*Close* by Alexandra Bracken is a thrilling conclusion to the *Silver in the Bone* series, packed with magic, betrayal, and high stakes. After the fall of Avalon, Tamsin returns to the mortal world, only to learn she is cursed. With Lord Death’s Wild Hunt threatening all, she must find the Mirror of Beasts, even if it means teaming up with Emrys, her rival-turned-enemy.

Bracken delivers a fast-paced, emotional finale with rich world-building and a compelling romance. Fans of *Leigh Bardugo* and *Sarah J. Maas* will love this dark, captivating series. *Close* is a satisfying, action-packed conclusion that doesn’t disappoint!

Oh god, can Alexandra Bracken write angst and romance and action and angst and a climactic ending angst and love and did I mention angst?
I loved every page. The story was fantastic, the twists were so well done, the characters were impeccably written, and the reveals were just- chef’s kiss. I felt my heart break so many times over the course of this book, and wouldn’t change a thing about that.
Please, give me fourteen more of these.
10/10 would recommend.

I was lucky enough to receive an arc copy thanks to Quercus.

I was so excited to read this one! After reading silver in the bone and being left on a cliffhanger I was anxious to see how this book would go. As the second book in a duology I was expecting to read a book full of action, lore and love and I was not disappointed!

Action packed and full of gorgeous Arthurian prose I was hooked from start to finish. Sad it’s over 😂😭

Following the events of Silver in the Bone, where Avalon lies in tatters and Lord Death has re-entered the human realm with his Wild Hunt, Tamsin and her new friends must find a way to stop the oncoming devastation. Legend speaks of a “Mirror of Beasts” that could trap even the powerful Lord Death. But, as we know, these relics come with hefty prices.

The Mirror of Beasts celebrates found families, Welsh mythology, and self-discovery. Authurian legend had its moments to shine in this stunning sequel, which is a feat in itself considering how complex it is to successfully weave characters in with the lore and the various narrative arcs throughout the novel.

Tamsin’s relationships are fraught with uncertainty. Emrys, who left us all betrayed at the end of the first instalment, reappears in a brutal way. It’s hard to move past his choices at such a pivotal moment for Avalon. And Cabell is in a similar position. It’s so tempting to root for the sliver of doubt that is obviously there for him. But it’s hard to reconcile his actions with someone who can be redeemed.

We get to see more of the elusive Bonecutter. They’re a fantastic addition, allowing our ragtag group of weary heroes to have some way out of despair. And we also get to see more of Nash, who returned in the last moments of Silver in the Bone. There’s massive character developments made purely because of him. And I think that’s a beautiful redemption.

This duology had me reading until the wee hours of the morning despite having to work! There’s heart-wrenching moments and nail-biting moments. Moments of disbelief and hope. It’s the kind of story that’ll make you appreciate the bonds you have in your life – especially those that nurture.

Definitely plunge into Tamsin’s tale if you enjoy urban fantasy and nods to mythology. And if you rated the All of Us Villains duology by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman highly, you’ll find yourself doing the same for this pair of books too.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Children’s Books for the digital ARC in return for an honest review.

Review TL;DR:
Rating: 4 / 5 stars
Strongest elements: Mythological elements, character development, and character relationships.
Content warnings: Blood, murder, vomit, fire, death, death of a parent, child abuse, kidnapping, confinement, child death.
Genre: Urban fantasy

A solid conclusion to Silver in the Bone duology which kept me guessing at every point. Honestly, nothing went the way I thought it would and the story was made better for it. My only wish was that I had a chance to reread Silver in the Bone before I read this The Mirror of Beasts or was able to find an actual recap prior because I feel that I missed some of the nuance of the story but overall, would definitely recommend this duology.

Thank you to Netgallery and Hachette Australia for the eARC

WHAT. A. GOOD. BOOK. 🤯
You need to read book one first, also a great book but WOW- I love a satisfying sequel.
It’s hard to describe the plot of this book without giving major spoilers for the first book - so I’ll just say that the action picks up satisfyingly right on the back of the cliffhanger situation we are left with from book one, and the pace doesn’t let up. I got through this in less than 48 hours and I’m not sad about it.
I loved the female friendships SO MUCH. To me, they are the absolute heart of the book, and I love seeing friendship given the intense focus and passion it deserves. The romance was good too, but I am HERE FOR these 4 ladies, to be sure.
Lots of twists I didn’t see coming. If you like myth and legend AND urban fantasy, this is a great mash up.
Alex Bracken is also one of the sweetest most generous authors on the internet. She’s a must read for me. 😍😍😍
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital arc!!!!

5 stars
Content warnings: death described, family trauma and death of loved ones, kidnapping, mention of torture

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy to review. All thoughts are my own.

You know when you read something so good that you feel like you cannot find enough words to talk about it? That's this book for me, and yet I equally have so much to say that I know this review will be long. I loved Silver in the Bone when I read it last year, and I still think it's criminally underrated. It's one of the best Arthurian retellings I've had the pleasure of reading. So whilst I've been anticipating this read, and I expected The Mirror of Beasts to deliver an engaging tale packed with action, further lore, sinister magic and villainous characters, well-placed angst, and a beautiful kinship between the main protagonist and her found family, I never expected to be this in love with it.

Tamsin's clunky yet vulnerable emotional growth and need for connection with the other three girls that she left Avalon with was my favourite part of this story. The ups and downs with her insecurities about being enough for her found sisters, and fighting the feelings of betrayal and longing with Emrys were so well-curated and weaved into the story that I was once more given the rich imagery of this main protagonist who felt real. I appreciated the continuous strained relationship with Nash, Tamsin's parental figure, and really enjoyed their storyline and who he was to her in the Chosen One plotline. Even though I knew how that would go, I liked watching the interactions between them both and reading more into the situation whilst Tamsin was lost in her hurt or anger. Equally, the destructing connection with her brother Cabell really rounded out all the emotions for Tamsin to endure and I loved how all these characters played an important role in not only her progression but the story as a whole. The interjected POVs from Emrys and Cabell were a nice addition, and helped build further intrigue or concern to the storyline for me. I cried a few times when reading this book, and I love it when characters are made to feel so realistic that you hurt alongside them.

Whilst book one was darkly enchanting, The Mirror of Beasts feels more sinister. With Lord Death unleashed and rounding up his Wild Hunt to kill sorceresses, it was a given it would take a darker path before the conclusion. I loved how the lore was able to adapt to the modern world this time around and still maintain its charm. I love the idea of contemporary relic hunters moving within old-fashioned guilds and endless mythology, and the introduction to the Bonecutter and Hag of the Moors gave over more knowledge and intrigue this time - as well as a great deal of humour. I appreciated the intricate magic system with the portal elements and magical gifts being utilised to still make this feel otherworldly even when set in the streets of Boston or London, for instance. Lord Death was a fabulous villain, with his sole focus on finding the soul hidden from him and manipulating the world around him until he got what he wanted. He reminded me a great deal of the villain from Marissa Meyer's Cursed story, with his ghoulish Wild Hunt, and I loved that he didn't stray from his trajectory or give the reader any reason to doubt his evilness.

The romance remained a subplot, but I loved its slow development, the back-and-forth of vulnerability between Emrys and Tamsin, and the angst that worked in between. Their confessions this time felt more fulfilling, knowing what they had both lost and could still reach out to the other over. It was the perfect amount of adding to the storyline without detracting from Tamsin's bigger goals of taking out Lord Death and rescuing her brother.

Whilst it was predictable that the Chosen One trope would be utilised here again - this is an Arthurian retelling after all - I didn't hate it as much as I thought I would. The attempt to throw off the prediction was interesting though, and I liked how that connection had been forged from the beginning even when Tamsin wasn't exactly wanting to be close with that particular character. I loved how it took all four girls working and looking out for the other to the very end, even with their conflicting views and goals at times. Female-led fantasy isn't something we often get, or isn't as well delivered as it is here, and I'm grateful to Bracken's dedication to continue bolstering the four of them as a unit of reckoning. The found family storyline was just as integral as the romance here, if not more, and the conclusion for all four girls was delivered with enough open ending to allow Bracken to revisit from another character's perspective, yet was satisfying enough to end this world here, especially from Tamsin's narrative.

Thank you so much for allowing me to review this title.
Unfortunately, I am unable to provide a review at this time as I don’t think the book is quite to my tastes.
But I thank you very much for giving me the chance to review this title and I hope to work with you again in the future.

A long-awaited sequel to Silver in the Bone, Alexandra Bracken delivers a contemporary take on Arthurian legends complete with a rivals (now enemies?) to lovers romance. Tamsin and her friends must now face the aftermath of the fall of Avalon, while Lord Death threatens to unleash horrors on the world of the living.

Full of strong female friendships, plot twists, mythology and loyalties tested, this duology has turned out to be one of my favourites I've read in the past year! I have missed amazing YA fantasies, and this one is up there. The characters are all very complex, with detailed motivations and tough choices to make at times.

For you if you like:

⚔️ Arthurian Legend
🗡️ Quests
⚔️ Secret Identities
🗡️ Found Family
⚔️ Witty Banter

Thank you to Quercus for an e-arc of The Mirror of Beasts! All opinions are my own.

4🌟! This was truly incredible. The found family made my heart swell. The witty banter as well was amazing. The character development and emotional depth within this story was top-notch. The story had me hooked from beginning to end with the pacing and tension. There was so many emotional highs and lows ranging from laughter to heartbreaking tears. The world building, plot and relationships in this book was fantastic. Thank you to Netgalley, Hachette, and Alexandra Bracken for this ARC.

“Deep down, the part of me I couldn’t kill – that little girl. She was in pain all the time, and I’d never let her wounds heal. To survive, I’d had to be strong. I’d had to build a tower within myself.”
This review is not spoiler free
This was another one of my most anticipated reads for the year, and I was NOT at all anticipated. I started reading this book after barely sleeping due to the heat and a night of work so my brain was already melting, and yet I still managed to devour 45% of the book before I KO’d because I was just so excited to finally start it and loving every second, despite how insanely stressful it was. This book picks up where Silver in the Bone left off with Nash at Tamsin’s door after her world has just been combined with Avalon and they’re at a loss at what to do. It gets immediately stressful after Nash runs off again after a vague interaction and a group of sorcerors kidnap them, intent on torturing them to get information about what Lord Death is looking for, all of them completely unaware that what he is searching for is, in fact, Tamsin as her soul is the reborn soul of his “lost love” who had only wanted to escape him.
“You’ve never wanted to believe this, but you do have a beautiful heart.”
I really, really love Tamsin and, whilst I’m not the biggest fan of first person books, particularly within the fantasy genre, I do enjoy being inside of her head. She did, however, frustrate me with the way that she kept treating Emrys for the first half of the book, I know, of course, that she felt so betrayed by him, especially after she’d finally opened herself up to someone to have them abandon her, but I know for a fact she would have done the exact same thing for Cabell had she been in the same situation (which I’m pretty sure I also put in my Silver in the Bone review), and she just needed time to realise that. She did start to understand more though when she realised the full extent to what Emrys’ father put him through, which turned out to be more than even I’d expected given that he’d killed him before the events of either story had even begun. I did feel for Tamsin too as she warred with her own emotions and the way that she still felt hurt, but her own body betrayed her in wanting to be close to Emrys, and I’m glad she finally got over herself and realised he was in the right, because those two are extremely sweet together and I love their dynamic so much. I also kept getting frustrated with her in the way that she refused to believe that Cabell was doing everything of his own volition and she was still intent on saving him even though he didn’t actually need or want saving. Of course, it is extremely sad in the end when Cabell finally does come back to them and helps them in their final fight against Lord Death before taking the place that Tamsin had been intent on taking, and becoming the new King of Anwnn. But overall, I really do love Tamsin, she’s a strong and badass character, she makes me laugh with her comments and the way she thinks of things, she’s so good hearted and kind and caring, even though she tried to close that part of herself off, I loved the bonds she’d made with her friends and how much she loved them, and how much they loved her. She truly deserved to be surrounded by people who made her happy, who help the scared little girl inside of her heal and feel safe, so she’s not constantly waiting to be abandoned. After taking care of herself and her brother her whole life, she deserves to feel safe and be taken care of. She’s always done what it takes to survive, and she did, she survived, now she deserves to have her peace.
Neve remains to be my favourite character, I love her so much and I really feel for her because she’s always just wanted to know who she is, who her parents are and the magic that she has – she’s always wanted to learn and be tied to something, and that’s why she’s so insistent on trusting the Sorceress’ and becoming one of them because she feels like that’s the best tie she has. Obviously, it doesn’t work out well for her in this book as the Sorceress’ are selfish and Madrigal uses all of the information that Neve uses against her, but at least Neve finds out part of who she is, and learns that the familiar watching her came from her mother, and I do think it’s super sweet that both her and Cait are now on an adventure looking for Neve’s mother. Neve being a descendant of the Lady of the Lake took me by pleasant surprise as I’d convinced myself that it was Tamsin that had some connection to the Lady of the Lake, so I was really interested by that storyline and seeing how it manifested when Neve touched Excabilbur and the effect it had on her. I loved that she wielded the sword during the final confrontation too. Again, I absolutely adore Neve for her good and kind heart, she always sees the best in people and whilst that doesn’t always fall in her favour, especially where people like Madrigal are concerned, it allows her to create the most genuine friendships and I love her connection with her friends so much. Most of all, I loved seeing her relationship with Cait develop in this book. I’ve shipped the two of them since their second interaction in Silver in the Bone so seeing them both obviously have feelings for each other, and Neve confessing to Caitriona towards the end, had me absolutely jumping for joy. I love everything about the two of them, and I love that even when they argue and scrap, they still make up and genuinely care about each other more than anything else.
“I love you and I don’t want to be apart from you. Not just because you are noble and beautiful and so many other wonderful things, but because you make me brave, and you make me want to be stronger, so I can fight alongside with you.”
Caitriona swiftly follows her beloved in my favourite character ranking and my heart broke for her so much in this book. It was heart-wrenching to see her give up on being a Priestess, to struggle with the loss of everyone she held dear in Avalon, to see her so hell-bent on revenge against Lord Death. She tries to shoulder all the burden herself and it hurt me watching her break under all that pressure she put on herself – when she takes Excalibur and leaves, intent on getting her revenge, after so many bad things had already happened and Olwen had been captured and Neve was unconscious, it actually broke me. And her trying to face off against him BY HERSELF like dayum bro. She’s such a strong and formidable warrior and I never doubted her for a second when Neve thought she might turn on Cabell, I knew she’d never do that – even if he hadn’t let her and Olwen go – she’d said they were in it together and she wouldn’t have ever done anything to hurt anyone. I loved seeing her use her magic again too and reconnect with her Priestess roots. She is everything to me. I just love her so, so, SO MUCH!!!
“You have to stay alive to keep hating me, Lark.”
Lastly, Emrys, my boy, broke everything in me this book. Learning that his father had killed him, that Madrigal had remade his heart and used him, learning all the hardships he’d been through and the way he feels about himself, the way he hates himself, the way he will still follow Tamsin anywhere, even if she hates him, even if she never forgives him, because he wanted her to hate him because he thought it would be easier, but he loves her and cannot bear anything happening to her. And when he died again. OH MY GOD. That had me absolutely sobbing my heart out. It was so heartbreaking. Espexcailly after he’d finally gotten his freedom from his father, to see him so lightened from that burden knowing his father could never hurt him again to immediately have Madrigal kill him. It was soul destroying. And then to not even know if the coin had worked until the epilogue?!?!?! THAT WAS SO PAINFUL. I was waiting every page to see him again, needing him to come back, needing him to be saved. But it was worth the wait to see him alive and happy, to have his own heart, to have a body free from the scars his father left him – for him to finally be free and not tied down or burdened by his father or Madrigal. He deserves all the happiness in the world.
“Forgiveness isn’t meant to be easy. It’s got to be earned.”
Speaking of deaths that destroyed me, I didn’t expect Nash’s death to make me cry so much. After Silver in the Bone, I was intent on not liking him when he appeared, as, like Tamsin, I thought he’d abandoned them, but, like Tamsin, as the story moved on, I grew fond of him and saw the father figure that he was to Tamsin so him dying, to save Cabell, to keep both his kids save regardless of the choices of one, it BROKE ME.
I have sm more I could save, but DAYUUUUM. Just know that I loved this book with my whole heart and I love the characters with everything I have to give, and this is my favourite Aurthuriana story/retelling.