Amazing read! I was so excited to dive into this and did not disappoint. The story is intricately woven together and will keep you turning the page. Highly recommend!

Loved, loved, loved this book and I can't wait for the next one in the series.

I'll admit this had a bit of a slow start for me but the characters are what won me over. I loved Tamsin and Cabell and their relationship was perfectly done. And of course Emrys too. There's a lot of action in this book and the story was developed really well.

If you're looking for a new YA series to start, consider picking this one up but fair warning...there's a cliffhanger.

Alexandra Bracken always has great prose. It's very readable and easy to get into with stories that are always paced well with action scenes and character development. This is very much the same.

I was really into the first part of the book as she sets up the characters really well and the relationships they have with each other.

Until the plot shifted and the characters fully moved into the secondary world of Avalon. We got introduced to a lot of new characters and, unfortunately, I didn't get attached to any of them. I also felt that the story became more plot focused rather than the original relationships between characters. Also, I'm not the biggest fan of Arthurian retellings, so I guess that was another factor impacting my enjoyment.

I think I liked Lore better than this one. The audiobook narrator is absolutely amazing for Silver in the Bone.

First time reading this author and I enjoyed this book with it's intriguing plot but the last 20% of the book really is the highlight and makes me want to keep reading this series. This book really felt like it was a setup for the true heart of the story and it definitely pulled on my heartstrings more than I expected.

Tamsin is a non magical girl who after her guardian goes missing, winds up raising her brother in a secret society of magical artifact chasers. She winds up as a headstrong, loyal, and cynical person who grasp a chance to free her brother from a debilitating curse. Tamsin's love for Cabell is her driving force in almost everything she does and she comes off quite off putting. Her growth is a large part of this story and I think will make or break your overall enjoyment.

I expected more of an adventure story and while there were definite action scenes and horrifying creatures this made me feel as if it was closer to a dystopian with it's darker than expected tone. Much of the book is a struggle to climb out from darkness of a physical horror unleashed but also an inner turmoil of the heart. The side characters are given slight insight but I can't wait to see them further elaborated on as they added greatly to the story.

Finally those ending chapters! They stunned me in the best way as I did not expect that level of impact on my heart. Will definitely be reading the next book.

Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for access to the digital ARC.

I knew for a fact that Alexandra Bracken would knock an Arthurian mythology quest story out of the park and I could not have been more right.

I'm glad the synopsis was slightly vague because I enjoyed seeing the story/narrative unfold naturally. There were so many twists and plot points that I did not see coming and I was so engaged the entire way through. I found myself wanting to savor this book, and I was so sad when it concluded.

Whenever I read a book by Alexandra Bracken, I know I am going to have great protagonists and Tamsin fulfilled that description completely. I greatly enjoyed being in her head for this story and I always like seeing how authors pull off a 1st-person narration style. Alexandra Bracken has done it flawlessly in the past and here it was no different. Each and every one of the side characters was so endearing and I adored the found family trope found here. Neve was snarky, Caitriona was like the mom of the group, Bedivere the dad, Olwen the wise friend, Cabell the trusty planner, and Emrys the adventurous love interest/sidekick. They all added so much to the story and I loved following this ragtag team.

Arthurian mythology is one of my favorites and I love it when books incorporate them. I have read some reviews that said they felt like Alexandra Bracken didn't utilize it enough, but I thought it was the perfect mix. I've always wanted to read more about Avalon (even though I love Camelot as well) and I think she wove her own story elements and those of traditional Arthurian legend very well. The mythology is not as present or in-your-face as the Greek mythology in her last book, Lore, but it's very much there, and was, for me, a great amount. I love portal fantasy books so I really enjoyed both Part 1 in our world and also Part 2 and 3 which was set in Avalon. Avalon was such a fascinating setting and I loved seeing what AB did with it here. The magic was fascinating and I love all the riddles and curses. I will say though that the Children of the Night CREEPED ME OUT SO MUCH OML.

The plot was amazing. I've found that AB's pacing is sometimes just slightly off for me, but here it was absolutely perfect. Every chapter was enthralling and exhilarating and I just loved every single story beat. Quest stories always captivate me and this one was so much fun. The Earth characters themselves were Hollowers/treasure hunters and I loved all the discussion of artifacts and relics and all the journeys they and the Avalonians embarked on. The ending also SHOOK ME TO MY CORE.

And the writing was amazing as expected from Alexandra Bracken.

Overall, this was a great magical, mythological, mystical story with a phenomenal setting, cast of characters, plot, and prose style that pulls you in from the very beginning and refuses to let you go until the very end—an ending that will easily propel you into a state of aching for the sequel.

This is a dnf for now. I might get back to the book in the future but for now I could not get into the story and will have to set it down.

I thoroughly enjoyed Silver in the Bone. The characters and world building were fully fleshed out. I felt the pacing lagged in certain areas, but overall it was a wonderful story based in Arthurian Lore.

It took me a little while to get pulled into the story, but once I was hooked I couldn't put it down. Tamsin and Cabell's sibling relationship felt authentic and Tamsin's initial clashes turning to real relationships with Emrys and Neve were also great. I liked the world building and the magic system. The end definitely left me wanting the next book!

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!