Hello there, lovely bookworms! I hope you're all having a great day. I'm here today with my review of Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray! I really enjoyed this book and I'm thrilled to be sharing my review with y'all. I also got the opportunity recently to meet the author, Ayana Gray, in a virtual book club which was an amazing experience! She was absolutely wonderful, and I even got to see her adorable puppy, too. So not only can I vouch for this book being fantastic, but I can also tell you that its author is an amazing person, too! Without further ado, let's dive into this review! (And no, that rhyming was not intentional, but I like it so it's staying.) Synopsis and Book Information
My ReviewI had a fantastic time reading this book! I flew through it in just a couple days and fell in love with these characters and the world. For anyone looking for a YA high-fantasy featuring epic world-building and Black teens embarking on daunting adventures: this book is for you! Let me talk about the world-building first. I can only imagine how much effort Ayana Gray must have put into creating the world in Beasts of Prey because it's so detailed and amazing. There are so many little things that work together to make this world seem absolutely real--customs, religions, politics, myths, etc. I also loved how, as the author mentioned in the author's note at the end of the book, she drew many ideas (especially for creatures that Koffi and Ekon meet in the Greater Jungle) from Pan-African mythology. The descriptions of this world were vivid and really brought the environment of this story to life in my mind. The characters were also such a delight to read about! Koffi and Ekon are amazing, determined characters, and although they differ in many ways, it was inspiring to watch them work together and begin to understand one another. Their multiple POVs were written well, and I equally enjoyed reading from both Koffi's and Ekon's perspectives. Their characters were different enough that each of their POVs provided a fresh and interesting perspective. I thought that Ekon's anxiety and OCD was very well written and added a lot to his character. Additionally, the romance between him and Koffi was adorable and I was so invested! It was very cute, but I was happy that it didn't take over the plot--this was a fantasy novel at the heart. Adiah's character was really interesting too, and while we didn't read from her POV too much, the sections from her perspective offered lots of insight into her character and history. The story itself was so compelling. It felt just a tiny bit slow-paced a few times, but for the most part it was a quick-paced read. I really enjoyed the plot twist at the end, which I never saw coming! I also loved all the action-packed moments sprinkled throughout the book, especially one scene in particular. And that last line at the end! Now I'm counting down the days till I can get my hands on the next book in this series! As you can see, I really enjoyed Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray! I gave it 4/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I would especially recommend this book for fans of Children of Blood and Bone!
Have a fabulous rest of your day, and I'll see you around!
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Hey there, bookworms!My name is Rose (she/her) and I'm the creator of Books of Magic and Mystery. I love reading YA books, especially fantasy and mystery. When I'm not reading, you can find me baking, studying, or cuddling with my super-furry pets. Visit me on Instagram @booksofmagicandmystery! Archives
November 2021
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