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the_b00kreader's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Heartbreaking. Soul-crushing. Full of twists and turns.
That's all I can say about this book....
That's all I can say about this book....
I stayed up until 2am to finish this book....2 AM! And I do not regret it.
This book was great, like really great. I loved it! I loved Bracken's writing style and found it helped to keep this story more captivating.
This book was great, like really great. I loved it! I loved Bracken's writing style and found it helped to keep this story more captivating.
The tension was high throughout this entire book but towards the end, around the last nine chapters, the tension sky-rocketed and everything I thought I knew was no more. Plot twists and turns, one after the other, emotional damage was done.
(I mean my pillow....full of tears)
(I mean my pillow....full of tears)
Tamsin, the main character, was certainly an interesting character to read about. She had quite an issue with trust (relatable) and had difficulty letting people in (also relatable). Her development throughout this book was very well written and she certainly grew on me.
Another thing about this book was that you could tell Bracken did plenty of research on the Arthurian legends that fed into the plot line.
But, after that ending....I'm going to need the next book ASAP. I have so many questions!!
I honestly cannot recommend this book enough. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend you do so! I loved it!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Gore, Domestic abuse, Grief, Violence, and War
Moderate: Abandonment and Child death
keepcalmblogon's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Alex Bracken is one of my favorite authors, so I was so happy I got approved for Silver in the Bone on NetGalley!
While I’ve always appreciated the Arthur Legend, I haven’t read too many books related to it–I’ve mostly just watched movies and TV based on it. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Silver, but I was happy to find out that instead of a retelling, it was more an epilogue of Arthur, with characters who had new motivations but were guided by the events of Arthur’s history.
I was even more surprised at every twist of the plot, although there were a few things that seemed a little confusing to me, in the end, the mystery was explained clearly. Be warned though, this is not a standalone, and while the cliffhanger is light, it is certainly there! Now I have to wait as patiently as I can for the next book to come out so I can find out how Tamsin et al. will defeat…you’ll see who!
I give this book 4 stars because some of the confusing bits of plot felt more “the end justifies the means,” and while I never want a book to be predictable, the twists of the story weren’t so much twists as redirections of the characters’ means to their ends–kind of like a supernatural TV show where it takes a few episodes, or a whole season, to achieve a goal after changing course a few times, but in the span of a book it was kind of extra. Although, I will say the character growth and development and certain changes of heart were very very well done and believable.
While I’ve always appreciated the Arthur Legend, I haven’t read too many books related to it–I’ve mostly just watched movies and TV based on it. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Silver, but I was happy to find out that instead of a retelling, it was more an epilogue of Arthur, with characters who had new motivations but were guided by the events of Arthur’s history.
I was even more surprised at every twist of the plot, although there were a few things that seemed a little confusing to me, in the end, the mystery was explained clearly. Be warned though, this is not a standalone, and while the cliffhanger is light, it is certainly there! Now I have to wait as patiently as I can for the next book to come out so I can find out how Tamsin et al. will defeat…you’ll see who!
I give this book 4 stars because some of the confusing bits of plot felt more “the end justifies the means,” and while I never want a book to be predictable, the twists of the story weren’t so much twists as redirections of the characters’ means to their ends–kind of like a supernatural TV show where it takes a few episodes, or a whole season, to achieve a goal after changing course a few times, but in the span of a book it was kind of extra. Although, I will say the character growth and development and certain changes of heart were very very well done and believable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Violence
kassidyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Child abuse, Grief, Abandonment, and Animal death
Minor: Alcoholism
jessicaludden's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
“Choose me, because I choose you.”
Silver in the Bone follows Tamsin who lives in a world of magic based on Arthurian legend. She sets out on a journey to retrieve a magical object that will help break her brother’s curse. This journey takes her to places she’s never been before and tests her sense of trust and loyalty.
I loved this book so much. This world pulled me in immediately. I really liked the characters and their relationships. I liked how vulnerable the main character got and the friendships she developed. The author did an amazing job of creating this magical world with high stakes and betrayals. The middle was a little slow for me, but the beginning and end were so action packed and intriguing and I learned to love these characters along the way. Overall, I loved this and I can’t wait for the sequel!
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an ARC of this book!
Silver in the Bone follows Tamsin who lives in a world of magic based on Arthurian legend. She sets out on a journey to retrieve a magical object that will help break her brother’s curse. This journey takes her to places she’s never been before and tests her sense of trust and loyalty.
I loved this book so much. This world pulled me in immediately. I really liked the characters and their relationships. I liked how vulnerable the main character got and the friendships she developed. The author did an amazing job of creating this magical world with high stakes and betrayals. The middle was a little slow for me, but the beginning and end were so action packed and intriguing and I learned to love these characters along the way. Overall, I loved this and I can’t wait for the sequel!
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an ARC of this book!
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood, Child death, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Death, Abandonment, and Suicidal thoughts
dinipandareads's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Special thanks to the publisher for inviting me to read this book and providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!3.5 stars
I buddy-read this with two other book bloggers and found that it was a great book to read with others as there were lots of theories to share and other elements to discuss. This book got off to a rocky start and despite wishing that the world-building was stronger and the pacing was less erratic, it's still a story that I think is worth sticking with because I really enjoyed the characters and their relationships. Plus, with all the tense action and surprising twists that come at the end, I'm excited to see where the story goes next.
**Before diving into my review I do want to make note that this book was a lot more bloody and brutal than I expected. There was a lot of violence and gore (for YA) and the author doesn't spare details, especially in that final bloodbath. Please check the Content/Trigger Warnings!
The plot is pretty straightforward and easy to follow even when plans go awry. I think Bracken set the bleak, hopeless and foreboding atmosphere very well and this also ended up being a lot creepier than I expected. To be fair, I am quite the scaredy and it doesn't take much to creep me out but the author does conjure up some pretty horrific imagery and props to her for being able to do that so well! There's a heaviness and tension that permeates the pages and doesn't let up all the way through to the end; in fact, the author ramps up the tension with a few surprises, heart-pounding twists and turns in the plot and character arcs, and I was kept on my toes trying to anticipate what happens next.
That said, as I mentioned earlier, this had a bit of a rough start as we're thrown straight into the story with no explanation about the world but it felt as if we were expected to already have some kind of knowledge about it (if that makes sense). It took me a while to get my bearings in this world and I still have more questions than I do answers by the end, which is why I think world-building was the weakest part of this. To be blunt, it's not well executed. There's a fair amount of info dumping and combined with the uneven pacing, some repetition and inconsistencies in the Arthurian lore and magic system, I have to say I was a bit disappointed by it. While I noticed more inconsistencies in the events of the twisted Arthurian lore, it was the magic system that confused me the most because the explanations are vague and poorly explained. I'm still unsure what the difference is between the Cunningfolk, sorceresses, druids, and Hollowers, nor do I really get how the different magical abilities work—is everyone born with an ability and what determines that? It was interesting to read about all these elements but it needed more clarity!
What saved this book for me were the characters and their relationships. The story is told from Tamsin's perspective and she was honestly a little unbearable at the beginning! She's rude, irritable, and full of bitterness and anger, which made her act horribly to everyone she encounters, often with little provocation or good reason. This attitude does continue well into the story but she does experience some decent character growth! Her attitude change felt a little abrupt at first but she doesn't miraculously become this good kind person overnight; she struggles to control her fatalistic/pessimistic outlook and bitterness but that made me appreciate the sincerity of her growth more. Besides Tamsin, we have a fairly large retinue of side characters and most of them aren't very well fleshed out but I do think there's room for more to happen in the sequels! I hope it does because I want to know more about Emrys, Caitriona, Olwen, Neve, and even Cabell. While their interactions weren't always smooth as a group, especially when they first meet, I loved how they ended up forming a tight bond that I hope will only get stronger in the second book. The bad-ass girl-power vibes at the end of the book were so good and I'm sensing the strong potential for the found family trope in the future, and I'm totally here for that!
This also has a romance that I ADORED—the nemesis-to-lovers/hate-to-love vibes were strong in this one and if you love that trope, you'll definitely enjoy the dynamic between Emrys and Tamsin! Emrys was a pretty interesting side character and love interest who was essentially the "sunshine" to her "grump" but I'm not quite sure how to feel about him or whether he's really trustworthy. There's so much mystery surrounding his backstory and though what we learned about him hurt my heart a little bit, I'm curious to see what his real motive is! That said, this plant boi had some fantastic chemistry with Tamsin and their biting banter was so good! I found myself laughing at their interactions even at the most inopportune moments and it brought some delightful levity to an otherwise dark story. I really can't wait to see what happens with this relationship in the next book!
Overall, despite a rough start, I think this was worth having patience with and sticking it through to the end. I do wish the pacing had been better and the world-building stronger but after all of that action in the last 30% I feel like I need to get my hands on the next book ASAP, please!
I buddy-read this with two other book bloggers and found that it was a great book to read with others as there were lots of theories to share and other elements to discuss. This book got off to a rocky start and despite wishing that the world-building was stronger and the pacing was less erratic, it's still a story that I think is worth sticking with because I really enjoyed the characters and their relationships. Plus, with all the tense action and surprising twists that come at the end, I'm excited to see where the story goes next.
**Before diving into my review I do want to make note that this book was a lot more bloody and brutal than I expected. There was a lot of violence and gore (for YA) and the author doesn't spare details, especially in that final bloodbath. Please check the Content/Trigger Warnings!
The plot is pretty straightforward and easy to follow even when plans go awry. I think Bracken set the bleak, hopeless and foreboding atmosphere very well and this also ended up being a lot creepier than I expected. To be fair, I am quite the scaredy and it doesn't take much to creep me out but the author does conjure up some pretty horrific imagery and props to her for being able to do that so well! There's a heaviness and tension that permeates the pages and doesn't let up all the way through to the end; in fact, the author ramps up the tension with a few surprises, heart-pounding twists and turns in the plot and character arcs, and I was kept on my toes trying to anticipate what happens next.
That said, as I mentioned earlier, this had a bit of a rough start as we're thrown straight into the story with no explanation about the world but it felt as if we were expected to already have some kind of knowledge about it (if that makes sense). It took me a while to get my bearings in this world and I still have more questions than I do answers by the end, which is why I think world-building was the weakest part of this. To be blunt, it's not well executed. There's a fair amount of info dumping and combined with the uneven pacing, some repetition and inconsistencies in the Arthurian lore and magic system, I have to say I was a bit disappointed by it. While I noticed more inconsistencies in the events of the twisted Arthurian lore, it was the magic system that confused me the most because the explanations are vague and poorly explained. I'm still unsure what the difference is between the Cunningfolk, sorceresses, druids, and Hollowers, nor do I really get how the different magical abilities work—is everyone born with an ability and what determines that? It was interesting to read about all these elements but it needed more clarity!
What saved this book for me were the characters and their relationships. The story is told from Tamsin's perspective and she was honestly a little unbearable at the beginning! She's rude, irritable, and full of bitterness and anger, which made her act horribly to everyone she encounters, often with little provocation or good reason. This attitude does continue well into the story but she does experience some decent character growth! Her attitude change felt a little abrupt at first but she doesn't miraculously become this good kind person overnight; she struggles to control her fatalistic/pessimistic outlook and bitterness but that made me appreciate the sincerity of her growth more. Besides Tamsin, we have a fairly large retinue of side characters and most of them aren't very well fleshed out but I do think there's room for more to happen in the sequels! I hope it does because I want to know more about Emrys, Caitriona, Olwen, Neve, and even Cabell. While their interactions weren't always smooth as a group, especially when they first meet, I loved how they ended up forming a tight bond that I hope will only get stronger in the second book. The bad-ass girl-power vibes at the end of the book were so good and I'm sensing the strong potential for the found family trope in the future, and I'm totally here for that!
This also has a romance that I ADORED—the nemesis-to-lovers/hate-to-love vibes were strong in this one and if you love that trope, you'll definitely enjoy the dynamic between Emrys and Tamsin! Emrys was a pretty interesting side character and love interest who was essentially the "sunshine" to her "grump" but I'm not quite sure how to feel about him or whether he's really trustworthy. There's so much mystery surrounding his backstory and though what we learned about him hurt my heart a little bit, I'm curious to see what his real motive is! That said, this plant boi had some fantastic chemistry with Tamsin and their biting banter was so good! I found myself laughing at their interactions even at the most inopportune moments and it brought some delightful levity to an otherwise dark story. I really can't wait to see what happens with this relationship in the next book!
Overall, despite a rough start, I think this was worth having patience with and sticking it through to the end. I do wish the pacing had been better and the world-building stronger but after all of that action in the last 30% I feel like I need to get my hands on the next book ASAP, please!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Death and Abandonment
Minor: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse
noellelovesbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings: Death, gore, blood, violence, body horror, child death, and animal death. Mention of: abandonment, parental neglect, and child abuse.
***I received an ARC, through Netgalley, ahead of release.***
Wow. That was a ride. When I started the book I really didn't know where it was going to go or how it would need more than one book...well I still don't know exactly where the overall story will go [I'm so excited to see though!] but I definitely see why more books are needed.
It was easy to relate to Tamsin and her feelings of abandonment, lacking, and her fierce drive to do whatever it takes to protect and save her brother. Growing up Tamsin was shown time and again that the only people she could truly rely on was herself and her brother. Knowing that connections to people just delays the inevitable pain when they abandon her, like so many have done before, she actively prevents connections from occurring.
This was such a fantastic read, I loved the lore and storytelling aspect, and I cannot wait for the next installment so I can see where Tamsin's journey takes her!
***I received an ARC, through Netgalley, ahead of release.***
Wow. That was a ride. When I started the book I really didn't know where it was going to go or how it would need more than one book...well I still don't know exactly where the overall story will go [I'm so excited to see though!] but I definitely see why more books are needed.
It was easy to relate to Tamsin and her feelings of abandonment, lacking, and her fierce drive to do whatever it takes to protect and save her brother. Growing up Tamsin was shown time and again that the only people she could truly rely on was herself and her brother. Knowing that connections to people just delays the inevitable pain when they abandon her, like so many have done before, she actively prevents connections from occurring.
This was such a fantastic read, I loved the lore and storytelling aspect, and I cannot wait for the next installment so I can see where Tamsin's journey takes her!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Body horror, Animal death, Gore, and Bullying
Moderate: Abandonment, Child abuse, and Child death
uranaishi's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Child abuse, Child death, Medical content, Abandonment, Blood, Classism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Violence, and War
Minor: Chronic illness, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Sexual content, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Confinement, Cursing, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
rebeks_reads's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Grief and Abandonment
kimmykelly's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Blood, Classism, Gore, and Violence
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