Wednesday 17 April 2024

Book Review: The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean (Fantasy)

The Book Eaters
Sunyi Dean
Harper Voyager
2022
320
Paperback
Fantasy
Bought Copy

Hidden across England and Scotland live six old Book Eater families.

The last of their lines, they exist on the fringes of society and subsist on a diet of stories and legends.

Children are rare and their numbers have dwindled, so when Devon Fairweather’s second child is born a dreaded Mind Eater – a perversion of her own kind, who consumes not stories but the minds and souls of humans – she flees before he can be turned into a weapon for the family… or worse.

Living among humans and finding prey for her son, Devon seeks a cure for his hunger. But time is running out – for her family want her back, and with every soul her son consumes he loses a little more of himself…

This is a story of escape, a mother’s savage devotion and a queer love that will electrify readers looking for something beguiling, thrilling, strange and new.

 

The Book Eaters was an enjoyable dark-fantasy fairytale work. I loved the premise of the book eaters, and the world building throughout the novel was generally well handled. Devon was a character with distinct flaws, but she was still someone you could get behind; meanwhile, the action moved at a good pace, the chapters alternating between past and present working well for the storytelling. It was a quick and easy read but still thought-provoking at times. I perhaps wouldn't rush to reread it, but I am glad I read it once. As such, I am giving it four stars. Recommended for fans of standalone fantasy with plenty of action and a darker edge.

No comments:

Post a Comment