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A review by wondereads13
The Mirror of Beasts by Alexandra Bracken
5.0
When I read Silver in the Bone last year, I definitely enjoyed it, but it didn't take my breath away. It was a fun, well-written young adult fantasy, and I personally loved the Arthurian influences. The Mirror of Beasts is completely different in that it is absolutely amazing and probably the best young adult novel I've read this year.
The Mirror of Beasts continues Tamsin's story after restoring Avalon to its place in the real world, unintentionally freeing Lord Death from his makeshift prison, an ancient pseudo-deity who has recruited her own brother in his plans to rip through the world, destroying sorceresses and anyone else who gets in his way. His actual motivation is a mystery, but one Tamsin and her party are determined to find out. I absolutely loved the emphasis on sisterhood and female friendship in this second installment; Tamsin, Neeve, Katrina, and Alwyn were an amazing group to follow, each with their own personalities and convictions. I had not caught on to the romance brewing in the group in the first book, so I was pleasantly surprised when it was made more obvious. Speaking of romance, Emrys has returned after betraying Tamsin in the last book. I, like Tamsin, was hesitant to trust him, but he definitely pulled through. The other betrayer, Cabell, I was less sympathetic towards, and Bracken did a great job obscuring what his final fate would be, which I think is a good balance for that character.
My favorite part of this book was without a doubt Tamsin. She is a character that I both adore and relate to, and the sympathy that this book yanked out of me for her was impressive. I cried three separate times. She is someone you can't help but root for, and (spoilers) I was relieved that she finally got her happy ending. This book is on the longer side, but the pacing is nice and steady; there's always something happening, it doesn't get repetitive, and despite the various plot threads everything got its time to shine and be neatly wrapped up in the end. I was anticipating liking this book, but I came out loving it, and I had a wonderful time reading it.
The Mirror of Beasts continues Tamsin's story after restoring Avalon to its place in the real world, unintentionally freeing Lord Death from his makeshift prison, an ancient pseudo-deity who has recruited her own brother in his plans to rip through the world, destroying sorceresses and anyone else who gets in his way. His actual motivation is a mystery, but one Tamsin and her party are determined to find out. I absolutely loved the emphasis on sisterhood and female friendship in this second installment; Tamsin, Neeve, Katrina, and Alwyn were an amazing group to follow, each with their own personalities and convictions. I had not caught on to the romance brewing in the group in the first book, so I was pleasantly surprised when it was made more obvious. Speaking of romance, Emrys has returned after betraying Tamsin in the last book. I, like Tamsin, was hesitant to trust him, but he definitely pulled through. The other betrayer, Cabell, I was less sympathetic towards, and Bracken did a great job obscuring what his final fate would be, which I think is a good balance for that character.
My favorite part of this book was without a doubt Tamsin. She is a character that I both adore and relate to, and the sympathy that this book yanked out of me for her was impressive. I cried three separate times. She is someone you can't help but root for, and (spoilers) I was relieved that she finally got her happy ending. This book is on the longer side, but the pacing is nice and steady; there's always something happening, it doesn't get repetitive, and despite the various plot threads everything got its time to shine and be neatly wrapped up in the end. I was anticipating liking this book, but I came out loving it, and I had a wonderful time reading it.