My Rating: 4.5 Stars

You know what the best part of a book is? It’s the moment that you realize that there is no possible way you’ll stop reading until you finish the book. I hit that point at around 65% in this book, and I swear I couldn’t have been paid to put my kindle down. Don’t get me wrong, I was hooked on the plot and the characters almost immediately, but that last 35% was insanely binge-able.

As the ridiculously beautiful cover probably indicates, the world Ayana Gray has created is rich, lush, and full of animals, creatures and lore that I honestly can’t wait to learn more about. The writing was absolutely transportive and I sunk into the world easily every time I read it. The pacing was quick from the beginning, and I was so eager to find out what would happen next that I didn’t even try to make predictions as I read.

Naturally, my favorite thing about Beasts of Prey is the characters. I have a very serious soft spot for Ekon and only grew to love him more with each page. Gray made him almost immediately relatable with his anxious and compulsive tendencies. He’s a character that I think a lot of people will be able to see themselves in, and his motivations as a character were easy to understand.

Koffi is equally amazing in her own way. I loved her loyalty and the way that she constantly kept her loved ones in mind. She was argumentative at times, but almost exclusively in situations in which she was fighting for something she was passionate about. I look forward to learning more about her family history and am so nervous to see what is coming for her in the next book!

In case you were unsure, I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to add a finished copy to my favorites shelf. This is absolutely a book you’ll want to preorder.