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.

‘Silver in the Bone’ by Alexandra Bracken had a bit of a slow start but swept me away quickly enough. With amazing characters, twists and turns, awesome and plentiful action, and an enemies-to-lovers romance I really loved this book and highly recommend it!

If you have been following my reviews for a while, you may know that I am a sucker for retellings, especially if they have got anything Arthurian about them. The tie to arthurian legends in Silver in the Bone was more than enough to get me excited about the story, but the urban fantasy setting was what really made this book a five star read for me! The characters were each excellent in their own way, but the world-building was my favorite part. I loved the dark magic and mysterious settings, which made Silver in the Bone such a quick read for me!

My Recommendation-
If you love high-stakes fantasy novels of any variety, I would recommend grabbing a copy of Silver in the Bone! I would especially recommend this book to fans of the TV show Merlin!

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I’m sad to give this book two stars. Bracken is one of my favourite authors! Unfortunately this one I just had a really hard time focusing on it or wanting to continue reading it. I will say I have not been into fantasy lately so that might have swayed my decision. I liked the characters but I kept getting lost in the world and everything going on.

I loved the author's previous foray into mythology-inspired tales, and Silver in the Bone is even better. Bracken is a very creative writer, always bringing in plot elements that I haven't seen before and connecting them seamlessly.

Terrific high fantasy filled to the brim with dangerous stakes and adventure, romance and magic. I loved every second of it!

First half was, meh.
Second half was, better.

Idk I just wasn’t feeling it for this book.
I loved LORE and was hyped for SITB but it almost fell flat. I wish there was more mythology. I wish there was more exploration of the magical aspects. It definitely picked up towards the end which makes me want to read the next book for sure.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me access to this story.