Quicksilver, the first book in Callie Hart’s Fae & Alchemy trilogy, is the kind of story that arrives quietly, like a whisper in the desert wind—slow, simmering, full of intrigue—and then suddenly explodes into a storm that leaves you breathless, sleepless, and absolutely obsessed. It begins with patient world-building, a deliberate unfurling of two realms layered with myth, danger, and a thousand hidden truths. That slow start isn’t hesitation; it’s the tightening of a bowstring. And when it snaps? The story becomes an unstoppable whirlwind of dark magic, razor-edged tension, and raw emotion that digs under your skin and refuses to leave.

A beautiful, limited edition hardback of the phenomenal first book in the unmissable fae & alchemy series. This edition will feature brand new cover jacket artwork, silver gilded edges, a new bonus scene (Kingfisher in the maze), hidden cover case foil and character art endpapers.

'Do not touch the sword. Do not turn the key. Do not open the gate.'

'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 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.
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 re-opens 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 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, 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 . . .

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Opinion

Saeris Fane is an unforgettable FMC. She is sharp without being cruel, wounded without being weakened, and her strength never feels forced or manufactured. She’s a survivor born from sand, scarcity, and the ruthless machinations of the Undying Queen. Hart gives us a heroine who feels real: clever, morally complicated, and capable of a talent that terrifies even her. Saeris is what every fantasy protagonist should be—flawed, brilliant, dangerous, and deeply human. From the desert’s thirst in Zilvaren to the icy mountains of Yvelia, she carries her secrets like armor … until the world starts ripping them open.

Enter Kingfisher: the Fae warrior, Death himself, the walking disaster with a crown on his head and trauma in his bones. He’s the perfect grumpy MMC—not the cardboard brooding-because-the-trope-demands-it, but a character whose bitterness is carved from centuries of loss and responsibility. His darkness is earned, not performed. And his dynamic with Saeris is an electrifying blend of tension, mistrust, reluctant reliance, and that delicious spark of something more—all wrapped in sarcastic jabs sharp enough to draw blood. Every scene between them is a battle, whether they’re trading blades or barbs.

The side characters are equally vivid, each one shaped by the weight of their world. No one exists merely to decorate the plot. Allies come in shades of gray, and monsters wear beautiful faces. Hart crafts a cast with depth that feels rare: friends, enemies, and those precarious figures in between who could become either. Their stories matter, and you feel the pulse of every one.

What surprised me most—and what made me fall completely in love with this book—is its tone. This is not light, whimsical fae fantasy. This is a darker, grittier landscape infused with jagged humor and emotional damage on every front. Sarcasm becomes survival. The banter is often brutal, the stakes constantly rising, and the characters walk through their pain with teeth bared. Yet for all its intensity, the story maintains an undercurrent of wonder: ancient gates, forbidden magic, and the awe of stepping into a myth only to realize it wants you dead.

Hart’s writing style is lush without being purple, sharp without being cold. Her imagery bleeds from the page; you feel the heat of Zilvaren’s desert and the bite of Yvelia’s winter. The pacing accelerates until you’re turning pages so fast you barely register your own heartbeat. By the final chapters, I couldn’t stop reading. Sleep was a casualty I accepted willingly.

Conclusion

Quicksilver is the rare opening to a trilogy that feels complete in its arc while still promising oceans of story beneath its surface. It is a tale of knives and bargains, of a girl who carries alchemy in her veins, of a Fae king made of secrets—and the dangerous bond that might unmake them both. It’s dark, sarcastic, emotionally wrecking, and utterly addictive.

I loved every second of it. If you want a fantasy that grips your soul and drags you through shadow and snow, this is the book. Five stars isn’t enough. It’s a masterpiece in the making, and therefore I am off to the next descent through the gate in Brimstone, the second installment.

About Callie Hart

Callie Hart is a USA Today bestselling author of dark romance novels. She is an obsessive romantic who loves throwing a dark twist into her stories. Her characters are imperfect, flawed individuals who dictate when she eats, sleeps, and breathes. She loves to travel and often pens her books when she’s on the road, drawing inspiration from her surroundings.

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• By Callie Hart
• Fae & Alchemy Series
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