Darcey's Reviews > The Mirror of Beasts

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Such a brilliant conclusion to an exciting, adventurous duology!!

I went into this book with nothing but good vibes - I remembered nothing from book #1, save being entranced by the rivals-to-lovers romance, and fascinated by the Arthurian retelling. And look, I worked it all out!! This captivating sequel followed on from book #1 with those same two enjoyable aspects, plus gorgeous developing female friendships (and sapphic romances!), and plot twist after plot twist. I honestly couldn't put this book down - sleep was sacrificed a few too many times, but it was worth it!

“There was the sound of thunder, of the ever-crashing sea, and when the snow finally settled, only the body of the sorceress remained to tell of the Wild Hunt’s return.”

As always, Tamsin was a prickly, vicious fmc - always on her guard, but fiercely loyal. I adore her character, she's so dedicated to those she loves, and honestly she's just incredibly funny. And her relationship with Emrys... butterflies!! They're so cute and so perfectly matched, and I adored Emrys in this book, as per usual.

“I would follow you anywhere. Through dusty library stacks… into cursed woods… across drowned kingdoms… You’ve become the map of my life. There will never be any adventure worth having, any prize worth finding, that’s greater than you.”

I was also really happy with how the book ended for the antagonists - it was satisfying and didn't let the villains off with minimal punishment, which always irritates me. I truly have no idea how much of the Arthurian stories this retelling ended up following, but I enjoyed the unique storyline nonetheless, and had the time of my life with all the twists.

“Yeah, well, it turns out that men taking credit for things they didn’t actually do has been an ongoing theme throughout history.”

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC copy provided!

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pre-read review: ARC ACQUIRED TEHE I'M SO EXCITED

I remember nothing from book 1 but I know I loved it so… I’ll work it out (hopefully).