Wow this was so fun! Beasts of Prey has been on my radar for a while and I’m very happy to report that it’s exactly as magical and entertaining as I was hoping it would be! Pulling straight from pan-African myth and full of adventure and a lot of heart, I loved every minute spent with this book.
Koffi and her mother are indentured workers at the Night Zoo, which houses and displays all kinds of magical creatures from across Eshōza. It’s situated in the city of Lkossa, right on the edge of the Greater Jungle. The jungle is home to many beasts and animals too fearsome for even the Zoo, and none more terrifying than the Shetani. After almost a hundred years of reported deaths at the hands of the Shetani, a recently disgraced candidate for the elite fighting force the Sons of the Six, Ekon, must team up with Koffi. Together they plan to hunt down the Shetani and hopefully free themselves from the difficulties of their current circumstances.
Despite my first impressions, this wasn’t really ‘magic zoo’ focused at all. Instead Beasts of Prey is an adventure story where the heart of the action takes place during a long trek in a strange and dangerous jungle. Though if you’re looking for magical beasts of mythological proportions, then never fear, because this book delivers.
Though Koffi and Ekon have the same eventual goal, to find the Shetani, their motivations are completely different, and their plans on what to do with it afterwards are at odds. Koffi needs the creature to offer to the owner of the zoo in order to buy freedom for herself and the only remaining family she has left. After making a dire choice on the night of his final test to join the Six, the only way Ekon has a chance to join his brother amongst its ranks is by killing the monster believed to be tormenting Lkossa for the last century. It makes them unlikely allies, but also provides incentives to betray the only other person who they can rely on while exploring a dangerous and unknown environment.
Loyalties are tested and each character has to reckon with their own convictions. Beliefs they held all their lives as unshakable truths look suddenly different in new light. Who is deserving of our trust, and what institutions need more scrutiny? As much as this is an epic fantasy full of fun magic and animals, there’s also an exploration of morality and the search for the truth.
I’m super excited to see where the story goes from here, as there’s a moderately sized cliffhanger ending in Beasts of Prey. While the immediate danger is gone, there’s still so much left to unpack. I’m very impressed with this debut by Ayana Gray, and look forward to more of her work!
Koffi and her mother are indentured workers at the Night Zoo, which houses and displays all kinds of magical creatures from across Eshōza. It’s situated in the city of Lkossa, right on the edge of the Greater Jungle. The jungle is home to many beasts and animals too fearsome for even the Zoo, and none more terrifying than the Shetani. After almost a hundred years of reported deaths at the hands of the Shetani, a recently disgraced candidate for the elite fighting force the Sons of the Six, Ekon, must team up with Koffi. Together they plan to hunt down the Shetani and hopefully free themselves from the difficulties of their current circumstances.
Despite my first impressions, this wasn’t really ‘magic zoo’ focused at all. Instead Beasts of Prey is an adventure story where the heart of the action takes place during a long trek in a strange and dangerous jungle. Though if you’re looking for magical beasts of mythological proportions, then never fear, because this book delivers.
Though Koffi and Ekon have the same eventual goal, to find the Shetani, their motivations are completely different, and their plans on what to do with it afterwards are at odds. Koffi needs the creature to offer to the owner of the zoo in order to buy freedom for herself and the only remaining family she has left. After making a dire choice on the night of his final test to join the Six, the only way Ekon has a chance to join his brother amongst its ranks is by killing the monster believed to be tormenting Lkossa for the last century. It makes them unlikely allies, but also provides incentives to betray the only other person who they can rely on while exploring a dangerous and unknown environment.
Loyalties are tested and each character has to reckon with their own convictions. Beliefs they held all their lives as unshakable truths look suddenly different in new light. Who is deserving of our trust, and what institutions need more scrutiny? As much as this is an epic fantasy full of fun magic and animals, there’s also an exploration of morality and the search for the truth.
I’m super excited to see where the story goes from here, as there’s a moderately sized cliffhanger ending in Beasts of Prey. While the immediate danger is gone, there’s still so much left to unpack. I’m very impressed with this debut by Ayana Gray, and look forward to more of her work!