Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Saunders
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Teens ally across social boundaries in sweet fantasy novel.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
When BEASTS OF PREY begins, Koffi, along with her mother, is an indentured beast keeper at an attraction called the Night Zoo. They are close to paying off the debt they inherited from Koffi's father. Ekon is a member of the warrior class, in the last stages of being admitted to the elite Six Sons group. One night, Koffi accidentally unleashes a power from within her body, and this causes a catastrophic fire at the zoo. She escapes, and most of the captive creatures are released from their cages and escape. In a moment of empathy, Ekon fails to exercise a law-enforcement duty, and is expelled from the warrior track. Ekon and Koffi join forces to find a monster on the loose that's killing people.
Is It Any Good?
This sweet novel packs an ambitious social commentary. With Beasts of Prey, the first book of a planned trilogy, debut author Ayana Gray builds a world that mirrors the pan-African reality: ethnic groups divided against other groups by war, and from within by disruptions to their previous relationships to their origin stories, lanugages, and cultural identities and people impacted by generations of oppression, represented here by hereditary indenture. Its main characters and secondary characters alike provide examples of individuals and peoples rediscovering their power and reclaiming it. The two protagonists are easy to root for. They're vulnerable. They struggle with fear, shame, and grief from loss of loved ones, betrayal, uncertainty about their place in society. Yet they're also courageous, determined, and loyal -- traits that serve them well when they battle inner demons and illusions, real-life monsters, other people, and the structure of society itself. Readers may notice a few loose ends, which set them up for the next two books in the series.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about family identity in Beasts of Prey. Should one generation pay their ancestors debts? What responsibility comes with inheritance or a family legacy?
Have you ever befriended someone from a different social group? Why? What were the benefits of the relationship? What were the challenges?
What is the bravest thing you've ever done?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : G.P. Putnam's Sons
- Publication date : November 11, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 17
- Number of pages : 496
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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