After the ending in Silver in the Bone, I couldn’t wait to dive into this one. The story picks up where Silver in the Bone left off, and it’s such an entertaining ride.  Bracken’s storytelling and unique twist on the Arthurian Legend quickly pulled me into the story, and the fast-paced, action-packed plot was as layered as the characters.  

Tamsin, Cait, Olwen, and Neve are still reeling from everything that happened in the first book, and they’re more desperate than ever to defeat Lord Death.  I like how the author developed such layered and complex characters, feelings, and relationships, though there’s one relationship in particular I wish was fleshed out a bit more.  The friendships were a highlight of the novel. 

Overall, I thought this was a satisfying ending to the duology. And as much as I love Tamsin, I love that we have other perspectives too.  It made for an entertaining and suspenseful darker fantasy, and there were a few twists that I think readers will love.  Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for providing me with a copy of the book.  All thoughts are my own.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this book.

This was BEAUTIFUL. What a satisfying read, and a great sequel. I loved the mythology woven in, and the characters were fantastic. I had put off reading the first one in this series so I gobbled both books up this weekend and was so sad to have them end. Great read!

Before I get into the meat of the review, I want to say a quick thank you to NetGalley and the publishers over at Random House Children's for allowing me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Mirror of Beasts is the final book in the Silver in the Bone duology that is inspired by Arthurian legend. In the first book, we follow Tamsin Lark and her brother Cabell as they struggle to survive as Hollowers, people who hunt for magical treasure, after their guardian Nash goes missing. Book two follows on immediately after the ending of book one which I appreciate. Things get darker and more menacing and Tamsin has to face the questions and the feelings she's been pushing down for years. The Mirror of Beasts comes out on July 30th and is available for preorder now.

It's rare that I rate the second book in a series higher than the first, but this was just so good. I felt like a lot of the questions I had in book one got answered, but we also explored so many new things too. I felt the connection between Emrys and Tamsin so, SO much in this one. The Jennifer Lynn Barnes quote on the front is absolutely correct. Everything felt so real for these characters. I felt their pain and I felt their happiness, their loss and their confusion. Even though the action takes place in December, it feels like this would be the perfect autumnal read. It's got a moodiness and mysteriousness about it while also exploring legends and histories. Taking my time to read this one helped too. Even though the book was so fast paced, I was able to connect the dots and see where certain plot lines were going (though there were a couple of twists and turns that got me for sure). It was such a fun read for me.

I'm just going to say the thing that I'm known for and get it out of the way now: this should have been longer. I know. "But, Liberty, it's over 500 pages. What do you mean it should have been longer?" *nods head* I know. It should have been a trilogy. I love a duology as much as the next gal, but in order for everything to get the breathing room it needs, the backstory it needs, the development it needs...it should have been a trilogy. Don't get me wrong though. Me saying a book needs to be longer means I liked it, I enjoyed it, I want more of it. My chief complaint being that something isn't long enough is actually a compliment if you think about it. The other thing I found lacking was the setting/world building. I could picture everything pretty well, but I needed more grounding in order to dive in fully. I wish we had gotten a couple of quiet or soft moments with these characters to feel it all more.

Overall, this was such a good duology. I really felt for all of the characters and wanted only the best for them. I also wanted to kill a few of them with a sharp blade of some kind.

I have yet to read a book by Alexandra Bracken that I have not enjoyed! The characters, the premise, the magic, the everything was just what I needed and hoped for from this. Very fast paced and high stakes!! I enjoyed the first book, Silver in the Bone, slightly more because of the character relationships, but this was a solid sequel and end to the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Bracken's followup to Silver in the Bone will satisfy a lot of what readers enjoyed in the first book: more Arthurian lore, more magic, more beasts.

I enjoyed the thematic focus on loyalty and making difficult choices. I particularly loved the exploration of the father-daughter dynamic and found it particularly poignant. That is truly the love story of this book, and the ways in which that relationship influenced Tamsin's character growth were really enjoyable to watch.

In terms of plot, this one seemed a bit unfocused and meandering to me. I couldn't always track the relevance of what was happening to the larger story, and this mini-episodic nature may not appeal to everyone. This also affected the pacing for me.

Readers who really loved the Tamsin-Emrys romance plot of the first book will likely be disappointed. Because of the split focus of the book in terms of the relationships, there is not much space given to this relationship. By the time that arc reaches its climax it feels very sudden. It lacks the build and tension Bracken did so well in the first book.

Overall, this was a solid sequel. I found the antagonist force of the Hunt to be more compelling than the Children of the first book, although I have to confess that the name "Lord Death" made me cringe a bit.

Brilliant! I loved the current time and Arthurian legend combo. Alexandra Bracken has done a fantastic weaving of this tale.

Alexandra Bracken has done it again. I loved this book -- it is fast paced, you're back with the characters we know and love, and somehow the twists continue to keep you on your toes. I absolutely adored how new the world building felt in the first book, and this one continues to push that world building too. You get swept up in new characters, old foes, and some very confusing feelings.

Loved it, will absolutely be buying it. 5/5 for me.

💙 The Mirror of Beasts ARC Review 💙

Thank you so much to Alexandra Bracken, Knopf Publishing and Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read and review this book!

The Mirror of Beasts is a YA Fantasy and book two in the Silver in the Bone duology. As always, this will be as spoiler free as possible, so if this feels vague - that’s why. After the events at the end of Silver in the Bone, Tamsin and her friends are trying to figure out their next steps. When they learn of ancient artifacts capable of capturing Lord Death, they soon start the adventure of a lifetime

This was a fun conclusion to this duology. I really enjoyed the Arthurian lore from the first book and that carried into this one as well! Tamsin and her friends were all engaging characters and I enjoyed their roles in this story. There were a few points where I felt the pacing was a little bit slow, but overall this was an enjoyable read

Overall this was a four star read for me. I enjoyed the characters and the continued expansion of the magic and world building. This book did have some darker moments, so please check triggers if you’re sensitive. This book did have a romantic subplot but YA levels of on page smut, so overall one flame for spice

If you’re a fan of YA fantasy with medieval lore, fun characters and engaging world building, then absolutely pick this duology up! As this is a continuation of the story, I absolutely recommend reading Silver in the Bone first

Please note: review will be posted to Amazon upon publication

3.5 stars rounded.

The Mirror of Beasts picks up right where Silver in the Bone ends (literally, mid-conversation). I read Silver in the Bone last year so I could have used a bit more of a summary/reminder of events at the beginning of Book 2. For some reason, I thought this series was a trilogy but it is actually a duology so Book 2 wraps up the conflict.

This is a very plot driven book and the events happen right after another with very little down time to reflect, grow, and focus on the characters. I think this book would have been improved by giving the characters more time. The stakes were high from the first page and they never let up. I think it would have been helpful to allow the tension to ebb and flow a but more, instead of being constantly high and moving from one disaster to the next. I think it would have been good to focus less on the action at some points and more on figuring out the mystery of who Neve and Tamsin are. Their identities are so important but feel shoved to the side because of the constant need to fight the bad guys.

I like the cast of characters that Alexandra Bracken has created. Tamsin is a great lead. I love her quick wit. Emrys is a good love interest (and it was nice to see more of his motivations here). Neve is an awesome best friend. And Olwen and Caitriana really grew on me here. I liked that we got Cabell's perspective. Seeing him on the opposite side of Tamsin was really interesting. I wonder if this might have been a stronger book if it were told in the 3rd person instead of 1st. Some moments where Tamsin is observing everything happen were really frustrating (I yelled "girl, get up" many times).

So while I liked the story, I thought it just missed the mark of being one that I'd love. But I see a lot of other really positive reviews so it might just be not the right fit for me in particular.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's | Knopf Books for Young Readers for providing an eARC of this book!

I didn’t know this was a sequel so I checked out the first, Silver in the Bone, from the library before I started. I was a bit underwhelmed with both. A lot of characters and a slow progression throughout.

Content Warning: violence, death

This story throws you right in after the events that happened in Silver in the Bone. It is action filled and for the most part moves at a quick pace. There are quests and the found family trope really brings these characters together. I enjoyed everything that was going on between Tamsin and her friends, Tamsin and Emrys, Tamsin and Cabell her brother who has had a hell of a journey being on the opposite sides of things. They all had stuff to work out and they do so with all this chaos going on.

The story about King Arthur and Excalibur being the basis for this adventure is really cool too. I like that there were some surprises I wasn’t expecting. I loved the romance storyline with Tamsin and Emrys, who have a ways to come back to trusting one another again but they work through it eventually!

I do think this book was long but it makes sense since it’s a duology and there were some things to wrap up. I wonder if it would have been better as a trilogy though? Not sure but I was losing some steam to read it at 75% into the book. There might have been too many characters for me to follow, not the main ones but the sorceresses that are new. I also thought Lord Death was a funny name for a villain, but he was not a funny guy at all – I hated that Cabell was working for him.

Overall, I was entertained with this conclusion to the duology! I think it’s a great end to the series that centers on found family. The action and quests really move this story along and the romance is resolved for Emrys and Tamsin which I’m happy about. If you liked Silver in the Bone, I think you’ll also enjoy this one!

I had to read the first book from a friend really quickly to start this as i didn't know it was a second book, so everything was fresh when i read it. This didn't disappoint and i've always been a fan of AB's work. TMOB took me on a pacey ride, emotional, quite tense and gripping and i thoroughly enjoyed it. Due to reading a lot of books and watching a lot of movies, i was able to predict stuff as we got to the ending, but i was still very much engrossed in the book. Tamsin's character arc was one i enjoyed, but i loved all the characters (new and old). Ooh the action scenes were terrific. I'll be doing a second read of it and go slower this time. Thank you Netgalley for giving me an ARC to this beautiful book.

I need 5-7 business days to recover from this....

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette for this ARC! I owned 3 copies of Silver in the Bone and finally read it this year, and was SO excited to receive this ARC! I consistently forget how amazing Alexandra Bracken's writing is and then I get to these books and cry. This book was EVERYTHING a sequel and end of a duology should be. It had me at the edge of my seat and excited the entire time reading. I was so invested in all of these characters and loved each moment. The ARC in this book felt so poetic, and even though some of it was predictable I liked HOW it was revealed rather than what was revealed. There was a certain diversion that people will understand later that actually did kinda give me a double take and had me so surprised.

AND the CHARACTERS!!! Emrys, my little baby boy, you could do no wrong, even when youre absolutely fucking everything up around you. Tamsin learning to love and forgive and not be a cloud of darkness made my heart happy. Caitriona learning to accept the deaths of her sisters, Neve being an absolute badass... And Cabell. Sweet sweet baby Cabell. I appreciate his arc throughout the book and the little moments we got inside his mind.

Overall, this was an INCREDIBLE sequel and I desperately need more Alexandra Bracken in my life. Alex, are you writing any new books soon? And can I read them.... now?

The Mirror of Beasts is an excellent conclusion to the Silver in the Bone duology! This book is full of twists, vile creatures, and beautiful writing.

I didn’t think I could love these characters more, but oh was I wrong. Tamsin is still as snarky as ever. Caitriona is still stubborn. Olwen is delightful as always! Neve is very complex in this one, but still my favorite. Emrys!!!! He deserves to have a beautiful garden. I loved how each character was focused on in this book. Everyone had a distinct role in the story.

The plot was written and executed so well. It didn’t feel like anything was glossed over in the end. The story picks up right where the first one left off, which was great! I’d suggest rereading Silver in the Bone if you don’t quite remember it well.

Overall, this duology became one of my favorites. I didn’t want this story to end, but I’m very happy with how it ended. Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the arc! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I will always read anything that Alexandra Bracken writes! I loved this followup to Silver in the Bone - sequels can sometimes fall flat, but Bracken keeps the reader engaged and guessing. I'm upset with the cliffhanger, because I want to know what happens next!!

The Mirror of Beasts is the conclusion to the Silver in the Bone duology. I read and really enjoyed the first book, but the primary reason I so enjoyed it was because of Tamsin and Emrys. I really didn't care for several of the side characters - Neve, Caitriona, and Olwen (in that order). And that's likely why I had so much difficulty enjoying the conclusion here. There were just too many side characters. And when the book is predominantly from a single point of view, Tamsin's, all of these side characters just feel like they are draining from the strength of Tamsin's story. She just sits there, and watches things happen for so much of this nearly 600 page (!!) book.

So Cabell, her brother, was barely around. Emrys, her angsty nemesis maybe lover, was around but the interactions between him and Tamsin were few and far between. I needed more of them. Instead, we have so many other characters who are frankly pretty annoying, make stupid decisions, and derail the plot while Tamsin just again has things happen to her. That isn't a plot! Neve at least is a sorceress and has something going for her but genuinely, who cares about Caitriona? Who cares about Olwen, whose literal only purpose in this entire thing is to get kidnapped? Are these characters so beloved to anyone out there? Please let me know. You could have easily had the same angst if Caitriona was the only priestess of Avalon to survive. Why do we have Olwen? I keep asking myself this question because I do not understand. I found myself racing to get through this, swiping away on my phone to try to get to something with some actual meaning.

Overall, this was pretty disappointing, and I just did not need all of these characters if the book is going to be a single point of view and your main character's agency is like practically nonexistent. The two stars are for Tamsin and Emrys!

(4.75) Dark, horrific fantasy with deeply layered lore, complex characters, and a fiercely tender heart beating throughout.

The tone of this book was a definite shift from the first (totally expected after how book one ends), but all the elements that made me love Silver in the Bone are there. The action outnumbers the mystery in this one, and that’s saying something because there’s still plenty of mystery to unpack. A lot of groundwork was laid in book one and it pays off beautifully.

There’s strong themes of friendship, loyalty, and accepting the love you think you don't deserve. A lot of heavy emotions and difficult decisions. The main characters are working through deep grief and betrayal and they don’t always handle it well, but that’s part of what I liked about it. These characters are flawed, they have complicated motivations, and sometimes they make the wrong decisions but there’s always a chance for forgiveness and redemption.

There’s only a couple of things holding this back from being a full five star book.

I expected gore, but the slaughter in this book is so unrelenting that I almost found myself getting desensitized to it. The action scenes are very well written and it makes sense within the context of the story, it just started to feel repetitive.

There’s a small number of chapters from another character that I truly disliked reading, but you’re not supposed to feel sympathetic, so I suppose they did their job. I personally think the ending would have had the same emotional impact without their POV but I can see what it adds to the story.

The book leaves you with a sense of closure while also leaving room for some storylines to continue on. Would absolutely recommend. I think fans of One Dark Window would enjoy this.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children’s for giving me early access to this book! All opinions are my own.

If you love Silver in the Bone then you will love this book. It neatly wraps up the entire storyline, and the twists along the way really kept me invested. That being said, I felt like the story was a bit…disjointed at times. The main character would be at a certain place in one chapter, and then the next be in a completely other location with no context as to how they got there. These scenes just needed something to bridge them together it felt like. But, the story itself and the character growth was amazing, and made the book well worth it to read. Thoroughly enjoyed this King Arthur story!

tl;dr
A strong conclusion to the duology, with some neat plot twists and a dramatic romance.

Thoughts
This book starts right after the ending of the first book, and jumps straight back into the story without stopping for a breath (so if it's been a while since you read the last one, or you haven't read it at all, go do that first). But if you're ready for all the fast-paced action from the previous book to continue, then it's all in here. The stakes are higher, and you can feel the tension immediately as our already exhausted characters have a larger battle in front of them with enemies on even more fronts. It's a race to the finish line that doesn't let up, with players coming and going, so there are a lot of threads to keep up with. Arthurian legend again features strongly, but loosely, with some really cool twists and surprises woven in. The first person POV that worked really well in the first book might be a bit of a detriment here, as the group splits up quite a bit, and a ton of action winds up happening off screen. The most obviously missed chance is the secondary romance, that develops largely out of sight from the MC, and it's one that I would have loved to watch unfold. That being said, readers hoping for a conclusion to the primary romance set up in the first book will be happy to see the same bittersweet mix of tender moments and traumatic backstories for our young heroes, all leading to a very hopeful ending.

First I want to say I LOVE the new covers so much more than the original! The new covers are even prettier than the Owlcrate version of Silver in the Bone I have (but I liked the original cover of that book too).

I wish I had read these a bit closer together, but I requested this one as soon as it popped up (then had to wait a month for approval, boo). Mirror of Beasts picks up right where book one ends, and the story doesn't really allude to what happened before - so I felt a bit lost. There are a lot of names and events that I just could not recall, and I think that affected how immersed I got into the story.

The first book was okay, I wanted more from it. I almost felt that way in this book too. The story is so much different than I was expecting, and I again felt like the Arthurian legend took a back seat to the main story. Arthur was there, the sword is there, but everything else is just new fantasy story. Which is fine, I have nothing against fantasy, but if it is marketed as an Arthurian Retelling I would love to have more of those details woven in.

We do get some good backstory on a few of the characters in this book, which answered questions from book one. There are also some good action sequences and a few parts of the story I felt particularly invested in too. Toward the end I was wondering if this was supposed to be a trilogy, but the story did wrap up well (and quickly), with enough of an open ending that there could be future adventures with these characters if the author wanted it.

Overall, this duology was different than I expected and I wish that I could enjoy them more. It could very much be right book, wrong person - especially because I loved Lore by this same author. I am interested in seeing where she goes from here, and I will definitely read her next book/series. I just struggled to get invested in these books, and wanted more with the Arthurian retelling aspect!
Content warnings: child death, torture, child abuse, violence, body horror, loss of a loved one, kidnapping