1.49k reviews for:

Beasts of Prey

Ayana Gray

3.99 AVERAGE


Just some random thoughts, because I'm not one for writing coherent reviews xD

- Pacing was seriously off imo. Not much happened for the first 70% of the book so it was rather boring to read. It picked up a bit in the end thought.
- Nothing intrigued me about this book. The "twists" that happened, I saw coming from miles away. Every single one of them! The magic was too flat, the world was too flat and I think much more could have been done with it.
- I didn't care about either of the main characters. They were always making stupid decisions and there motivations were very one dimensional.
- I found the writing to be repetitive. Almost every change between POV's had a bit of overlap of things that were already said in the other POV.
- Very info dumpy. The characters never found things out themselves. There was always something telling them the history and lore or giving them the explanations.
- The world could have been really interesting and intriguing, especially the jungle part, but the author didn't get into enough depth with it.
- This book could have benefited from an extra round of typo checks. It is not often I find so many words missing or double words. It definitely pulled me out of the story.

Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray is the story of two teens willing to go farther than any other to achieve their dreams. I love the mystery and magic Ayana Gray brought to life in this world! Her writing really brings this fantasy world to life and encourages you to experience every bit of magic and unknown with the characters!

Ekon wants to prove himself and become a man like his father and brother. Koffi wants to free herself and her mother from their debt. Both face set backs that make their goals seem impossible, unless they are willing to face The Greater Jungle and all of the dangers it hides.

I almost DNF’d this book about halfway through. I was just not interested. The different plot lines, just -I felt meh about it.

I am so glad I continued on, because this got
I feel like -I also wish we had gotten a conclusion. I wanted a description of the splendor going back into the earth, or stopping fedu. I’m left with too many questions for a stand-alone.

Regardless tho- it is worth a read. I’m glad I read it.

Update: I just saw that this is not a stand alone and a second novel is coming- thank goodness because I was very unhappy

I really liked it!! At first I thought it was slow-moving but the way it all comes together at the end was awesome and I can’t wait to read the second one!

this is the first fantasy book i've read in a while that didn't feel like a slog for me, that didn't make my brain foggy or feel like i was wading through molasses to try to grasp everything that was happening, so for that alone this book deserves a high rating. i know i technically started this book in october, but i didn't read past the prologue until late december, early january, and after that, it was a book that was easy to pick up and emerse myself back in. i really did have a fun time, and i thought the magic and the world building here had a great balance with plot and character. sometimes that aspect can feel overwhelming. i'm actually really excited for the sequel, which i can't really say has happened to me too much as of late! in short: i really liked this!
adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious tense slow-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: Complicated

THIS BOOK WAS A WORK OF ART‼️i’m obsessed with koffi and ekons relationship and i CANNOT wait for the second book to come out
adventurous dark medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I couldn't really get into this one.  It had interesting plot and characters, but I just wasn't feeling it.  I feel like a few things could have been introduced better rather than just being told to the characters, but overall seemed to be a well written plot, even if some of the twists weren't surprising.
adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This YA fantasy was a great read. I loved that it was Afrocentric. The characters and world building were amazing. I had a little trouble getting into it. I do think that was mainly because I wasn't feeling YA right now.