LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas native and New York Times bestselling author Ayana Gray has finished her first trilogy.
The third book, "Beasts of War," was released at the beginning of this year, putting a cap on a project that has taken almost a decade.
"There's some sadness because these books and these characters have been with me for such a long time," Gray said. "There's also a lot of triumph. I'm proud and excited that the readers don't have to wait for more installments. It's done."
Gray has worked on her "Beasts of Prey" trilogy for eight years, telling fantasy stories of two teens as they hunt a vicious monster.
A series inspired by political intrigue classes at the University of Arkansas, Gray has pulled themes of good vs. evil, betrayal and war.
"There are mythical creatures in these stories, and it's getting kids to be curious about different types of mythology," Gray said. "It's getting them to learn."
Gray said it's something she didn't see often as a young reader.
"I had plenty of magical books, but I didn't see a lot of books with characters that looked like me or my brother or my sister," Gray said. "I would do a lot of self-insert where I would put kids who looked like me into these magical books."
The lack of diversity in the space inspired Gray to write these books herself, allowing her characters to have these adventures without facing the harsh realities of today.
"Especially for kids, we should have books that confront and talk about race and our country's history," Gray said. "I know as a kid when I was a reader, sometimes I just wanted books where kids have magical adventures, and kids didn't have to overcome racism as a part of the story."
Although the trilogy is complete, Gray isn't finished as an author.
Readers can expect more monsters, mythology and magic from the Arkansas native, but she's not ready to announce her next book yet.