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lydiarama 's review for:
Quicksilver
by Callie Hart
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I was immediately surprised by how good the writing was—the voice was original and distinct. The setting was also very intriguing in its cruelty and local color, almost reminiscent of the Hunger Games. The stakes were high, but never too high for a little slapstick here and there.
The premise was very interesting, and although there were many elements at play, I didn’t feel overwhelmed by the history or lore. Hart did a good job showing and not just telling, which I feel like a lot of fantasy authors can slip into a habit of doing when introducing readers to new worlds. Saeris’ experience learning about the quicksilver and how to connect with it was fascinating.
I did feel that the story was a bit sluggish around 25% and almost stopped reading, but I’m glad that I kept at it. It takes a while to warm up to Kingfisher, as he initially seems immature and antagonistic. This is a particularly slow burn, but the pay off is exciting and explosive. I would have preferred a bit more time to flesh out the characters’ feelings towards each other in the end, but I’m sure the next book will do Fisher and Saeris justice.
The premise was very interesting, and although there were many elements at play, I didn’t feel overwhelmed by the history or lore. Hart did a good job showing and not just telling, which I feel like a lot of fantasy authors can slip into a habit of doing when introducing readers to new worlds. Saeris’ experience learning about the quicksilver and how to connect with it was fascinating.
I did feel that the story was a bit sluggish around 25% and almost stopped reading, but I’m glad that I kept at it. It takes a while to warm up to Kingfisher, as he initially seems immature and antagonistic. This is a particularly slow burn, but the pay off is exciting and explosive. I would have preferred a bit more time to flesh out the characters’ feelings towards each other in the end, but I’m sure the next book will do Fisher and Saeris justice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, War
Moderate: Torture, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction, Child death, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Infertility, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Vomit, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Classism, Pandemic/Epidemic