Beasts of Prey (Beasts of Prey, #1)

by Ayana Gray

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.

“Rich in magic and mythos, Beasts of Prey is a feast for all the senses.” —Renée Ahdieh, New York Times bestselling author of The Beautiful

An Instant New York Times and Indie Bestseller

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. 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.

As 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. 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. Koffi’s power ultimately saves Ekon, but his choice to let her flee dooms his hopes of becoming a warrior.

Desperate to redeem himself, Ekon vows to hunt the Shetani and end its reign of terror, but he can’t do it alone. Koffi and Ekon form a tentative alliance and together enter the Greater Jungle, a world steeped in wild, frightening magic and untold dangers. The hunt begins. But it quickly becomes unclear whether they are the hunters or the hunted.

“The hunt for your next YA fantasy book trilogy obsession has ended.” —Entertainment Weekly

• ISBN10: 0593405684
• ISBN13: 9780593405680
• Publish Date: 28 September 2021
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Nancy Paulsen Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 496
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780593405680

Reviews

[nannah]

Beasts of Prey came to me very highly recommended, and I've been looking forward to reading it. The book is a solid debut, with fantastic world building, and even though some aspects of it left me cringing, I think Ayana Gray is a promising new voice!

Content warnings:
- substance addiction
- adding to the above, forced/non-consensual administering of drugs

Representation:
- every character is African
- one MC has OCD and/or possibly autism

Koffi is an indentured worker of the Night Zoo, a place full of dangerous and magical creatures, to help pay off her family’s debts. Ekon is a boy who longs to be one of the Sons of the Six warriors like his brother and father. But a fire at the Night Zoo interrupts his final test. During the chaos, he sees the Shetani, the demon who killed his father ... he also sees Koffi, who sends the Shetani away with only a few words. Ekon lets Koffi run from the Night Zoo’s and its bonds of servitude, but it costs him a position as a Son of the Six.

Both Koffi and Ekon need the Shetani: Koffi to pay off her mother's debts, and Ekon to prove himself. They reluctantly team up and hunt the demon, but soon it’s not clear whether they’re the hunters or the prey.

I have to begin by saying the maps before the endpaper are gorgeous! They’re some of the most beautiful maps I’ve seen in a book for a long time. They really helped me get into that thrilled and ready mindset to begin reading. Even if I don’t quite think they were necessary, because I never needed to flip back to them once I got into the book itself. Still cool, though--I’ll never say no to a gorgeous map.

Initially, the writing makes a really good impression. It’s at a much higher quality than a lot of YA I’ve been reading this year. The author’s strengths definitely lie within crafting the world building, and then describing beats and actions. I can picture everything perfectly and vividly. As the book progresses past the halfway mark and beyond, though, there’s a marked decline in the writing (and editing) quality. And the overuse of italics gets old very fast. They take me out of the story and almost make the text sound melodramatic when they’re in every other paragraph. The lines of dialogue or inner monologue by themselves are fine, but with the italics they have a whole different feeling.

Speaking of the dialogue, there are many times where wooden, almost unnatural-sounding lines are … awfully convenient. Meaning, upon a second glance it becomes clear that a certain line is said not because the character would actually say it in that situation, but because the plot or some element of conflict needs it. Like Koffi saying, after a completely unrelated conversation, “Thank god it’s just us going after [the Shetani]. I don’t know what I’d do if this were any more complicated.” The line is said to get a reaction from Ekon, who knows something she doesn’t at this point, but it’s jarring because she wouldn’t know to do that.

I’m not sure if I’ll read the second book. But I’m still so impressed with the story world here, the complexity of the religion and the world building, that I won’t miss whatever Ayana Gray writes next outside of the duology.

(one more thing: why must the villain do that thing where they tell the MC the reason they've done all these evil things ... by outright saying, "You've [done this for me], so I will tell you." WHY?)

[Angie]

Proceed With Caution:

This book contains blood, death, violence, drugging, and indentured servitude.

The Basics:

Beasts of Prey is narrated by Adiah, Koffi, and Ekon. Adiah is a young girl brimming with magic, but must learn to control it. Koffi is a sixteen-year-old girl who is an indentured servant to the Night Zoo along with her mother. At least until a magical mishap burns the zoo to the ground, and she must find a way to repay her additional debts. Ekon is a seventeen-year-old boy on the brink of becoming a warrior when the fire interrupts his ceremony and a moment of weakness causes him to be cast out.

My Thoughts:

I'll admit that I mostly picked up Beasts of Prey for the Night Zoo and the jungle. I am all about dangerous, magical wildlife! Sadly, the Night Zoo is demolished pretty early on, but it was still cool to see. The Greater Jungle is essentially a character of its own though, once Koffi and Ekon enter it together to complete their common goal: track down the Shetani, a killer beast.

One thing that immediately annoyed me about Beasts of Prey was that it alternates between first and third person perspectives. I hate this. It's more understandable when there's two POVs, but with three, it just felt awkward. It is done for a reason, since Adiah's story is kind of separate from the other two, but I think it would have flowed better if everything was in either first or third the entire time. There's also chapters near the beginning where scenes are repeated from Koffi and Ekon's perspective. It doesn't add anything except extra pages and slowed down the action.

The world of Beasts of Prey is lush and fantastic! Like I already said, I wished there was more of the Night Zoo, but there's plenty of jungle adventures! Koffi and Ekon were not at all prepared for what they'd face once they passed that treeline. The people always spoke of the jungle as a living thing and they were definitely correct. There's all kinds of creatures hidden inside, one more dangerous than the next. Some are there to help, but more often than not, something is trying to kill our heroes.

The lore and the world-building definitely overshadow the characters though. I liked Koffi and Ekon, but I wasn't too invested in their mission. They have a common goal, but conflicting interests. Ekon wants to kill the Shetani to prove his worth, while Koffi wants to capture her for profit. At least until they learn the truth about the beast. It's done in a convenient info-dump, which killed any surprise or build up surrounding it. But I did want to learn more about the circumstances surrounding the Shetani.

Beasts of Prey is nearly 500 pages but a surprisingly quick read. Something is always happening to keep the story moving forward, so I was never bored despite not being fully invested.

[Quirky Cat]

Every year there are a handful of books that I actively count down the days for. Beasts of Prey was one such book. Written by Ayana Gray, this novel had everything I could have wanted: a stunning cover, fantasy name, genres to die for, and a thrilling promise.

Lkossa has no more magic – or so the people of the city believe. What they do have are dangerous beasts. Many are contained within the Night Zoo, yet one notorious one remains on the loose, and she is considered a danger to all.

Koffi has spent most of her life working behind the scenes at the Night Zoo. She and her mother are nearly free of their debts when something goes horribly wrong. Meanwhile, Ekon was about to get his greatest dream – he was to become a Son of the Six. Until that same night, when his life was turned upside down. Now, the two will team up for a hunt.

I went into Beasts of Prey expecting it to be a world full of magical zoo elements (including all of the wonderful beasts, of course). What I got was something almost entirely different – and so much better.

Koffi and Ekon's stories practically leap off the pages. Both come from very different paths in life, and yet ultimately, they ended up at the same point, running off for the same quest. Granted, at first, they both have very different goals.

The character development is arguably one of the best parts of Beasts of Prey, but there are many other elements to enjoy as well. However, I would have liked more time to learn about some of the other creatures within this world. Perhaps next time? (More on that in a minute).

And that ending! Oh, the agony! Thankfully, it's a good sort of pain. The type that guarantees that readers will be checking into the second novel. It's not a horrible cliffhanger sort of ending though, I promise.

Beasts of Prey is an absolutely fantastic debut novel, and I can officially see why so many readers are talking about it! I am extremely excited to know that this is not where the story ends, as we'll be getting at least one more novel. And yes, I will be counting down for that book as well!

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks