Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken

14 reviews

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

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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

scarlett_f's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense 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? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Murder

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)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Child abuse, Child death, Murder, Physical abuse, Grief, and Blood

kirstenf's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Violence, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Vomit

lillygabriella's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I should research books before I read them. This is a first in a series, be prepared to be cliffhangered. Dark, depressing, full of blood and gore. Body horror. 

I did not see those twists coming, I have to say.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Blood, Death, Gore, and Body horror

Moderate: Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Animal death, Grief, Self harm, and Violence

Minor: Vomit

heapofashes's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Death, Blood, and Body horror

Moderate: Death of parent, Gore, Pandemic/Epidemic, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Abandonment

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.

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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

shadowspinner's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Blood, Abandonment, Grief, Child death, and Death

Moderate: Violence and Kidnapping

Minor: Murder

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

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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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Murder, Child death, and Death

Minor: Child abuse and Physical abuse