! Obsessed and can not wait for the next installment.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the arc, all thoughts are my own and left voluntarily.

The premise…
Saffron’s parents were murdered by the Bloodmoons, a ruthless criminal gang, when she was only a child.
Now, poised to graduate from the Silvercloak Academy, Saff is determined to secure a position as a Silvercloak so she can wreak her revenge against the Bloodmoons.
Saff embarks on a quest that will push her morals to the limit, especially when she begins to realise there is more to the kingpin’s son than meets the eye…

My thoughts…
I went into this without reading a blurb and I’m so glad I did because the twists and turns in the first 20% alone kept me eagerly flipping pages. The story was really well-paced and I was constantly being surprised!
I really enjoyed reading from Saff’s POV, and the whole cast was intriguing, but, our MMC Levan was my absolute favourite! Complex and full of contradictions, his relationship with Saff had more than a handful of moments where I was unable to keep the big, stupid grin off my face.
The world-building was natural and never overwhelming and it felt fresh and vivid.


Perfect for…
Anyone who likes a true enemies-to-lovers where a happy ending seems impossible

A masterpiece of a fantasy with countless plot twists, it is like the story never rests! Saffron is orphaned when her parents are murdered by the Bloodcloaks (who are essentially the criminal underbelly of this magical world) Saffron has sworn revenge against them, even though the power and magic they wield is unmatched. This incredible magic system is so intriguing as pleasure increases the quantity of magic and pain increases the quality of magic and this concept is what the entire realm revolves around. A very dark and morally corrupt world where right actions for wrong reasons and wrong actions for right reasons surround all our magnificent characters. Is it too early to have read your favorite book of the year?

⭐️ 4.5

What a ride! I really enjoyed this story!

The world building was well done and the magic system was really interesting. I did find the magic, specifically the spells, a little difficult to understand and remember but it didn’t take away from the plot at all!

Levan has some real book boyfriend potential….dark hair, tortured soul, unrivalled power. Yes please

Saffron was a great FMC, she was relatable, sarcastic and a badass

I cannot wait for this to release in July so I can get my hands on a physical copy for my shelves!