Summary (from Goodreads):
“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 and magical creatures to pay off her family’s debts and secure their eventual freedom. But the night her loved ones’ own safety is threatened by the Zoo’s cruel master, Koffi unleashes a power she doesn’t fully understand–and the consequences are dire.
As the second son of a decorated hero, Ekon is all but destined to become a Son of the Six–an elite warrior–and uphold a family legacy. But on the night of his final rite of passage, a fire upends his plans. In its midst, Ekon not only encounters the Shetani–a vicious monster that has plagued the city and his nightmares for nearly a century–but a curious girl who seems to have the power to ward off the beast. Koffi’s power ultimately saves Ekon’s life, but his choice to let her flee dooms his hopes of becoming a warrior.
Desperate to redeem himself, Ekon vows to hunt the Shetani down and end its reign of terror, but he can’t do it alone. Meanwhile, Koffi believes finding the Shetani and selling it for a profit could be the key to solving her own problems. Koffi and Ekon–each keeping their true motives secret from the other–form a tentative alliance and enter into the unknowns of the Greater Jungle, a world steeped in wild magic and untold dangers. The hunt begins. But it quickly becomes unclear whether they are the hunters or the hunted.”
My Thoughts:
This book probably holds the record for the most times put on my tbr (to-be-read) list for the month and then never read. When I first bought it I was super pumped to start it but then I fell into a pretty long fantasy slump so even though part of me still wanted to read it, it definitely wasn’t top of my list. And it wasn’t helping that this one clocks in at nearly 500 pages! But one day I decided that it was time. Right off the bat I was hooked by Koffi’s pov which opens in the Night Zoo. It took me a little longer to warm up to Ekon but once they were thrown together on their journey it was really interesting to get to watch their interactions from both perspectives because, though they were after the same creature, they chased unique goals.
And speaking of, I loved the magical creatures and how their gifts contributed to furthering the plot. The storytelling was also so rich and it felt like the kind of cozy story that could be told around a campfire. The only thing that confused me a bit was the world building. Not so much in a geographical sense but more from a political standpoint and also the part about the rip in the sky, but that’s probably just my memory failing me! I’d definitely recommend this to anyone in a fantasy mood looking to expand their horizons. Happy Reading đ
The Art of Reading 