Book Tour: Top 5 Reasons to Read Silver in the Mist by Emily Victoria

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Want some magic & mayhem without a drop of romance? Then you’ll definitely want to check out Silver in the Mist, Emily Victoria’s new YA fantasy novel!

Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a good fantasy series. 3 books? 4? 5? GIVE THEM TO ME. That being said, it can be absolute *agony* waiting for the next installment of your favorite series, so there’s certainly something to be said for a good fantasy standalone! And when said standalone novel combines a unique magic system, warring countries, unexpected friendships, and SPIES, you absolutely must read it! Anyway, all that is to say that I am taking part in TBR and Beyond Tours’ Book Tour for Silver in the Mist today, and I am of course going to give you 5 excellent reasons to grab this book right now, but first, here’s a little more info:

Silver in the Mist by Emily Victoria book cover

TITLE: Silver in the Mist

AUTHOR: Emily Victoria

RELEASE DATE: November 1, 2022

Synopsis

Eight years ago, everything changed for Devlin: Her country was attacked. Her father was killed. And her mother became the Whisperer of Aris, the head of the spies, retreating into her position away from everyone…even her daughter.

Joining the spy ranks herself, Dev sees her mother only when receiving assignments. She wants more, but she understands the peril their country, Aris, is in. The malevolent magic force of The Mists is swallowing Aris’s edges, their country is vulnerable to another attack from their wealthier neighbor, and the magic casters who protect them from both are burning out.

Dev has known strength and survival her whole life, but with a dangerous new assignment of infiltrating the royal court of their neighbor country Cerena to steal the magic they need, she learns that not all that glitters is weak. And not all stories are true.

5 Reasons You Must Read Silver in the Mist

SPIES. (Need I say more? I don’t think so!)

I know there are many people who are hopelessly devoted to one genre, but I am not one of those people. I will read whatever genre peaks my interest, and you better believe that if a book has SPIES in it, it will do just that, regardless of genre! So when I saw that Silver in the Mist‘s main character, Devlin, was a spy, I was immediately intrigued. Add to that the fact that Devlin’s mother is the HEAD spy, and Devlin has been trying to gain her approval her whole life, well, I’m here for that conflict! (Though you know how I feel about bad parents in YA-ugh.) Anyway, Devlin’s spy mother tells Devlin that in order to save their country she needs to infiltrate their neighboring/enemy country and KIDNAP someone (and will that finally gain mom’s approval? Who can say…), so, you know that’s going to be a good time.

Gender binary? We don’t know her…

Devlin’s best friend, Lochlan, uses they/them pronouns. There’s no big coming out scene, no controversy, no discussion of gender whatsoever, it’s just a matter of fact in this world that some people use they/them pronouns (I’m fairly certain there are other minor characters/references to other people who use they/them pronouns, though I can’t remember exactly right now!). This was incredibly refreshing to me, and I love when sci-fi and/or fantasy books take the opportunity to improve upon negative aspects of our “real” world. (Because we all know that there are certain books that still manage to bring the racism/homophobia/misogyny to their made-up worlds!) So, come for the magic, stay for the lack of a gender binary in Silver in the Mist!

Who wants romance in their fantasy, anyway?

Listen, I’m well aware of that semi-popular subgenre fantasy romance, but for those of us who are perfectly fine with all magic, no romance, Silver in the Mist is here for you! Devlin is not here to find a partner, she is here to save her country (and win back her mother’s love, but that’s an issue for another time…like therapy). Though it’s never explicitly stated on the page, there are hints that Devlin may be aroace (there’s one line about “if she even could” like people that way, that sort of implies things, but it’s generally not addressed in the book), but regardless of how Devlin identifies, romance just isn’t a focus of Silver in the Mist. So if you’re looking for a story where the relationship focus is friends and family rather than romantic partners, this is a book to check out.

Bring on the weird nerds!

Speaking of friendship, remember how I said Devlin’s mission in Silver in the Mist was to kidnap someone? Well, that someone is Alyse, who happens to be the best/most powerful caster (aka magic user) in the country, and also, like, a social outcast. One of the reasons Devlin is sent on this mission is because she’s around Alyse’s age, and so it seems like the natural pre-kidnapping move would be to befriend her. The thing is, Alyse, who loves art and fairy tales and is also secretly working on something that might save BOTH countries, is actually pretty cool, and she and Devlin end up on a path toward kinda-sorta being REAL friends (that’s going to make the whole kidnapping thing a whole lot more complicated, but they’ll cross that bridge when they get to it, OKAY?!)

Here for a good time, not a long time (AKA standalones ftw)

Yes, I’ve mentioned this already, but it does bear repeating: Silver in the Mist is a standalone. Everything wraps up neatly by the end of the book, there’s no life-destroying cliffhanger to worry about, and no need to fret endlessly about what potential harm the author will be causing your beloved characters in future installments. I would be lying if I said that Silver in the Mist didn’t have an ending that left me wanting a bit more, just because I had gotten invested in the world and the characters and I always want to see what happens AFTER the big event, but that isn’t necessary for a satisfying conclusion (though I will also say that the ending is open-ended enough that if Emily Victoria wanted to, she *could* continue the story…hint hint Ms. Victoria!).

About the Author

Emily Victoria, author of Silver in the Mist

Emily Victoria is an aroace Canadian prairie girl who writes young adult science fiction and fantasy. When not word-smithing, she likes walking her over-excitable dog, drinking far too much tea, and crocheting things she no longer has the space to store. Her librarian degree allows her to take home far too many books.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | TikTok

Well friends, I hope this list has convinced you to pick up Silver in the Mist, but if not, definitely check out the other stops on the Silver in the Mist tour for even more reasons to read it!

And if you’ve already read Silver in the Mist, leave a comment letting me know what you would add to this list!