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Beasts of Prey
Beasts of Prey
Jan 29, 2026 8:38 PM

Author:Ayana Gray

Beasts of Prey

An unforgettable, New York Times bestselling fantasy adventure for fans of AN EMBER IN THE ASHES, SHADOW AND BONE and THE GILDED ONES. Soon to be a major Netflix movie.

'The hunt for your next YA fantasy book trilogy obsession has ended' Entertainment Weekly

'The next big thing in YA fantasy . . . Dazzling' Kirkus

'A fast-paced, rip-roaring ride . . . A masterpiece of magic' - Namina Forna, New York Times bestselling author of The Gilded Ones

Magic doesn't exist in the broken city of Lkossa anymore, especially for girls like sixteen-year-old Koffi. Indentured to the notorious Night Zoo, she cares for its fearsome mythical creatures to pay off her family's debts. But when they are threatened by the Zoo's cruel master, Koffi unleashes a power she doesn't fully understand.

As the son of a decorated hero, Ekon destined to become an elite warrior. Until a fire at the Night Zoo upends his future and, on the brink of his final rite of passage, Ekon is cast out - his reputation left in tatters.

For Koffi and Ekon, the outlook is bleak - unless they can capture the Shetani, the vicious monster that plagues their city. As Koffi and Ekon enter the Greater Jungle, a world steeped in wild magic and danger, the tentative alliance between them is tested to the extreme.

The hunt begins - but are they the hunters or the hunted?

An extraordinary adventure inspired by Pan-African mythology, from exciting debut author Ayana Gray.

Reviews

The hunt for your next YA fantasy book trilogy obsession has ended

—— Entertainment Weekly

The next big thing in YA fantasy . . . A dazzling debut

—— Kirkus

Rich and powerful

—— O, the Oprah Magazine

Epic doesn't begin to encompass the jolting twists, sparkling mythos, and magical quests that fill the pages of Beasts of Prey. This is the sort of read that's beyond transportive, it's downright transcending

—— Roshani Chokshi, author of The Gilded Wolves

Wildly original . . . Gray marries the lush imaginative wonder of African mythology with an action-packed tale of two teens on the opposite ends of fate, figuring out what's truly worth fighting for. Swoony, twisty, action-packed, Beasts of Prey is as epic as it is unforgettable

—— J. Elle, author of Wings of Ebony

Rich in magic and mythos, Beasts of Prey is a feast for all the senses . . . Gray's writing is lyrical, her imagery vivid

—— Renée Ahdieh, author of The Wrath & The Dawn

This book is your next favourite read

—— Adalyn Grace, author of All The Stars And Teeth

With its memorable characters, and a lush, expansive world, Gray's debut is an action-packed adventure that will tug at hearts . . . Essential

—— School Library Journal

Thrilling . . . with twists and turns that will delight

—— Booklist

Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon grips as a novel of extraordinary truth, wisdom and humour

—— Sunday Telegraph

A stunning novel that's steeped in black history

—— Marc Chacksfield , ShortList

Examines religious freedom through the lens of myth and magic . . . The convincing enemies-to-lovers romance, fascinating religion-based magic system, and thoughtful examination of zealotry make this a notable debut.

—— Publishers Weekly

Combining religion, magic, and evocative language, Ava Reid has created a daring fantasy world full of imagination and fierce heroics.

—— Luanne G. Smith, bestselling author of The Vine Witch

Rich with vivid description, fantastical monsters, and magic unmatched by most other books for its pure physicality, this story may be strongly influenced by Jewish folklore, but the voice is original, perhaps as it's refreshingly female.

—— The Jewish Book Council

I enjoyed The Wolf and the Woodsman very much. Évike is a memorable protagonist, deeply flawed but trying, almost despite herself, to do the right thing. The writing is assured and compelling throughout, and the worldbuilding is richly imagined, densely textured, and endlessly delightful.

—— Katherine Addison, author of The Goblin Emperor

Ava Reid has boldly announced herself as a literary force with The Wolf and the Woodsman. The novel is impressive in its beauty, characters, and uncompromising nature and is all the more impressive for being Reid's debut novel.

—— SFF World

The Wolf and The Woodsman is one hell of a ride. Évike is an unlikely heroine, torn by warring duties and identities but despite it all, she discovers a power that could save a nation from itself. But only if she lives. I couldn't put it down.

—— Greta Kelly, author of The Frozen Crown

A powerful feminist story about acceptance, The Wolf and the Woodsman is perfect for fans of The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden and John Gwynne's The Shadow of the Gods.

—— British Fantasy Society

One of the best books I've read this year. From page one, I could tell that I was in expert hands . . . Juniper & Thorn is out there waiting for you to read it and be seen in a way you've been aching for. Please go and read it.

—— Tor.com

Indian author Pankaj Mishra has dedicated his career to analyzing the psychology of Asia's rising masses, particularly its young men. His latest work, a novel, Run and Hide, is his most searing look at the subject yet

—— The Intercept

A beautifully written novel that captures the complexities and challenges of growing up in India and the simultaneous struggle to find meaning and a way forward in life

—— Booklist

A well-written and engaging tale

—— Publishers Association

There is more than a whiff of The Great Gatsby . . . Mishra's satire recalls Tom Wolfe or Bret Easton Ellis

—— Prospect

Whether writing about a Himalayan village or cosmopolitan London, Pankaj Mishra combines a powerful historical understanding of the contemporary world with psychological insight and a deep feeling for landscape. In Run and Hide, he has created an absolutely new kind of immigrant story-one in which achieving your wildest dreams might mean giving up everything, even once you return home

—— Nell Freudenberger

There is an arresting contrast in style between the political writings on which [Mishra's] reputation is chiefly built and the more introspective mode on display in his memoir and fiction. Those weaned on the gripping velocity and adamantine syntax of Mishra's essays may be surprised by the assiduous lucidity and serene poise of his new novel Run and Hide

—— The New Statesman

Mishra is a masterful eyewitness to the modern world, equally unafraid of nuance, earnestness and absurdity. [Run and Hide] is a slow, careful book about a fast and reckless world. This is not a destination novel; it is a journey novel. One well worth taking

—— San Francisco Chronicle

Mishra has a bit of Balzac in him-for instance, his belief that character reveals itself through surface detail, if that detail is observed ruthlessly enough . . . Run and Hide is a novel of modern India that takes some of the big-picture phenomena from Age of Anger and-as good social novels have always done-gets us to engage on the level of feeling by returning those abstractions to human scale

—— The New York Times Book Review

Mishra is a superb journalist, and the sensory vitality of his second novel is a reminder that fiction is the ultimate information compressor. Unleashed in the realm of human feeling, Mishra's keen observational powers are spectacularly alive

—— Jennifer Egan

Chan's high-concept novel may toy with dystopia but it remains chillingly plausible, a portrait of our fanatical culture of judgement against women, and mothers in particular, taken to a grotesquely logical extreme

—— Metro

A nail-biting explosive story exploring the pressures of 'perfect' parenting

—— Woman's Own Magazine

The writing is at times hilarious and scalpel sharp

—— Independent (Ireland)

Part science fiction, part incarceration narrative and part Cultural Revolution memoir, it is as gripping as it is terrifying - and for mothers struggling to 'do the right thing', all too believable

—— Spiked Online

Propulsive and provocative

—— Daily Express

The School For Good Mothers is a perceptive, prescient and daring debut that presents a dystopia that doesn't feel as far away as we'd like it to

—— Culturefly

An unforgettable an haunting story about the thoughts, opinions and choices you make

—— Woman's Weekly

Reminiscent of The Handmaid's Tale, this eerie page-turner is a captivating depiction of a dystopian world that feels entirely possible. It's not only the gripping story of Frida's personal struggle, but also a thought-provoking work of commentary on American motherhood

—— TIME

I was fascinated and intrigued by this feminist dystopian novel

—— Daily Mail

So brilliant and haunting and ahead of its time... the only book that has ever stopped me from sleeping

—— Jessie Cave

A wonderful immersive experience

—— Daily Mail

A beautiful read - a real pageturner

—— Women's Hour, BBC Radio 4

A delight to read, each page of Black Cake is more interesting than the last. Wilkerson weaves social history into the backbone of the story, in a way that's nothing short of masterful.

—— Herald

A resonant story of identity, family and the meaning of home

—— Mail on Sunday

A delight to read, each page of Black Cake is more interesting than the last. Wilkerson masterfully weaves social history into the backbone of the story

—— Press Association

Prepare to be hooked

—— The Handbook

Impressive

—— Evening Standard

A rich story around immigration and identity ... the novel beautifully captures the struggles of family and identity and the liberation that comes from those struggles

—— Irish TImes

Engrossing . . . Wilkerson's brilliant descriptions are positively sumptuous for the mind's eye

—— Heromag

An incredible family saga spanning 60 years, jumping across continents and time, forming a multi-layered book about secrets and inheritance

—— Guardian.com

A delicious and gripping tale that sweeps the reader across decades and continents, turning everything the siblings think they know about themselves and their family on its head'

—— Jyoti Patel, Guardian

Lovable, funny. Doesn't disappoint

—— Sunday Life

Keyes at the peak of her powers

—— Scotsman

Praise for Marian Keyes

—— :

Messy, tangled complex humans who reminded me that few of us ever really sort out our lives at all

—— Jojo Moyes

A novel that is warm and witty but never afraid to tackle the big stuff

—— Elizabeth Day , Mail on Sunday

Magnificently messy lives, brilliantly untangled. Funny, tender and completely absorbing!

—— Graham Norton

Keyes knows how to make serious issues relatable - and get a few grownup laughs, too

—— Guardian

There should be a word to describe the sadness and satisfaction you feel when you read the last page of a Marian Keyes novel: the ending is perfect but you still want more, more, more

—— Liane Moriarty

Charming, funny and poignant. But also profound, heartbreaking

—— Nina Stibbe

Keyes at her best: capturing everyday voices with humour and empathy with writing that you'll devour in a weekend. Just pure and simple joy

—— Stylist

Funny, thought-provoking and will get you right in the feels

—— Red

Sensitive, funny, wonderful, immensely touching

—— Nigella Lawson

Marian Keyes's gift for storytelling is utterly magnificent

—— Liz Nugent

Rachel Walsh is back with a bang. Wickedly shrewd and fun

—— RTE Guide, 'Top 10 Fiction of 2022'
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