Series Review: Fae & Alchemy by Callie Hart

Series Review: Is this series worth your time? Does it get better as the novels progress? Or does it get worse? Find out below:

Synopsis for Quicksilver (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.

Author: Quicksilver
Series: Fae & Alchemy
# of Books: 3 (Full Reading Order Here)
Book Order: Chronological
Complete?: No
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Faeries, Vampires, Magic
Heat Rating: Hot
Point of View: First Person, Single (#1), Alternating (#2)
Publication Dates: June 2024 – ongoing
Source & Format: Public Library–Audiobook (#1), Hardcover (#2)

Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:

A few of my coworkers recommended I read this book so I made sure I put my name on the very long holds lists at my library. I had timed it perfectly to read both books back to back but my Libby app screwed up 🙁 So I ended up having to read the hardcover version from my library instead for the second book so that I could get it in while the events of the first book were fresh in my mind.

Alas, I’m all for fantasy books and I’m a sucker for faerie stories so this was a no-brainer. But I was also really excited to for the alchemy element because I find the science behind it to be incredibly intriguing!

The Concept / The World:

With as many elements to this world as there is (the blending of vampires, faeries, alchemy, magic, mythology, etc), this world is easy to follow. I think it’s because as the reader, you learn about the world as Saeris does so it’s gradual rather than all at once. I also think it’s because the construction is just bits and pieces of all those elements rather than trying to lean into all of them all at once.

The Plot:

Do these books have to be as long as they are? Certainly not! Brimstone (#2) in particular felt a little fan-servicey at times to me. However, they are enjoyable reads and Quicksilver (#1) in particular had such good pacing that it really didn’t feel as long as it did.

Again, we get all the elements of the plot a little bit at a time so it keeps things moving. There’s multiple plot lines happening at once which is something I always enjoy in my stories. Which allows for some great twists!

The Characters:

Saeris and Kingfisher are both intriguing characters on their own. They have such complex character backgrounds that they don’t even necessarily know about yet so I enjoyed watching them grow and fulfil their destinies.

I wish we got more side character development given the length of these books. They’re developed, don’t get me wrong. There are almost too many of them for me to keep track honestly. But I think I would have appreciated the introduction of more than just Kingfisher’s POV in the second novel. I think that book could have benefited from multiple POVs to help drive the story forward a bit more.

The Romance:

I loved the banter, the drama and the partnership. Despite the numerous tropes employed for our two leads, their love felt fresh to me. Again, Brimstone (#2) felt a little fan-servicey to me in this respect but I get it.

My Audiobook Experience:

I LOVED the audio version for Quicksilver (#1). Despite it being only a single POV narration, they had a male narrator for Kingfisher’s lines and that helped me immensely. Nothing against female narrators doing male parts but the banter just feels more organic when it’s two people reading the scene vs one. That’s why I was so disappointed to have to read Brimstone (#2) as the physical book after such a great audio experience. I struggled with having to read the names vs just hearing them pronounced properly; not knowing how they are actually spelt for recognition.