Beasts of Ruin ARC Review! // A Worthy Sequel

Look guys, I actually read a sequel for once! Unfinished series are one of my least favorite things.

🦎 Deadly Creatures

☠ African mythos (the god of death is in this!)

🚣 Expansive world

TL;DR: Beasts of Prey Book 2 follows Koffi as she tries to escape from the clutches of the god of death Fedu with some new allies and Ekon, as he searches for Koffi, making new acquaintances along the way.

Age Rating: 13

A huge thank you to the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

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! Beasts of Ruin comes out on July 26th, and you can add it to Goodreads, Storygraph, and preorder it.

By buying a book through my link with Bookshop.org, I receive a small commission. I’d be eternally grateful if you choose to buy this book through that link!

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