Quicksilver

Saeris is the narrator and protagonist of Quicksilver. Saeris spends the first 24 years of her life in Zilvaren, a desert city ruled by the despotic Queen Madra. To support her unreliable brother, Hayden, whom she loves, Saeris steals water and pickpockets. Her bold crime of stealing from a city guardian is the inciting incident of the novel.

Saeris is motivated by the desire to do good, even when behaving morally puts her at risk; at various points in the novel, she impresses upon Kingfisher that they must do something out of moral obligation, not practicality. Though other characters sometimes see her motivation as softness—as when she adopts wild fox Onyx, despite Kingfisher’s insistence that the creature is a pest, not a pet—the novel does not suggest this kindheartedness is detrimental. Saeris uses her desire to do good as a source of strength that pushes her to behave as her moral code dictates, even against seemingly insurmountable odds. This often manifests as stubbornness. For example, her urge to be snappish with Kingfisher, particularly at the beginning of their relationship, adds lighthearted banter to the tone of the novel, which offers a respite from its serious

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