I loved this book so much. The characters were all super interesting and so was the story. I love Arthurian retellings. The twist in this book was also amazing, I had a feeling about one of the characters in the plot twist, but I was wrong and right at the same time. Absolutely can't wait for the next book!

I’m completely convinced that Alexandra Bracken can do no wrong in my book and she’ll forever remain one of my favourite YA authors. I’ve been an OG fan since The Darkest Minds days.

Despite having no knowledge whatsoever about Arthurian legends, I was completely immersed into the story because of the wonderful writing, great world building and intriguing magic system.

The book in itself was really entertaining and kept me hooked through so I kept turning pages one after the other.

Most of the thoughts I have are spoilery so I’ll just that I highly, HIGHLY recommend this book and I cannot wait for the sequel, especially because of that cliffhanger ending.
And that my expectations are sky high now.

I would love to interview Alexander for my podcast. The world building is incredible and I love the descriptions in this!! It’s a fast paced book.

Series starter Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken is a deep dive into magic, myth, and finding your place. It's one of those books that grabs hold of you from the very first page and refuses to let go.

The story centers around Tamsin Lark, a girl born without magic in a world where having magic is a serious advantage, especially in her line of work. When Tamsin's guardian, the only family she's ever known, disappears, she has no choice but to dive headfirst into the dangerous world of enchanted relics to survive. And she's not alone—she has her younger brother to protect.

Fast forward, and rumors are swirling that Tamsin's guardian stumbled upon a powerful ring before vanishing. Suddenly, she believes this ring is the key to breaking the curse threatening her brother's life. But, of course, with magic, things are rarely simple.

Enter Emrys, Tamsin's rival and the absolute last person she would ever choose to partner with. But desperate times call for desperate measures, and Tamsin needs all the help she can get. As Tamsin and Emrys team up, they dive headfirst into a vipers' nest of dark magic, unearthing a deadly secret. What follows is a fast-paced race to the finish and a cast of characters that leave the reader ready for more.

Bracken has crafted a captivating story filled with strong characters, high stakes, and a fictitious world that leaves an impact. All in all, Silver in the Bone is a thrilling and magical ride that I highly recommend. If you're a fan of fantasy, adventure, and a dash of Arthurian legend, this book is definitely for you.

This reminded me of Blade Breaker in the best way and CAN'T WAIT FOR WHATS NEXT :) The beginning was really strong and you get a sense of the complexity of the world that is similar to ours yet different to still give it that allure.

3⭐️

I enjoyed this book, but it wasn’t what I thought it was going to be and I am a little disappointed (which is partly my fault for not totally reading the summary). I thought this would be more of an Arthurian retelling, and I was super stoked about it. But having read it, it’s actually not much of a retelling and more that the Arthurian legends are real and a lot of the book takes place in Avalon. The characters were fun and entertaining and I liked all of them, and the magic system was cool and so were the priestesses, but I wish there had been more. I crave the trope where the FMC finds out she has powers and I’m a little bummed that it only kind of comes into play at the very end. I feel like this would have been so awesome as a retelling, but instead the FMC gives herself the One Vision that all of the other Hollowers have using basilisk venom so she can basically be like everyone else, which was kind of lame. The chase for the ring and the treasure hunting aspect were also interesting, but I didn’t find them all that exciting. Overall, I feel like there could have been more world building/mythology, but the cliffhanger ending was actually pretty decent and I would be interested to see what happens next.

Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

As a fan of Alexandra Bracken's 'Darkest Minds' series, I knew going in that I could expect a compelling story. The prose is eminently readable and realistic, the characters themselves feel like real humans that you can root for and empathize with, and the Arthurian aspect was very well done and so interesting. This was a well-written YA fantasy novel that I enjoyed and recommend for any fans of YA fantasy, fans of Arthurian legend, or both.

As always, Alexandra writes a compelling story with interesting characters. The magic and world was interesting and the pace of the story was perfect.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy of silver in the bone this was wonderful and i ordered it for my store.

This is now my favorite King Author retelling! That ending though!! I now need the next book immediately! Calling to the arc gods!! Hear my plea! I just loved every minute of this book. Tamsin grew so much in this book. She was such a guarded angry person. She still has some walls up but she let people in, She has a chosen family. I loved the priestesses. As you get to know then you can't help but love them, especially Flea. I loved the different takes on the King Author legends. The magic in the book was so cool. I loved the banter between Tamsin and Emrys. Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children for the arc in exchange for my honest review!

<b>Alternative Arthurian legends twist through this first in a young adult fantasy series, but what hooked me was the fearless, hardened, fiercely loyal, savvy, and crafty main protagonist Tamsin as she struggled to find her place in both worlds of the story. </b>

In Alexandra Bracken's young adult novel Silver in the Bone, sorceresses and dark magical beings populate the underground beneath Boston. Tamsin Lark is separate from them all, as she was born without magic. She knows how to find things, she's crafty, she's ruthless, and she'll do anything for her brother Cabell.

But when her last remaining parent figure disappears without a trace, Tamsin is forced to go to great lengths and seek enchanted relics--of dubious provenance and with potentially disastrous power--in order to keep herself and Cabell alive.

They must make a dangerous journey, then while determining whether those they meet are friend or foe, they must discern whether a legendary ring from Arthurian times could save Cabell from a curse threatening his life.

Along the way, they face deathly threats, mysterious magic, a tangled web of lore and superstition, and those who seem to be allies but may be hiding dark secrets.

I was reading Silver in the Bone, with its Arthurian references, during the same period I was reading another (very different) young adult book with references to Arthur and his court, Legendborn. Bracken's story offered sassy banter that I loved, a great enemies-to-(not-quite)-lovers setup, a strong young female protagonist with a heart of gold, female power all over the place, captivatingly creepy elements, and fidelity that in some cases are shown to be betrayals that take your breath away.

Tamsin struggles to be vulnerable and to build new loyalties, and I was hooked by her often awkward interpersonal exchanges, her imperfections, and her complex inner self.

The book ends on a cliffhanger, setting up book two, which will hopefully be published in 2024 and which I can't wait to read.

Alexandra Bracken is also the author of Lore.

I received a prepublication edition of this book courtesy of NetGalley, Random House Children's, and Knopf Books for Young Readers.

I'm a big fan of Alexandra Bracken and was thrilled to get to read this lovely new addition to her canon. It's thick and detailed, just the way I like them!

I think it will appeal to fans of Victoria Aveyard and Jordan Ifueko. It has that sort of classic fantasy vibe to it that can be hard to pin down.

Can't wait for more!

A gripping new world of myth and magic awaits roundtable fans breathing a whole different bend to what we’ve seen before!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for a fair review.

This just wasn't the book for me. I couldn't really follow the story well - we were just kind of thrown in to the world and it didn't really make much sense to me. Based on the cover I was also expecting something medieval but the first page mentioned a cell phone and it really threw me out of the story. I think the writing was fine but I think YA readers especially will need their hand held to start with this book because in my opinion it's not well fleshed out.

This wonderful story is a mix of Arthurian legend and Indiana Jones. I loved the twist and turns of this book and how seamlessly everything fits together. I was able to also meet the author and loved the research component of her writing and can't wait for book 2!

This book was very mixed for me! I did like the characters and the world but the pacing was agonizing. I ended up skimming the last 100 pages just to get to the ending. Unsure if I’ll pick up the sequel even with the cliffhanger.

Thank you to Random House Children's Books and Netgalley for the eARC

Thank you so much to Knopf Books for Young Readers and Netgalley for letting me read an eARC of Silver in the Bone! I was so excited when Alexandra Bracken started talking about this book, and now that I’ve read it, I cannot wait to see where the next book takes us!
Silver in the Bone 5/5 Stars
Summary from Goodreads: A series opener inspired by Arthurian legend and fueled by love, revenge, and pure adrenaline!
Tamsin Lark didn’t ask to be a Hollower. As a mortal with no magical talent, she was never meant to break into ancient crypts, or compete with sorceresses and Cunningfolk for the treasures inside. But after her thieving foster father disappeared without so much as a goodbye, it was the only way to keep herself—and her brother, Cabell—alive.
Ten years later, rumors are swirling that her guardian vanished with a powerful ring from Arthurian legend. 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 really liked Tamsin and everything about the world and story that was built in Silver in the Bone. The magic behind the Hallowers and all of the Arthurian lore built in was so cool. I also really loved that we were able to go to Avalon everything that entailed. I really liked Cabell and Emrys as characters too- the relationship between Tamsin and her brother and Tamsin and her once enemy and now ally kept evolving in such interesting ways and at the end, both of those relationships had something shocking happen within them that I 100% was not expecting at all. Plot and pacing wise, I really liked everything that was happening throughout the book and I think it all happened at exactly the right time pacing wise. I just really love Alexandra Bracken’s writing style, so I really enjoyed the way that this book was done and I really think y’all should pick it up today!

Thank you for providing me the opportunity to review "Silver in the Bone”. I am appreciative and leave my sincerity review voluntarily.

This was enjoyable, but I fear the cover and marketing copy do the book a disservice because they indicate a particular plot and tropes are to be expected (Arthurian) while the actual book provides a fairly different different reading experience (zombies).

Loved the whole treasure Hunter aspect of this book and the dynamic between the two characters. The ending was especially good, I’m still reeling from it! This was a great YA Fantasy that reminded me why I like the genre so much.