This post is all about Quicksilver by Callie Hart.
CATEGORIES: BOOK BLOG POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS, FANTASY, ROMANCE
ABOUT THE BOOK
TITLE: QUICKSILVER
series: FAE & ALCHEMY, BOOK 1
AUTHOR: CALLIE HART
GENRES: new adult fantasy, romance, ROMANTASY
PUBLISHER: FOREVER
PUBLISHING DATE: DECEMBER 3RD, 2024
FORMAT: PAPERBACK
PAGE COUNT: 624
source: SELF purchaseD
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THINK OUTLANDER, BUT WITH A SILVER-TONGUED FAE
GOODREADS summary
Do not turn the key.
Do not open the gate.
In the land of the unforgiving desert, there isn’t much a girl wouldn’t do for a glass of water.
Twenty-four-year-old Saeris Fane is good at keeping secrets. No one knows about the strange powers she possesses, or the fact that she has been picking pockets and stealing from the Undying Queen’s reservoirs for as long as she can remember.
But a secret is like a knot.
Sooner or later, it is bound to come undone.
When Saeris comes face-to-face with Death himself, she inadvertently reopens a gateway between realms and is transported to a land of ice and snow. The Fae have always been the stuff of myth, of legend, of nightmares…but it turns out they’re real, and Saeris has landed herself right in the middle of a centuries-long conflict that might just get her killed.
The first of her kind to tread the frozen mountains of Yvelia in over a thousand years, Saeris mistakenly binds herself to Kingfisher, a handsome Fae warrior, who has secrets and nefarious agendas of his own. He will use her Alchemist’s magic to protect his people, no matter what it costs him… or her.
Death has a name.
It is Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate.
His past is murky.
His attitude stinks.
And he’s the only way Saeris is going to make it home.
Be careful of the deals you make, dear child.
The devil is in the details…
My Thoughts:
I love a good romantasy book, especially one with a book cover as beautiful as Quicksilver. Yes, I judge books by the cover. Don’t shame me because I also read them and judge them by what’s written inside too.
Plus, Quicksilver by Callie Hart was very popular on BookTok (RIP BookTok if you live in the U.S.😢) so of course I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it and give you all a review.
So, did the BookTokers hit the mark this time or did they lead me down another overhyped rabbit hole? Let’s discuss.
THE PLOT OF QUICKSILVER
There’s a lot of plot in Quicksilver. Over 600 pages of plot, to be exact, so buckle up for surprising revelations, complicated magic systems, Fae and other mythical creatures, romance, war, and so much more.
I’ll keep it as concise as I can without giving much away.
Meet Saeris Fane, a 24-year-old badass who calls the Third – a desolate faction of Zilvaren – her home.
Picture a desert wasteland ruled by the Immortal Queen Madra, your typical evil tyrant who gets her kicks from watching people suffer through water rations, backbreaking labor, and living conditions that would make a rat cringe.
Saeris Fane lives better than most — she’s a pick-pocket and a skillful swordswoman who uses these skills to survive and provide a better life for her and her wayward brother, Hayden.
One day Saeris gets a little too ambitious and steals a valuable gold gauntlet from the Queen’s guard, knowing full well the punishment for this could mean torture and death.
Here we learn that Searis has a magical connection to metals, and she’s had to keep this power a secret because magic is forbidden in Zilvaren.
A flirtatious black-market dealer and ex-lover, Carrion Swift, tries to convince her to get rid of the gauntlet before trouble arises. But, before Searis can come to her senses, the Queen learns of her treachery and then all hell breaks lose.
After a scuffle with a guard, Saeris touches a Quicksilver blade and – poof! – finds herself in a snow-covered realm called Yvelia, face-to-face with someone she mistakes for Death. Plot twist: he’s actually a silver-tongued Fae called Kingfisher.
If you’re getting Outlander by Diana Gabaldon vibes, you’re not alone – our heroine is thrown into a strange new world, complete with an annoying nickname (“Osha” in this case) courtesy of our male lead.
"An Oshellith is a type of butterfly,” he called as he went. “Osha for short. They hatch, live, and die all in one day. The cold kills them very fast. Isn’t that right, Renfis?"
Through some clever Fae manipulation, Kingfisher binds Saeris to him to help save his people from vampires and feeders.
Why her?
She’s an alchemist with the power to turn Quicksilver into weapons.
I really enjoyed the first half of the novel, really loving the banter between Kingfisher (oof! Such an unfortunate name) and Searis.
I had a few minor hiccups such as the fact that Searis lived in a desert where there are harsh water rations yet she meets Carrion Swift in a bar. Like, how does a desert society with strict water rations maintain a bar serving alcohol? Someone needs to sort out their priorities.
About that second half, full disclosure: I’m not a strong fantasy reader. While I love the genre, throw too many magical realms, creatures, and elaborate histories at me, and I start to short-circuit.
The story introduces so many new elements that I found myself constantly backtracking: “Wait, who’s this again?” “Which realm are we in now?”
The ending becomes a bit of a magical hurricane – not bad, necessarily, but definitely overwhelming. While I didn’t hate it, I couldn’t fully love what I couldn’t follow.
"I hadn't seen many beautiful things in my short life. But, of all the beautiful things I had seen, Fisher was the most beautiful of all."
THE CHARACTERs OF QUICKSILVER
SEARIS FANE
At her core, Searis is a warrior shaped by trauma. Queen Madra’s reign left deep scars, turning her into someone fiercely independent and painfully guarded.
She’s the type who’d throw herself in front of a blade for those she loves – noble, sure, but sometimes frustratingly so.
While her determination and take-charge attitude shine in the early chapters, she becomes her own worst enemy as the story progresses. She has this maddening habit of turning simple situations into complex ones, and her constant complaints start to wear thin.
"Urgh! Do you have to be so difficult?” His eyes danced. “It isn’t mandatory, but I do enjoy it."
KINGFISHER
If there’s a scene-stealer in this novel, it’s Kingfisher.
This master swordsman with his powerful Fae magic is impossible to pin down – one moment he’s brooding like he’s auditioning for a gothic romance, the next he’s cracking jokes that light up the page.
His personality is a delicious contradiction: intense yet playful, dangerous yet charming. The spicier scenes showcase his wicked tongue in more ways than one, though we’re tragically denied more time in his head through POV chapters.
"Every warrior in Innìr will smell me on you, Fisher's voice rumbled in my mind. I'm going to make you hoarse from screaming my fucking name. I'm going to mark you in every way imaginable, so that everyone knows you're fucking mine."
CARRION SWIFT
Carrion starts strong – a breath of fresh air with his quick wit and playful banter. He’s got major Sagittarius energy: flirtatious, carefree, and always ready with a joke (even in the most inappropriate moments). But somewhere around the halfway mark, his character takes an odd turn.
Suddenly, he becomes the Samantha Jones of the Fae realm, with every other line being about sex. Still, his flirtations with Searis serve as perfect kindling for Kingfisher’s jealousy, creating some genuinely entertaining moments.
"Did you hear that?” he said. “What?” “That smoking hot blonde said I was pretty.” “Gods alive, Carrion. Do not tell me you have a thing for Danya. She’s fucking awful.” “Eh.” He shot me a rakish grin. “I love a girl with a sharp tongue and a bad attitude. Kinda makes my dick hard."
THE SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
The villains – Madra, Malcolm, and Belicon – suffer from classic mustache-twirling syndrome. They’re scary enough, sure, but their motivations never extend beyond the usual “power-hungry bad guy” playbook.
And don’t get me started on their tendency to monologue their evil plans like they’re reading from a “Villainy for Dummies” handbook.
The bright spots in the secondary cast include Everlayne, Kingfisher’s sister, whose broken spirit and unwavering devotion to her brother make her intriguingly complex.
Then there’s Ren, Kingfisher’s brutally honest friend, who’s brave enough to speak truth to power. The adorable Onyx, a fox with personality to spare, adds a welcome touch of whimsy to the darker moments.
While the various warriors populating this world each bring their own distinct flavor to the story, there are simply too many to keep straight.
THE WRITING STYLE of quicksilver
Let’s talk about that writing style.
First, the pacing – Absolutely electric. One minute Searis is getting nabbed for theft, and the next bam! she’s whisked away to a Fae realm.
The story barely lets you catch your breath, ping-ponging between life-or-death situations and steamy encounters with impossibly attractive men. And honestly? I’m here for it.
But here’s where things get a bit messy. While the author deserves credit for avoiding the dreaded info-dump when weaving in backstory, they might have over-corrected. The sheer volume of information thrown at us throughout the novel is like trying to pass a Fae history exam.
Remember how I mentioned Outlander earlier? That book nailed it — yes, we time-traveled, but we landed in a world that felt familiar enough. A quick history refresher, and we were good to go.
Quicksilver, though? Between the labyrinth politics, tangled family drama, and encyclopedia of Fae customs, I found myself needing a flowchart just to keep up.
Now, about that dialogue. Look, I’m no pearl-clutcher when it comes to cursing. But there’s artful swearing, and then there’s just peppering “fuck” into every other sentence like seasoning gone wrong.
It’s especially jarring coming from Kingfisher, who’s supposedly ancient. Why is this centuries-old being talking like he just rushed a fraternity?
That said, the spicy scenes? Chef’s kiss. Even the flirting had me grinning like an idiot. The chemistry practically sizzled off the page.
Bottom line: while there’s plenty to love about the writing, this book feels like someone tried to stuff a trilogy’s worth of plot into a single volume. Sometimes, as the saying goes, less really is more.
how spicy is “quicksilver”?
The spicy parts were both hot and magical. Without giving much away I will say that there are definitely some weird after effects after getting down with a Fae. I give the spice two chili peppers 🌶️🌶️.
"Nobody will ever fuck you the way I'm about to fuck you, Saeris Fane. I'm about to introduce you to all seven gods. When you meet them, don't forget to tell them I'm the one you worship on your knees."
So, what did I think overall of Quicksilver?
I liked it; I didn’t love it.
I can’t sink my teeth into a steak that’s overcooked. I don’t actually eat steak, but that’s the best analogy I could come up with.
The good stuff first: this book moves. The chemistry between our leads crackles with electricity, and their back-and-forth had me grinning more than once.
The magic system feels fresh – no small feat in a genre where everything’s been done twice.
And those spicy scenes? Let’s just say they deliver. What really caught me off guard (in the best way) was how the plot zigged when I expected it to zag, mirroring life’s beautiful chaos.
However, the chaos nearly had me dizzy by the end. I had a hard time figuring out what the heck was going on, which is partially why this book review took so long. Unpacking what I just read was no easy feat.
Will I pick up the sequel? Maybe, but If I’m being honest, I’m not counting down the days.
BookTok didn’t exactly lead me astray with this recommendation, but let’s just say the hype train might’ve left the station a bit too early on this one.
Have you given Quicksilver a shot? I’d love to hear your take – whether you think I’m spot on or completely missing the mark.
And if you haven’t cracked it open yet, grab a copy through the link below and jump into this conversation. Sometimes the best book discussions start with a difference of opinion.
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