Really enjoyed this book it kept me engaged the whole time! Love the characters and storyline!
The author did an amazing job of this book and I need more!

Silvercloak is a fairly dark fantasy world, full of morally grey characters, where Mage's have a finite magic supply and need to replenish it with pain or pleasure. Saffron, our FMC is immune to magic and through a series of events ends up undercover in the local magical mafia -the Bloodmoons - with the aim of taking them down from the inside and avenging her parents deaths. Overall it is an entertaining read with interesting characters, world building and plenty of Romance. If you like Sarah J Mass, Fourth Wing, and Mafia books you will probably like this.

The magic system was the reason I was drawn to the book in the first place - what does a world that is so dependent on pain and pleasure look like?

It started off really strong - the prologue was fantastic, showing us Saffrons childhood home and all the small ways Mage's maintain pleasure -a house full of good food, drink, music,cscents, textures etc. It introduced us to the Bloodmoons and the concept of different classes of magic, including necromancy. I was excited!

When we skip to older Saffs perspective, we learn more about the different classes of magic, the fact that there are magic schools and further education - I love this and I love that the characters skill with magic was often directly related to how old they were and how much experience they had in their field. There weren't unexplained magical prodigies in this book, you really had to work for it. We also learn that the nation is pretty sexually liberated, queer and kinky -which makes sense given the magic system. I wish we had more world building on the consequences of this -there were some magical objects - people carried knives to inflict pain on themselves, there were various sex spells but mostly Saff gets horny a fair amount and it's socially acceptable to visit pleasure houses.

Saffs friends were great and I wish they could have been incorporated into the plot a little more when she was with the Bloodmoons - we had Nissa and Tiernan for a while but it sort of dropped off.

It started to drag a little for me once we reached the Bloodmoons - the writing has a habit of using a similie comparing something to an animal/concept speficic to the magical world and then explaining that thing in great detail - even if Saff was in a dangerous situation and would not be thinking about Owls or drums or something. It broke up the tension and kept making me lose interest, to be honest, as these infodumps were never crucial to the plot or the characters. A lot of Saff's decisions in the Bloodmoons did not make sense to me and I was starting to doubt that her critical "thinking" was the talent she thought it was - more often than not she would jump into things without thinking about the consequences at all. When she wasn't with Levan, the Bloodmoons seemed to have no expectations for her whatsoever, she could have been a lady of leisure. Why was she not given an actual job there?

I DID enjoy how Saff's decisions were an exploration into justifying violence and the means to an end, how supposedly "good" people can devolve into something more dark and complex - what is the acceptable number of casualties for the "greater good"?

I liked Levan - I feel like we spent too much time focussing on how he was sympathetic and there weren't enough clues dropped to make the ending feel satisfying for me. In defense of guessing an end/foreshadowing - good foreshadowing can be done subtly so that when you do get to the twist you go "oh wow look at all these clues I missed because I was so focussed on xyz OR aha! I knew it". This just fell a little flat for me.

The last 25% of the book was the most dramatic and exciting, so many things kept happening! And the letter at the end! I will definitely read the sequel when it comes out!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Intricately detailed, layered fantasy with beautiful prose. Silvercloak is an absolute triumph, and a reminder of why I adore this genre.

Thank you to Net Galley and the Publisher for the ARC! Rating: 3.5 stars

This was an engaging and faced-paced read with some really interesting world-building. The magic system was well portrayed and very original- probably my favourite part of the book- and the characters and romance relatively well-done, though to me some of the characters lacked depth and so I didn't feel so much attachment to them.

I would definitely recommend this book for fans of romantasy/ YA fantasy, but for me it felt a little too clichéd at certain points and predictable as I used to read a lot of similar novels! Thank you again for the ARC!

I thoroughly enjoyed Silvercloak, with its captivating blend of magic, adventure, revenge, and love.

Laura Steven has done a brilliant job crafting a book that is easy to read (despite a slightly slow start) while delivering multi-dimensional characters and intricate world-building. Saffron’s undercover mission to dismantle a mafia-like organisation is gripping, and Levan is both complex and utterly lovable. The romance between the two main characters is a wonderfully executed enemies-to-lovers arc, filled with morally grey decisions and brimming with tension.

I’d highly recommend this to any fantasy fan!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book, all thoughts are my own.

*Silvercloak* by Laura Stevens is an engaging and captivating read that blends magic, adventure, and rich character development. I thought that the writing is immersive, pulling readers into a fantastical world where every page holds new surprises. The pacing is steady, keeping you hooked from start to finish. Fans of fantasy will appreciate the complex world-building and three-dimensional characters, and I'm really looking forward to everyone being able to read it too in July!! Highly recommend.

A huge thank you to NetGalley & the publishers for giving me the opportunity to review this gem. This book is a masterpiece. I was on edge with all the twists and turns from start to finish.

This was my 1st ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read of 2025!

“Saffron Killoran unmade my world.
And now I will unmake her”

This book gave me dark Harry Potter vibes, but with a unique, pain-pleasure magic system. The world-building & the characters were a *chef’s kiss!

Our FMC, Saffron, a member of Silvercloak Academy is assigned to go undercover with a criminal organisation known as Bloodmoons - this is when she meets our MMC, Levan, the Kingpin’s son & series of events start to unfold.

🪄Adult Fantasy
🪄Enemies AND Lovers
🪄Slow Burn
🪄Rival Mages
🪄Brutal
🪄Betrayal
🪄High Stakes
🪄Magical Organisations
🪄Prophecy
🪄Good vs Evil

I highly recommend preordering this book. It release on 24 July 2025.

I’m actually disheartened that I’ll have to wait for the sequel 😭

This was amazing! The angst and the Harry Potter (specifically Dramione) vibes. Steven’s Worldbuilding was done to perfection, balancing greatly with authentic backstories and avoiding info dumps. The world was intoxicating - as was the romance. This is such an epic fantasy but grounded with humane characters that I’ll recommend this.

Spectacular.

What a ride!! 🫨 COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN.

I absolutely adored this book. I'm going to list the many reasons below as there was just so much I loved.

❤️ The writing. Absolutely beautiful descriptions and so voicey! I felt really connected to the characters.
❤️ High stakes throughout. I was on edge. I like being on edge as it keeps me reading.
❤️ BRUTAL. Really brutal settings and moments which just emphasised the magic and danger.
❤️ Enemies to lovers. I loved the romance. Tense. Doubt. Will they/won't they. It was the perfect amount and fit in so well with the action-filled plot
❤️ Oh I loved the magic and rival mages!!!!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC!

Silvercloak is a strong intro into the series, a world where magic is powered by pleasure and pain. Best idea ever (!) for the world of wizardry, with everyone embracing their kinks. Some of them included in a few spicy scenes.

A really good character work on Saffron, a detailed description of the process, of how instance by instance, a small decision by small decision, can turn someone from an idealistic fighter into a ruthless killer who believes that the end justifies the means.

Did not expect the plot twist with Levan. Objectively speaking, it’s enacted with some small hints dropped here and there, but still delivers quite a random revelation in my opinion. Not the biggest fan of it; didn’t enjoy his sudden turn in this direction. Nonetheless, I like the ending, especially the epilogue packs a punch and makes me excited for the next book to come.

“love was complicated and pain was complicated and believing you deserved to be hurt was complicated”

I adored this. I think I was starting to get a little worried that Laura’s books were no longer for me and then she decided to write a queer as fuck adult fantasy and all of a sudden I’m hooked back in. I think the world was so fun, magic that is fuelled by pleasure and pain. a legal system being taken over by a violent gang, family trauma and undercover missions where love and morally grey areas create complex emotional difficulties for our main characters. I genuinely had so much fun and was absorbed into the world / plot so well, I couldn’t wait to dive back in every time I had to put it down.

I loved the characters, I think the fact they’re all queer in their own ways and so filled with culture made for such a rich and fun world. our main character was a queer woman with so much pain and complexities that I truly believe any girl in her 20s will find her relatable in some way, pair that with the morally grey main male love interest and his hidden emotions? yeah I was cooked and I think we all will be

I’m dying for book two and the first one hasn’t even been released yet, cheers Laura

Firstly I would like to say a huge thank you to Netgalley & Random House UK Cornerstone for contacting me and giving me the opportunity to review Laura's debut Adult Fantasy novel. I'm truly honored. I would also like to thank Laura herself who graciously responded to me after I contacted her upon finishing the book.
Last year I was fortunate enough to review another of Laura's books - Our Infinite Fates. It blew me away! It was deliciously dark and beautiful, the next A Monster Calls. I was so in love with Laura's writing style that I absolutely jumped at the chance to review her debut adult novel and first book in the Silvercloak Saga.
Silvercloak is a breath of fresh air in Fantasy with its darker setting, characters and themes. It is very reminiscent of a thriller in someways and the blend with traditional fantasy elements totally captivated me from start to end. Laura's dark but beautiful writing style grabs the reader from page one and never lets go. Like the characters in the book whose magic thrives of pleasure and pain, as a reader you also live off these emotions as you work your way through the trails and tribulations of the book making it totally unputdownable (the ending leaving you screaming for the next installment right away!).
Silvercloak is set in rich world that Laura has uniquely crafted with her darker tone giving it a different edge to the usual fantasy worlds that we have perhaps become accustomed to. The imaginative magic system in place throughout the book continues to unfold throughout revealing new and hidden depths that constantly keep the reader on the backfoot just when you think you know and understand it all. The pace of the books continues to excel throughout like a runaway train until that ending leaves you reeling and questioning everything you previously thought/suspected in the best possible way.
Steven's creation of true morally grey characters perfectly capture the duality and complexity of what makes someone good or evil? I adored both the MMC and FMC for this reason as there are so many layers to them making them different from the atypical morally gray characters of fantasy.
I can not wait for this book to hit the shelves so people can immerse themselves into this alluring world and Laura's captivating writing style. I will also be waiting on absolute tenterhooks for the second installment because THAT is how you write and end a first book in a series!
PERFECTION.

Having previously read and enjoyed an ARC from this author, I was thrilled to receive another—and this one exceeded all expectations. The writing is superb, effortlessly drawing you into a world that is both richly imagined and meticulously crafted. The world-building is nothing short of fantastic, creating a vivid and immersive backdrop for a plot that kept me on edge from start to finish.

The pacing was expertly handled, and the twists and turns left me impatient to reach the conclusion, yet reluctant to leave the story behind.

I need the next one as soon as yesterday.

From the very first page, this captivating fantasy pulled me into the world, blending a compelling plot with a richly detailed setting that felt both immersive and alive. The author’s world-building is sumptuously written, painting a vivid picture that enhances the story at every turn.

One of the most refreshing aspects of the book is its queer-normative world, an inclusive aspect that feels natural and is exactly what I hope to see in more fantasy novels. Almost all the characters are fluid sexually👌🏼.

The romance between the two main characters is a well-crafted enemies-to-lovers arc, featuring morally complex characters whose dynamic is FULL of tension.

The story is reminiscent of a unique blend of Harry Potter meets Mafia, with elements of magic and crime creating an intriguing and unpredictable atmosphere.

I cannot wait for the next installment after that gripping ending!

The ending of this book has left me reeling and now eagerly awaiting the sequel. This lush magic filled work LS has created drew me in right from the start, and coupled with some delightful morally grey characters it made for a captivating read from start to finish. When we first met Levan I did wonder how on earth LS would turn it around and make me fall in love with him instead, but this dark and tortured MMC suckered me in. Saff is a fantastic FMC and really demonstrates well how one can have good intentions and still end up doing bad things to protect those they care about. I am extremely excited for the next book!

🩸🌙 Silvercloak🩸🌙

- L.K. Steven

♾️ / ⭐️ INFINITE stars!

Everybody buckle up for this one! Silvercloak is about to be your new OBSESSION. Set in a darkly corrupt world, where magic is fuelled by power and pain, we follow Saffron, an elite Silvercloak, who goes undercover to infiltrate the Bloodmoon gang.

Saffron’s assignment is slightly complicated when she meets Levan, the kingpins son. When I tell you, when we were introduced to him, I thought to myself multiple times ‘how is Laura going to get us to like this man?’ But like him we did 😉 The romance was painfully slowburn and worked in perfect harmony with the pain-pleasure magic system, serving only to add to the wonderful atmosphere of Ascenfall 🌙

I was hooked from the very first page, and instinctively knew I was reading a five-star book. Writing this now, I genuinely feel a sense of grief that it’s over and I have to wait for more! The worldbuilding was quite frankly insane, with the magic system so intricately and uniquely woven into the fabrics of the world. In just short of 500 pages, Laura expertly crafts a world that is so gritty and addicting. The stakes could not have been higher, full of political intrigue, betrayal and plot twists. It’s all your favourite fantasy books come to life. The experience of reading it felt like the rage back in the day. I didn’t socialise for two days while I inhaled this book.

Wand-wielding mages, heady underworlds, magical criminal gangs, Silvercloak had everything I adore in fantasy.

Silvercloak releases this summer, and I will not shut up about it till it’s in everybody’s hands! Prepare for me to be insufferable! Thank you to @laurasteven and @delreyuk for this ARC, I’m eternally grateful to have read this before its release

This book had me mesmerised! An absolute work of art. I loved it so much

The magic system - chefs kiss! I love the idea of pain and pleasure being necessary to increase the quantity and quality of your magic “well”.

The characters - TO DIE FOR.

The ending…. well …. all I can say is I am READY for more and this book isn’t even out yet.

This is going to be one of THE books of 2025, I’m calling it now.

This book was brilliant! I read it every single day & enjoyed the build of the story. I really do enjoy a story (a bit like SJM books) that blow your mind at their last 15-20% and this book really did deliver on that! Really gripping throughout and descriptive.

This was a great first book in the series and I can't wait for the next one!

This was a fantastic book! I picked it up and read it daily, reading more and more each day and the story developed and characters got more embroiled in their actions.

The take on the magic system - a finite amount of magic available and methods to replenish that was really interesting. And the magic itself, the same spells with different prefixes depending on intention? So interesting!

I loved getting an inner monologue when things were happening - I liked the explanation from the FMCs perspective, especially towards the end when all the things were happening and she was seeing everything from what it was.

I also really appreciated seeing characters earn their abilities: somewhat older characters having been through university and training who are very good at what they do. This was refreshing - I believed that they could do what they could through time and training.

The ending. If that's not a way to end book one on a series I don't know what is. I cannot stop thinking about it!

And knowing what I know having read the book, I can't wait to read it again, because it's one of those wonderful books that read like a different book the second time.

Brilliantly done! I cannot wait to see this out on the world!

“Saffron Killoran unmade my world.
And now I will unmake her”

I’ll be needing the second book as soon as possible.

I thoroughly enjoyed Silvercloak, it was beautiful, the magic system was delightful and the romance had me hooked.

Thank you for allowing me to read before its release.