This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

The Beasts We Bury by D.L. Taylor 
Pub Date Feb 04, 2025

A thief and an heir make an unlikely pair in this dark YA fantasy where right and wrong blur as a war brews and the fate of many hang in the balance. Mancella is heir to the throne but has an aversion to violence. She has great powers over animals and as she ages, her powers grow stronger. As heir to her father's realm, she is expected to lead the realm and her father cares about one thing. Power, control, and conquer. He cruelly raised her to strengthen her powers to control the animals but to do that, she must destroy them and absorb them into her magic. Once there, she can use them in battle. Over the years the animals she fights get more dangerous and although she has been doing this unwillingly forced by her father the Prime, it doesn't get easier. He has a grand plan; she is the key to his success and will also become his second. 

Silver is a thief who will do just about anything to survive. When he is offered a job by a stranger who seems to know his way around the palace and requires his skills of stealing that pays well and will help secure a safe new home for him and his friends that he couldn't refuse. He did what he was told, stealing items as asked with little knowledge of why the items were needed. For these items, he not only needed access to the palace but also to specific areas where the king held them and do it without getting caught. To do that, he befriends Mance to accomplish his tasks, but as time goes on he realizes that she is nothing like he assumed and finds it harder to lie and take advantage of her. When things get closer to the completed task he must decide to continue the path and break her trust or go back on his deal due to his growing feelings for this powerful girl that surprises him with her kind heart.    

Book one in this duology starts slow as you get to know the characters and this world but it isn't overly complicated. It is dark in regards to how the FMC is treated and what she is forced to do to strengthen her magic abilities which she does not do willingly. The romance is a slow-burn YA appropriate and not explicit however the way her magic is formed may be bothersome to people who are sensitive to animals. The magic was interesting and different than what I typically see and the ending of this book leads you to believe that the FMC will be up for a big challenge that makes her face her internal demons head-on. It will be interesting to see how that plays out so I look forward to reading book 2.  

I received the Unabridged Audiobook through Netgalley and Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest review. 

Audiobook length 11 Hours, 36 Minutes Narrated by Brenda Scott Wlazlo; Jake Chronister
Or 368 pages, Hardcover

I enjoyed this audio! The narrators were great and did a fantastic job! The author captured so much beauty and detail in the words! It's very high YA fantasy but well worth the listen or read. I greatly enjoyed this one! Snag it up!

Silver and Mancella were great characters. I loved the way we get to see Mance find her voice within the court and it's politics. Silver creates such a mix of feelings for me as I kept just wanting him to confide in Mance and not betray her. His character was probably my favorite to read due to these complex feelings.
The audiobook was very good. I loved that it was narrated with dual narrators for both Mance and Silver.

A really interesting fantasy story with a lot of twists and turns that were unexpected. The last chapter, for example, was a big shock. I found the FMC likable and enjoyed watching her growth, though I did find her unrealistically naive at first given the immense trauma she endured throughout her entire life. The one thing I did not particularly enjoy was the romantic plotline. Sometimes, an author is a little too good at making the enemy part of an enemies to lovers and I simply cannot forgive the MMC. I was disappointed at how long his deception continued and how quickly the FMC seemed to get over it.

The dual narrators had very different approaches to the text, which definitely created separation between the two POVs. I liked how expressive the female narrator was, with every chapter feeling very high emotion, and how much calmer the male narrator was.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me an audio-arc in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley.

Mancella, the heir to the throne, has magic -- the ability to summon animals. However, her magic comes with a price: in order to summon them, she must kill the first, with her bare hands. Though she doesn't want to kill, and must live with the horror and constant reminders of what she's been made to do, her father continues to force her to kill in order to strengthen the power of their realm. Silver, a thief, takes on a job by a mysterious person -- steal something from the castle. He enjoys the fact that he'll have his revenge and his freedom, and all of this at the cost of gaining Mancella's trust.

This was dark, and for those of you who need this, TW for animal violence. And I do mean TW. It's gruesome for sure. But what I loved about it, despite the carnage, is that although she does take their lives, she doesn't want to, and her emotions are so raw and real. The world was interesting, and I wish I knew a little bit more about it. But just about everyone here is ambitious and out for themselves, there's secrets being kept, crazy magic and action, and a lot of violence. I loved seeing things from Mancella's POV and Silver's, which the audiobook does a fantastic job with the dual narration and giving us those emotions from both of them. There's a lot of craziness that happens here, and I don't want to spoil it because of how unique this was.

I definitely recommend this book. It's dark, it's twisted, and it's one of those YA books that doesn't really feel very YA.

The Beasts We Bury
By D. L. Taylor
Narrated by Brenda Scott Wlazlo and Jake Chronister
4 ⭐️

I’m impressed with this book. It’s a dark YA fantasy with one of the most easy to hate rulers/fathers I’ve read in some time. The magic portfolio is interesting overall with the FMC’s magic being even more so. Mancella is an achievement of a character. Her staunch difference between who she is and who she’s expected to be, her ability to push back against her oppressive father, and her humility that allows her to give chances when she has over ever been used makes her so interesting to read. Silver feels more simple to me and compliments Mancella so well. The epilogue: So smart and has my mind trying to anticipate what could happen next long after I’ve finished reading.

The overall pacing was so good. Every detail felt very intentional with very little, if any, wasted words. The audiobook narrators were excellent. I always appreciate having separate narrators for each POV - thank you for that! The narrators add to the story and don’t detract from it. Pacing of the narration was also good. I really enjoyed this read/listen.

Thank you NetGalley, D.L. Taylor, and Macmillan audio for this audiobook ARC.

Ending was not as great as I expected. Over all it was good. It keeps you engaged. Some parts a a bit rough to hear if you are an animal lover but it lets you feel closer to what Manc feels. How she acts and feels and why she does some things.

Thank you to D. L. Taylor, Netgalley, and Macmillan Audio for sharing an ALC of The Beasts We Bury with me. This is book 1 in the Broken Citadel series.

The narration was wonderful, and the pacing was just right. I also very much enjoyed the emotion in the narrator's voices – they were powerful and the audio was done well.

This book has almost everything I’m looking for in a fantasy book: magic, betrayal, world building, character development, and a rebellion.

Mancella is heir to the throne, but lives a life she is not happy with. Her father has conditioned her to believe that in order for the realm to be strong, Mancella must be a portrayal of insurmountable strength. In order to be that strong, Mancella must kill animals of all kinds.. Once killed, she is able to summon these animals and fight with all their strength. It was difficult to learn about the animals she’s killed, especially when she’s able to get snippets of their lives and emotions right after they’ve been killed and their souls entering her body.

When she’s had enough, Mancella rejects the brutal monster her father has conditioned her to be and there’s so much that happens that eventually has her fight back - for her life, for the lives of the animals she wish she could have spared, and for her realm.

The character development was fantastic in this book. We learn so much about Mancella, her sister, her cousin, and Silver was an incredible book boyfriend – unwavering, genuine, and fierce. His character absolutely grew on me.

I’m very much looking forward to reading the next book.

You can read this book February 4th, 2025!

WOW! FIVE STARS!
Right from the beginning I was caught up and whipped away in this story, I went into this not expecting to love it as much as I do.

The FMC *chefs kiss* is fantastic the way she empathizes and feels, but is such a strong person.

The narrators really capture all the intense moments so amazingly, making me believe I'm listening to the characters themselves tell the story.

I'm here for the ending, I wasn't expecting that epilogue!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, and the Macmillan team for the pleasure of listening to The Beasts We Bury. The audiobook format had some great strengths, such as both a male and female narrator, since the characters' POV changed with different chapters (this was a great detail and helped immerse me in the book). I also enjoyed the author's voice and her writing style and I personally love when a debut author emerges! I would argue many in the book community LOVE being introduced to fresh, new authors.

If I were to describe this book to somebody, I would tell them that it is a very dark fantasy book with a romantic subplot. Mance is the female main character, who possesses a special power to summon and use animals, however she has to kill them first (despite hating that she must kill them). Mance is subject to the harsh treatment of her abusive father, who forces her to kill animals and tries to use Mance as a weapon against opposing realms. He is essentially the "king" of his realm, and he is the villain of the book.

Mance is introduced to a poor young man named Silver, who hates her family due to his own hardships. Silver and Mance go through the enemies to lovers trope, and become fast friends and eventually have a liking toward one another.

The plot revolves around Silver and Mance, and their shared hatred for Mance's wicked father. They attempt to defeat the wicked ruler and the ending has a very nice cliffhanger that sets up the story for an intriguing second book. Overall, the ending was very satisfying.

I would recommend this book to YA readers who enjoy dark fantasy with a romantic subplot. I would caution readers who have triggers with: parental abuse and animal cruelty. I think this was a very interesting book because it was a fresh concept! I read a lot of YA books, but I haven't come across one with this concept or power before. I send my best wishes to the publisher, author, and team for a successful book launch!

Here is my Tiktok post review of this book:
https://www.tiktok.com/@keilahjude/video/7451025444045933855?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7361642482788861470

The narration was well done on this. The tone, pitch, reading speed, cadence was all spot on. The story was easy to follow and flowed well. I did feel the FMC narration was a hint over done at points but the enthusiasm for the part was there.

They dynamic of the characters was fun and exciting. I'm a sucker for an easy going baker bro. Every single time so Rooftop gets 2 thumbs up from me.

The story overall was okay. It certainly is a dark YA. But aside from some brutality the story didn't particularly stand out to me having read a lot of YAs as of late. It's a book with an interesting concept/magic system but it follows the usual formula of opposing sides, miscommunication, and betrayals. People still love these tropes and that's fine but I feel like it creates a predictable story that doesn't stand out.

Very easy for a fantasy read to understand the plot and magic. That epilogue cliffhanger was really great too!

I enjoyed <i>The Beasts We Bury</i>, and I'm looking forward to the second book! The audiobook narration was excellent. It made the story easy to listen to and follow.

Mance is giving high-level Diem vibes. She's to become the heir to her kingdom but wishes to keep it safe, out of war, and ideally, with no bloodshed. Mance's father forces her power's on her, she is able to summon animals, but the catch is she must kill them for them to become a part of her.

Mance's world is turned upside down when Silver, a thief tasked with a mission that could change his and his friend's lives, sets on a path to take down Prime (Mance's father) and Mance. That is . . . until he finds out she's not the cold-hearted killer he believes her to be.

I don't believe I've read a book with this type of power before, so I'm very intrigued for what's to come!

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and D.L. Taylor for a copy of the audiobook! All opinions are my own.

The Beasts We Bury was unlike any book I have read. It was a completely new concept and I was thrilled to discover it! Just a warning, if you are looking for spice, the most that occurs in this book is kissing. THE PLOT WAS WORTH IT. Definitely one of my top contenders for ya read of 2024.

I thought this was a good first book! It has a lot of potential and I'm excited to see where the series goes. I really liked the magic system and how it's pretty sensitive to how it works. I thought that Mancella's journey to find her way was very well written. I thought that Brenda Scott Wlazlo and Jake Chronister did a good job with the audio overall. For some things I didn't love. It's marketed as enemies to lovers. Silver is the only one who thinks they are enemies and that's a bit of a stretch. He's enemies with her father the king and dislikes her because she is his daughter. He quickly switches to liking her but being upset that he likes her. I thought the plot was a little silly. Silver is written to be more observant but he misses all of the big red flags about what's going on. Overall it's a great first book for D. L. Taylor and for this series!

Mancella Cliff will soon be appointed Second by her brutal father, the Prime. Forced to kill animals from a young age to increase her magic, Mancella joins forces with Silver, the only person who has ever befriended her, to form a crucial political alliance. However, Silver is plotting to take down her ruthless father. Mancella's ability to summon the animals she has killed from the dead makes this YA fantasy unique. Full of intrigue and excitement, this is an excellent debut novel.

Dual narration from Brenda Scott Wlazlo and Jake Chronister provides clarity to the listener. Brenda's tone is rich with emotion and engaging making it easy to transport the listener into Mance's world. Jake's voice is fine, but lacks urgency and expression during intense scenes.

Special thanks to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

What do you do when your life’s mission is to take down a family power that’s plagued the whole of your realm? Do you work to break the wheel or do you cower to defeat?

If you choose to follow this dangerous path you deceive not just the players in this game of deception, but the heir to throne. In doing so you must decide if betraying your own thoughts is worth betraying your own heart.

This Y.A fantasy by D.L. Taylor was fast paced and started off with a bang that left me feeling both Intrigue and sadness with how the FMC Mancella’s magic is first introduced to us. The plot never felt like it was dragging especially for it being Y.A. We get to really see how Mancella’s deeply rooted trauma and hurt manifest its way into the person she is when she encounters our MMC Silver. He’s essentially a street rat who goes undercover in the city walls to dismantle the family whose dealings has plagued
the entire realm for far too long.

Being kept in the dark about so many things Mancella needs to uncover a way to break the bonds her father holds over her. With the unlikely alliance of her and Silver working together Mancella must navigate family dynamics, betrayal and the dangers of her father’s desire to exploit and grow her power..all while sparks form inside the deepest parts of her heart for the boy who first offered her a slice of cake.

I would have liked to see a little more world building if I’m being picky and more developed side characters. I wanted more from them. One of them was giving me “Hot pie” vibes from GOT who I loved in that series. In my humble opinion they are what holds the glue together most times for our MC’s. ….Filling in the pieces of personality our main characters unknowingly hide.

I really enjoyed listening to this via audiobook. Having a dual POV narration was perfect for this story, giving both MC’s a chance for us to be inside their thoughts and emotions. I thought Mancella’s character was richly developed. I liked being able to see both her rage & her compassion. I could feel both her anguish and love develop through the lines in this story.

The Beasts we bury is a duology and with how the story ended you could feel the change in the air. I was not expecting that ending. This alone should solidify your return to the second part of Mancella’s story.

Thank you to Macmillan & NetGalley for this audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I walk away from ‘The Beasts we Bury’ giving it 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to listen and review this audiobook.

This is my first D. L. Taylor book, and I attempted to listen to the audiobook.

I really like the plot of this story and I like the author's idea for the magical system and the FMC's ability. I also enjoyed the MMC's drive and ambition. This book has a many positive aspects for me.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF the audiobook at 25%. I am not sure if it is the writing or the female narrator, but the FMC is presented as too overly, and annoyingly, dramatic for my taste.

Since this story has so much potential and I really like the author's idea and where this might be going, I might try to physically read the book once it is released to see if it is just the audiobook that is bothering me.

the starting of how it started had me really interested on how this would go but as i kept listening to it didn't hold my attention i started zooning out had to restart it several times. didn't like the narrators