Silver in the Bone centers on a brother/sister duo of orphans raised by a magical thief to make a living. They exist in a world where Arthurian legends were real, but the world in which they took place was separated from the normal realm millennia ago. I'm a sucker for intertwining the mundane with the magical, so it was immediately gripping.

Tamsin is a pessimistic protagonist in that she’s always had a hard life because of poverty and the fact that her brother is cursed with lycanthropy. She’s always wanted to cure him, but to do so would require a big score and some luck. King Arthur’s ring is said to be able to cure him, and now the pair have a lead on it after their guardian disappeared years before while looking for it. The story follows them journeying to the Arthurian realm to locate the ring and possibly their previous guardian. They do get roped into a fight against some dark creatures and Tamsin has to work with this guy that she doesn’t really trust, Emrys, mostly because they’re stuck in the realm together. It does boil down to an enemies-to-lovers scenario and it’s not anything special. This is mostly due to the lack of background events on why Tamsin and Cabell don’t like him. Tamsin mostly hates him because he’s rich and his dad is a well-respected Hollower (magical contract workers), though there are some nefarious undertones there. While she and her brother have had to scrounge and work for everything they have, she sees him as a “trustfund” baby, leading to resentment. While I’m on board for hating the rich, it feels childish given the scenario they’re in. It showcases how childish Tamsin can be. Her pessimism is balanced out by her brother Cabell.

Cabell is more positive, despite being cursed. He and his sister are mostly inseparable, because they only really trust one another, but he does get some room to grow in the story. The sibling relationship was definitely one of the strongest parts of the narrative. It somewhat echoes my own, though without all the magical fun stuff. He’s a bit naive, but in the serious moments, he’s dependable and though many things happen to him and his sister, he dares to have hope. Despite his dark curse, he’s a light and needs some stoking from time to time to burn brighter.

Silver in the Bone is somewhat of a grim narrative. The darkness of the story is contrasted by the youthful ignorance of its characters and the romantic elements sprinkled throughout. Emrys’ character is explored through his growing relationship with Tamsin, and vice versa, while Cabell has an exploration more centered around autonomy. This separation helped each sibling evolve more than they would have together, but other characters are left to their own devices. Neve is one that I wish was explored more as her sorceress background was the most interesting to me. Her connection to Avalon and its history did help integrate her more to the story rather than just being a “get out of jail free” card.

The dark creatures assaulting Avalon were pretty basic as far as plots, but there were some interesting places the story went. I enjoyed trying to piece together the history of the Arthurian world in this narrative and with the ending, I’m left wanting to see where the next entry will go. People that enjoy stories of a downtrodden person becoming a hero intertwined with romance and magical intrigue will like this story.