Review: Voidwalker by S.A. MacLean

Voidwalker

S.A. MacLean

(Beasts of the Void #1)

Publication Date: August 19, 2025

Paperback, 592 pages, Orbit

Genres: Adult, Fantasy/Sci-Fi, Queer

Goodreads

Fionamara is a smuggler. Antal is the reason her people fear the dark.

Fi ferries contraband between worlds, stockpiling funds and stolen magic to keep her village self-sufficient - free from the blood sacrifices humans have paid to Antal's immortal species for centuries.

 

Only legends whispered through the pine forests recall a time when things were different, before one world shattered into many, and the flesh-devouring beasts crept from the cracks between realities, with their sable antlers and slender tails, lethal claws and gleaming fangs. Now, mortal lives are food to pacify their carnivorous overlords, exchanged for feudal protection, and the precious silver energy that fuels everything from transport to weaponry.

 

When Fi gets planted with a stash of smuggled energy, a long-lost flame recruits her for a reckless heist that escalates into a terrorist bombing - and a coup against the reigning immortals, with Fi's home caught in the crossfire.

 

She's always known the dangers of her trade - and of the power she's wielded since childhood, allowing her to see the secret doors between dimensions, to walk the Void itself. But nothing could have prepared her for crossing paths with Antal. For the deal she'll have to make with him, a forced partnership to reclaim his city that begins as a desperate bid for survival, only to grow into something far more dangerous.

 

A revolution.

 

 And a temptation - for how sweet the monster's fangs might feel.

 

From the author of the instant Sunday Times-bestselling The Phoenix Keeper comes an era-defining new fantasy universe where spicy romantasy meets the Cosmere, unmissable for fans of the world-building scale of Sarah J. Maas and the world-shifting stakes of Rebecca Yarros.

 

Voidwalker will be your next romantasy obsession, a deliciously feral story that started with just two words: "bite me".

My Review

I haven't ever really read a book like this, so I'm going to throw some comparison titles out there and hope I'm not too far off base. I think, if you're a fan of Stacey McEwan's Glacian trilogy or Ice Planet Barbarians, you might enjoy S.A. MacLean's Voidwalker. Both of those other titles have wintry settings with love interests of a different species. Voidwalker is definitely darker, though, in that the male main character, an antler-and-tail-having monster with big sharp teeth, has to eat humans to survive. It's a bit of a twisted sci-fi-esque romantasy.

I'm not usually squeamish, but it was weird to me how the female main character could be intimate with a creature that eats people and has eaten people alive. In the wise words of Edward Cullen, it's like a lion falling in love with a lamb and vice versa. And unlike Twilight, it was sort of uncomfortable to think about. I thought the storyline would have a male monster character that didn't follow his fellow creature's diet, not that he just did it more politely. It was strange, especially with one specific scene at the end that, unfortunately, automatically dropped my rating and enjoyment. It was just a bit icky when that scene happened. Too icky for me. I was able to have fun with the story up until that point.

Because of the daeyeri creatures' diet, I'm not sure if Voidwalker should be recommended for seasoned monster romance vets or if it's something wannabe monster-romance readers would enjoy. The spicy times were pretty tame based on some other monstrous books I've read, but the mind games I had while thinking about the male main character eating people just made me believe the story isn't for the newbies.

 With this being a romantasy story, there are, of course, two main characters in Voidwalker. Fi is a smuggler who can walk in the Void, which is basically like portal jumping between different lands, and Antal is the daeyeri monster with powers that are a tad confusing. I liked both of them, but Antal is useless for like 80% of the story. How did he ever survive by himself? And although I did like the characters overall, I don't think I ever connected with them enough to fall in love. They were simply entertaining.

Now, as for the descriptions of the world and magic, they were a bit dry at first. At times, they took me out of the story. However, when there were dialogue and action scenes, I was invested. It's when the action slowed down that I found my mind wondering to other things. The plot itself was fun. I was able to read it fairly quickly, despite Voidwalker being a chunk of a book. Having to partner up with a monster to take down an even more monstrous monster is typically a good time. The two main characters were kind of disasters together too, which made the story entertaining. Honestly, if it wasn't for the diet, this would have been a good read.

All in all, I think this one was too weird for me. I'm not a big monster-romance girlie, so it makes sense. I don't dislike the genre, I'm just particular about the monster romance I choose to consume (pun intended). I thought this one would be a bit more palatable, though, since it's traditionally published. But, the eating people thing didn't work for me. It's a very beautiful cover, though, and maybe I'll want to pick up book two once I've had more time to digest the story.

*Note: I received a copy of this book to review from the publisher. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Review: Silvercloak by L.K. Steven

Silvercloak

L.K. Steven

(Silvercloak Saga #1)

Publication Date: July 29, 2025

Hardcover, 464 pages, Del Rey

Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer

Goodreads

In this addictive new fantasy series set in a world where magic is fueled by pleasure and pain, an obsessive detective infiltrates a brutal gang of dark mages—knowing that one wrong move will get her killed. . . . 

 

Two decades ago, the Bloodmoons ruthlessly murdered Saffron Killoran’s parents, destroying her idyllic childhood. Hell-bent on revenge, she lies her way into Silvercloak Academy—the training ground for her city’s elite order of detectives—with a single goal: to bring the Bloodmoons to justice.

 

But when Saff’s deception is exposed, rather than being cast out, she’s given a rare opportunity: to go undercover and tear the Bloodmoons down from the inside.

 

Descending into a world where pleasure and pain are the most powerful currencies, Saff must commit some truly heinous deeds to keep her cover—and her life. Not only are there rival gangs and sinister smuggling rings to contend with, but there’s also her growing feelings for the kingpin’s tortured son, with his vicious pet fallowwolf, his dark past, and the curious prophecy foretelling his death at Saffron’s hand.

 

With each day testing her loyalties further, Saff finds her web of lies becoming harder to spin. And when one false step could destroy everything and everyone she’s ever loved . . . the detective who’s dedicated her life to vengeance just might die for it.

My Review

If you're an adult who is missing the magic of the Wizarding World and wants a darker story that gives Six of Crows and A Darker Shade of Magic vibes, then L.K. Steven's Silvercloak is 100% the next book you should pick up. It has wands, a unique power system, time travel, mafia, detectives, queer-normative relationships, and fancy cloaks to immerse you in a new fantasy sensation.

I am going to be totally honest, it took me a while to really start enjoying this book. Not because the worldbuilding isn't awesome or the characters aren't entertaining. It was simply due to the narration style. It was a third-person point of view, but something about it was a bit... dry. It took me a good chunk of the book to really connect with all of the cool elements of the story just because I wasn't feeling the writing choices. However, once I did start to connect, I was hooked. I'd tell myself to take a break, but the next thing I know, I've managed to read two more chapters. It's an easy story to get absorbed in once you become familiar with that drier tone. That's definitely where the Six of Crows and A Darker Shade of Magic comparisons come in too, in addition to the mafia and magic elements, of course. Both of those titles have a third-person limited POV that feels a tad slower and heavier than popular stories like the Crescent City or Shatter Me books. I think both of those series would compare well for their magic systems and characters, however.

The main character of Silvercloak, Saffron Killoran, is a recently-promoted detective trying to avenge her parents' death by going undercover in a mafia organization called the Bloodmoons. Now, Saffron isn't particularly unique in terms of her personality, she's witty and competent like most female main characters (exceptions will be discussed soon), but she is immune to spells in a world where spells and potions are used for pretty much everything, from healing to pleasure to flying to time travel. I enjoyed Saffron as a character, but there were some instances where she made some very odd and dumb mistakes, like when she went to visit her superior officer twice while beginning her undercover work. I'm also surprised her superior was dumb enough to arrange it. And of course, there's the love interest, the mafia prince, Levan Celadon. He has a pet wolf, a crazy amount of power, and a tragic backstory. Everything you need in a good fantasy romance plotline. He gives off major Kaz Brekker, Kell Maresh, and Aaron Warner vibes.

As for the plot, Saffron's journey to get her vengeance is addicting. You want to know what happens next. You simply have to make it through the first third of the book to really get to that point, unfortunately. But, there's a lot of action, betrayal, and intrigue throughout the story. Honestly, if the narration style had been revamped, this could have easily been a five-star read, especially with the worldbuilding. I enjoyed learning about the ways the spells were used to enhance everyday life, and how pleasure/pain could be used to increase power, though I think that element could have been a bit grittier. There was also a small plot hole in that time travel spells were removed from wands, but somehow killing curses weren't. It was a head-scratcher. There is a whole history of time-traveling mages and dragons that has me ready for book two, though. But the thing I'm most looking forward to is Saffron and Levan's relationship. Things took a crazy turn at the end of book one, so the sequel is going to be insane.

All in all, I am truly happy I kept going with this book, even though it seemed like the beginning was going to make it a quick DNF. Do I think Silvercloak is for everyone? Not at all. If you're not a lover of fantasy first, then this definitely isn't for you. It's also for readers who can stick with those slower tomes, understanding that the end of the book will reveal all the good stuff. But, if you're a reader who likes the hard work to be worth it, Silvercloak should immediately be added to your TBR. I promise, it'll be a rewarding investment.

*Note: I received a copy of this book to review from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion/review.