Sona and the Golden Beasts by Rajani Larocca (review)

Reviewed by: Sona and the Golden Beasts by Rajani Larocca April Spisak Larocca, Rajani. Sona and the Golden Beasts. Quill Tree, 2024 [400p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780063295407 $19.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780063295421 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 4-6 Sona has always been drawn to animals, so she immediately comes to the aid of an injured wolf pup and keeps it a secret when a Hunter, a man authorized to find and kill any magical beasts in the land of Devia, comes in search of it. Devia was once a peaceful country that honored animals and valued people more than the abundant gems that were found there, but then Malech colonizers arrived hundreds of years ago, immediately stripping the land of its resources and enforcing their own social structure on Devans. Sona is of a Malech family, but she has no interest in imposing her will on anyone and would rather care for those she loves, from the pup she found to a beloved, and desperately ill, Devan family friend. Her protective instincts, in fact, lead her to willingly embark on a risky quest to save them both. LaRocca cleverly lets poems, quotes, folklore, letters, and historical documents [End Page 255] interspersed between chapters do much of the heavy expositional lifting, trusting readers to piece together a rich concept of this place, colonized for many generations by people who believe themselves without fault. An underlying urgency makes clear that Sona's quest is for more than just saving a frisky wolf pup and a single loved one, as she may be part of a prophecy that could free Devans. The action is swift, the world building is strong, and Sona is a sympathetic character, barreling headlong into danger repeatedly because all she knows to do is try to protect the innocent and oppressed. Final map not seen.