You know when sometimes you get a book that the publisher is going absolutely crazy about there’s that voice in your head that says ‘Really? Are you sure?’ I’ve been disappointed a few times by this hype but, I Feed Her to the Beast and The Beast is Me by Jamison Shea is definitely worth the hype.
I’m used to be a regular horror and gore reader but, over the years my taste has changed however, this book totally drew me in and I couldn’t resist picking it up.
The protagonist Laure Mesny has dreamt of reaching the pinnacle of the ballet world but, has always been overlooked and she has had to watch from the sidelines as her best friend is prioritised and given all the opportunities Laure is denied because of her family connections. Laure feels like she has no choice but to embrace another route to success - blood sacrifice to Acheron, the ancient river of Hades, shown in the book as a river of blood flowing in the Paris Catacombs. Of course things seem great at first but, then the price comes and Laure is entangled within a battle to contain the darkness that is rising to the surface.
I really enjoyed the author’s beautiful descriptions of the ballet world that Laure was enmeshed in and the ballet itself, I think the author totally shone a light on the racism, micro-aggressions that Laure suffered and I was truly rooting for Laure.
I also really enjoyed the balance of the real world – Paris, against the under-world Elysian Catacombs and how the balance tipped as the story progressed towards the finale. I believe this tipping of the scales aligned perfectly with Laure’s mental and physical battles. I also found the horror itself enjoyable but, am cogniscent of this book being directed at a YA audience. If I wasn’t and it was a more adult orientated story, then I would definitely have demanded more horror and suspense.
Overall, this is a great book as we run up to Halloween and I totally recommend picking dancing your way to your nearest bookseller to pick up a copy up.
Finally, huge thanks to Readers First for the gifted copy of the paperback.
I’m used to be a regular horror and gore reader but, over the years my taste has changed however, this book totally drew me in and I couldn’t resist picking it up.
The protagonist Laure Mesny has dreamt of reaching the pinnacle of the ballet world but, has always been overlooked and she has had to watch from the sidelines as her best friend is prioritised and given all the opportunities Laure is denied because of her family connections. Laure feels like she has no choice but to embrace another route to success - blood sacrifice to Acheron, the ancient river of Hades, shown in the book as a river of blood flowing in the Paris Catacombs. Of course things seem great at first but, then the price comes and Laure is entangled within a battle to contain the darkness that is rising to the surface.
I really enjoyed the author’s beautiful descriptions of the ballet world that Laure was enmeshed in and the ballet itself, I think the author totally shone a light on the racism, micro-aggressions that Laure suffered and I was truly rooting for Laure.
I also really enjoyed the balance of the real world – Paris, against the under-world Elysian Catacombs and how the balance tipped as the story progressed towards the finale. I believe this tipping of the scales aligned perfectly with Laure’s mental and physical battles. I also found the horror itself enjoyable but, am cogniscent of this book being directed at a YA audience. If I wasn’t and it was a more adult orientated story, then I would definitely have demanded more horror and suspense.
Overall, this is a great book as we run up to Halloween and I totally recommend picking dancing your way to your nearest bookseller to pick up a copy up.
Finally, huge thanks to Readers First for the gifted copy of the paperback.