The saga continues...
Turncloak
The Silvercloak Saga
Fantasy
Penguin
17 Sept. 2026
384
Three rival mages race for power, vengeance, and the fate of Atherin in the epic second instalment of the Silvercloak Saga, from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Our Infinite Fates. After the disastrous events in the Havenwood, Saffron Killoran’s revenge has slipped through her fingers. Still deep undercover within the Bloodmoon gang, she sees only one path forward: harness her long-dormant Timeweaver power to fix her most ruinous mistakes. But Levan Celadon, now kingpin of the Bloodmoons, has discovered Saffron’s true identity. With old wounds reopening and a rival gang closing in, he questions the cause to which he has devoted his life – and the fate of the traitorous mage he loves. Hot on their heels is Auria Marriosan, an ambitious rookie detective sent to stake out the Bloodmoons' rivals. Grieving the loss of her betrothed at the scarlet hand, she will stop at nothing to destroy both gangs. But when the case uncovers shocking revelations, she must find a way to bring all the corrupt players to justice. In this cat-and-mouse game of trust and betrayal spanning continents, the missing Fifth Prophecy could hold the key to everything. But will Saffron’s attempt to unmake time cast her as a hero… or a villain? And just how far will her rivals go to stop her?
Turncloak by L.K. Steven is the highly anticipated sequel to Silvercloak. This review will contain spoilers for Silvercloak.
After the explosive clash between the Silvercloaks and the Bloodmoons at Havenwood, Saffron’s position is more perilous than ever. Her handler is dead, and her undercover status has been revealed. Saffron will need to prove Levan can still trust her if she wants to survive, but Levan knows more of her secrets than even she knows. Even if he spares her, what should Saffron do? Turn her back on her past and her principles or betray the mage that makes her wish for a different world altogether? Perhaps that new world should be her goal.
This instalment introduced several new POVs. While Silvercloak was entirely from Saffron’s perspective, Turncloak also has chapters from Levan, Harrow, Auria and a mystery narrator. The mystery narrator is following a different point in the timeline, and I think adds a wonderful ambience. Both eerier and more lyrical than the other POVs, they were striking and enriched the world. My favourite part of Silvercloak was Saffron’s spunk, and we got to dwell in that so much more. Initially I was eager for the new POVs and to see how the other characters perceive her, but I think it fell a little flat. Saffron’s spunk seems to have been dampened, and instead we’re left with Levan’s self-loathing. I understand that he’s a deeply traumatised character, but I’d have liked to see more growth from him. I’ll admit that I didn’t particularly like Auria in Silvercloak, so I was hesitant about her chapters. There are arcs for Auria operating inside the Silvercloaks that largely have nothing to do with the plot over the course of multiple chapters. While initially slow, Auria really snuck up on me as she grappled with the difference between what’s right and what’s lawful. I created an interesting parallel as Saffron became more willing to do evil in the name of a greater good in a world where she can roll back the hands of time.
I can’t understate how eager I was for this sequel, or how perturbing I found the first half of it. Silvercloak ended with such excitement; the start of Turncloak seemed to be a bit of a step back to the start: Saffron trying to prove to Levan that she’s trustworthy while fighting their attraction for each other. This shift in their relationship makes sense given her betrayal, but definitely went on for longer than anticipated, making their interactions feel a little stale. Once they’re honest with each other, I feel the book starts properly. L.K. Steven turned it around by raising the stakes to involve the whole world. Pieces previously thought to just be bits of colorful world building have resurfaced in interesting ways, which is a sign of mastery. It’s this that gives me a strong hope that the bits that I felt slowed down the start might rise up to be something great in the next instalment.
Gabi grew up moving around the world with her family, making books in English a bit of a luxury that had to be rationed. Nowadays she lives in East London, where books can be read as voraciously as she likes. Fantasy books will forever be her first love, and she’s always looking for the next series to consume both of her brain cells. Her days generally consist of working as a software developer, squeezing in a chapter at her desk, and pining after the Picadilly Waterstones.
