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A review by brooksie03051
The Beasts We Bury by D.L. Taylor
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
The Beasts We Bury by D.L. Taylor
Pub Date Feb 04, 2025
A thief and an heir make an unlikely pair in this dark YA fantasy where right and wrong blur as a war brews and the fate of many hang in the balance. Mancella is heir to the throne but has an aversion to violence. She has great powers over animals and as she ages, her powers grow stronger. As heir to her father's realm, she is expected to lead the realm and her father cares about one thing. Power, control, and conquer. He cruelly raised her to strengthen her powers to control the animals but to do that, she must destroy them and absorb them into her magic. Once there, she can use them in battle. Over the years the animals she fights get more dangerous and although she has been doing this unwillingly forced by her father the Prime, it doesn't get easier. He has a grand plan; she is the key to his success and will also become his second.
Silver is a thief who will do just about anything to survive. When he is offered a job by a stranger who seems to know his way around the palace and requires his skills of stealing that pays well and will help secure a safe new home for him and his friends that he couldn't refuse. He did what he was told, stealing items as asked with little knowledge of why the items were needed. For these items, he not only needed access to the palace but also to specific areas where the king held them and do it without getting caught. To do that, he befriends Mance to accomplish his tasks, but as time goes on he realizes that she is nothing like he assumed and finds it harder to lie and take advantage of her. When things get closer to the completed task he must decide to continue the path and break her trust or go back on his deal due to his growing feelings for this powerful girl that surprises him with her kind heart.
Book one in this duology starts slow as you get to know the characters and this world but it isn't overly complicated. It is dark in regards to how the FMC is treated and what she is forced to do to strengthen her magic abilities which she does not do willingly. The romance is a slow-burn YA appropriate and not explicit however the way her magic is formed may be bothersome to people who are sensitive to animals. The magic was interesting and different than what I typically see and the ending of this book leads you to believe that the FMC will be up for a big challenge that makes her face her internal demons head-on. It will be interesting to see how that plays out so I look forward to reading book 2.
I received the Unabridged Audiobook through Netgalley and Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest review.
Audiobook length 11 Hours, 36 Minutes Narrated by Brenda Scott Wlazlo; Jake Chronister
Or 368 pages, Hardcover
A thief and an heir make an unlikely pair in this dark YA fantasy where right and wrong blur as a war brews and the fate of many hang in the balance. Mancella is heir to the throne but has an aversion to violence. She has great powers over animals and as she ages, her powers grow stronger. As heir to her father's realm, she is expected to lead the realm and her father cares about one thing. Power, control, and conquer. He cruelly raised her to strengthen her powers to control the animals but to do that, she must destroy them and absorb them into her magic. Once there, she can use them in battle. Over the years the animals she fights get more dangerous and although she has been doing this unwillingly forced by her father the Prime, it doesn't get easier. He has a grand plan; she is the key to his success and will also become his second.
Silver is a thief who will do just about anything to survive. When he is offered a job by a stranger who seems to know his way around the palace and requires his skills of stealing that pays well and will help secure a safe new home for him and his friends that he couldn't refuse. He did what he was told, stealing items as asked with little knowledge of why the items were needed. For these items, he not only needed access to the palace but also to specific areas where the king held them and do it without getting caught. To do that, he befriends Mance to accomplish his tasks, but as time goes on he realizes that she is nothing like he assumed and finds it harder to lie and take advantage of her. When things get closer to the completed task he must decide to continue the path and break her trust or go back on his deal due to his growing feelings for this powerful girl that surprises him with her kind heart.
Book one in this duology starts slow as you get to know the characters and this world but it isn't overly complicated. It is dark in regards to how the FMC is treated and what she is forced to do to strengthen her magic abilities which she does not do willingly. The romance is a slow-burn YA appropriate and not explicit however the way her magic is formed may be bothersome to people who are sensitive to animals. The magic was interesting and different than what I typically see and the ending of this book leads you to believe that the FMC will be up for a big challenge that makes her face her internal demons head-on. It will be interesting to see how that plays out so I look forward to reading book 2.
I received the Unabridged Audiobook through Netgalley and Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest review.
Audiobook length 11 Hours, 36 Minutes Narrated by Brenda Scott Wlazlo; Jake Chronister
Or 368 pages, Hardcover