The Short Version
Quicksilver, Callie Hartβs 2024 romantasy and the first book in the Fae and Alchemy series, works for a book club because it has a heroine who talks back, banter that is genuinely funny and a final act full of reveals worth arguing over. Saeris Fane, a thief and metalworker in the desert city of Zilvaren, falls through a pool of liquid silver into the frozen fae realm of Yvelia, where the warrior Kingfisher needs her help to win a war.
Below are twenty questions: ten that avoid the ending and ten that spoil it. We rate the book three and a half out of five. It is around six hundred pages, so give your group plenty of time, and note that the middle section is the part most readers say drags.
Before You Start: Content Notes For Your Group
This is a book for adults. The second half has several very explicit chapters, and the language leans heavily on swearing and modern slang. If explicit romance is not for someone in your club, say so before you pick it.
Spoiler-Free Questions
- Saeris is a thief who can climb anything, protects her little brother, Hayden, and talks to metal. What makes her a good heroine?
- Zilvaren is a desert city with two suns, ruled by an immortal queen named Madra, where water is rationed. How does that world shape Saerisβs choices?
- Saeris steals a guardβs golden gauntlet and everything goes wrong. Was it a believable start for the adventure?
- The quicksilver demands jokes before it will cooperate. Did you enjoy the magic being a character with a sense of humor?
- Kingfisher, or Fisher, calls her human and then Little Osha, and she punches him in the mouth during an early lesson. Is the enemies to lovers tension convincing?
- Carrion Swift, her smuggler ex, steals every scene he is in. Fisher or Carrion?
- Yvelia is a snowy, war-torn fae kingdom fighting feeders across a frozen river. Did the atmosphere work for you, with its forge, war camp and Cahlish?
- Our review says the magic is mostly explained by characters talking. Did the world building satisfy you?
- Fisher is tall, dark, tortured, tattooed and possessive. Is he a familiar hero, or does the book do enough with him?
- The middle section has a lot of training, forging and banter. Could it have lost a hundred pages?
Spoiler Questions (Finish The Book First)
- The marks on Saerisβs hands are God Bindings, and one of a God Bound pair always dies in the stories. How did you feel about the mating bond?
- Fisher goes to Gillethrye alone and leaves a note, a shadow gate and his sword. Was that noble or foolish?
- Malcolm, Belikon and Madra are siblings who share one source of power, and the war with the vampires was fake. Did you see it coming?
- Fisher made a deal over a coin toss, Malcolm caught the coin and Fisher burned the city. Does the confession change how you see him?
- Fisher spent a hundred and ten years in a labyrinth until Saeris woke the quicksilver. How did the book use that punishment?
- Carrion lets Malcolm bite him, and the vampire chokes: Carrion is Carrion Daianthus, heir to the old fae throne. Was that twist earned?
- Saeris uses her alchemist sense to find the real coin, flips it and releases the souls of Gillethrye. Why is this the right climax for her?
- Zareth, the god of chaos, tells her she was meant to be fae and cuts her thread from fate. She wakes half fae, half vampire. Did the transformation work, or was it too fast?
- Saeris will be crowned queen of Sanasroth in two days because she killed the vampire king. Is this a satisfying cliffhanger or an obvious setup for book two?
- Our review says some of the last two chapters feel designed to sell the next book. Do you want to read Brimstone?
About The Series
Quicksilver began as a self-published book, blew up on BookTok and reportedly sparked a ten publisher auction. Netflix bought the film rights in December 2024, with Callie Hart as an executive producer; as of our last check there was no cast or release date. Book two, Brimstone, came out on November 18, 2025, and a third book is listed for September 7, 2027.
What To Read Next
Start with our review for a spoiler-free verdict. The ending explained page covers Gillethrye, the coin and what Saeris becomes, and our series guide covers the sequel. Our books-like-it list names six more romantasy picks, from A Court of Thorns and Roses to Lightlark.
