And I’m very hyper-aware that’s the reason I get to do what I’m doing.In this blockbuster fantasy series, perfect for fans of Firekeeper’s Daughter and Iron Widow, fate binds two Black teenagers together as they journey into a magical jungle to hunt down a vicious monster. And I know that the reason that I’m able to do that is because there were authors before me who broke down those barriers and pushed and demanded better. “This moment where suddenly Black kids are not having one or two or three, but full bookshelves of options when they go into a library or a bookstore looking for magical stories with people like them. “A friend of mine who I really admire was commenting recently that she and myself, and so many Black writers who are getting to write in young adult and middle-grade fantasy spaces, this is all part of a renaissance.” “In a word, I feel very privileged,” she says of the experience.

Feeling relax and comfortable, Learning, Leisure activity in park.Īfter a childhood of loving literature that didn’t value characters that look like her, Gray is honored to be able to give the next generation a glimpse at themselves in a magical fantasy world. Naturally, it’s an extremely exciting time for Gray, who’s working diligently to finish her trilogy as talks go on about casting, setting a director, and even potentially shooting on location on the African continent.Īfro curly hair teenager reading book at park while sitting leaning at a trees and meadow in the park. Gray’s story was so striking that it was picked up by Netflix for an on-screen adaptation before the book even hit shelves. By the journey’s end, they’ve learned terrible truths and made some pretty hard choices, which they must now face the consequences of in the upcoming July 2022 follow-up, Beasts of Ruin. I may take liberties, but for the most part, they’re terrifying creatures, and they’re based on real lore.”īeasts of Prey tells the tale of two Black teens, Koffi and Ekon, who journey into the jungle in search of a monster, yet end up uncovering secrets about themselves and the world they inhabit. “The Wolof people in Senegal, the Zulu people in South Africa these are creatures that they have described and passed down through their stories. “The monsters you read about in this series are from lore from different parts of Africa,” she said.

Taking about five years from start to finish, Gray constructed a magical, mystical adventure inspired by heavily researched traditional mythologies across the African continent. “I left Ghana really wanting to write a fantasy story that captured all of the power and excellence and all of the cool things that I saw.”

Beasts of ruin by ayana gray