12/01/2022

Dean's outstanding debut introduces a unique world featuring a clan of book eaters, people for whom books are food. Devon Fairweather, a female book eater, has been treated as a princess and is fed a carefully curated diet of fairy tales so that she fulfills her duty—to ensure the continuity of The Family by producing two children with two different fathers. When her son, Cai, is born, not as a book eater, but as a mind eater, she goes on the run to save him from a ghastly fate. Despite almost immediately experiencing the horrors Devon will visit upon humankind to protect her child, it is hard not to root for her, as her love feels so strong and pure. Katie Erich narrates Devon with the voice of a true storyteller, providing a mesmerizing performance that communicates the devastating harshness and rich emotionality of Devon's journey. Erich's calm tone is pleasantly grounded in a story that could be too dark, complex, or morally gray for some. VERDICT This is the type of dark fantasy that breaks out of the genre and into popular culture. Beautiful and intense, it is a must-listen.—Matthew Galloway

Katie Erich’s Northern English accent transports listeners to the windswept Yorkshire moors in this atmospheric fantasy about a woman on the run. Devon grows up among book eaters—a mysterious species that consumes books instead of food. When her son is born with a rare condition that gives him a hunger for human brains, not books, she sets off on a dangerous journey to save him—and herself. Erich’s pacing is perfect. She delivers breathless chase scenes at a fever pitch and voices Devon’s thoughts with a constant edge of fear and desperation. Her portrayal of Devon’s son, a five-year-old who has consumed the minds of grown humans, is both chilling and heartbreaking. This is a darkly beautiful book about violent family legacies and impossible choices. L.S. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

★ 04/04/2022

Dean’s unputdownable debut gives the phrase “voracious reader” a new, very literal meaning. Devon isn’t human. She and others like her live off eating books, and they retain all the knowledge they consume. Book eaters are rare, and book eater girls are even rarer. Raised by the isolated, cultish Family, Devon is treated like a breakable princess and fed a steady diet of fairy tales in which the girls are always the damsels in distress. Devon’s duty is to grow up and produce two children by two different husbands to ensure the survival of their species. Willful and stubborn in nature, Devon has always chafed under the Family’s control—and when her first son is born not a book eater but a far more dangerous mind eater, she goes on the run to save the boy from the Family, who no longer want him. But to survive, she’ll have to find a way to sate the hunger that plagues him, a hunger far more sinister and alien than her own. The fascinating magic system, impeccable and unusual worldbuilding, and well-shaded characters will keep readers riveted through every twist of this wild ride. Gothic fantasy fans will want to snap up this thrilling tale. (Aug.)

"I devoured this."—V. E. Schwab, NYT bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue

"Raw and imaginative, this gritty, gothic anti-fairytale knows the truth: love will make a villain out of anyone."—Olivie Blake, New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six

"A delightfully weird exploration of motherhood, queerness, and escaping patriarchal norms.”—Buzzfeed

“Innovative, unique, poignant, and told with a voice as original as the story itself. I finished this novel in that one sitting, yet I’ll be pondering it for a long time to come. This is the debut of a new master of the modern fantasy. Don’t miss it.”—James Rollins, #1 New York Times bestseller of The Starless Crown

"This beautiful, delicate, cruel, utterly unique look at tradition, motherhood, trauma, and what it means to be a monster would be a masterpiece from an established author. As a debut, it is nothing short of stunning. It kept surprising me all the way to the end.”—Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author of Every Heart A Doorway

"A powerful story of overwhelming mother love, as something both powerful and potentially horrific. It’s a book that delves into the need to survive even when a system is built to break you or determined to crush you; a powerful queer story about difference that refuses to flinch away from difficult choices or the impact of trauma, both generational and inflicted. Readers will devour this compelling, rich fantasy."—Booklist, starred review

"Dean’s unputdownable debut gives the phrase “voracious reader” a new, very literal meaning ... The fascinating magic system, impeccable and unusual worldbuilding, and well-shaded characters will keep readers riveted through every twist of this wild ride."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“A darkly sweet pastry of a book about family, betrayal, and the lengths we go to for the ones we love. Great reading for a rainy morning, with tea or coffee on, a cat in your lap, and nowhere to be but lost in a delicious modern fairy tale.”—Christopher Buehlman, author of The Blacktongue Thief

“Dark and incredibly compelling—I could not put this book down. All about motherhood and monsters, and twists the knife on every page.”—Everina Maxwell, author of Winter's Orbit

“An entrancing tale that explores the ways that love can both strengthen and destroy us. It had me on the edge of my seat right up until the end. The Book Eaters is one you’ll want to sink your teeth into.”—Genevieve Gornichec, author of The Witch's Heart

“A exquisitely-crafted tale of those who break free of the stories written for them and forge their own in ink and blood. I couldn't put it down.”—H.G. Parry, author of The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep

“Two delicious timelines weave a thriller-paced tale ... It peels back the pampering veneer of fairytales and tradition to trauma beneath, with a rich, nuanced look at grey morality and motherhood. Full of heart and hurt, you’ll want to consume The Book Eaters in one sitting.”—Essa Hansen, author of Nophek Gloss

"Sunyi Dean is a master of pace and foreshadowing, and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat from the first page to the last. THE BOOK EATERS is gorgeously written, the kind of novel that stays with you long after you finish reading it.”—Michael Mammay, author of The Planetside series

"A gloriously Gothic contemporary horror fantasy, perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman and Tanith Lee."—Peter McLean, author of Priest of Bones

“A fascinating debut with shades of gothic fantasy and contemporary thriller, wrapped in a narrative full of vivid and detailed characters and worldbuilding, and an unusual premise.”—Library Journal, starred review

“A gripping and beautifully plotted story told with verve and deliciously dark wit.”—The Daily Mail

★ 07/01/2022

DEBUT Devon Fairweather, a book eater, knew she was special: treated as a princess among her brothers, raised in an isolated home with her extended family, and fed fairy tales—quite literally, as the book eaters consume volumes of written words and retain all the knowledge within. Devon's fairy-tale life soon meets hard reality, as she, like all book eater females, is expected to ensure The Family's survival and bear two children by two husbands. However, Devon wants more; she wants a life on her own terms and with her children. When her son Cai is born and consumes minds instead of books, Devon escapes with him before The Family can destroy him, or worse. Devon takes drastic action to satisfy Cai's hunger, which is far more deadly than her own, but what would a mother not do for her child? The fantastical world does not overshadow the novel's dramatic themes, including family, self-determination, and the morally gray choices one makes for those they love. VERDICT A fascinating debut with shades of gothic fantasy and contemporary thriller, wrapped in a narrative full of vivid and detailed characters and worldbuilding, and an unusual premise.—Kristi Chadwick

Katie Erich’s Northern English accent transports listeners to the windswept Yorkshire moors in this atmospheric fantasy about a woman on the run. Devon grows up among book eaters—a mysterious species that consumes books instead of food. When her son is born with a rare condition that gives him a hunger for human brains, not books, she sets off on a dangerous journey to save him—and herself. Erich’s pacing is perfect. She delivers breathless chase scenes at a fever pitch and voices Devon’s thoughts with a constant edge of fear and desperation. Her portrayal of Devon’s son, a five-year-old who has consumed the minds of grown humans, is both chilling and heartbreaking. This is a darkly beautiful book about violent family legacies and impossible choices. L.S. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine