Thank you NetGalley and Random House UK for this eCopy to review

When I picked up Silvercloak, I was drawn in by the promise of a morally complex fantasy world, a revenge-driven heroine, and a touch of forbidden magic. And while the book delivered on many of those fronts, I found myself feeling a bit conflicted by the end.

The story follows Saffron Killoran, a woman whose life was shattered when the Bloodmoons—a brutal gang of dark mages—murdered her parents twenty years ago. Fuelled by vengeance, she fakes her way into Silvercloak Academy, a prestigious training ground for elite detectives, with one goal: infiltrate the Bloodmoons and destroy them from within.

What starts as a classic revenge tale quickly spirals into something darker and more tangled. Saffron is offered a rare chance to go undercover inside the very gang she despises. But the deeper she goes, the more she’s forced to compromise her morals, commit terrible acts, and question everything she thought she knew. Add in a forbidden romance with the gang leader’s enigmatic son—who may or may not be destined to die by her hand—and you’ve got a plot that’s as twisty as it is intense.

The world-building is rich, especially the city of Atherin, which feels alive with its jewel-toned architecture and undercurrents of corruption. The magic system, particularly the concept of “timeweaving,” is fascinating and well thought out, with real consequences and limitations. I appreciated that the author didn’t use magic as a convenient fix-all.

That said, I struggled with the pacing. The first half was gripping, but the middle sagged under the weight of too many subplots and internal monologues. Saffron’s emotional journey is compelling, but at times it felt like the narrative was trying to do too much—romance, espionage, political intrigue, magical lore—all at once. I also found some of the supporting characters underdeveloped, which made it harder to stay invested in their fates.

Overall, Silvercloak is a bold and ambitious debut in adult fantasy. It didn’t quite hit all the marks for me, but I admire L.K. Steven’s willingness to explore moral ambiguity and emotional depth. I’ll be curious to see where the series goes next.

This hauntingly beautiful novel is a really enjoyable read. The characters are so well written and I loved the flow of the story. A total winner!

I totally loved having the chance to read about a completely unique magic system for the first time in so long! This added to the fact that the romance didn't fell over-the-top and cringe, was just amazing. I can't wait to talk to people about this one!

This book had me hooked from the very first page! The magic system is so unique and seriously cool. I couldn’t get enough of it.

What truly stood out, were the relationships. The emotional complexity and moral conflicts between characters made everything feel grounded and real, even in a world full of magic.

Laura’s writing flows effortlessly off the page, vivid, immersive, and full of heart. Silvercloak is another incredible story from her, and I already know I’ll be rereading it while I wait (impatiently!) for the sequel.

If you love morally grey characters, fresh magic systems, and immersive storytelling, this one’s for you.

I am flabbergasted, without words. I am still looking at the screen while writing this review. I don't think my words would do justice to this book. I loved every second of it.
I met by chance the lovely Laura Steven when she came to Lisbon's Book Fair, and I was even more excited to read it.
So I do think it all aligned, and reading this book was meant to be,

Saffron Killoran's parents were murdered by Bloodmoons two decades ago. The book starts when she is in her final test to graduate from the Academy and become a Silvercloak, but a truth is revealed, and she is sent undercover to dismantle the ones that she despised. Saff is faced with decisions that make her question her morality, her goodness and what she is willing to do to make them pay and become the Hero she always aimed to be.

First! It's so refreshing to read the POV of a character that is closer to my age than not. Not only that, but she is SO aware of how many stupid decisions she makes throughout the book. Which made me less annoyed about it. There's an intricate storyline that involves her with the Kingpin's son, Levan. I was a bit taken aback by how ruthless and heartless he was. And I was happy with how it was acknowledged. How sick it was.

Saffron is not scared to do what needs to be done to get the job done. But it also made me question the morality of her actions. It made me think of that one quote from the Dark Knight: "You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain". And I do think this book was Saffron's descent to villainess or anti-hero.

ALSO, we get a side character pet!!!! ANIMAL SIDE KICK!
I am a sucker for those!

It's atmospheric, it is engaging. There's queer representation, tons of morally grey characters, AND an great enemy to lovers to enemies story!

Silvercloak was a fun and fast paced read that I enjoyed throughout. It combined whimsical and dark elements well, L. K. Steven has executed a strong adult fantasy debut. Whilst the characters read a bit YA in personality, I enjoyed following them throughout. Cannot wait to see where the series goes!

I have absolutely no words for how much I loved this book. I stayed up way later than nI should have an I still cannot get over the sheer perfection that was SIlvercloak. L.K. Steven has written my first 6 star read this year.

From the intricate world building and the magic system I have never read anything that was so intricately woven with so much depth and information that had me wanting more. Levan and Saffron…the ABSOLUTE tension aspect and the enemies to lovers was just a chef’s kiss to the book.

Without going into any other detail only that you must read this book and it is absolutely divine is the only answer.

Thank you so much to Del Rey as always for your amazing books!

After arc reading Our Infinite Fates by this author I was SO excited to be accepted for an arc for this one too and let me tell you… it does NOT disappoint.

I loved the magic system and the fact it relied on pleasure and pain to refill or amplify it. It brought a totally new light to magic in fantasy.

I really loved how it showed the Silvercloaks as the “good guys” and the Bloodmoons as the “bad guys” but the more you read of the book the more those lines blur. Especially when Saffron and the dark and brooding Levan fell more and more for eachother and we got to know the Bloodmoons backstory more.

Compared to Our Infinite Fates this one was a lot spicier and it was really fun to see how Lauren can do both YA and Adult so well.

Over all I really really enjoyed this book and I LOVE Laura’s writing. That cliffhanger had be kicking my feet in excitement!

Silvercloak delivers a fresh take on magic and morality, set in a world where power is drawn from pleasure and pain. It’s an addictive read with a killer hook, and while it doesn’t always stick the landing, there's enough here to keep fantasy fans intrigued.

The strongest element by far is the magic system. It is original, visceral, and thematically rich. Wands, cloaks, and magical police give the story a classical fantasy vibe, while the pleasure-pain dynamic adds a dark, sensual twist. The worldbuilding is ambitious, with glimpses of a sprawling city and underground power struggles. While some of the lore felt underexplored or overly familiar, there is clearly potential for more depth in future books.

The story follows Saffron, a top student at a magical academy who is secretly immune to magic. When this is discovered, she is sent to infiltrate the criminal gang that murdered her parents. This undercover mission leads her deep into morally gray territory. The premise is gripping, but the execution is mixed. Some plot points stretch logic and require a hefty suspension of disbelief. Pacing also wavers, with long stretches of exposition or repetition that slow things down before a chaotic, twist-heavy final act.

Saffron is a compelling lead, torn between duty, vengeance, and survival. Her internal conflict adds emotional depth, though she sometimes veers into self-pity. Her romance with Levan, the enigmatic son of the gang’s leader, has a classic enemies-to-lovers arc. While their chemistry never fully ignites, the emotional stakes are there, especially as their fates become more entangled. Levan himself is a bit of a wildcard. He is powerful, charming, and oddly inconsistent, but interesting enough to keep you reading.

This book is not without flaws. It leans into "tell, not show," over-explains key moments, and repeats certain phrases and ideas too often. Some characters feel underdeveloped, and the tension of the undercover plot is often undercut by convenience or lack of real consequence. The final twist involving Saffron’s powers may divide readers. It is well foreshadowed, but still feels like a bit of a narrative shortcut.

Still, Silvercloak is fun, dark, and wildly imaginative. If you can roll with its messier elements, it offers a high-stakes adventure with a lot of heart and just enough bite. It may not reach the heights it aims for, but it's an engaging first entry in what could be a much stronger series.

Initially compelling with its writing style suggesting an almost dark academia take on magic, Silvercloak is one that grabbed my interest from the get-go. I loved discovering this world where power is built from pleasure and pain, how that formed its society and the way experiences proved so inherently formative to each character not only on a personal level, but in their power too.

I feel like the tone we began with didn’t quite match the romance leaning plot line this became geared towards, and I couldn’t help feeling I’d read two separate stories somehow. As such, I couldn’t get hooked on the romance enough to feel the tension driving the story, which was a real shame given so much emotion could be pulled into the very magic system at play.

I’d still be interested in reading the sequel, I think especially given how things ultimately did play out. I just felt pretty ambivalent towards the latter half, so I’m hoping for more emotion to be drawn in book 2

3 ⭐️

I'm a little disappointed because I really wanted to like this one but it fell a little flat for me.

I want to talk about the magic system first because I truly loved it. The idea of one feeling refilling power and another amplifying it. That simple things like a favourite food can provide power. I do wish we had gotten a little more of the individual classifications in action. What can an enchanter do that a wielder can't do? What can a wielder do that a healer can't do? I hope we get to see that a bit more in the next one.

I will say that since there's so much emphasis on pleasure providing power, the spice scenes in this make so much sense for the plot that you don't feel distracted by them.

Let's talk about saffron. She's about to graduate from silvercloak school and get a job as a detective. She's been training for years, and yet we get her giving out information left and right. I feel like certain things were added to raise the stakes, but they just wound up making saffron feel incompetent. We become very reliant on certain spells to save her undercover operation.

In terms of the romance, i enjoyed the sweeter moments of bonding you get for them. Especially around the childhood book series. The book is definitely more plot focused, though, which I liked. We go dark in this book. We deal with grief and the inability to let go. The twists were predictable, and I found myself a little frustrated that things weren't moving faster.

If you're squeamish, this may not be the book for you. I'm usually alright with it, but one scene involving an eye did have me 🤮. Also, no one is safe here. People will die. Maybe? But also maybe not because... well, I'll let the book tell you that.

Overall, it was okay. I'm not 100% sure if I'll pick up the sequel. I'm not dying to get my hands on it, but maybe if I see good reviews I'll give it a shot. I received an advance review copy of this book, and this review represents my honest opinion. Thank you to netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Saffron witnessed the Bloodmoons kill her parents when she was just a child. Full of misplaced guilt, she does everything in her power to become a Silvercloak - the direct rival to the Bloodmoons and the only way she can take them down. But Saffron dips too far into magic she shouldn't and can only get out by going undercover with the Bloodmoons themselves. Faced to work with the people who killed her parents, Saffron is a powerhouse of a character. SILVERCLOAK is such a unique novel that plays with a magic system that bends and pulls at the depths of human emotion. For fans of books that question power, beliefs and what it means to lose them, and a riveting romance that keeps you on your toes!

After witnessing the death of her parents, Saffron promises that she'll get her revenge, one way or another. For this she does everything she needs to join Silvercloak Academy, but right before she was supposed to graduate, her immunity to magic is discovered. For this, she's tasked to go undercover with the Bloodmoons, basically the mafia in this world. She is supposed to gather information to bring to the Silvercloak so they can destroy the gangs, but it's not as easy. Saffron moral compass (at least the little that was still working) is seriously tested, but she cannot let her cover blow or let her blooming feelings for the kingpin's son Levan surface too much.

I enjoyed the world building and this magical cop-mafia setting, but unfortunately I wasn't able to immerse myself in this book as I felt the narration somehow lacking.

Thank you to netgalley for this arc

I think this was probably actually pretty good but I just had absolutely no fun reading it! Just a miserable time the whole way down! I didn’t really enjoy any of the characters and I found it pretty hard to connect with the whole evil and institutionally corrupt love interest with literally everything going on right now. It wasn’t BAD I just had a sucky time with it.

“𝙄 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙎𝙞𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙧. 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚”

Our Infinite Fates, was on my favourite reads last year, so i’m been really looking forward the authors Adult Fantasy release & it did not disappoint.

The world building and magic system that the author has created, is not only refreshing but so unique. The magic is fuelled by pleasure and pain and is facilitated by the use of wands and verbal spellcasting. The qualities of their magic depends on how much pleasure and pain they receive.

After certain events take place during her training to be a Silvercloak, Saffron is tasked with infiltrating the Bloodmoons, a gang with merciless mages. She has one task unveil their secrets & avenge her parents. But that becomes harder once she gets closer with the Kingpin’s son Levan & morals are tested..

“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙮𝙞𝙚𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙛, 𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙩, 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙨, 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙙. 𝙂𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙛 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙮 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙛𝙪𝙚𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪”

I did find that some parts were repetitive, and the pacing dipped ever so slightly in the middle, however I was still very engaged with the story.

This was a great introduction into the author’s new series & i’m eagerly waiting for the second book because that ENDING?!!!

“𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙚, 𝙎𝙞𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙧”

4.5
Screaming crying throwing up
As someone who is an avid fantasy reader, do you know how hard it is to find a unique and complex fantasy world? With a romance side plot that is not cheesy? With great tension and just the right amount of desperation? And with amazing plot twists?
I soooo recommend this book if you love fantasy. It might be complicated if you are not used to this type of world building, but if you read high fantasy, if you missed reading harry potter, if you love enemies to lovers, you'll love it.

Thank you for the arc!

I had an absolute blast with this book! It's been a long time since I read a fantasy story with wand and cloak magic, and the concept of magic fuelled by pleasure and pain was so intriguing to me. I already knew I loved Laura Steven's writing style after adoring Our Infinite Fates, and the writing is equally as gorgeous and gripping in this one. For me, the strongest aspect of the story was the world-building and magic system, both of which felt fresh, unique and easy enough to understand whilst still feeling fleshed out enough to feel fully immersed in the world.
I also really enjoyed the balance of the plot and romance; neither overshadowed the other which worked really well for me (I prefer more of a romantic subplot than a romance-driven plot). I think the author did a great job of building tension and adding elements to the story as it progressed, so that by the end of the book I simply could not tear myself away from the page, and the story certainly took me through all the emotions. Without going into spoiler territory, there was a trope included which I typically don't like and is what ended up making this a 4.5 star read rather than a 5 star one, but ultimately it did not take away from my enjoyment of the book overall and I'm VERY intrigued to find out what happens next! 🖤

4 stars.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all thoughts are my own.

What a book! I had a bit of a difficult time figuring out my rating because I had some mixed feelings about it. But let's start with the positives! It was such an interesting world with a new take on wand magic that made the book feel fresh and different. I loved the lore surrounding the different continents and the different religions - it made the world and story very believable and realistic while adding some interesting character dynamics throughout. And as I said, the magic was so fun and really well done, and it's definitely one of the best parts about this book.

Now, the story is... dark. I had a hard time dealing with how much of her morals our main character has to sacrifice by going undercover, and how much she is willing to do for "the greater good". I do think it's really interesting how it grapples with the complexities of everyone's morals and how there is no "good or evil", but it was just all a bit too much for me. Especially Levan. He was a very difficult love interest (for me) because he was just so... bad. Of course there is more to him than that, and we do get more depth and explanations throughout, which I appreciated. But it wasn't quite enough for me, and the fact that he willingly hurt and killed so many people in such gruesome ways and for his own selfish (and honestly a little crazy) reasons, was hard for me to deal with. And so, the romance was just not my favorite part of this book.

There were also a few instances where things didn't make a lot of sense to me. At one point she says that she uses an invisibility tincture to snoop around - but that should not work on her? And the concept of the teleportation spell makes me feel like that shouldn't work on her either. She is literally immune to magic, and the spell uses magic to move her body from one place to another. I just can't help but think that it shouldn't be possible - but since it is, it would have been nice with some sort of explanation. Just her thinking about why it does work. I know, it's a small thing, but it just bugged me a little. Also: should you be able to be sarcastic while there's truth elixir in your system? It feels like quite a loophole if you can lie because "it's just a joke". And so: should Levan not notice that Saffron is able to do just that? Again, a small thing, but it did take me out of the story a little bit sometimes. Just a few instances of confusion that made it not always so smooth to read.

But it was such a fun story, and I loved seeing all the different ways their magic could be used. And I loved the twists and turns, the revelations and the hints of what's to come. I'm definitely excited about the next one!

When I saw this book and read what it was about, I knew I had to have it. Luckily I discovered that I could request a digital review copy through Netgalley. Del Rey was so kind to grant me one.

After finishing the book I'm not entirely sure what to think of it. I'm pretty sure that a lot of readers are gonna love it. The story is always moving, there is constantly something happening, there are a few nice reveals, and the ending promises a wonderful sequel, although it's also clear that the first part of the story is now over. And yet, yet I never felt it. I never cared about the characters. I never cared about the plot. I read the words, but they didn't really reach me.

It's hard to explain why. I think that the main issue is that I just couldn't click with the heroine, her motivations and her reasoning. It felt like she was constantly in some state of panic, acting out and driving on her impulses. She didn't think about her actions and the consequences, both for others and herself. She never seemed to have a concrete plan to make things work or to get somewhere. She was just reacting to what happened and was then reacting to the outcome.

I also didn't feel the romance at all. The attraction is described, but it never feels like there is some sort of tension between those two characters. There is no yearning, there is no longing, there are almost no emotional moments where they share something meaningful. Both of them keep a lot of secrets, especially from each other, and their connection therefore felt completely based on lust. The finale therefore didn't surprise me and didn't hurt me either.

I'm sure this book will find its readers. I don't think I will continue reading, though.

Thank you to Del Rey UK for providing me with a digital arc via Netgalley. All thoughts are my own.

This was a very refreshing read with such a unique concept for it’s magical system and world building. A world where power comes from pleasure and pain. I was intrigued by the premise and the story started off incredibly strong. I was immediately hooked. It’s dark right from the off with the events of Saffron’s childhood and the murder of her parents by the Bloodmoons. Flash forward and she’s about to graduate to become a Silvercloak despite magic not working on her like everyone else. A series of events results in her having to leave behind the other graduates, ruin her reputation and infiltrate the notorious Bloodmoons.

The story evolves with twists and turns and the forever presence of one wrong step and Saffron will be killed, this kept me on my toes and eager to find out what was going to happen next. It’s not as straight forward as the good guys (Silvercloaks) vs the ‘bad guys’ (Bloodmoons) and I love how this touched on being morally grey and doing ‘evil’ things just to survive. Saffron’s emotions and feelings about having to be violent and cruel in order to save herself were well written and explored.

There was excellent chemistry between Levan and Saffron, she has every reason to hate him and their power balance creates a dynamic that I thoroughly enjoyed. The story holds up without the romance but it did make it all the more delicious.

The last quarter of the book didn’t quite hold up to the rest of the book and I found the altering of time to be quite repetitive, the intense need to know where the story was going wasn’t quite the same. The payoff for the build up to the very dramatic ending didn’t quite flow for me which dropped this from a 5 star read down to a 4/4.5 star. I am however incredibly excited for the next instalment and to see how the story progresses.