Savage Beasts

“But you must know, in this world, it it important to ensure your best interests. And not wait for others to secure them for you.”

I started this devastatingly beautiful book while soaking up the sunshine, on the warmest and sunniest day of the year, surrounded by the scent of my lilac and jasmine blossoms. *sighs just thinking about it*

“While men had their swords, a woman’s weapon was her words. A woman needed to know how to speak and put her point across, even when they refused to listen.”

Then I was brutally thrown into the heart wrenching premise of this story… following Meena, a Bengalese princess, fighting her way through her abusive family, the beginning of the British occupation and colonization of India (or South Asian), and every heart break that comes after.

“All she saw was weak mean desperate for the flimsiest scrap of power over others.”

I realized I wasn’t as familiar with the original story of Medea as I thought, but I didn’t want to spoil this adventure for myself, and the more I read, the more I remembered. The parallels between Meena’s journey, and Medea’s are noticeable, from little details like the names of ships, to the important plot points.

“Observing the maps of the world, the heaving bookcases full of words written by white men who similarly felt that the world belonged to them.”

I think the voice that Rani Selvarajah gave to this incredibly strong female character, was impressive and impactful. To be a young woman, raised by one of the most pitiful excuses of a “man”, having every moment of your life dictated, then witnessing everything you care for and your culture being ripped away from you by rich old white men, was horrifying and deeply enraging. I can’t lie, I was fantasizing about what sort of long, drawn out, painful ends most of these characters could have… A few even surpassed my expectations.

“I learned that violence was a remarkably useful tool to get what you want.”

Savage Beasts is a deeply moving and evocative, historical fiction, from a beautifully brutal feminist perspective. I highly recommend if you enjoy Historical Fiction, Mythology retellings, and strong female characters.

Thank you to Rani Selvarajah, and HarperCollins UK for the opportunity to read this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.