This book blew me away. It feels fresh and new which I think is pretty difficult to do in the fantasy market. It’s definitely a fantasy with a romance element as opposed to romantasy (which I know is the current buzzword) but if anything, the book is stronger for it. The worldbuilding is incredible and really immersive and I just love L.K. Steven’s writing. If you’ve read any of her other books, I guarantee you’ll like this one. It’s her best work, in my opinion.
The characters are engaging - especially Saff and Levan. Saffron is easy to root for and she treads the line of morally grey with great balance! Levan is more of an enigma and I think the way he slowly opened up was really well done. I loved the magic system; fuelled by pleasure and pain, and found it really easy to understand- and it allowed for some interesting and hair-raising moments throughout. The twists and turns were brilliant. I think it’s the first book where I’ve actually been scared to keep reading because I don’t want to see what happens next - but of course I simultaneously really do! And that ending?!! Whoa.
All in all, I really loved it. Can’t wait for the next installment.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All opinions my own.

Absolutely amazing . Thrilling and very well written. Loved the heroine and the pacing was amazing. I wanna read more from this author.

Absolutely stunning. A story that drags you in and leaves you wanting more.

I had heard from friends that Silvercloak was fantastic, and wow were they right.
Fast paced, engaging, with characters you love even as you question their choices. Once I started I couldn’t put it down.

If you’re looking for a magical, morally grey adventure with an endearing love story emerging amongst the adrenaline, look no further!

I absolutely devoured Silvercloak and can’t wait for the rest of the series!

Absolutely SPECTACULAR. The magic system is so hugely unique and the characters are so RAW AND REAL?! Loved the pacing of the plot throughout it kept me hooked right til the last page

3.75 🌟

Saffron lives in a world where magic is fuelled by pleasure and pain. As a young child she witnesses the brutal murder of her parents by the Bloodmoons, a gang of mages. Driven by her trauma, she dedicates her life to avenging her family, by becoming a Silvercloak detective.

The evening before graduation, the Silvercloak academy discovers Saffron's deception, putting everything she has worked for at risk. Instead of expelling her, they strike a deal and send her on an undercover assignment with the Bloodmoons where she gets close to Levan, the Kingpin's son. Levan, who also happens to be the one she has been prophesised to kill... right after she kissed him.

While undercover, Saffron engages in some questionable actions, despite having the best intentions. Unfortunately, these efforts do not always succeed, and she ends up losing those close to her...

I appreciated the world building and magic system overall, though the beginning felt somewhat slow. If you're seeking a full fledged romantasy, this might not be the right choice, as the romance remains quite secondary. I didn't particularly connect with the FMC or MMC, but the story gained momentum by the end, and now I'm eager to see what happens next. Saffron believes she has resolved everything, but she's in for a surprise!

Pick this up if you like:
🕵🏼‍♀️Magical academy
🕵🏼‍♀️Undercover mission
🕵🏼‍♀️Enemies to lovers
🕵🏼‍♀️Revenge quest
🕵🏼‍♀️Unique magic system

I don't think this will be for everyone, but if you are looking for something different, give this a go! I will be picking up the next book, that cliffhanger?!

Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone | Del Rey for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Where do I even start? This book completely took over my brain in the best way. I already know it’s going to stay with me for a long time.

This is a true enemies to lovers. Not rivals, not uneasy allies, but actual enemies with real consequences and history between them. The chemistry is intense, the stakes are high, and the slow burn is everything.

The magic system is one of the most original I’ve ever read. Every mage has a magical well fueled by either pleasure or pain. It’s such a bold concept, but it’s executed so well and adds emotional weight to every interaction. Laura Steven leans all the way in, and the result is powerful, personal, and a little dangerous.

The world building is rich and layered. It took a few chapters to find my footing, but once it clicked, I was fully hooked. Everything feels intentional and pays off in really satisfying ways.

The FMC is flawed, fierce, and deeply human. Her arc feels raw and real. The MMC is deliciously morally grey, and peeling back his layers to see what drives him was both heartbreaking and addictive. Their dynamic is everything: complicated, emotional, tense, and completely worth it.

This book gave me the same feeling as The Crimson Moth, The Sword of Kaigen, and Blood Over Bright Haven. That deep, full body obsession only the best books deliver.

If you’re into:

🖤 Prophecies
🖤 Time magic
🖤 Found family
🖤 Magic fueled by pleasure or pain
🖤 Morally grey characters
🖤 Complex world building
🖤 Real enemies to lovers
🖤 Emotional payoff that hurts

Then Silvercloak needs to be on your radar. It’s bold, intimate, and completely unforgettable.

What a book! The perfect combination of epic fantasy world building and characters that you can’t help but become invested in. And that last line!! Waiting with bated breath for book 2.

4.5*

A detective infiltrates the mafia, but it's fantasy and there's a super hot guy...sign me up.

I loved this book and I can't believe I have to wait until the next one. I loved the world building and the magic system and I was immediately immersed in the world. The main character Saffron is super capable, but doesn't feel overpowered in any way. She felt realistic and relatable.

The relationship between Saffron and the male lead, Levan, was the perfect slow burn, enemies to lovers. The story is told from the POV of Saffron and I feel like we've only just scratched the surface of Levan's character. The ending has left so much space for character and relationship development.

Also that ending was crazy - like a superhero movie sequence.

Aunque el libro me haya gustado, sobre todo el final, no puedo dejar a parte y no tener en cuenta que casi hasta el 50% me sentía completamente fuera de la historia. No entendía qué estaba pasando por cómo narra la autora. Y ya os puedo asegurar que toda la parte político-social relacionada con el worlbuilding y la trama lo entendido entre cero y nada por esa misma razón.
Ya dicho esto... voy a por la reseña en general.
Los personajes me han gustado. Tanto Saff como Levan han tenido mucho potencial durante la historia y se ha ido mostrando. Sin embargo, para mí Saff estaba mal presentada. En cuanto a esto me refiero que se presenta como casi una Silvercloak de 26 años, entrenada y supestamente la mejor de su promoción para poder ir a una misión de encubierto (que al principio puede ser verdad); pero luego mediante va avanzando la historia parece que el entrenamiento lo ha perdido entero. No se comporta como alguien entrenado para estar ahí, de hecho muchas veces se me olvidaba que la protagonista tenía más de 17-18 años.
Por otro lado, Levan me ha gustado, pero me ha pasado un poco lo mismo. Teniendo en cuenta que este es incluso mayor que Saff se comporta como si tuviera 10 años menos de cómo se nos presenta. Aún así me ha gustado el final que se le ha dado a este personaje en concreto y tengo muchas ganas de ver cómo evoluciona nuestra perspectiva hacia él.
Luego ya, la trama. No es nada del otro mundo, la verdad. No sé quien la ha comparado con HP, pero la verdad me parece bastante mal que se le esté dando bombo a una saga escrita por una escritora TAN TAN problemática cuando hay muchisimos más autores que escriben fantasía urbana con magos que se lo merecen más.
Y eso, la trama está bien, pero no me ha sorprendido para nada. Ha habido escenas del final que las he disfrutado? Pos si. I'm a theather girl ante todo, pero para nada ha sido taaaaan bueno como dicen las reseñas de 5estrellas.
Y luego ya, como he dicho un poco de worlbuilding, realmente no se entiende. Yo iba leyendo y con tanto nombre sin explicar, tanta info toda junta durante tantas páginas del libro... no sé, me ha hecho que no me entere de nada tbh.
Lo único que me ha llamado la atención es cómo la magia se rige por el placer y el dolor y ni si quiera se ve con calma. Hay cuatro escenas contadas donde realmente se ve y me da mucha rabia, porque estaba super chulo ese punto de vista.
Realmente creo que la autora quería hacer un libro de fantasía adulta (por todo el contenido explicito que prometía) pero se le ha quedado bastante a medias.

From the pain-and-pleasure magic system to our fiery main character, Silvercloak is entangled with dark magic, grief, vengeance and emotion. When Saffron Killoran’s parents are brutally murdered by Bloodmoons, she vows to avenge their deaths and become a Silvercloak, a magical detective. This book has a little bit of everything: a brief academic setting, gloriously in-depth world-building, your allegiance that will switch time and time again, a high-stakes prophetical romance. I was on the edge of my seat for at least 80% of this book; I completely loved this adult high fantasy and cannot wait to see what L.K. Steven writes next!

I've been really excited to read this book and saw a lot of great reviews for it but for me, it fell flat. The concept in itself was interesting, and I liked the idea of this elite academy, the found family vibe, and the different levels of magic system. However, I would say I'd have liked to learn more about the magic in this world than we did. All the elements of the book should have worked but I found them all slightly off the mark. I wasn't invested in the characters or the plot enough, the romance didn't reel me in, and I'm not sure I even really liked Saff and she didn't necessarily feel ready for this kind of mission. The responsibility in particular, as she's put herself, her friends and family at risk without any sufficient support system here and she's such a newbie it didn't feel convincing. I liked seeing how her relationship with Levan was developing but it progressed too quickly and I wasn't really feeling this chemistry between them. I needed it to have a little more attention to really develop it, so that sadly fell a little flat. I also read a book right before this that had basically the same plot but in a different setting and so perhaps my reading of this was a little overshadowed by that, but I have to say this book could have been shorter and snappier as it did move pretty slowly. All in all, I'm sad I didn't enjoy this more!

This is my type of detective fantasy! Laura’s writing just works for me, I was gripped the whole time.
The magic system is so unique yet easy to understand, I fell in love with the characters and their nerdy quirks. Bonding over a fantasy series that got them through their childhood trauma, absolutely relatable!

I was on the edge of my seat for basically the whole book but especially the ending, the high stakes of Saff being undercover was thrilling.
I can’t wait for book 2!

Silvercloak
L. K. Steven
3.5⭐️

SYNOPSIS:
Two decades ago the Bloodmoons ruthlessly murdered Saffrons parents, destroying her idyllic childhood. Hellbent on revenge she lied her way into the elite Silvercloak academy for detectives, with the one goal in mind - to somehow bring the Bloodmoons tp justice. On the eve of her graduation, her lie is exposed and she's given only one option - go undercover to bring the Bloodmoons down. In world where pleasure and pain are the highest currency, Saff must complete some heinous deeds to keep her cover and her life.

THOUGHTS:
The premise of this sounded so cool, and while I did enjoy it, the reality didn't quite live up to expectations. The take on power coming from pain and pleasure was a unique idea and I was intrigued by the exploration of the lengths people will go to for power. Along with how a characters experiences really shaped who they became as a character.

Saffron is our main character and we know she has trained her whole life to get to where she is, however we see her consistently slipping up and giving out information left and right. We never see how great she is at what she does as she is also handed the exact information she needs very easily or just so happens to stumble upon it. Her inner monologues also became quite tedious at times and one minute she was devastated and the next she was detached.

Again, with the romance I felt like you were told there was a romance but you didn't really see it grow. No yearning, no tension, no slow burn enemies to lovers.

Overall, I feel like the bones were there but it was a very tell not show type of book. I think I might still give book two a go to see where it goes from here.

Thank you to @netgalley and @delreyuk for the e-arc.

I was completely and utterly hooked by this compelling and intriguing world of magic fuelled by both pleasure and pain. Saffron is such an interesting character to follow as she carries a whole heap of trauma from witnessing - and feeling as though she was responsible for - her parents' murder as a child. She is so driven with the singular goal of bringing about the downfall of the Bloodmoons, the mafia-like gang who were responsible for the murders, twisting her motivations and morality.

I thought that the romance between Saff and Laven was really well done as they truly felt as though they were on opposite sides with no possible way for them to find common ground... yet somehow they do. There is a subtlety to the romance where it creeps up on the reader and the characters are already in so deep before you realise everything has changed. Despite the growing feels between the characters, the sense that there will always be obstacles that they can not overcome with makes for a really intriguing dynamic. I really enjoyed the grey morality that both of the characters show.

Whilst it took me a little bit to get into the story as Steven takes her time in establishing the characters are and ultimately Saff is trying to become a cop, once we started to get some of the reveals and the stakes were laid out, I was very much invested and could not look away from the story. As the story progressed, I had some theories about where the story was headed and how certain prophecies would come to pass but this is a book that reveals its cards slowly so it is only at the end that everything slots together and you realise that things are both simpler and more complicated than you ever could have realised.

The final lines from Saff and Laven are VERY interesting and leave the reader with very high intrigue levels for what is to come in the next book. Whilst some may consider the ending a cliffhanger, SIlvercloak feels like it has a really satisfying and complete arc where the reader is desperate to see what happens next but they aren't tearing their hair out🤣 There are some of the finer details relating to the reveals that I hope we get more details about in the sequel but the broad strokes of the big picture have very much been revealed. Personally, I am eagerly anticipating the next book and am very much strapped in for the ride, with my popcorn bucket in hand!

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!