

I loved being on this weird, magical journey with Ekon and Koffi. **For more book talk & reviews, follow me on Instagram at glorious feeling when a synopsis sounds interesting and the plot ends up being just as interesting. I’m very impressed with this debut by Ayana Gray, and look forward to more of her work! While the immediate danger is gone, there’s still so much left to unpack. I’m super excited to see where the story goes from here, as there’s a moderately sized cliffhanger ending in Beasts of Prey.

#AYANA GRAY BEASTS OF PREY FULL#
Who is deserving of our trust, and what institutions need more scrutiny? As much as this is an epic fantasy full of fun magic and animals, there’s also an exploration of morality and the search for the truth. Beliefs they held all their lives as unshakable truths look suddenly different in new light. Loyalties are tested and each character has to reckon with their own convictions. It makes them unlikely allies, but also provides incentives to betray the only other person who they can rely on while exploring a dangerous and unknown environment. After making a dire choice on the night of his final test to join the Six, the only way Ekon has a chance to join his brother amongst its ranks is by killing the monster believed to be tormenting Lkossa for the last century. Koffi needs the creature to offer to the owner of the zoo in order to buy freedom for herself and the only remaining family she has left. Though Koffi and Ekon have the same eventual goal, to find the Shetani, their motivations are completely different, and their plans on what to do with it afterwards are at odds. Though if you’re looking for magical beasts of mythological proportions, then never fear, because this book delivers. Instead Beasts of Prey is an adventure story where the heart of the action takes place during a long trek in a strange and dangerous jungle.
#AYANA GRAY BEASTS OF PREY FREE#
Together they plan to hunt down the Shetani and hopefully free themselves from the difficulties of their current circumstances.ĭespite my first impressions, this wasn’t really ‘magic zoo’ focused at all. After almost a hundred years of reported deaths at the hands of the Shetani, a recently disgraced candidate for the elite fighting force the Sons of the Six, Ekon, must team up with Koffi. The jungle is home to many beasts and animals too fearsome for even the Zoo, and none more terrifying than the Shetani. It’s situated in the city of Lkossa, right on the edge of the Greater Jungle. Koffi and her mother are indentured workers at the Night Zoo, which houses and displays all kinds of magical creatures from across Eshōza. “The hunt for your next YA fantasy book trilogy obsession has ended.Wow this was so fun! Beasts of Prey has been on my radar for a while and I’m very happy to report that it’s exactly as magical and entertaining as I was hoping it would be! Pulling straight from pan-African myth and full of adventure and a lot of heart, I loved every minute spent with this book. But it quickly becomes unclear whether they are the hunters or the hunted.

Koffi and Ekon form a tentative alliance and together enter the Greater Jungle, a world steeped in wild, frightening magic and untold dangers. Koffi’s power ultimately saves Ekon, but his choice to let her flee dooms his hopes of becoming a warrior.ĭesperate to redeem himself, Ekon vows to hunt the Shetani and end its reign of terror, but he can’t do it alone. But on the night of his final rite of passage, Ekon encounters not only the Shetani-a vicious monster that has plagued the city for nearly a century and stalks his nightmares-but Koffi who seems to have the power to ward off the beast. But the night those she loves are gravely threatened by the Zoo’s cruel master, Koffi unleashes a power she doesn’t fully understand, upending her life completely.Īs the second son of a decorated hero, Ekon is all but destined to become a Son of the Six-an elite warrior-and uphold a family legacy. There’s no such thing as magic in the broken city of Lkossa, especially for sixteen-year-old Koffi, who indentured to the notorious Night Zoo, knows the fearsome creatures in her care and paying off her family's debts to secure their eventual freedom can be her only focus. “Rich in magic and mythos, Beasts of Prey is a feast for all the senses.” -Renée Ahdieh, New York Times bestselling author of The BeautifulĪn Instant New York Times and Indie Bestseller In this blockbuster fantasy series, perfect for fans of Firekeeper’s Daughter and Iron Widow, fate binds two Black teenagers together as they journey into a magical jungle to hunt down a vicious monster.
