The Beasts We Raise

The Broken Citadel #2

by D.L. Taylor

"A captivating romantic fantasy." —Kelly Andrew, New York Times-bestselling author of Your Blood, My Bones, on The Beasts We Bury

Marry her enemy. Save her realm. Forsake her heart. The heart-shattering conclusion to this dark romantasy duology is perfect for fans of Adrienne Young, Tricia Levenseller, and Brigid Kemmerer.

Newly-appointed Prime Mancella is desperate to keep the peace within her realm and within herself. Having recently acquired the power to physically split into separate versions of herself, her identity is beginning to fracture—along with her land, which is on the brink of war. The only semblance of normalcy in her life is her budding romance with thief-turned-confidant, Silver. . . at least until the mysterious Prime Reltas arrives at her doorstep asking, or rather demanding, her hand in marriage.

If Mance wants to avoid a fight that will devastate her realm, she’ll have to consider the proposal. Even if it destroys Silver. But Mance isn't ready to give up just yet. Desperate to free herself from the betrothal, Mance must seek allyship from other Primes and learn to control her new magic. If she fails, her decision to refuse Reltas's proposal will implode the delicate state of affairs across the realms, setting off a catastrophic war—and shatter two hearts in the process.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romantasy, Romance, Audiobook, Young Adult Fantasy, Fiction

Kindle Edition

First published March 3, 2026

About the author

D.L. Taylor is an attorney by trade. She’s worked in criminal defense and civil non-profit law, but writing has always had a special hold on her heart. Though she hails from the sunny lands of California, she married a Midwestern boy and ended up settling down outside Chicago. She has three kids, two cats, and minimal sanity, but in the quiet hours before dawn she likes to write about magic, mischief, and moral quandaries. The Beasts We Bury is her debut.

If you'd like to know more, her handle is dltaylorbooks on TikTok and Instagram.

Reviews

[minnie. [exam season] · Rating 3 out of 5]

«We may not get to choose the beasts that our parents—that life buries in our hearts…but we do get to choose the beasts we raise.»

── .✦ 2.75 stars!

𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐞'𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 .ᐟ review #12

𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: february 24th

𐔌🗡️ feb 21 ⸝⸝ mixed feelings on the ending because while it was very sweet and wholesome with the idea of healing, it did come off as a little too rushed and sudden. reviewer’s note: guys if you couldn’t tell i am very sleep deprived and tired while writing this. this review contains spoilers for the first book the beasts we bury.

⤿ 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝: 02.07.26 - 02.20.26
⤿ 𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 12+
⤿ 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥: 0/5
⤿ 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: trauma, graphic death, violence and gore
⤿ 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬: power, responsibility, guilt, trauma, healing, forgiveness, self acceptance

«I think about the girl I used to be, on my knees in the arena, wondering when I would finally be strong enough. And now I know that I am strong enough for anything.»

⋮ ⌗ ┆𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬 🗡️꒱

⤿🌻 .ᐟ mancella’s life is complicated. after killing alect and taking his power, mance gains the ability to split herself into separate forms of herself, and locks up livid, the manifestation of her anger and the dark parts of her. leading her people as the prime, mance is overwhelmed with work, having only silver to ease her stress. but when the forest prime, reltas, demands her hand in marriage, her relationship with silver is threatened; she is forced to accept the proposal, or else risk a war that would devastate her realm and her people.

«Because it didn’t matter that no one else fought for me; I fought for myself.»

⋮ ⌗ ┆𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 🗡️꒱

⤿🌻 .ᐟ i thought this was a good read. while nothing in the novel stood out to me as spectacular or amazing, i enjoyed reading it and overall would recommend the duology. i liked the character development of mancella throughout the book. she has a lot of fear and denial of turning into her father and really struggles with accepting all the parts of herself, especially livid. mance struggles with the pressure of being prime and wants peace, but is traumatized by her past and her tyrant father. she pushes silver away and hides a lot from him, which is sad since he just wants to be there for her. i liked how the chapters were from the perspectives of the different parts of mance, like asset or heart, and its nice to see her slowly start to heal and come to terms with who she is as a whole. this book is about trauma and the horrors life throws at you, and healing and moving past that, accepting yourself for who you are even with all the faults and flaws. the message is prominent and it’s important, which i enjoyed about this novel. i personally enjoyed the first book more, but the themes and messages of this one are by far more important.

꒰🌻꒱ the direction this novel goes in is extremely different from the last book. if not for the fact that i already know the characters and world, i would have thought this was just a standalone novel. the exploration of tainted magic and corruption in the story is really interesting, and once i started reading i couldnt put it down since it was so captivating. the magic system is very interesting and the idea of the citadel is very unique. i thought that the ending was a bit rushed and it didn’t give me full closure, but otherwise it was wholesome. the romance in this was sweet but a subplot. i really enjoyed the moments between silver and mancella, since silver is a really sweet person who just wants to be there for mance.

⋮ ⌗ ┆𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 🗡️꒱

꒰♟️꒱ fast paced story
꒰♟️꒱ healing from trauma
꒰♟️꒱ romance subplot
꒰♟️꒱ tainted corrupted magic
꒰♟️꒱ heavy themes of power
꒰♟️꒱ arranged marriage with enemy

⤿ thank you so much to netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the arc of this book! all thoughts are my own <3

----------------------------------
⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀𐔌🌻 preread ⸝⸝ jan. 26th 🗡️ˎˊ˗
˖ ࣪જ okay...tbh totally forgot everything from the first book, but br-ing this with my fave soph!

[TheConnieFox · Rating 3 out of 5]

This young adult romantacy was really good and highly entertaining! This is the second book of The Broken Citadel series. It would be best to read the first book, that way the reader knows the backstory of the main characters in this book. The first one is called, “The Beasts We Bury”. This second novel is about tainted magic and corruption. It includes multiple point of views, which I really enjoyed while reading this! Some of the themes include power, responsibility, guilt, trauma, love, forgiveness and self acceptance. This is an enemies to lovers story that starts off strong!

I was fully immersed while reading this. It is a fast paced story with some lovable characters. I found that this was very different than the first book in the series. It has a complex magical system and wonderful world building! I recommend this book to anyone that loves reading romance and fantasy! I am wondering if there could possibly be a third book in the series, because it didn’t give me full closure at the end of the story. This book gave me This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede vibes! Overall, I give this novel a 3 out of 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, author D. L. Taylor, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) for this eARC in exchange for my honest review and feedback. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This book is set to be released on February 24, 2026!

[Selene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the audio arc of this book! The first book ends on a cliffhanger so I was happy to get my hands on this. I think Silver is the perfect golden retriever mmc. The story moves really fast and you can feel the emotions and angst. I did question some of the other characters actions (like all the other primes and some of the decisions they made) and some of the twists were predictable but this was all around an enjoyable easy read. The narrators did a good job adding to the story, although I wish it had been a duet because that’s really the superior audio book listening experience

[SelkieReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This book is gonna make you rage, wanna tear out your hair, scream into the void, pick fights with your partner, anything to get the aggression out.
It’s soooo much more than a YA novel.
I usually do a little blurb in my reviews but for this I want to talk more about the emotions.
If I had to describe this book in one sentence “the meeting of righteous fury with devious and evil actions.”

This books begs you to think about what it does to take your pain and suffering and then cause that same pain to others?
Is it revenge if you hurt everyone?
How far will you take your quest for revenge and who are you willing to sacrifice?
What does it do to an entire people when their sole focus is hurting others for revenge?
Can you heal from what you caused?

Our FMC, Mance, is dealing with the fall out of taking her father’s crown as a Prime. She is splitting herself, different aspects of her personality, into separate sentient and corporeal beings.
She can call them back and merge them with herself and share memories. They are separate but also one.
She is trying to use this power to make safe her kingdom when she is forced to marry an enemy that hates her.
However, it’s getting more and more painful to separate and to call back.

I’ve heard DL talk about how this book is suppose to be about trauma, it is uncomfortable, it should not feel easy or good. You should ask yourself questions and you should be able to sympathize and empathize with the pain. The types of trauma that the main characters go through at the hands of those in power, at the hands of those who are suppose to protect you, at the hands of those who are suppose to love you, can be seen as a mirror for so many different types of relationships in the modern world we live in.

I think that the self-reflection you do while reading this book and specifically getting to the ending it’s also very healing and necessary.

[Val ୨୧ (SORRY FOR BEING SO INACTIVE I'M BACK) · Rating 4 out of 5]

ੈ✩‧₊˚ Review ~

Thank you to Netgalley & Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing me with this ARC ! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

So..funny story, I actually requested this book without realising it was the second book to The Broken Citadel duology (I'm so smart guys 😭), so I read the first one, and I loved it, I'm not kidding, I ate it up and finished it in a couple days.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Spoilers for The Beasts We Bury ahead ! ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥


So the last book ends on a cliffhanger after we find out that Silver & Mancella's happily ever after wasn't so... happy. At least, not for Mancella. After taking Alect's power and gaining the ability to split herself into seperate forms, we learn that she's been suppressing/locking up one particular form of herself in her wardrobe. Livid, who is basically a manifestation of her anger and all the dark, furious parts of her.

'TBWR' is a very fast paced book, maybe a little TOO fast but it was still slow enough for me to keep up. I definitley feel like this book could've been longer ? And while the resolution was pretty abrupt, it was still a nice ending.

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ Mancella ⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

Mancella's denial and fear of turning into her father throughout this book was VERY obvious, constantly doubting herself and locking away Livid because she was struggling with the pressure of becoming the Prime, and terrified of becoming the tyrant ruler her father was. Because of that, she also pushed Silver away (MAJOR MISTAKE GIRL HE'S SUCH A SWEETHEART) and hid things from him. It's also really sad to see her doubt herself, trying really hard to avoid war and bloodshed, and trying to put her realm's safety above her own happiness.

ੈ✩‧₊˚ Silver ੈ✩‧₊˚

Silver is so cute through this entire book, he's one of the only people who sees Mace falling apart, and all her broken parts and different forms but still loves and supports her. His character is VERY different to the usual MMC's that I read, but he's powerful in his own way. His friendship with Vie and Rooftop was also hilarious and wholesome throughout the duology, and it's really clear that he basically sees them as family.

[Alexander Gonzalez · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like this is a completely different story and not a continuation of the first one… I really wanted to like it but it was just not for me.

[Elizabeth WMT · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5 stars)
I went into this audiobook ARC feeling a little unsure. The beginning was slower than I expected, and I had a hard time fully connecting with the female main character at first. Her powers and backstory weren’t deeply explored early on, and I think incorporating more detailed explanations or flashbacks in those opening chapters would have helped me feel more grounded in who she was. Because of that, it was difficult to truly resonate with her until closer to the middle of the book.
However — I am so glad I stuck with it.
Once the story found its rhythm (around chapter 10 for me), I became completely invested. The political tension between crimes and citizens, the looming presence of war, and the layered worldbuilding added so much depth to the story.
The most fascinating element was the FMC’s ability to split herself into multiple pieces, each rooted in a specific emotion and capable of traveling independently. It was such a unique concept, and watching her struggle not to become the father who caused her trauma — while also feeling compelled to help others heal — gave the story real emotional weight.
By the second half, the action, romantic elements, and introspective character growth came together beautifully. The emotional complexity and self-contemplation made this feel more layered than a typical romantic fantasy.
Overall, while the slower start and lighter early character development held it back slightly for me, the payoff was absolutely worth it.
A strong 4.5 stars — and I’m very happy I kept reading.

[Nadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing me with an eARC of this book. It is the concluding book to The Broken Citadel duology and comes out February 2026. All opinions are my own.

Spoilers Ahead (if you haven’t read The Beasts we Bury)

Mance and Silver find themselves in the aftermath of a war torn Continent left behind by the former Prime. Mance, as the new Prime of the Cliff Realm, wants to prove to everyone, including herself that she is nothing like her father. As she gets used to her newly acquired power of personality splitting, she locks away a part of herself she doesn’t like and continues to split herself into other emotions in order to keep her own council. Tensions between her and Silver are mounting as he senses her distance and it gets worse when the Prime of the Forest Realm comes demanding her hand in marriage as part of their “prior treaty.” To prevent the imminent war, Mance agrees and goes with him to the Forest Realm in order to bide time and find another solution, but what she finds could mean death and destruction for everything she knows and loves.

At first I was a little disoriented by the completely new direction this story took. That’s not to say the first book isn’t informative to this story, but this is its own complete and different storyline. Though Silver and Mance had sweet moments, this story was more about Mance, and her coming to terms with who she is as a whole and accepting that. I thought that was done very well. I liked the POV chapters from the different Mance emotions, I thought that was an interesting way to tell the story. The descriptions of some of the magic that Reltas (and Kiar) performed were horrific and so vivid and disturbing, I really felt sorry for him and what he went through to make him get to that point. The idea of the magic system and its corruption was also very interesting especially when tied to his hate and need for vengeance. “Your hate and vengeance are destroying everyone—“ I the ending was satisfying and funnily enough, it reminded me of the Let Them Theory philosophies I just spent the last few weeks reading through. Overall I enjoyed the fresh take on POVs, the messages in this story, the expanded magic system and how it played into the plot, and the characters themselves, a win all around.

“We may not get to choose the beasts that our parents—that life buries in our hearts…but we do get to choose the beasts we raise.”

[Mackenzie Hulsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good! I didn’t remember anything about the first book so it was kind of hard to get into it but once things started coming back I enjoyed it.

3.5 ⭐️

[Madi Yaussi · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5⭐️

“…the rules only matter if you plan to keep continue the system as it is.”

“We may not get to choose the beasts that our parents- that life buries in our hearts. But we do get to choose the beasts we raise.”

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley for giving me this ARC, all thoughts are my own🩷

Secondly… this was such a massive let down.

This book starts with Mance and Silver switching places and trusting a random person they just met in which the repercussions of doing so sets the plot for the book up. I promise there are other ways to start a book other than characters betraying their main characteristics.

Are we ever going to find out who the man silver saw in the outskirts was?? He spoke of him like it was an important character we were supposed to know but he wasn’t named or mentioned ever again.

Silver came off so insanely childish during this whole book that it dropped it several stars. He had purpose in the first book and was able to make choices that at least in his mind were justified, and this one? He is simply sad mance isn’t dropping everything for him or reacting wildly to the engagement. Dude is dating (?), whatever they were, a prime, knowing how complicated the politics of which are from the first book. But is shocked and can’t grapple with the fact there’s an arranged marriage. Be upset- but with mance? Being mad she dosnt want to suck tongue every breath in her crazy fiances realm and castle?? Be fr.
Asset isn’t a buzzkill silver she’s just the only one with a couple of braincells.

I liked the overarching theming and messaging but silver really let this fall from where it could’ve been.

[Bekah C · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨ARC Review✨

When I tell you this book had me in a chokehold, I’m not even close to exaggerating. The progression of magic, tension and world building was phenomenal and I just could not put it down for fear of FOMO 😂

The magical system in this series is like nothing I’ve ever read or even seen in movies. I love the complexity of it and that nobody is born with their magic. Mancella, the FMC, goes through a lot of inner turmoil during this book and it was incredibly fascinating to watch her growth but also look at it through my therapist lense (no spoilers because it would give info from the first book!) 🤫

🚫 spice
🚫 language
‼️ triggers: some graphic death, grief, inner struggles, trauma responses

Thank you so much to D.L. Taylor for offering this ARC on NetGalley - it was my very first one and it didn’t disappoint at all!

If you haven’t read The Beasts We Bury yet, do it before the year is over…because The Beasts We Raise comes out March 2026! 👏🏻

[Jenna D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Broken Citadel series and omg did it not disappoint. This book picked up right where the Beasts We Bury leaves off and I was once again hooked with Mance and Silvers journey. Without giving too much away we follow both characters as they uncover the truths behind generations of hatred and work to restore what was broken. Thank you so much to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

[Aleksandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Współpraca barterowa]
Książka mająca niecałe 300 stron - za mało, czy może jednak idealna długość? Jak uważacie?
Ja czasami lubię sięgnąć po cieniutką książkę, ale szczerze Wam powiem, że gdy zobaczyłam, że “Bestie Wyzwolone” mają niecałe 300 stron, zrobiło mi się po prostu przykro. Pierwszy tom bardzo mi się podobał i nie mogłam się doczekać zakończenia tej historii, a świat i bohaterów polubiłam tak bardzo, że nie obraziłabym się, gdyby książka była dwa razy dłuższa… Ale też nie ma co na siłę rozwlekać, bo mimo jej długości, wszystko zostało dobrze rozwinięte, wątki pozamykane, a znalazło się również miejsce na to, żeby doprowadzić mnie do łez kilka razy…
Mam wrażenie, że akcja w tym tomie jest zdecydowanie szybsza, ale nie to mnie tak oczarowało. Zrobiła to ilość emocji. Perspektywa Silvera łamała mi serce. Potrzebuję go przytulić, bo jest w nich tak dużo strachu i poczucia, że nie jest wystarczający, kiedy to oczywiście totalnie nie prawda! Bardzo łatwo było mi zrozumieć jego myśli i powody, dla których wątpi w siebie.
A z drugiej strony mamy Marcellę, która nie chce dopuszczać najbliższych do swoich problemów, przez co nie daje sobie pomóc, czym rani tych, którym na niej zależy. Dodatkowo teraz, gdy posiadła nową moc, ma również inne zmartwienie i to dość poważne, a na to wszystko jako pryma musi zadbać o bezpieczeństwo swojego ludu.
Być może ta historia nie jest idealna, ale przekaz, ze sobą jaki niesie, jest cudowny. Pokazuje jak ważna, mimo tego, że piekielnie trudna, jest akceptacja samego siebie. Porusza również temat strachu, wątpliwości i zrozumienia w związku, ale również w sobie. Cieszę się, że jest kierowana do młodzieży, bo mam nadzieję, że pomoże ona komuś zrozumieć, że ucieczka przed emocjami nie jest rozwiązaniem.
Zakończenie mnie zaskoczyło, bo nie spodziewałam się, że w ogóle będziemy iść w takim kierunku, ale wyszło dobrze i naprawdę świetnie spędziłam czas z tymi bohaterami. Na pewno będę jeszcze wracała do tej dylogii i z pewnością spróbuję ją wcisnąć moim bookbesties.
Tak więc czytajcie “Bestie Pogrzebane” i “Bestie Wyzwolone” zachwycając się nimi razem za mną! Mam nadzieję, że autorka ma w planach napisać coś jeszcze, bo chcę więcej tak dobrych historii <3

[Leah Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this book as an e-arc!!

We continue off the first book with the father being imprisoned and Mance as the Prime. We learn of her new ability to split herself into different personalities that can live outside of her being. Silver and Mance are together and struggling to find their footing as a couple. Until Prime Reltas enters.

A treaty was signed under Mance’s father that Mance would marry Prime Reltas for the good of the realm. Of course she’s not wanting this due to Silver, but if she doesn’t she risks sending the realms to war again.

Seeing Mance navigate this new position, talent, and relationship was a lot. I enjoyed the book, seeing how she splits her personalities was fresh and really interesting concept. I liked seeing the animals fall into position with a certain personality as well. This was a good read but I don’t think it’s one I will come back to. I wasn’t sure how this book would end but enjoyed the direction it’s leading into. Character development was good but it did feel a little lacking.

[Emma R · Rating 1 out of 5]

Das war ja leider eine echte Verschlechterung zum ersten Band. Ich fand gerade die Magieidee mit den Tieren so cool und davon bekommt man im zweiten Band quasi nix zu lesen. Und du willst mir doch nicht in aller Ernst sagen, dass es mehrere Raubtiere nicht hinbekommen 2 Menschen zu töten?? (Ausbruchsszene von Vater)
Sowohl Silver als auch Mance sind mir nur noch auf die Nerven gegangen und die Romanze hat mich kein bisschen mehr interessiert. Ich mochte auch die Entwicklung von Mance Magie einfach nicht mit den verschiedenen Teilen. Dann haben wir teilweise die unnötigsten Informationen bekommen, wie mit Vie und Rooftop, es juckt mich dann halt auch nicht mehr. Ne, auch den ganzen Heiratsplot fand ich leider super schlecht und alles war so kindisch, vor allem eben Silvers und Mances Verhalten. So so schade, weil ich mich echt auf den Band gefreut hatte.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let’s talk about the magic system in The Beasts We Raise by D.L. Taylor, because WOW. What a concept! It’s not a world where people are just given power, they have to earn it, which I found compelling and inspiring. Taylor does a great job making everything feel higher stakes and intense. The complexity pulled me in fast, and the world building was so well done. I loved how the setting itself became part of the emotional journey—like every challenge in this world was quietly asking, how far are you willing to go to forgive yourself?
Watching Mancella wrestle with inner conflict and trauma while trying to survive this brutal world was as raw as it was captivating.

And when I say this book had me in a chokehold, I’m not exaggerating. I read it like something might explode if I stopped. Thank you to NetGalley and the Author for the opportunity

[Randee Norton · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75⭐️
First, I want to thank NetGalley, Macmillan Publishing and D. L. Taylor for the ARC!
This was a highly anticipated sequel release but I’m left feeling disappointed. The outline of the story had real potential- especially with the character/emotion study on the FMC. However, the plot felt underdeveloped. Things moved too quickly without proper planning or elaboration. It felt like peaks of the plot were just a speed bump. I feel if things were explored more, the story would have been rounded out perfectly. I was just left unsatisfied and wanting more.

[eva · Rating 2 out of 5]

nie wiem co mam o niej myśleć

z jednej strony się wkręciłam, a z drugiej wcale się nie zżyłam z bohaterami- czy tak sie da??

a takim największym zarzutem jest główna bohaterka, która przez większość książki mam wrażenie że nie lubiła swojego love interest XD (a to nie był pierwszy tom lub enemies to lovers, tylko oni są razem)

[Chiara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Même si je n’ai lu que le tome deux, je trouve la plume incroyable et l’histoire trop bien.
J’ai adoré Silver, Mance avec toute ses facettes.
Certains perso non merci mais une histoire que j’ai vraiment apprécié.
Je pense que je vais lire le tome un.

XOXO,
Cippy

[Liana Gold]

Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan children’s publishing group for this eARC! Can’t wait!
Publication date: March 3, 2026

[sthaboutbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,25 ⭐️

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even better than the first!

Really helpful to me in understanding victims. I have some good imagery for thinking through things in the future.

[Chelsea Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so grateful to have received a EARC of this book from NetGalley and Wow. This book was such a beautiful read. The second book in this series following Mance and Silver as the main two characters and the way their story builds and comes to a close at the end was absolutely beautiful. The hardships they go through and The love Silver has for Mance. The way this story unfolds in such a way I’ve never read before. It was such a good read and I definitely recommend this for those wanting a little something different in the fantasy world. Beautifully written.

[Dom Osh · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was so bad 😭 I can’t believe it was the same series or author. What did I just read?! Loved the first book but this completely changed the characters, rushed through, and everyone made non-sense choices.

[Kikiś · Rating 5 out of 5]

[wspolpraca reklamowa]

!Uwaga, mogą wystąpić spojlery do 1 tomu!

Mancella została nową prymą, po tym jak obaliła z tronu swojego ojca.

Jednak od kiedy to się stało, wszystko wylatuje jej z rąk.

Dziewczyna nie wie za wiele o prawdziwej polityce i stosunkach jej królestwa z innymi…

W dodatku przychodzi do niej niespodziewany list… bowiem, Prym Domeny Lasu, prosi ją o rękę w ramach potwierdzenia przymierza.

Mance nie wie, że stoi za tym dodatkowa intryga…

W dodatku w końcu miała szansę na szczęście z Silverem… a teraz? wszystko stoi pod ogromnym znakiem zapytania…

Książki D. L. Taylor są niesamowitą podróżą przez niezwykłą magię, politykę i dworskie intrygi. Dylogia ,,The Broken Citadel” jest pełna emocji i wrażeń, nowych tajemnic i kłamstw, które wychodzą na jaw. Aż ciężko uwierzyć, że to właśnie są jej pierwsze historie.

W pierwszym tomie Mance musi zabijać inne zwierzęta, aby przejąć ich moc, jest to bardzo brutalna część. Jednak teraz w drugim przejmuje moc swojego kuzyna - teraz może się rozszczepiać na swoje różne oblicza - co bardzo często wykorzystuje w swoich politycznych naradach - robi je samą ze sobą.

Gracja, Serce, Strategia i Furia.
Nie każdą z nich dziewczyna chce pokazywać, więc uwięziła Furię i ją od siebie odcięła, ale czy to napewno był dobry pomysł? W końcu nie jesteśmy w stanie pogrzebać naszych najgorszych części.

,,𝑨 𝒘𝒆𝒅𝒍𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒈𝒐 𝒅𝒐𝒔́𝒘𝒊𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒛𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒂, 𝒋𝒂𝒌 𝒃𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒛𝒐 𝒃𝒚𝒔́𝒎𝒚 𝒔𝒊𝒆̨ 𝒏𝒊𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒊, 𝒕𝒆 𝒄𝒛𝒆̨𝒔́𝒄𝒊 𝒏𝒂𝒔, 𝒌𝒕𝒐́𝒓𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐́𝒃𝒖𝒋𝒆𝒎𝒚 𝒑𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒛𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒄́, 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒅𝒚 𝒏𝒊𝒆
𝒑𝒐𝒛𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒋𝒂̨ 𝒑𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒛𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒆 𝒏𝒂 𝒛𝒂𝒘𝒔𝒛𝒆.”

Ten tom to definitywnie walka z demonami naszych bohaterów. Zarówno Mancella jak i Silver, mają dużo traum do przepracowania… Co nie jest takie proste, bo z każdej strony są zarzucani nowymi obowiązkami.
Oboje z początku trzymają je mocno w sobie, ale kiedyś trzeba dać im wylecieć… A przy odpowiedniej dla nas osobie jest nam o wiele łatwiej sobie z nimi poradzić.

,,𝑴𝒖𝒔𝒛𝒆̨ 𝒋𝒆𝒋 𝒑𝒐𝒌𝒂𝒛𝒂𝒄́, 𝒛̇𝒆 𝒏𝒊𝒆 𝒋𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒂, 𝒛̇𝒆 𝒋𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒔́𝒎𝒚 𝒘 𝒕𝒚𝒎 𝒓𝒂𝒛𝒆𝒎. 𝒁̇𝒆 𝒛𝒂𝒘𝒔𝒛𝒆 𝒃𝒆̨𝒅𝒆̨ 𝒋𝒂̨ 𝒘𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄́.”

Pomimo tego, że Mancella stara się zgrywać twardą, to w środku jest pogubiona - i wtedy wkracza on, nasz zabójczo przystojny (już były) złodziej.

,, „𝑵𝒊𝒆 𝒐𝒌𝒂𝒛𝒖𝒋 𝒔ł𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒔́𝒄𝒊”, 𝒎𝒐́𝒘𝒊𝒆̨ 𝒔𝒐𝒃𝒊𝒆 𝒘 𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒉𝒖. „𝑵𝒊𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒛𝒘𝒐́𝒍, 𝒛̇𝒆𝒃𝒚
𝒐𝒅𝒈𝒂𝒅ł, 𝒋𝒂𝒌 𝒘𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒍𝒂 𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒃𝒊𝒆 𝒛𝒏𝒂𝒄𝒛𝒚”.”

Silvera pokochałam tutaj jeszcze bardziej, a nie sądziłam, że to w ogóle możliwe. Chłopak dosłownie spaliłby dla Mance cały świat, aby tylko móc z nią być. Podobało mi się jak o nią walczył, pomimo tego jak wielokrotnie go odtrącała, była zmęczona wszystkim - to on dalej za nią szedł i chciał jej pomóc. Wspierał ją, był przy niej.

,,𝒁̇𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒛̇𝒆 𝒑𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒖 𝒛𝒂𝒛̇𝒂̨𝒅𝒂𝒄́ 𝒘𝒔𝒕𝒆̨𝒑𝒖 𝒅𝒐 𝒋𝒆𝒋 ł𝒐𝒛̇𝒂?
𝑵𝒊𝒆 𝒛𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒆𝒓𝒛𝒂𝒎 𝒅𝒐 𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒐 𝒅𝒐𝒑𝒖𝒔́𝒄𝒊𝒄́.
𝑵𝒂𝒘𝒆𝒕 𝒋𝒆𝒔́𝒍𝒊 𝒃𝒆̨𝒅𝒆̨ 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒂ł 𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒄́ 𝒄𝒂ł𝒚 𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒑𝒂ł𝒂𝒄.”

Zakończenie tej dylogii jest przepiękne i cieszę się, że właśnie takie,
a nie inne. ,,Bestie Pogrzebane” i ,,Bestie Wyzwolone” to historie, które niosą za sobą coś więcej niż rozrywkę - ważne przesłania i przekazy dla czytelników. Pamiętajcie - nie bójcie się otworzyć i podzielić z drugą osobą waszymi problemami - niesienie ich we dwójkę jest o wiele prostsze.

,,𝑾𝒚𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒊𝒆𝒎𝒚 𝒋𝒆, 𝒌𝒊𝒆𝒅𝒚 𝒃𝒆̨𝒅𝒛𝒊𝒆 𝒑𝒐 𝒘𝒔𝒛𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒌𝒊𝒎. 𝑲𝒊𝒆𝒅𝒚 𝒏𝒊𝒆 𝒃𝒆̨𝒅𝒛𝒊𝒆 𝒋𝒖𝒛̇ 𝒛̇𝒂𝒅𝒏𝒆𝒈𝒐 𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒐𝒅𝒖, 𝒛̇𝒆𝒃𝒚 𝒔𝒊𝒆̨ 𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒛𝒚𝒎𝒚𝒘𝒂𝒄́.

𝑾𝒕𝒆𝒅𝒚 𝒃𝒆̨𝒅𝒂̨ 𝒛𝒏𝒂𝒄𝒛𝒚𝒄́ 𝒏𝒂𝒋𝒘𝒊𝒆̨𝒄𝒆𝒋. 𝑻𝒐 𝒏𝒊𝒆 𝒋𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒔́, 𝒅𝒐 𝒄𝒛𝒆𝒈𝒐 𝒄𝒉𝒄𝒊𝒂ł𝒃𝒚𝒎, 𝒛̇𝒆𝒃𝒚 𝒌𝒊𝒆𝒅𝒚𝒌𝒐𝒍𝒘𝒊𝒆𝒌 𝒄𝒛𝒖ł𝒂 𝒔𝒊𝒆̨ 𝒛𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒛𝒐𝒏𝒂.
𝑵𝒂 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒊 𝒅𝒂𝒓 𝒎𝒐𝒈𝒆̨ 𝒑𝒐𝒄𝒛𝒆𝒌𝒂𝒄́.”

[Kiki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prime Mancella must make tough decisions to keep the peace and save her people... and it might cost her love.

Thank you to D.L. Taylor, Netgalley, and MacMillan Audio for the ARC audio of this book.

I really enjoyed this duology and the fact I got to listen to both of them as ARCs. Mance is a young adult who was raised by a broken royal system. Her father was cruel, her mother distant, and her sister holding secrets. When she finally blows it all up to reveal the secrets, she takes charge of her life and her kingdom, and finds a romantic companion. But then Prime Reltas throws a wrench in her peace keeping plans by forcing her into an engagement she cannot break. When chaos ensues, she is left to make the toughest decision of all.
I was sat for this entire book! I went through emotions of being proud of Mance, to having her decisions, to feeling bad for her, all through this book. I also hurt for Silver, precious Silver. He just wanted to love and be loved. I love the way this book ends and the sort of conclusion we get to the story. I like tidy endings and this one leaves you with wanting a little more of a conclusion. But I like it either way.

A great YA magical fantasy, with a spot here and there of romance. Though there is no explicit romantic scenes. This is definitely safe for teens to read and enjoy as long as you don't mind some violence depicted (as with the first book).

[Gabriella Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️

As a fan of the first book in this series, I was beyond excited to be approved for the ARC of this sequel, and it absolutely did not disappoint. From the very first chapter, the overall plot and magic system once again proves to be creative, refreshing, and emotionally compelling. This world continues to feel vivid and immersive, and I found myself completely swept back into it almost instantly.

One of the things I appreciated most is that while this is marketed as YA romantasy, that label in no way means a lack of depth, drama, or writing quality. This is a spice-free romantasy, but the emotional tension, character growth, and relational stakes are powerful enough that it never feels like anything is missing. In fact, the focus on connection and character development makes the story feel richer and more intentional. I absolutely devoured this book.

And Silver… what a journey. What begins as a bitter, broken, fiercely independent thief slowly transforms into one of the most beloved characters I’ve read in a long time. In this installment especially, he becomes such a steady rock for Mance — choosing to show up, to stay by her side, and to help her find her way back, even when she doesn’t know how to show up for herself. That quiet loyalty and strength hit hard. And Mance? The character development that we see over only two books is astonishing.

The twists were incredibly satisfying and genuinely caught me off guard, and I deeply appreciated how the ending wrapped everything up in a way that felt earned and complete. I strongly recommend this duology to anyone who loves spice-free romantasy with deep, dark, meaningful themes. I will not stop recommending this series! Thank you so much to the D. L. Taylor and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC of The Beasts We Raise.

[Rachel T · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I liked this novel even more than the first book in the duology! I thought the magic system was really fun and unique. I really enjoyed the world-building and overall plot. There are some complex characters that had me yelling “nooo!! What are you thinking!?”. I had to remind myself that this is written for a younger audience. I appreciated the overall message of this book (to accept yourself for who you are and the overall focus on healing).

Thank you to Macmillan Publishing Group, Henry Holt & Co., D.L. Taylor, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date: February 24, 2026

[Allison Romeo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5!

I read through this book so quickly because it was just a short read, but there wasnt a dull moment to be found! while the first book focused more on Mance's animal magic, this one was more focused on the different parts of herself.

This book focused a lot on revenge and sacrifice, and the romance part didn't really take a back burner, but there was a lot of miscommunication trope, which I never really like in my romance. I understood why it was there though.

Overall I really enjoyed this one and will continue to read what this author writes! thanks to Netgalley for the early copy to review.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the first book so much! The magic is unique and that ending had me begging for more.

This story begins pretty much right where it left off. Mace is now the prime and silver is teaching at the academy. Everyone is finding their place. Unfortunately Mace is discovering her magic causing her pain and is forced to marry the Prime of the forest kingdom after her father has escaped.

I had high hopes for this one but it fell flat. I wasn't getting the same progression from book one that had me hooked. I felt that this one was predictable and took a weird turn. By the end though I was pleasantly surprised. The narration was done well.

Thank you Macmillan audio for the gifted audiobook.