Book Review: Quicksilver by Callie Hart (Book series “Fae & Alchemy)
“He’s everything I should fear. But I’ve never felt safer than when he’s near.”
Book Started: 2 June 2025 / Book Completed: 9 June 2025
Total pages read: 6089 / Total Listening Time: 20 hours:42 minutes
Overall Star Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 / Format: Libby and I own the physical book
Goodreads Book Synopsis: 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 her strange powers, 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, legend, and nightmares... but it turns out they're real, and Saeris has landed herself 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 with 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 the 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.
If you are a dark romance lover and if you’ve been craving a story that wraps danger in desire, blends raw chemistry with revenge-fueled secrets, and serves up an antihero who will ruin your standards forever, Quicksilver by Callie Hart is a must-add to your TBR. From page one, this slow-burn, morally gray SPICY romance sinks its claws in. Here’s my deep dive into the chaos, passion, and gritty brilliance that is Quicksilver.
“Do not touch the sword. Do not turn the key. Do not open the gate.”
Content Warning: The source material and this guide feature “madness” in a literary context, genocide, forced sterilization, discrimination against sex workers, fantasy violence, sexual violence, genocide, and suicide.
Spoiler-Free Summary
Saeris Fane is the reluctant heroine in this story. She is the main female protagonist, a thief, later discovering that she is an alchemist. She is fiercely independent, resourceful, and emotionally guarded. Saeris begins as a survivalist thief in a brutal desert society, shaped by trauma and secrecy. Her journey is self-discovery as she learns about her true heritage and powers as an alchemist. She evolves from a lone wolf into a reluctant leader, learning to trust others and embrace her destiny. She has many strengths. She is quick-thinking, brave, and morally complex. She is also flawed, distrustful, impulsive, and emotionally repressed. Through this story, you get to read how Saeris goes through this transformation, both literal (alchemy) and emotional. Her control over Quicksilver mirrors her struggle to master her identity and emotions.
Kingfisher is the fae warrior with secrets. He is the main male character who will be Saeris’s love interest. He is also a fae warrior and guardian of Yvelia. He is extremely stoic, enigmatic, and fiercely loyal. Kingfisher is initially cold and distant, bound by duty and haunted by past failures. His relationship with Saeris forces him to confront vulnerability and rediscover hope. He’s a classic “wounded protector” archetype with a slow-burn emotional thaw. He has so many strengths, mainly his strategicness, power, and emotional intelligence. Like Saeris, he is also flawed. He is overly secretive, emotionally withdrawn, and burdened by guilt. Kingfisher embodies the theme of death and rebirth—his icy realm and demeanor contrast with the warmth Saeris brings into his life.
Tropes & Themes
1. Enemies-to-Lovers: Saeris and Kingfisher begin with mutual distrust and hostility, but their relationship evolves into a slow-burn romance filled with tension and emotional depth.
2. Hidden Identity / Chosen One: Saeris is unaware of her true heritage and powers at the start. As the story unfolds, she discovers she is an Alchemist with a rare and powerful connection to Quicksilver.
3. Portal Fantasy: The protagonist is transported from one world (a desert realm) to another (a frozen Fae kingdom), introducing new rules, magic, and politics.
4. Fae Romance: The love interest is a powerful, immortal Fae warrior. This trope often includes themes of ancient magic, long lifespans, and emotional restraint.
5. Found Family: As Saeris navigates her new world, she begins to form bonds with unlikely allies, creating a surrogate family dynamic.
6. Reluctant Heroine: Saeris doesn’t seek power or glory. Despite her reluctance, she’s pulled into a larger conflict and must rise to the occasion.
7. Magical Training / Power Awakening: A classic trope where the protagonist must learn to control and understand her newfound abilities, often under pressure or threat.
8. Dark Royalty / Brooding Male Lead: Kingfisher fits the archetype of the emotionally distant, decisive male lead with a tragic past and a hidden soft side.
9. Political Intrigue: The story includes court politics, ancient rivalries, and power struggles between kingdoms and magical factions.
Spice Level: 4/5: The sexual tension is slow and loaded with restraint, but once it hits? FIREWORKS. The scenes are passionate, raw, and emotionally charged.
Final Overall Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
If you like your romance intense, complex, and edged in shadows, Quicksilver delivers everything and more. It’s a haunting, seductive story about grief, vengeance, healing, and trust — told through two broken souls finding salvation in each other. I cannot wait for book two to come out this November (18 November 2025 – “Brimestone”)
