What we devour by Linsey Miller

In a world where the gods, both Noble and Vile, have been banished, few who have the power to wield Noble or Vile wrights exist. Even rarer still are those who can yield the power of both - Lorena Adler is one of those, and she has successfully hidden herself from those who would use her power for their own gain. Until now. The Heir to the throne comes to the small village of Felhollow and recognises Lorena for what she is - he is there to arrest the father of Lorena's best friend, but when she makes a deal to save Julian's father, her entire world changes. The Heir departs the village with Lorena and a new hope - he has been fighting for years to repair the Door that holds back the banished Vile - and is nowhere near succeeding. Lorena joins him in learning about the Door and the price it takes to keep it closed - and it might be a higher cost than any of them imagined.

This dark fantasy/horroresque novel approaches Gothic Fiction, is heavily detailed in the first half, building a world where rules are needed to keep banished gods at bay, and control of those who have the ability to use their power. Almost political in some ways, the author describes in-depth the history and darkness of the world Lorena lives in. Numerous characters are featured in the novel, with some being relatable and others there for dark comic relief. A relatively primitive world has been described, but richly detailed in the story. The story has a slow, agonising pace at the beginning, where all the describing and world building occurs, even though the first scenes are action packed. The pace becomes more even later in the book, and readers who enjoy more detailed, complicated books will enjoy this one.

Themes: Horror, Fantasy, Gothic Fiction, Demons, Betrayal, Relationships.

Melanie Pages