Honest Book Review Brimstone
An honest review of Brimstone by Callie Hart, a dark fantasy romance filled with morally gray characters, tension, and obsession.
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Going into Brimstone, I expected the same intoxicating pull that Quicksilver delivered. You know, the kind of dark romantasy obsession that sinks its claws in and doesn’t let go? And while Brimstone still offers Callie Hart’s signature blend of violence, power, morally gray characters, and a shadowy fae world, I finished this sequel feeling unexpectedly conflicted. This wasn’t a case of not enjoying the book. There were moments of tension, intrigue, and romance that worked but there was something about the overall direction that dulled the spark. Compared to the dangerous, feral energy of Quicksilver, Brimstone lands more comfortably in the “okay” category than the standout dark fantasy romance I was hoping for.
The romance is where this book really shines as a romantasy… and also where some of my biggest frustrations came in. Instead of leaning into distrust, uncertainty, or slow-burn tension, the relationship is firmly rooted in devotion and unwavering loyalty from the start. It’s intensely affectionate, deeply emotional, and very much an “I trust you no matter what” dynamic. While that kind of bond will absolutely work for some readers, it personally dulled the edge for me.
This is very much an in-love story, not a falling-in-love one, and that shift changed the overall vibe. The romance leans heavily into reassurance, devotion, and a near fated-mates dynamic, where the bond feels inevitable rather than earned through conflict. While the passion is still there, the relationship becomes more lovey-dovey than volatile or dangerous, which ultimately took away some of the spark and tension that made Quicksilver so compelling. The uncertainty, anticipation, and emotional friction that fueled the first book are largely missing here . That loss was noticeable.
Another small but persistent annoyance was how much context relies on Kingfisher’s POV. Even after reading it, parts of the storyline still felt vague, like I was missing key information that should have been clearer within Brimstone itself. I don’t mind supplemental POVs, but here it felt more necessary than enriching. And even then, some plot threads remained frustratingly underexplained.
If you’re in the mood for spice and substance, check out my list of [15 Spicy Fantasy Romances That Actually Have a Plot.]
Plot-wise, this book also veers in a direction I wasn’t fully expecting. The storyline involving Madra, which felt central in the first book was largely left behind as the narrative shifts toward political maneuvering and deepening the romance. This isn’t inherently bad, but it did feel like a tonal shift. I found myself missing the specific vibe and focus that made the first book such a standout for me.
Still, the pacing is fast, the tension remains high, and the story is undeniably entertaining. While Brimstone didn’t quite reach the high of the first book for me, it’s far from a bad installment but just a slight disappointment compared to the expectations set by Quicksilver.
I’ll absolutely be reading the third book, because I’m hoping the plotline I originally fell in love with comes back into focus. The potential is still there, and I’m invested enough to want to see where this story ultimately goes.
If you love dark fantasy romance, morally gray love interests, and stories that aren’t afraid to lean into obsession, politics, and chaos, Brimstone is still worth picking up but just go in knowing it hits differently than book one.
Add to TBR: Brimstone
When Saeris Fane is crowned queen of the Blood Court, duty and power threaten everything she loves—especially the life she can no longer return to. As danger spreads across Yvelia, Saeris and her mate Kingfisher are forced onto separate, perilous paths that may determine the fate of the realm. Bound by love and fire, they’ll risk everything to save their people before darkness consumes it all.
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SPOILERS
I really wish there had been more of a vampire storyline. It felt like that arc was set up with real potential, only for the vampires to be killed off 3/4ths into the book and the story to immediately move on. Instead of exploring the fallout or significance of that world, it felt like we were just… we were just done with it. I couldn’t help but feel disappointed, because that thread had so much more to give.
I also struggled with how Saeris’s magical power is handled. She’s gaining massive abilities and somehow instinctively knows how to use them with very little explanation. That left me wondering what the actual point of Foley was and his coveted knowledge on Alchemist. After everything built around him, his role seemed to amount to telling her to “get some sleep.” That’s it. That’s the guidance. It made his presence feel oddly pointless in hindsight.
Another point of confusion for me was the focus shift between Madra to Belikan. It felt like Madra was positioned as a major player in this book, only for the narrative to suddenly centered on Belikan instead at the end. I genuinely thought he’d already been killed in the first book, so seeing him be the ending of the plot threw me off and made the storyline feel messy.
And then there’s Kingfisher. Let me guess—he’s a god’s son now? Because that’s absolutely where this seems to be heading. Between the reveal of his true name, Khydan, and Saeris somehow breaking the control tied to it almost immediately, everything happened so fast it gave me whiplash. Add in the sudden expansion of his Shadow Daddy–level powers, and it started to feel like every reveal was bigger, darker, and more powerful simply because the plot demanded it.
Think you know your Shadow Daddy type? Take the [What Is Your Shadow Daddy?] quiz and find out.
Which brings me back to the biggest question I kept asking myself: where is all this freakin’ power coming from? Between Saeris’s rapid power escalation and Kingfisher’s ever-expanding abilities, the story leaned heavily into power reveals without always giving them the buildup or explanation needed to make them feel earned.
None of this completely ruined the story for me, but it definitely pulled me out of it at times and left me wishing certain threads had been handled with more depth and intention.
