Esta's Reviews > Quicksilver

I did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did. Quicksilver snuck up on me. I had fun. It’s the kind of romantasy that feels like an ode to tropes, but it reveres its predecessors without parroting them.

There’s intent here, and a nice amount of heart.

I caught hints of ACOTAR, the lore leaning towards Holly Black’s The Folk of the Air series, and even some Beauty and the Beast and Rumpelstiltskin energy. Plus some Excalibur vibes.

The fae lore hit Holly Black beats for me. No lying, the weight of oaths, the power of true names. And they weren't just constraints for the plot but metaphors for power, consent, and identity.

Similarly, while there’s romance, the story digs deeper with layers of choice, power, fate and free will. Who we are when we’re being used... and who we become when we push back. It’s thoughtful in ways I didn’t expect.

​​Carrion Swift is a supporting side character who was someone I fully expected to be reduced to a plot device, angst bait or cannon fodder but ended up being handled with care and kind of became one of my favourite characters? I was ready to be mad about his unfair character arc, but he turned out exceptional.

Likewise, Kingfisher, the broody, troubled MMC grew on me. He started off a bit insufferable, got punched (deserved), and then morphed into someone worth rooting for. Even his nickname for Saeris, which I was fully prepared to loathe, I'll allow, given all the emotional gravitas there.

So, yes. The cover gave me mild secondhand embarrassment. I get the critiques the story has, in particular, the female friendships (why did the one female friendship have to be tied to the love interest? Also, the role and depiction of Danya).

But I also get the hype. And in the end, I loved it.

♦️♦️♦️

Me: “I don’t trust hype.”
Also me: starts reading Quicksilver