Quicksilver

Saeris and Kingfisher fulfill the “fated mates” trope, a romance genre feature wherein two characters are destined to be romantically involved, no matter the obstacles they face. The novel overlays this with the enemies-to-lovers structure, another romance genre standard, as they start out in constant conflict, but find that the pull that makes them ideal for one another is too hard to resist, leading them to gradually fall in love. The idea that two characters are meant to be together inherently raises the question of free will. If the forces of the universe unite two people against insurmountable odds, the novel asks, can they also choose to be together?

The novel posits that while Saeris and Fisher cannot opt out of their fate, they can decide how they are going to interact—this is the choice that holds their free will. As Zareth explains when he summons Saeris to see him, she can decide how to proceed, as it is only the meeting between Saeris and Fisher that is fated. What they do with their relationship is their own call. This is presented to Saeris as both oppressive and liberating. She dislikes the idea of being wholly controlled by fate and finds the prospect of her love life determining the survival of the universe daunting.