Week 51 Review: The Beasts We Bury

From Goodreads:

Deceit and betrayal abound in this dark YA romantasy about an heir to the throne who can summon an army of animals and a thief who plans to manipulate her to pull off a once-in-a-lifetime heist.

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 with her bare hands. 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.

My Review:
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! 

Author: D.L. Taylor 

Series: The Broken Citadel #1

Read: December 19th, 2024 
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Sounded really good, and it's a DAC Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Expected Publication: February 4th 2025 

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars