Heather’s Bookshelf: Beasts of Prey
Author: Geoff Jones
Released: Pending Release 10/25
Genre: Post-apocalyptic sci-fi ARC
“He and ten other people were gathered in the center of a strange little village in a f*****-up zoo aboard a massive alien space-ship.”
“Beasts of Prey” is book 3 of the Preservation of Species” series. While a sequel, this review was done as a standalone. If you are interested, find the review for Rule of Extinction, book 1, here. Find the review for book 2, Struggle for Existence, here. Do not read ahead if you don’t want any spoilers to book 1 or 2.
A world-ending comet has hit the Earth. David Williams and a small group of humans, including his two children, were saved by aliens who moved them elsewhere. David and his group have figured out they are living on an alien spaceship in a makeshift zoo. Meanwhile, Earth has not been destroyed, but has been inhabited by gorgers- beasts focused on destruction and consumption.
The group returned to the alien ship, determined to convince the caretakers to release the remaining human specimens and help them defeat the gorgers. Unexpected challenges posed by the aliens and surprising reveals force the remaining humans to make some hard choices. Will the remnants of humanity overcome these impossibilities or will they succumb to the seemingly unending opposition.
Trigger Warning: violence, sexual situations, assault, adult language, prehistoric animal death, death, racism, drug use
Author advised trigger warnings:
https://www.doesthedogdie.com/media/1429918?index1=-1&index2=-1
Overall, I really enjoyed this tale. It’s a sci-fi story with heart. There’s parts of this book that get very post-apocalyptic - think Fallout, Last of Us or The Walking Dead. I found it to also be the darkest of the trilogy- which may not be for all readers. But underneath it all is a thread of a found family and an unrelenting hope for better. The author does an amazing job in finding a fine line between realism and optimism with each represented in characters and how they react to their situation. There’s several main characters including David and his children Kim and Barry. David often presents as more reactionary and with questionable decision-making. Not great characteristics, but the love between him and his children is unmistakable. Reggie’s character is absolutely tragic and heartbreaking. My favorite characters had to be a tie between Tyrell, and their trusty dog, Kona. Tyrell has experienced some terrible things, but he finds light in those around him and understands the importance of seeking and maintaining the good in humanity. And Kona’s an adorable and loyal furry four-legged friend…so Kona probably wins. This book is fast-paced. There’s a lot that happens in a short amount of time and the author relies on character development from previous stories to pull the tale together (I found this especially true of Randall). There’s a few new characters supplemented by flashbacks to before the end of the world. As soon as you read the first flashback, you know they will lead to somewhere important and about 3/4 of the way in you find out why. A twist or two never hurt anybody, right? The ending left me feeling satisfied with all loose ends tied up and a world fully built. Though this is a standalone review, I thoroughly enjoyed this trilogy, the mixing of genres, and the connection to the characters. Thank you to Mr. Jones for this bit of escape.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
Book 3 in a post-apocalyptic found-family tale with strong characters, aliens, and dinosaurs…and did I mention a couple of twists?
Want to learn more about the author?
Check out my interview with Geoff Jones
Interested in checking out the book for yourself?
Find it for purchase here
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