Reviews

Beasts of War by Ayana Gray

booksandcurlz's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

I loved every moment of Beasts of War, as always the author does a fantastic job at building atmosphere coupled with great storytelling.

I would have loved it more if it would have been just slightly longer to give the end of the book so more impact.

Overall I really enjoyed this series and the narrators were excellent. I will read more from this author.

diamondbg's review

3.0

2.7 ⭐️s rounded up. I’m very disappointed with this book at least compared to the others. The ending was very quick and wasnt satisfying enough. I still have a bunch of questions and I’m confused on some things. Bc why did Zain choose to die wtf was that. And then what was so special about this damn bracelet the god wanted to badly. And is koffi still a daraja after the splendor was taken out of her. Also did the gods just build a mountain in the middle of the city to throw fendu in because I’m crying at that. It was just not very satisfactory at all to me.

calllmekali_'s review

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

millenialbookworm's review against another edition

medium-paced

5.0

baxgirl's review

adventurous dark emotional 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? No

4.75

bookish_madi17's review

adventurous emotional inspiring fast-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

5.0

ellekhupe's review

challenging dark hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

auora1484's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

starrysteph's review

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I can’t believe that the epic Beasts of Prey trilogy has come to an end. I’ll really miss my time with Koffi and Ekon.

We jump in right where Beasts of Ruin left off, and are treated to a whirlwind of an adventure filled with more often-terrifying mythological creatures, awe-inspiring gods, and our very stressed heroes. 

I loved experiencing so many different settings, from big cities to turbulent rivers to sprawling plains. The book was split into segments and the action never stopped. I read Beasts of War in close-to-one sitting, which is saying something considering that this is a 440 page book! I just kept thinking maybe one more chapter … 

The descriptions of the gods and creatures were excellent. I especially adored how much our characters think about protecting life (human and animal) and acting ethically & with care.

Koffi and Ekon have both had MASSIVE arcs, and here we saw them start to more solidly settle into their identities and strengths. There’s a great cast of supporting characters, too.

The ending happened a little too quickly and a little too neatly, but the epilogue did make me grin from ear to ear. 

CW: death (parent/child), violence, panic attacks, confinement, mental illness, terminal illness, grief, fire, abandonment, war, drug abuse

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(I received a free copy of this book; this is my honest review.)

cakt1991's review

4.0

 Ayana Gray’s Beasts of Prey trilogy comes to a great finish with Beasts of War. Gray’s writing skills have grown throughout the series, and this is her strongest offering yet. 

The world building and mythology remain compelling, and I love the way the African influences come through in the text, such as the ship being named the Nzingha after the famous African Queen. 

Koffi and Ekon remain compelling characters, and I love seeing their growth over the course of the series. 

The quest plot to defeat Fedu forms a central part of the story, and the stakes are high. Compared to the prior books, the pacing was much more even, and I felt pretty consistently engaged throughout. 

This was a great conclusion for a great series, and I’m excited for what Ayana Gray does next. If you’re looking for a culturally rich YA fantasy series, I’d recommend checking this out!