"From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Lore comes a stunning new Arthurian fantasy - the tale of a teenage girl who seeks her destiny in the cursed ruins of Avalon, driven by love, revenge, and pure adrenaline!

Born without a trace of magic, Tamsin Lark is no match for the sorceresses and Hollowers who populate the magical underground of Boston. But when the only parent she's ever known disappears without so much as a goodbye, she has no choice but to join in their cutthroat pursuit of enchanted relics to keep herself - and her brother, Cabell - alive.

Ten years later, rumors are swirling that her guardian found a powerful ring from Arthurian legend just before he vanished. A run-in with her rival Emrys ignites Tamsin's hope that the ring could free Cabell from a curse that threatens both of them. But they aren't the only ones who covet the ring.

As word spreads, greedy Hollowers start circling, and many would kill to have it for themselves. While Emrys is the last person Tamsin would choose to partner with, she needs all the help she can get to edge out her competitors in the race for the ring. Together, they dive headfirst into a vipers' nest of dark magic, exposing a deadly secret with the power to awaken ghosts of the past and shatter her last hope of saving her brother...."

I am here for ALL THINGS Arthurian!

Here I am, still getting sucked in by the covers with hands holding up swords. Not to say that I was swindled by this book, just that I'm a sucker for marketing, even when that marketing is starting to reach max capacity, I'd imagine. However, with this books focus on Arthurian legend, which, of course, heavily features a fabled sword, I guess I can give this one a pass on not just cashing in on the trends. But enough about that, let's get into the review!

While devoid of any magic herself, Tamsin has grown up in the world of Hollowers, those adventurers who seek out and raids the highly warded crypts of ancient sorceresses. But after she and her brother were abandoned by the Hollower who raised them, she's had to forge a life for herself however she can. And while participating in a dangerous world that she can only halfway understand would be more than most would choose, Tamsin has another goal: saving her brother who is struggling with an ever more debilitating curse. So when gets wind of an incredibly rare relic that could be the answer to her brother's curse, Tamsin will do anything to claim it for herself, even going so far as teaming up with the boy who has been her rival for as long as she can remember.

First of all, I want to note how surprised I was to find that this was a contemporary YA fantasy story. I mean, I guess there were no clear indications one way or another, but that cover image sure does look "second world" fantasy to me! The average modern teen isn't walking around with delicate, silver hand bracelets like that, that's for sure. So I was fairly taken aback to start this novel and be immediately confronted with cell phones, cars, and the like. I do wish the marketing (either the cover or the book description) had made this more clear, as I had to work hard at the beginning of this read to recalibrate my expectations. It wasn't an obvious attempt at misrepresenting a book, but I do think the overall affect obfuscates the kind of story readers are actually getting.

Preferences, of course, always lead my to picking up the "second world" fantasy over a contemporary story, so on one hand, I was glad that this book essentially forced my hand into something I wouldn't typically read. And, overall, I do think it was a fun read. The book is absolutely brimming with new ideas and magical concepts, many of which I thought were very original and intriguing. However, the sheer number of fantastical elements also began to overlap one another in ways that I think began to confuse the issue. I was never quite clear on the history of the sorceresses, or some of the basic details about how their crypts were set up. I think it was meant to read as a combination of something like the tomb raiders of Egyptian burial sites and Arthurian legends. But as I read, I became more and more distracted by some of the details. Just how many of these sorceresses were there? How did they all manage to create these elaborate, curse-riddled hiding places before their deaths? How is there still such a thriving "business" in the raiding of these places? And on top of these questions, there were the curses themselves, the magical items, the potions, the portals. It was just a lot. So, while there was never a lack of ideas, I do think that the story could have used a good polish. A few fewer ideas that were more developed and fleshed out would have been preferred to the overwhelming number of ideas, all of which were very loosely explained.

I did like Tamsin as a character, especially in the first part of the book. I thought her history, her relationship with her brother, and the cobbled together life that she had built for them was interesting and full of nuance. She's clearly not a perfect character, trying to hold together her small family through sheer force of will, sometimes to the extent that it's clear she doesn't fully understand those she loves most. I also really liked the idea that she operated in a magical world that she, being nonmagical herself, couldn't fully see or experience. Unfortunately, the book chooses to "solve" this problem for her fairly early on, and I thought this was a big turning point to the negative for me. I would have vastly preferred to read a book that held true to that original premise rather than setting up this entire concept only to "magic potion" (quite literally) the entire problem away.

However, I did enjoy the reading experience itself. While I had questions about some of the fantasy elements and was disappointed by the character turn for Tamsin, I thought the pacing and plotting was very solid. It was a fun, fast read, and I think it will appeal to a lot of YA fantasy fans, especially those who like contemporary fantasy. I liked the way the Arthurian elements were woven throughout the book, and I thought for a topic that is very, veeeery well-covered, this book did a good job of standing out from a very crowded room.

Rating 7: Perhaps suffering from a case of a few too many ideas, this book still stands out as a fun, unique contemporary fantasy story that tackles the Arthurian legend in an interesting way.

Link will go live April 14

Synopsis:
Born without a trace of magic, Tamsin Lark is no match for the sorceresses and Hollowers who populate the magical underground of Boston. But when the only parent she’s ever known disappears without so much as a goodbye, she has no choice but to join in their cutthroat pursuit of enchanted relics to keep herself—and her brother, Cabell—alive.
Ten years later, rumors are swirling that her guardian found a powerful ring from Arthurian legend just before he vanished. A run-in with her rival Emrys ignites Tamsin’s hope that the ring could free Cabell from a curse that threatens both of them. But they aren’t the only ones who covet the ring.
As word spreads, greedy Hollowers start circling, and many would kill to have it for themselves. While Emrys is the last person Tamsin would choose to partner with, she needs all the help she can get to edge out her competitors in the race for the ring. Together, they dive headfirst into a vipers’ nest of dark magic, exposing a deadly secret with the power to awaken ghosts of the past and shatter her last hope of saving her brother. . . .

Review:
Silver in the Bone was gripping and engaging from the beginning. If you are a fan of King Arthur myths or just adventure and magic you'll love the first book in Bracken's new series. Tamsin is a Hollower, despite not having any magic, she and her brother hunt down magical items from sorceresses while they look for their missing foster father and Tamsin tries to hold her remaining family together.
Once we are introduced to Tamsin's rival, Emrys, and a sorceress friend, Neve, the story really takes off and soon we are on the mythical isle of Avalon, but its not the paradise we were led to believe. It's been overrun with dark magic and they must help the tower survive before they can find the relic they came for to free Cabell's curse.
Bracken does a great job of incorporating differnet Arthurian myths with a more modern day world where magic is more common but with new twists and dangers. The characters and interesting and all of them feel unique and interesting.
My only complaint would be that the last two chapters undid some of the established information from earlier in the book, and so much of it sets up for book two and I don't have that yet.

This book is phenomenal! I finished this so fast because I just couldn't put it down. The characters are beautifully written and the world building is fantastic.
Tamsin is a Hollower someone who searches for lost magical artifact's but unlike most Hollowers she is not blessed with the one sight allowing her to see the magic around her. She is merely human unlike her brother Cabell who posses's magic that allows him to counter curses to keep them safe. After being abandoned by their adopted father they have to find a way to take care of themselves. Rumor starts to swirl that their adopted father disappeared with a powerful Aurthorian ring made to break the most powerful curses. So Tamsin and Cabell go in search of the ring but along the way they pick up Emrys Tamsins rival. Emrys ends up being a blessing in disguise so together they go in search of the ring. Facing untold dangers along the way they learn secrets they never expected to uncover.

Thank you so much to #Netgalley for the opportunity to read the eArc of #SilverInTheBone.

That ending! I loved the reveal at the end, and yes, it could be seen as a cliffhanger, but I didn't mind at all. It just makes me eager for the next book.

"Silver in the Bone" should appeal to any YA fantasy fans with a fondness for Arthurian legend. It's a fresh-feeling, wholesome adventure. Like the Folk of the Air series does, this series blends a contemporary setting with a fantastical hidden isle. However, it has more of a girl-power vibe than enemies-to-lovers, though there's a bit of that too.

I absolutely love this new YA fantasy. Bracken's take on Arthurian legend, artfully combined with Celtic lure made for a wonderful and alluring read.

The author had me hooked with the opening chapters. The characters were well developed and their stories kept me intrigued. The magic system was also well developed. There were plenty of twists that I wasn’t expecting. I am very much looking forward to the sequel after the cliffhanger ending.

This is my second time reading a book by this author. She always creates such a unique book, especially when it comes to being a retelling centered around mythology. But for me, there is always something missing to really push it over the top. Whether it be due to the characters or the worlding. Sometimes it is a bit of both, which is how what I would say for this particular book.

The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Tamsin Lark. She is an orphan being brought up by a foster father and brother. It’s a unique family situation and one that is explained more throughout the book. I thought she was a decent character. At times is she unlikeable because of the way she treats people, but I can understand why she has barriers up. She doesn’t let anyone in for a reason and relies on her brother.

The other characters were fine. I think I liked Neve the most and I am hoping we learn more about her background in the sequel. Emrys was also another character I liked. He is the bad boy of the group and has his own motives, but I can’t help but like how he has a pet name for Tamsin and tends to care in some sort of way. Although, he can also kick rocks! Haha.

I did feel like the characters could have been fleshed out a bit more. This also applies to the world building as well. I already have a hard time with urban fantasy and frankly I didn’t know this would be a mix of that before starting. I still am not 100% sure how the world works and why things are the way they are. Everything just kind of exists and you just roll with it.

It was hard to get through this book for the above reasons. I had no desire to pick it back up right away after having to set it down. It’s probably why it took me so long to get through. I do think that the ending was good enough to want to continue on to the sequel though. I am hoping that more will be explained, especially with the world.

Overall, this was okay/good. I did like the retelling even though I don’t know much about Arthurian things. It can be a be grotesque at times but it doesn’t go into too much details. If you have been a fan of her work before I would give it a try!

Silver in the Bone reminded me of works by fantasy genre greats like Susan Cooper, Lloyd Alexander, and T.A. Baron. Brachen has created a fascinating, complex world full of interesting characters who must face difficult challenges with external forces as well as within themselves.

The plot features many intricate twists and turns. Sometimes I got lost as to how the threads of the plot intersected. However, all is eventually clear to the persistent reader. Lovers of Arthurian lore will see many elements of those tales integrated throughout the fictional events, including a stunning reveal at the end of the book.

The four main protagonists are well-developed, with strengths and challenges that drive how the story's events unfold. Some readers might not like the stubborn "prickly" heroine Tasmin , but I found her endearing- and similar to many teens who are trying to navigate a difficult world, making her relatable to the target audience for this book. Her rival Emyrs is somewhat a stereotype of the "snobby rich kid with a sympathetic past", but he is a good antithesis to Tasmin and helps her explore her vulnerabilities. The sorceress Neve is the best friend everyone wants to have- resourceful, courageous, and completely loyal. Tasmin's brother Cabell, haunted by a curse that transforms him into a monster, grows from a dependent child to a troubled teen. His staggering betrayal at first seems unlikely, but then is fully explained through Bracken's plotting.

There are many secondary characters to keep straight, including residents of Avalon, sacred deities, and Hallowers. Sometimes I couldn't remember who was who - and what side they were on to preserve or destroy Avalon. However, once I stopped trying to remember all the names and just went with the flow of the story, this concern seemed less important.

The ending was great: some things were resolved and others were left tantalizingly unresolved for a sequel. I particularly liked how a major character- frequently referred to, but unseen until the end-is revealed.

I recommend this book to readers who love fantasy, particularly those who are willing to navigate a complex plot.

Alexandra Bracken is a hit-or-miss author for me.

I really enjoyed LORE. Her debut series was difficult for me to get through.

This one falls somewhere in between. That's not a bad thing, though: It's clear that from her debut series, Bracken has grown as a writer tremendously, and that deserves to be celebrated. I'll be honest upfront and say that I've never been overly interested in Arthurian legends. I did, however, feel like SILVER IN THE BONE offered a curious twist of the story that has--of all the Arthurian legend fiction I've read--interested me the most. That in itself is a feat. One of my biggest long-standing issues with Bracken's work boils down to her writing, and how, at the end of the day, it comes across as trite and uninspired. It gets the job done. It tells the story. But it does so in a manner that makes it difficult for me to want to read further--prose is, for me, the crux of a compelling story (character, passing, and story aside.) If I'm not enjoying the writing, it will be extraordinarily difficult for me to enjoy the novel. Are there more important elements of a story? Perhaps. But if the writing isn't there for me, my interest in the actual book will flag.

This work suffered from that.

It's a long, unwieldy novel that a debut couldn't offer. I suspected that a lot of it lies in the fact that Bracken is now a fairly well-established writer and has more leeway. This is, however, to the author's detriment. With more polished and tightened prose, the character, and story, could've shined. The romance stood out as a particularly bright point for me--kept me engaged and entertained throughout the work. I am looking forward to seeing how that develops and changes in the sequel (assuming there is one.)

My interest in the plot--admittedly--ties into my interest (or lack thereof) in Arthurian legends. And while I mentioned above that SILVER IN THE BONE added a unique and curious spin to the stories most of us already know well, I didn't find that compelling enough to be completely sucked into the world and story.

Lots of dialogue, not a lot of action meant that some teenagers will struggle with SILVER IN THE BONE. But drawn in by the romantic subplot and razor-sharp protagonist, others will love it.

I suspect this is a book that will garner lots of mixed reviews.

Thank you for the eARC.

A solid beginning of a new magical adventure series by Alexandra Bracken. Tamsin doesn't know who her birth parents are and has only known a life with her brother Cabell and guardian Nash as they took on jobs finding enchanted relics. Nash disappears on a hunt for an Arthurian legend relic and Tamsin ends up becoming a Hollower to survive, despite not having any magical ability. Ten years later, rumors surface that Nash had in fact found the object and Tamsin along with Cabell, rival Emrys, and newfound sorceress friend Neve, are on the quest to retrieve it and try and break Cabell's curse. They end up in Avalon, which is fighting it's own dark curse and Tamsin has to figure out how to find the object while staying safe from Avalon's creatures. Overall, an interesting twist to the Arthurian legend featuring a jaded main character, who is just trying to find a way to survive while also figuring out her past.

From the author that brought us Lore and The Darkest Minds Alexandra Bracken has brought us into a new world that is set around the King Arthurian legend. I was captivated from the beginning of the book all the way up to the ending. That cliff hanger makes me crave the next installment. I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy to add to my Bracken Collection. I loved the characters, i loved the overall story and it is what i expected when i picked it up from an Alexandra Bracken book!

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of SILVER IN THE BONE by Alexandra Bracken. Unfortunately I never really got into this story and it was something of a slog for me to get through. I did, however, enjoy the romantic subplot and how it got left hanging is my only motivation to possibly read the sequel. There were some fun aspects to the plot and world building, and the character development was well-done—somehow it just didn't add up to something I got really sucked into. I ended up skimming a lot and finished feeling a bit disappointed.

I've loved every single one of Alex's books that I've read so far, so I started Silver in the Bone with high expectations, and it did not disappoint. Bracken's tight, immersive writing hooked me from the opening pages and refused to relinquish its hold until the end. The world-building in Silver in the Bone is superb. I loved Bracken's take on curses and how Hollowers navigated this magical, dangerous world. All of the characters are engaging and interesting, but our MC Tamsin is a heroine who is very easy to root for.

Highly recommend this one for fans of Bracken's other series and YA fantasy. You will not be disappointed.

Thank you so much to Random House/Knopf for providing me with an e-arc of this book.

I won’t lie, this was tough. I wanted so badly to like this, with the characters and the King Arthur tie ins, but… It was so slow. The tie ins that I expected just didn’t come to play at all. It feels like false advertising almost? Granted, I didn’t finish this, I got to about the last 100 pages and said goodbye. I liked the characters (Tamsin is delightfully bitter and hard edged in a way that a lot of MCs just aren’t lately—she is MEAN and I loved it), I liked the setting, but the writing and pace just weren’t working for me. I was jumping through pages just trying to get past the dialogue. If you’re someone who likes character-focused moments that don’t really drive plot but still develop the characters (sometimes; occasionally, I felt like the characters were just talking to fill the silence), this is for you. If you’re looking for action and plot twists, this might be something I recommend pulling from the local library or borrowing.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

**Thank you, Netgalley and publisher, for giving me an electronic ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

Silver in the bone was great! I loved the society and magic that Tamsin lived in. I loved how strong she is and what obstacles she overcame.

Alexandra Bracken is back with the start of a new series - Silver in the Bone. The plot revolves around mystical powers and Arthurian legends and has lots of twists and turns. The MC is a brass and headstrong girl (classic YA heroine, am I right?) and the love interest plotline is an enemies to lovers and a bit of a slow burn. I look forward to seeing where the series goes from here.

Alexandra Bracken’s “Silver in the Bone” takes Arthurian legends and mixes them with an action-packed treasure hunt reminiscent of “Indiana Jones” to weave a nail-biting story of found-family, dark magic, and nearly-forgotten myths.

Tamsin Lark was never supposed to be a Hollower. She was a mortal and lacked any magical talents, something necessary to break into ancient crypts in search of treasures contained within. That was something her brother Cabell could do, since he posed the One Vision and could see through the magics and break the curses placed by sorceresses.

But when their ne’er-do-well foster father abandons them without warning, Tamsin has little choice but to join her brother and become a Hollower and figure out how to survive on their own.

A decade later, new rumors begin to circulate about Tamsin’s long-gone father figure. They say that he abandoned them after acquiring a powerful ring from Arthurian legend, one that Tamsin sets her sights on in hopes it could free Cabell from a terrible curse.

Tamsin isn’t the only one after the mythic ring. Once the rumor begins to spread, rival Hollowers also hunt for the ring, leaving Tamsin with little choice but to partner with her rival, Emrys. The pair form an uneasy alliance and fall into a conspiracy of dark magic and deadly secrets about ghosts from a long-forgotten past as they try to claim the ring.

All of Bracken’s characters were solid and had layers of personality and secrets that the reader got to slowly uncover as the book progressed. Each did fall into the occasional rut of cliché, but clichés exist because they’re tried and true. The main character, Tamsin Lark, was an especially compelling character with her prickly personality and fierce loyalty to her adoptive brother, Cabell. Bracken did an excellent job showing the reader how Tamsin’s upbringing and betrayal from her foster father, Nash, affected how she mistrusted others and viewed the glass as perpetually half empty.

“Silver in the Bone” had a compelling plot that keeps the reader telling themselves “just one more chapter!” Bracken maintained steady pacing and kept the characters moving forward but also provided just enough downtime for the reader to get to know the characters. Towards the last quarter of the book, the plot started to seem a little muddled, but at no point was I bored or too confused to keep reading.

Bracken has great writing chops, which is unsurprising since she wrote several books before this, including the New York Times #1 bestseller, “Lore.” I have a feeling that “Silver in the Bone” will also top some lists when it comes out. Bracken wrote an interesting fantasy story that utilizes Arthurian legends to tell a story full of magic and dark twists and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat the whole way through.

Do yourself a favor and move “Silver in the Bone” up your TBR!

What a fantastic book! Absolutely loved the plot and characters. This story had me hooked and that cliffhanger has me begging for more already! Beautiful writing, yay! I feel like some characters (the guys) could've been more fleshed out, but hey what's book two for?

Another good one, from Alex!

Actual rating: 4.5/5 stars.

Wow, now I've gone and made the wait for the sequel even more difficult. I need it...

Truly the only reason I didn't give this 5 stars was because it was a long book and some moments seemed to drag a bit, but overall this is a great opening to a new series. And the ending...I'm devastated. Actually the entire like last 100 pages. Please someone sedate me.

Tamsin Lark is a "Hollower," the term for people who search for magical artifacts across the globe, but the problem is that Tamsin was not born with the ability to see magic. She and her adopted brother, Cabell, were left to fend for themselves when their adoptive father disappeared searching for an artifact. Years later, Tamsin is offered too much money to refuse to find the same artifact: the Ring of Dispel, also a ring that can break any curse - including the curse on her brother which causes him to turn into a massive, hungry, deadly hound. Unfortunately, Tamsin's bitter rival, the handsome and rich Emrys Dye, is also searching for the Ring. And a powerful, if annoyingly optimistic, sorceress, Neve, is ALSO searching for the Ring.

They team up to travel to Avalon, an Otherworld realm that was separated from the mortal world, and the very same Avalon connected to the legend of King Arthur. Once there, they realize a deadly curse has been set on the land, and the stakes for the Ring get ever higher when the group slowly learns who set the curse, why, and the threat posed to the mortal world.

I love Tamsin so much. She's got abandonment issues, and a big heart and she wants to protect her brother, but she also pushes everyone else away and she's a pretty pessimistic person. Bracken served rivals-to-lovers with only one horse and betrayal trope with Tamsin and Emrys and it's killing me. She also didn't hold back when killing off characters...like a LOT of characters. Good luck everyone!! I seriously need the sequel.