Quicksilver by Callie HartMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Time taken to read - in and out over 4 days
Pages - 624
Publisher -
Source - Bought
Blurb from Goodreads
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... Now with an embossed cover, silver foiling, and an updated interior design.
My Review
Saeris lives in a place ruled by the undying queen, their land is dirt poor, disease and poverty is rife, Saeris survives by her wit and quick light fingers. She steals and sells anything she can and steals water from the royal reserves because the rations aren't nearly enough for survival. When Saeris robs from a guard and her brother once again gets them into trouble Saeris is arrested and certainly will be put to death. When she accidentally opens a portal she ends up taken by "Death" and into a different land. One where the beings have long been told of, killers, evil, worse than the undying queen or are they? As Saeris navigates through this new and strange place, dressed up like a girly (Saeris is all trousers and fighting) as expected to behave and do as she is told, two things Saeris will not do. What lies ahead is questioning of everything she knew, as much food and drink as she could dream of and the expectation to create what is needed for this land is going through war, vampires and more.
This is such a good fantasy book and I absolutely need to get book two, danger, mythical beings, war torn countries, portals, vampires, family, friendship, loyalty and spicy scenes. Saeris is desperate to get back home, in order to get there she needs to learn and master what is expected of her in this new place, alchemy ooft. There is danger galore but she knows the undying queen will punish her whole land if she doesn't get back. She is pulled towards Kingfisher (the guy she thought was death), he is a fierce warrior, the attraction is undeniable but she is raging and refuses to admit to it. Plus he is a bit of a tool, arrogant and busts her chops so they are very competitive to each other.
I really liked this, couldn't wait to see where it was heading. Whilst there was a lot of people and places the book has a book map I could follow it fine, even with brain fog. There is a lot of catty fiery attitude which I love, violence, war, battles and Saeris despite being a human is pretty handy looking after herself, we love a strong female! 4/5 for me, this is my first time reading this author, it won't be my last.
