SILVER IN THE BONE, by Alexandra Bracken, Knopf Books for Young Readers, April 4, 2023, Hardcover, $19.99 (young adult, ages 14 and up)
A teen seeks to save her brother and discover her destiny in the cursed ruins of Avalon in Alexandra Bracken’s Silver in the Bone.
Born without a trace of magic, Tamsin Lark is no match for the sorceresses and Hollowers who populate the magical underground of Boston. But when the only parent she’s ever known disappears without so much as a goodbye, she has no choice but to join in their cutthroat pursuit of enchanted relics to keep herself — and her brother, Cabell — alive.
Ten years later, rumors are swirling that her guardian found a powerful ring from Arthurian legend just before he vanished. 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… —Synopsis provided by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Silver in the Bone is an Arthurian fantasy that features both mythical and urban settings. As a Hollower, Tamsin hunts magical relics from Arthurian legend, and along the way, she gets in more than a few scrapes.
From the beginning, Silver in the Bone is atmospheric. There’s a gritty darkness to the novel that fans of Alexandra Bracken’s previous works (Lore) will recognize.
The novel starts out strong, but wanes a little in the following chapters. It was a good 50 pages (the book is 496 pages long) before I was truly hooked. But once hooked, I could not put Silver in the Bone down, reading it late into the night.
That slow start felt like it had a lot to do with pacing, which does pick up substantially once the “adventure” starts. That’s when all of the elements come together — setting, mystery, magic, romance and peril.
Even though there are a few main players in Silver in the Bone, the story is told in first person from Tamsin’s point of view. It’s a good choice to use first person, as it heightens the emotion and really takes you inside her thought process.
Silver in the Bone is not a standalone, so be prepared for some big twists and unfinished business. It’s a high-stakes journey that’s appropriate for older young adult readers, ages 14 and up.
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