I’m a big proponent of letting a dedication set the tone for the rest of the book. That’s not to say I don’t appreciate the simple ones, but there’s something about a dedication that makes you feel that lets me know I’ve made the right decision picking this one up. It’s why I was so confident in my choice within seconds of starting Quicksilver by Callie Hart.
“For those who live their nightmares so that others may have their dreams.”
You’re telling me that wouldn’t hook you? Please.
At twenty-four, Saeris Fane is a scrappy survivalist willing to do whatever it takes to keep her and her brother, Hayden, alive (despite his best efforts)… even if that means picking pockets and stealing from the Queen. Saeris was born into the Third, a poor section of a city within a relentless desert during the midst of a plague quarantine. Yikes. Naturally, water is a rationed luxury and essentially as good as gold. The desert itself has two unyielding suns and the widespread lack of water keeps the impoverished desperate, reckless and oftentimes just plain stupid. Seriously. The frustration you’ll feel? It’s giving Hunger Games level oppression.
After confessing to a crime to protect Hayden, Saeris gets taken to Queen Madra and well… anticipating her death makes Saeris go for the Hail Mary play. She touches a sword, accidentally opens a portal and Death himself walks right on through.
Saeris gets transported to Yvelia (a land of ice and snow, vastly different from the desert she’s used to as you can imagine) where the fae male she mistook for Death and inadvertently tied her fate to, Kingfisher, charges her with making thousands of relics to end Yvelia’s ongoing war.
As the story progresses we learn more about Fisher, how he’s slowly going insane from the quicksilver that’s been seeping into his veins (a magical substance that allows travel between the realms). Fisher is grumpy, immovable, and unfortunately for him, in desperate need of Saeris’s help.
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As these two attempt to work together to save Yvelia, we get to see more and more of how this war is affecting the realm and how dire it is that Saeris manages to create these relics. Without giving too much away, let’s just say this is a perfectly done romantasy enemies to lovers arc and I ate up every single bit of it.
I mean this is a realm that considers foxes vermin. Meaning when Saeris sees one in the forge where she’s working and decides to adopt it as her own and name him Onyx? Of course, Fisher caves to her whims and lets her keep him. And when Saeris wants her brother safe and by her side as she creates these relics? Of course, Fisher travels back to her world to get him… only for things to go utterly awry.
Turns out, Fisher was tracking someone who smelt like Saeris. Turns out, that someone is none other than Carrion Swift, a notorious smuggler, absolute rake and someone Saeris slept with previously (which explains why her scent lingered). Neither Saeris nor Fisher are thrilled by the mistake. Carrion though? He’s tickled pink. Amused by the whole affair. Delighted to be on vacation, one might say.
One thing about me? I am always going to fall in love with the comic relief side character. To anyone who knows me, Carrion Swift being my favorite character is of no surprise. The man can banter with the best of them and his wit is unmatched. He literally sleeps through a full scale battle and upon waking brings the team a plant. My guy is now the time for this? We are at war. Go ahead, read this book and try to tell me he’s not the absolute best.
On the other hand, the way Fisher talks about Saeris… he skyrocketed up my list of best book boyfriends. I mean….
“Because she is moonlight. The mist that shrouds the mountains. The bite of electricity in the air before a storm. The smoke that rolls across a battlefield before the killing starts. You have no idea what she is. What she could be. You should call her Majesty.”
… yeah, we never stood a chance.
Quicksilver was an absolute wild ride of extremely intense world-building, hilarious shenanigans and the once in a lifetime soulmate kind of love that makes you just want to roll over and scream into the abyss. If that doesn’t convince you to pick this one up immediately, I really don’t know what will.
The next book in the series Brimstone comes out this November and I absolutely cannot wait to see where Callie Hart takes us next.
