Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the advance Kindle copy of this 4.4.23 release. All opinions are my own.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for this heavy-handed fantasy. It starts out in a modern day mortal world, with a sibling duo whose adopted father disappears while searching for this dagger from Arthurian legend. One had magic, one does not, and so they set out to find their dad, which takes them to a parallel world filled with magic and danger and love interests and possibly answers. This sucker is LONG and really could have been condensed; the ending left me ready for the sequel. Hand to committed fantasy fans in grades 7+.

When the blurb mentioned Merlin and Arthur, I knew I needed to read this. Even when the reading was a challenge, I never once wanted to put the book down. Bracken has woven magic and lore intricately into this storyline. There are always new elements to discover, obstacles to face, and new characters to draw you in.

Tamsin is a complex character to love. She has walls that are so tall and thick that she won’t let them down for anyone. She’s written so well that you don’t have to love all of her choices because you can appreciate them because of the reason those walls are in place. The book is light on the Arthurian elements but makes up for it in other ways.

The ending left me with so many feelings and nowhere to put them. While I don’t wholly love the cliffhanger, I was expecting it, as cliffhangers are often plot devices used in fantasy. And as I gave this 5 stars, I’m not letting it stop me from wholly enjoying this read. Thank you, Random House Children’s, for sending this over.

Tamsin is a non-magical mortal who is part of a world where Hollowers, sorcerers and Cunningfolk live and search for lost relics in places like legendary Avalon. Abandoned in life with just her brother, nothing has been easy for Tamsin. So when the opportunity arises to go after the one relic that could change her fortunes, she doesn’t hesitate — even when her rival Emrys is poised to go after the same thing.

This was a light read layered with some really deep themes of belonging, self worth and family. Tamsin is a sympathetic protagonist that you can cheer on through the whole novel as she opens her heart just to have it turn on her. I really liked the novel’s foundation of a guild of organized magical thieves that uncover and find long lost relics. I hope that we dive more into this group of adventurers in the next novel. Definitely a good read, still however lots of questions about this world and the greater story. 4 stars.

Review based on a digital Advanced Readers Copy provided by Random House Children’s and NetGalley. Thank you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's Publishing Group/Knopf Books for Young Readers for the digital ARC!

Silver in the Bone is the first book I have read by Alexandra Bracken. If her other books are anything like this, then I am looking forward to reading them.

I thought this book was great, with lots of world-building, cool magic, and good characters. The pace of the book could be a little slow at times, as it takes its time building up the world and explaining the magic and terminology. This did not bother me but may be annoying for other people who prefer faster paced books.

I liked the characters overall and I really liked the sibling relationship between Tamsin and Cabell. I also liked the rivals dynamic between Tamsin and Emrys.

I would recommend this to those who enjoy books inspired by myths and legends and who enjoy books with extensive world-building and darker storylines.

Ooh boy. This one took me FOR.E.VER & I honestly just wanted it done by about the halfway point. The cover is amazing, the concept is cool, but it was a MESS besides that. I liked it at first & ended up liking parts 1 & 3, but part 2 was a disaster. Hard to connect to the people or the world building especially once we go to Avalon. The very last scene was very intriguing, and if I had liked it more, I would have been dying for book 2. I didn’t like Lore either, so maybe this author just isn’t for me.

I loved this book. The whole way through, from beginning to end, it kept my attention and had me wanting more.

This is a great fantasy with a lot of aspects taking place in our modern world and others in Avalon. Tamsin is an amazing character. I think she's incredibly dynamic. She has abandonment issues from the time her and her brother were left by their guardian at a young age. This left them both to scavenge and continue stealing magical artifacts for money.

When Tamsin decides to go after an important artifact for a sorceress that will pay well, she takes on a bit more than expected, and she finds herself in a completely different and very magical situation.

I am always going to get summoned by treasure hunting. So you know I was so excited for Silver in the Bone. Not only that, but it also blends Arthurian legends with this fantasy setting. With a group crew, Silver in the Bone has all the elements of a book I would absolutely adore. And while I did enjoy this one, I found myself ending with mixed feelings. For each element I enjoyed, there was always a little caveat. Let's take the Arthurian legends. While I appreciated Bracken's take on this body of work, I felt like the threads were a bit loose.

Every time I thought we were going to get a closer look at the way these legends interacted, I felt like I was always left with a few questions. That could be because this is a series opener, but I felt like I wanted that pull of lore to be stronger at the beginning. I wanted it to either be more of a loose touch or a stronger pull.

Thank you NetGalley & Random House Children's for the ARC!

Silver in the Bone is an urban fantasy that follows mortal Tamsin as she searches for a ring to break her brother's curse, while serving rivals to lovers and found family goodness.

I found myself unable to stop reading it; Bracken's writing has an addicting quality to it, which is especially good because this book started off rough. In the beginning, the magic system isn't well explained; readers are thrown into the thick of it, making it especially confusing. While it is Arthurian inspired, it wasn't to the extent I would have liked it, more of something that's alluded to here & there but wasn't central to the fantasy element. My biggest problem was the dialogue: it felt forced and unnatural, with Tamsin's zingers being especially reminiscent of something a 2003 YA heroine would say.

Overall, an interesting premise that didn't quite deliver during execution. Many reviews say that this is a book that gets better towards the end, but there wasn't enough in the beginning that kept me wanting to read to the end.

SILVER IN THE BONE is a series opener that follows Tamsin Lark, a Hollower--one who breaks into ancient crypts for magical objects--despite not having any magical powers herself. She and her brother, who bears a dangerous curse, have been on their own ever since their guardian disappeared. When Tamsin finds out about a ring from the legend of King Arthur, one that carries the power to dispel curses, she goes in search of it only to uncover a terrible and dark magic that threatens everything.

I remember fondly enjoying Bracken's earliest books back in the YA dystopia craze (circa 2012). She blew me away with her 2021 book LORE. And now she's utterly destroyed me with SILVER IN THE BONE. 5 stars.

First and foremost, this book is only a retelling in the loosest sense. Instead, it uses the legend of King Arthur and his knights to set a background for Tamsin's story. Those going in thinking that this is a straight-up retelling might be a little disappointed with the way the story plays out. However, on it's own its a rousing fantasy adventure novel that's worth reading.

Living in modern Boston, Tamsin is completely normal but is painfully aware of the magic that surrounds her in a myriad of ways, from her brother's curse to the job she does. She and her brother are Hollowers who use legend and myth to find powerful relics, and sometimes that means working with sorceresses and people who have a touch of magic.

In a lot of ways, I felt like this was a true adventure story revolving around a quest. For Tamsin, her goal is the Ring of Dispel--a relic that appears in stories of King Arthur that is said to dissipate curses. It turns into a true survival story with a smattering of characters, immortal knights, and creatures of the night. Tamsin has a very strong character arc over the course of the story, and the secrets she discovers are absolutely life-changing.

The only thing I disliked? That cruel, cruel cliffhanger. Making me wait until 2024 for the as yet unnamed sequel is an absolute attack on my soul. Regardless, this is a book to put on your TBR right away.

Posted to Goodreads on March 21, 2023.

What I Liked:
Silver in the Bone is a story inspired by Arthurian Legend that starts in the modern world but soon travels to Avalalon. Silver in the Bone is way darker, bloodier, and creepier than expected. Avalon has been corrupted by dark, mysterious zombie-like creatures, which makes for a horror-type story that turned me off. I was not a fan of that at all, and the gruesome death scenes were also a big turn-off.
Final Verdict:
Silver in the Bone starts with an introduction to a fantastic world where humans have magic, except for Tasmin, tell she does. Parts of the story dragged but then picked up when we entered Avalon. I was surprised by the twists and violence in the last half of the book. I was not a massive fan of some of the parts of this story; I am intrigued enough by the ending and left with questions to want to check out the rest of the series.

I loved this book. The whole way through, from beginning to end, it kept my attention and had me wanting more.

This is a great fantasy with a lot of aspects taking place in our modern world and others in Avalon. Tamsin is an amazing character. I think she's incredibly dynamic. She has abandonment issues from the time her and her brother were left by their guardian at a young age. This left them both to scavenge and continue stealing magical artifacts for money.

When Tamsin decides to go after an important artifact for a sorceress that will pay well, she takes on a bit more than expected, and she finds herself in a completely different and very magical situation.

This book stopped at a major cliffhanger. Suffice to say, I will be waiting for the sequel and I'm so excited!

Out April 4, 2023!

Great start to a new series by this author! Can’t wait to see where this goes. I recommend and would purchase a physical copy.

Holy moly, this book was a wild ride!

I have to say, this isn't a favorite AB book of mine. It was a bit slow and I felt like the romance was too forced. BUT, with that being said, I also thought the Arthurian world was incredibly dark and surprising. I didn't expect it to be as gory as it was, but I loved every minute of it. Along with lovable side characters, magic, and lore, Silver in the Bone completely swept me off my feet.

And that ending?? Speechless.

While I wasn't as invested in the characters and plot as I was for Lore, AB has created another specular and unique world. I can't wait to see how she builds on it and what's going to happen next for Tamsin and her crew of misfits.

in this arthurian-inspired fantasy, tamsin struggles as a thief and with taking care of her cursed younger brother. her rival, emrys, suggests that a powerful ring could break cabell’s curse, but they’re far from the only ones going after it.

this was my first alexandra bracken book and i will definitely be reading more in the future. i loved how action-packed this book was. although i really don’t know much about arthurian mythology, i thoroughly enjoyed the lore. i also loved the characters and cannot wait to continue their stories in the next book!

I really enjoyed this book. It did take awhile for me to fully understand the world; it is slightly over complicated with a lot of terminology and subgroups to learn. The characters are fun and well developed. I really enjoyed Tamsin, the reluctant hero of the story. And Cabell, Emrys, and Neve were really enjoyable side characters who brought a lot of personality. I appreciated that this book involves elements of both an urban fantasy and an "other realm" fantasy.

I do think this was a bit long and could have been edited down more so that the plot was more straightforward. There were a lot of offshoots what were not strictly necessary and bogged down the plot. I'm definitely interested in seeing where this goes from here, I just hope book 2 is a little more focused.

Thank you to Knopf Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for providing an ARC of Silver in the Bone!

First, thank you to NetGalley for providing me an e-arc to read this.
This story started a bit slow for me, but I was soon wrapped up in it and enjoying each twist and turn. However, I’m going to need the next book asap bc that ending! Holy cliffhanger! UGH!

great book and such great characters. I enjoyed the mystery and some romance. I also enjoyed the journey of the characters. I didn't know what to expect with this book but I enjoyed it .

I like the premise, but my interested flagged as I kept reading. The pace is deathly slow, and I couldn’t see it being worth continuing.

Out of respect for the author I will not be posting a review for this book.
I will not be finishing it. I'm at 64% and I've been bored the whole time and I truly have no idea what is really going on. The pacing is super slow. The background is lacking. The plot is confusing..
I love Bracken and her writing, but this book totally missed the mark for me.

thank you so much to netgalley and knopf books for young readers for the arc of silver in bone! I loved Lore so I was very excited to read this book, and it did not disappoint! i would give it an overall 4/4.5 rating! i loved the characters in the story tamsin is someone i loved and was annoyed by, but its only because it takes a little bit to fully understand why she is who she is. and as a whole i adore her- she goes through a beautiful and developmental arc in the story. i also loved the supporting characters in the novel they were phenomenal- the nine were these all powerful and courageous women. i adored learning about them and all that they have done, it was a story i was previously unfamiliar with and i loved it. all of the lore used in the book was so well done and so interesting, it was nothing like any of the other books i have previously read that involved the story/lore of king arthur. the take on avalon was so so good, i felt truly transported their during the story. bracken does such a great job with world building. at times i did get a little confused with some of the magical elements- i understood the whole big picture but some of the details were a little too similar for me to fully get the difference between little things, however this did not take away from the story for me. i also loved the romantic subplot it was so fantastic, i was enchanted by the little enemies to lovers dance tasmin and emrys did. lastly the cliffhanger at the end of the book absolutely destroyed me. i believe cliffhangers should be illegal honestly because i need book two right now! overall this book was wonderful and i very much enjoyed reading it! i can’t wait for it to come out so i can purchase a physical copy!