Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken – Review

Published: April 4, 2023

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Series: Silver in the Bone #1

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Pages: 480 (Hardcover)

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:
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. . . .

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Alexandra Bracken writes some fantastically cool YA fantasy stories, so when I saw she had a new series coming out I jumped all over that! Silver in the Bone is the first book in a new series where people with magical talent, known as Hollowers, search out ancient artifacts straight out of legend. Sometimes they take on paid jobs to find the artifacts or they may just seek out the artifact themselves with the intention to sell it or use it themselves. 

Tamsin Lark may live in the secretive world of the Hollowers, but she was merely adopted and doesn’t even have the most basic Sight abilities. Even as a child she felt excluded when her adoptive brother Cabell could unravel curses with his abilities and she was constantly left behind. Their guardian disappeared years ago after retrieving King Arthur’s dagger and the two have been eking out a living ever since. As Cabell’s curse grows stronger, Tamsin decides to pursue the same item their guardian was after when he disappeared – a ring said to break any curse. This hunt brings Tamsin into a reluctant alliance with Emrys Dye, the son of the Boston Hollower guild leader, who she has hated for years just because he had everything she wanted. 

While this book really dumps you right into this strange and magical world, the how, what, and why of things become apparent relatively quickly. The Hollowers live alongside those who can’t see the magical world, but interact with sorceresses and other magical folk for their work. They themselves are typically known as Cunningfolk, which are those with a particular ability. In order to travel the world for their artifact hunting they use portals that can whisk them to any location they have in mind, though if it’s a “Vein” made by a sorceress it needs a particular key and is often boobytrapped. 

Tamsin and Emrys’s hunt starts in the mortal world, but they end up traveling to Avalon, the Otherworld where King Arthur lies preserved by ancient magic. While the story was interesting before this jump to a new land, the action and excitement (along with my investment) really picked up upon crossing to Avalon. Instead of a beautiful land full of peace and light they find a mist shrouded land full of flesh-rending monsters and a bare scrap of land where people survive. 

I won’t spoil anymore of the plot (just know I’ve given you the bare bones of it), so let’s move on to more exciting things. Tamsin is a fantastically fatalistic character who intentionally makes herself hard to like. Despite this, I thought she was great if rather prickly most of the time because well, she’s had a lifetime of good reasons to be this way. Emrys almost immediately proves himself to be deeper than the impression that Tamsin has always held of him. Cabell is also a pretty morbid character because he’s been under the weight of his curse for so long and it only gets worse. He fears harming his sister and those around him, but also acts out. Mind you, these characters are all older teenagers who’ve been taking care of themselves for the last seven years. And then there’s Neve, a bubbly, odd  young sorceress who also wants the ring that Tamsin is after so she accompanies them.

This was actually a really wonderful book and after the initial disorienting dunking into the world I really loved it. I’ve had a streak of wins with young adult books this year which is both unusual and pleasant. The emotional moments were quite impactful and there was a great display of young people beginning to speak about their feelings and communicating in a healthier way. And let me just say, the ending was spectacular and has left me adrift because now I have to wait at least a year for the sequel! The final lines left so many questions and really changed the dynamic!