Welcome to the third day of our book club readalong for OwlCrate's April book, Silver In The Bone by Alexandra Bracken. 

This month I will be running our book club in tandem with our amazing Nest moderator, Amber, who is hosting our club readalong of Silver In The Bone on the Official OwlCrate Nest discussion group. You'll be able to chat with other readers there, access way more chapter by chapter questions, and get some  AMAZING fun extra activities to go along with the discussion! Check it out HERE.

Readers who participate in the Nest's readalong will be in the running to win an OwlCrate box and one randomly chosen blog discussion participant will win a shop gift card!

Just a reminder that this will be a SPOILER discussion for Chapters 15-22 of Silver In The Bone , so make sure you read are finished this section before continuing.

Find your discussion questions below!


Things are starting to get interesting...

Chapter 15:

Everyone enters the infirmary and meets Fayne, better known as Flea who is the size of a small child. The healer asks to tend to Emrys. Right then, Neve swoons from too much magic use. Flea prepares a tonic for her. As Neve sways, she tells their captors that Cabell and Tamsin are looking for their father. The priestess, Caitriona tells the group about how the Sorceress' turned their backs on the Goddess and cursed Avalon to fester. They learn that the Druids first sought the Lord of Death and used his power to overwhelm the Priestesses of Avalon, killing all but a few. The remaining Priestesses could not use magic for revenge due to their faith, but a handful of the including Morgan, fought against the Druids, killing them. This resulted in the remaining Sorceresses being exiled out of Avalon. 



Tamsin asks what the undead are and Caitriona informs her that they are Avalon's dead. 


Chapter 16: 

Everyone stands to themselves in silence as Flea's cauldron of tonic boils over. Olwen busies herself ladling a cup for Neve while Neve asks Caitriona about the dead. They learn that the curse deformed them and Caitriona asks Neve how she bent the mists to get them into Avalon.  Neve refuses to answer and asks to see the High Priestess. Caitriona tells them that she's been dead a year past and Flea, listening to this exchange becomes overwhelmed and runs away. 

They learn that this magical curse has corrupted and destroyed almost all of Avalon. Causing the dead to rise again and the skies to be cast in darkness for all but a few hours a day. 

The group discusses the possible reasons for the curse, and magic. Priestess Olwen reads to them from a volume called "Wisdom Of The Mother" and reads a passage concluding an affliction, "silver in the bone". Olwen tells them that they can find no other reference to this and then grabs a jar holding a shriveled human head...



Olwen shows them that beneath the shriveled flesh, the skull looked to be dipped in silver. She tells them that all the Sorceress' and Druids bones are this way. 

Betrys comes in and tells the group that they are to go to the springs to wash and change into fresh clothing. She also assures them that their belongings will be returned to them. Betrys reveals that she's taken Ignatius, Tamsin's Hand Of Glory from her belongs and questions Tamsin about it. Tamsin quickly reassures them that the hand is just a carving used as a torch and it's magic is just to brighten glow. 



Everyone leaves the infirmary. On leaving, all they can hear is the shrieking of the undead Children Of The Night. 



Chapter 17: 

As the group is led across the courtyard, they run into a lumbering giant that Betrys informs them is Deri, a "hamadryad" bound to tend the Mother tree. 

She guides them to a cavern with springs and a steaming river inside that filled smaller pools.



The group bathes and Cabell and Tamsin talk about Nash, the quest and the dark magic surrounding Avalon. Cabell tells them the tale of King Arthur's sword in the stone when Neve asks for a book. Everyone talks and Tamsin wonders what god could remain in Avalon when it's surrounded by so much death. 


Chapter 18:

As Betrys calls the group to be finished bathing, Tamsin exits the water. Neve spots the blue black stain of a mark over her heart and Neve tells her it's a death mark. Tamsin denies it. 

Betrys gives the group a visual once over and then leads them into a great hall and up through the castle. They're shown to their rooms. Neve and Tamsin share one. Tamsin realizes she's left Ignatius, her Hand Of Glory at the springs. Tamsin goes down to the springs to get him and sees Emrys. He takes his shirt off and she sees that he's been scarred. He refuses to answer her about who scarred him. Emrys leaves and Tamsin walks back to the courtyard. Caitriona is there and tells her that tomorrow she will take Cabell and Tamsin to their father. 


Chapter 19:

The next morning Cabell and Tamsin wait with Emrys and Neve for Caitriona in the courtyard. The priestesses and castle folk are at work. while Tamsin and Cabell discuss what has happened to Nash and Avalon. 

Flea shows up and steals a crystal from Tamsin. Tamsin lets her leave and Caitriona finally shows alongside Olwen and Bedivere. Olwen takes Flea and Neve to the library while the others ride with Bedivere and Caitriona to see Nash. As they only have four horses, Tamsin must ride with Emrys. 



Bedivere gives Emrys a sword, Tamsin takes a dagger and they all get into chainmail. They leave and ride through the decaying countryside and ride into the sacred grove. There they see a man's corpse surrounded by a sleeping bag, unlit lantern and a candy wrapper. 


Chapter 20: 

Caitriona tells the group that they call this man the Stranger. Emrys becomes angry that Caitriona didn't warn Cabell and Tamsin that their father figure was dead. 

Cabell searches the body and starts to cry. Cabell starts to transform and Tamsin attempts to calm him down. Bedivere helps Cabell return to normal. Cabell wants to bury Nash but the darkness pours in and they return to the castle. 

Chapter 21:

Caitriona leads them back to the tower and demands to speak with Tamsin. Bedivere reassures her that he will look after Cabell. Caitriona leads Tamsin to the library and there they find Neve and Olwen. They discuss Nash and Olwen is upset to find that Caitriona did not tell them their father was dead. 

Caitriona snaps back about the group not being truthful about their quest and questions Tamsin about searching for the Ring Of Dispel. They learn that Tamsin wants it to cure her brother of the curse. Caitriona reveals that while it was made with good intentions, the Ring Of Dispel grew to revel in blood and that in order for it to obey it's wielder, it must prove it's worth by killing the last one. That it can be claimed only through death. 




Chapter 22:

Olwen asks Caitriona why those in Avalon have not searched for the ring to lift the land's curse. Caitriona counters that it could risk lives. Tamsin suggests that they just leave Avalon for the mortal realms but no one likes that suggestion as Avalon was a gift from the Goddess. 

The discussion grows heated and a bell tolls. The tower is being attacked by hundreds if not thousands of the Children Of The Night. The people of Avalon are fighting back with fire but the undead continue to climb. 

They surround the tower while Bedivere has ordered the moat filled with fire. 

The isles oldest and strongest spellwork is failing against the curse and dark magic. 

The group retreat to their rooms where they discuss the attack and Cabell's curse. Neve leaves them to go back to the library and look for solutions to the attack. The attack continues on through the night and Neve and Tamsin lay awake in their room. Neve asks if Tamsin will ever tell her how to acquire the Ring Of Dispel and she says no. 



Things seem like they're going a bit south for Tamsin and the Scooby Gang...

 Questions:

  1. 💭 What did you think of the Nash plot twist? 
  2. 🗺️ Do you think the group will do anymore traveling around Avalon?
  3. 💥 How do you think they will defeat the Children Of The Night ?
  4. 🗡️ What do you think the significance of 'silver in the bone' is to 
    Cabell and Tamsin?
    
    
    
    

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        Jordan Fleming