This had me from the first chapter. I absolutely loved this and I cannot wait for the next book! I loved the characters and the vibes of this book. Very dark and the story was so unique and I loved every moment of it!

3.5/5

This thrilling YA romantasy is a whirlwind of deception, betrayal, family trauma, and high-stakes decisions. With an emotionally charged plot and heart-stopping twists, it’s a journey that will leave readers on the edge of their seats. The immersive audio narration brings the story to life, intensifying every moment with powerful, expressive performances.

Mancella, the reluctant heir to the throne, holds a terrifying power: she can summon the souls of animals to fuel her magic—but only after taking their lives. Each sacrifice breaks her heart, yet she’s trapped by her father’s cruel demands, forced to kill in order to maintain peace in the kingdom. As his hunger for power grows, he pressures her to take even more innocent lives, pushing her to the brink. The emotional toll of this violence, especially the animal cruelty, is heavy but integral to understanding Mancella’s inner torment.

Despite her father’s oppressive rule, Mancella isn’t the heartless monster people believe her to be. Beneath her cold exterior, she’s a young woman desperate for a way out of the violent legacy she’s been shackled to. Enter Silver, a charming thief with a plan to manipulate her for his own gain. But as he spends time with her, he begins to see the depth of her pain and the strength behind her facade. Sparks ignite between them, and his feelings for her evolve, forcing him to reconsider everything he thought he knew.

As the story unfolds, Mancella’s fight to break free from her father’s control becomes a race against time. The stakes are life-or-death, with the weight of her kingdom—and her soul—hanging in the balance. The tension builds to a shocking, unforgettable conclusion, leaving readers desperate for what comes next.

With its dark, atmospheric world and emotionally charged storytelling, Mancella is a debut that will captivate fans of complex, intense narratives. The audiobook is especially compelling, with voice performances that bring the characters’ emotions to the forefront, making this story impossible to forget.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the audiobook ARC!

If you're looking for a fantasy romance with a touch of "Aladdin" vibes and a whole lot of emotional depth, "The Beasts We Bury" is a must-read. Seriously, I was hooked from the first page! It's a debut, and you'd never know it. We get dual POV, which is always a win, and the characters just jump off the page – I instantly felt connected to them. Plus, the magic system is super intriguing!

Brenda Scott Wlazlo and Jake Chronister's dual narration brought the characters and their emotional journeys to life, making the audiobook a truly immersive experience.

My only issue with this book is that our FMC nickname is Mance which is just not good. But, the one bed trope and the whole redemption-against-the-evil-father storyline totally made up for it. If you like intriguing magic systems, compelling characters and animals then this story would be perfect for you! If you can snag the OwlCrate edition, do it! It's absolutely gorgeous.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This was, unfortunately, a DNF for me. I really liked the premise of the book, and I might go out and read the physical book sometime, but the audiobook was just not for me.

I'm afraid this is my first time giving a DNF review. I was so intrigued by this fantasy. And I appreciated the chapters I listened to from Silver's perspective. But I could not continue listening to Mancella's chapters. They were a mix of child abuse and animal abuse. And even wanting to know where it would go next, it was too overwhelming to listen to. I expect this will be a better fit for folks who like dark fantasy.

My star rating will also reflect the audio quality rather than the plot. I found the audio poorly produced. The speed and volume varied considerably. Even though I only listened to the first 15%, I still regularly had to adjust the volume to be able to hear and rewind to pick up things I missed when it sped up.

4.5 Stars Rounded up to 5

TW: graphic animal death on page

This book was intense from the beginning. It was a lot darker than I was expecting but I think it really made the story more authentic Mancella has no choice but to be brutal as she fights animals to the death over and over again. Her father, a horrible man to say the least, has forced her hand.

The romance was slow burning. The ending was left open for another one which I am on the fence about. I feel like it wrapped up nicely enough so I'm curious to see where the next one will take us.

Overall, this was a nice Suprise and refreshing compared to other YA Fantasy's I've been reading.

The last 25% saved this one for me!

Definitely a unique magic system and an interesting plot. This was definitely dark at times (Mancella's dad was the worsttt) but the pacing lost me in the middle. I enjoyed both of our MCs and was very surprised by the reveal at the 75% mark! Feel like the story reallyyy picked up from there and the ending was veryyy intriguing!

3.5 stars

Reading this book was so fantastic! I loved the premise, the characters were wonderful, and I had such a great time reading this story! Mancella and Silver were both great to read about, and I loved how their stories came together!

That Mancella is the heir to the throne, her life should be perfect, but the cost of her power, to have all creatures in her head, there because she had to kill them? That her father put her up to it, and keeps having her acquire more and more animals, yeah, that's hard to deal with. Especially when her father is the ruler, thats a double set of expectations set on her.

Then there's Silver, whose parents died and he was raised in part by a pretty horrific palace-controlled school. He had basically nothing, and until this benefactor comes along, no real chances of making a better life for himself. I loved their interactions, and as their relationship developed, their romance! That it was complicated by their positions, and the deteriorating relationships between the realms, just made me root for them more!

Oh, but that ending? That was so surprising, and so well done! All the twists and turns, and how it worked out, yeah, amazing to read! And then there was that final chapter, and that final reveal, and oh, that hurt! I need to know what's going to come of it!

Loved reading this book and I can't wait to continue on with this series!

The Beasts We Bury had an intriguing premise, but it did not fully deliver for me. I liked the unique magic system and the way Mancella struggled with the power forced upon her. We do get Silver's perspective, but those chapters seemed to fall a little flat for me and seemed to lack emotion.

The pacing was uneven, with a strong start and finish but a slow middle section that lost momentum. The romance had potential but did not feel fully developed. The audiobook narration itself was great and added to the atmosphere and story. Overall, this wasn't really a standout read for me.

4 Stars

I really enjoyed listening to this book. It is a fantasy like none other I have read before. Some parts were tough to read (check triggers) but were necessary for what the FMC Mancella's magic was. The story was layered so well and had amazing side characters including several animals. This was a dual narration that I absolutely loved. The narrators were so good and were perfect for this book. I will be recommending this book to friends.

Thank you to Macmillian Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this book.

**𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘** 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒔 𝑾𝒆 𝑩𝒖𝒓𝒚 𝒃𝒚 𝑫.𝑳. 𝑻𝒂𝒚𝒍𝒐𝒓 (𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝑪𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒍, #1)

Release Date: February 4, 2025

3⭐️n/a🌶

I DNFed this a few chapters in. I wasn't engaged with the characters. The characters seemed rather simple, and the world building was not what I needed it to be. I like the premise of the FMC collecting the souls of the beasts she kills, but I needed more depth to the rest of the story.

Thank you to @netgalley for this ARC read!

I literally have not stopped thinking about this book!! I am so grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for the audiobook ARC I received.

Our main character are Mancella and Silver. A pair so different they couldn't possibly find any common ground, or can they?

Silver is an orphan turned thief. All he wants is a nice life for him and his two best friends. Something that's hard to obtain when they're considered deserters. When a mysterious man offers a chance at that life for Silver and his friends, he can't say no. All he has to do is get close to the heir of throne and steal some items. He was prepared for anything, except being drawn in by who Princess Mancella truly is.

Mancella hasn't been the same since she stepped out of the Broken Citadel as a child. From that moment on she is stuck with a vicious power she loathes. She can summon the souls of to her side, but first she has to kill them in one-on-one weaponless fight. Forced to use this ability by her father, who's power hungry greed grows everyday, she sees no escape for or from herself. She is so trapped by her own fear and suffering that she barely notices the suffering of her people, until she meets Silver.

In disguise as a servant, Silver helps Mancella realize just how poorly her father is treating their people and how he is seemingly pushing them towards another war. Mancella begins to do everything she can to stop it and help her people, while Silver seems to be making it worse by working for the mysterious man. The two begin to fall for each other, but what will happen when Silver's deception comes to the light? If Mancella can't stop the impending war?

The characters in this book were unforgettable. It has such an interesting and promising storyline. The beginning of it pulled me in, it was addicting, but then it seemed to lose steam less than halfway through. It seemed to drag until about 75% of the way through. It definitely has a strong finish though!

This book did a great job handling some really heavy emotions and expressing them well. Mancella was constantly struggling between her feelings and what her father forced her to do. This often made Silver's POVs feel less emotional engaging unfortunately. Overall, it was a good book with a beautiful cover. There were just a few things missing for me to give it 5⭐, but it absolutely is worth the read!

What a great YA fantasy! If you love fantasy but don’t care for all the graphic bedroom scenes, then this is for you.

This is a story of magic that only manifests in people enter a place and then also return from that place. Then rules can only be those with magic. We meet Manzella, the female lead character, as she is about to ascend as 2nd to her father. She has a very unique magic that I hadn’t heard of before. Then we meet Silver, the male MC who just needs to get by and survive…but he desires more. They collide in way that shatters what they think they know of each other.

I listened on audio and the two narrators are very good. A little dramatic at times, but they are voice actors. 🤷🏻‍♀️ This story is one I’d definitely recommend for those looking for less sex in their stories. There’s some violence, language is very mild, so I’m very happy with the content.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the audiobook ARC.

At first, I was unsure about the premise of this plot when I began the story. It took some time to really get the feel of this strangeness of magic in this world, but once I did, I was really eager to see how the FMC would cope and grow in her character amidst the challenges she faced, especially her self-serving, cruel father. I was really pleased with the friendships she developed in uncommon places and how those ultimately favored her triumph in her situation. The story flowed well and stayed engaging. I like to express thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an ALC of this YA title.

I enjoyed this story. It was everything I could wish for in a YA fantasy and the narrators were able to embody the POV's in a way that really brought them to life for me. My only complaint is that I was able to guess the twists but even so it was entertaining and I think it will find its stride with readers. It was a fun book and I am glad to have read it and will be recommending it to customers in my store.

This is a compelling dark YA romantasy about Mancella, who is heir to the throne, and whose magic allows her to summon animals, but only after she’s killed them with her bare hands. Her father is a monster and a tyrant, and in her bid to escape his control, she meets Silver, a charming, sarcastic, thief and liar. He’s grown up on the streets and will do whatever it takes to survive. They become unlikely allies as Mancella fights to save her kingdom, but all the while, Silver is manipulating her to get what he wants. However, they both end up falling for each other and have to face what that means for themselves and their ambitions. This book is filled with deception, betrayal, trauma, friendship, magic, banter, and just a hint of angsty romance. I had a great time with it, and I can’t wait for the next book! I was lucky enough to receive an ALC, and the audio is fantastic. It’s dual narration with Brenda Scott Wlazlo and Jake Chronister and they did such an amazing job with it. I highly recommend listening!
🐆
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level: 🌶️
🐆
Read if you like:
▫️a princess and a thief
▫️magic gifted by the Broken Citadel
▫️rebellion against a tyrant king
▫️reluctant allies
▫️dual POV
🐆
Thank you to Fierce Reads, Macmillan Children’s, Macmillan Audio, D. L. Taylor, and NetGalley for the ARC and ALC. I received advanced copies for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

I received an ARC of the audiobook and I really enjoyed it! The story had my attention right away from the very beginning! This story was super unique, which I really loved! It did lose my attention a little bit in the middle of the story but it did pick up again pretty quickly! The only thing I wasn’t a huge fan of was the FMC’s narrator, she really got into the character which was great but it gave me anxiety listening to her when she was in high stress situations! I’ve never listened to an audiobook where the narrator got so into character, like this one did, ever before! Don’t let this sway you from reading or even listening to the audiobook, I think it was just a me thing. Overall I really enjoyed the story & how unique the magic was. I also liked that there wasn’t a ton of world building or anything that bogged down the story! If you like fantasy stories with magic then definitely give this one a try!!

The opening to this book was so graphic that I almost stopped listening after the first 20 minutes–I don’t usually do animal stories because they break my heart when the animals die. However, I’m glad I stuck with it because it turned out to be a great story. Mancella is the heir to the throne and her cruel and abusive father has been using her magical talent to experiment. The experiments consist of her killing things, each time with the king upping the game with a more dangerous creature. Every time she kills, Mance feels it deeply, as if she herself was the one dying. On the other side of the story, Silver is a thief who has been recruited to rob the castle, and the only way in is to befriend Mance. The writing in this story is excellent–I felt every emotion deeply and couldn’t stop listening to it. The narrator did an excellent job also, conveying the character’s feelings perfectly. Low on the spicy scale, but there is a slow burning romance element as well.

This is beautiful and I love the narrators but sadly this is not the book for me. I only read 30% and I had to stop. I just was not feeling the male side of the story. This book will find it's audience, it is just not me.

This was an exceptional YA fantasy debut that's set in a world of battling kingdoms and sees a power hungry king forcing his daughter to kill animals in order to absorb their powers, grooming her to be a powerful successor and weapon he can wield against his enemies. Full of secrets, betrayals, action, romance and great on audio. I can't wait to see what happens next!! Highly recommended for fans of The witch and the vampire by Francesca Flores. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!