Beasts of Prey

August 2, 2021
Gray’s imaginative debut traces the twined fates of 16-year-old Koffi and 17-year-old Ekon, a pair of Black teenagers living in the corrupt fictional jungle city of Lkossa. Once a haven for magic users called darajas, a terrible earthquake known as the Rupture led to their ostracization, driving magic underground. When Koffi—a beastkeeper whose family debts have indentured her to the Night Zoo—runs afoul of the zoo’s cruel owner, she unleashes a torrent of power that can only be magic. Her life intersects with Ekon’s after she rescues him from an ancient murderous creature called the Shetani, which has long threatened Lkossa; when he allows Koffi to flee, he forfeits his birthright as an elite warrior. Concealing divergent aims, the pair together pursues the Shetani through the dark, magical reaches of the Greater Jungle. As Koffi and Ekon ally in an attempt to outmaneuver their prey, even as enemies hunt them in turn, Gray’s lush, vivid descriptions enliven the twisting narrative, which is steeped in Pan-African mythology. The protagonists achieve a rich emotional depth complemented by the fast-paced action, and a light romantic element lends the plot additional support. Ages 12–up. Agent: Peter Knapp, Park & Fine Literary and Media.

Starred review from August 1, 2021
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* In this exciting fantasy with clever storytelling narrated through three perspectives, Gray explores three young people who have to make life-changing decisions. Adiah is a powerful daraja, someone who is able to serve as a conduit for natural magic, or splendor. When a handsome stranger comes to town, she finds that she is being tested to push her magic further. A century later, Koffi is an indentured servant at a menagerie, along with her mother. One fateful night, Koffi finds herself in front of Ekon, a young man who is on the verge of being inducted as a sacred warrior. Both Ekon and Koffi realize that capturing the legendary and deadly Shetani creature will help them get ahead in life, so they team up and enter the Greater Jungle, a land of magic and dangerous monsters. Together, they solve the mystery behind the Greater Jungle and why so many people suffer the Shetani's deadly attacks. Gray's debut is a thrilling series opener with twists and turns that will delight. Hints about more expansive world building to come will entice readers to pick up future volumes in this must-buy for fantasy enthusiasts.

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Starred review from September 1, 2021

Gr 9 Up-Sixteen-year-old Koffi yearns to be free of her family's indentured life as beast keepers at the Night Zoo-a menagerie filled with terrifying magical creatures and run by the cruel, selfish master of the Night Zoo, Baaz. Ekon wants only to uphold his family's legacy of being elite warriors-members of the famed Sons of Six-but on the night of his final test, a fire at the Night Zoo changes everything for both of them. Ekon is stripped of his chance to be a warrior and Koffi, who was so close to freedom, is given a lifetime of indenture. In a desperate attempt to gain not only her own freedom but that of the people she loves, she makes a bargain with Baaz-she will capture the Shetani, a fearsome creature that has held their village captive for nearly a century, and bring it back to the Night Zoo. Meanwhile Ekon, desperate to prove his worth as a warrior, decides that the best way to regain his honor is to kill the creature that has been terrorizing his village. As reluctant partners on similar quests, Koffi and Ekon venture deep into the Greater Jungle. The stakes have never been higher and with each brush with death they learn far more about themselves and their world than they ever imagined. With its memorable characters, and a lush, expansive world, Gray's debut is an action-packed adventure that will tug at hearts and keep teens glued to the page, yearning for more. VERDICT Essential for all collections.-India Winslow, formerly at Cary Memorial Lib., Lexington, MA

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2021
Strong-willed and emotional sixteen-year-old Koffi, an indentured beastkeeper at the Night Zoo, has been working off her father's debts since she was a child and longs for the day she and her mother will be released from servitude. Anxious seventeen-year-old Ekon is poised to follow in his father's and older brother's footsteps as a Son of the Six, a warrior of the city of Lkossa; he dreams of gaining respect and leaving behind a dark moment from his past. An eventful night brings these characters together and changes both of their destinies when Koffi attempts to escape during a fire (and discovers a power she didn't know she had) and Ekon fails to foil her plan. To get their lives back on track, they form a fragile partnership to catch a demon who has terrorized the Lkossan citizens for nearly a century. Gray's Pan-African fantasy is filled with monsters, mythos, and Black girl magic. Her characters are well developed, and the plot is filled with African lore, expanded upon in an extensive author's note. Fans of Forna's The Gilded Ones and Ifueko's Raybearer will enjoy this engrossing debut novel. S. R. Toliver

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from July 15, 2021
Opposites come together hoping to capture a menacing creature, only to find a greater purpose. Ekon Okojo, studious and cautious, aspires to continue his family's legacy as a Son of the Six, one of the city of Lkossa's class of anointed warriors. Passionate and impulsive Koffi, who dreams of being free, is an indentured beastkeeper of the Night Zoo--a collection of exotic species owned by the greedy Baaz Mtomb�. In the span of a single night, their paths cross and their destinies are forever altered: Ekon is cast out of the warrior class, and Koffi faces a lifetime of servitude. The pair form a tenuous partnership and venture into the Greater Jungle to hunt the Shetani, a powerful, vicious monster, hoping this will solve both their problems. As they are both headstrong and mistrustful, they get off to a rough start, but they become closer with each brush with death. Their quest for vengeance on the Shetani, which is wreaking havoc on Lkossa, turns into something more when they make an unanticipated discovery. Saving their village--and humanity--comes down to Ekon's warrior instinct and Koffi's ability to control the magic her people call the splendor. This pan-African story, rife with betrayal and narrated through poetic language that evokes vivid imagery, will ensnare readers, keeping them engaged with its energetic pace. The beautiful blend of mythology, romance, and action ends with a hint at more to come. All characters are Black. A dazzling debut. (maps, author's note) (Fantasy. 12-18)

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July 1, 2021
Strong-willed and emotional sixteen-year-old Koffi, an indentured beastkeeper at the Night Zoo, has been working off her father's debts since she was a child and longs for the day she and her mother will be released from servitude. Anxious seventeen-year-old Ekon is poised to follow in his father's and older brother's footsteps as a Son of the Six, a warrior of the city of Lkossa; he dreams of gaining respect and leaving behind a dark moment from his past. An eventful night brings these characters together and changes both of their destinies when Koffi attempts to escape during a fire (and discovers a power she didn't know she had) and Ekon fails to foil her plan. To get their lives back on track, they form a fragile partnership to catch a demon who has terrorized the Lkossan citizens for nearly a century. Gray's Pan-African fantasy is filled with monsters, mythos, and Black girl magic. Her characters are well developed, and the plot is filled with African lore, expanded upon in an extensive author's note. Fans of Forna's The Gilded Ones and Ifueko's Raybearer will enjoy this engrossing debut novel.

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)