What We’re Reading in January 2026

Jan 1

**CURRENTLY READING**

*Quicksilver*
by Callie Hart
A TikTok recommendation for romantasy newbies (who crave a MMC with a wicked mouth).

I’ll be the first to admit I’m always weary of TikTok sensations. I’ve been burned too many times to jump on the hype train and trust recommendations from people I don’t know… But this was actually pretty worthy of the conversation.

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What Victoria Loved

VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5

To start, the world building was elaborate and magic systems felt unique (although I’ll say I’m relatively new to romantasy). Enchanted metals, alchemy, god weapons, fae, vampires and witches. While individually the elements are interesting, they are intricately woven into a scintillating tale that pretty immediately hooked me as soon as Saeris found herself in their realm.

hile I hesitated at the first mention of vampires, it helped that they weren’t the primary focus (personal preference because too much blood talk makes me woozy, but if you’re a vamp fan, you’d enjoy this). I was also intrigued by the conflict between them and fae, determined to find out the source of it all.

Also can I complain about false advertisement?! Because Kingfisher was sold to me as morally gray, but he was pretty much everything but… does he seem snippy, grouchy and exhausted? Yes, but a hundred years of torture will do that to anyone. Does he seem disconnected and withdrawn? Yes, but that’s because he’s sacrificed himself over and over to protect his people, and he doesn’t want to be regaled for it. Does he have earth melting chemistry with Saeris that makes it freaking obvious that he’s so far gone for her regardless of how hard he *tries* to push her away? Absolutely. So, no… i wouldn’t necessarily qualify the MMC as morally gray. If anything he’s basically a knight in shining quicksilver armor.

Also, the mouth on the MMC. The dirty talk mid-activity on top of the verbal foreplay is scorching. Full transparency, I listened to this while gardening and the narration was very well-done, so that can very well have influenced my overall experience. And if you are an audiophile, the audiobook narration brings the dirty talk to life so beautifully! Just make sure you’re listening to this in private.

What the Book Club Loved

FIREWORKS & STEAM: X/5
WRITING STYLE: X/5
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: X/5
THE LOVE STORY: X/5

“”

- MEMBER

If You Loved Quicksilver, You’ll Love These

VAMPIRES WITH NO FAE OR ALCHEMY:Fang Fiction by Kate Stayman-London (Amazon)
An HoH Book Club pick! I accidentally stayed up til 3am listening to the audiobook... and I’m not sorry! For my audiophiles, Amber Benson (the narrator) was great! So many characters to juggle, so many different accents and a range of personalities! Definitely got some Aubrey Plaza and Debi Mazar vibes — AND I LOVED IT.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 3/5
ALCHEMY WITH NO FAE OR VAMPIRES: Alchemised by SenLinYu (Amazon)
One of the best books I read in 2025. For my Harry Potter lovers, visit a world where the bad guys win. This dark romantasy introduces a complex magical system centered on resonance (manipulation of elements, like alchemy), vivimancy (controlling life / healing), animancy (affecting the spirit / mind) and necromancy (dealing with death / spirits). If you’re craving something darker and intense, this is your book.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 5/5
FAE WITH NO ALCHEMY OR VAMPIRES: A Court of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J Maas (Amazon)
While this is a TikTok favorite, it’s not too far up there on my list. But if you want to know what the hype is all about, give this series a try. It gets better with each book, so give it some leeway. And rumor has it, there’s another book in the works.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 3/5
BY THE AUTHOR: This is the first of Callie’s books I have read; stay tuned for updates.