As part of a blog and Bookstagram tour with Toppling Stacks Tours, I received a copy of The Beasts We Raise by D.L. Taylor, published by Henry Holt and Co. This novel is the conclusion to The Broken Citadel, which begins with The Beasts We Bury.
I’m giving The Beasts We Raise ⭐⭐½ (2.5 stars) — but that rating comes with context. While the writing, worldbuilding, and romantic tension are strong, this is absolutely not a book you can jump into without reading book one first. Trust me — I tried.
My Reading Experience (And Why Order Matters)
Because I needed to review this book within a few weeks, I started with The Beasts We Raise before reading book one. That decision… did not go well.
I couldn’t get past the third chapter.
It wasn’t because the writing was bad — it wasn’t. The prose is vivid and emotionally layered. The characters are immediately presented as complex and fractured (in more ways than one). The tension is there from the start. But I felt completely unmoored in the world.
There are brief recaps woven throughout the opening chapters, but they weren’t enough for me. Instead of grounding me, they made me feel like I had walked into a room where everyone already knew a massive secret — and I was the only one left out. The emotional weight of certain reveals and character dynamics clearly relied on knowledge from the first book, and without that foundation, I found myself frustrated rather than intrigued.
So I pivoted.
I went back and started The Beasts We Bury. I only made it about halfway through before returning to book two for this review, but even that partial experience changed everything.
Once I Had Context, Everything Improved
Reading book one made the world sharper and more immersive. I became invested in the main character’s plight, understood the political fractures at play, and most importantly — I became emotionally attached.
That attachment is critical for The Beasts We Raise.
This sequel dives deep into consequences. It’s heavy with fallout, fractured identities, strained alliances, and painful choices. The stakes are intensely personal and political at the same time. But without the emotional groundwork from book one, those stakes don’t land the way they’re meant to.
Once I understood the history and motivations behind the characters, the sequel felt much stronger. The tension made sense. The betrayals hit harder. The emotional unraveling felt earned.
Enemies to Lovers Done Right
One of the strongest elements of this duology is the romance.
If you love enemies-to-lovers arcs with genuine emotional friction, this delivers. The dynamic isn’t soft or easy — it’s layered with mistrust, vulnerability, and longing. The chemistry builds through shared hardship rather than instant attraction, which makes it feel grounded in the world’s harsh realities.
In book one especially, I found myself fully invested in the slow burn. By the time book two intensifies the emotional stakes, you can feel how much history sits between these characters.
It’s messy. It’s painful. And it works.
Worldbuilding & Fantasy Elements
The fantasy elements are one of the series’ biggest strengths. The magic system feels symbolic as well as powerful, mirroring the internal fractures of the characters. Political unrest, divided realms, and looming war create a tense backdrop that constantly pushes the story forward.
The atmosphere is heavy — almost suffocating at times — but intentionally so. This isn’t a light romantasy with a sparkly happily-ever-after. It leans darker. The emotional weight is constant, and the ending is not traditionally comforting.
If you’re looking for a neatly wrapped conclusion, this duology may surprise you. But if you appreciate bittersweet endings that align with the story’s tone, it feels thematically consistent.
Why the 2.5-Star Rating?
Here’s where I landed:
⭐ Writing: Strong and emotionally layered
⭐ Characters: Likable, complex, and well-rounded
⭐ Romance: Compelling enemies-to-lovers arc
⚖️ Accessibility: Very difficult to enter without book one
My 2.5-star rating isn’t because the story lacks quality. It’s because, as a standalone reading experience, this sequel was frustrating and confusing at first. A sequel should build on its predecessor — and this one absolutely does — but it doesn’t provide quite enough grounding for readers who might be coming in rusty or out of order.
That said…
When I consider the duology as a whole, I would rate it 4 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The overall arc, romantic development, fantasy worldbuilding, and emotional payoff work beautifully when read in order. The problem wasn’t the story — it was my starting point.
Final Thoughts
The Beasts We Raise is a strong conclusion that demands prior investment. If you start with book one, I believe you’ll have a far richer, more immersive experience than I initially did.
This is for readers who love:
Enemies-to-lovers romance
Political fantasy with emotional stakes
Morally gray choices
Bittersweet endings
High tension and fractured identities
Just don’t make my mistake.
Start with book one.
If you do, I think you’ll find a beautifully crafted, emotionally intense duology that rewards your patience — even if it doesn’t hand you a fairy-tale ending.
“The Beast We Raise” Rating: ⭐⭐½ (2.5 stars)
Duology Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 stars)
About the Books:
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Publishing date: February 24, 2026
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Synopsis:
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.
Content Warning: Some graphic death, grief, trauma
Learn more and get Book 1 first (highly recommended), “The Beasts We Bury”:
Meet 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.
For more, you can follow her on Instagram or TikTok. Her handle is dltaylorbooks