It's also a cool feeling to read a new Alexandra Bracken book, and this one is no different. I always enjoy her writing, her worlds, and most of all her characters.

I love this unusual King Arthur retelling!
Tamsin, 17, and her brother Cabell are Hollowers. Their guardian Nash left them behind after taking them on hunting trips for artifacts and now they have to make it on their own. The two of them have been trying to decipher Nash’s journal and break the cipher so they can solve the mystery of what happened to him and rescue him. Tamsin realizes the artifact they’re looking for is the Servant’s ring and believes that they need to travel to Avalon, King Arthur’s resting place, to find the ring and Nash. They find their way to Avalon in the company of prestigious Hollowers who have their own agendas, falling headfirst into danger beyond anything they expected and into the unknown that will change everything.

Likes/dislikes: I love the clever humor. I enjoyed the creepiness of the unknown and the danger that follows. The mysterious tone kept me reading.
Mature Content: PG for thievery and thoughtful kissing.
Language: R for 52 swears, no f-bombs.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody deaths.
Ethnicity: mixed

Silver in the Bone dips into Arthurian legend and myth taking it's characters to Avalon and the home of Arthur's tomb. In the book, readers are introduced to Tamsin and her brother Cabell. Both are Hallowers, or thieves for hire who search out magical relics on contract. Told through Tamsin's point of view, the two are contracted to find an artifact that fits closely with their search of their adopted father and a ring that is said to dispel any curse. This is vitally important as Cabell's shifts to a beast are happening more often and are harder to stop. As always, things are not as easily gained or solved in this case. The two are thrown into an adventure with Neve, a self taught sorceress, and Emrys, fellow Hallower and trust fund baby.

I really enjoyed this fantasy young adult read. The story is pretty straight forward with elements of mystery, adventure, and even light horror. The worldbuilding is a bit on the light side. Not much is really explained about the magic system and the Hallowers portion of the story is short and for the most part felt like a device to bring the characters together. The Arthurian legend part of the story is also pretty on the surface. There are elements, characters, and lore in the story; however, it's a relatively accessible approach. While I'm sure some readers would like a little more in regards to that part of the story, I think how it is written does a lot to engage the readers while avoiding alienating them with too much information.

The characters are interesting. There is character growth, both good and bad, through the story. This growth also occurs for some secondary characters. I enjoyed the action in the book. The mystery element also had me guessing. While I had an impression of where the story was leading, it was not so much that I felt it predictable. The writing is really nice as well. Bracken does a wonderful job of showing instead of telling. We learn about the characters, the world, and the history as the story progresses.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I was unaware it was a series, so I will admit to some disappointment when the story ended with loose ends. I definitely continue to follow the series. I plan on adding it to our library collection and already have some patrons in mind that I know will love the book.

I was given this book via Netgalley in return for my honest review. I described this book originally as a magic world where King Arthur is the boy who lived and there are people that can see magic and curses but regular humans who can't.

This is before I realized what a treacherous witch Alexandra was. The whole time you think the story is going one way and she blows it up. But no that's not good enough she blows it up once more. And like the children it's still not dead so third time a charm or is it?! The twist, my heart it's just too much.

She brings you into this world. Makes you love characters, trust them, be wary and route for them.

The story is a little slow to start but it quickly pulls you in. Tamsin my prickly stabby goddess. Cabell (I see why you named him after that particular family tie now Alexandra, dirty Dick indeed). You've got your enemies to lovers, enemies to friends and a lot of disappearing men. Honestly at this point I wouldn't blame Tamsin for being her prickly guarded self. I don't know if I'll ever recover.

You should absolutely read it 4.75 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ for the slow start but the next holds so much promise!

An epic fantasy mixed with Arthurian lore? OMG, yes, please!

I love how this wasn't the standard take on Arthurian folklore, and the various twists and turns make the plot epic.

I want to say so much more, but I can't, or I'd give the plot away and this is one of those that doesn't deserve any spoilers.

I seriously want to know when the next book is coming out!

I loved it! I found the characters to be realistic and I easily invested in Tamsin. I enjoyed all of the Arthurian legend aspects that were pulled into the story. It was definitely its own story though and not a remake of classic Arthurian tales. The twists and turns were done well and kept me on my toes. It kept me up too late reading when I couldn’t put it down. I look forward to the next installment!

I liked the urban setting and how the book started off. I read through a couple chapters and I just don't think this was it for me. I ended up DNFing because it was taking a bit for me to get into.

Tamsin Lark is on the hunt to save her brother from a terrible curse in the first installment of the Silver in the Bone Series. After being left behind by their caretaker/father during one of their missions we meet Tamsin & Cabell 7 years later as they decide to go on a journey to find a relic with potential to heal Cabell from a curse that is getting worse every day. They escape to the fabled Avalon of King Arthur lore with their sort of friend turned real friend Neve and rival Emrys. As the stakes rise and time runs out and betrayal and twists arrive at every turn they must ultimately decide who and what they want to fight for.

This book is for fans of magical creatures and King Arthur. While not heavy in the mythology in book one I think all storyline cliffhangers set up book two nicely to incorporate more of the legend we love. The first half of the book seems a little slow at first but I absolutely flew through the last 60%.

Thanks to the publisher and author for an ARC. It was a delight to read!

Such a fun Arthurian retelling! Alexandra Bracken swung for the fences on this one and she did not miss! A new favorite for sure.

I thoroughly enjoyed Silver in the Bone. The characters and world building were fully fleshed out. I felt the pacing lagged in certain areas, but overall it was a wonderful story based in Arthurian Lore.

4.5/5 stars, thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy, this book is out now!

I was really pulled into the story from the beginning. This book was hard to up down. I’d go to read for twenty minutes and end up reading for an hour because I just need some answers! It’s a bit slower at first but once the plot picks up it doesn’t slow down. The twist and turns, especially at the end, had me gasping. On top of that this books is very dark, more than I would have expected. The author did a fantastic job of setting the tone and the gritty atmosphere.

On top of that, I loved the entire cast of characters, they all felt very fleshed out! I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the romance, to be honest it seemed like it was going to be clique. But it wasn’t, and was a perfect slow burn as a backdrop to the rest of the plot.

At first the world building was a lot to take in. Very little was explained so I was a bit confused at the beginning. However once the characters got to Avalon, things got a lot clearer. Maybe if I had been more versed in King Arthur lore I would have enjoyed this book more. However, I think that part is explained enough for anyone to understand. It’s definitely not a retelling of anything, rather just a separate fantasy with sprinklings of the lore.

I don't think I ever read the synopsis for this book. I just saw that Alexandra Bracken was writing a new book and was sold.
So I was a little confused when I started reading and it wasn't a pure high fantasy. When I learned that this was inspired by Arthurian Legend I was ecstatic. I thoroughly enjoyed this. I loved the cast of characters and the journey they went on. I cannot wait until book 2, I'm desperate to find out what happens next. Especially after everything that happened at the end of this book - I was not ready.

A quest for an artifact with a visit to Avalon. I'm in. It got a little bogged down in Avalon but it was a fun adventure. There was a big surprise at the end that I now need the second book stat.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an eARC via netgalley to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

CWs: violence, death, injury detail, abandonment

This was such an interesting read. It took me a while to get into and finish, but it was more of an I wasn’t in the right mood for it than anything else.
I did find it started out a bit slow with introducing the characters and the world, but I liked that there were already established relationships between Tamsin, Neve, Cabell, and Emrys. I also liked seeing how they changed and shifted throughout the story.
Tamsin was a great character. She was hard on herself which was super relatable, and she struggled with abandonment issues and trusting. I thought she had a great connection with Emrys, and I was living for the tension between them. The little moments of build up were so sweet and fantastic. I also loved the sibling relationship between Tamsin and Cabell.
The pacing was okay, but I found the plot moved quite slowly at times. The action scenes were exciting and I flew through them, but there were also a lot of quiet scenes that didn’t hold my attention quite as well. I felt like it really picked up steam around 65% in, and that was the part that kept me the most hooked until the end. And that ending! I need the next book now!

Fans of Bracken’s prior works will enjoy this action-packed world immersed with Arthurian lore in a uniquely contemporary and fantastical way.

There are elements of found family, rivals/enemies-to-lovers romance, and a unique magic system that made this a compelling read.

Do note that the story’s pace drags in a few places but the last half of the book really picks up.

Beware of a really mean cliffhanger too.

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House & Knopf Books for a complimentary copy of this e-book. I am leaving a voluntary review. All thoughts and ideas expressed are my own.

Sometimes I read books and never know they are retellings. That was not the case with Silver in the Bone. In fact, there was a lot I didn’t expect.

I was surprised that this is a creepier version of stories around Sir Lancelot, King Arthur, Avalon, etc. I would not want to meet some of these creatures!!

The story focuses on Tamsin and her “brother” Cabell, who is cursed. She really wants to break the curse but what unravels and the extent it may require is so far above and beyond what I would have imagined. I also found myself invested in a couple of the ancillary characters, which says something about the character building.

I don’t want to say too much and give something away! I will leave you with this - this book will take you on an adventure you weren’t expecting.

Thanks to @netgalley and @randomhousekids for the opportunity to read this book. The review expresses my own personal opinion.

I had such high hopes for this book, but it takes forever to get in to. The beginning is a very very slow, but eventually it speeds up a little bit and the plots more entertaining. That slowness just really takes it out of you in the beginning.

Soon after starting this, I was getting MAJOR Tomb Raider vibes. Sprinkle on top of that Arthurian lore, and I was in heaven.

From about the 25-50% mark, I felt like things were beginning to drag and the reality of the book’s length was starting to set in. It was challenging to stay motivated during those chapters, even though the book was doing a lot to flesh out the setting and the greater circumstances in the book. However, once reaching the halfway point, I was really starting to get invested into the story and characters.

Tamsin is such a strong FMC. She’s surly and pessimistic, doesn’t trust easily, but she’s also fiercely loyal and cares much more than she would like anyone to believe. She’s also wickedly smart and erudite. I related to her a lot and was constantly rooting for her to succeed.

I really enjoyed the dynamic between Tamsin and her brother, and also Tamsin and Emrys. I do feel like the “slow burn” between Tamsin and Emrys could’ve been built up with more tension and thus creating a greater impact in the ending, but I’m still looking forward to how they will navigate whatever they have between them moving forward.

THAT LAST 10 % THO. What a rollercoaster. Some of it I anticipated, and even wanted to happen, but DANG. you can’t help but feel so defeated by the end of this book, which sets up book 2 so wonderfully.

I hope Tamsin continues on this character arc that she’s begun, because I think she could become a favorite.

I already want to give this book a reread and I am so excited for book two!

Thank you NetGalley, Knopf, and Alex Bracken for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed Silver in the Bone! It has many things I love in fantasy books like found family, curses, and romance. I also loved that is was inspired by Arthurian legend, that aspect was really fun! I thought the characters were interesting and the last part of the book was incredibly suspenseful and surprising.

Thank you Alexandra, Netgalley, Random House Children's, and Knopf Books for Young Readers for my review copy!

I love the whole Indiana Jones meets King Arthur vibes! I do with we got into the treasure hunt a little more but that's a small complaint! The world building was really cool and I love the found family trope!! I love Tamsin and Cabell's sibling relationship! It did start a little slow to me but the ending is so fast with a huge cliff hanger!! This is such a fantastically written fantasy! You got your sibling loyalty, enemies to lovers with some slow burn, action, adventure, betrayal, and a few good twists!!