Excerpts Romantasy Read an Excerpt From Silver & Blood by Jessie Mihalik When a vicious beast begins attacking her fellow villagers, Riela reluctantly agrees to enter the forbidden forest and kill the monster… By Jessie Mihalik | Published on December 10, 2025 Comment 0 Share New Share We’re thrilled to share an excerpt from Silver & Blood, a sexy new romantasy novel by Jessie Mihalik, out from Avon on January 27, 2026. When a vicious beast begins attacking her fellow villagers, Riela reluctantly agrees to enter the forbidden forest and kill the monster as she’s the only mage available—or so she thought.Untrained and barely armed, Riela is quickly overwhelmed when one beast turns into two. She fears her death is at hand until the unexpected arrival of a scarred, strikingly handsome man with gleaming moonlit magic changes her fate—and provides a rare opportunity to learn more about her own fickle power.After being rescued and healed from the beast’s poison, Riela awakens in a magical castle complete with a gorgeous library, a strange wolf, and the surly man who saved her life. She soon learns Garrick is both more powerful and far deadlier than a mere mortal mage—but thanks to a century-long curse, his powers are weakening.Trapped in his castle and surrounded by the treacherous woods, the spark of attraction between Riela and Garrick slowly ignites into fiery desire. But the more they discover about Riela’s magic, the more suspicious Garrick grows of her identity. As they unravel the secrets and lies connecting Riela’s past to Garrick’s, the tenuous threads of trust between them start to fray.Because Riela’s life—or her death—might be the key to regaining everything Garrick has lost. Chapter 1 After a full day of walking without any sign of the monster, the forest’s faux twilight had deepened into true darkness. The magical light I’d summoned did little to pierce the shadows, and being alone in the woods at night reminded me of so many of the fairy tales my father had read to me. Except I wasn’t a plucky princess or a brave knight, and if I got in over my head, a hero wasn’t going to show up and rescue me. But I also wasn’t on a quest to defeat a godlike mage or take down a dragon— I hoped— so perhaps I’d succeed all on my own. And in truth, the stories where the princesses rescued themselves were my favorites anyway. I was just starting to think about finding a safe place to rest for the night when the forest fell still and quiet around me. Even the droning insects stopped singing, leaving the woods draped in a hushed watchfulness that hinted at danger. I fed more magic into my light, then carefully drew my new dagger and fanned out my power, searching for the threat. The bright pool of silver magic I’d been tracking was still there, but now there was a much closer smudge of scarlet slowly stalking me. I’d been ignoring the smaller smudges of magic because they’d been ignoring me. I’d assumed they were prey rather than predators, but perhaps more than one monster haunted this part of the forest. That would be just my luck. A low, snarling growl vibrated through the trees, and I tensed for a fight. My knees trembled with nerves, but I spun to face the scarlet magic just as the smudge split in two. Bitter fear coated my tongue. One monster would’ve been difficult. Two were impossible. The first scarlet smudge circled to my right while the other remained in place. The beasts were trying to flank me. I turned with circling magic, but the glow of my light refused to pierce the clawing shadows. The dagger shook in my hand, and the smooth leather hilt felt dangerously slick. The sword would give me better reach, but it was heavy and clumsy. I was better off with a weapon I could wield, however poorly, than one I couldn’t. In order to survive, I needed to do as much damage as I could as quickly as possible. Buy the Book Silver & Blood Jessie Mihalik Buy Book Silver & Blood Jessie Mihalik Buy this book from: AmazonBarnes and NobleiBooksIndieBoundTarget Then the first beast glided into view, and I silently laughed at my hubris. The monster was taller than my shoulders, with glowing red eyes and a body composed of tightly woven sanguine vines. Thorns sprouted from its form like fur, their sharp tips glistening with poison. A creature like this had never appeared in any of the books I’d read, and I had no idea how to safely defeat it. Even if my dagger could cut through the vines, I’d be torn to shreds by the thorns. I’d never used my magic offensively, but desperation was the best teacher, so I firmed my stance and tried to remember how it had felt when I’d diverted the flood to save the village. Mostly I remembered the pain. I’d hoped not to repeat that experience. My magic glowed stormy blue in my mind’s eye, and despite my intense desire for it to become a shield or a weapon or anything, it remained inert and uncooperative. Only the magical light floating above my head proved I had any power at all. I clutched the dagger’s hilt until the leather bit into my palm. I was going to have to fight without magic. Before I could decide on the best approach, the monster lunged with a sound like wind rustling through leaves. And it was fast— so fast. I darted sideways and my pack nearly overbalanced me, but I swung the dagger with fear-powered strength. The tip caught a vine on the beast’s side, spilling thick red sap and the scent of roses. The creature roared and spun with unnatural swiftness. I had no time to dodge. Brutal jaws clamped down on my left shoulder, and I shrieked in agony as I repeatedly plunged the dagger into the monster’s neck. Vines broke and thorns pierced my skin. Fiery heat streaked up my right arm. The creature shook its head, ripping deeper into my shoulder, and finally, finally, my magic spiked. The beast’s jaws unclamped on a pained whimper, and it lurched back. I stumbled after it. My left shoulder was an inferno matched only by the burning in my right arm, but I drove the dagger toward the beast’s head with grim resolve. It darted away and my dagger met only air. I cursed every fucking saint in existence, but especially Stas, the saint of chaos, fire, and poison. I didn’t even believe in the saints— or the sovereigns, for that matter— but my father had, and there was familiar comfort in cursing or thanking them as needed. Mostly cursing. And this beast seemed custom-made for Stas himself. I could barely feel the sticky, sap-covered hilt in my right hand, and the ground was starting to tilt— or I was. I needed to kill both monsters, and quickly, or I was going to fail. I refused to fail. Silver magic pulsed nearby, like moonlight on rippling water, and a low, husky sound curled up my spine, somewhere between a chuckle and a growl. It was a sound no human throat could produce, and it seemed to come from everywhere at once. The monster next to me turned to face the greater threat, and I used its distraction to drive my dagger deep into its side. I jerked the blade toward me and more vines snapped. The beast snarled and spun, taking my dagger with it. I snarled back, and tried to draw my sword, but my right arm refused to move far enough for the blade to clear the sheath. Moving my left arm was agony itself, but I jerked the sword free, then nearly dropped it. Spots danced in my vision, and the sword’s hilt was slick with my own blood, but at least I still had a weapon. I silently thanked the blacksmith for her kindness. The beast staggered and fell, its sides heaving, and thick, red sap leaked from the wounds I’d made. One down, but there was at least one more beast lurking somewhere in the trees, and I was fading fast. I hobbled toward the felled creature. Before I could close the distance and retrieve my dagger, a dark-haired man with a long, gleaming sword appeared between us. I jerked in surprise. Where had he come from? His moonlight aura marked him as a mage, but rather than magic, he used raw strength to bring his sword down on the beast with a forceful, two-handed swing. A wrenching sound like breaking wood cracked through the air, then the vine beast disintegrated into dust. My dagger dropped to the leaf-covered ground, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the mage. A mage, and a proper one from the look of his armor. Had another village somehow raised the funds to hire a mercenary to kill the beast? Mages were rare, and those few who had avoided the king’s summons commanded an incredible premium. My spirits lifted. Maybe I would survive this after all, and I could limp home and report our victory— assuming the fire climbing my arm was survivable and I didn’t bleed to death before I arrived. A furious snarl vibrated from the trees on our left and another vine beast leapt into the light. It assessed us with uncanny intelligence, then it lunged at me, correctly judging me to be the easier target. Scorching agony lit up my arms as I struggled to lift my sword. The beast cleared half the distance between us in a heartbeat, and I wasn’t going to be fast enough. The mage, however, was. I didn’t know how he’d closed the distance so quickly, but I was suddenly staring at his back. His heavy sword swung through the air with effortless ease, and no matter what the monster tried, it couldn’t get past him. The mage drove the beast back, and once they were nearly to the edge of the light, the mercenary brought his sword down on the creature with spectacular strength. Wood cracked and the monster split apart like a log on a chopping block. I stared in stunned disbelief for a moment before the beast disintegrated into dust. I kept staring, but the scene didn’t change, and now I was alone with an armed mage who had just chopped a dense vine beast into pieces. He turned toward me, and my magical light cast harsh shadows over his handsome face and silver eyes. That couldn’t be right. I blinked, trying to get my vision to clear, but it didn’t seem to help. It was all I could do to remain on my feet. Behind him, a wolflike black shadow slunk from the trees, and I raised my sword with a burning, unsteady grip. The wolf’s eyes flashed in the light, and its gaze pinned me in place as a low growl rumbled from its chest. This new monster was the size of a horse, with fur as dark as the shadows surrounding us. So much for making it home. The mage didn’t sheathe his weapon, nor did he turn to face the new threat. He watched me with a quiet stillness that sent shivers down my spine. The wolf circled to the left, forcing me to choose between tracking it or tracking the mage. I chose the wolf, but pivoting stole the last of my balance. I planted the sword tip in the ground and used it as a cane while I wavered in place, then when that didn’t help, I closed my eyes and locked my knees until the world stabilized. The fire in my arm had reached my chest, and breathing became my new priority. The mage would have to deal with the wolf without my help. When I looked up again, the mercenary was standing directly in front of me. I yelped and tried to jump away, but my body refused to obey. I tilted backward like a felled tree. The man wrapped firm fingers around my right arm and hauled me back upright. Dark eyebrows rose over guarded silver eyes. “Your energy would be better spent healing yourself.” He frowned as his gaze raked over my scratched and aching hand. “How many thorns pierced you?” “Don’t know how to heal,” I admitted, my voice rough. Breathing was definitely getting more difficult. “Don’t know how many thorns, either.” I laughed softly. “Too many, judging by the fire.” I stared at his glimmering eyes. “And the hallucinations. You’re much too pretty to be real— just like a fairy tale. Too bad this one is a tragedy.” Surprise crossed his face before he wiped it away. “I assure you I am real. I— ” “You should leave,” I said, interrupting him. If he was real, then I didn’t have time to be polite. “You killed this monster, but the forest is dangerous.” “I know.” There was something in his voice I couldn’t quite place, so I just nodded. “Good.” I turned to look for the wolf, but the man still held my arm. I tugged on it and hissed when agony seared through me, hotter than the fire in my veins. My knees went weak, and I fell against the mage’s leather-clad chest. I tried to right myself, because his armor was really nice and I was pretty sure I was bleeding on it, but my body was at its limit. “I’m from Kilish,” I mumbled. “Tell them the monster is dead, and so is Riela. Do me a favor and make me sound heroic enough for them to choke on their guilt.” I huffed out a bitter laugh that turned into a deep, racking cough. Once I’d caught my breath, as much as I could, I added, “You can have my sword and dagger as payment. I’m not going to be around much longer, so I won’t need them, and the blacksmith will understand.” The man sighed with quiet resignation, then moonlight magic rushed through me like a cool breeze, soothing the worst of my pain. “You’re not going to die.” “I’m pretty sure I am,” I disagreed. “If the poison doesn’t get me, the wolf will.” Something chuffed in the dark, and I struggled to lift my head. I could no longer feel the sword hilt in my hand, and although the mage’s power had soothed some of the pain, it hadn’t given me back the strength the poison had stolen. “Sleep,” the man commanded as his magic curled around me. Then, very quietly, he added, “You’re safe.” I fought to stay awake, to question him about monsters and magic and why his eyes glowed like silver, but heavy lethargy crashed through me and dragged me softly into moonlit dreams. Adapted from Silver & Blood by Jessie Mihalik, published by Avon Books. Copyright © 2025 by Jessie Mihalik. Reprinted courtesy of HarperCollinsPublishers. The post Read an Excerpt From <i>Silver & Blood</i> by Jessie Mihalik appeared first on Reactor.