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.

5 stars!! What a fabulous fantasy story I loved everything about this, the characters, plot and worldbuilding were perfect and the ending was shocking but amazing! I can't wait to reread this again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the eARC of Silvercloak by L.K. Steven, which releases in the UK on July 24th. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

One of the first things that captivated me about this book was the magic system. It’s both refreshing and original, built around the dual forces of pleasure and pain—something rarely explored in recent fantasy. The reintroduction of wand-based magic was also a nice touch, adding a classic but underused element to a distinctly modern system. I especially appreciated how the contrasts between pleasure and pain magic were described and developed.

The worldbuilding is strong, with layered settings and a solid introduction to the political and magical dynamics at play. The opening scenes do an excellent job of immersing the reader without overwhelming them, gradually feeding in key details and building tension without resorting to info-dumping. The story moves at a fast pace, and the writing is accessible—if I’d had more time, I would’ve easily devoured this in a single sitting.

Saffron, our fierce and headstrong protagonist, really stood out for me. She’s stubborn, determined, and unafraid to throw herself into danger. I don’t usually gravitate toward grittier or more violent reads, but the darker, more brutal elements worked well here and suited both the character and tone of the story.

That said, a few of the larger plot points didn’t land quite as strongly. Some emotional moments lacked the depth I was hoping for, and certain scenes—like Saffron’s time with the Bloodmoons—felt like they were building toward more intense or threatening dynamics than we ultimately got. The group never felt quite as menacing as initially implied, which left some tension unresolved.

Still, Silvercloak was a thoroughly enjoyable read, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing where the story goes next. A promising start to what could be a compelling series!

AMAZING!!!! The magic system was absolutely thrilling and I was hooked from the very first page! I love Saffron and I cannot believe that ending! Need the next book ASAP.

Read this if you love:
-Enemies to lovers
-Brutal, dark mages
-Magic school setting
-Diverse cast of characters

Thank you Del Rey for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley, DelRay and L.K Steven for the e-arc for Silvercloak! I read Our Infinite Fates, and loved it, so really wanted to read Silvercloak!

The story centres around Saffron, who after witnessing the murder of her parents at the age of 6 by the Bloodmoons (a criminal organisation who are taking over the city) trains to be a Silvercloak (magical detectives) in order to exact her revenge. This goes wrong when at the final assessment stage hidden truths about her magic are revealed, and she is unable to qualify. However, a deal is offered her whereby she poses undercover within the Bloodmoons to gather incriminating evidence and bring them down, and in return she will be made a Silvercloak. Falling for the Kingpin’s son is definitely not part of the plan, and makes Saffron question everything, and struggle with reconciling what she needs to do, and what her heart wants. Add in some prophecy and forbidden magic and you have a book I just couldn’t put down.

The main characters are multifaceted, and the development of them throughout the book is really well done. The main characters both have tragic and traumatic pasts, and are both flawed in their own ways. We see Saffron struggling with what she knows is right, and the things she needs to do in order to achieve her aims, whilst juggling her developing feelings for Levan. With Levan, we are introduced to a hard-hearted killer, with extraordinary levels of power, but as Saffron gets to know the man underneath, and the undeniable similarities in their situations creating a connection between them, it gets harder and harder to see what the right path is for both of them to survive.

The magic system was unique, and the use of pleasure and pain being used to fuel and renew a mage’s well of magic was genius! I’ve seen it compared to Harry Potter, which yes they use wands to cast spells and in particular pain/killing spells, but the pain/pleasure element differentiates the two nicely.

The world building is also really well done, and detailed! I feel there is a lot of layering going on in this book and we will see this coming to light in the next book.

Silvercloak ends with some unexpected twists, and a satisfying conclusion which leaves it open for a very interesting book 2, which I am really looking forward to!

All in all, I loved it! There are some dark parts, a lot of diversity, discussions of addiction, and mental trauma, love, betrayal, and Rasso the Fallow Wolf! I’m intrigued for where this story will lead us in book 2!

2.5 ✨

🪄 Soooo let's start this review by saying I was really surprised to see that this fantasy world was definetely inspired by the Harry Potter universe. And then you're gonna ask: Yes, but can't anyone else write a book with wands and spells? Oh yeah for sure anyone can get inspired by anything and write whatever he wants but the detail is how succesful you can do it and whether you can take the readers mind from the certain universe that already exists! It's not only about the wands or the spells (killing curse, torture curse, compelling, yeah you're right if it rings a bell) it was also for example, the books that were moving and doing funny things(like fanning themselves), magic ceilings and magic bookshelves...

🪄 And that's when my first point comes, because I just could not get my mind off that this book reminded me of this particular very well known fantasy world.

🪄 Now I come to the other point, the fact that I didn't enjoy the writing and I didn't connect with the characters so much. So, the writing was a bit excessive in my opinion with too many unnecessary details and descriptions at some points that I got bored.

🪄 The characters were ok nothing crazy, I was more intrigued by the MMC and his backstory. Their connection wasn't something wow and I didn't like the first time they did something.
Also I felt like the LGBTQIA+ representation was put just to be put in the book (idk that's what I personally felt).

🪄 The pacing was also an issue, after the 60% mark where some big events happened the book got slow significantly and then we got to the end, which I really liked but also at the sime time was kinda "convenient" from the author to write it this way, I don't want to say more because there will be spoilers.

🪄 I really liked the plot and the idea behind it!

Maybe it's a me thing and I guess some people may like it 🤷🏻‍♀️

𝐀 𝐡𝐮𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰.

This review is for Silvercloak by L.K Steven which releases in the UK on the 24th July! Thanks so much to Netgalley and Del Rey for giving me an eArc copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The first thing that drew me into this story was the magic system, as we see magic that is fuelled by pleasure and pain as well as the use of wands which we really don’t see much anymore. It’s a fairly unique system and I loved how they described the differences between the pain and pleasure magics.

The world building is also well done, with well layered characters and settings. The opening scenes did a great job of setting up the narrative for the rest of the book, as well as showing us the ropes for the political and magical aspects of the book. It never felt like a massive information dump, and you gradually get all the information you need while going through the story. It felt super fast paced and easy to read, if I had more time at the moment this definitely would have been finished sooner!

I loved the more violent themes, especially when it came to our FMC Saffron. She was super determined, stubborn, headstrong and not shy about throwing herself into harms way. It’s a lot grittier and gory than I usually like to read, but actually enjoyed it as it definitely fit in with the story.

Some of the larger plot points did feel a little flat though, and some of the emotional connections felt a little lackluster. Like when Saf was with the Bloodmoons, they just never felt as horrible as it was first described…

Overall I did really enjoy the book, and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next one!

It was honestly tough to keep this review spoiler-free because Silvercloak is packed with so many twists and intense moments. But wow, this book seriously hooked me from the very first page and didn’t let go. Laura Stevens has created a gripping story full of revenge, betrayal, and impossible choices all set in this wild world where magic is powered by pleasure and pain.

Saffron, our fierce main character, is on a mission to take down the Bloodmoon crime family that destroyed her life years ago. Her journey is full of tension, tough decisions, and moments that really hit hard emotionally.

What I loved most were the complex, morally grey characters who aren’t just good or bad but they’re real and flawed, which made the story feel that much richer. And the slow-burn romance? Absolutely electric. The chemistry had me hooked, especially with all the conflicting loyalties thrown into the mix.

The world-building is fantastic, especially the magic system. I think this might be the first time I’ve read about a magic system where power comes from pleasure and pain. With my allergy meds making my memory a bit foggy I might be wrong. Plus, the political intrigue and plot twists kept me on my toes the whole time.

If you’re into dark fantasy with complex magic, characters who walk the line between hero and villain, and a steamy enemies-to-lovers romance, Silvercloak is a must-read. With its gripping story, perfect pacing, and immersive atmosphere, this book is a standout for fans of romantic fantasy and tales of vengeance.