Ayana Gray author page

Ayana Gray biography

Ayana Gray is an American author of young adult speculative fiction and the New York Times bestselling author of the Beasts of Prey trilogy. Her books have been translated into more than a dozen languages.

Gray made her debut with Beasts of Prey, first published in the United States by G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers in September 2021 and subsequently published in the UK by Penguin in March 2022. The African-inspired fantasy follows teenagers Koffi and Ekon, who enter the dangerous Greater Jungle in pursuit of a creature known as the Shetani. The novel was selected for the American Library Association’s YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults list for 2022 and was also named a 2021 Best Book by Kirkus Reviews and a best-book selection by the New York Public Library and Chicago Public Library.

The series continues with Beasts of Ruin, which develops Koffi and Ekon’s story as they confront the god of death, and concludes with Beasts of War. Penguin published the UK edition of Beasts of War in January 2024.

Gray has since expanded beyond the trilogy with I, Medusa, her first novel for adults. Her Beasts of Prey trilogy remains her principal contribution to young adult fiction, with the final volume completing the series in 2024.