While it may have taken me a bit longer than I anticipated to get to this book, I’m so glad I did. Ayana Gray wrote a captivating and beautifully Black YA fantasy novel that is hard to put down.
At first, I wasn’t sure how the story was going to come together and the multiple POV’s were going to merge but once they did, I was hooked. Not only is the pacing quick (but not too quick) so you’re looking forward to the next thing, the description for everything from people to settings paints the perfect picture in your mind so you’re never lost. Ayana Gray has given the people what we’ve needed in terms of Black-centered fantasy. It is raw and real in more ways than one but it’s also young and fun. Gray, in my opinion, has found that balance between serious and young/playful so well. I’d taken a break from fantasy for a bit after reading an extremely dense book but this was exactly what I needed to get me right back into it.
After reading Beasts of Prey, it’s clear to me that I’ll be reading any and everything Gray puts out from here on out. For her debut novel, this is absolutely wonderful.
At first, I wasn’t sure how the story was going to come together and the multiple POV’s were going to merge but once they did, I was hooked. Not only is the pacing quick (but not too quick) so you’re looking forward to the next thing, the description for everything from people to settings paints the perfect picture in your mind so you’re never lost. Ayana Gray has given the people what we’ve needed in terms of Black-centered fantasy. It is raw and real in more ways than one but it’s also young and fun. Gray, in my opinion, has found that balance between serious and young/playful so well. I’d taken a break from fantasy for a bit after reading an extremely dense book but this was exactly what I needed to get me right back into it.
After reading Beasts of Prey, it’s clear to me that I’ll be reading any and everything Gray puts out from here on out. For her debut novel, this is absolutely wonderful.