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starrysteph's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Beasts of Ruin was a remarkable continuation to what is becoming one of my favorite young adult fantasy series.
We’re dropped right into the action here. Koffi is trapped by Fedu, the cunning & powerful god of death. Ekon is alone for the first time in his life, desperate to reunite with Koffi and continue their mission. And we’re introduced to a new POV in this book as well - continuing the trend of a third, slightly separate storyline (I loved it and found all 3 equally engaging).
Though we don’t get much interaction between Koffi and Ekon here (they spend most of the book very far apart), their character development continues and we witness them mature. We also get lots of wonderful new supporting characters … and potential love interests. :) And some familial bonds were explored further as well, especially regarding Koffi’s lineage.
We get several new settings in Beasts of Ruin, each as unique and creative and vivid as the jungle and zoo from Beasts of Prey. The storytelling is exquisite and the chapters were short & sweet, often ending on cliffhangers that made me desperate to keep on reading. Gray continues to utilize real-life references and a wide variety of mythology (definitely check out the author’s note at the end).
It did have a little bit of middle-book-lag, but overall this was a delightful read and I simply can’t wait for the next book.
CW: death, murder, grief, animal cruelty, animal death, classism, kidnapping, mental illness, slavery/servitude, toxic relationship
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Violence, Classism, Blood, Murder, Death of parent, Death, Grief, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, and Kidnapping
Minor: Abandonment and Trafficking
isabellesbookroom's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I liked this one more than the first book. What bothered me in the first book was the repetitive use of « in a matter of strides he closed the gap/space between them » and for the first 60% I don’t recall her using it in this book but after that point it was used quite a lot. I liked the cast of characters though and I did not see that twist coming at all! This story flows well and is very easy to read. I’m looking forward to her next book. ( Also all the CW/TW are VERY brief and mild)
Content Warnings
Minor: Kidnapping, Classism, Blood, Violence, Abandonment, Sexual assault, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
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