CONTENT WARNING: gore, blood, parental abandonment, violence, abuse

Unless I have a truly heinous experience, I always like to give an author two chances before I really decide that their writing isn’t really for me. So after reading Lore and not falling in love with it, I still decided to give this book a try, especially since the blurb sounded so appealing on so many levels. However, it seems that Bracken’s books just aren’t a good fit for me.

The story started out good. I was intrigued by the premise, and the dynamics of the world that was built. I wasn’t expecting it to be an urban fantasy, but was pleasantly surprised by how it was incorporated into the story. The world-building was intriguing and done really well. Bracken avoids info-dumping, keeping the reader interested while providing little bits of information about how the world and the magic system works throughout the story.

I was less enthusiastic about Tamsin’s character. I understand that she’s coming from a place of long-held trauma and a difficult life, having built high walls to protect herself from being hurt by others. It’s hard to shake off the kind of trauma that occurs in early childhood, especially without having strong supports and a sense of security, and Tamsin certainly doesn’t have that. And after her sense of abandonment is compounded by the loss of her guardian, all she has left is her brother, Cabell. But things quickly devolve, and she obsesses over the only way she can figure out to break his curse.

She’s brilliant, and single-minded, and incredibly devoted to her brother. But those positive traits can also become hindrances, especially when she’s so fixated on what she’s searching for that she fails to notice what’s directly in front of her, such as the people who are actively trying to help her, as well as the struggles her brother is facing, and how much he needs her to just be there for him. It’s hard to empathize with a character who refuses to make any changes, even when slapped in the face with the need to, multiple times throughout the story. She only starts to change towards the very end of the book, and quickly reverts the moment there’s an obstacle in her path. Hopefully her character development will actually happen in the next book, because I was really disappointed with her lack of growth in this story.

But by far, the biggest challenge I faced with this book was the pacing, same as I struggled with in Lore. The first two-thirds of the book were extremely slow-moving, and I started to find myself having difficulty picking the book up once I had put it down. Mainly because the story involved so much planning, and nearly no action. All of the action and surprises were saved up for the last third of the novel, when things moved so quickly it was almost difficult to keep up with everything.

I was also expecting the Arthurian legends to play more of a role in the story, but it didn’t come into play until later in the book. In addition, while Tamsin and Emrys had teamed up relatively early on, they didn’t technically “decide” to work together until nearly half the book after they started working together. There was an enemies to lovers arc that was done relatively well, although it left off on a loose end, which I’m guessing will be resolved in the next book. The story ends on a major cliffhanger, and while I didn’t quite understand any part of it, I guess that too will be resolved in the next book. However, since Bracken’s writing isn’t the best fit for me, I don’t think I’ll be checking out the next book in this series. But a lot of people do seem to love her books, so maybe this will inspire someone to read it.

5/5 stars
Recommended if you like: fantasy, magic, magic hunters, curses, Arthurian legends, portals

This review has been published to Goodreads as of 11/22, my review blog as of 12/1, and to Instagram as of 12/15.

This is one of those ARCs that I knew would be coming out this year and I was desperately hoping I would get a copy of. I have yet to come across a book by Bracken that I haven't liked, and I'm pleased to say this book continues that streak.

The book opens in the past, when Tamsin and Cabell's adoptive father is still around, and then brings readers to the present. It's set in a world that has magic, but only some people are aware of it. I really liked getting to know the world in the beginning and finding out that it was more than just curses and magical tomb raiders.

The Hollowers are a bit clique-y in the sense that you have to be a member of a Hollower house, but that doesn't mean those people will help you, as Tamsin and Cabell have discovered. I liked the whole magic-hunting aspect of things and how that was carried through the book, even when the characters aren't in this world any longer. I definitely hope we get to see more of the magic-hunting in the sequel, because I haven't read a lot of books where that sort of thing is done and I found it interesting.

Most of the book is spent in Avalon, but it isn't quite the familiar Avalon of legend. Something's afoot in the magical land, and as much as Tamsin doesn't want to get wrapped up in it, she does. As someone unfamiliar with Arthurian legends, I liked the worldbuilding in this part of the book and the way both magic and circumstance seemed to have shaped the characters there.

Tamsin is an interesting character, because she's tough and cynical on the outside but is quite soft if you can get to the inner parts of her (though actually still pretty cynical on the inside). After having quite a rough life, she's fairly certain that people in general can't be trusted and she's quick to tell people when she thinks they're being overly optimistic. However, once someone worms their way past her outer defenses, so long as they don't do anything to betray that, Tamsin is willing to defend them to the end. She also knows what the right thing is and can be motivated to do it against her pessimistic nature with a little guilt-tripping. I enjoyed reading from her perspective and felt her reactions, particularly ones where she 'regresses,' were natural considering her circumstances and how her character has developed.

Cabell is a bit more...complicated. He's harder to get a read on for one, and while he seems interested in the Hollower life, he also doesn't really want to be a part of magic/treasure hunting anymore. He's also been worn down by his curse, which naturally complicates things. There are times when it's definitely hard to like him, but at the same time he shows a lot of care and love for Tamsin. I definitely get his perspective when he shares it, but he has a wound on his soul in a different way than Tamsin, and it makes him vulnerable in different ways.

Emrys was actually a fairly easy character to like. It's clear from the beginning that something is going on with him, and though he dishes attitude out to Tamsin, he's also quick to relax and become more jokey once the two of them start working together. I'm curious if we'll get more background on him in the sequel (I would assume yes) because other than when he and Tamsin are going at it, he seems to generally be the kind of person that gets along with everyone. Like everyone in this book, he makes some bad decisions, but I understand his (and Tamsin's) motivations better than some other characters'.

Neve is a bit of sunshine that ends up along on their adventure. She's the optimist to Tamsin's pessimism and, despite everything, manages to keep a relatively sunny disposition, both about the group's overall situation and her own history. Neve was definitely the kind of friend that Tamsin needed, and I'm glad she wore Tamsin down. I look forward to seeing them kickass together in the next book.

Cait, Catriona, is a character from Avalon who has a contentious relationship with the group. She's actually bit like Tamsin all things considered, and is wary of the group's appearance in Avalon, particularly with sorceress Neve in tow. Like Tamsin, Cait has a sunnier counterpart in Olwen, another magic user from Avalon. Olwen is friendlier with the group immediately and is more than happy to help them out. I'm definitely loving the woman-power circle that cropped up between Cait, Olwen, Tamsin, and Neve and look forward to seeing their friendship develop further in the next book.

Bedivere is a knight, from the age of the Round Table, and is definitely with Olwen in terms of friendliness. He's also able to bond with, and help, Cabell in a way Tamsin isn't, which results in some complicated feelings.

In terms of everything that's going on in Avalon, I definitely guessed who was behind it fairly early on, but then some stuff happened in the middle that made me second guess myself. I don't mind it when a book is predictable, but I do really like it when I guess what's going on and then the author does something that makes me doubt my guess and change my mind, only to later be proven right. It's a fun bit of misdirection and Bracken does it well in this book. I also guessed what was going on with the ghost/revenant and was 100% correct about that, and honestly the shock value of everything that happens surrounding that and the last 1/4 of the book really makes being able to guess secondary because holy shit. I may have been able to guess the 'who' and about the revenant, but I did not see the rest of that coming. I was tied up in knots after I finished reading and I'm definitely going to be tortured waiting for the sequel.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed this book and all the characters. Tamsin is written realistically, and I enjoyed getting to see her make friends throughout the book, she definitely needed it. Bracken also did a good job weaving the different parts of the story together and making a whopper of an ending. Even if you don't like portal fantasies, I'd definitely recommend giving this a try.

OK Alexandra truly WHAT WAS THE REASON for that completely unhinged ending

Honestly don’t know how I feel about this one. I enjoyed Lore but felt that my love and knowledge of Greek myth was a hindrance because I was too nitpicky. I hoped that my lack of familiarity with Arthurian myths might make me like this one more!

Unfortunately most of the plot fell a little flat for me. This book starts slow, picks up briefly, drags again throughout the middle, and then breakneck speeds through an ending that just left me frustrated and annoyed. The romance was the definite highlight for me (a love confession that had me in tears!!) but that also did not end well soooooo jokes on me lmao.

All of the characters annoyed me at points. Tamsin was an overall enjoyable protagonist, even though her whole “I push everyone away and think negatively” schtick got very old very quickly. Emrys was interesting and charming and I just ate the romance up bc I am trash for this stuff. Neve and Olwen were my favorite side characters but I hated Tamsin’s brother Cabell nearly right off the bat, which diminished any connection or fondness Bracken might have been aiming for with their relationship arc. I actually am very interested in Tamsin and Nash’s dynamic, and if I do end up reading the next book that’ll be one of the main reasons why. Also to find out like WHY TF Emrys’ arc ended LIKE THAT

Undecided if I’ll continue this series or not but I could be convinced

This is my first book by this author. I know that she released a really popular series in the early 2010s, but I just never happened around to it. So, I had a really blank slate when it came to reading this. This was such a fast-paced action packed adventure, everything was so tightly plotted and relevant to the plot in a way that made this unputdownable. I really loved the world-building and the characters, and while I loved the ending I'm MAD that it was such a cliffhanger because I want more now. I can't WAIT for the second installment in this series and I might go back and read some of this author's backlog in the meantime.

Just wow to this book! From the moment I picked it up, until the moment I put it down it was jam packed with action and the story line never had an instant where it was boring or didn't completely capture your attention. I wasn't expecting this book to make me cry but it did, but also had me rooting for the characters, mad at them, and happy at the same time! The book also had a GREAT ending, but was a major cliff hanger at that, but just gives me time to look forward to the second! If you're looking for a magical, romantic, action packed fantasy book then this one is for you. I could not recommend it more!

(Will post review 2 weeks before pub date)

Tamsin Lark is a mortal with no magical talent, thrust into a world of magical legacies by her foster father who disappeared leaving her the responsibility of safeguarding her brother, Cabell—who is magical and apparently cursed.

The book takes place ten years later with Tamsin having learned to be something of a thief and grifter to make ends meet—the term hollower is used in the book in the magical underworld or subculture they inhabit.

The tale that follows draws heavily on Arthurian legend and myth creating a new tale with suspenseful twists and a compelling story. I would recommend this to any reader who enjoys modern reinterpretations of myths and legends. Those who enjoyed Alexandra Braken’s Lore will enjoy this as well.

When I saw that this author was releasing a new fantasy series, I cannot even put into words how freaking ecstatic I was. I instantly requested the ARC for this one. And it totally delivered everything I wanted. I was immediately hooked into the treasure hunting adventure. The story world and magic system are absolute perfection, so intricate and intriguing, and the Arthurian lore is so good. This is fantasy on an epic scale and I was completely absorbed. I fell in love with these characters and I can’t wait to continue on their journey with them. There’s sweet found family connections, adorable enemies-to-more tension, tragedy and betrayals, thrilling battle scenes, worlds in peril, prophecies and tales of destiny, legends come to life, magical beings and menacing creatures, just literally everything could ever hope for in a fantasy. The sequence of events is harrowing, high-stakes, and exciting. The twists at the end I never saw coming and left me dying for the next book in this series. I had so much fun reading this and I cannot recommend it enough. This is an absolute must-read for all fantasy lovers. I’m obsessed - all the stars!

I was excited by the premise of this book which promised to relay the adventures of Tamsin Lark, a Hollower without magic who works to break ancient curses. The book does deliver on adventure and is peppered with Arthurian legends, stories, places, objects, and characters. I enjoyed the way Tamsin moved between her life as a Hollower and a life reading tarot cards at Mystic Maven, a tourist trap located above a fish house in Boston.

My favorite part of the book was the relationship between Tamsin and her brother Cabell. Cabell is an Expeller, someone who can direct the magic of a curse from one source to another, but he is cursed himself. Tamsin must team up with an old rival to locate a powerful ring from Arthurian legend that may free her brother, and her dedication and love for her brother throughout the book is endearing. In addition to evoking Arthurian legend, the book plays with fairy tale imagery such as abandoned children and collaborative siblings.

Those who love legends and adventures will enjoy the book, but I found it a little bit difficult to read and follow. The writer has created an interesting world, but I wanted more depth and context to help me stay interested. Overall, a fun read for those who enjoy legends.

****4 stars!

“When you desire something, you must fight for it tooth and claw, or not at all.”


First I would like to thank Random House Children’s and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. I am honored to have been given the chance to read it and give an honest review.

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 viper’s nest of dark magic, exposing a deadly secret with powers to awaken ghosts of the past and shatter her last hope of saving her brother.

This was a really interesting take on a retelling with a lot of interesting world building; I enjoyed seeing where the characters began and how they grew during the story. I thought the character development was really well done and I love the tension between Tamsin and Emrys, it was very well written and the tension could, indeed, be felt as you moved through the entirety of the story. I also really enjoyed the magic system of the book, the entire plot of this story was very clever.

The characters were very relatable characters that you couldn’t help but root for during the story, the characters are not without flaws but they all felt very human and real as the story goes on. This story felt very fast paced and picked up really quickly once you got past the first two chapters, which I really appreciated!

I enjoyed the ending of this book, I was not expecting it to end on such a cliffhanger! It has me curious to see where the second book will take the story next.

If you enjoy Arthurian legends, romance and a fantasy setting then this is a book I would definitely recommend! I look forward to seeing where these characters end up next!

I knew 15% in this would be one of my new favorites! It did not disappoint.

Summary:
I was instantly sucked into this world and as devastated when it ended as I was during EVERY twist and turn. I thought I knew where this book was going, was so sure I knew exactly who the bad guy was and how it would all play out, AND I DIDN'T. The world building was amazing and detailed, both for the hidden magical world within our own and the world of Avalon. Each character was the main character in their own life instead of plot points to move along the main character. Definitely going in the reread pile.

Plot:
I really thought this was going to be a very straight forward fantasy novel (and I was completely okay with this because of the characters and writing)...I was wrong. The twists and turns of the last 25% of the book gave me whiplash, even until the last page. All the pieces fell into place so well, leaving a perfect amount of mystery leading to the next book while still giving enough closure to satisfy me.

Characters:
Tamsin was a great choice for a main character. I rooted for her through the entire book, and though at times she felt flat due to her standoffish demeanor, I always came back around to relating and supporting her. She was a competent Hallower and felt real due to her layers and character development.
Emrys is the opposite from Tamsin in almost every way, was infuriating at times, and the stereotypical love interest...but damn I ate him up. He was, in my opinion, the most complex character and had some of the best, witty lines. The commentary on the pressures of family loyalty/legacy broke my heart.
Cabell was the first in this book to make me cry....he was also the last character to make me cry. The in between of crying was a rollercoaster of emotions, of getting so hopeful only to have everything crushed. He served as a constant reminder of what Tamsin had to lose.
Neve felt so out of place for so long until she fell perfectly into the puzzle.
I never knew who the antagonist was until it was too late, and the motivation was more than "I'm evil". There was depth and complexity to each character as well as the societies these characters came from.

Worldbuilding
I know nothing of Arthurian legend so I don't know how much of this aligned with the stories/historical fact, however I never questioned that while reading. The world felt as real as the characters.

Drawback
-at times the action was rushed and hard to follow, so I'd have to reread sections

Overall, I will be recommending this to everyone I know in hopes they fall in love with the world and the characters as much as I did...as long as they're ready to get their hearts broken.

Having never read any of Bracken's previous books because I simply wasn't interested or completely missed the hype train, I really enjoyed this one. I think Tamsin is a wonderful main character and I love how Neve, our fave chaotic sorceress doesn't let her push her away and Tamsin finally realizes that she deserves to be loved. Oh it's so sweet.

Miss Bracken knows how to write tension between rivals, oh my goodness. Seriously need to know how she does it because it is on another level. Obviously knowing Emrys was the rival and also the potential endgame love interest helped cement my love for him (even if Tamsin hated his guts) and it was very funny to see him calling her “Bird” (her last name is Lark, a bird) and Cabell getting slightly protective, telling Emrys to not call her that and then both Emrys and Tamsin ignoring him (lol).

There were so many plot twists that I didn’t see coming and while the magic system of “Veins” does confuse me a little bit, I am super excited for this new world that Bracken has created. It’s fresh, it’s new, it’s so, so cool and Tamsin, our mortal sans magic is at the center of it all and because she has no magic, she truly has to do things the real way in order to survive, like learning Ancient Greek to speak to the Librarian (meanwhile no one else does need to learn it because again, they have the “One Vision” a.k.a they have the ability to understand the languages naturally). We also get a strong growing female friendship between Tamsin and our favourite chaotic sorceress Neve and I am so happy to have seen a good female friendship bloom instead of having your typical female rivalry. Neve is strong in a different sense - while Tamsin pushes everyone away because that’s how she’s managed to survive, Neve lets people in easily but it’s not seen as a weakness and this empathy and kindness from Neve is exactly what Tamsin needed from Nash, and Cabell to a certain extent and it was so wonderful to see it develop.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s/ Knopf Books for Young Readers for granting me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

I was hooked from the beginning and I couldn’t put it down. I devoured it in one sitting!

That ending has me so impatient for the next book! Highly recommend.

To be honest the first book I read by this author was Lore and I didn't like it. This one caught and kept my attention. Progressed steadily. The story often made it hard to put the book down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s/ Knopf Books for Young Readers for granting me a copy of this book in return for my honest opinions.

I have never read anything by this author and this is not my typical genre, but the description and cover drew me in. Wow, an so happy I took a chance on this one!

Loved the opening, it made me keep reading. The cast of characters are so much fun. I fell in love with them. The plot was engaging, exciting and entertaining. Live the Avalon setting and, of course, the magic!

What I didn't like was the cliffhanger ending. Waiting to find out what happens next will be excruciating!

Recommend.

After a confusing start, this book picks up fast. With fascinating bending of the familiar Arthurian legends, it has some of the most incredible worldbuilding and plot twists that kept me turning pages . I'm very excited for the sequel!

This is my first book by this author and it won’t be the last. Truly a remarkable read that had me completely hooked. Once I started reading I didn’t want too stop. I need GR next book especially how this book ended.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC copy of this book to read and review. All of these thoughts and comments are my own.

I loved Lore and was super excited that I got approved for this book. This book started off a little slow for me. I wasn’t really feeling Tamsin at the beginning but at the end I really liked her. I love her loyalty and fierceness when it comes to her brother. I also really love her name.

I liked the idea of a King Arthur plot. I haven’t read much about King Arthur and it really intrigued me. With that being said, this book just didn’t captivate me in the way I wanted it to. It wasn’t boring or bad; I just wanted more out of it. I liked it don’t get me wrong. But Maybe it being set in the present instead of the past threw me off. Maybe I’m comparing it to Lore too much because I truly loved that book. I don’t know but it just fell a little flat for me in some spots. I do like how descriptive AB is though. She has great writing skills.

I’ll also be checking out the next installment because I just have to know what’s happening next. I will say the ending did leave me wanting more. Between her brother and then the bomb that Nash drops….I was shocked.

I think its a great read for people who love myths and people should definitely check it out and give it a chance.

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

Alex Bracken revisits Arthurian lore in a modern, alternate world and it's a great time. But I have to say, what a standout ending. Just as you think, "that's it, the dust is going to settle," Bracken hits you with another twist that leaves you reeling, stunned, and all the more upset over the wait for book two.

A fun mythological romp meets portal fantasy! I wasn't expecting the portal fantasy sections, to be honest, but I did enjoy them. The cast of characters were well-developed and the romance (and the twist) did make me gasp. Not my favorite of Bracken's but would recommend. I also cannot wait for the next book after that cliffhanger!

This book was so unexpectedly beautiful. The prose is so lyrical, the characters are so heartwarming, and the messages are so important.. I am eagerly anticipating the sequel and I recommend Silver in the Bone with my whole heart.