Rating: 4.5 ⭐️
The world building by Callie Hart in Quicksilver is truly astonishing. Incredibly detailed and rich in imagery, Hart’s worlds, yes multiple connected ones, so well crafted that each feels absolutely unique. Fundamentally different from their species of beings, mythological perspectives, life spans even their suns in the sky .
Hart’s female main character is a stunning figure. Saeris Fane is a thief, a fierce fighter, a resourceful woman. She’s had to do what it takes to survive and protect herself and her irresponsible younger brother in a walled off section of the City where the worst of their kingdom is concentrated by authority of the Queen.
Saeris’ sad history and that of dangerous diseased slum , The Third Ward, of Zilvaren City, are heavily intertwined. How will be slowly revealed throughout this story with great impact. It’s enough that we see how living in such conditions has formed her, including the fact she’s able to work a forge. And it introduces other great characters that have been important figures in her life.
How dramatically the Fae and the figure of The Kingfisher is brought into this narrative is something I’ll leave to the story but it’s a fantastic one. So is the creation of the element of quicksilver and all the unusual aspects of this magical material. It’s one astounding revelation after another, and I absolutely loved it because it was so unexpected.
The relationship between Saeris and Fisher is complex and uneasy. I liked the way there’s a fated mate storyline but it’s not automatically acceptable. Given the circumstances and, a lack of communication, it shouldn’t be.
Main characters who don’t communicate are an issue for me but here the rationale and the foundation laid for any such actions are part of the beautifully crafted storytelling.
There’s passion, mythology, battles, magical horrifying creatures, and a cliffhanger.
Did I have a quibble? Yes. Fisher calls Saeris “Little Osha”, a shorter version of the name of a short lived butterfly. He uses that instead of Saeris for most of the story. Why he does this is explained in the story, however, I’m generally, and certainly not here, a fan of male characters calling female characters “little” anything. It’s intentionally dismissive (as it is here) and turning it into some kind of weird cute nickname doesn’t work.
The ending is stunning and unexpected. It’s a cliffhanger that leaves a reader wondering how the next book will go forward from these events. I can’t wait.
Highly recommended. And what a gorgeous cover.
Fae & Alchemy:
Quicksilver #1
Brimstone #2 – Nov 18, 2025
Buy link
Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy Book 1)
Blurb
An instant #1 New York Times bestseller!
The global phenomenon by Callie Hart–a highly addicting enemies-to-lovers Romantasy with razor-sharp banter, heart-stopping action, and blistering hot romance.
Do not touch the sword. Do not turn the key. Do not open the gate.
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. In the land of the unforgiving desert, there isn’t much a girl wouldn’t do for a glass of water. 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 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…
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 