Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken is the first in a series of Arthurian legend-inspired Young Adult fantasies set in contemporary Boston and Avalon. I found Bracken has written less a retelling of the Arthurian legends and more used them as a springboard into a new world.
Bracken uses a lot of child abuse, neglect and abandonment here. Few of the main characters have experienced a “normal” childhood. Tamsin and her unrelated “brother” Cabell are both Hallowers, and both have been abandoned and somewhat loosely adopted by Nash who abandons them in turn. Cabell is cursed to become a dog when stressed. Emrys, the spoiled son of the head Hallower, has been subjected to something or someone that scars his entire body. Tamsin is a smart-mouthed pessimist on the outside but a scarred, traumatized young girl on the inside with substantial trust issues. Neve is a young self-taught sorceress who was also abandoned but retains positive outlook and a caring personality.
The world-building is fantastic, the magic system interesting, the plot twisty and fun with a huge betrayal, and the main characters are complex, layered, yet relatable and strong. There’s a hint of an enemies-to-lovers romance trope between Tamsin and Emrys. At times this book reaches the realm of horror, so it probably best for upper age young adults. My main criticism is that the ties to the Arthurian legends were not strong enough. They seem to be more of a plot device than a retelling—and, since seeing the movie Camelot as a child, I am a sucker for anything related to King Arthur. The book does end on a cliff-hanger; nonetheless, I look forward to the next in the series.
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Silver in the Bone (Knopf Books for Young Readers, April 4, 2023) is available through:
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