carlybrooke 's review for:

The Beasts We Bury by D.L. Taylor

3.0

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I wasn’t sure what to expect when I decided to read this book. Lately I’ve been choosing books at complete random. This one surprised me. It’s definitely YA and reads very YA at times. The characters can be frustrating with their nonsensical actions (especially the MMC) but that’s to be expected at their given ages. I enjoyed the relationships between characters and seeing the contrast of their backgrounds. I thought the magic system was unique and interesting. I did feel like there was a lot of world building missing. We didn’t get a clear sense of the realms other than the “main” two that were brought up most often. I also would have liked to know more about the citadel and the lore surrounding it. If the author had concentrated more on explaining how the magic worked aside from the basic explanation that was given, I think it would have given the reader a more immersive experience. There were also some predictable things, but it didn’t deter me from continuing to read. Because it is YA there isn’t really a strong romance but there is a seemingly innocent lust and attraction. This was a cute addition to the plot. Our FMC did grow throughout the book and I’m anticipating she will continue that growth as the series continues. The ending / epilogue was a bit of a surprise and while I did wonder what would happen with that particular situation, I was not expecting that conclusion. I’m currently undecided if I’ll be reading the next book or not. If you’re on the fence about reading this book I would say to give it a chance! As I mentioned, it has a super cool magic system and you may end up loving it!