Beasts of Prey

By: Ayana Gray

Narrated by: Keylor Leigh, Tovah Ott, Ronald Peet

Length: 15 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

In this blockbuster fantasy series, perfect for fans of Firekeeper’s Daughter and Iron Widow, fate binds two Black teenagers together as they journey into a magical jungle to hunt down a vicious monster.

“Rich in magic and mythos, Beasts of Prey is a feast for all the senses.” —Renée Ahdieh, New York Times bestselling author of The Beautiful

An Instant New York Times and Indie Bestseller

There’s no such thing as magic in the broken city of Lkossa, especially for sixteen-year-old Koffi, who indentured to the notorious Night Zoo, knows the fearsome creatures in her care and paying off her family's debts to secure their eventual freedom can be her only focus. But the night those she loves are gravely threatened by the Zoo’s cruel master, Koffi unleashes a power she doesn’t fully understand, upending her life completely.

As the second son of a decorated hero, Ekon is all but destined to become a Son of the Six—an elite warrior—and uphold a family legacy. But on the night of his final rite of passage, Ekon encounters not only the Shetani—a vicious monster that has plagued the city for nearly a century and stalks his nightmares—but Koffi who seems to have the power to ward off the beast. Koffi’s power ultimately saves Ekon, but his choice to let her flee dooms his hopes of becoming a warrior.

Desperate to redeem himself, Ekon vows to hunt the Shetani and end its reign of terror, but he can’t do it alone. Koffi and Ekon form a tentative alliance and together enter the Greater Jungle, a world steeped in wild, frightening magic and untold dangers. The hunt begins. But it quickly becomes unclear whether they are the hunters or the hunted.

“The hunt for your next YA fantasy book trilogy obsession has ended.” —Entertainment Weekly

©2021 Ayana Gray (P)2021 Listening Library

Critic reviews

An Instant New York Times Bestseller
An Indie Bestseller
A 2022 Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year
A 2022 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Pick
A 2021 Kirkus Best Book
A 2021 New York Public Library Best Book Pick
A 2021 Chicago Public Library Best Book Pick
A 2021 Tor.com Young Adult Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Best Book Pick
A 2021 Parade Best YA Book Pick
A 2021 Black Caucus American Library Association Best of the Best Booklist Pick
An Apple Best Book of the Month Pick – October 2021
An Amazon Best Book of the Month – October 2021
An Indie Next Pick

“Rich and powerful.” —O, The Oprah Magazine

"The hunt for your next YA fantasy book trilogy obsession has ended.\" —Entertainment Weekly

“A propulsive mystery mixed with a moving coming-of-age tale and a touch of romance, Beasts of Prey asks: When we go into the jungle, who will we be when we come out?” —The New York Times Book Review

Great story

The story was great. But I was not happy with some of the the narration.

Best read I've had in a long time

Fresh and exciting story. Good characters intelligently imagined, great story pace. Fantastic story line.

My Kind of (Sci-Fi) Story

Even with multiple readers, the story flows nicely. I enjoyed three readers for the story. Stayed so enticed by the details that I jumped in every moment I had time to listen. Bought the sequel, and I can't wait to see what the authors wrote next.

Good story!

** Somewhat of a Spoiler **

This story was good. It has a slow start and get better as you dive deeper into the story. I do like how the past and Present comes to meet and the different point of views. But the 3rd person perspectives did catch me a bit off guard since its already from different POVs.
Overall tho, it has a good story line. The plot twist was crazy. (im talkin more on who the actual killer is..)

The narrators was okay. I was a bit disappointed with the lack of accents tho lol. Feel like it gives it that lil razzle dazzle when reading a story about African folktales.

Great Story

Loved this book. The narration was very well done. I really liked the different voice overs for the characters. Story line was very captivating!

Could not put down

I’m looking forward to the sequel. The author did a great job with intros d developing the characters!

I like the story........but

The whole time listening to the book I kept thinking this is book shouldn't be an audio book 😬 or needs to be redone with different narrators 👀

Amazing!

I could not put this book down! I love the creativity and the world building. So much I could say, but I'll keep it simple. READ/LISTEN TO THIS BOOK!

I can't wait for the second book to drop later this month! What happens next?

Enjoyed but . . .

While I enjoyed the different voices portraying the differing perspectives in the book, what I missed was an African accent, or even the introduction of the language.

I look forward to the next book.

I can't wait to read the next book

This story is so unique and fun. African folklore is woven into the story at various points which is very cool. I also enjoyed the characters and the Hugh suspense throughout the story. I cannot wait to read the next book to see what happens!