Thank you, Penguin Teen, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Beast of Prey is my most anticipated read of 2021. It did not disappoint. Ayana Gray wrote an incredible debut Pan-African novel with rich history, culture, and characters. Ekon, Koffi, and Adiah are three distinct characters, and the author did a great job creating each character's voice. Beast of Prey is the first book in a trilogy. So I have many unanswered questions, and I cannot wait for the sequel to come out next year. The book was easy to read and get lost in the narrative.

The author includes mythology from different African cultures. I would love to see drawings of the creatures from the book. I think it would make a really interesting companion to the novel.

I think the author had Ekon and Koffi face one too many creatures in the Greater Jungle because some of those conflicts felt like filler episodes because they weren't very developed, and they were quick escapes. I would have read an entire book just about Adiah. She was a great main character, and I wish we saw more from her perspective.

Beast of Prey is a great fantasy book written by a Black author featuring Black characters. It is one of my top reads of 2021. I rate it four and a half stars.