Beasts Made of Night

By: Tochi Onyebuchi

Narrated by: Prentice Onayemi

Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

Debut author Tochi Onyebuchi delivers an unforgettable fantasy adventure that powerfully explores the true meaning of justice and guilt. Packed with dark magic and thrilling action, Beasts Made of Night is a gritty Nigerian-influenced fantasy perfect for fans of Paolo Bacigalupi and Nnedi Okorafor.

In the walled city of Kos, corrupt mages can magically call forth sin from a sinner in the form of sin-beasts - lethal creatures spawned from feelings of guilt.

Taj is the most talented of the aki, young sin-eaters indentured by the mages to slay the sin-beasts. But Taj's livelihood comes at a terrible cost. When he kills a sin-beast, a tattoo of the beast appears on his skin while the guilt of committing the sin appears on his mind. Most aki are driven mad by the process, but 17-year-old Taj is cocky and desperate to provide for his family.

When Taj is called to eat a sin of a member of the royal family, he's suddenly thrust into the center of a dark conspiracy to destroy Kos. Now, Taj must fight to save the princess that he loves - and his own life.

©2017 Tochi Onyebuchi (P)2017 Listening Library

Critic reviews

"The beginning of a great saga.... Fantastic worldbuilding sets the stage in this debut novel, as Tochi Onyebuchi conjures up a busy market city inspired by his Nigerian heritage and populates it with a group of outcast kids who shoulder the sins of the rich and powerful.... This is not the first fantasy book to take more interest in the world than the story - it certainly worked for Tolkien, and Beasts Made of Night could do much worse than to follow in those footsteps. Onyebuchi has created a world that will no doubt inspire many in turn." (NPR.org)

“This compelling Nigerian-influenced fantasy has a wonderfully unique premise and lush, brilliant worldbuilding that will consume you until the last page.” (BuzzFeed)

"Onyebuchi's debut novel explores class, politics, religion, and so much more, all in a world that is masterfully built, sweeping, and imaginative." (Bustle)

Great story - Fantastic Narrator

This is a really good story. it is so authentic. The author did not just give his characters Nigerian names, he actually fed them Nigerian foods. I finished in one day as the story was so interesting. It was neither predictable nor wandering. I feel as if every scene and chapter expertly blends the storyline and the story's world together without slowing down the pace of the story. I'm starting the second book in this series today.

A genuinely good read.

First and foremost the narrator was outstanding! He added authenticity to the characters that I wouldn't have been able to produce on my own.

This was an exciting read with necessary lows. The author sacrifices action in some instances for very deep character and world building. Some may not like it, but it helps to immerse yourself in the story. Taj was a very understandable character and his interactions and growth reflect his upbringing. I enjoyed the extra attention to detail when describing character physical appearance, giving a vivid representation to black youth. Altogether this was solid, I cant wait to read Crown of Thunder.

Salaam

I’m a man of few words. This book is Dope! Take the journey & enjoy the ride! Nuff said!

Beautiful Narration

If you could sum up Beasts Made of Night in three words, what would they be?

Fantastical, unrepentant, and insightful.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

I love the magic being woven into what is really a story about class, trust, and personal growth. There were a couple parts where the story seemed a little disjointed, but I listened to this while incredibly tired while driving for several hours. I do plan to listen to this again. I was expecting to see more struggle for Taj -or maybe hoping Taj would struggle more and not be so perfect at what he does. But maybe the struggle seems less listening instead of reading?

What does Prentice Onayemi bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narration was stunning. I loved hearing the character in the tone and cadence he would naturally speak in. I could hear him slip at the start of a new chapter, but overall quality was really great. I love that this was unapologetically African -from the the speech of narration to the world Tochi built. Praise!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes! I binged this on the 8.5+ hour drive from Sacramento to Portland all night.

Any additional comments?

Overall a great read -good for a one-time binge. Story is beautiful and I'm looking forward to listen to the next book.

highly recommend

excellent character development. interesting story line. well read. would recommend to young adults and adults

story tables the idea of sin and consequences

narrator's voice was engaging. I really could feel the main character's struggle to make sense of his society and relationship to it. lots of insight into poverty and overcoming the odds to realize one's ideals.

Reading & Listening made fun again!!!

Dont hesitate download now!!! This book is amazing!!!!! And the reader is Amazing!!! You wont regret it PROMISE!!!

Excellent story

Beasts Made of Night was a thoughtful plot with deep symbolism regarding conflicts among different members the socioeconomic hierarchy in society and especially in social caste systems. The narration by Prentice Onayemi was excellent (however I found that 1.2 speed was a more natural listening pace for my ear.

Unique and refreshing

Beasts Made of Night is a unique and charming fantasy novel that immerses its readers into a living breathing world of political intrigue. It has a rich world building and has created a culture that feels real and human. It has a beautiful mix of high adventure and quiet moments that illustrate the lives of the characters in an impactful and memorable way. The ending is a bit abrupt, but overall, if you like magic tattoos, terrifying beats, and solid character development, you’ll adore this book.

Amazing narrator and worldbuilding

The setup and the incredible voice of Prentice Onayemi drew me on powerfully, but be warned that once it settles into the storytelling and leaves the stunning worldbuilding behind, the story lands in a fairly paint-by-numbers YA formula with a brutal cliffhanger that resolves nothing. This is really just Act One- and while well written and produced— it’s a very long inciting incident with the genie only out of the bottle in the last fifteen minutes.