This is my first John Crowley, but on this basis alone it will not be my last. Beasts is a bit of a strange book in that it doesn't have a clearly defined story and weaves together various narratives that converge throughout and are told from different perspectives of the main characters involved, all the while avoiding much exposition. The main setting is a future America which has broken down from civil unrest into large city autonomies which the Federal Government is trying to unify. This separation has caused progressive stagnation, isolationism and the recovery of the natural environment, with some help from various projects within the autonomies. At the centre of all this are the Leos - a genetic experiment which bred a hybrid species from humans and lions - and another more mysterious creature manipulating events known as Reynard (it doesn't take much to guess what he is if you know your fables). The Leos wish to live in peace, but the Federal Government finds them a self-made aberration to be removed from society as part of their reunification and clean up programs, which intend to reassert human dominance over the country and natural resources; all enforced by an eerily prescient federally endorsed enforcement unit. It's the consequences of all this that plays out through the surface level of the story. But Crowley's writing is intricate and far deeper in terms of layered subjects and symbolism. He portrays the Leos with a beautiful and uncanny grace that accentuates them as being spiritually apart from the humans around them; their "king of the beasts" personality affects all who come into contact with them - man or animal. It's easy to find sympathy with their plight as they are persecuted by the authorities, even more so when you draw parallels between the written events and what is happening with ICE in the real world. The fact that they feel a genuinely unique race is also a testament to Crowley's writing and is something not enough SF writers seem to capture. The Leos are fulcrum for everything and as they draw others players in, we get to see and feel their individual stories as they become whipped up into it all. Within that, there's a uniquely thought out city state of zero resource waste, a pack of dogs affected by the civil unrest, and a group of humans whose story of friendship, family and (queer) love is beautifully told; albeit there were some uncomfortable moments between two of different generations (it's not quite Heinlein, but it's too close not to at least call it out, even if only implied). Oh and some very cool, authentic falconry scenes whose connection is a lot more subtle and plays into the symbolism prevalent throughout the book. This symbolism and suggestion underlies the carefully constructed passages in the book and there's metaphors for racism, natural world destruction, monarchism etc everywhere. Without a straight story and no clear timeline, it leaves a lot open to explore and interpret for oneself; it forces a more thoughtful approach. One also wonders by the end who the title is aimed at; are the "Beasts" the carefree, harmonious Leos or the more chaotic humans who are driven by their impulses - often to the destruction of others and themselves? It's perhaps not a hard question to answer. Overall, this is a brilliant and cerebral piece of literature which I am surprised isn't talked about more, but perhaps the lack of exposition and leaving the reader to decide the narrative being told is not one that is going to attract a lot of people; I admit there were times I wondered if this was going anywhere or if a singular point was trying to made. In the end though, it's the powerful writing and the magnetic charm of the Leos that lift this above the pack and make it something I will think about for a while.