Quicksilver by Callie Hart 3.2/5

I was craving a fantasy romance this week that would pull me into a whole new world and leave me wanting more. Quicksilver by Callie Hart delivered in some ways and fell short in others. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised considering this was an amazon kindle unlimited book. The book did feel slightly chaotic, with some forced elements that especially jumped out at me in the first half of the book. This is not a book I would have read if I was in the mood to take things slow and enjoy consistent and quality writing but instead more of a fast paced read which kept me on my toes enough that it was easier to ignore some gaps and inconsistencies.

Though the cover of the book depicts our heartbreakingly rude and tortured love interest, the real star is Searis Fane. Searis is a strong heroine whose childhood has been fraught with tragedy. Ever since Searis lost her mother she has been thieving to survive a Kingdom that wants nothing more than to stamp out her and her kind. When a risky gamble leads to the worst of consequences; capture and certain death, Searis unexpectedly finds herself transported into a place where the Fae she heard in childhood stories are real. Here she quickly becomes the center of a centuries old conflict, after it is discovered that the powers she was always determined to ignore can save them all. From the start, Kingfisher has an impressive attitude and mysteriously intriguing story. Hart leaves many questions surrounding his history, and I wanted all of the answers. Searis and Kingfisher do not start on a great foot and seem to needle each other to no end. In the end however they both need each other and this more than anything is what pushes them together.

Pros: I definitely enjoyed the banter between Searis and Kingfisher even if Hart missed the mark with a few lines. The tension and emotion between the characters made me feel for their predicaments. The fast pace was also a pro for me, I didn't find myself bored at any point. I also loved the world building despite the obvious plot holes. I think that with more experience under her belt, a second book could capitalize on the foundation that this one laid with less outlandish elements and better explanations/story telling.

Cons: It took longer than I would have liked for Hart to develop her main characters but by the end I felt that I had a handle on their personalities. There were a few side characters that I felt deserved more attention and I was sad they were glanced over. I think the biggest drawback of the book for me was how chaotic the plot felt in the beginning. There were elements that were thrown in and hard to understand. My last bone to pick with this book is that it wasn't as much of a slow burn as I was expecting. It was also less enemies to lovers and more figure out why Kingfisher treats everyone terribly and then be bonded by our tragic pasts.

Spice: This book had quite a few very detailed scenes. Overall, I thought that they were well done and enhanced the relationships in the book. However, the crass language was sometimes a bit over the top. The spice definitely made this book a very mature read.

Overall I give this book a 3.2/5 stars. I recommend it if you have a kindle unlimited membership and are looking for a fun fast paced fantasy that also has a good amount of spice. Something about this book made me love the characters and the world that Hart created despite the inconsistencies in the writing.