Atmospheric writing in a fresh, vivid setting; full of diverse characters and otherworldly animals.

Ayana Gray's Beasts of Prey is what YA fantasy novels should aspire to: inventive, diverse, unpredictable, and immersive. Grounded in African mythologies and languages, its fresh feel, locales, and relatable characters immediately set it apart from so many other fantasy novel tropes, and the writing is immediately engrossing. From the first page, I was completely thrust into the atmospheric, richly sensory world-building: I could nearly smell the loamy air of the jungle and feel its humid breath on my skin. Each chapter I read introduced a different main character, and their distinct voices, feelings, and conflicts felt real and immediate--I found myself rooting for these individuals and sharing in their complex emotions: wild Adiah is misunderstood in her power and ambition, and Ekon wants to prove himself--well away from both the shadow of his brother and the eldritch cries from the jungle that haunt him. Koffi yearns for freedom as she navigates her own mistakes and the mysterious, otherworldly creatures that are the heart of this book. The magical animals I've met so far are brilliant and awe-inspiring--the author's sheer creativity is on full, impressive display--and I look forward to meeting more of them. I love the way in which the eerie Great Jungle itself is proving to be a significant character as well, as its history and present weave through the main characters' stories. I think the cover is pitch-perfect, capturing the jungle's wild, primal allure as well as the creeping sense of alarm that permeates the book. I'm utterly swept up by this immersive story and invested in its believable, flawed characters, and I cannot wait to learn how these characters'--and animals'--stories unfold.