Quicksilver by Callie Hart
Book 1 in the Fae & Alchemy series
Genre: Romantasy, Dark Romance, Action + Suspense

What really hooked me first was the world Callie Hart created. I was immediately curious about it and wanted to know more about the realm itself and who Saeris Fane was and what her part in the story really was. 

The book starts a little slow, but once it kicks off… it really kicks off. I could not for the life of me put it down (much to the annoyance of my husband lol).

The worldbuilding was one of my favorite parts. Callie Hart did an exceptional job making the realm feel immersive and alive, with each place having its own personality. What I appreciated most was that the descriptions never bogged down the pacing. There was just enough detail to pull you into the world without getting lost in pages of description.

Another standout for me was the banter between Saeris and Fisher. Their bickering was fun, razor-sharp at times, and genuinely funny at others. Their dynamic added so much personality to the story.

The spice was also handled really well. It elevated the story instead of taking it over. This was definitely a plot-driven book with spice sprinkled in at the right moments, which worked especially well with the enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn tension building between them. (Just to be clear, I also love books that are absolutely filthy with spice but this balance really worked.)

The action scenes were another thing I really enjoyed. The fighting sequences were exciting and easy to follow. If you read fantasy, sometimes you know that is not always the case. I didn’t have to reread a scene five times to understand what just happened.

There were so many incredible lines throughout the book that it was honestly hard to pick just a few favorites, but here a few that stood out to me:

“…vibrated with a tempestuous energy.”

“…his voice might also be the stroke of velvet in the ever-encroaching darkness.”

“One second, the pool was solid. The next, it was a shining banner of liquid silver, glinting as it undulated in the torch light.”

It had been a while since I’d picked up a fantasy book, since I’ve mostly been reading dark romance lately, but holy hell this did not disappoint. Not even a little.

Overall, this was a fantastic read. 10/10. No complaints. I’ve already picked up book two and cannot wait to dive back into this world.

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