Silver in the Bone

By: Alexandra Bracken

Narrated by: Sophie Amoss

INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the critically acclaimed author of Lore comes a stunning contemporary fantasy inspired by Celtic lore—the tale of a teenage girl who seeks her destiny in the cursed ruins of Avalon, driven by love, revenge, and pure adrenaline!

"Simmering with magic, peril, romance, and heartbreak." —Leigh Bardugo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Shadow and 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. . . .

Critic reviews

"Simmering with magic, peril, romance, and heartbreak. Bracken's stories plunge you into a world of legend and longing you will never want to leave." —Leigh Bardugo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Grishaverse series

“Nail-biting, gut-wrenching, action-packed, and devastatingly romantic, Silver in the Bone is absolutely legendary.” —Jennifer Lynn Barnes, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Inheritance Games

“An exquisite fantasy, crackling with dark magic. Silver in the Bone is a heart pounding must-read perfect for anyone who has ever wanted to step inside of a myth.” —Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Caraval

“Bracken’s writing is so sensuous and intoxicating, it will haunt readers even in their dreams.” —Elizabeth Lim, New York Times bestselling author of Six Crimson Cranes

“A harrowing and heart-rending adventure about finding the courage to not be controlled by fear.” —J. Elle, New York Times bestselling author of Wings of Ebony

★ "Amid all the magic, the author weaves a spell of her own and ends with a whopper of a cliffhanger that will leave new readers and Bracken fans alike clamoring for book number two." —Shelf Awareness, starred review

"Perfect for fans that enjoy crossovers between fairytales/fables with modern times.” —Bookstr

“Breakneck pacing and complex world building.” —BookPage

"Balances horror and heartbreak with humor and tenderness. Heady romance blooms between Tam and Emrys, but it’s pessimistic Tam’s rewarding journey toward hope, trust, and self-acceptance that serves as the story’s heart." —Publishers Weekly

“A gripping, thought-provoking, and inventive dark fantasy.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Rips relentlessly through the bones of Arthurian myth as Tamsin forges a legacy of her own... engrossing.” —Booklist

"Fans of Lore will be excited to see Bracken’s dark take on Arthurian legend in this adrenaline-fueled contemporary fantasy." —School Library Journal

took a while to get into

I think it took half the book for me to get into the story, but a lot of that had to do with the narrator being really campy. Most of the book sounded like she was telling a ghost story at a campfire, and not in a good way, if that makes sense. It's definitely heavy on the Y in YA, but I can live with that for this type of book.

I LOVED THIS. Arthurian legend with a twist.

Amazing. This sat on my TBR shelf for a while. I didn’t want to read it until book two was closer to release. Then I just never started it. And book two was out. And I still didn’t read it. Finally. Finally I picked it up and read almost the whole thing in one day. (Audiobooks are awesome.) I devoured it. There is little to no spice. But the story line! Just when I thought I had something figured out, I realized it was wrong! It has kept me guessing. So many answers needed still. It’s Arthurian legend with a twist. Bad@$# women. Betrayal. Mystery. Magic. Familial angst. Friendship. Enemies to lovers? Monsters. A mix of modern world and King Arthur’s time. If it’s on your TBR list, move it close to the top! And the narrator is awesome!

Modern Arthurian inspired fantasy

4.5 stars but rounded up to 5 stars.
what I loved: Arthurian inspiration. it is by no means a retelling but uses elements within the Arthurian tale to lemd support to this contemporary fantasy. it is full of sorceresses, priestesses, magic, curses and death. the characters have good development and have layers of complexity that I enjoy. the world building is done well and the ending is definitely a cliffhanger. i am excited for book 2 and really hope there are more than Tamsin's POV.

One of the best

Definitely in my top favorites of the year, great story, great narration. I don't understand why some are complaining about the narration, she did a fantastic job. Highly recommend this series

Female Indiana Jones

What happens when a female Indiana Jones starts searching for Arthurian relics?
Hijinks.
Tamsin and Cabell Lark’s guardian went missing while searching for Arthurian relic that could break Cabell’s curse. Left with only each other, Tamsin and Cabell follow in their guardian’s footsteps, desperate to find a cure for Cabell until they catch a lead from a hag of the exact relic their guardian was looking for. But there are other people after the relic, one of which being her rival, handsome young Emrys. Following the path of her guardian, Tamsin finds herself in Avalon, a pastoral society under threat, confronting the corpse of her guardian, and the dead end of her last hope.
… Until the Nine Sisters of Avalon reveal a purification rite that would break every curse on the island. With this new path to her brother’s salvation, Tamsin is ready to face an army of the dead and their revenant leader, all to save the island and Cabell.

I really enjoyed a King Arthur story that focused more on the people around Arthur than on Arthur himself. I also really liked seeing Avalon post-Arthur, and how their society might have survived after they left our reality. I did have a few grumbles about the ending, but they’re personal quabbles. I still enjoyed it overall.