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shelfcarewithjess 's review for:
Quicksilver
by Callie Hart
adventurous
challenging
funny
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
📚 Synopsis (Spoiler-Free):
The first in the Fae & Alchemy series, Quicksilver introduces a world of shadows, secrets, and simmering slow-burn tension. Kingfisher, a brooding alchemist with a fractured past, crosses paths with Saeris Fane, a fae with a sharp tongue and secrets of her own. With danger closing in and old powers awakening, what starts as reluctant alliance quickly turns into something much deeper. Think magical academia meets high-stakes fantasy, wrapped in chaos, chemistry, and razor-sharp banter.
The first in the Fae & Alchemy series, Quicksilver introduces a world of shadows, secrets, and simmering slow-burn tension. Kingfisher, a brooding alchemist with a fractured past, crosses paths with Saeris Fane, a fae with a sharp tongue and secrets of her own. With danger closing in and old powers awakening, what starts as reluctant alliance quickly turns into something much deeper. Think magical academia meets high-stakes fantasy, wrapped in chaos, chemistry, and razor-sharp banter.
🧠 My Thoughts:
I loved this book. Kingfisher has my heart — grumpy, brilliant, and emotionally repressed in exactly the right proportions. It gripped me early on and kept me guessing throughout. I thought I had a handle on where things were going, but the plot continually pulled the rug out from under me — in the best way.
I loved this book. Kingfisher has my heart — grumpy, brilliant, and emotionally repressed in exactly the right proportions. It gripped me early on and kept me guessing throughout. I thought I had a handle on where things were going, but the plot continually pulled the rug out from under me — in the best way.
The dynamic between Saeris and Kingfisher is electric. Carrion, meanwhile, is the ultimate comic relief: sharp, hilarious, and still written with genuine depth. The tone is dark without being heavy, romantic without losing the grit, and manages to balance worldbuilding with character development impressively well for a first-in-series.
This is exactly the kind of romantasy I want more of — high tension, actual stakes, and characters that stick with you.
🗣️ Favourite Quotes:
“Because she is moonlight. The mist that shrouds the mountains. The bite of electricity in the air before a storm. The smoke that rolls across a battlefield before the killing starts. You have no idea what she is. What she could be. You should call her Majesty.”
“Because she is moonlight. The mist that shrouds the mountains. The bite of electricity in the air before a storm. The smoke that rolls across a battlefield before the killing starts. You have no idea what she is. What she could be. You should call her Majesty.”
“I’ll be grateful for every second that I can say that I belong to you, Saeris Fane. Eighty years or eighteen hours. It doesn’t matter to me. It’ll still be the highest honour of my life.”
“Sure, why not. I’m too pretty to die old, anyway.”
“You’re incorrigible!” “I don’t know what that means.” “Yes, you fucking do!” “All right. I do. What’s your point?”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence
Moderate: Confinement