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callistag1's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Blood, Death, and Murder
Minor: Child abuse, Death of parent, Child death, Physical abuse, and Genocide
manaledi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
While the names were Arthurian, the book overall wasn't particularly. Also definitely darker than I'd expected. A slow read for me as it's been a busy week. It felt good but not for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Gore, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Classism, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Physical abuse
mack_readz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Mental illness, Self harm, Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse
savvyrosereads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Rating: 5/5 stars
Based in Arthurian legend, Silver in the Bone is the story of Tamsin, who will do anything to break her brother’s curse, including going on a daring quest in search of a mythical ring.
I went into this one mostly blind, so I had very few expectations, but I can say this exceeded all of them and then some! The story kept me interested, engaged, and emotional throughout (including some sobbing in the final few chapters) and I loved the characters and the world that Bracken created. I read this one as a buddy read with a friend and she predicted a cliffhanger early on…and let me tell you she was correct. I truly cannot WAIT for book two!
My one complaint (and it’s a small one since I gave this 5 stars!) is that I wanted slightly more world building and a fuller explanation of the magic system and related lore. That might be because I have no real background knowledge of Arthurian legend, so it’s possibly a me thing. Either way, a small quibble for what was ultimately a really fun and enjoyable read!
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: Arthurian fantasy; stories about sisterhood; mythical swords
CW: Blood/gore/violence/death; mentions of child abuse (including physical abuse and abandonment)
Based in Arthurian legend, Silver in the Bone is the story of Tamsin, who will do anything to break her brother’s curse, including going on a daring quest in search of a mythical ring.
I went into this one mostly blind, so I had very few expectations, but I can say this exceeded all of them and then some! The story kept me interested, engaged, and emotional throughout (including some sobbing in the final few chapters) and I loved the characters and the world that Bracken created. I read this one as a buddy read with a friend and she predicted a cliffhanger early on…and let me tell you she was correct. I truly cannot WAIT for book two!
My one complaint (and it’s a small one since I gave this 5 stars!) is that I wanted slightly more world building and a fuller explanation of the magic system and related lore. That might be because I have no real background knowledge of Arthurian legend, so it’s possibly a me thing. Either way, a small quibble for what was ultimately a really fun and enjoyable read!
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: Arthurian fantasy; stories about sisterhood; mythical swords
CW: Blood/gore/violence/death; mentions of child abuse (including physical abuse and abandonment)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Child abuse, Child death, Murder, Physical abuse, Grief, and Blood
lenarthoe's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The end was extremely confusing
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Vomit
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Child abuse
lackyducks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This book feels like an enigma to me. The writing isn't bad. The world it's set in is creative and interesting. However, I just failed to connect to the characters and the story.
It is almost a third of the book before you reach the true main plotline. A lot of things feel simply like they're just unnecessary. Why introduce not being able to see magic as such a big part of Tamsin's character if it's simply going to be fixed in a couple of pages? This whole plot point could have used so much more weight, instead it's relegated to the occasional mention and only a few lines of dialogue in reaction by the other characters. The Hand of Glory felt like the author was really trying to make us know it's supposed to be important, but it doesn't feel that way when it kept getting forgotten by the author - not the character. The entire plot with Septimus also just felt superfluous.
As I got into the last third of the book, I started to connect with it more. But it was such a slog to get to that point I almost didn't make it. The story has everything going for me that I'm usually interested in - it just failed to connect.
If you're somebody who enjoys shows like Riverdale, then you'll likely enjoy this. It just wasn't for me.
Also the cliffhanger definitely wasn't for me. I like my books to actually be completed stories.
It is almost a third of the book before you reach the true main plotline. A lot of things feel simply like they're just unnecessary. Why introduce not being able to see magic as such a big part of Tamsin's character if it's simply going to be fixed in a couple of pages? This whole plot point could have used so much more weight, instead it's relegated to the occasional mention and only a few lines of dialogue in reaction by the other characters. The Hand of Glory felt like the author was really trying to make us know it's supposed to be important, but it doesn't feel that way when it kept getting forgotten by the author - not the character. The entire plot with Septimus also just felt superfluous.
As I got into the last third of the book, I started to connect with it more. But it was such a slog to get to that point I almost didn't make it. The story has everything going for me that I'm usually interested in - it just failed to connect.
If you're somebody who enjoys shows like Riverdale, then you'll likely enjoy this. It just wasn't for me.
Also the cliffhanger definitely wasn't for me. I like my books to actually be completed stories.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Medical content, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, and Murder
Moderate: Physical abuse
paigeinabook's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Murder, Religious bigotry, Cannibalism, Grief, Abandonment, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Genocide, Medical content, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, and Xenophobia
miraclesnow's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
OH
MY
GOD
I had read some reviews ahead of time saying the ending to this book was shocking, and folks, they did NOT lie.
This was one of the most impressive endings to a YA book I’ve read in a while. While I did get the hints about the main plot early on, I did not expect almost any of the minor twists and turns Bracken pulled. I’m super intrigued by how this series will continue- not sure if I’ll enjoy it as much, but I’m willing to stick around and see because of how impressed I was by the end.
MY
GOD
I had read some reviews ahead of time saying the ending to this book was shocking, and folks, they did NOT lie.
This was one of the most impressive endings to a YA book I’ve read in a while. While I did get the hints about the main plot early on, I did not expect almost any of the minor twists and turns Bracken pulled. I’m super intrigued by how this series will continue- not sure if I’ll enjoy it as much, but I’m willing to stick around and see because of how impressed I was by the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Murder, Child death, and Death
Minor: Child abuse and Physical abuse
dinipandareads's review against another edition
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
uranaishi's review against another edition
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