The Silversmith: A Spicy Romantasy Review

Summary of The Silversmith: Romantasy Book Review

Ary is thrust from grief into a warring realm where magic, a betrothal, and a dangerous trainer collide. If you're here for The Silversmith romantasy book review, the short version is this: it’s a slow-burn romantasy with mild heat, battlefield stakes, and a cliffhanger instead of a tidy HEA.

Well, I did it again. I expanded my reading to include another romantasy. If you’re familiar with my prior blog posts, you know it’s not my favorite genre. I’m still not crazy about it overall, but The Silversmith is a good read, especially if romantasy is your thing. If I gave stars in these blog reviews, this one would get high marks.

I listened to the audiobook. The opening has a large info dump, and if I’d started with a digital copy, I’m not sure I would have finished. Audiobooks help me stick with genres I don’t naturally gravitate toward. Once this story found its stride with action, secondary characters, and a swoon-worthy MMC, LJ Claren's The Silversmith gives romantasy readers a solid ride.

(For the line I draw between paranormal/fantasy romance and romantasy, see also: Paranormal or Fantasy Romance vs. Romantasy.)

What Worked

The Plot

Claren wrote a good story. There’s action and enough gore to keep my attention. The middle holds interest, and the twists near the end are enjoyable. If you pay attention, you might see some coming. But that didn’t bother me because she still got one or two in that I didn’t catch until they were revealed. Decent secondary characters help carry the world, too.

The MMC

Andre Taissin Photo

The male protagonist is swoon-worthy. He will die for Ary, and that's clear from the beginning. Their growing relationship will keep you hooked while you try to figure out how Gavin (Smith) knows Ary. This is a slow burn, so if you're looking for a quick connection, the romance pacing won't hit. For readers who want slow burn, Claren delivers what you’re looking for.

Violence

The Silversmith has action with enough gore to keep my attention. There are on-page fights and significant injuries. Those are two things I need, but I'm a dark soul.

What Didn’t Work

Information Dump and a Slow Start

There’s a large info dump early on. I wasn’t sure I'd enjoy the book because of it. Ary also isn’t a powerful heroine to root for at first. She’s naïve and a bit weak, though she finds her spine and worth later. It takes a while to get there. Another reason I'm not a fan of the genre. At least she wasn’t whiny.

There’s some repetitive writing (I’ve been accused of the same. Writing isn’t easy). That didn’t really bother me. You’ll also find the romantasy pattern where the antagonist is more of an idea for much of the book, then comes into play near the end, not unlike some epic fantasy. That didn’t bother me much here either, because the romance is the focus.

The Spice

There is little to no spice. The small amount there is fairly explicit, but it doesn’t last long. I listened to the audiobook, but it's probably less than a full page. This is a slow-burn romance, so if you're looking for a long-run payoff like Fourth Wing, where you got several pages of spice, you won't get it here. If you’ve read my previous posts, you know I like high heat, so The Silversmith's one sex scene didn't work for me.

You also won't get an HEA in this book. It ends on a cliffhanger, set up for the next installment. Another reason I'm not a fan of romantasy is multiple books about the same couple. I'm sorry, but I don't need a stretched-out story for one couple. This is where a lot of romantasy loses me. Eventually, I just stop caring about the couple. I even stopped giving a shit about Xaden and Violet after the second book. At that point, it's just meh for me. Now give me multiple books in the same world with different couples, and I'm there for it. I even love seeing cameos from my favorite couples, but I want their HEA wrapped up in their book so I can move on to a new story.

Preferences That Colored the Read (Honest Caveats)

I’m not a fan of an entire fictional world with its own political system. That’s part of what separates romantasy from paranormal romance. I prefer realm-hopping or portal fantasy. A fictional world that parallels ours. Also, like a lot of romantasy, The Silversmith leans on a single POV (with some bookend POVs and a bonus POV). My brain prefers dual POV all the way through. Even better if it's multiple POV.

I’ve also finally figured out why first-person isn't my favorite. There's too much repetitive inner dialogue and long monologues about self-doubt and the same feelings playing on a loop. You’ll find that here. Those are preference notes, not a negative claim about Claren's writing. Some readers like it. For me, it gets old fast.

Who Should Read This?

Recommended for readers who:

• Love romantasy and slow-burn romance

• Want a bit of action/mild heat

• Enjoy twists and cliffhangers

  
  

Not recommended for readers who:

• Prefer high spice throughout

• Hate cliffhangers or need a complete HEA in book one

• Bounce hard off info-dump openings

• Dislike a single POV or first-person POV

  
  

Comparable Reads

I can’t give you comps like usual—I don’t read romantasy enough to do that fairly. Based on the few romantasy titles I have read, The Silversmith fits the genre cleanly. (If you’ve got some comps, tell me in the comments.)

POV: First-person, primarily single POV, with some bookend POVs and a bonus POV.

😈 Final Verdict

Would I read book two? Maybe—but not right away. I’m just not intrigued enough by romantasy as a category to jump straight back in. That’s preference, not a jab.

Why do I read outside my genre at all, you might ask. It helps me learn, and I do find interesting stories I wouldn’t normally pick up. For both an author program I’m in and for my book club. Keeping up with what’s popular outside paranormal romance (and with cultural trends) is important as an author, even when the genre isn’t my personal favorite.

If you love romantasy, slow-burn romance, a bit of action, mild heat, and twists with a good ending (even without the HEA yet), you’ll love The Silversmith.

Sin Index: 🔥 Tempted | ⚔️ Savage

• Mild/brief on-page spice (fairly explicit where it appears, but not sustained)

• On-page action with enough gore to keep attention

• Reader discretion advised for cliffhanger/no HEA in book one

• Slow burn. Mild heat. Real stakes.

  
  

Amazon’s Description

She was born to save this world. But falling in love will destroy it.

Still reeling from the mysterious deaths of her father and brother, Ary Gold survives only by sheer will in the icy wilds of the North. But when strangers arrive with stories of long-lost magic, Ary is thrust into a fate far larger than her sorrow.

The realm of Nyrida is under threat. An ancient shadow wielder has risen, determined to plunge the world into corrupted darkness. And Ary is the only one who can stop him.

They say she has royal blood. That magic runs in her veins. That she is already promised in marriage—to a powerful commander whose army is her only hope of winning the coming war.

But her fiercest challenge will not be on the battlefield…

Assigned to shape her into a warrior is a man cloaked in violence and secrets. Cold, arrogant, and maddeningly unreadable, he isn’t her betrothed—but he may be her undoing…

Ary is powerless to resist the impossible attraction building between them. Will she follow her destiny? Or risk everything for a love as wild and dangerous as the power that’s awakening inside her?

Check out LJ Claren's books on her website.