Sunyi Dean, The Book EatersĪs Sunyi Dean unravels the mysteries of the Families, readers have plenty to sink their book teeth into, from the exploration of a mother’s love for her children, to gender stereotypes, forced marriage, sacrifice and the blurry lines of ones own morals. But a mother’s love conquers all, right?įor here was one thing that no fairy tale would ever admit, but that she understood in that moment: love was not inherently good. Unfortunately for Cai, the Ravenscar clan imploded upon the enactment of a family coup, and so Devon’s options for her son are running out either he consumes humans, starves to death or gets ‘put down’ by the Families. The only problem is, the Ravenscar Family are the only producers and the patriarchs kept the ingredients and process a tightly guarded secret. And whilst the destiny of most mind eaters is to become a Dragon under the command of the Knights, Devon knows of a drug, Redemption, that can save her son from his fate. For the Families, secrets are a necessity of survival as not all of their kind are born book eaters, some such as Devon’s son, Cai, are born mind eaters – whose sustenance is human minds. A history that is as dark as the blackest night and one where all is certainly not as it seems. There is a natural flow to the plot, as chapters alternate from the present day to the past with readers simultaneously following Devon’s journey in the present day, whilst also learning about her past and the history of the Families. Born into the North Yorkshire based, Fairweather Family, Devon is a book eater – a supernatural humanoid being, who consumes books as sustenance and in doing so takes on their contents and knowledge. Gorgeously written, the concept of The Book Eaters is so unique as to verge on the absurd, and yet, WOW, does its originality work.įittingly, England serves as the backdrop for the at times, pompous and old-fashioned nature of the six remaining book eater Families, who form the core of The Book Eaters narrative. Hook, line, and sinker, this is a book that will for sure – despite being only half way through the year – be in the top echelons of my most loved books of 2022. The title grabbed my attention, the synopsis sealed the deal and, the rest as they say, is history.

It’s not often that I don’t know where to begin with a review, but the story of The Book Eaters defies words.

The book eaters book review