Harper Voyager publishes The Book Eaters, the debut novel by Sunyi Dean, an autistic fantasy fiction author living in Yorkshire. It is available in paperback, eBook and audio formats. Hidden from the outside world are six Book Eater families located in North England and the Southern border of Scotland. Their knowledge and sustenance comes from ‘eating’ books. The ancestral lines are dwindling, and so young women are married for only short periods of time to produce offspring, before being put through the process again. One such case is Devon Fairweather, who is married-off to another family. However, when her second child is born a Mind Eater – who consume people’s minds and souls to survive – she is forced to escape the clutches of the families in order to protect him. Mind Eaters are usually killed upon birth or become mindless ‘Dragons’ handled by the controlling Knights. The richest of the families cultivate a drug to repress these natural tendencies and Devon wants access to its resources. However, the family want something in return.

This is an original concept variation on the vampire or werewolf myth. I like the structure of alternate chapters: one describing the upbringing and family environment of Devon, the other her more contemporary existence in hiding and on the run with her son – seeking-out suitable victims and then disposing of their bodies. I prefer the former, which has a Victorian or even Edwardian feel to the grand houses and family hierarchy. The knights act as a private police force to the families, and their Mind Eater ‘guard dogs’ offer them a much darker aspect. Most of the narrative flows between momentous set-pieces; however, there are a few moments that seem strung-out somewhat. The story borrows from many references but still manages to find its own voice. Again, we have the story of an empowered young woman, but basically it portrays the lengths a mother will go to in order to protect her child. It isn’t a case of right or wrong, it’s more about justice and the consequences of a mother’s actions.

This is a fiction book well worth taking a chance on – particularly if you enjoy a mix of historical and contemporary drama.

7

Ty Power