This book was exactly what I was hoping for in terms of wrapping up the duology. The characters developed really well and I enjoyed the story from beginning to end!

I loved this book, I loved it more than the first and that rarely happens. This is such a dark high stakes retelling and it captivates you right from the start. Every character is fleshed out and written so well, and the world building is truly magical. Tasmin was not really my fave character at times but I felt that she really grew into her own in this conclusion. What a wild ride.

Avalon is in ruins. Lord Death has found his way into the contemporary world. And Tamsin feels just as helpless as she did all those years ago when she was first left to fend for herself.

But Tamsin isn't alone now. Although some betrayals are still fresh, Tamsin has Neve, Catriona, and Olwen by her side. And all four of them are determined to atone for their disastrous choices in Avalon before it's too late to save this world.

At the same time, Lord Death continues to add members to his Wild Hunt only increasing their thirst for bloodshed and their own violent path in search of ever more power for Lord Death.

The legendary "Mirror of Beasts" might be enough to trap and stop Lord Death in his tracks. But first Tamsin has to find it--something made much harder when Tamsin can't trust any of the Hollowers, even those who had been her closest allies during their perilous time in Avalon.

When the stakes have never been higher, it will take all of Tamsin's cunning and mettle to best Lord Death once and for all in The Mirror of Beasts (2024) by Alexandra Bracken.

The Mirror of Beasts concludes Bracken's Arthurian-legend-infused duology which begins with Silver in the Bone (read my review). With this book picking up nearly immediately after the conclusion of book one, readers will want to keep previous events fresh in their minds before embarking on this second book (something helped with a comprehensive Dramatis Personae found at the start of the book). Tamsin is cued as white with diversity among the supporting cast. The novel is primarily told from Tamsin's point of view (and narrated by Sophie Amoss for the audiobook).

Elements of horror and fantasy continue to blend together in this dark series conclusion. Bracken keeps the focus on friendship and relationships as Tamsin continues to struggle with letting people in and, more importantly, letting them show up for her--especially in this new perilous landscape. The hunt for a way to contain Lord Death also leaves plenty of room to focus on characterization as the novel moves inexorably toward a dramatic finish that will have a ripple effect in both the mortal world and Avalon.

Female solidarity and support is an especially well-developed theme as Tamsin struggles with trusting her closest friends and also with how best to protect them when everyone is in danger. The push and pull between Tamsin and Emrys builds to a satisfying conclusion as both characters try to come to terms with their trust issues and growing feelings (which both find it a bit hard to acknowledge--so relatable!).

The Mirror of Beasts is a successful duology conclusion that manages to close the loop on main character arcs while also expanding the world and inviting readers to imagine further adventures to come.

Possible Pairings: Road of the Lost by Nafiza Azad, Vial of Tears by Cristin Bishara, Legendborn by Tracy Deonn, We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal, Wild is the Witch by Rachel Griffin, Gilded by Marissa Meyer, Little Thieves by Margaret Owen, A Book of Spirits and Thieves by Morgan Rhodes, Seven Endless Forests by April Genevieve Tucholke

*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration through Libro.fm*

This was an AMAZING finisher for this duology! It took me a bit to get back to the series, but once I got back into this book, I couldn't stop reading it! I won't give spoilers, but I am very satisfied by the ending!

I have to admit that due to the timing and myriad amount of books I read in between Silver in the Bone and The Mirror of Beasts, I had forgotten many of the characters and had a vague memory of the general plot line. That being said, I found myself quickly re-immersed in the urban fantasy retelling of King Arthur and the Wild Hunt.

The book picks up exactly where the first leaves off and doesn't waste any time jumping into action. All of the gang is back except I am not sure if am the only one, but I had a very difficult time telling the sorceresses apart and often got them confused with one another. Tamsin and Emrys, however were exceptionally well defined and I adored following their enemies to lovers romance.

The Mirror of Beasts was a solid ending to this duology. Although there was very little spice, there is quite a bit of violence and domestic abuse for a Young Adult book, so anyone sensitive to that should be aware before diving in.

Recommended for any urban fantasy lovers and retellings of classic legends. 3.75 stars rounded up to 4

Thank you to NetGalley, Alexandra Bracken, and Knopf for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

When I read Silver in the Bone last year, I definitely enjoyed it, but it didn't take my breath away. It was a fun, well-written young adult fantasy, and I personally loved the Arthurian influences. The Mirror of Beasts is completely different in that it is absolutely amazing and probably the best young adult novel I've read this year.

The Mirror of Beasts continues Tamsin's story after restoring Avalon to its place in the real world, unintentionally freeing Lord Death from his makeshift prison, an ancient pseudo-deity who has recruited her own brother in his plans to rip through the world, destroying sorceresses and anyone else who gets in his way. His actual motivation is a mystery, but one Tamsin and her party are determined to find out. I absolutely loved the emphasis on sisterhood and female friendship in this second installment; Tamsin, Neeve, Katrina, and Alwyn were an amazing group to follow, each with their own personalities and convictions. I had not caught on to the romance brewing in the group in the first book, so I was pleasantly surprised when it was made more obvious. Speaking of romance, Emrys has returned after betraying Tamsin in the last book. I, like Tamsin, was hesitant to trust him, but he definitely pulled through. The other betrayer, Cabell, I was less sympathetic towards, and Bracken did a great job obscuring what his final fate would be, which I think is a good balance for that character.

My favorite part of this book was without a doubt Tamsin. She is a character that I both adore and relate to, and the sympathy that this book yanked out of me for her was impressive. I cried three separate times. She is someone you can't help but root for, and (spoilers) I was relieved that she finally got her happy ending. This book is on the longer side, but the pacing is nice and steady; there's always something happening, it doesn't get repetitive, and despite the various plot threads everything got its time to shine and be neatly wrapped up in the end. I was anticipating liking this book, but I came out loving it, and I had a wonderful time reading it.

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, however I did opt to mainly listen to the final production audiobook via my library.

Like the first book this is a bit on the long side, clocking in at around the 500 page or 19 hour mark depending on your preferred format. The narrator again did a great job giving each character a unique voice so you can tell who is who when there is dialogue and she also did conveying emotion throughout the book.

This picks up where book one leaves off, so you don't really want to read this as a standalone. You really need to read the books in order to understand what is going on. Tamsin and her group are attempting to regroup after the events of book one. With Avalon destroyed, they must search for the artifacts that will defeat Lord Death and the Wild Hunt before he unleashes hell on Earth. Tamsin has to use her skills at solving puzzles and tracking to figure out who her allies are and where those items are hidden before Lord Death finds them or destroys them. She and her friends find help in unlikely places and she uncovers some new information that is hard to swallow that will help them with their mission.

I feel like this book lacked the focus that the first book had. This wasn't as much of a quest, which is what I really enjoyed about the first installment. While there was action in this book, it didn't feel as well choreographed as the first. We still get some dark and gory scenes though. There were so many characters (maybe too many characters) but I still don't feel like I got to know any of them. I wanted more character development and backstory in the first book, and I still don't feel like I got that. For as long as this book is, I wanted more information and more answers.

If you enjoy King Arthur retellings, this was an entertaining duology. It doesn't strictly stick to Arthurian lore, but the characters and setting are certainly inspired by it. While I didn't enjoy this as much as I enjoyed book 1 it was still fun, and tied things up nicely for our characters.

I am so glad I got to read this book ! I liked the first book in the series but this was so much better ❤️

An epic conclusion to a stunning duology!! I loved Tamsin so much. She was such a great FMC. And the MMC???? ADORED HIM!! He was so flawed and yet so great??? LOVEE! I will forever read anything Alexandra Bracken writes!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of this novel. I highly enjoyed it and will be recommending it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

3.75/5 stars

I enjoyed this one much more than the 1st, though I did still fee like pacing was a bit off. I enjoyed getting more into the characters and expanding more on the lore and the world, and the focus on their relationships following the tragedies of book 1. But I felt like it was still longer than it needed to be, and then the end felt too fast in comparison. It wasn't rushed, but it just felt like a lot of build up for not as much payoff as I would have liked.

I did really enjoy the evolution of Tamsin and Emrys' relationship, as well as Tamsin in general as a character. Honestly that character development was the win for me in this book more than anything else.

Overall, I enjoyed this duology. It wasn't what I expected and I didn't absolutely love it - but I really enjoyed it and would still recommend it and would read more books by the author.

"The Mirror of Beasts" was a non-stop, action-packed conclusion. Tamsin and her friends face danger at every turn as Lord Death goes on a deadly rampage and an ancient mystery gradually unfolds.

I liked that Tamsin took a greater role in Book 2 and was upfront with her feelings because it really showed how much she had significantly grown since returning from Avalon to the mortal world.

The author made every page of this dark and foreboding fantasy count, keeping readers in suspense with incredibly high stakes, well-thought-out plot twists, and a creative blending of Arthurian mythology into a contemporary setting. All of which lead toward a bittersweet but satisfying end for this fantastic duology.

Thanks again to Knopf Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the e-ARC to read in exchange for an honest review!

OH MY GOD!!!!

Every time I thought my heart was healing, Alexandra Bracken tore it apart at the seams--and she did it so beautifully, so masterfully, that it ached in the best sort of way. YOU MUST make time for this exciting, suspenseful, heart-wrenching sequel!

***Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book to review.***

After the ending of Silver in the Bone, I had no idea how this next book would go. But oh my did it go! There was so much happening in the book it was hard to tell which way was up and times, but that's how I like it! The magic system in this book is just so intriguing! And the characters I feel are very well rounded and thought out!

I enjoyed book one more than book two but overall this is a solid duology. This story goes in a much different direction than book one and has some twists. I recommend reading them back to back so you don't forget things since book two jumps right in.

Thank you to the publisher, Random House Children's | Knopf Books for Young Readers for this eARC to review. All thoughts are my own.

5/5 stars!

Alex absolutely blew me away with this conclusion. It was so dark, intense, and full throttle, and I was not prepared for where this would go. Alex had me crying at multiple points of the story, to the point where I had to take breaks for a day or two cuz I was scared for our characters (I've grown very attached). I didn't want this story to end, but the ending was so beautifully satisfying for all of our characters. It was so satisfying that I didn't foresee majority of the plot twists, and I audibly gasped multiple times throughout the story. Excited to read more from Alex!

Fantastic finish to a series! I love Bracken's writing so much, and she does not disappoint with this sequel. I love the fantastical elements as well as the character development and the relationships within this series. It's beautifully done.

This book starts off directly after the destruction of Avalon and the return to the mortal world and it is non stop action, evading Lord Death, his Wild Hunt, and sorceresses that are after them for their own reasons. It is a tough job but Tamsin, and the other survivors are up to the challenge of finding the key to destroying Lord Death before his plan comes to fruition on the solstice. It was a nice surprise to see the return of Nash (who I really liked, despite Tamsin's mistrust of him) which kind of helped counter the sting of Cabell's betrayal. Emrys also makes a reappearance and luckily he can help with the finding of the mirror. With all of that going on, there is little time for any romance but that has never stopped people before. It just makes the romance more heartbreaking.

So, lots of action, traveling to yet another land (thanks to the hag of the moors who is absolutely hilarious even if she is only in a small part of this book) finding mirrors and swords, losing them and then losing friends and getting to a pretty dark place before Tamsin rises to the occasion, along with Neve and true natures of others are revealed too for an ending that is kinda sad but nice.

I will say that is a well written modern day dive into Arthurian legends with a nice twist of its own and a satisfying ending with no unanswered questions.

A wonderful conclusion to Tamsin's story. I always worry when a first book in a series is a 5 star read that the sequel won't be able to live up to it, but this novel was just as good and I look forward to adding this duology to my favorites bookshelf.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.