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Beasts of Prey #2
Pe tărâmul morții
În această continuare îndelung aşteptată a bestsellerului New York Times În inima junglei, Koffi își explorează puterile și învață să-și controleze magia, iar Ekon parcurge o călătorie inițiatică impresionantă. Se pregătesc să-l înfrunte pe zeul morții.
După ce a promis să-şi folosească magia pentru a-l sluji pe Fedu, nemilosul zeu al morţii, Koffi devine prizonieră în Thornkeep - un castel somptuos cu grădini încântătoare. Ea şi mulţi alţi tineri daraja (magicieni) sunt izolaţi acolo de o ceaţă mortală care îi împiedică să evadeze.
Şi totuşi, Koffi se simte ademenită de o chemare misterioasă din adâncul ceţii, unde o aşteaptă alte provocări, aparent de neînvins. Iar, în curând, ea înțelege că în miezul acestor provocări ar putea fi cheia libertăţii ei și a înfrângerii zeului morții.
În timp ce Koffi învaţă să-şi mânuiască forţa nimicitoare şi vindecătoare, Ekon e hotărât să ajungă la Thornkeep şi să o salveze. Vânat de Fiii Celor Șase, tânărul e silit să intre în alianţe noi, dificile, pentru a evada din Lkossa şi a-şi lăsa în urmă vechea viață.
Cu fiecare zi, el se apropie tot mai mult de tărâmul morţii, dar şi de un adevăr ascuns despre sine, care i-ar putea schimba destinul.
Există ceva mai puternic decât moartea?
După ce a promis să-şi folosească magia pentru a-l sluji pe Fedu, nemilosul zeu al morţii, Koffi devine prizonieră în Thornkeep - un castel somptuos cu grădini încântătoare. Ea şi mulţi alţi tineri daraja (magicieni) sunt izolaţi acolo de o ceaţă mortală care îi împiedică să evadeze.
Şi totuşi, Koffi se simte ademenită de o chemare misterioasă din adâncul ceţii, unde o aşteaptă alte provocări, aparent de neînvins. Iar, în curând, ea înțelege că în miezul acestor provocări ar putea fi cheia libertăţii ei și a înfrângerii zeului morții.
În timp ce Koffi învaţă să-şi mânuiască forţa nimicitoare şi vindecătoare, Ekon e hotărât să ajungă la Thornkeep şi să o salveze. Vânat de Fiii Celor Șase, tânărul e silit să intre în alianţe noi, dificile, pentru a evada din Lkossa şi a-şi lăsa în urmă vechea viață.
Cu fiecare zi, el se apropie tot mai mult de tărâmul morţii, dar şi de un adevăr ascuns despre sine, care i-ar putea schimba destinul.
Există ceva mai puternic decât moartea?
480 pages, Paperback
First published July 26, 2022
129 people are currently reading
17791 people want to read
About the author
Ayana Gray
5 books1,989 followersAyana Gray is a New York Times-bestselling author of speculative fiction. Her works have been translated in eleven languages across five continents. She currently lives in Arkansas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 435 reviews
October 16, 2022
Buddy read with my darling Ashley!
This was really good!! The mythology and world building was just as interesting as book #1 and I loved the growth of the characters, though not sure where this romance is going. The occasional chapters from Bindi’s POV were also really fascinating, and though it took me a while to finish this (sorry Ash!) I was inevitably hooked everytime I picked up the book. Amazing writing!
Though more fool me for thinking this was a duology… it most certainly is not!
~~~
pre-release review: that synopsis… mama i’m scared
This was really good!! The mythology and world building was just as interesting as book #1 and I loved the growth of the characters, though not sure where this romance is going. The occasional chapters from Bindi’s POV were also really fascinating, and though it took me a while to finish this (sorry Ash!) I was inevitably hooked everytime I picked up the book. Amazing writing!
Though more fool me for thinking this was a duology… it most certainly is not!
~~~
pre-release review: that synopsis… mama i’m scared
July 21, 2022
I won't lie I was nervous to read book 2 in this series out of fear that I would be let down, but let me tell you, I'm glad that I did as I was drawn right back into this magical world from page one!
Beasts of Ruin picks up where the first book ended where we are following both Koffi and Ekon after Koffi has decided to sacrifice herself to save the lives of her loved ones. As readers, we follow the journeys of both of these characters with one additional point of view that brings us the perspective of the past, which connects us to the present.
Usually, I struggle with stories that have multiple POVs as I tend to favor one over the other, and I find myself wanting to skip through to get to the perspective that I enjoy more; however, I enjoyed all POVs in this book equally and found that each one added an additional layer that was necessary to move the story forward.
I also enjoyed the writing style as it was written in a way that made me feel as though I was within the world of the story. This also helped me to feel more connected to the characters and their struggles throughout the book.
The reason that this book is rated between 4-4.25 stars for me is that I found the middle of the story to drag on just a little too much for me. There were parts that lost my interest as I felt like the momentum of the story was lost.
However, it picked back up in the end, and the ending made my jaw drop (it ends on a cliffhanger).
Overall I really enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to continuing this series!
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review
Beasts of Ruin picks up where the first book ended where we are following both Koffi and Ekon after Koffi has decided to sacrifice herself to save the lives of her loved ones. As readers, we follow the journeys of both of these characters with one additional point of view that brings us the perspective of the past, which connects us to the present.
Usually, I struggle with stories that have multiple POVs as I tend to favor one over the other, and I find myself wanting to skip through to get to the perspective that I enjoy more; however, I enjoyed all POVs in this book equally and found that each one added an additional layer that was necessary to move the story forward.
I also enjoyed the writing style as it was written in a way that made me feel as though I was within the world of the story. This also helped me to feel more connected to the characters and their struggles throughout the book.
The reason that this book is rated between 4-4.25 stars for me is that I found the middle of the story to drag on just a little too much for me. There were parts that lost my interest as I felt like the momentum of the story was lost.
However, it picked back up in the end, and the ending made my jaw drop (it ends on a cliffhanger).
Overall I really enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to continuing this series!
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review
July 25, 2022
“At this point, Koffi, I think I’d go just about anywhere with you.”
Koffi and Ekon got separated at the end of book one, and now she's at a magical academy of sorts, for darajas that Fedu collected and neither she, nor the others can leave.
Meanwhile Ekon sets off on a journey to save Koffi with her very own grandmother and runs into some bumps on the road. Will he manage to save her before Fedu's plans come to fruition?
This is high up there with the best second/sequel books in the world for me. I LOVE IT SO MUCH.
I am crazy about magical academies so this setting was right up my alley, but the jungle wasn't fully abandoned either.
Everything expands in Beasts of Ruin, the magic system with Koffi, and the world building with Ekon. One of my "complaints" from Beasts of Prey was that I wanted more of everything and I got it now.
If Fedu wasn't who he was I'd want to attend Thornkeep too, the training seems so cool.
Koffi and Ekon both made new friends, and some other potential love interests too. This might be my favourite part of all actually, because I wasn't overly fond of Ekon before, but he's at his best with Safiyah, they'd make a good match.
And Zain, I LOVE HIM. That quote at the start of my review was from him, by the way. He and Koffi should be together and if they aren't...well, I'll be more than sad. He understands Koffi in a way that Ekon doesn't.
I SAID WHAT I SAID.
I desperately want a physical copy now so I can highlight all the Koffi and Zain moments, so I'll have to get one soon.
BUT GUYS, this book has so much going on that I was never bored, not for one second. I read the whole thing in one day and if it was even longer I wouldn't mind.
I CANNOT WAIT FOR BOOK THREE, BECAUSE THAT ENDING??? THAT WAS SO ABRUPT AND UNFAIR. I don't even know when it's coming out, but I'll be counting down the days.
All the stars, of course.
*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*
Koffi and Ekon got separated at the end of book one, and now she's at a magical academy of sorts, for darajas that Fedu collected and neither she, nor the others can leave.
Meanwhile Ekon sets off on a journey to save Koffi with her very own grandmother and runs into some bumps on the road. Will he manage to save her before Fedu's plans come to fruition?
This is high up there with the best second/sequel books in the world for me. I LOVE IT SO MUCH.
I am crazy about magical academies so this setting was right up my alley, but the jungle wasn't fully abandoned either.
Everything expands in Beasts of Ruin, the magic system with Koffi, and the world building with Ekon. One of my "complaints" from Beasts of Prey was that I wanted more of everything and I got it now.
If Fedu wasn't who he was I'd want to attend Thornkeep too, the training seems so cool.
Koffi and Ekon both made new friends, and some other potential love interests too. This might be my favourite part of all actually, because I wasn't overly fond of Ekon before, but he's at his best with Safiyah, they'd make a good match.
And Zain, I LOVE HIM. That quote at the start of my review was from him, by the way. He and Koffi should be together and if they aren't...well, I'll be more than sad. He understands Koffi in a way that Ekon doesn't.
I SAID WHAT I SAID.
I desperately want a physical copy now so I can highlight all the Koffi and Zain moments, so I'll have to get one soon.
BUT GUYS, this book has so much going on that I was never bored, not for one second. I read the whole thing in one day and if it was even longer I wouldn't mind.
I CANNOT WAIT FOR BOOK THREE, BECAUSE THAT ENDING??? THAT WAS SO ABRUPT AND UNFAIR. I don't even know when it's coming out, but I'll be counting down the days.
All the stars, of course.
*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*
August 19, 2022
I went into this book thinking that this was a duology, so I looked like an entire fool with my jaw on the floor reading the cliffhanger at the end. Needless to say, I NEED book three.
Anyways, back to my thoughts on this one.
This story picks up right where book one left off. Koffi has been captured by Fedu and Ekon must do whatever it takes to rescue her before it’s too late. Because of this, the reader gets to see Koffi and Ekon a part and making new allies as they both try to find a way to defeat Fedu.
I really enjoyed getting to learn more about Koffi’s mother, and Koffi’s daraja heritage that even she is unaware of. The reader learns more of the daraja history as a whole as well as the heartbreaking circumstances that landed Koffi and the zoo as an indentured servant in the first place.
As with Beasts of Prey, there is still so much magic, adventure, and world building in this story, and I felt like we just got a much deeper insight into everything. Ayana Gray continues to shine with her impeccable storytelling.
And as I said at the top, this book ends on one heck of a cliffhanger, so now I am just impatiently waiting for book three.
Thank you to Penguin Teen for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
Anyways, back to my thoughts on this one.
This story picks up right where book one left off. Koffi has been captured by Fedu and Ekon must do whatever it takes to rescue her before it’s too late. Because of this, the reader gets to see Koffi and Ekon a part and making new allies as they both try to find a way to defeat Fedu.
I really enjoyed getting to learn more about Koffi’s mother, and Koffi’s daraja heritage that even she is unaware of. The reader learns more of the daraja history as a whole as well as the heartbreaking circumstances that landed Koffi and the zoo as an indentured servant in the first place.
As with Beasts of Prey, there is still so much magic, adventure, and world building in this story, and I felt like we just got a much deeper insight into everything. Ayana Gray continues to shine with her impeccable storytelling.
And as I said at the top, this book ends on one heck of a cliffhanger, so now I am just impatiently waiting for book three.
Thank you to Penguin Teen for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
August 25, 2024
What I find most interesting about everything posted about this book is the lack of anything about the past, which is a huge aspect of about a third of the book.
In this sequel, Koffi and other darajas (magic wielders) are captured and stuck in Thornhedge by a magical mist from which they can escape—trapped by the God Fedu.
Lkossa is swaying Ekon, but he refuses to give up on his attempt to rescue Koffi.
But the main character personality in this one is really Koffi's mother, Binti. (I am assuming this is how it is spelled; I actually couldn't find a character list anywhere). We get a ton of the backstory and history of this world that was missing in Book 1. We find out how Koffi and Binti were enslaved for so much money and working with the beasts.
While we learn the details of Binti and Koffi's grandmother and the political issues with the derajas, Koffi is growing in strength and depth as a character.
While still important, Ekon was less present in this one. It felt like Ayana Gray was gearing him up for some power in the next book. The ending with Ekon's immense growth as a man and a character was a great way to close this one.
In many ways, this was the calm before the storm that you know is coming in Book 3. There was a lot less action, but there was a lot MORE character development.
Read the author's note at the end!! I loved hearing Ayana Gray's passion and how it relates to the creation of this story and also learning about how much of this was inspired by the real life of Sigidi kaSenzangakhona aka Shaka Zulu.
4 Stars
In this sequel, Koffi and other darajas (magic wielders) are captured and stuck in Thornhedge by a magical mist from which they can escape—trapped by the God Fedu.
Lkossa is swaying Ekon, but he refuses to give up on his attempt to rescue Koffi.
But the main character personality in this one is really Koffi's mother, Binti. (I am assuming this is how it is spelled; I actually couldn't find a character list anywhere). We get a ton of the backstory and history of this world that was missing in Book 1. We find out how Koffi and Binti were enslaved for so much money and working with the beasts.
While we learn the details of Binti and Koffi's grandmother and the political issues with the derajas, Koffi is growing in strength and depth as a character.
While still important, Ekon was less present in this one. It felt like Ayana Gray was gearing him up for some power in the next book. The ending with Ekon's immense growth as a man and a character was a great way to close this one.
In many ways, this was the calm before the storm that you know is coming in Book 3. There was a lot less action, but there was a lot MORE character development.
Read the author's note at the end!! I loved hearing Ayana Gray's passion and how it relates to the creation of this story and also learning about how much of this was inspired by the real life of Sigidi kaSenzangakhona aka Shaka Zulu.
4 Stars
Want to read
April 23, 2022JUST GOT ON NETGALLEY LET’S GOOOOOO
July 21, 2022
Beasts of Ruin is, by all accounts, a solid sequel. It expands on the world Ayana Gray created in Beasts of Prey, dives deeper into both Koffi and Ekon’s characters, and introduces an in-depth magic system.
first of all, can we give a shoutout to the OCD and anxiety rep?
Ekon struggles with both of them, and I love how intricately they’re tied to his actions. Of course, that doesn’t make him any less able to do what needs to be done, but it is still great rep to see.
I always admire Ayana Gray’s ability to deliver a good twist. Honestly, I think that the “extra” characters she follows in each of the books (Adiah in the first one, a character named Binti in this) have my favorite storylines. They always seem to be the chapters that feel most like fables, with atmospheric writing and great twists.
ALSO, I LOVE THE NEW MAGIC SYSTEM! You’d better believe I get overly excited when I see a guide to the magic system at the front of the book*! I liked how we got to dive more deeply into this world and the intricacies of its magic.
To be honest, I think that I’m just a little bit too old for this series. I love Gray’s world, magic, and plotting but I honestly can’t really connect to most of the characters. I also find myself just kind of reading without too much passion? It’s definitely enjoyable but in a way that I just wasn’t as invested in. Thus, there are not really any complaints I have about this book that apply to anyone other than myself.
*on that note…why do so many books have their guides in the back??? half the time I’ll finish a book and be FLOORED at the wealth of knowledge i could have had if it wasn’t buried like gollum
So that’s it! This book is a great read for someone who wants an easy YA fantasy series, and who wants a great series inspired by African mythology!
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
WHY CLIFFHANGERS WHY
a huge thank you to the publisher in exchange for an honest review
first of all, can we give a shoutout to the OCD and anxiety rep?
Ekon struggles with both of them, and I love how intricately they’re tied to his actions. Of course, that doesn’t make him any less able to do what needs to be done, but it is still great rep to see.
I always admire Ayana Gray’s ability to deliver a good twist. Honestly, I think that the “extra” characters she follows in each of the books (Adiah in the first one, a character named Binti in this) have my favorite storylines. They always seem to be the chapters that feel most like fables, with atmospheric writing and great twists.
ALSO, I LOVE THE NEW MAGIC SYSTEM! You’d better believe I get overly excited when I see a guide to the magic system at the front of the book*! I liked how we got to dive more deeply into this world and the intricacies of its magic.
To be honest, I think that I’m just a little bit too old for this series. I love Gray’s world, magic, and plotting but I honestly can’t really connect to most of the characters. I also find myself just kind of reading without too much passion? It’s definitely enjoyable but in a way that I just wasn’t as invested in. Thus, there are not really any complaints I have about this book that apply to anyone other than myself.
*on that note…why do so many books have their guides in the back??? half the time I’ll finish a book and be FLOORED at the wealth of knowledge i could have had if it wasn’t buried like gollum
So that’s it! This book is a great read for someone who wants an easy YA fantasy series, and who wants a great series inspired by African mythology!
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
WHY CLIFFHANGERS WHY
a huge thank you to the publisher in exchange for an honest review
August 23, 2022
I really, really loved the first book in this series. It was one of my favorite debuts last year. I went into this one thinking it was a duo but I have better be wrong and there better be a third book because this one ends on a cliffhanger. The writing is excellent and draws the reader in, but with this book I felt like the pacing could have been better. I didn’t love the chapters from Binti’s perspective. I understand the piece about obliterating culture and understanding Koffi better by understanding her mother, but I felt like those chapters didn’t add much. I also thought Ekon’s chapters took a while to actually get going and be interesting. I liked Koffi’s chapters a lot better, but most of her story in this book is like a training montage. Overall I like it, I find this world to be rich and the story is catchy. I will read the next book when it comes out because there will be a next book!
January 20, 2023
3.5⭐️ I didn’t love this one as much as the first one and the first one was 4⭐️
I didn’t particularly love that our MC’s were separated the whole book and both practically started getting feelings for other people.
The plot was good, I enjoyed the daraja school setting and I enjoyed both POVs, I understand this is YA but I wish the God Fedu was more involved and more all seeing. They we’re basically planning an escape and he somehow didn’t know.
And I was confused because there was no closure in this book, I thought this was a duology but clearly with that ending it can’t be!
I didn’t particularly love that our MC’s were separated the whole book and both practically started getting feelings for other people.
The plot was good, I enjoyed the daraja school setting and I enjoyed both POVs, I understand this is YA but I wish the God Fedu was more involved and more all seeing. They we’re basically planning an escape and he somehow didn’t know.
And I was confused because there was no closure in this book, I thought this was a duology but clearly with that ending it can’t be!
February 11, 2024
3.5 stars.
This is a pretty standard second book in a trilogy.
Ekon & Koffi are apart for most of the book. In this, we get ore of Koffi's family history as she struggles to control her powers so she can free all the darajas being held captive by Fedu.
We see Ekon become more confident as he makes his way to Koffi. There is an introduction to a lot of new characters, and of course, the typical love triangles were thrown in. There was a lot of adventure, and history going on with this story.
I am intrigued to see how this story finally ends.
This is a pretty standard second book in a trilogy.
Ekon & Koffi are apart for most of the book. In this, we get ore of Koffi's family history as she struggles to control her powers so she can free all the darajas being held captive by Fedu.
We see Ekon become more confident as he makes his way to Koffi. There is an introduction to a lot of new characters, and of course, the typical love triangles were thrown in. There was a lot of adventure, and history going on with this story.
I am intrigued to see how this story finally ends.
December 18, 2022
This one was kind of a let down after book one...Book one was a 5 star read for me while book 2 was only 3 stars. I think a lot of it was the pacing.
that said, I did like seeing Koffi's mom' story.
that said, I did like seeing Koffi's mom' story.
May 28, 2023
Overall Rating : B
THIS IS NOT A DUOLOGY!!! HALLELUJAH 🤩
THIS IS NOT A DUOLOGY!!! HALLELUJAH 🤩
December 30, 2022
Actual Rating: 3.5✶
I thought this was a duology and now I feel as if I have been bamboozled.
A good sequel, but definitely felt like a bit of a filler book. Most of the book felt extremely stagnant and the things that did happen felt extremely rushed. It was a bit of a let-down after how much I loved the first book, but I’d still recommend it.
I thought this was a duology and now I feel as if I have been bamboozled.
A good sequel, but definitely felt like a bit of a filler book. Most of the book felt extremely stagnant and the things that did happen felt extremely rushed. It was a bit of a let-down after how much I loved the first book, but I’d still recommend it.
December 24, 2024
this is the sequel to beasts of prey.
disclaimer: i won this arc in a giveaway from the publisher as part of yallwest. this did not affect my rating!
koffi saved the life of the boy she loves, but now she must pay the price of serving the god of death. ekon is on the run from the brotherhood and is desperate to find and reunite with koffi.
i LOVED this book! honestly, going in, i did kinda forget some of what happened in the first book, but it wasn’t hard to get back into this world and the story.
i loved koffi even more in this book! i really enjoyed seeing koffi grow in her powers and find her place among the darajas. i also loved ekon and his journey.
something else i enjoyed were the binti chapters! it was great getting more of a backstory for koffi’s family.
if you liked beasts of prey, you’ll love this sequel!
disclaimer: i won this arc in a giveaway from the publisher as part of yallwest. this did not affect my rating!
koffi saved the life of the boy she loves, but now she must pay the price of serving the god of death. ekon is on the run from the brotherhood and is desperate to find and reunite with koffi.
i LOVED this book! honestly, going in, i did kinda forget some of what happened in the first book, but it wasn’t hard to get back into this world and the story.
i loved koffi even more in this book! i really enjoyed seeing koffi grow in her powers and find her place among the darajas. i also loved ekon and his journey.
something else i enjoyed were the binti chapters! it was great getting more of a backstory for koffi’s family.
if you liked beasts of prey, you’ll love this sequel!
July 30, 2022
“Beasts of Ruin” is the sequel to “Beasts of Prey” by Ayana Gray. If I’m not mistaken, this is going to be a trilogy. Book one was an emphatic 5 stars for me! I couldn’t get over how much I loved it. The rich, luscious world and imagery. The feelings conveyed by Gray’s incredible writing. I was obsessed. Book two was an excellent continuation of the storyline, but for me, it lost some of that luscious appeal. Perhaps, this is simply due to already having been introduced to the world in book one, so that same introduction and feeling is just not possible. Or, because the scenery—in a literal sense—is different in this one. I don’t know, but that same feeling towards the writing and world was not felt in book two. For me, anyway. That being said…. I still loved it! 4/5 stars is a very good rating. It is common for a series to not have every installment be a 5 star read, and I often find that falls on book two for some reason. I want everyone to know, that I love this series so far!
IF YOU HAVE NOT READ BOOK ONE, DO NOT READ FURTHER:
This book picks up right where book one left off. Koffi has saved her city and people, but at a grave price to herself. Now beholden to the god of death, he wants her to use her incredible power to further his agenda. Koffi learns a lot about herself in this book, specifically the power she holds that she really knew nothing about her whole life. I personally loved meeting more Daraja and learning about the factions and such. Meanwhile, Ekon has linked up with Themba, Koffi’s estranged grandmother. They search for leads as to where Koffi could be. They wind up linking with a band of spice merchants who help them on their journey. Both Koffi and Ekon will have to heavily rely on their newfound communities to overcome obstacles. There’s a lesson in that. Fast-paced and exciting, this is a great continuation. There is definitely more to come and I can’t wait to see what ultimately winds up happening to Koffi and Ekon!
IF YOU HAVE NOT READ BOOK ONE, DO NOT READ FURTHER:
This book picks up right where book one left off. Koffi has saved her city and people, but at a grave price to herself. Now beholden to the god of death, he wants her to use her incredible power to further his agenda. Koffi learns a lot about herself in this book, specifically the power she holds that she really knew nothing about her whole life. I personally loved meeting more Daraja and learning about the factions and such. Meanwhile, Ekon has linked up with Themba, Koffi’s estranged grandmother. They search for leads as to where Koffi could be. They wind up linking with a band of spice merchants who help them on their journey. Both Koffi and Ekon will have to heavily rely on their newfound communities to overcome obstacles. There’s a lesson in that. Fast-paced and exciting, this is a great continuation. There is definitely more to come and I can’t wait to see what ultimately winds up happening to Koffi and Ekon!
November 25, 2022
REVIEW: Beasts of Ruin, book 2 – Ayana Gray
Plot 3
Action 3
Characters 3
Writing 4
World Building 4
14VL
Spoiler free reviews!
Read this if you like: Magic, mythology, multiple POV’s and romance!
SUMMARY: Gifted with powerful magic Koffi saved the boy she loves at a terrible price. Ekon is on the run from the brotherhood he betrayed and in his search for Koffi must contend with secrets his ancestors never wanted him to know. The longer they are kept apart the harder their loyalties are tested.
BRUTAL AND BEAUTIFUL
Firstly I have to say this book cover is magical!
I enjoyed this one much more than the first book Beasts of Prey. The repetition issues I had with book 1 are no longer here and I found the characters had growth and the stakes were higher as we explore more of the magic system and world (which is what I wanted from book 1)
Koffi wakes up in Thornkeep, an academy of sorts with other Daraja where we are introduced to some fantastic new characters and Zain most definitely outshines them all. The mythological aspects were still as interesting as in book 1.
Ekon’s chapters took a while to get interesting so I did find the middle slightly slow as he travels with Koffi’s grandmother but all that changes at the end.
The ending outshone the entire book! Talk about jaw-drop!!So this is of course a trilogy!
I did really enjoy learning more about Ekon, Koffi and their families. There was far more backstory and I always enjoy past flash backs (this time to Koffi’s mother Binti)– this book does it so well.
For me I think it’s just missed the mark in terms of the pacing and writing style but that is more of a personal taste issue but for others this could be the perfect fantasy to delve into.
RECOMMEND IT FOR: Inspired by Pan-African mythology and magic, this gorgeous fantasy is perfect for fans of Shadow and Bone.
Overall Rating: 3.6/5
Publish Date: July 26th, 2022
Format: Paperback
Number of Pages: 496
Young Adult/ Fantasy /Mythology/ Magic/Romance
Thank you to @penguinbooksya and @penguinbookssouthafrica for the review copy, opinions are my own.
Review by Tammy-Leigh @book.barbarian
July 23, 2022
**Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for the eARC of this title in exchange for this review. This in no way changed my rating**
Beasts of Prey was one of my favorite books this year. It was a stunning debut that was well paced, thoughtful, exciting, and full of new and wonderful mythology waiting for readers to explore it. The characters were great. I had nothing but good things to say about it and was so excited to read the sequel.
This suffered from "middle book syndrome" so badly to the point that I'm unsure if I'm interested in reading book three, which is coming. In a way, this series is like Serpent & Dove in that I think it would have benefitted from being a duology, but was expanded to be a trilogy.
To start with, the pacing was nowhere near as good as the first book. There are three POV characters: Koffi, Ekon, and Binti. I get from the author's note what Gray was trying to do with Binti's POV, exploring heritage and what the outcome could be if we try to distance ourselves from it or deny it, as well as giving us insight into Koffi's mother and family. However, I don't think her POVs were necessary and didn't add a ton to the story, so it just kind of bogged it down. Koffi spends 2/3 of the book kidnapped and undergoing a training montage. Ekon spends that same 2/3 on a drawn out roadtrip (one of my least favorite plot devices). Traveling can be great, but we need a goal urging us forward. Ekon had a goal in mind and somehow, it still becomes a meandering string of wandering until he remembers "oh, yeah! I had a goal!" more than 60% of the way in. I am disappointed to say this book had maybe 2-3 interesting chapters in the middle before going back to being boring. The "interesting" parts happened in the last 6.5 chapters (half because one was Binti's POV and those don't really count). When I have to get through 80% of a book to get to the "good" part, that's a problem.
I'm also going to say, straight up, I hate the trend YA is going in by going back to the love triangle trope (or in this case, love square?). It's so unnecessary and frustrating. I REALLY liked Safiyah as a character until she was becoming a secondary love interest for Ekon for the span of a few chapters. There was no reason for that. Additionally, really liked Zain...until he became a secondary love interest for Koffi. We already spent book one rooting for Ekon and Koffi together. So why am I now supposed to get caught up in hoping they'll be happy with other people while they're STILL on a mission together? That easily was one of the things I disliked the most.
The last thing I want to say, in terms of what I didn't like, is that I think there are going to be some comparisons to Shadow & Bone, which could have been avoided. This book starts out with Koffi having been kidnapped in the last book and taken to an area called Thornkeep, where she's kept with other darajas. All well and good. Here's where the comparison comes in:
-a genocidal maniac with magical powers trains a group of younger people who also have magical powers in his supposedly utopian society for just magic users while teaching them the outside world is bad because they're discriminatory and separating the students into groups by ability which are easily identifiable by color. The main character is "the only magic user" in the group with their power and they don't know how to use that power, so they get trained by others and slowly start to grow confidence, but then are overwhelmed by their power and start to grow power-hungry. This causes an internal conflict.
Sound familiar? Thornkeep is The Little Palace. The darajas are grisha. The kaftans are kefta. The colors are the same, except Gray added one. Koffi and Fedu are essentially Darklina. A large part of this book is Shadow & Bone, but set it in Fantasy Africa instead of Fantasy Russia. I was very frustrated by this situation. There was literally no need for this, especially when book one was so good and so unique.
All of this aside, I did like the character growth Koffi and Ekon both underwent. The characters are Gray's strong point and I like both of them quite a bit. They're flawed, but not so flawed you don't want to root for them. I also like the continued introduction of the god and goddess characters. We meet a new one in this book for a brief moment, but if I read book three, I'm hoping we meet the others. Additionally, we get some new fantasy animals from Gray, and these are also great. The world of Eshōza is vast and well built, which makes readers want to explore. So again, if I read book three, I'm looking forward to seeing more great world building.
Many other reviews note it ends on a cliffhanger. That alone wasn't enough to cause me to want to read book three. So we'll see, but the cliffhanger felt inevitable and wasn't the big reveal a bunch of reviews made it out to be, just as a heads up.
Overall, I'm giving this book a 3.5, rounded to a 3 for GR. The characters and world building continue to be great, but the plot was plodding and it felt like a completely different book than the first entry.
Beasts of Prey was one of my favorite books this year. It was a stunning debut that was well paced, thoughtful, exciting, and full of new and wonderful mythology waiting for readers to explore it. The characters were great. I had nothing but good things to say about it and was so excited to read the sequel.
This suffered from "middle book syndrome" so badly to the point that I'm unsure if I'm interested in reading book three, which is coming. In a way, this series is like Serpent & Dove in that I think it would have benefitted from being a duology, but was expanded to be a trilogy.
To start with, the pacing was nowhere near as good as the first book. There are three POV characters: Koffi, Ekon, and Binti. I get from the author's note what Gray was trying to do with Binti's POV, exploring heritage and what the outcome could be if we try to distance ourselves from it or deny it, as well as giving us insight into Koffi's mother and family. However, I don't think her POVs were necessary and didn't add a ton to the story, so it just kind of bogged it down. Koffi spends 2/3 of the book kidnapped and undergoing a training montage. Ekon spends that same 2/3 on a drawn out roadtrip (one of my least favorite plot devices). Traveling can be great, but we need a goal urging us forward. Ekon had a goal in mind and somehow, it still becomes a meandering string of wandering until he remembers "oh, yeah! I had a goal!" more than 60% of the way in. I am disappointed to say this book had maybe 2-3 interesting chapters in the middle before going back to being boring. The "interesting" parts happened in the last 6.5 chapters (half because one was Binti's POV and those don't really count). When I have to get through 80% of a book to get to the "good" part, that's a problem.
I'm also going to say, straight up, I hate the trend YA is going in by going back to the love triangle trope (or in this case, love square?). It's so unnecessary and frustrating. I REALLY liked Safiyah as a character until she was becoming a secondary love interest for Ekon for the span of a few chapters. There was no reason for that. Additionally, really liked Zain...until he became a secondary love interest for Koffi. We already spent book one rooting for Ekon and Koffi together. So why am I now supposed to get caught up in hoping they'll be happy with other people while they're STILL on a mission together? That easily was one of the things I disliked the most.
The last thing I want to say, in terms of what I didn't like, is that I think there are going to be some comparisons to Shadow & Bone, which could have been avoided. This book starts out with Koffi having been kidnapped in the last book and taken to an area called Thornkeep, where she's kept with other darajas. All well and good. Here's where the comparison comes in:
-a genocidal maniac with magical powers trains a group of younger people who also have magical powers in his supposedly utopian society for just magic users while teaching them the outside world is bad because they're discriminatory and separating the students into groups by ability which are easily identifiable by color. The main character is "the only magic user" in the group with their power and they don't know how to use that power, so they get trained by others and slowly start to grow confidence, but then are overwhelmed by their power and start to grow power-hungry. This causes an internal conflict.
Sound familiar? Thornkeep is The Little Palace. The darajas are grisha. The kaftans are kefta. The colors are the same, except Gray added one. Koffi and Fedu are essentially Darklina. A large part of this book is Shadow & Bone, but set it in Fantasy Africa instead of Fantasy Russia. I was very frustrated by this situation. There was literally no need for this, especially when book one was so good and so unique.
All of this aside, I did like the character growth Koffi and Ekon both underwent. The characters are Gray's strong point and I like both of them quite a bit. They're flawed, but not so flawed you don't want to root for them. I also like the continued introduction of the god and goddess characters. We meet a new one in this book for a brief moment, but if I read book three, I'm hoping we meet the others. Additionally, we get some new fantasy animals from Gray, and these are also great. The world of Eshōza is vast and well built, which makes readers want to explore. So again, if I read book three, I'm looking forward to seeing more great world building.
Many other reviews note it ends on a cliffhanger. That alone wasn't enough to cause me to want to read book three. So we'll see, but the cliffhanger felt inevitable and wasn't the big reveal a bunch of reviews made it out to be, just as a heads up.
Overall, I'm giving this book a 3.5, rounded to a 3 for GR. The characters and world building continue to be great, but the plot was plodding and it felt like a completely different book than the first entry.
April 20, 2023
Zdecydowanie jestem za stara na taki infantylny styl pisania...
July 19, 2022
Thank you to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook.
OH MY godddddd. It’s soooo good!! Book two really had you delve into the world you began to explore in book one. Start to finish I was hooked and need book three right nowwww. The world building is so beautiful and immersive. The EMOTIONS! I wish I had this book when I was growing up because the way the characters identify emotions would have helped me so much then (and I can already feel it helping now). Ayana Gray writes masterpieces.
OH MY godddddd. It’s soooo good!! Book two really had you delve into the world you began to explore in book one. Start to finish I was hooked and need book three right nowwww. The world building is so beautiful and immersive. The EMOTIONS! I wish I had this book when I was growing up because the way the characters identify emotions would have helped me so much then (and I can already feel it helping now). Ayana Gray writes masterpieces.
January 10, 2024
I just finally picked this book up on a whim since I thought hey book 3 is finally coming out this month why don't I read book 2 and omg what an amazing sequel?! I would say it was a little slow in the beginning and the other bad thing I didn't like was how the author didn't put the character's pov at the heading of the chapters. Otherwise what a great sequel really looking forward to reading book 3 now that I have that from the publisher.
Thanks to my friend Taylor for buying me a physical copy back in 2022 which I thought she bought for me last year but all of my years are blending together.
I picked this trilogy up orignally because Beast of Prey was my October 2021 book club and what a great read it was from a debut author! I love how u can tell that Ms. Gray's writing is changing/growing along with each book! I'm excited but nervous now to read book 3 but if I do that this week I can complete a trilogy and have that off my series list!!(:
5/5 stars!!
Thanks to my friend Taylor for buying me a physical copy back in 2022 which I thought she bought for me last year but all of my years are blending together.
I picked this trilogy up orignally because Beast of Prey was my October 2021 book club and what a great read it was from a debut author! I love how u can tell that Ms. Gray's writing is changing/growing along with each book! I'm excited but nervous now to read book 3 but if I do that this week I can complete a trilogy and have that off my series list!!(:
5/5 stars!!
July 7, 2022
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC.
WHYYYYYYYY.
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
This was one of the most second book syndrome books I have ever read. I spent the entire read wondering why in the world the characters were doing what they were. Ekon spent his entire time trying to get to Koffi while she spent the entire time trying to get out of where she was. It made this book draaaaaaaaaag.
Not to mention, we have thrown a love…square? into this. Something like that, I don’t even know at this point. I’m incredibly frustrated. I think this would have been beautiful as a duology and this felt like mostly wasted pages.
I really love these characters. I do. Koffi and Ekon are written incredibly well. Full of strengths and weaknesses and a resilience to take the next step forward. They are the reason I kept going. The beasts are a fun aspect and I love learning the backgrounds on them (from the author’s note) and how they play into the overall scheme of this book.
Juuuuust feeling upset this is how this book went down. It was one of my top fantasy releases for 2022. And you know what? I think book three will be extremely good. This was too middle book for me.
Overall audience notes:
- YA Fantasy
- Language: very little
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: high
- Trigger/Content Warnings: animal attacks, loss of loved ones, near death experiences, magical and physical altercations, weapons violence
WHYYYYYYYY.
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
This was one of the most second book syndrome books I have ever read. I spent the entire read wondering why in the world the characters were doing what they were. Ekon spent his entire time trying to get to Koffi while she spent the entire time trying to get out of where she was. It made this book draaaaaaaaaag.
Not to mention, we have thrown a love…square? into this. Something like that, I don’t even know at this point. I’m incredibly frustrated. I think this would have been beautiful as a duology and this felt like mostly wasted pages.
I really love these characters. I do. Koffi and Ekon are written incredibly well. Full of strengths and weaknesses and a resilience to take the next step forward. They are the reason I kept going. The beasts are a fun aspect and I love learning the backgrounds on them (from the author’s note) and how they play into the overall scheme of this book.
Juuuuust feeling upset this is how this book went down. It was one of my top fantasy releases for 2022. And you know what? I think book three will be extremely good. This was too middle book for me.
Overall audience notes:
- YA Fantasy
- Language: very little
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: high
- Trigger/Content Warnings: animal attacks, loss of loved ones, near death experiences, magical and physical altercations, weapons violence
September 24, 2022
This picks up right after book 1 and is just as amazing, just as fast paced. I can't wait for everyone to read this and experience the joy, and happiness this book gave me. I love being able to see characters that look like me so well written with a story that sucks you in.
September 7, 2022
NOT ANOTHER PLOT TWIST CLIFFHANGER ENDING! AYANA PLZ 😭🙏🏻💖
... When does the next book drop? 👉🏻👈🏻
... When does the next book drop? 👉🏻👈🏻
August 12, 2022
“We are all going to die someday. If my day is today, I’d rather die doing something interesting.”
This book did not fall in the second book syndrome slump AT ALL. The character development that Koffi and Ekon went through from book one was astonishing. I love how nothing felt rushed, and you can really see the author putting her heart and soul into these two becoming confident, powerful, and who they are truly meant to be.
I was a bit intimidated by the multiple POV’s and two time lines, but it was written clearly and the transitions were smooth. I also never felt like rushing to the next POV which was a first for me, I loved that. Ayana just hats off has a brilliant writing style.
Beasts of Ruin starts where it left of- Koffi saving the boy she loves, but now has to endure the punishment that comes with it. Serving the God of Death. Ekon now is on the run from the Brotherhood, eager to be reunited with Koffi. We follow these two’s journey from the past, and ultimately comes together in the present.
You will see Koffi in all her ‘splendor’ 😉finding her place among the darajas, which was an incredibly interesting magic system and I loved how the different orders and power manifestations were described. Ekon’s journey equally as interesting, as he travels South to find Koffi.
What I loved most about this book: Where this could have been solely a book about romance and these two main characters pining for each other and fighting against the world to find one another- I loved how the author placed emphasis on making them grow as individuals in the time where they are separated.
THE CLIFFHANGER OH MY SOUL. Brutal. Now the wait for the next book starts!
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin YA Books for this ARC
This book did not fall in the second book syndrome slump AT ALL. The character development that Koffi and Ekon went through from book one was astonishing. I love how nothing felt rushed, and you can really see the author putting her heart and soul into these two becoming confident, powerful, and who they are truly meant to be.
I was a bit intimidated by the multiple POV’s and two time lines, but it was written clearly and the transitions were smooth. I also never felt like rushing to the next POV which was a first for me, I loved that. Ayana just hats off has a brilliant writing style.
Beasts of Ruin starts where it left of- Koffi saving the boy she loves, but now has to endure the punishment that comes with it. Serving the God of Death. Ekon now is on the run from the Brotherhood, eager to be reunited with Koffi. We follow these two’s journey from the past, and ultimately comes together in the present.
You will see Koffi in all her ‘splendor’ 😉finding her place among the darajas, which was an incredibly interesting magic system and I loved how the different orders and power manifestations were described. Ekon’s journey equally as interesting, as he travels South to find Koffi.
What I loved most about this book: Where this could have been solely a book about romance and these two main characters pining for each other and fighting against the world to find one another- I loved how the author placed emphasis on making them grow as individuals in the time where they are separated.
THE CLIFFHANGER OH MY SOUL. Brutal. Now the wait for the next book starts!
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin YA Books for this ARC
March 5, 2023
Pierwszy tom, mimo początkowych zgrzytów, koniec końców oczarował mnie. Więc z niezwykłą przyjemnością sięgnęłam po kontynuacje „Drapieżnych bestii”.
Ekon i Koffi zostali rozdzieleni. Zarówno chłopak i dziewczyna mierzą się teraz z różnymi wyzwaniami. Koffi wie, że aby przetrwać, musi przechytrzyć i oszukać boga śmierci Fedu. W miejscu, w którym się znalazła, znajduje nowych sprzymierzeńców. Ekon pragnie odnaleźć dziewczynę, wie, że jej życie znajduje się w niebezpieczeństwie. Ekon i Koffi zmieniają się na przestrzeni tych dwóch tomów. Stają się coraz bardziej pewni siebie, nabierają również odwagi.
Klątwa drugiego tomu tej książki na pewno nie dotyczy. Mam nawet wrażenie, że był nawet lepszy od „Drapieżnych bestii”. Autorka od samego początku wrzuca czytelnika w wir akcji. I jak w pierwszym tomie początek to było wprowadzenie do historii, to tutaj od pierwszych stron nie można się nudzić. Ayana Gray stworzyła historię z niesamowitym klimatem i sporą ilością zwrotów akcji (które tym razem zaskakują). Świat, który został przedstawiony w powieści intryguje. Język książki jest niezwykle łatwy i przystępny w odbiorze, a całość czyta się w ekspresowym tempie. Bardzo mi się podoba to, że wydarzenia obserwujemy z dwóch punktów widzenia, czyli zarówno Koffi i Ekona, dzięki temu ma się możliwość szerszego spojrzenia na akcje. Pojawia się (tak samo jak w pierwszym tomie) trzecia postać, której przeszłe życie obserwujemy i tym razem jest to mama Koffi, więc mamy możliwość dowiedzenia się, dlaczego rodzina trafiła do Nocnego Zoo.
„Bestie zagłady” to naprawdę dobra historia z niezwykłym klimatem. Teraz przyszło mi czekać nie wiadomo ile na ostatni tom.
Ekon i Koffi zostali rozdzieleni. Zarówno chłopak i dziewczyna mierzą się teraz z różnymi wyzwaniami. Koffi wie, że aby przetrwać, musi przechytrzyć i oszukać boga śmierci Fedu. W miejscu, w którym się znalazła, znajduje nowych sprzymierzeńców. Ekon pragnie odnaleźć dziewczynę, wie, że jej życie znajduje się w niebezpieczeństwie. Ekon i Koffi zmieniają się na przestrzeni tych dwóch tomów. Stają się coraz bardziej pewni siebie, nabierają również odwagi.
Klątwa drugiego tomu tej książki na pewno nie dotyczy. Mam nawet wrażenie, że był nawet lepszy od „Drapieżnych bestii”. Autorka od samego początku wrzuca czytelnika w wir akcji. I jak w pierwszym tomie początek to było wprowadzenie do historii, to tutaj od pierwszych stron nie można się nudzić. Ayana Gray stworzyła historię z niesamowitym klimatem i sporą ilością zwrotów akcji (które tym razem zaskakują). Świat, który został przedstawiony w powieści intryguje. Język książki jest niezwykle łatwy i przystępny w odbiorze, a całość czyta się w ekspresowym tempie. Bardzo mi się podoba to, że wydarzenia obserwujemy z dwóch punktów widzenia, czyli zarówno Koffi i Ekona, dzięki temu ma się możliwość szerszego spojrzenia na akcje. Pojawia się (tak samo jak w pierwszym tomie) trzecia postać, której przeszłe życie obserwujemy i tym razem jest to mama Koffi, więc mamy możliwość dowiedzenia się, dlaczego rodzina trafiła do Nocnego Zoo.
„Bestie zagłady” to naprawdę dobra historia z niezwykłym klimatem. Teraz przyszło mi czekać nie wiadomo ile na ostatni tom.
February 25, 2024
A wonderful sequel! I loved the introduction of several new characters who added more depth and structure to the magic system! Overall I really enjoyed this book! I also really like the POV from the past, which is a trope I'm usually not a fan of but this one added a lot to the story/characters. My only complaint would be that while the two MCs were separated...I guess I expected more pinning...it was a lot of "I can't think about the other now." So I can totally appreciate the "I've got stuff to do and can't focus on that" it just made the romance feel a little strained...or like they didn't really care until they were reunited. Like even in the inner dialog, more often than not they weren't thinking of the other. Which I felt was a little weird.
March 23, 2024
An unexpected but awesome sequel! I didn’t expect a lot of what happened in this book, particularly where Koffi’s story starts at the beginning and the situation she is in, but as always, Ayana Gray wove a magical story with terrifying creatures and difficult situations and simmering romance. I have to admit that I might actually ship Koffi and Ekon not with each other, but with their alternate love interests introduced in this book… As Ekon pointed out, he didn’t really know Koffi that well, and I wouldn’t be mad if they ended up with other people… but that feels traitorous and also I doubt that the author would do that after setting up Koffi and Ekon in the first book. So we’ll see. *shrug*
Also, having the god of death as an enemy is not a good time.
Also, having the god of death as an enemy is not a good time.
February 21, 2024
This book was a little bit slower than book one but I really enjoyed it just the same. The God of Death takes Koffi to his estate surrounded by the misty woods. Ekon has joined up with her “Daraja” grandma to rescue her. We find out more about the magic of the Daraja in this book. There is a revelation in this book that made my jaw drop. I will be reading the next book to wrap up the trilogy.
September 21, 2024
Very good!
I'm putting Beasts Of War on my October TBR. Really enjoyed the Second installment to the series. I can't wait to check out the third book from my local library.
I'm putting Beasts Of War on my October TBR. Really enjoyed the Second installment to the series. I can't wait to check out the third book from my local library.
October 22, 2025
This was slightly disappointing. The world building remains great, but the story suffered heavily from middle book syndrome. It felt like we had a set up and then the characters just kept themselves busy till we got the final speed up at the end where everything suddenly happened and none of it felt really earned. I feel like we could have skipped most of it. I'm waiting to see what happens in the third book, but I have a suspicion that this could have been a duology.
Once again we have three POV’s, one from Koffi, one from Ekon and one from a character in the past. Last time it was Adiah, but seeing as she died in the last book (which I still think was not a good decision), we got someone else this time around. I remember thinking that the Adiah storyline was the weakest, but at least it tied into the plot eventually. I could see its purpose. This time around though, the past chapters did nothing except flesh out the world building a bit more, which is something I guess, but just not nearly enough to warrant how much of the book was devoted to this. In the end, I felt it just slowed everything down in an already slow-moving book. I would have preferred to see something from Adiah’s friend from the first book instead, that character was terribly underused, as is the case with most side characters in this story, which furthers begs the question why so much time is spent on these relatively pointless flashbacks instead.
I said in my review of the first book that it was slow burn done well, but unfortunately it turned into slow burn gone wrong in this second instalment. We get a forced separation, which I hate because this always prevents the characters from building their relationship further. You can’t grow with each other if you’re not in contact! It makes it so hard to believe how much they supposedly love each other when they are reunited again. Like how? You weren’t there yet when you separated and you’ve spent no time developing it since! Worse still, when we’re in their POV, Gray hardly has them thinking about each other or show us that they miss each other and in addition to that she throws in not one but TWO love triangles. Whoopti f’ing doo, my most hated trope doubled.
The twists and pay offs in the end didn’t feel earned, indeed I had a similar problem in the first book. You have to put the time and effort in a side character and their relation to the main character in order for me to A, believe the emotional pay off and B, feel it myself. Some of these characters were absent for most of the story, only to be expected to deliver a big emotional pay off in the end. It doesn’t work that way. The tension also didn’t feel very earned, there was no build up to the finale and a lot of things that needed to happen felt very convenient. The villain was also too absent most to the time for him to be truly effective. Just like in the first one, I had my own idea of how it was going to go in my head and I once again ended up liking my version better.
There were also trivial things that annoyed me. Gray says she loves animals, but she’s not really that great at writing them. A lot of them felt heavily underused and didn’t behave very logically. (Gray even calls Pterosaurs Dinosaurs in her Author’s note which shows her research is lacking to say the least)
The mistwood, while a cool idea, didn’t make a whole lot of sense in how it worked or how the people in it acted. Some of the lore was also seemingly abandoned, though I’m guessing that will return for the third book? It also is apparently just there in plain sight, not even hidden or hard to reach?
It is also worth mentioning that my copy once again still had a noticeable amount of typos in it.
In the end, I had expected more from this one. But it is not bad and the world building is still particularly good. So I’m staying hopeful for the third one. It wouldn’t be the first trilogy where the second book is the worst.
Update: Decided to change my rating to 2 stars after concluding the final book. Turns out the plot goes absolutely nowhere and all the flaws of this one are not fixed by some unexpected greater vision I was hoping I wasn't seeing.
Once again we have three POV’s, one from Koffi, one from Ekon and one from a character in the past. Last time it was Adiah, but seeing as she died in the last book (which I still think was not a good decision), we got someone else this time around. I remember thinking that the Adiah storyline was the weakest, but at least it tied into the plot eventually. I could see its purpose. This time around though, the past chapters did nothing except flesh out the world building a bit more, which is something I guess, but just not nearly enough to warrant how much of the book was devoted to this. In the end, I felt it just slowed everything down in an already slow-moving book. I would have preferred to see something from Adiah’s friend from the first book instead, that character was terribly underused, as is the case with most side characters in this story, which furthers begs the question why so much time is spent on these relatively pointless flashbacks instead.
I said in my review of the first book that it was slow burn done well, but unfortunately it turned into slow burn gone wrong in this second instalment. We get a forced separation, which I hate because this always prevents the characters from building their relationship further. You can’t grow with each other if you’re not in contact! It makes it so hard to believe how much they supposedly love each other when they are reunited again. Like how? You weren’t there yet when you separated and you’ve spent no time developing it since! Worse still, when we’re in their POV, Gray hardly has them thinking about each other or show us that they miss each other and in addition to that she throws in not one but TWO love triangles. Whoopti f’ing doo, my most hated trope doubled.
The twists and pay offs in the end didn’t feel earned, indeed I had a similar problem in the first book. You have to put the time and effort in a side character and their relation to the main character in order for me to A, believe the emotional pay off and B, feel it myself. Some of these characters were absent for most of the story, only to be expected to deliver a big emotional pay off in the end. It doesn’t work that way. The tension also didn’t feel very earned, there was no build up to the finale and a lot of things that needed to happen felt very convenient. The villain was also too absent most to the time for him to be truly effective. Just like in the first one, I had my own idea of how it was going to go in my head and I once again ended up liking my version better.
There were also trivial things that annoyed me. Gray says she loves animals, but she’s not really that great at writing them. A lot of them felt heavily underused and didn’t behave very logically. (Gray even calls Pterosaurs Dinosaurs in her Author’s note which shows her research is lacking to say the least)
The mistwood, while a cool idea, didn’t make a whole lot of sense in how it worked or how the people in it acted. Some of the lore was also seemingly abandoned, though I’m guessing that will return for the third book? It also is apparently just there in plain sight, not even hidden or hard to reach?
It is also worth mentioning that my copy once again still had a noticeable amount of typos in it.
In the end, I had expected more from this one. But it is not bad and the world building is still particularly good. So I’m staying hopeful for the third one. It wouldn’t be the first trilogy where the second book is the worst.
Update: Decided to change my rating to 2 stars after concluding the final book. Turns out the plot goes absolutely nowhere and all the flaws of this one are not fixed by some unexpected greater vision I was hoping I wasn't seeing.
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