**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!
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My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level: 🌶️
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Read if you like:
▫️a princess and a thief
▫️magic gifted by the Broken Citadel
▫️rebellion against a tyrant king
▫️reluctant allies
▫️dual POV
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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!

I couldn't help but feeling sorry for Mancella and also angered by her this whole novel. Yes, her life is awful and her dad is the worst.. but I kept wishing she would stop complaining and do something about it. She has abilities... use them against him or runaway. I would have.

I loved the idea of having a power that absolutely guts you and causes you pain every time you use it. I like the contrast of being forced to use your power but being morally opposed to it all turns. My favorite part has to be the glass trees though. I bet they are beautiful.

I love how tenacious Silver is. He is witty and committed. I think pairing him against Mancella was clever.

For such a dark novel... things end pretty happily ever after which bothers me.

This was fantastic ya fantasy. Unique magic, great characters, and an intriguing plot. Lots of twists and turns, action and a bit of live interest. It’s ya so it’s clean with no spice. I kinda hope this isn’t a stand-alone because I feel there’s a lot more to the story, but it did end at a good place. The narrator brought a lot of emotion to the performance and really brought it to life.

This is definitely a YA book, but loved the fantasy aspect! Very cool plot and storyline. Sort of reminds me of the Golden Compass with the animals. Very cool aspects and great narration.

I really enjoyed this story, super interesting characters and each of their powers different from what you normally see in fantasy!
Very refreshing & clean YA with a little cutesy romantic crush sprinkled in.
I will defiantly pick up book 2!

About this listen
In this electric enemies-to-lovers romantic fantasy, the heir to the throne falls for a thief who plans to manipulate her into helping him steal from her father in an act of revenge and desperation. Will he steal her heart or her chance at the throne? Daughter and heir to the throne, Mancella Cliff yearns for a life without bloodshed. But as a child, she emerged from the Broken Citadel with the power to summon animals—only after killing them first. Her magic is a constant reminder of the horrors her father, the ruler of the realm, has forced upon her to strengthen their power. Silver is a charming thief struggling to survive in a world torn apart by Mancella’s father’s reign. When a mysterious benefactor recruits him for the heist of a lifetime, a chance to rob the castle, Silver relishes the opportunity for a real future—and revenge. But he'll have to manipulate Mance and earn her trust to pull it off. As the deception and carnage mount, Mance must find a way to save her realm without becoming the ruthless monster she's been bred to be. And when Silver discovers that his actions are fueling the violence that Mance wants to prevent, he'll have to choose between his ambition and the girl he’s falling for.

Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for this ALC!

The Beasts We Bury
By D. L. Taylor
Narrated by Brenda Scott Wlazlo, Jake Chronister
Book 1, The Broken Citadel
Release date 02-04-25
Length 11 hrs and 36 mins
Publisher Macmillan Audio
Categories Teen & Young Adult

There’s a girl who has magic that allow her to collect animal souls she killed, as long as she kills them in a fair fight. those souls reside inside her and could be summoned whenever she wants. and there's an orphan boy who hates her family and plans to manipulate her.

It's a story stacked with betrayals, secrets, and dark past. The vibes was brutal & disturbing, reminded me of Gilded duology. It made me feel helpless but also eager to see where the story’s going, a combination of good writing and amazing narrators. The characterization was so good. The romance was okay but the random “there’s only one bed” felt out of place and unnecessary IMO. But other than that, I enjoyed it.

let's have a moment to talk about the audiobook narrators because they're SO GOOD. especially Brenda. her performance was spectacular.. I immediately hooked by her narration and the nest thing I knew I couldn't stop listening to it. she imbued so much emotions but just the right amount for this kind of story. Jake was amazing too but i was totally besotted by Brenda's performance. will definitely keeping tabs on them from now!

Rating: 2.5 stars

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for an advance audio copy of The Beasts We Bury.

Mance is the heir to the throne and wishes she could forge a path to a peaceful and calm future, but that is impossible. As a child her father discovered that she held the power to summon animals, but in order to do so, she had to kill them first. He has used Mance to gain power throughout her life.

Silver is a down on his luck thief, who, thanks to Mance’s father, has nothing to lose and agrees to join a team planning to rob the castle. Through this task, he will gain riches and revenge. The catch - he’ll have to manipulate Mance into trusting him in order to gain access.

As Silver gets more invested in his task, he also begins to fall for Mance, and when he realizes that he’s causing Mance to do the one thing she doesn’t want to do - be violent - he is faced with the difficult decision, does he abandon the heist for the girl he’s interested in or does he want to betray her for fortunes?

Sigh. This is a tough one.

The audio was decent. Both Brenda and Jake did a nice job and told their portions of the story well. Jake’s voice was probably not what I would’ve imagined, so potentially poor casting for me on that one (again, nothing about his performance was bad, I just don’t know if it’s who I would’ve selected).

I really thought I would like this one more. I think there’s a few things that didn’t work for me. I don’t think the magic or the world was built very well (this is a curse of YA fantasy, especially when there is a romance sub-plot). I would say that book 2 may flesh the world out better and give us more insight into things. It is dark, I’m sure if you’ve glanced at any reviews, you’ll know that - animal cruelty is a big portion of the beginning of the book and that will definitely be difficult for some readers. It is YA and I think that’s an accurate target age range, but it will definitely be on the darker end of YA. Romance-wise, it’s very acceptably YA.

I didn’t care much for the characters. I didn’t feel like they had very good chemistry and I didn’t find myself very invested in their safety/well-being/successes. Again - this might be a curse of YA. It’s so hard (in my opinion) to write a successful, fully developed fantasy for a YA audience. There’s just too many moving pieces and too much to try and add in that will still keep your run of the mill YA reader engaged and entertained.

This book was a good surprise. It’s full of twists and turns, and I really enjoyed the audio narration. I thought it was fantastic. However, as a big animal lover, I did struggle with the magic scenes where the main character is forced to kill them.

I got to audio listen to this book and I really enjoyed the audio. This book has an intense start and will keep you locked in from the start. There is many high stakes and intense emotion all throughout the story. It has such a unique magic system and dives straight Mancella and the oppression she is facing in her family. While also getting an optimistic love interest named Silver. I appreciate that the book has small parts of romance but focuses on the main magic and political story.
(I do recommend checking the content warning of the book because it is dark)

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan audio for allowing me to listen to this book as a pre-release in exchange for an honest review!

The concept of this book was unlike anything I have every read before. It was typical rich princess smitten with boy thief, but the magic element to the main FMC was a little confusing at times, but also very interesting. Her connection to animals and death held my interest as the story progressed. While the romance was a strong element of the plot, I really enjoyed that the family dynamics and power struggles were also a huge driving force in the story.

This definitely ended on a cliffhanger that I was not anticipating, and now I cannot wait to see where this series goes! Sign me up!

Instantly hooked from the start. I wasn’t too sure if I was going to enjoy this one because it is "dark" fantasy and because of the animal cruelty, but I really enjoyed it (not in a "I'm crazy" way). Mancella feels for the animals and doesn’t want to hurt them, but she is forced to kill them and take their power/strength for herself. Mancella’s father wants her to be violent and powerful, but she wants peace and love. I love when I feel a connection to the characters and feel for them as if they’re real. Such a great read/listen!