Breakfast of Blood and Power

Mancella Amaryllis Cliff, the Prospective Seconde of the Cliff Realm, begins her day with a breakfast that is anything but ordinary. Her father, the Prime, announces she must kill again to prove her strength before her official naming as heir. The family's dynamic is tense: her mother is silent, her sister Mara offers dry humor and support, and her father is relentless in his pursuit of power. Mancella's hands are scarred from years of forced violence, and the animals she's killed haunt her from within. The castle is a gilded cage, and the looming Assurance ceremony is both a promise and a threat. Mancella's world is one of ritualized brutality, where love and cruelty are inseparable, and her father's ambitions threaten to consume her entirely.

Outskirts, Allies, and Ambitions

In the Outskirts, Silver—a clever, resourceful orphan—plots to break into the castle for a mysterious job. His friends, Vie and Rooftop, are his found family, each scarred by the Academy and the war. Their banter masks desperation: Silver's reckless hope for a better life, Vie's fierce protectiveness, and Rooftop's quiet loyalty. The world outside the castle is harsh, with glass trees and shattered dreams. Silver's climb up the cliffs and through the deadly glass forest is both literal and symbolic—a struggle for survival and agency. When he finally meets Guerre, the enigmatic employer, Silver is offered a dangerous bargain: steal the Prime's seal in exchange for a future. The stakes are life and death, and Silver's ambition is matched only by his willingness to risk everything for those he loves.

The Broken Citadel's Price

A flashback reveals the day Mancella and Mara were taken to the Broken Citadel, the source of the world's magic and its curse. The Citadel is a place of devastation, where magic chooses its bearers and destroys the unworthy. Mara enters first and returns scarred, her face forever changed. Mancella follows, experiencing a soul-twisting terror that leaves her forever altered. The Citadel's magic is a double-edged gift, granting power at the cost of innocence and wholeness. The sisters' bond is fractured by trauma, and the family's silence deepens. The Citadel's legacy is one of pain, and the world it created is haunted by the ghosts of those it consumed.

Climbing Walls, Breaking In

Silver's infiltration of the castle is a test of skill and nerve. Disguised as a servant, he navigates the labyrinthine halls, observing the ruling family and their guests. The dinner with Prime Azele of the Grasslands is a tense display of power, with Mancella forced to confront her own violence as her father serves the jaguar she killed. Silver's note to Mancella, inviting her to the kitchens at midnight, is the first thread in a web of secrets and manipulation. Their midnight meeting is awkward, charged with mutual suspicion and unexpected vulnerability. Silver's motives are murky, and Mancella's trust is fragile. The castle is a stage, and every gesture is a move in a larger game.

The Jaguar's Last Roar

Mancella's forced battle with the jaguar is a brutal ritual. Clad in magical armor, she must kill with her bare hands to absorb the beast's spirit. The fight is savage, and the magic within her revels in the violence, even as Mancella is sickened by it. The jaguar's memories—her cubs, her fear—flood Mancella with guilt and sorrow. The aftermath is a blur of pain, medical magic, and hollow victory. The family's pride in her strength is a bitter reward, and the cost of power is written in scars and nightmares. The jaguar's spirit joins the menagerie within Mancella, another beast she must bury to survive.

Letters, Lies, and Liaisons

Mancella, desperate to change her fate, writes a secret letter to Prime Azele, seeking peace. Silver, tasked with delivering the letter, is torn between his mission and his growing empathy for Mancella. Their clandestine meetings—over midnight tortes and rooftop confessions—are fraught with tension, honesty, and misunderstanding. The Academy's cruelty is laid bare, and Mancella's ignorance of the world outside her castle is shattered. Silver's lies and half-truths begin to unravel as he is drawn deeper into Mancella's world, and both are forced to confront the limits of trust and the cost of hope.

The Academy's Stones

Mancella visits the Academy, witnessing firsthand the brutal discipline and dehumanization inflicted on the realm's orphans. Children drag stones as punishment, are locked in isolation, and are broken into obedient soldiers. The Academy is a microcosm of the realm's rot, a factory for future violence. Mancella's resolve to reform the system is met with her father's cold logic: strength and obedience are all that matter. The visit is a turning point, as Mancella begins to see the true nature of the world she is meant to inherit—and the necessity of change.

A Pact in the Garden

In the moonlit glass garden, Mancella and Silver strike a desperate bargain. Mancella, under pressure to kill a human to prove her power, enlists Silver's help to fake a death. In exchange, Silver demands the Victory's Herald, the ceremonial sword. Their pact is a dance of mutual need and hidden agendas, each using the other to survive. The garden, once a place of beauty, becomes a crucible for trust and betrayal. The lines between ally and adversary blur, and the seeds of both romance and disaster are sown.

Training for Treason

Mancella, Silver, Vie, and Rooftop train in secret, preparing for the staged death that will fool the Prime and save innocent lives. The training is grueling, blending discipline and chaos, strategy and improvisation. Vie's resentment and suspicion simmer beneath the surface, while Silver and Mancella's connection deepens. The group's dynamic is fragile, held together by necessity and the hope of a better future. The plan is risky, and the cost of failure is death for all involved.

The Staged Death

The day of the staged death arrives. Vie volunteers to fight Mancella in the arena, knowing the risks. The battle is brutal and convincing, with Mancella's magic threatening to overwhelm her. Vie's apparent death is a triumph for the Prime, but a private agony for Mancella. The deception is successful, but the emotional toll is immense. Silver's guilt and fear for Vie are palpable, and Mancella is left questioning her own nature. The line between performance and reality blurs, and the consequences of violence linger.

Shattered Trust

The aftermath of the staged death is a storm of suspicion and accusation. Vie's survival is hidden, but the group's unity is fractured. Silver's lies are exposed, and Mancella's trust is shattered. The arrival of Alect—Mancella's long-lost cousin—upends everything. Alect's ambitions and duplicity are revealed, and the true scope of the conspiracy comes into focus. The bracelet that can block magic becomes a symbol of both protection and betrayal. As alliances crumble, Mancella and Silver are forced to confront the depth of their feelings and the cost of their choices.

The Cousin's Return

Alect, now revealed as Guerre, manipulates both realms, forging letters and orchestrating war for his own ascent. His magic—splitting himself into multiple versions—makes him nearly unstoppable. Mancella is trapped by the bracelet, her magic neutralized, and Silver's role in her betrayal is laid bare. The house in the Outskirts is destroyed by magical fire, and Vie and Rooftop barely survive. Alect's plan to seize the throne is ruthless, and the family's safety hangs by a thread. The true nature of power, legacy, and ambition is exposed in all its darkness.

The Bracelet's Betrayal

Mancella, stripped of her magic by the bracelet, is forced to watch as Alect's plan unfolds. Silver, wracked with guilt, tries to make amends, but Mancella's pain and anger are overwhelming. The family is attacked by Rift, and Mara's secret magic is revealed as she creates barriers to protect them. The battle is chaotic, with shifting alliances and the ever-present threat of death. Mancella's agency is tested as she must choose between vengeance and mercy, survival and principle.

Explosions and Ashes

A magical explosion—intended as sleeping gas—devastates the castle, killing many of Alect's copies and nearly killing Silver. Mancella absorbs Alect's magic, gaining the ability to split herself, but at the cost of profound pain and confusion. The aftermath is a reckoning: with her father, with her own power, and with the legacy of violence she has inherited. The realm is in chaos, and the path to peace is littered with ashes and regret.

The Prime's Reckoning

Mancella confronts her father, using Mara's magic to strip him of his power without killing him. The moment is fraught with rage, temptation, and restraint. Mancella chooses not to become the monster her father was, sparing his life but ending his reign. The soldiers, led by the Captain, swear fealty to Mancella as the new Prime. The cycle of violence is broken, not by bloodshed, but by a refusal to perpetuate it. The realm stands on the threshold of transformation.

Forgiveness in the Aftermath

In the quiet after the storm, Silver awakens in the infirmary, haunted by nightmares of betrayal and loss. Mancella is by his side, and their conversation is raw and honest. Forgiveness is not easy, but it is offered and accepted. Their connection, forged in pain and tested by lies, becomes a source of strength. Vie and Rooftop survive, and the found family is restored. The future is uncertain, but the possibility of healing and happiness is real.

A New Crown Rises

On the day of the Assurance, Mancella is crowned Prime in a ceremony that rejects the old symbols of violence and embraces hope. The glass trees are turned to ash, and the Outskirts begin to heal. Papers and barriers are abolished, and the Academy is reformed. Mancella's reign is marked by humility, service, and a commitment to peace. The scars of the past remain, but they are no longer the only story. As dawn breaks, Mancella steps into the light, determined to build a world where no more beasts need be buried.

Characters

Mancella Amaryllis Cliff

Mancella is the Prospective Seconde—later Prime—of the Cliff Realm, raised in a world where power is proven through violence. Scarred by years of forced killing, she is both a vessel for her family's ambitions and a victim of their cruelty. Her magic, gained at the Broken Citadel, allows her to absorb the spirits of animals she kills, but each victory is a wound. Mancella's psyche is a battleground: guilt, rage, and a desperate longing for connection war within her. Her relationship with her father is fraught with manipulation and pain, while her bond with her sister Mara is marked by shared trauma and unspoken love. Through her journey, Mancella evolves from a tool of violence to an agent of change, choosing mercy over vengeance and forging a new path for her realm.

Silver

Silver is an orphan from the Outskirts, shaped by the Academy's brutality and the loss of his parents. Resourceful, witty, and fiercely protective of his found family (Vie and Rooftop), he is driven by a hunger for security and belonging. Silver's willingness to take risks and make deals with dangerous people is both his strength and his flaw. His infiltration of the castle and entanglement with Mancella begin as a job but become a crucible for his conscience. Silver's lies and betrayals are born of desperation, but his capacity for empathy and self-sacrifice ultimately define him. His romance with Mancella is a slow-burning, hard-won connection that survives the crucible of truth and forgiveness.

Mara

Mara, Mancella's older sister, bears the physical and emotional scars of the Broken Citadel. Her magic—barrier creation—remains hidden for years, a secret weapon and a shield. Mara's relationship with Mancella is complex: protective, distant, and marked by shared suffering. She is pragmatic, sardonic, and deeply wounded by her father's experiments. Mara's journey is one of reclaiming agency, both for herself and for her sister. Her inventions—bracelets, necklaces, and barriers—are both tools of survival and symbols of her resilience. In the end, Mara's willingness to risk everything for Mancella is a testament to the enduring power of sisterhood.

Vie

Vie is Silver's closest friend, a survivor of the Academy and the Outskirts. Small but formidable, she channels her trauma into physical strength and biting humor. Vie is deeply suspicious of privilege and power, quick to challenge Mancella and slow to trust. Her willingness to fight in the arena, risking her life for the group's plan, is both an act of courage and a testament to her loyalty. Vie's relationship with Silver is sibling-like, marked by banter, rivalry, and fierce protectiveness. Her journey is one of learning to accept help and to believe in the possibility of change.

Rooftop

Rooftop is the heart of Silver's found family, a baker's son with a talent for food and a calming presence. His nickname comes from his habit of traversing the city's rooftops, a symbol of his adaptability and quiet strength. Rooftop's kindness and practicality ground the group, and his sacrifices—selling his boots, risking his life—are acts of quiet heroism. He is the first to forgive, the last to judge, and the one who holds the group together when everything falls apart.

Prime Merod (Mancella's Father)

Prime Merod is the architect of Mancella's suffering, a man who believes strength is the only path to survival. His love is conditional, his methods brutal, and his ambitions boundless. He uses his magic to control and punish, shaping his children into weapons. Merod's worldview is shaped by loss and fear, but his inability to see beyond power makes him a tragic figure. In the end, he is stripped of his magic and authority, forced to witness the world he created give way to something new.

Alect (Guerre)

Alect, once Mancella's beloved cousin, returns as Guerre, the mastermind behind the war. His magic—splitting himself into multiple versions—mirrors his fractured psyche. Alect's motivations are a blend of idealism and ruthlessness; he believes he can build a better world, but his methods are indistinguishable from those he seeks to overthrow. His relationship with Mancella is a tragic echo of lost innocence, and his ultimate fate—absorbed into Mancella's magic—is both a victory and a curse.

Prime Azele

Prime Azele inherits the Grasslands Realm through a twist of blood magic and political necessity. Young, intelligent, and unprepared, she is thrust into power and forced to navigate a world of violence and intrigue. Her alliance with Mancella is a turning point, a chance to break the cycle of war. Azele's willingness to listen, to negotiate, and to change is a beacon of hope in a world scarred by old wounds.

Rift

Rift, Prime Azele's bodyguard, possesses magic that allows him to become shadow and traverse the earth. He is a figure of menace and mystery, but his loyalty to Azele is unwavering. Rift's encounters with Mancella and Silver are tests of trust and truth. His willingness to listen and to change course is crucial in averting further bloodshed.

The Captain

The Captain is the rare adult in Mancella's world who offers genuine care and guidance. Her opposition to the Prime's cruelty is principled and persistent, and her mentorship shapes Mancella's sense of right and wrong. The Captain's leadership of the soldiers and her role in reforming the Academy are acts of quiet rebellion and lasting impact.

Plot Devices

Dual Narration and Shifting Perspectives

The novel alternates between Mancella's and Silver's perspectives, allowing readers to experience the story's events through both privilege and deprivation, power and powerlessness. This structure exposes the limits of each character's understanding and the ways in which their traumas and hopes shape their choices. The dual narration also heightens tension, as secrets and misunderstandings accumulate, and the truth is only revealed when both voices are heard.

Magic as Metaphor for Trauma

Magic in the novel is not merely a tool but a curse, a physical manifestation of trauma and violence. Mancella's ability to absorb the spirits of the animals (and later, people) she kills is both a source of strength and a burden of guilt. The magic's hunger for violence mirrors the cycle of abuse and the difficulty of breaking free from inherited patterns. The bracelet and necklace devices symbolize both the desire for control and the cost of safety.

Foreshadowing and Symbolism

Starsprouts—the resilient, moonlit flowers—symbolize hope, rebellion, and the possibility of beauty in a brutal world. The glass trees, both beautiful and deadly, represent the legacy of violence and the need for transformation. The recurring motif of animals—both as spirits within Mancella and as symbols of her struggle—underscores the novel's exploration of power, empathy, and the cost of survival.

The Staged Death and the Double

The plan to fake a death in the arena is a classic plot device, but it is complicated by the characters' emotional investment and the ever-present threat of real violence. Alect's magic—splitting himself into multiple versions—literalizes the theme of the divided self, the ways in which ambition, guilt, and love can coexist and conflict within a single person. The final confrontation, with Mancella splitting herself, is both a battle and a reckoning with her own darkness.

Letters and Miscommunication

The manipulation of letters between realms is a central device, driving the plot toward war and misunderstanding. The forged letters are both a literal and metaphorical barrier to peace, and their revelation is a turning point that allows for reconciliation and reform.

Analysis

D.L. Taylor's The Beasts We Bury is a dark, emotionally resonant fantasy that interrogates the nature of power, trauma, and redemption. At its core, the novel is about cycles—of violence, of inheritance, of self-doubt—and the possibility of breaking them. Mancella's journey from reluctant killer to reforming Prime is a meditation on agency: the struggle to define oneself against the expectations and wounds of family and society. Silver's arc, from survivor to betrayer to penitent lover, is a study in the cost of desperation and the redemptive power of vulnerability. The novel's magic system, rooted in violence and memory, is a powerful metaphor for the ways in which trauma is both inherited and internalized. The story's resolution—marked by mercy, reform, and the planting of new seeds—offers hope without denying the scars of the past. In a world obsessed with strength, The Beasts We Bury argues for the courage of gentleness, the necessity of forgiveness, and the enduring possibility of change.

Last updated: October 28, 2025