*Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for an Earc in exchange for an honest review*

"𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙪𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙛 𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙙."

So I finished The Book Eaters, and now I'm going to force everyone I know to read it because I've not read a book with such complex moral dilemmas and beautiful writing for a long while.

It's a beautiful sunny day here in England but I opened the pages of The Book Eaters, and I was instantly in the wild moors, ready to be filled with the heady violence of Devon (the main character's) life.

And before I start this review I want to make it clear that this book is:
-queer
-dark academia vibes
-funny
-filled with about a million TWs so please check before reading
-A wholly new and original voice in fantasy fiction
-enemies to lovers

"𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙚: 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚."

This is a world where six families live hidden in the dark depths of the British countryside. Book eaters, subsiding off the written word yet unable to write for themselves.
It's a patriarchal society with few women- who are forced to marry and breed as soon as they turn 18. If they turn 18.
Devon is one such woman. As one of the rare women in her society, she's revered as a princess until she comes of age. And there, her idyllic existence comes to an end.
Forced into marriage, her daughter ripped from her arms and sold to a new husband, yet

"𝘿𝙚𝙫𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙮, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚."


Another year, another marriage. But this time her child is a monster even by her kind's standards. The live a mother has for her child has no bounds, and as another year rolls around she does whatever she can to escape her captors who wish to use her son. But,

"𝘾𝙖𝙞 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙬 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙩𝙪𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙧, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙙𝙖𝙮, 𝘿𝙚𝙫𝙤𝙣 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙪𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙣."

Obviously, having a cannibalistic child wasn't going to be easy in any case. Other forces are playing the game, however, and soon she may have to choose a side. At any cost.

This was heavily marketed as morally grey mothers and queer rep, all of which was a hundred percent accurate and if I was you, I'd just go into it heads first. I've never read anything quite like this before-intricate and overwhelming but never pretentious, or dull.
I have no doubt that at heart, the characters wanted to be good. There is no doubt that in another life they would have been and that's what makes them stand out. The characters do what must be done to save themselves because this is the life they've been raised in.

I have one criticism of TBE.
The use of British 'slang'. I hate it. It didn't work. It wasn't used correctly. Nobody puts ta at the end of a sentence. Nobody uses 'innit' in their thought processes and whatever, and not all British people use the same slang. We have extremely regional accents. It's a petty criticism but honestly the sentence

"𝘾𝙧𝙞𝙠𝙚𝙮, 𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚,"

actually made me want to cry and not in a good way.
That's literally my only problem with the book though.

Anyway the bottom line is this is a ridiculously good book and I really hope Sunyi Dean writes more soon because I will devour her writing with just as much relish as *redacted* did his father.
(4.5 stars)

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean, publishing on 18th August, 2022

A gorgeous new fantasy horror – a book about stories and fairytales with family and love at its dark heart…My cheeks hurt from smiling through this delightful book for adults who haven't outgrown fairytales

This book is absolutely superb! Set in the current time and with regular flashbacks, the novel tells us about Devon’s fight to save her child. Coming from an old and secretive family, her life is set out for her from birth and she has no say in matters. Cultish, fanatical and at times disturbing, the family members are surviving in the only way they know. However, when an opportunity arises for Devon, she does everything she can to break free and save those she loves.

This speculative fiction is incredibly smart, there are some really witty moments especially involving Cai and the alter-egos which emerge, and some wonderfully peculiar and disturbing scenes too. I love this!

4 stars.

With a brilliantly unique concept, The Book Eaters drew me in right from the beginning with a well developed fantasy world and a compelling main character. The portrayal of Devon, a woman who struggles with the traditions of her kind and has to fight to protect her child, was incredible and I was really gripped by her story. I loved how the narrative switched from the past to the present, particularly as it contextualised a lot of Devon's decisions, messy as they may be, and helped me connect with her as a character a lot more.

Whilst I did enjoy reading about most of the side characters, I wish there had been more interactions with them throughout the book. Sometimes - especially in the case of Hester - relationships between characters weren't as developed. I felt like the ending was a little bit rushed and there were a few threads woven into the narrative - like the concept of the Collector, as well as Salem's story - that were somewhat sidelined in latter half of the book.

Overall, an highly enjoyable book with an incredible concept and an unforgettable protagonist. With great depictions of queer characters, motherhood, and complex relationships within families, The Book Eaters is definitely not one to miss.

Unfortunately this wasn’t my cup of tea. The writing style was good and the premise was intriguing,

I don’t think anything negative towards the book itself, it’s just not up my alley.

It has been said that “The Book Eaters” is one to devour and I certainly did devour it in one day! It’s a rarity I get the chance to read a whole book in one sitting but with work closing because of the heatwave I actually had time!
.
The book’s cover and concept of the title gave me much intrigue, and the blurb grabbed my attention but I had a moment of uncertainty. Would a book about book eaters really work?! And I’m happy to share that it did work. I expected it to be dark and it did shadow us with just the right amount of inky atmosphere and though it’s steady paced, it gripped me enough to not put the book down craving to know the conclusion. I did enjoy it and I was quite impressed how many elements the author inventively weaves together in this grotesque story of a woman’s fight for freedom within patriarchy. Devon’s character is a motivating force that refuses to be anchored down by the injustices she had to face and with time running out her maternal instincts creates a hunger for survival as she discovers life is far from the fairytales she consumed as a child.

“He hungered for something less tangible yet just as crucial: an antidote to loneliness. He craved, even then, the company and acceptance of other people.”

My first ARC review! *spoiler free*

I somehow managed to get an eARC of The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean which centres on Devon Fairweather who’s second born is a dreaded Mind Eater, one of her own kind who consumes the minds and souls of humans instead of books. Devon and her son flee from the family and live amongst the humans while trying to find a cure for her sons hunger.

I really really wanted to love this as the premise of this book was sooo intriguing and sounded so different! It’s almost vampire like, but just without the vampires.

I loved that this was set in our world but with an added layer of magic on the top. The aspect of book eaters was really well explained, from their customs to anatomy and their differences with humans. It was super easy to follow and the chapters were short which I’m always in favour of. I also enjoyed the dual timeline of present time and then going back into the past.

Sadly, I found the story itself to be quite boring and there wasn’t actually that much to it, considering the time period it covers. I didn’t really connect with any of the characters and just found that when it got to the part that the book was building up to, it was lacklustre and over too quickly.

There were also a couple of sentences that were jarring and took me out of the story as they just didn’t read right. This is perhaps because it is an arc so these may have been ironed out before publishing.

The ending has definitely left room for a sequel in the future which I would read, just to see where Dean takes the story and to find answers to the questions in this book.

Thank you to Harper Collins UK and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5⭐️

I had a wonderful time reading this book. I thought that the dual timeline of seeing our main character Devon on the run as well as all the choices and happenstance that led her up to that point was a great way of creating a full picture of this character and her life journey up until this point. When I initially read the premise for The Book Eaters I was concerned it would be another very 'literary' look at motherhood - something that has never particularly interested me personally - but was delighted to find that while those themes are there the book actually has a lot of variety in it, including action scenes, intrigue, mystery and even a little bit of horror - I think this might make a good Halloween read for those among us who aren't super into scary stories but who like a bit of edge.
I thought that the world that Dean created, these families of book eaters all with their own idiosyncracies and traditions and all striving to survive was really fascinating and I found myself wanting to know more about the society and the function of book eaters, why they existed and so such. I wouldn't say this book gave me all the answers I wanted but it does paint a good enough picture for you to fill in some of the blanks on your own.
I found myself really caring for Devon both in the past and the present - as she doesn't have a particularly good time of it. Dean manages to walk that oh-so-difficult line of telling a story that does feature an awful lot of bad things happening to the protagonist but that still feels overwhelmingly triumphant as a narrative. I didn't find that I got bogged down in the more difficult moments of the story because I always knew at some point we would flip to a different point in time.
I wouldn't recommend this book to everyone simply because I think there are some more difficult themes in there that I don't think everyone will be wanting to read - I'd recommend checking out content warnings particularly around children/childbirth/motherhood before picking this up - but if the subject intrigues you I would say that this book delivers on it's promise and then even does a bit more!
My rating: 4 stars
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley - all opinions are my own.

Since I first heard about this book, I was intrigued and was so happy to get an early copy to review from NetGalley!

This is such a unique concept. There is basically a secret society of Families who are book eaters and survive only by, you guessed it, consuming the written word. However, female book eaters are scarce and are dying out so the males arrange their marriages between the families to have the best chance of producing offspring. The women are sold this life as a bit of a fairytale, being a Princess, marrying a Prince and helping the Family lines continue. However, Devon very quickly realises this is not all it is cracked up to be.

We switch between past and present - a format I really enjoy - and we learn how Dev came to be where we find her and what she is planning.

Highly recommended and can't wait for you all to read this one!

I was drawn to "The Book Eaters" by Sunyi Dean because of the name. It seemed quite an odd concept that 6 families throughout the UK survived by eating books rather than food. However, I didn't really enjoy it when there were mentions of Knights and Dragons as it slipped too far into the realm of fantasy for me. I liked the relationship between Devon and her son Cai, and all that she did for him but not necessarily the overall story, too fantasy for me.

I really enjoyed the idea of the way consumption of knowledge was linked to patriarchy and sexism. I liked how Devon fought for Cai and made some choices, as well as the way Jarrow helped her escape her situation.

It's always a sign of a good book and skilled author when you enjoy a book that's outside the parameters of what you usually choose to read. This fantasy horror novel is darker than I normally would go for, but despite that it is very very good. The main character is Devon, a young mother who has fled her controlling family and violent husband in order to protect her young son. Very relatable. Except Devon is not a human - she's a book-eating vampire-like supernatural creature, and her son Cai can only feed on human minds. A drug exists that can enable Cai's kind to harmlessly eat books, and Devon is desperate to procure it so they can lead a quiet, normal life without needing to harm anybody. If only they can get to it before the 'knights', led by her own brother, can hunt them down.

The novel alternates chapters between the present - some time in late 20th/early 21st century Britain - and Devon's history. A pampered, happy childhood is gradually revealed to be a gilded cage as she grows older and finds as a woman she has no autonomy or rights. The book-eaters are rather horrifying creatures, even though they are only consuming paper. The scary things about them are those that could be equally seen in human society - controlling patriarchies, abuses of power, marginalisation of anyone who is different, and a callous indifference to human lives considered 'lesser' than their own. The mind-eaters are of course scarier, with their mind-sucking powers, but this is a book that forces you to consider what makes a 'monster'.

It's very well written - Dean has a turn of phrase and ability to describe things that would sit well in any literary novel. Her style is easy to read and flowing, and it's the sort of book you pick up to read 'just one chapter' and end up getting through ten before reluctantly putting it down to do whatever you were supposed to be doing an hour before. The plot is tight, it has plenty of momentum and it's really compelling, particularly towards the end. It is dark, and there is a small number of gory moments, but the main horror lies in the underlying concepts and is down to Dean's ability to create atmosphere.

Initially I wasn't sure I'd like Devon, but as her story was revealed I came to respect and sympathise with her and hope she'd succeed. Some of the things she does are awful, but she doesn't choose to be cruel or violent for the sake of it, or take any pleasure in it. All she wants from life is to be with her children and have a peaceful life. Her love for her son is the driving force of the story and rarely in a book is the theme of just how far a mother will go for her child so clearly laid out. There's a bit of a romantic subplot, but it's really too small to be any more than a sideline. The emphasis is on friendship and family relationships, and on Devon's own growth from a sheltered, naive teen to a woman with courage and resourcefulness who refuses to give up on her child, no matter how the rest of the world sees him.

The ending does leave scope for a sequel and I'm already crossing my fingers and toes that one will come along - which is the best recommendation you can give a book. I'd highly recommend this to sci-fi and fantasy fans, even if you are less keen on the darker end of the fantasy spectrum, the quality of this novel makes it worth a few spine chilling moments and unpleasant images. No matter what Dean writes next, I'll be keen to read it.

I could not wait to get my hands on this book, especially as it was being recommended on almost every single booktok post in my TikTok feed! It did not disappoint, I absolutely loved the story and the premise is fresh and exciting. I could not put it down!

3.5

Very intriguing concept and masterfully written. Sadly it became a little predictable towards the end. I wish it was more nuanced and less black and white. The romance at the end was blander than some of the straight romance out there.

This is a book that grabbed me from the beginning and did not let go. Full of morally grey characters and vivid writing, Dean brings this world to life.

Devon is part of a secret society of people called Book Eaters, who live off the words and pages of books, except for a few amongst them who are born with the need to consume human minds. Their society is split into Families, each with their own Patriarch, and Book Eater women live very rigid lives, where they are fed a diet of fairy tales and other harmless stories and moved around the families in arranged marriages.

The novel follows two timelines – Devon's former life amongst the Book Eaters and her current life on the run with her son. I loved the way the two timelines came together to reveal what was happening/ had happened, and how both managed to have a few surprise twists along the way.

Devon is a well-written character and I found myself rooting for her despite the very morally questionable things she does. (Which is a polite way of saying letting her son consume other people’s minds - since this happens in the first chapter I don’t think it really counts as a spoiler.)

I also really liked Jarrow, a character that joins the story about half way through, and not just because yeah for unexpected ace rep!

Dean also does an excellent job of writing Devon's son, Cai, a six-year old filled with the thoughts, personalities and beliefs of the adults he had consumed. She manages to strike the balance between him being a child and also having memories of experiences far beyond his years.

Overall, an excellent read I’d highly recommended, especially for anyone looking for some queer Gothic fantasy!

This story is set in a World where book eaters and mind eaters live amongst humans and are facing a decline in their species due to early infertility. This was such an unusual story in the sense that I don't think I have ever read anything like it. It gave me Handmaids Tale vibes with magical undertones.

The story follows Devon and her journey through arranged marriage, pregnancy, birth and her fight for her children. I found the pacing addictive and had the time to read it over two days. Some parts of the story are quite graphic so it is worth checking out any trigger warnings. The ending does leave most things cleared up but I also already need to know more. It is a very emotive book and I felt the stress and anguish for Devon. It is also sapphic! Great read, definitely check it out.

Thank you to Harper Voyager UK and netgalley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

What a surprise this book was and I loved and savoured every word.
There is definitely a new Gaiman on the scene.
This is an urban fantasy of the highest order. The story follows Devon, a book eater, and her son Cai, a mind eater, in a world not kind to either.
I love the idea of book eaters and I think the author did a superb job in her descriptions of the taste of different books, surely all avid readers would like to consume books in such a way?
The worldbuilding is fantastic and I loved the detail the author has included, little touches that show the author has really thought about the implications of the book eater world.
At it's heart this was a story of motherhood and the lengths a mother will go to to protect her children.
I will be recommending this to everyone, not just fantasy fans, 10/10 best read of 2022 sp far.
Thank you to the author and netgally for the e-arc.

The idea behind The Book Eaters is brilliant so I was very excited about it however, I did not particularly enjoy reading this book. There are some needlessly unsettling scenes and the undertones are pretty cruel, which for me was just a bit unpleasant.

I liked the quotes and insights that were sprinkled throughout the book and it certainly had its moments. The feminism storyline was pushed a little too heavily and felt clumsy at points. Sadly I didn’t connect to the characters which had potential. I wish the background would’ve been explored more, while in fact the point in time of the setting was somewhat tedious and dragged out.

Overall still a decent read, possibly better for a younger audience.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the incredible eARC.
What a delectable book! The Book Eaters has a wholly unique premise combined with a perfect balance of fantasy/horror and genuine, thought provoking discussions of a woman’s place in the world whether that be a world of humans or that of book eaters. I was particularly surprised at Dean’s ability to bring so much depth to her characters and world without anything feeling dragged out. Morally grey characters always appeal to me and this was no different. This book surpassed all of my expectations and I really hope that there will be a follow up so we can explore Devon and Cai’s world even further.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an ARC of The Book Eaters in exchange for an honest review.

The Book Eaters follows Devon, a fugitive Book Eater, on her journey to protect her son Cai, and escape the controlling community of Book Eaters who reside in the UK.

The novel is set in a world where families of Book Eaters exist. Book Eaters appear human, however they are sustained through the consumption of books. Occasionally Mind Eaters are born into Book Eater families. Disliked by the Book Eaters, Mind Eaters also appear human at first glance, but can only survive by consuming human minds, destroying their victims in the process.

When Devon gives birth to a Mind Eater, and political events cause a shortage of the drugs that can keep his mind eating cravings at bay, Devon is forced to leave her community to keep her son safe.

I really liked the premise of this novel and thought that the concept was unique, but unfortunately on finishing reading I was left wishing certain aspects had been developed a little more.

I felt that the pacing of the book was not quite right - I initially struggled to get into it, and later felt that the plot was progressing too fast. I would have enjoyed more explanations around the Book Eaters and their history, as well as more detail at the end of the book which felt very rushed.

Despite this I thought that the characters were well developed, and the author had taken the time to think about the details of how the world worked - I enjoyed the descriptions of the taste of books, and the effects that mind eating had on Mind Eaters.

I also enjoyed the criticism of the patriarchy and control that men hold over women’s bodies, which was a strong theme in the book.

Overall, I did really enjoy certain aspects of the novel but felt that further refinement would have been an improvement.