Darklings can wear whatever skin they choose. Creatures of the night, winged and fierce, they feed off of our dreams and are the stuff of nightmares. A Darkling named Ash rules the land called Ticonderoga Falls. Generations ago, he laid a curse upon the inhabitants, granting his protection but claiming ownership at the same time. The humans belong to him, so no other Darkling can Harvest their dreams. Being food isn’t necessarily a good thing, but Ash never takes it too far and he doesn’t let harm come to those under his protection during the Hunt.

Enter Maddie MacFaddin: recent divorcee, single mom, and former resident of the bed and breakfast in Ticonderoga Falls. She brings her son and dog to the B&B to relax and try to break through her writer’s block. Maddie doesn’t expect to feel so much magic surrounding the land, or to feel the instant attraction to Ash, one of its residents. Before she has time to explore these feelings, the less civilized Darklings decide to have some fun. They start picking off residents one by one, Harvesting to the point of death and challenging Ash for the land.

Merrie Destefano has a spider’s talent for weaving words into wicked phrases. Every scene in this novel was beautiful and enticing. I feel horrible because I don’t have the ability to describe just how captivating the imagery was. Feast was like a dark fairy tale come to life, full of monsters and heroes and things that go bump in the night that feed on your dreams. Part Urban Fantasy, part Horror, I fell in love with this world.

The use of first person point of view with multiple narrators helped move the story along instead of hindering it, as I thought it would. Merrie is one of the few authors I’ve read who can pull this off without making me want to tear my hair out. I loved the insight into each character’s head, learning their true motivations, and sensing when they realized things were about to hit the fan.

Feast isn’t for the faint of heart. While not every scene is chockfull of gory goodness, the underlying spooky element and the off-screen death of children may be too much for some readers. I thought the slow build of darkness added to the appeal of the novel, but I like the devilish side of life.

Book Stats:

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Harper Voyager; Original edition (June 28, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061990825
• ISBN-13: 978-0061990823

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