Ep 1 Quicksilver Recap: Everything You Need Before Brimstone

Summary

Dear Fantasy Reader Podcast: Episode 1 – Quicksilver Recap: Everything You Need Before Brimstone

Release Date: October 2, 2025
Hosts: Kinsey and Carly
Book Discussed: Quicksilver (Fae and Alchemy series, Book 1) by Kali Hart
Purpose: This episode is a detailed recap and analysis of Quicksilver, preparing listeners for the release of the sequel, Brimstone.

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Episode Overview

Kinsey and Carly dive into a comprehensive, chapter-by-chapter breakdown of Quicksilver, highlighting critical plot points, major characters, intricate world-building, and key lore essential before starting Brimstone. They offer insightful commentary, theory-crafting, and fangirl moments while underscoring pivotal revelations, foreshadowings, and unresolved mysteries.

"Sanity is not guaranteed." – Carly, [00:54]

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Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: The Protagonist & Her World

• Serris Spain: Introduced as a thief in the impoverished 3rd District of Zarin, tasked with protecting her brash brother, Hayden.
  • Survival is dire: 6 ounces of dirty water a day.
  • Inciting Incident: Serris steals a gauntlet from a Queen’s guard, which spirals the story into action.

  “The theft of this gauntlet is the catalyst for the entire book, because after this theft, everything goes sideways.”
  – Kinsey, [01:35]

2. First Act: Capture, Interrogation, and Magic Unleashed

• Failed Fences & Betrayal: Elroy refuses to melt the gauntlet; Carrion Swift warns Serris to get rid of it.
• Hayden’s Arrest: Serris is arrested after her brother is caught; she’s tortured by Queen Madra’s ruthless guard.
• Magical Awakening: As Serris nears death, liquid metal swallows her enemies, and a mysterious “Kingfisher” rescues her by pulling her through a magical Quicksilver pool.

  “[Kingfisher] puts his pendant on her and takes her through the quicksilver pool. Just as she passes out from pain and blood loss…”
  – Kinsey, [04:19]

3. Entering the Fae Realm: New Allies and Court Intrigue

• Healing & Revelation: Fae healer Everlane explains Serris is now in Yvelia, healed by Fae magic, and she’s special.
• The King & The Accused: King Belacan tasks Serris with using her alchemy to unlock the Quicksilver Pools—the key to crossing between worlds and realms.
• Courtroom Drama: Kingfisher is introduced as a notorious criminal and accused of mass murder, but is saved due to a prophecy by the Oracle, Maoway.

  “Be on the lookout in Brimstone for Maoway to be brought up again.”
  – Carly, [05:12]

4. Plot Foundations: Blood Oaths, Relics, Forbidden Magics

• Relics & the Cost of Magic: Serris’ alchemical skills are essential for crafting relics (magical travel pendants)—failing which can be deadly.

  “Traveling through the quicksilver without a relic can kill you or leave you permanently afflicted...”
  – Kinsey, [08:06]

• Kingfisher’s Curse: The quicksilver torments him, driving him to madness without his relic.
• “Never ever make any sort of binding deal”: Serris makes a blood oath—classic fantasy misstep.

5. The Band Assembles: Allies, Betrayals, and Snark

• Carrion's Mix-up: Kingfisher, sent to rescue Hayden, brings back Carrion Swift instead, due to a scent-based misunderstanding and Carrion’s “yes” under duress.
  • Comic relief: “The way I could never survive in this world and the lack of bath so that you would still smell like your one night stand weeks later. Absolutely not.” – Carly [10:21]
• The Blood Oath’s Literal Enforcement: Serris is forced against her will when Kingfisher commands, leading to tension in the party.

6. War on the Horizon: Lore & Stakes

• Vampire Threat: A blood curse turned some Fae into vampires; Malcolm, an enemy Fae, builds an undead horde.
• Desperate Battle: Fae must keep breaking the ice on a river to stop vampires from crossing; the war effort is failing due to royal neglect.

  "If Serris can make the relics they need and also figure out how to make magic imbued weapons like the godsword, this could turn the tide of the war in their favor."
  – Carly, [13:23]

7. Easter Eggs & Prophecies

• Fae are not all truth-bound—lawless Fae can lie.
• Some characters are revealed to be more than they seem (Carrion as the lost Dianthus heir).

8. Major Plot Beats: Relics, God Swords, Awakening Bonds

• God Swords: Serris unlocks the power within old, legendary swords. The sentient Quicksilver chooses who can wield them.
  • Lorath’s sword, “Angel’s Breath,” instantly becomes legendary for its destructive magic.

  “Pretty fucking awesome.” – Carly, [16:22]

• Sex and Soul Bonds: Serris and Kingfisher become godbound mates (full fated-mates trope, complete with mind communication).

  “I mean I’m shocked that they’re fated mates. I did not see that coming at all.”
  – Carly, [18:01]

9. The Climax: Betrayals, Rescues, and World-Shattering Revelations

• Villain Alliance: Malcolm, Madra, and Belacan are siblings, revealed during the labyrinth showdown.
• Kingfisher’s Hundred-Year Guilt: Due to a magical coin-flip binding deal, Fisher was forced to let a town fall, resulting in looping suffering and his own exile.

  “I had to read at least twice to fully understand.”
  – Carly, [20:29]

• Carrion’s Secret Identity: He’s the Dianthus heir, and his Fae blood poisons Malcolm.
• Epic Endings: Serris beheads Malcolm in a fight but is fatally wounded; is turned into a vampire to save her life.

10. Cosmic Stakes and the God of Chaos

• Branching Universes: Serris is brought before the God of Chaos, who shows her the tree of universes and reveals her and Kingfisher’s love might destroy reality as the gods know it.

  “In every version of reality that can be seen, her and Fisher being together destroys the tree. But there are unknown versions the God of Chaos cannot see…”
  – Carly, [22:30]

• Hidden from the Gods: To save them, their thread is cut from the “cosmic tree,” making them invisible to higher powers but also making Serris something entirely new.

11. Aftermath & Cliffhanger

• Transformation: Serris awakens as a half-Fae, half-vampire, future unknown.
• Coronation: As the one who slew the vampire king, she is now set to be crowned as the new Queen of Vampires.

  “He then informs her that she is set to be coronated as the Queen of the Vampires since she killed the King, and that is how the book ends.”
  – Kinsey, [24:13]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “They are rationed just 6 ounces of water a day in a hot, dusty climate, and if that wasn't bad enough, the water is dirty and making people sick.”
  – Carly, [01:15]

• “If magic is gone and Fae don't exist, that she, what, is just drinking a bunch of bone broth?”
  – Carly, [02:57]

• “This is when they finally give in and just fuck already.”
  – Kinsey, [12:50]

• “Never, ever make any sort of binding deal. But Serris is desperate to get Hayden away from Madra and agrees.”
  – Carly, [09:24]

• “As Fisher is carrying Ceres, who is transforming into a vampire, she is yanked from his arms by an invisible force into the Quicksilver pool. I'm fairly certain he didn't take that well, but we don't have his POV for this moment.”
  – Carly, [22:03]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:01] – Introduction to Serris, Zarin, and dire living conditions
• [02:27] – The gauntlet is lost and Hayden is arrested
• [04:36] – Serris awakens in the Fae realm, revelations unfold
• [06:00] – Kingfisher’s status, courtroom drama, royal prophecies
• [08:06] – Explanation of relics and the dangers of Quicksilver magic
• [09:49] – The Carrion switcheroo, blood oath loopholes
• [11:26] – Vampire attack, introduction to the war camp
• [13:23] – Stakes of the ongoing war for the Fae, loss of hope without Serris' alchemy
• [16:00] – Battle scenes: Lorath’s God sword in action
• [18:47] – Sibling villain twist, labyrinth escape, the coin’s history
• [22:30] – Conversation with the God of Chaos, multiverse stakes
• [24:13] – Serris’ transformation and coronation as Queen of Vampires

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Episode Tone

Fun, irreverent, wildly passionate, and honest. The hosts fangirl, speculate, and inject humor and relatable exasperation, especially regarding fantasy tropes and character decisions. Swearing is present and used for emphasis, maintaining an energetic, “book besties” atmosphere throughout.

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Final Takeaways

• Quicksilver is a rapid-fire ride blending heist, fae politics, epic battles, multi-dimensional stakes, and complex relationships.
• The hosts highlight crucial world-building and lore, noting “must-watch” items for Brimstone (e.g., Maoway, lawless fae).
• The cliffhanger ending sets up massive personal and cosmic stakes for the sequel.

“That is one hell of an ending.” – Carly, [24:13]

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What's Next

The hosts tease more prep for Brimstone with episode discussions on their favorite moments, predictions, and deep dives into the world’s magic, politics, and theories—including links to Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm recaps for those seeking more Romantasy podcast content.

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For additional analysis, recaps, and bonus content:
Visit dearfantasyreader.com or join the community on Patreon or Discord.

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Perfect for readers needing a refresh, deep lore dive, or just wanting to fangirl along before the sequel!

Transcript

[Carly]

Foreign.

[Kinsey]

Fantasy readers Welcome to the Dear Fantasy Reader Podcast, where today we are recapping Quicksilver Book one of the Fae and Alchemy series by Kali Hart. I'm Kinsey.

[Carly]

And I'm Carly.

[Kinsey]

This is the start of our Brimstone prep and recovery season where we will cover favorite Quicksilver moments, world building and lore breakdowns, Brimstone theories and more before the sequel's release on November 18, 2025.

[Carly]

And with that content warning and spoiler alert, this episode is full of Quicksilver spoilers. So if you haven't read the book, go do that first and we will be here waiting for you when you get back.

[Kinsey]

Also, due to the nature of these books, this podcast is rated R in content and language. If you'd like to watch this episode ad free and full video or audio only if you prefer, it's available now on Patreon and we've dropped that link down in the show notes as well.

[Carly]

Now grab your relics and prepare to dive into the Quicksilver. Sanity is not guaranteed.

[Kinsey]

Starting off, we have our main girl, Sarah Spain. She's a thief and unfortunately for her, the older sister to Hayden, who just isn't very bright and has a tendency to make any situation go from bad to worse.

[Carly]

Serris lives in Zarin, and because she has the worst luck possible, she lives in the third district. They are essentially the throwaways and for my emotional support, water bottle carrying girlies. We would not survive here. They are rationed just 6 ounces of water a day in a hot, dusty climate, and if that wasn't bad enough, the water is dirty and making people sick.

[Kinsey]

But our girl Serris is a thief, and a good one. Perhaps even too good, because in addition to stealing clean water from the other districts, she manages to steal a gauntlet from one of the Queen's guards, because apparently her brother isn't the only one with impulsivity issues. The theft of this gauntlet is the catalyst for the entire book, because after this theft, everything goes sideways.

[Carly]

Serris attempts to take it to Elroy, who used to be a blacksmith, to melt it down for the gold, but Elroy wants none of this. He knows that the district will be torn apart until it's found.

[Kinsey]

Next on her list of co conspirators is Carrion Swift, or as Serris calls him, Carrion fucking Swift. And while he is always a flirt and a bit of a gambler, he is uncharacteristically serious when he warns her to get the gauntlet out of the third District before It is too late.

[Carly]

Except unfortunately, it is too late. Because Serris made the monumental mistake of leaving the gauntlet with her brother. And in true Hayden fashion, it takes him mere minutes to get caught with it.

[Kinsey]

While Hayden might not be the brightest, he does try to take responsibility for the theft to protect Serris. So despite his inability to make a single good choice, he is a loyal brother. So for that, we don't hate him. Serris makes it clear she is responsible and the guards arrest her and take her straight to the Queen for questioning.

[Carly]

Now, despite the fact that the Fae allegedly do not exist and are nothing but fairy tales, Queen Madra is over a thousand years old and is claiming to be human. And this is where I honestly question everyone in Sylvarian, because what could they possibly think is keeping her alive this long? If magic is gone and Fae don't exist, that she, what, is just drinking a bunch of bone broth?

[Kinsey]

I want some of that bone broth. Once Magis starts questioning Serris, she accuses Serris of working with the Fae to end her reign. And Serris finds this absurd.

[Carly]

But when Serris has no useful information, Madra orders her guard Heron to torture and kill Serris and to then go after Serris's brother and burn the third District down as a warning. And as far as warnings go, it's not exactly subtle.

[Kinsey]

The Queen leaves them and Harren does exactly as commanded. He tortures Serris, stabbing her several times, even twisting the knife to get her to scream louder, not in the sexy way. Just when he goes for the killing blow, his dagger suddenly liquefies and turn on him. Bur wherever it touches. They both seem to know that Serris is the one doing this, but neither of them understand how this gives Serris a moment to spot a sword buried straight into the floor. And as she pulls it out, Karen shouts at her not to touch it, not to turn the key. After she removes the sword, the floor beneath her erupts into liquid metal and an enormous, beautiful male figure emerges. She assumes it must be death here to take her away, but he is in fact our very filthy mouthed MMC Kingfisher. He puts his pendant on her and takes her through the quicksilver pool. Just as she passes out from pain.

[Carly]

And blood loss, now healed, Serris wakes up with a woman named Everlane tending to her. When Serris notices her pointed ears, she realizes Everlane is Fae. She's informed that not only are Fae definitely real, but she is no longer in Sylvarin. She was transported through the quicksilver to Yvelia, and it was a Fae healer magic that saved her.

[Kinsey]

Serris is desperate to get back to her brother, but King Belacan has demanded to see her in front of the entire court. He informs her that the Quicksilver pool she used is one of many and that Madria managed to lock them all centuries ago, and he wants Serris to awaken the Quicksilver Pools.

[Carly]

Belacan then brings out Kingfisher escorted by two guards, and the crowd erupts. Apparently, Kingfisher is being accused of murdering the entire city of Gillithray over a hundred years ago and had disappeared until now. Belakan seems poised to have Kingfisher executed, but Everlane begs a woman named Maoway for help. I mention this detail because this part of the book seems particularly important, but this character is never seen again in this book, so be on the lookout in Brimstone for Maoway to be brought up again. And it seems important because Malwi is an oracle and speaks up in this moment and declares that she has seen a prophecy and that Kingfisher must not die by the King's hands or his house will fall. She is partially responsible for saving Kingfisher in this moment, and the other person that saves Kingfisher is Renfys.

[Kinsey]

Renfys is the King's general and is supposed to be stationed at the front of a war that they are desperately losing. He suggests Kingfisher be sent to the front so he can be useful and will likely die in the war, saving the king the trouble. Belakand reluctantly agrees to this arrangement, with the condition that KingFisher stays for one week to teach Serris about the Quicksilver. But in case you forgot, Renfist is Kingfisher's longtime friend and this was all a ploy to save him.

[Carly]

If you're wondering why Belacan hates Kingfisher, it is because he is the stepson he never asked for when he married Kingfisher's mom. He never wanted Kingfisher and was resentful of him. It is also worth noting, while we are touching on the family history, that Everlane is Belacan's daughter and Kingfisher's half.

[Kinsey]

Sister the next day. And for those of you that are counting, not including the days Serris was unconscious while healing, we are only on day three of this book they all convene in the library to teach Serris about the Quicksilver so she can awaken the pools. She is what they call an alchemist and is the only one they know of who can control the Quicksilver Serris learns that she must be distantly part Fae for this to be possible, since only Fae can be alchemists.

[Carly]

Still desperate to get back home to protect her brother from Madra, Kingfisher reassures Serris that her brother and the Third District are likely okay because Madra will need to recruit as many people as possible for her army. Madra made a lot of enemies when she sealed off the Quicksilver, closing down trade routes between realms. Additionally, Belakan will want a bloody war with Madra as he suspects the Dianthus heir is hiding in Zelvarin and will want him killed since he has a claim to Belacan's throne. For those of you note takers, that piece of information is going to be real important at the end of this book, and since Madria will know that the quicksilver was used, she will be preparing for war and will need the people of the Third District. Serris isn't exactly trusting this information, since they clearly need her to control the quicksilver for their own uses, but she plays along for now until she can find the right time to try to escape back home.

[Kinsey]

Serris and Kingfisher get to work on cleaning up the forge so that Serris can try to use it to find a way to bind bits of quicksilver to other pendants to create relics that will allow the wearer to travel safely through the quicksilver. Traveling through the quicksilver without a relic can kill you or leave you permanently afflicted by the quicksilver, and which is what happened to Kingfisher when he was a child. The sentient Quicksilver whispers to him constantly, at times driving him mad, and without his relic it would cause him unbearable pain.

[Carly]

While cleaning out the forge, Serris discovers a fox who she names Onyx and essentially adopts him as a pet. He plays a critical role in being adorable, and I will hear nothing to the contrary.

[Kinsey]

Serris and Kingfisher attempt to work together to learn how to make relics, but Kingfisher is. How do I put this delicately? A complete dick, and Serris is attracted to every one of his toxic red flags. It creates a lot of tension that eventually breaks with them kissing and grinding on each other like it's a 9th grade dance. However, Serris uses this moment to steal Kingfisher's ring because she believes it to be a relic that she can use to get back home through the Quicksilver. Kingfisher catches her and informs Ceris that only the pendant he wears is a relic. If she had gone through the Quicksilver with his ring, she would have died.

[Carly]

Kingfisher offers her a deal. If she makes a blood oath with him to do as he says and help make all the relics he needs, then he will go to Zilvarin and try to bring Hayden back. And while Kingfisher can't lie because of his own oath he has made, he is very careful with his wording. Which is why the first rule of surviving a Fae realm is to never, ever make any sort of binding deal. But Serris is desperate to get Hayden away from Madra and agrees.

[Kinsey]

Kingfisher goes through the Quicksilver to find Hayden and returns. But not with Hayden. With Carrion. Fucking swift.

[Carly]

Oops.

[Kinsey]

Apparently, Kingfisher attempted to track Hayden by smell. Since he knows Serris's scent, he should have been able to find Hayden. However, it turns out Carrion smells like Serris because they had slept together. And when Kingfisher found him and asked if he was Hayden, Carrion said yes. Given how Kingfisher tends to handle everything, Carrion may have just been asked under duress.

[Carly]

Yeah, I'm thinking so. As a side note, the way I could never survive in this world and the lack of bath so that you would still smell like your one night stand weeks later. Absolutely not.

[Kinsey]

It's a no for me dog.

[Carly]

Yeah. Serris demands Kingfisher go back to get Hayden, but he says that his side of the blood oath has been fulfilled because he tried to bring Hayden back. Emphasis on tried. And since Kingfisher has to give his only pendant to his companion, he realistically can't go back through the quicksilver again because it might kill him next time.

[Kinsey]

Serris, Kingfisher, Renfys and a knocked out Carrion all decide to leave the palace immediately in order to avoid Belacan, who Kingfisher is convinced will try to kill them all. When he realizes what they have done along the journey, Serris realizes the literalness of the blood oath. And anytime Kingfisher orders her to do something, she's forced against her will to do it. This point comes to a head when he forces her to use a Shadow Gate to transport them through the realm to his home. Serris is terrified of the gate and does not want to use it, but he forces her, which makes Ren furious with Fisher.

[Carly]

Later that night, their dinner is interrupted by corrupted vampire like creatures who attack and injure Serris, forcing her to heal in bed for five days. When she recovers, Fisher takes her to the war camp and she sees why the Quicksilver relics are needed. So Badly.

[Kinsey]

Centuries ago, a blood curse was put on the fae that turned them into vampires. They searched for a cure and finally found one. However, a Fae named Malcolm liked the power that came with being a vampire and decided not to take the cure. He has been building armies of corrupted vampire like creatures to try to take over the entire realm. The war camp is stationed against a frozen lake the vampires try to cross, but the Fae must continually break the ice to cause the vampires to be swept away and trapped under the ice downstream.

[Carly]

When Kingfisher meets with the Fae at the war camp, one Fae, Danya, is furious at him for abandoning them for a hundred years and she attacks him with her sword. On instinct, Serris causes the sword to explode into liquid silver that becomes embedded in the stone wall. Turns out the sword isn't just any sword. It's one of the God Swords that all went dormant hundreds of years ago. They used to be powerful weapons that were all created by master alchemists. The only God Sword still working is Kingfisher sword named Nymirel. But it was corrupted and there is something wrong with it. Before Serris can try to find a way to fix the sword, the vampires attack again and everyone is called away to break the ice.

[Kinsey]

Once they successfully stop the vampires from crossing yet again, Fisher takes Serris back to his home. And this is when they finally give in and just fuck already. One of Fisher's bird tattoos finds its way onto Ceres, placing itself on her chest. And she wants it removed, but Fisher tells her he can't remove it. He is being unusually cold and distant after they have sex. And when he attempts to take her to the healer for a tonic to prevent pregnancy, she informs him that she was sterilized as a teenager as it is required in her district.

[Carly]

Not great.

[Kinsey]

Mm mm.

[Carly]

Serris returns to the remnants of Danya's sword and learns that what she did to the sword makes her one of the most powerful alchemists ever known. And she realizes just how desperate the war has become. Belacan has essentially stopped providing any food, fuel or supplies for the war effort, while also commanding them to stay and fight. They continue to lose fate of the war every day, while Malcolm's horde of vampires only grows. And it's just a matter of time until they fail. If Serris can make the relics they need and also figure out how to make magic imbued weapons like the godsword, this could turn the tide of the war in their favor.

[Kinsey]

Serris is very overwhelmed by the idea that this entire war is resting on her shoulders and A Fae from the war camp Lorath her to get a drink and calm down and tells her two important pieces of information. First, that not all Fae take the oath he and Kingfisher did. And that some Fae can lie and are called lawless Fae again. Pull out those notes. Some Fae can lie and we don't know which ones. And second, that Kingfisher saved Lorath from being bled dry by vampires. In order to save him, Kingfisher gave Lorath a piece of his soul. This can be dangerous because if Kingfisher dies before Lorath, his soul will be trapped here in a non corporeal state until Lorath dies. But if Lorath dies first, Kingfisher gets the rest of his soul back.

[Carly]

Kingfisher returns for Serris, and despite the first time they had sex definitely being a one time event, they have sex again and more tattoos move from Fisher to Serris. That's when they realize they can talk directly to each other in their minds.

[Kinsey]

Hmm, that's not suspicious at all.

[Carly]

Not at all.

[Kinsey]

Serris returns to the forge at the war camp to continue trying to find a way to make relics. And after many failed attempts, Carian suggests that she asks the sentient Quicksilver to see if it will help her make make relics. To Serris's surprise, but probably no one else's, this works. The Quicksilver wants in exchange for making each relic. Sometimes it's a secret or a joke, or in the case of Danya's destroyed sword, it wants a song. Ceris agrees to give it what it wants and the Quicksilver allows her to make it back into his sword and Lorath sings a song in exchange. Even though it is supposed to be Danya's sword. The Quicksilver gets to decide who is worthy, since it is a godsword and may allow magic to be channeled through it. The Quicksilver chooses Lorath, which is no surprise since Lorath is awesome and Danya.

[Carly]

Sucks she real does. The vampires make another push to cross the icy river and Serris insists on helping. So Fisher gives her Solas, the sword she removed from the quicksilver back in Zolvarin, which just so happens to be Kingfisher's father's sword and is one of the dormant God swords.

[Kinsey]

A few important things that happen during this attack. The Vampires find a way to use the current once they fall under the ice to make it to shore. Meaning there is much more fighting to be done than just breaking the ice. Lorath uses his God sword, which has an ability called Angel's breath. Essentially it works by sending out several tendrils of energy at one time, locking onto several opponents and burning them to death.

[Carly]

Pretty fucking awesome.

[Kinsey]

Hell yeah. As Cerys is wielding Solas, she starts to feel tendrils of energy run through the sword and there is a moment when she is fighting. She experiences everything in slow motion and knows exactly what her opponent will do next. This is likely the Godsword Awakening and has to do with its magical ability. It is also important to note that the Fae magic does not work if they cross the border to the vampire side.

[Carly]

Once they cleared the beach of the vampires, they realized that Malcolm's son Tallades has Everlane at knifepoint across the river. The last time we saw Everlane was back at the palace and now she's being held hostage and was bit by Malcolm. Everlane now has just days to hours before she either dies from the venom or or becomes enthralled to Malcolm. Taladeus makes it clearer that Malcolm wants Kingfisher and Serris or he will ensure Lane suffers. They all return to Fisher's home to make a plan to save Everlane.

[Kinsey]

During this time, Serris learns that the tattoos on her hands are not just from Kingfisher, but they are markings that mean her and Kingfisher are godbound mates which hasn't been seen in over a thousand years. She confronts Fisher and learns that he did not want to tell her because the Quicksilver is slowly driving him mad and the pain is getting worse. He did not want her tied to him and was planning on rejecting the bond to protect her. As you can imagine, this does not go over well. Serris is furious that he would want to make that choice without telling her, but this is not a decision he is able to stick to because later when they have sex, he accepts the bond and gets markings of his own. But they will only stay if Serris accepts the bond over the next few weeks.

[Carly]

I mean I'm shocked that they're fated mates. I did not see that coming at all.

[Kinsey]

I mean the mind communication did not give it away.

[Carly]

Couldn't have been that. Couldn't have been that.

[Kinsey]

Not at all.

[Carly]

When Cerys wakes in the morning, she is alone and realizes Fisher has left to save Lain on his own to protect everyone from Malcolm. He leaves her instructions to make sure that there is a healer and a witch ready to heal Lane and that he will send Lain through a Shadow Gate.

[Kinsey]

That evening, Serris, Wren, Lorath and Carian decide that they will go through the gate when it opens to go After Fisher, when they wait, Serris manages to make another God Sword for Caron. But they will have to wait and see if the quicksilver will allow magic to be channeled through the sword. When the Shadow Gate is opened, Lain is sent to a healer, but Wren doesn't make it through. That leaves Serris, Lorath and Carian to go after Fisher.

[Carly]

Now, once they go through this gate, a lot happens, so I'm going to make this as clear and concise as possible. When they find Fisher, they realize that Malcolm, Bellican and Madra are all working together because they are all siblings. Bellican then releases Fisher of the blood oath that prevented him from talking about what happened when he was missing for those hundred years.

[Kinsey]

Essentially a hundred years ago, Fisher realized they were going to lose the battle at Gillithray. And it was here he realized Malcolm and Belacan were brothers. He made a deal with Belacan where they would flip a coin and when it hit the ground, however it landed, would determine if Malcolm would withdraw his forces or if Fisher would withdraw his people and leave the town to Malcolm. However, until the coin hit the ground and the coin toss was determined, Fisher could not touch the coin and he could not harm Malcolm or Belacan. And he wasn't allowed to speak of the deal or the fact that they were brothers. Fisher, out of desperation, agreed to the deal, but when Belacan tossed the coin, Malcolm snatched it out of the air so it never touched the ground.

[Carly]

Out of mercy, Fisher burned the town down because they were all turning into corrupted vampire creatures. Malcolm was furious, and in retaliation, he trapped a townspeople into a perpetual state of burning and put them in these stands to watch over a labyrinth he created. The only way to free their souls was to find the coin within the labyrinth and make it fall to the ground.

[Kinsey]

Kingfisher stayed for over a hundred years trying to find the coin and free them, and only left the labyrinth when Sarris awakened the quicksilver. Because there was a pool of it under the labyrinth, he sensed his father's sword and went after it.

[Carly]

Now, after this complicated explanation of events where Fisher tells his friends everything he did and what he was doing for the past hundred years, which I had to read at least twice to fully understand, Fisher manages to stab Bellicon, not to kill him, unfortunately, just as a distraction so that they can all escape into the labyrinth. And again we are hurdled through a series of events that I'm going to explain as quickly as I can, Fisher uses Ceres to hunt the coin. Since the coin has Quicksilver in it, while trying to get to the center of the Labyrinth, Malcolm finds them and bites Carrion. Except, surprise, surprise, Carrion is Fae. And not just any Fae. Remember that Dianthus heir we told you to be on the lookout for? It's Carian. And not only is he the lost heir, but vampires cannot drink their family's blood because their blood created the curse. So Malcolm has been poisoned by Carrion and he is not doing well.

[Kinsey]

As Serris is searching for the coin, she is talking to the Quicksilver and refers to Fisher as her mate, which intentionally or not, solidifies their mating bond. Despite being poisoned, Malcolm manages to go after Serris. However, she is able to get the coin, which frees the souls and destroys the Labyrinth. She beheads Malcolm, ultimately killing him, but not before he left her with a fatal wound. In order to save her, Fisher allows Taladeus, who has secretly been working with Fisher this entire time, to turn her into a full vampire. During the Chaos, Madra and Belikan manage.

[Carly]

To get away if all of this wasn't enough chaos. As Fisher is carrying Ceres, who is transforming into a vampire, she is yanked from his arms by an invisible force into the Quicksilver pool. I'm fairly certain he didn't take that well, but we don't have his POV for this moment.

[Kinsey]

She is brought through the Quicksilver to the God of Chaos, and this is where she learns about this magical tree that holds all the different universes on its branches.

[Carly]

In every version of reality that can be seen, her and Fisher being together destroys the tree. But there are unknown versions the God of Chaos cannot see. He hopes that one of those uncertain futures works out. Because no matter what he has done to try to keep Kingfisher and Saris apart, it does not work, including changing her fate so that she was not born Fae, but human.

[Kinsey]

The other gods want them killed to protect the tree. This means taking out an entire universe and in turn billions of lives. If they risk them staying together, they run the risk of it destroying the entire tree, not wanting the risk of having to grow a new tree if her and Fisher's fate destroy it altogether. The other gods would prefer to remove the branch of the tree that holds their universe.

[Carly]

However, the God of Chaos wants to take a risk on them, as his daughters are attached to the tree and to Fisher. In order to do this, Serris must have her and Fisher's thread cut from the universe so that none of the gods can see them or interfere with their fate. It is essentially this or death so Serris agrees. In order to save her and Fisher, she is unsure of what the consequences will be, other than it means she will be made into something new that the universe has not seen before. He sends her back and the next thing she remembers is waking up in a bed she does not recognize.

[Kinsey]

Serris is now half Fae, half vampire, and no one knows what that will mean for her. Fisher is concerned that she will be angry at him for making the decision to turn her, but before she can answer him, she realizes there is less quicksilver in his eyes and it is because the healer and the witch were able to find a way to safely remove some of the quicksilver. He then informs her that she is set to be coronated as the Queen of the Vampires since she killed the King, and that is how the book ends.

[Carly]

Oh, that is one hell of an ending.

[Kinsey]

And I would like it to be known I was one of the first people to read Quicksilver when originally the indie book said that we were supposed to be getting Brimstone months after Quicksilver released. And so I have been patiently sitting with this cliffhanger forever.

[Carly]

Yeah, a lot longer than me, that's for sure.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. And that wraps up our Quicksilver recap. Thank you so much for listening.

[Carly]

We are working hard on our prep season for Brimstone, the second book, and the Fae and Alchemy series. It will include favorite moments, world building and lore breakdowns, theories and more. Join us for our next episode where we are discussing our favorite moments and predictions. If you're looking for other Romantasy recaps, we have a Fourth Wing and Iron Flame recap and we just wrapped our season three chapters by Chapters Deep Dive of Onyx Storm.

[Kinsey]

You can join us over on Patreon where you can access all of our episodes ad free a day early and in full video plus extras like PDF, annotations, shoutouts, bonus resources and more.

[Carly]

You'll find our Patreon link in the Show Notes along with all the ways you can support the show, whether that's joining a tier, subscribing, leaving a review, or just sharing us with your fellow Romantasy readers.

[Kinsey]

You can also find more info about our previous and upcoming seasons, episodes and events, calendar, author interviews, our contact form and more on our revamped website dearfantasyreader.com also link down in the Show Notes.

[Carly]

We'd love to hear from you, send us your thoughts, tag us on Instagram, or come fangirl with us over your favorite fantasy books in our free discord.

[Kinsey]

Chat until next time. Dearest fantasy readers, prepare yourselves for brimming as we continue our journey through the Fae and Alchemy series.

[Carly]

We did it.

[Kinsey]

Yay. And it took us less than 30 minutes. Even with all of our fuck ups.

[Carly]

That'S the first recap I didn't feel like it was going to kill me. Yeah, thank God.

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