My letter “Q” pick for the A to Z Reading Challenge was QUICKSILVER by Callie Hart. This book is a romantasy and getting loads of media hype. The premise is interesting: Saeris Fane is a human girl with the power to find and manipulate quicksilver, a magical metal that is incredibly rare and makes phenomenal magical swords, even when infused at the smallest amounts. Unfortunately, most who encounter a larger amount of the substance (which can also make portals into other realms) go mad from the exposure if they don’t possess a relic infused with the substance.

Enter our typical broody Fae warrior love interest, The Kingfisher. Saeris travels through the quicksilver with him to his Fae kingdom and becomes embroiled in a war that’s been raging (and manipulated behind the scenes) for decades. I can’t give too many spoilers here, but add in Fae who want her dead, rulers who have their own agendas in this war, faerie vampires, and some meddling gods, and you have book one of a solid series. That being said, there was a ton of exposition dump in large chunks, characters who suddenly say “Surprise, I’m magical!” out of nowhere, and some bendy-fuzzy magical laws. I found myself slogging through or shaking my head at a few parts. All in all, still a good book and I’ll probably stay with the series. Four Stars.