Brimstone Book Review: 5 Reasons This 672-Page Sequel Isn’t Out Yet
Saeris Fane wakes up as a vampire queen she never wanted to be, Fisher’s stuck babysitting the most annoying smuggler in fantasy literature, and somehow this 672-page brick manages to feel both bloated and incomplete. The forced separation of the main couple for most of the book reeks of artificial drama, and the potential love triangle with Taladius is about as original as another Fae court story.
But here’s the real kicker: this book isn’t even out yet. Release date is November 18, 2025, and you’re already here looking for the full breakdown.
What We Actually Know
Brimstone drops in 33 days with zero advance review copies floating around and a fanbase losing their minds over a book they haven’t read.
The plot setup is straightforward but messy: Saeris got turned into a vampire at the end of Quicksilver and now rules the Blood Court against her will. She needs to get back to her desert homeland to save her ward and brother, but surprise—her new vampire body can’t survive the Quicksilver journey.[4][1]
Fisher’s mission? Travel to the Silver City of Zilvaren with Carrion Swift, the smuggler who won’t shut up, to handle whatever crisis is brewing back home. The blurb literally tells us Fisher might die from annoyance before actual danger gets him.[3][1]
Meanwhile, darkness threatens Yvelia, secrets unfold, and apparently everyone’s in danger. Standard fantasy stakes that tell us absolutely nothing.[2][1]
The Quicksilver Summary
To understand where Brimstone’s heading, you need to know how Quicksilver crashed and burned its ending.
Chapter 1-10: Saeris Fane is a 24-year-old thief in a brutal desert ruled by the Undying Queen. She steals water to survive, hides her alchemist powers, and accidentally opens a magical gate when she encounters Death himself.[5][6]
She gets transported to Yvelia, a frozen Fae realm she didn’t know existed. Turns out myths are real and she’s stumbled into a centuries-long war.[6][5]
Chapter 11-20: Saeris accidentally binds herself to Kingfisher, a Fae warrior with the personality of a brick wall. He needs her alchemist magic and doesn’t care what it costs her.[5][6]
The book spends 70% of its runtime on Saeris figuring out the problem Fisher brought her to solve. The pacing drags harder than Fisher’s attitude.[5]
Chapter 21-30: Fisher’s sick from weakening relics and sleep deprivation. His mother was an oracle who foresaw Saeris—even drew her picture but with Fae ears, which is oddly specific.[5]
Tension builds as they navigate Fae politics, dodge assassination attempts, and fight creatures called feeders. The worldbuilding dumps information like a broken faucet.[7][5]
Chapter 31-35: The truth bomb drops. Fisher never hated Saeris—his nickname for her means “most sacred” and he’s been fighting feelings the whole time.[5]
Turns out they have marriage tattoos from traditional Fae lore about mating bonds. Te Lena doesn’t believe in them but confirms Saeris has god-binding powers.[5]
They get one night together in Ballard where Fisher finally admits he loves her and accepts their bond. He tells her not to answer yet about accepting it back.[5]
Chapter 36-40: Fisher disappears to rescue Everlayne solo. He leaves a goodbye letter explaining he’s pushing her through a portal in Cahlish.[5]
The group travels through shadow gates to an amphitheater where thousands shout “Annorath Mor” (Release us). They encounter Harron, a quicksilver-tainted guard who helps them escape.[7]
They find Fisher wounded at a dais, facing the big reveal: Malcolm, Madra, and Belikon are siblings. In classic villain fashion, they monologue instead of killing anyone.[7]
Chapter 41-42: Fisher tried to negotiate for Gillethrye’s safety with a coin toss. Malcolm caught the coin mid-flip, unleashing feeders on the city. Fisher burned it down in retaliation.[7]
He confronts Madra about sterilizing Saeris as a child and attacks Belikon. Malcolm appears angry, but Fisher grabs Saeris and crew to escape toward the labyrinth.[7]
They fight a spider demon (nearly unbearable to read, apparently). At the labyrinth’s center, surrounded by coins, Saeris must find the original coin from Fisher’s toss. Carrion reveals he’s Fae—his bloodline can kill Malcolm.[7]
Chapter 43-45: Malcolm’s dying but still monologuing instead of finishing the job. Saeris gets fatally wounded but flips the coin correctly.[7]
The Fae in the arena finally reach the afterlife. Saeris kills Malcolm. Fisher and Taladius arrive to find her bleeding out.[7]
Here’s where it gets stupid: Fisher agrees to let Taladius turn Saeris into a vampire to save her life. She sinks into quicksilver and meets Zareth, God of Chaos.[7]
Zareth drops the bombshell: Saeris was always meant to be Fae, but the gods interfered to prevent her and Fisher from meeting because their union could destroy everything. He offers to transform her into something unprecedented so she can be with Fisher—she just has to give up the gods’ influence.[8][7]
The book ends on that cliffhanger with Saeris waking up as a vampire queen and zero resolution.[8][7]
Characters plots
Saeris Fane is the protagonist who goes from scrappy desert thief to unwilling vampire queen in one book. She’s got alchemist powers, god-binding abilities, and now vampire strength she doesn’t want. Her character arc is about as subtle as a sledgehammer—constantly making decisions others force on her rather than claiming agency.[1][3][5]
Kingfisher (Fisher) is Death incarnate, a Fae warrior with secrets stacked on secrets. His nickname for Saeris means “most sacred” but he waited 40+ chapters to say her actual name. In Brimstone, he’s stuck playing babysitter to Carrion while traveling to Zilvaren. His mother was an oracle, he’s dying from failing relics, and he made the call to turn Saeris into a vampire.[3][6][1][5][7]
Carrion Swift is the smuggler who talks too much and happens to be High Fae—specifically the heir to the Yvelian throne. His bloodline can kill Malcolm, which came in handy exactly once. Readers are split between finding him hilarious and wanting Fisher to muzzle him. The blurb promises he won’t shut up for 672 pages.[9][10][1][7]
Taladius is the vampire who sired Saeris at Fisher’s request. Now he’s positioned as a potential love interest, which screams manufactured drama. As Saeris adjusts to being Queen of the Blood Court, they’ll spend significant time together. Reddit’s already debating whether he’s endgame, which tells you how obvious the setup is.[11][12][7]
Malcolm, Madra, and Belikon are the sibling villains from Quicksilver. Malcolm’s dead, Madra sterilized Saeris as a child, and Belikon’s role in Brimstone is unknown.[7]
Everlayne is the person Fisher risked everything to rescue, though her importance remains vague.[5]
Lorreth, Danya, Ren, and Breff are Fisher’s warrior crew who participated in the blood oath ceremony for Saeris. They’re supporting cast with minimal development.[13][7]
Zareth is the God of Chaos who transformed Saeris and revealed she was meant to be Fae all along.[7]
| Character | Role | Problem |
| Saeris | Vampire Queen | No agency, constantly reacting |
| Fisher | Death Warrior | Separated from Saeris for plot convenience |
| Carrion | Annoying Smuggler | “Won’t shut up” as personality trait |
| Taladius | Vampire Sire | Obvious love triangle bait |
Compare With Other Works
Brimstone cribs from every successful romantasy of the last decade without adding anything fresh.[11]
The vampire queen angle recalls A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, where Feyre transforms and gains new powers while separated from her love interest. The Taladius situation mirrors Rhysand’s introduction—Hart needs to sell readers on a secondary romance option.[11]
The enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Saeris and Fisher follows the exact From Blood and Ash formula: powerful male kidnaps female for her magic, develops feelings, secret marriage bonds appear.[6][5]
The Fae court politics, rival realms, and ancient conflicts are standard Throne of Glass territory without the character development that made that series work.[1][6]
Even the separation plot—Fisher off on a buddy adventure with Carrion while Saeris rules alone—feels like every other book two that splits up the main couple to create artificial tension.[1][11]
What Quicksilver had going for it was razor-sharp banter and a grumpy hero. Remove Fisher and Saeris from the same scenes for 672 pages, and you’ve gutted the series’ main appeal.[14][15][11]
Achievement
Quicksilver dominated 2025 in ways that actually matter with hard numbers.[16][17][14]
The hardcover deluxe edition hit #1 on three major lists simultaneously: New York Times, USA Today, and Sunday Times when it released August 19, 2025. That’s a triple crown achievement most authors never touch.[18][19][14]
By July 2025, Callie Hart announced over 1 million copies sold in just 6 months of traditional publishing. That number doesn’t include pre-traditional publishing sales, so total copies moved are higher.[20][16]
Quicksilver spent 15+ weeks on the New York Times Paperback Trade Fiction list through March 2025, maintaining top rankings.[17]
TikTok mentions generated 3 million views in the first two months alone. The BookTok phenomenon pushed it into mainstream consciousness fast.[21]
Netflix won a 7-figure movie rights auction in December 2024, proving Hollywood sees commercial potential.[21]
Goodreads nominated Quicksilver for Readers’ Favorite Romantasy in 2024.[6]
The series generated enough hype that Brimstone’s announcement broke the internet with readers pre-rating it 5 stars before reading a single page. That’s cult following territory, not casual readership.[22][3][1]
But here’s the reality check: Brimstone releases November 18, 2025 with zero advance reviews. No ARCs, no early reader copies, nothing. You’re buying blind based on book one’s success, which is exactly what publishers want.[23][24][25]
The Problem With Hype
Readers are setting themselves up for disappointment by pre-rating a book that doesn’t exist yet.[3][1]
The comment sections are full of “5 stars already” and “I need this NOW” without anyone having read it. That’s not enthusiasm—it’s blind faith that rarely gets rewarded.[3][1]
The forced separation of Saeris and Fisher removes the banter that made Quicksilver readable. You’re getting 672 pages of Fisher managing Carrion’s comedy routine instead of the tension we actually signed up for.[23][11][1]
The vampire queen plot is retreaded ground. Saeris discovering her powers while ruling a court she doesn’t want echoes every other Fae series on the market.[1][3]
And that Taladius love triangle? It’s so telegraphed that Reddit’s already theorizing about why-choose endings and unconventional arrangements. Nothing kills romance faster than predictable drama.[12]
Final Verdict
Brimstone might surprise us on November 18, but the setup screams sequel slump waiting to happen.
Hart’s banking on Quicksilver’s success to carry a book that separates its best dynamic, introduces tired tropes, and stretches to 672 pages without justification. The million-copy sales prove she can write a hit, but book two is where series either level up or crash.[16][20][23][1]
Smart money says this’ll be polarizing. Die-hard fans will defend it regardless, casual readers will complain about pacing, and everyone will agree Carrion talks too much.[3][1]
Drop your prediction below: Will Brimstone stick the landing or faceplant into sequel syndrome? And are you team Taladius or team Fisher—or do you think this love triangle is unnecessary BS?
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