The sample definitely piqued my interest and I’m looking forward to the book! Beast of Prey seems like it will be a good read for YA audiences.

Beasts of Prey opens a debut fantasy trilogy surrounding an indentured servant who works at the Night Zoo and a boy on the brink of joining a militant group until a fire at the Zoo changes both of their lives trajectories. Very similar premise to an Ember in the Ashes!

For a debut, I found this to be incredibly engaging, well paced, and was full of interesting Pan-African lore, magic, religion and even fantastical beasts. I found all of this paired with the centred focus on two black teens, to add something fresh to the overpopulated YA space.
in terms of characters, yes they are pretty typical for YA, but I believe Ekon is neurodiverse which was good rep, and I found both of them to be very well realised.

With most YA nowadays, I did find the authors attempts at "twists" to be rather obvious from the onset, but overall this was a very engaging read and one of the better YA releases this year- excited to continue the trilogy!

This excerpt has me intrigued! The world Ayana creates is truly magical and so unique to read. Black characters on the lead! Will definitely be picking up a book when I can!

Thank you Netgalley for this sneak peak of Beasts of Pray by Ayana Gray! I am intrigued by the story of Koffi and the magic and mystery surrounding her, and the captivating African setting. After reading this excerpt, I cannot wait to read the full book and add it to our school library collection.

Even though this is just a sample of the book, I was extremely intrigued with this world and characters right away. The plot feels fast paced, I love the representation and elements of Black History so far, and I think it will take us on a great adventure. Cant wait to get to the full version of the story! Thanks Netgalley for the e- arc of the sneak peek.

This book was such a rich experience! The magic was robust, the characters were multidimensional, and the action was intense.

i already had this one on my tbr but i hadnt heard much about it at all! its about an interesting night zoo, run by a cruel man called baaz, where koffi and her mother work. in the night zoo, there are many dangerous beasts that the workers have to take care of. there was also a chapter about ekon, a boy whose family has been a son of the six for generations, but hes not sure he will be able to get through his last right of passage to become one.

so far, the story has been interesting and i wanted to continue reading it when the sampler ended. the writing was nice and the world looks so interesting to learn about. after the last chapter in the sampler, i was intrigued to learn what will happen to the characters, so i already feel a little connected to them, which is great! ill be bumping it up on my tbr and getting a copy soon!

I apologize but I was not able to finish this book. I was in a different headspace at the time of requesting / recieving this book and the time I got it.

The sneak peak was excellent. Makes me want to read the first book, Beasts of Prey, because I heard a lot of hype about it but never picked it up.

If you like the Shadow and Bone series, you'll probably love this book. The world is deep and imaginitive while also incredibly relatable.

I read the sneak peak of “ beasts of prey” by Ayana Gray. I LOVED it! It seems like a really good fantasy read and I cannot wait to read the full book!

Beginning the book, it does catch my interest; however, I am confused as it drops me in. (which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I usually love it when books do that!) Just be prepared! The descriptions are quite lovely and well-explained. This preview definitely convinced me to finish reading the book once I get back home to the rest of my books. The world building looks excellent, and as I read, I began to understand more and more, making me glad that I gave this a chance!

Beasts of Prey drew me in from the first line. The writing is fast-paced and mysterious. I can’t wait to learn more about Koffi and Ekon. Even from the first few chapters it is clear that Ayana Gray is setting up an action-packed, rich fantasy. Looking forward to reading more! Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group and Netgalley for a free chapter sampler in exchange for honest feedback.

This sampler was cool and exciting, but I can't wait to devour the full book. I am already enjoying this fantasy.

It was an interesting sampler and it promises to be a compelling and gripping ya fantasy.
Can't wait to read the book

*This review is for a sample of the book*

Koffi works at the Night Zoo with her mother, trying to pay off their debt. A dangerous beast has been lurking in the nearby Great Jungle, and it has recently killed one of her friends. Despite this, Koffi is overjoyed when she learns that she and her mother are close to repaying their debt. But everything changes after a disastrous night, and she learns that she may have access to an ancient magic.

I’m excited to read more of this work! The setting is dark and well written – there were so many fascinating details included about the setting and the monsters/wildlife. The author also did an excellent job at including meaningful details about the setting that made the work immersive and lush.

The characters were well written. It’s difficult to know about the character development and growth from a short sample, but I found the characters in these few chapters to be enjoyable. I think Koffi is going to be a relatable and realistic protagonist. I’m very interested to see how the magic of the world is explained and incorporated throughout the work, as well as more information about the monster that is lurking in the jungle, killing villagers.

There were some serious formatting issues and an inordinate number of typos and errors throughout the text. In fact, there were so many typos/errors that this sample was painful to read – they absolutely detracted from the work as well as my enjoyment of it. Here are just two of numerous examples of sentences that were painful to read: “A huddle of young womenfour young womengiggled behind their hands…” and “Koffi let Baaz’s stories about the Night Zoo’s creatures some true, most fakeblend together…”

Based off this sample, I highly recommend this work (assuming it underwent some serious editing) and am looking forward to reading the whole thing.

I received a complimentary copy of this work through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Rated 4.5 Stars

The world and characters are very intriguing and interesting. I loved what I just read and I’m definitely looking forward to reading the rest of Beasts of Prey!

A very very interesting sneak peek that certainly made me want to read the entire book and made me very curious.
I will definitely read the whole book and the sequel!
The writing is truly exceptional, as is the story and characters written in Beast Of Prey.

Thanks to Netgalley and Ayana Grey for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review, all opinions and thoughts are mine.

Amazing introduction. Captures your attention right away and leaves you wanting more. Already good world building and can't wait to see more of the world. Very intrigued by where the story will go.

Definitely well written and intriguing. Thanks for the sample. I’d definitely recommend others check it out.


Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the sample