Books Like Quicksilver: 7 Fae Romantasy Picks, Heat Sourced

The best books like Quicksilver are Gild and When the Moon Hatched if you came for the fae bond and the heat, and Trial of the Sun Queen, A Kiss of Iron or The Ever King if you came for the enemies-to-lovers fighting. Every pick below is a first book, so you can start clean. Heat comes from Common Sense Media or the publisher, checked October 12, 2026.

TL;DR: Want the same heat? Gild (explicit, 18+ per its publisher) or When the Moon Hatched (CSM 17+). Want the bickering? Trial of the Sun Queen or A Kiss of Iron. Want the banter with almost no spice? The Cruel Prince (CSM 14+). Quicksilver's own book 3 is still listed for 2027.

Books like Quicksilver (quick answer)

Image: FaeShelf table from Common Sense Media, publisher pages and Goodreads, checked October 12, 2026

"Not rated" means we found no Common Sense Media review or publisher content note for that book, so it gets no number on the FaeShelf spice scale. Use the word in the table, not a guess.

Key Takeaways

• Closest heat match: Gild. Its publisher note says "explicit content" and "not intended for anyone under 18", and readers already pair it with Quicksilver on audio.
• Closest slow build: When the Moon Hatched, which Common Sense Media says "grows quite graphic" in the second half.
• Closest banter: Trial of the Sun Queen and A Kiss of Iron, both sold on enemies to lovers.
• Low spice option: The Cruel Prince, CSM 14+.
• Quicksilver book 3: untitled, "expected publication 2027" on Goodreads.

Overview: what Quicksilver is, by its own description

Quicksilver by Callie Hart (Fae & Alchemy #1) was first published June 4, 2024, and had 4.30 from about 1.02 million ratings on Goodreads on October 12, 2026. Its publisher description calls it "a highly addicting enemies-to-lovers romantasy with razor-sharp banter". Saeris Fane survives by "stealing from the Undying Queen's reservoirs", crosses into the fae world, and "Saeris mistakenly binds herself to Kingfisher, a handsome fae warrior".

Heat is high. Common Sense Media rates it "age 18+" and says its "explicit sex scenes include lengthy descriptions", which is 5/5 on our scale; the author's note on the book recommends it for readers 17+. CSM is less kind about the dialogue, saying the story is sometimes "bogged down by uninspired banter". Readers disagree among themselves too. In a December 2025 thread about the sequel, one wrote that "Quicksilver was a great, fun story for what it is", and many in that thread were lukewarm on Brimstone.

So we sorted these books like Quicksilver by the two things readers keep naming: the fae bond with the heat, and the enemies-to-lovers bickering. The Fae & Alchemy series has 3 primary works on Goodreads: Quicksilver, Brimstone (2025) and an untitled third book with "expected publication 2027".

Analysis: books like Quicksilver for the fae bond and the heat

Gild by Raven Kennedy

Readers reach for this one first. In a May 2025 thread asking what to listen to after Quicksilver, the top answer was the Plated Prisoner series:

The comment reads: "Plated prisoner audiobook. The voice actor of Kingfisher does these as well". Gild (The Plated Prisoner #1) was first published October 16, 2020, and had 3.62 from about 430,000 ratings on Goodreads on October 12, 2026. Penguin UK lists 6 books in this series and pitches it as "perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer L. Armentrout". The fae arrive in book 2, where Auren is captured by an army commander, and the series page says plainly: "he is fae".

Cover image: Raven Kennedy, via Open Library

Heat: the publisher description says "this book contains explicit content and darker elements" and "it is not intended for anyone under 18 years of age". That puts it at 3/5 or higher on the FaeShelf scale.

When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker

If you liked that Saeris and Kingfisher take their time, this is the slower version, with dragons. Common Sense Media rates it 17+, describes "a fierce assassin" as the heroine, and says "this slow burn romance grows quite graphic", with scenes "which start in the second half of the book". We put that at 4/5. It was first published November 24, 2024, and had 4.01 from about 376,000 ratings on Goodreads on October 12, 2026; the Moonfall series has 2 primary works.

Rhapsodic by Laura Thalassa

Rhapsodic puts a fae bargain at the centre, much like Quicksilver's binding. The publisher description calls it a "dark fantasy romance between a siren and the" Bargainer "she owes countless favors to", tracked by "a bracelet of black beads up her wrist", while "fae warriors are going missing". It is The Bargainer #1, first published November 15, 2016, with 3.89 from about 206,000 ratings on Goodreads (October 12, 2026). Not rated: we found no review or publisher note on its heat.

Cover image: Bloom Books, via Open Library

GODEEPER: Readers who loved Kingfisher's danger often move on to vampire courts and forbidden guards next. Books Like From Blood and Ash: 8 Picks With Sourced Heat →

Books like Quicksilver for the enemies-to-lovers banter

Trial of the Sun Queen by Nisha J. Tuli

Forever sells it as "A Court of Thorns and Roses meets Fourth Wing in this pulse-pounding, enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance-with fae magic, high-stakes trials, and a dark prince". The setup is a contest: "Ten women. A deadly contest." The trade paperback went on sale September 12, 2023 (400 pages), and it starts the Artefacts of Ouranos series. Not rated for heat.

Cover image: Forever / Hachette Book Group

A Kiss of Iron by Clare Sager

A Kiss of Iron is the spy version: Kat is hired to "spy on the powerful fae lord known as the Night Queen's Shadow", and the publisher description promises "a morally grey hero, and an unforgettable enemies-to-lovers romance". It even names two books on this site's lists: "perfect for fans of Gild and From Blood and Ash". Shadows of the Tenebris Court #1, first published February 20, 2023; 3.92 from about 33,000 ratings on Goodreads (October 12, 2026). Not rated.

The Ever King by L.J. Andrews

The captor-and-captive pick: "they stole his crown. so he stole their daughter". Its trope list runs from enemies to lovers and slow burn to "captor / captive", with "sirens, faes, pirates" and, worth knowing, a "major cliffhanger". The Ever Seas #1, first published July 19, 2023; 4.08 from about 114,000 ratings on Goodreads (October 12, 2026). Not rated.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

This one's for readers who want the sparring without the spice. In a July 2024 thread from a reader who wanted more of Quicksilver's banter and tension, one reply said: "The Cruel Prince has amazing banter, though it is light spice and very YA slow burn". Common Sense Media agrees on the heat: it rates the book 14+ and mentions that "Jude shares passionate embraces with two supporting characters", which is 1/5 on our scale. The Folk of the Air #1, first published January 2, 2018. Our books like The Cruel Prince list goes further down that road.

GODEEPER: If what you loved was the bond with a creature rather than a fae, the dragon-rider lists start here. Books Like Fourth Wing →

Books like Quicksilver: side-by-side summary

• Heat with a source: Quicksilver CSM 18+ (5/5); Gild "explicit content", 18+ (3/5 or higher); When the Moon Hatched CSM 17+ (4/5); The Cruel Prince CSM 14+ (1/5). The rest: Not rated.
• Fae in book 1: Rhapsodic, Trial of the Sun Queen, A Kiss of Iron, The Ever King, The Cruel Prince. In Gild the fae arrive in book 2.
• Series length so far: Gild 6 books, Moonfall 2 primary works; the others are book 1 of their series.
• Warning in the description: The Ever King lists a "major cliffhanger".

Who should read which books like Quicksilver

Read Gild if the heat and the darker edge were the point, and you are fine with a warning for darker elements. Read When the Moon Hatched if you want the bond to build slowly before it turns graphic. Read Rhapsodic if the bargain was your favourite part. Read Trial of the Sun Queen or A Kiss of Iron if you came for the fighting between the leads. Read The Cruel Prince if you want the banter at YA heat.

One honourable mention: Forest of Dreams and Whispers by Katherine Macdonald (The Fae of the Forest #1), about "a mortal raised in the land of faerie" who serves as a prince's "personal guard". A reader in the July 2024 thread wrote "highly recommend, especially for fans of Quicksilver", but it is a small book (3.77 from about 2,000 ratings on Goodreads), so we list it here rather than above.

Our take

This take is based only on the Common Sense Media reviews, publisher descriptions, Goodreads data and reader comments cited above. Of the books like Quicksilver here, start with Gild if you want the closest match in heat, and read its content note first. Start with Trial of the Sun Queen if you want the enemies-to-lovers energy without committing to a dark series. And if you are waiting on Fae & Alchemy, plan for a long wait: Goodreads still lists the third book for 2027, untitled.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I read after Quicksilver?

If the fae bond and the heat were the draw, start Gild by Raven Kennedy: a reader on r/fantasyromance points out that the narrator who voices Kingfisher also reads the Plated Prisoner audiobooks, and Gild's publisher note says it is explicit and for readers 18 and older. For enemies to lovers, try Trial of the Sun Queen.

Is there a book like Quicksilver with less spice?

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. Common Sense Media rates it 14+ and mentions only passionate embraces, which is 1/5 on the FaeShelf scale. A reader in a Quicksilver thread recommended it for the banter, adding that it is light spice and very YA slow burn.

Which books like Quicksilver are the spiciest?

Gild and When the Moon Hatched have the clearest heat labels. Gild's publisher note says it contains explicit content and is not for anyone under 18. Common Sense Media rates When the Moon Hatched 17+ and says its slow burn romance grows quite graphic in the second half.

When does Quicksilver book 3 come out?

There is no title or date yet. On October 12, 2026, Goodreads lists the third Fae & Alchemy book as untitled with expected publication in 2027. The series has three primary works on Goodreads: Quicksilver (2024), Brimstone (2025) and the untitled third book.

Is Trial of the Sun Queen like Quicksilver?

It shares the enemies-to-lovers fae setup. Its publisher, Forever, sells it as A Court of Thorns and Roses meets Fourth Wing, with fae magic, high-stakes trials and a dark prince. It went on sale September 12, 2023, at 400 pages, and starts the Artefacts of Ouranos series.

How spicy is Quicksilver?

Very. Common Sense Media rates Quicksilver 18+ and says its explicit sex scenes include lengthy descriptions, which is 5/5 on the FaeShelf scale. The author's own note on the book recommends it for readers 17+. Common Sense Media also found the banter uninspired, a view not every reader shares.

Related Reading

• Romantasy books like guide: every FaeShelf "books like" list in one place.
• Books like ACOTAR: fae courts and bargains, with spice per book.
• Slow burn romantasy books: ten picks whose publishers call them slow burn.
• Completed romantasy series: series you can finish without waiting for a 2027 book.

References

• Goodreads: Quicksilver and Fae & Alchemy series
• Common Sense Media: Quicksilver
• Penguin UK: Plated Prisoner series and Goodreads: Gild
• Common Sense Media: When the Moon Hatched and Goodreads: Moonfall series
• Goodreads: Rhapsodic
• Hachette Book Group: Trial of the Sun Queen
• Goodreads: A Kiss of Iron
• Goodreads: The Ever King
• Common Sense Media: The Cruel Prince
• r/fantasyromance: Kindle/Audible similar to Quicksilver? (May 2025)
• r/fantasyromance: banter and tension of Quicksilver (July 2024)
• r/fantasyromance: is Brimstone worth it after Quicksilver? (December 2025)