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.