What a fantastic magic system! One of the most unique in YA fantasy that I’ve read in a while. My only gripe is I wish it was expanded upon even further and we were able to see more from it! However, it looks like we will be getting a sequel (hopefully) and I’m truly hoping the author builds up the magic system even more. I will say for animal lovers out FMC’s magic might be a bit triggering 🥲.

I really loved how fast paced and to the point this story was and how very unlikeable Mancella’s (FMC) father was. It’s truly been so long since I’ve hated a character so greatly. He definitely gets the most disliked dad award in my book 😂.

The only thing I didn’t enjoyed was the romance. It wasn’t quite romantic enough for me and I didn’t love the FMC at times unfortunately. However I did love Silver’s POV and was happy to see we had a dual pov from two different perspectives!

Overall, I did enjoy this story and found it to be pretty unique! I’m hoping the world, magic system and romance is built upon in the sequel!

I love the fairytale vibes of this book! The character development is fantastic. I was left wanting more for sure. I wish the romance had been more exciting, and there were times I felt the plot dragged a bit. However, I would definitely recommend this book to my students!

4/5 stars. What a fantastic debut novel. The magic system was new and refreshing albeit a bit dark. The characters (main and side) were done so well- not flat at all. I loved how the book takes these deep and dark situations/emotions and shows that no matter how dark it gets, you can still choose light. I enjoyed the ending because I'm a HEA (happily ever after) kind of girl and the end of the book neatly tied up all the loose ends while the epilogue left room for a second book but without a ridiculous cliffhanger. All in all, it was a satisfying read that I would recommend.

I gobbled up this dark fantasy page-turner with alternating POVs. It is well-plotted and well-paced, and Mance is a likeable, badass MC who is easy to empathize with and cheer for.

I do wish that Silver, the other POV, had more depth and a stronger plot arc of his own to match Mance’s. He frequently felt like too much of a supporting character. He’s not unlikeable; his personality just pales compared to Mance’s. Although he is pivotal to Mance’s development and does hold some influence, he is more of a pawn than a pilot in the overall plot. And because his role in the realm and its politics is less consequential, I frequently found myself fast forwarding through his POV chapters to get to Mance’s.

I also wish that the world building overall were more intricate, with stronger lore and clearer magic rules. It took a while for me to understand how Mance’s magic worked, and up to the end, I felt like the magic system was quite arbitrary — but the book still holds up despite the loosely developed magic! Casual fantasy readers would enjoy this book’s focus on character building, plot setup, and light romance.

All that said, I enjoyed reading Mance’s story enough to keep reading!! It wasn’t hard to devour the book in one sitting once I got into it. And that ending definitely has me craving more.

This is a review of the ARC in exchange for honest feedback. Thank you to Macmillan and NetGalley for the opportunity!

I can’t believe more people aren’t talking about this book! “The Beasts We Bury” is perfect for readers who want a YA fantasy with an original plot. I am a little disappointed with the romance (it definitely leans towards the fantasy side of fantasy romance), but overall, I think “The Beasts We Bury” is a solid read. 3.75 stars rounded up!

In a genre flooded with new releases and overdone tropes, this book stands out. “The Beasts We Bury” isn’t your typical cut-and-paste YA novel. It has a unique magic system, secret identities, and complex characters that feel like real people. I especially love how the characters navigate the challenges that come with their magic. The FMC, Mancella, can summon the spirit of any creature she kills in a fair fight. I think the author does a wonderful job showing how Mancella grapples with the ethical implications of her magic and her father’s attempts to use her for her power.

And speaking of Mancella’s father, it’s been a while since I’ve read such an unlikable character. He’s the definition of morally gray! Her father is obsessed with gaining more power, which makes his predicament at the end of the story so satisfying. I’m happy (and impressed!) by the author’s ability to pull that plot twist off.

While I love this book’s magic system and character arcs, I have some issues with the romance. I think part of the problem is that I struggled to connect with Mancella. She comes across as entitled and brash—two of my least favorite qualities in a character. Luckily, this book alternates between her POV and that of a street boy posing as a servant. Silver encompasses so many things I like in a MMC: he’s clever, resourceful, and willing to do anything to protect the people he cares about. I also love his witty dialogue! I think the romance between him and Mancella needed more page space to fully develop (the kiss scene, in particular, seems ill-timed and unrealistic), but I still like the idea of them together.

Overall, I enjoyed “The Beasts We Bury”. 3.75 stars and a solid recommendation! I’ve never read a story with a magic system like this. I think this book is an excellent fit for readers who want a fresh, fantasy-forward YA story. This book comes out on February 4th; make sure to preorder or grab a copy!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and Netgalley; all opinions are my own.

I loved this! I've not been in a romantasy mood for a few years, so this was the first one I've really felt sucked into! I found the magical world very unique and the characters authentic. The character arc and dilemma was deep and thought-provoking. The romance was pretty closed-door, so THE BEASTS WE BURY would appeal to readers who prefer closed door or for younger readers. I have 12 yo and would encourage her to read. Oh! And it ends with a whollop/rewriting of all you've read. Loved! Overall, highly recommended.

I enjoyed this novel. The different magics that exist felt new. The FMC's does rely on the death of animals, so that may be a turn-off for some readers. The magic manifests differently in each character although there seems to be a darkness that accompanies it. Mance is a strong, thoughtful lead. I love her interactions with others. Silver, Rooftop, and Vie are fun characters, and I'm glad all of them were included. Each character has some sort of trauma they must deal with, and how they choose to deal with it causes the conflicts that exist within the story. There is a lot of deception, and the stakes are high for each character. They are fighting for survival and for each other.

While I thought the premise of The Beasts We Bury was intriguing and the sentence-level writing was good, ultimately, The Beasts We Bury wasn't for me. Taylor's book is interesting and I really enjoyed reading about how the different magics manifested in different people. I also like that Mancella's ethical dilemmas kept getting more and more twisted and forced her--and us, as readers--to think critically about her actions (or lack thereof). I really, really liked the first fight scene between her and the jaguar. It was so well written and sets up the tone of the book so well.

So there are definitely upsides to this book. Taylor is a skilled writer and the pace of the book clipped along well. However, Silver and Mancella (or "Mance") ultimately weren't characters I cared very deeply for. I didn't find their individual POVs to be that compelling and they didn't have any of the chemistry I'd expect from this genre. The "twists" were also very predictable and I felt like I saw both (?) of them a long way coming, so neither landed well for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) for the ebook ARC. All opinions are mine alone.

THAT EPILOGUE!!!!!
This was an absolutely fantastic magical YA fantasy!!!! (EXTREME TW if you are an animal lover...)
Mancella has been through so much at the hands of her father all to be named his second and to obtain power under the pretense of "peace" and "protecting the people from impending war" that is a constant threat. In order to obtain her power, she must do unspeakable and horrifyingly violent acts to innocent creatures to obtain their power and drawn them within her. This is an absolutely traumatizing experience for Mancella and as much as she grows to love her animal "companions", she is tormented by what she has done. When plans are put into motion that threaten the realm and her father, the Prime's, position--she teams up with unlikely allies who seem to be part of a resistance movement to ensure peace, something she wants more than anything, and will ensure she can stop using her powers in such a traumatic way.
This book is so hauntingly epic. On one hand, you have a very dark magic system that is violent and traumatizing and there is something to be said about that in a YA fantasy. The characters, however are so cleverly written that you can really feel their emotions, the turmoil, grief, anguish at the way their powers are used and the desperation to find an alternative route to peace. There is great commentary in this book about man's duplicity and the manipulitive way those in power abuse those who don't have it(and how those who don't have it manipulate others so they can obtain it).
It was a really wonderful book, despite being rather sad at times. Also, the romance is SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW Burn.
**Side note: If you get the chance to listen to this on audio, the narration is so well done and the emotion is very clear in the characters/actor's voices.

3.5 stars from me ... I loved the idea of Mancella being able to obtain the souls of the the animals she has beaten in battle. She tries to gain all the magic needed to help strengthen herself for her kingdom. Unfortunately her father is the one who forces her to engage in these battles with Mancella not wanting to. I really enjoyed Silver in this story . I loved his loyalty to his friends. There were a few twists . Overall it was a good story. If you enjoy a fantasy with some young love , battles, and an unexpected ending...check it out !!

Thank u to netgalley for allowing me to read this story .

3.5/5 ⭐️
*spoiler free*

I thought that this was a good YA Romantasy debut by D.L. Taylor! This is the first book in a duology. The world building was easy to follow, and the magic system is unique and interesting. Mancella (the FMC) has the ability to raise animals from the dead - but it comes at a traumatizing cost. My heart HURT for her, and on multiple occasions my eyes got misty when she was describing her magic. The opening chapter alone is heavy. 😭

I felt that the love interest and MMC, Silver, could have had more back story and character building done - a little ‘oomph’ to take him to the next level. Especially since you get his POV every other chapter. But, I still enjoyed his dynamic with Mancella. My only qualm with them is that their first interaction felt rushed and off pace.

Dialogue between characters felt very juvenile at times (which, granted that the main characters are like 16-18 it makes sense). The plot was still captivating though, so I didn’t get too hung up on it - a comparison would be like HP or Percy Jackson.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and zoomed through the book in a couple days. The plot kept me intrigued and wanting to know what was going to happen next. This will be released in February 2025, so keep an eye out!

Thank you to Macmillan Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC and provide my honest feedback 💕

Thank you Netgalley for this eARC. I enjoyed the plot and concept of this book. However I would've enjoyed more elements of fantasy and romance. I will be ordering this into my store for other to enjoy, however I wish it included more fantasy and qorldbuilding elements.

4.5 stars rounded up

A page-turner of a YA romantasy with deception, betrayal, family trauma, high stakes, and surprising twists! This was a very pleasant surprise and the audio narration was EXCELLENT! The performances really heightened the experience for me.

Animal lovers be aware- the magic of the main character relies on her being forced to kill them in order to gain power. She doesn't want to and is being forced by her father, but some scenes are difficult to read.

Mancella is the powerful heir to the throne, but people don't know that behind the vicious facade is a hurting and abused young woman. And at the start of the story, she isn't aware of how oppressive her father's policies are on the people they govern.

Silver is a thief and con artist tasked with gaining Mance's trust for specific reasons. But he finds that she isn't the monster he thought she was. And sparks begin to fly between the two of them...

This was a gripping narrative with high stakes and I was genuinely scared for the characters at points. The ending is wild and I need to know what happens next! This is a fantastic debut and I look forward to seeing more from the author. I received an audio review copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

What a beautifully written novel about hope, love, loss, betrayal and courage! I was surprised by how much I loved this story, and the number of times I welled up with tears for some of the things the heroine endured. The world building was interesting - the author didn't dwell too much or go to deeply on the history of the realms, sticking instead to the current situations and turmoil. Plot aside, the author is a fantastic writer- prose-like at times, but not too frivolous or lost in detail. Overall I was drawn in by the elements of magic, the strengths and weaknesses across the different classes of people, and the faint love story that built up slowly in the background. It is definitely set up as a series, and I'm excited to see where this author takes the story from here.
*Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) for the ARC! This really is a great one.

Mancella can’t “bury her beasts” because when she kills an animal, they become part of her. Torn with guilt, she finds an unlikely friend in a charming street thief named Silver who is impersonating a palace servant. What she doesn’t know is that Silver is working for Guerre and desperate to help his two friends. As the two grow closer together they must decide which secrets to share and which ones to bury.

Lots of exciting twists as well as the twisted magic! The romance simmers at a slow burn until the exciting climax. The conclusion is satisfying, but there’s a huge surprise in the cliffhanger to get ready for book two of the duology. A great readalike for Tricia Levenseller’s books!

This book was a nice romantasy. The characters were well written and the plot was amazing! There were a lot of twists and turns that got me hooked into the story and I couldn't stop reading. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book!

One thing I can say is that Mancella’s father was easily my most hated character in the book! Mancella gave me dark Snow White vibes (because of the animal thing) while Silver was giving Flynn Ryder vibes. I mist have had disney in the brain while reading this. All in all it was an engaging story that kept my attention until the end.

This is a true enemy to lovers fantasy romance and I enjoyed how the author developed the arcs between the MCs. The shocks and the twists and turns kept me guessing from start to end and I found myself intrigued as to what would happen. The world development was also really well done and I found myself needing more after finishing.

Such a good read! Enemies to lovers at its finest, with a hint of tragedy and destruction thrown in.

Near-perfect YA fantasy. The world building made my jaw DROP multiple times--like Taylor has some access to a Mary Poppins' bag of brilliant ideas I've never read before. The emotional arcs were gutting while still maintaining a classic YA fantasy feel. Every single relationship felt real, from the ones where I wanted to punch the other person in the face to the ones where I wanted to wrap everyone up in bubble wrap and feed them some of Rooftop's cinnamon rolls. Gently. And with tea.

I cannot overstate how much I loved this book. The ending made me CRY. The emotional catharsis was so HONEST. Not many YA authors are able to hit that magic blend of authenticity, adventure, world building, and character and Taylor did it in this book. Easy five stars.