What did I just read? It was certainly dark fantasy, which is why I requested What We Devour in the first place, but… wow. It was so confusing! You just get dumped into a world that clearly has some issues going on, but nothing is ever actually explained. I’ll be honest, I almost DNF’d this around the 30% mark but apparently I’m a masochist because I kept reading. It was just interesting enough to keep me turning pages, even if I didn’t care about the characters or the end of the world.

Lorena Adler is dualwrought, meaning she can use the power of both the noblewrights and vilewrights, which I think of as little invisible shoulder demons. She can both create and destroy and she isn’t bound by any contract like most wrought are so she can literally do anything she wants if she can make a big enough sacrifice (memory, pain, blood, etc). She has been hiding out in a village since leaving the capital city Mori several years before to prevent being scooped up and bound by one of the nobles. She’s safe until the Heir comes to town and finds out her big secret when she tries to save her boyfriend’s father from being arrested for treason. Lorena is carted back to the capital, agrees to help the Heir destroy this big magical Door that they sacrifice people to every so often, and begins researching alongside the other wrought - Basil, Creek, and Carlow. 

So many concepts and plot lines are introduced so quickly that I never quite caught up with what was going on until near the end. The pace was so rapid that I also never found myself caring for any of the characters whatsoever, which is not good for a character driven book. There was some worldbuilding, but if you asked me to describe what anything looked like I couldn’t tell you - not even the castle or the lab where they spent so much time. Lorena and Alistair (the Heir) are clearly morally grey characters which is becoming more common in YA fantasy. They are definitely not good, though they strive for what they believe to be the best thing for the citizens, but the means they use to achieve that are often horrible and bloody. 

There are many individual components of this book that I should like (and often do like in other books) but they don’t mesh well and because I never connected to the characters this really didn’t work for me. It felt almost slapdash and sometimes the ever present violence seemed more for shock factor than anything else, even if the magic system often requires a terrible sacrifice. I mostly read to the end to see what happened and with a little hope that it would eventually grab my attention. Sadly, it never did and I won’t be continuing on with any future books that may come out in the series (the ending definitely left room for more).

I had to take a couple of days to process What We Devour before I wrote the review for it. Normally, I don’t do that. I can sit down and write my review and be on my way. But with this book, I had to let everything that happened process before I could even entertain writing this review.

What We Devour is a dark fantasy. Before this book, when I thought of dark fantasy, I thought of Anne Bishop’s The Black Jewel series. I went into reading What We Devour, thinking it would be somewhat like those books. I was wrong, very wrong. This book took dark fantasy and ran with it.

There are several trigger warnings that I am going to address upfront. Trigger warnings are taken directly from Goodreads: self-harm (mainly cutting), murder (mass and child), sacrifices, executions, factory-related accidents and death, child neglect and abuse, filicide, references to siblings’ death, multiple scenes with death, mass suicide, violence, and blood.

What We Devour is a fast-paced book. From the beginning scenes, where Lorena is prepping a burial body, this book doesn’t stop at those frantic last scenes. The author doesn’t sugarcoat what Lorena is or what she can do. She also doesn’t sugarcoat The Heir, his mother, or anyone else in the book. I read through the book believing that 90% of the people introduced were psychopaths. I mean, if you could create or destroy, wouldn’t you be? Wouldn’t your abilities drive you mad, even with the bindings? I know it would for me.

The world that What We Devour is set in is a bleak, brutal world. Children, more often than not, outlived parents. If you were a wrought (noble or vile), you were often bound, against your will, to the court. You could also be brought up on false charges and sacrificed to The Door. As I said, it was a brutal, terrible world to live in.

I felt terrible for Lorena. All she wanted was a quiet life in Fellhollow, being the town’s undertaker. Instead, she is forced to reveal that she is a dual wrought and then forced to research for The Heir. She is forced to make terrible decisions and face some very uncomfortable truths about people she loved. By the end of the book, though, she did what she thought was right…what she thought would protect the people of her country. She couldn’t stop the inevitable, but she could save as many lives as she could.

The Heir was 100% a psychopath. But I don’t think he was a natural-born psycho. Instead, he was a made one through the abuse of his father and mother and by the power of his Vile wrought. I did have sympathy for him, though. He wanted, in the worse way, to close The Door so that the sacrifices would stop. He wanted someone to understand him.

What We Devour kept me on my toes reading. There were several twists in turns in the plotline that took me by surprise. Just a warning, don’t get too close to any of the characters (except Lorena). They are all expendable.

I loved the fantasy angle of the book. The author created a world that repulsed me, but at the same time, it intrigued me. Her explanation of Vile and Noble, how the wroughts were made, The Door, and what would happen when The Door was opened had me hooked.

The end of What We Devour left me sitting with my mouth open. Everything that happened took me 100% by surprise. The author didn’t resolve any storylines. Instead, she left me wanting to read book 2.

What We Devour is a dark fantasy that had me hooked from page 1. I enjoyed reading it!!

I would recommend What We Devour for anyone over the age of 21. There are violence, blood, murder, and suicide references. See above for a complete list of triggers.

I love fantasy books. Authors can create worlds and situations that examine real world themes, and do so without sounding preachy. What We Devour, by Linsey Miller, is both a coming of age story, and an exploration of serious themes such as worker exploitation. With rich world-building, colorful characters, and important themes, this was a highly entertaining book.

What I Liked:

World-Building:

There are so many rich details to this world, but the author seamlessly incorporates them in her storytelling. I never felt like I was reading the obligatory "exposition" scenes. Some characters are sharing a body with a "Noble" spirit. These people can heal and create things. Other characters have a "Vile" spirit within them. They mostly cause destruction. Lorena has both a Noble and a Vile spirit within her. This makes her quite unique. I liked that, in order to use their magic, the characters had to make "deals" with their spirits. A deal might be taking away a memory, or causing a small injury in exchange for a magical deed. Most people with Noble or Vile spirits are taught how to make iron-clad contracts with their spirits so that the spirit won't take too much, or cause something the host person doesn't want to happen. The people with this ability are also "bound" to a rich person who can control what kind of contracts they make. Essentially, the people with magic are kept under tight control by the wealthy. Lorena, who has been in hiding, is unbound and approaches her spirits in a more cooperative way. As a result, she can do both wonderful and awful things with her magic.

I also liked that the characters studied their abilities in a kind of scientific way. They would come up with a theory and test it out. They'd look at their results, come up with a new hypothesis, and try again. This demystified their abilities from mere magic to something organic that would be found in this universe's world.

The spirit characters did seem more magical than the living characters. There were ghosts, and The Vile. Both type of spirits could communicate with the living. But the Vile had an agenda. They wanted to open The Door that is holding them back in another realm. The Vile could look inside a character's mind and manipulate someone into doing the Vile's bidding. So the characters had to constantly question what was real or not.

Characters:

Lorena has been hiding out in a small village so that no one would notice her abilities. This created a stable, but boring life. When she is taken by the prince to the big city, she realizes that to deny such a big part of herself was actually harmful to her. I loved that message. You should never suppress who you actually are in order to "fit in". Ultimately, doing that leads to unhappiness.

The prince reminded me of The Darkling in Shadow and Bone, by Leigh Bardugo, but more sympathetic. The prince has done, and will do, terrible things to keep The Door closed. But he takes no joy in it. He really wants to be understood. I found his motivations to actually be in line with Lorena's. They both want to protect the most people from the coming catastrophe.

Representation:

There were a variety of characters who helped enrich the representation in this book. Lorena, although not explicitly stating it, seems to be somewhat asexual. She enjoys the romantic parts of a relationship, but the sexual part? She can take it or leave it. There were other characters who were gay, or who had various skin colors, and backgrounds, which added to the richness of this world. Also, I really appreciated that there wasn't some epic attraction between Lorena and the prince, or it would have felt like a rip off of Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone series. While there were some aspects of that series (like the misunderstood darkling character), this was a truly original story.

Story:

I really enjoyed the story. Lorena has a wonderful story arc. She went from hiding out and letting others decide her fate, to making friends, and making her own choices. And she had enough self-worth not to settle for a dreary life.

The story itself centers around the threat that The Vile poses to the world. The Noble and The Vile have been banished to another realm, and a magical door is all that holds The Vile from taking over the world. The prince, along with Lorena and a group of other young people with magic must find a way to keep the door closed. But it's a losing battle. What will happen when the door opens?

Themes:

This is a book that uses the fantasy realm to explore themes of worker exploitation and classism. Lorena's mother worked in a mine until she is hurt in a fire. The hazards of the mine were completely preventable if the owners had just taken some safety measures. This shows Lorena that the rich find the masses to be expendable. The ruling class knows that The Door will open soon enough, and they are preparing, stockpiling supplies, and figuring out where they can hide out when The Vile show up. They have no care for the majority of the people, who will die when The Door is opened. This is the prime motivation for Lorena to risk everything to thwart the ruling class, regardless of the personal consequences.

This book was exceptionally welll crafted. The creepy vibes really set the tone for reading. I loved the characters and their development throughout the book. I loved how seamlessly it blended into the progression of the plot. This was a stunning novel!

Review: 4 Stars

`What We Devour is a really dark fantasy that explores themes of sacrifice and morality. When I first saw this book I knew I wanted a copy. I love fantasy books with darker themes and the blurb just sounded really intriguing. I definitely got some Beauty and the Beast vibes, and I read that the author originally intended this book as a retelling, but it wound up changing a lot throughout the writing process. So while it’s not technically a retelling, you can see the Beauty and the Beast influences.

I was a little nervous starting this book because I had read that the pacing was slow, but I felt like the book took off pretty quickly and that the pacing was pretty consistent. I wouldn’t say that this is an action packed story, but it was easy to sink into and the writing was compelling. The writing itself was pretty incredible at times. There were some really raw moments and it was filled with brutal and vivid imagery. I wound up reading this a lot faster than I expected to.

This is a pretty dark book and I highly recommend that you check the trigger warnings, especially if you struggle with self harm. What We Devour has a really fascinating magic system based on sacrifice. There are Noblewrought, people who can create when they sacrifice something, and Vilewrought, people who can destroy when they make a sacrifice. Since the magic system is based on sacrifice the book really explores the theme. Lorena is a dualwrought, meaning she can both create and destroy and she is a really great main character to follow. She is incredibly loyal and she was willing to sacrifice everything for those that she loved. The sacrifices can be physical, like a blood sacrifice, or mental, like memories. What We Devour explored self sacrifice and what lengths people are willing to go to for those that they love and the greater good.

This book was filled to the brim with morally grey characters and also explored themes of morality. Many characters, including Lorena, do horrible things, and while they were all morally grey, I could agree with Lorena’s choices because she did horrible things for good reasons. It really got me thinking if the difference between good and evil was the motives behind people’s choices. I’m a sucker for morally grey characters so I really loved the darker sides to the characters. Carlow could be really brutal and at times I felt like the Heir, Allister, was a psychopath. It felt like everyone was manipulating each other and they all had their own reasons and motives. I couldn’t trust any of the characters because they were all out for themselves and were willing to betray each other or stab each other in the back.

While I really loved all of the characters, my biggest problem with this book was the character development. I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters and felt like the characters and the story itself lacked emotion. There was a character who died and I felt like no one actually grieved for him. While the writing was great and there were some really powerful moments, I feel like this book could have been so much better if I was emotionally invested in the characters. It was really a shame because I loved the rest of the book and the poor character development made this otherwise really great book really struggle at times.

While I do have some mixed feelings about this book I would still recommend it. The plot, pacing and writing were all really great and made for a quick dark read. I absolutely loved the magic system, but do wish we got a bit more world building. By the way the book ended I’m not sure if this is a standalone or if there will be a sequel. It feels like it could continue, but also felt wrapped up pretty well. I will definitely be reading more from Linsey Miller. If there winds up being a sequel I will pick it up, but I’m really interested in her Mask of Shadows series.

“It was easier to survive the end of the world when you were healthy at the start of it and coddled by your safety net of resources.”

CW: Blood/Violence/Death/Death of family (before events of the book)/Grief/Murder/Attempted murder/Human sacrifice/Self-harm

I’ll be honest, I picked this book up not for the plot, but for the asexual protagonist. I thought Lorena was great. She was sarcastic, her character deeply rooted in her morals and protecting the people around her. She is 100% a working class character, who never forgets her roots. In the setting she was in, she made a fantastic main character and I loved reading about her. How she describes her asexuality is written so beautifully too and I really liked how the other characters responded too. Fortunately, this is a world without homophobia, there being non-binary characters and (I think) a F/F relationship.
Because Lorena is so working class, it made for some really interesting motivations. She really conflicted and rocked the world she was thrown into. She knew that, even if people were being kind to her, it was just because she was useful. I think a lot of people would enjoy reading about the politics in this.
Some of the side characters were great. I loved their relationships with Lorena and how she slotted into the world - but also how she interrupted it. The fact that women filled as many positions as men (in an equal-rather-than-better way) was also really refreshing. Unfortunately, a couple of side characters blended together, but I think that was kind of on me for never learning their names (although why make their names quite so similar).
I really liked the concept of the magic system and the world in this. I adored how the author described the world - their narrative voice just really suited this story. However, I never felt like I got over the initial slog of worldbuilding. I like fantasy books, so I expect to have to deal with some level of confusion, but I feel like I never got over it. I genuinely had no idea what happened in the end - it constantly felt like Lorena was implying a plan, but not telling us, so I didn’t know what had happened even when it had. I barely even know how it concluded and I’m not sure if it did; I assumed it was a standalone, but the ending felt like it was setting up for a sequel.
So, I don’t know. There were certainly things about this that I enjoyed, but I also feel like it missed the mark with the plot itself.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

This started out strong but lost me near the midway part. It had SO much potential, and was a VERY obvious critique of capitalism... but the plot was SO convoluted. There was SO much going on and it was just too much.

I liked the representation in the book, and honestly, the Heir was my favorite character.

Also, for this being standalone, i think the ending fell flat. This would have been a great ending for a book 1 in a series but it left SO much open that I wasn't really feeling it.

*Thank you to Edeweiss and the publisher for giving me and advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Where to start with this book.... because I have a lot of thoughts and feelings about this book. What We Devour has helped me discover a piece of myself that I didn't know existed until I saw myself represented with it's pages. I will always be forever grateful to this book for that. So now you are wondering, why only the 4 star rating?!?!?!?!? There were a few tiny things that I didn't love about this book. For instance, I did not love Julian's journey as a character. He went from good guy to bad guy way to quickly. I know that means he was always an asshat but the sudden character flip was a bit too jarring. Also, the plot twist of Creek being dead for two years prior and really being a Vile Crown all along was a bit unnecessary but I get why the author did it that way.

Okay now onto the things I loved about this book, and I'm going to start with the main character, Lorena Alder. The author described her as a biromantic asexual and the way she is brought to life on the page helped me discover that side of myself. Throughout this book Lore plays the long game of helping save the world that she lives in from the corruption and greed of the rich. She forges a bloody path of sacrifice, both personal and murderous, in order to achieve this goal. I freaking love her gives no fucks attitude, and how everything she does isn't just for herself but for the benefit of the majority of the population. Her final sacrifice, is one that you see coming but how it plays out is unexpected.

The trio of side characters (Carlow, Creek, and Basil) may be my favourite group of sassy sidekicks ever. They each bring something unique to the group and all their personalities work so well with the story that I flew through the chapters they were in.

Alistair Wryslaine, how do I even begin to describe him. He is an evil genius, cinnamon roll, and mass murderer. He is one of the most conflicting characters I have ever read, and I am still not sure if I love him or hate him. Which I think is the point of his character and the author carries it off so flawlessly that I am in awe. I simultaneously loved and hated him for what he did to Lore, and in turn what she did to him ripped my heart out. Because of that, this book will stick with me for a long time.

Honestly, this was such a character driven book and I loved it. The little bit of world building that was done was amazing. You get just enough sense of the it that you know how it functions but not too much that it over powers the story. This book is about the characters and their journey. I have already bought more books by this author since reading this one and cannot wait to see what they have in store for me!

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't this darkly contemplative YA! Luckily for squeamish readers, though, although there is plenty of violence and death throughout this book, it's not nearly as gruesome as I thought it might be. Definitely not a good recommendation for the truly sensitive, but fine for a grounded YA reader.

The world-building for this book is fairly complex, and may be a turn-off for readers who like a more straight-forward fantasy. I felt like there were some questions left unanswered by the end, but did appreciate the societal analysis that was neatly woven in through our characters experiences.

Make sure to head the description: this is definitely a dark fantasy, the protagonists all make questionable decisions, and I found most of them to be particularly unlikeable in ways that were fun to read!

I received an advanced copy of What We Devour through NetGalley so I could share my review with you!

Content Warning: Self-harm, cutting, violence, blood, murder, abuse, and death.

Lorena Adler has a secret so dangerous, it could change the very fate of her nation. She holds the power of banished gods- both Noble and Vile- within her, giving her access to power that others could only dream of. Typically, one might have a connection to either Noble or Vile magic, but only a handful of individuals have ever been born with an affinity for both. The only two other people Lorena has ever heard of having a dual talent for magic are the bloodthirsty crown prince and his mother. Knowing that her magic is dangerous- both to her and to those around her- Lorena has spent her life hiding who she is and what she can do. But, when the crown prince arrives to threaten one of the people she holds most dear, Lorena is forced to reveal her talents, pulling her into a world of court life even darker than she could’ve imagined.

You can get your copy of What We Devour now from Sourcebooks Fire!

I have read all of Linsey Miller’s books, and I can honestly say that What We Devour might be my new favorite! From the dark magic to the compelling characters, there is not a single thing I would change about What We Devour. This book felt like all my favorite pieces of Miller’s writing style from the Mask of Shadows duology condensed into a new, fantastic novel. I loved the asexual representation in the novel (which is not seen nearly enough in fantasy) and the ways that it was brought into the story!

At first, I found the system of magic to be a little difficult to understand, but after reading a little further the system of “Noble” and “Vile” magic made far more sense. With any new fantasy world, there is a slight learning curve to understanding the rules and systems of magic, so if you are feeling confused while reading, try to be patient as things are explained fairly quickly.

My Recommendation-
If you love dark fantasy novels, you need to pick up a copy of What We Devour! This book would be an especially great read for fans of The Shadows Between Us and This Golden Flame.

I really liked the concept and worldbuilding, however, the pacing was a bit fast and the descriptions were all over the place so it was a bit confusing, I do love the dark part and the magic included in the story and would like to see where the story goes, hope the author gives more descriptions and a bit more about the plotline.

I mean... that was something. Honestly, this has to be one of the most confusing books I've ever read and had me tempted to DNF multiple times despite being a seasoned fantasy reader. I constantly had to go back and re-read sections to try and make sense of it all. So many aspects of What We Devour were somehow convoluted yet vague which had me feeling confused right from the beginning and that sentiment never left me throughout.

The worst offender was by far the worldbuilding and magic system. It felt as though something was lost in translation from concept to finished book because it was so convoluted for no reason. The Vile, the Nobel, wrights, wroughts, prayers, sigils, contracts, Noble cursed, vilewrought, vilewright, nobelwrought, noblewright, dualwright, dualwrought, and a whole other pantheon of Gods. It was a never-ending whirlwind and just kept being added to throughout the book despite it being a standalone coming in at around 330 pages. I swear I spent 95% of my brainpower during this reading experience trying to get all of those terms sorted out in my head along with additional new information being tacked on which made it impossible to focus on the plot or characters.

I don't have much else to say about this book because the narrative and characters/character motivations were so muddled amongst the lore and repetitive magic system explanations. For example, I could've sworn in Chapter 6 Carlow was described as having the red eyes of someone cursed by a Vile (since red is their symbolic colour), making them immortal. Then it's mentioned later that she's a noblewrought? Wouldn't she be a vilewrought if she were cursed by a Vile and has red eyes? I don't get it. This kind of thing is why it almost feels like What We Devour was a rough draft that was turned in. There were so many gaps in the plot and character work that seem like they should've been fleshed out more but just weren't. The only character that really stood out was Lorena because she was the main character but it's mainly because she couldn't go one chapter without going off on a "eat the rich" rant. Like girl! We get it, we know! No need to beat people over the head with this theme constantly.

Needless to say, I didn't enjoy What We Devour and I'm not even entirely sure I understood what I read. While I do think this book will find the right audience, it's not one I'd ever find myself recommending to other readers because of how convoluted it is for a standalone.

I tried to like this book. I REALLY tried. The world building in it is super complex, and the text is rife with things I don't understand, and as I tried to read more, tried to understand it, I just kept getting more and more confused. I'm not stupid and have read books where authors have made up their own words, but this text is just riddled with them. I'd like to try again, maybe with the audiobook, but the book itself was just a constant struggle and I could not enjoy it.

Oh this book… oh this book was goooooood y’all….

I received this book as an ARC thanks to NetGalley and I am beyond grateful. Not only was the cover so good, the beautiful words inside it were even better! This book was packed with so many wonderful things and I could NOT put it down until the very end. I just had to binge this stupendous read because I NEEDED to know what happened next and I was just too impatient to wait.

The book is a standalone fantasy with so many twists and turns that make your head spin. This book world is full of legends and complicated magic systems and although they were very intricate, the author explained it all in such a beautiful and never boring way. The stories of the Noble and the Vile were just so intriguing and I was obsessed with their magic. I mean the element of the door was AMAZING and pure genius to any fantasy reader.

Not only was the magic systems in this book awesome, the dynamics of the book world were amazing to read too. The power struggles between the Prince and the Queen were just so good to read….. I mean it was like a dark and twisted soap opera and I was hooked by it all. I also loved the other power struggles that this beautiful world had to offer. IT WAS ALL JUST SO FASCINATING! Rebellion and royalty are the coolest things that could be added to a fantasy and this author did such a great job with it all. Also…. There were so many amazing surprises and twists to characters and their loyalties that I couldn’t possibly predict what would happen and I just loved that about this book as well.

So… yes the book world and magic system of the book were amazing…. BUT THE CHARACTERS…. Oh I just adored them all… even the evil ones were entertaining ladies and gents…

First of all…. Lorena was such a dynamic and complicated character and I just loved her so much. She is a character that is asexual and through her perspective, she is very open and honest about her feelings about touching and relations with other people. I really liked her as a character and I loved that she was also a way for people that are not familiar with asexuality or an asexual perspective. I mean I have heard the word used and I know what it means, but through Lorena’s words and behaviors, I received a much better understanding of the word. I also understand that this is one person’s perspective and not everyone’s, but this book demonstrated a path towards better understanding of one person’s point of view and that’s what reading is supposed to be about. I just also found her and her humor extremely entertaining. Yes, it was subtle and not very often, but it was just good when it was good. Also the sass on this girl was EXCELLENT!

I was also in love with the steam so much. Yes, y’all, there was steam…. I mean it was very slow burn, but that almost added to the flames of the romantic heat between the characters and it was all so amazing. I really loved every minute.

Overall, this book was a wonderful and unique fantasy that was such a joy for me to read.

This is actually a hard one for me to review, and I don’t say that lightly. I REALLY liked this book. A fantastic cast of characters, good plot, great pace…yet at the same time I really struggled to read it at times. I can only guess the issue was that this is not a typical book I would choose to read, however it sounded good so I thought I’d try it. This was a great book, and well worth the read since I did finish it rather than toss it aside like I’d normally do with a book I can’t get into. I would definitely read other books by this author and would actually love a sequel to this one to see what happens next, and if a certain character actually comes back as Lorena’s “gift”. I do give it five stars because it truly was a great book and I’d recommend it to others who enjoy the paranormal, sci-fi type of books.

When I requested this, I thought there was no way I wouldn’t absolutely love this book. And it started out really strong. I love the premise. I love the magic. The secrets that are kept to save the ones loved most. But I had to skip out on most of the second half of the book because there was just too much that was too far fetched. While I can 100% the author’s writing ability and talents, I have to admit that this author just may not be for me, since I have rated other books similarly. Nobody ever wants to give a less than stellar review of an author’s personal work.

"Life isn't equal to just any life. It's the intention. You have to make the sacrifice matter."

The Gist: After banishing the gods, the Noble and the Vile, some humans are still left with remnants of their powers. Lorena Adler is rare - she is both Noble and Vile wrought - which of course puts her in the middle of a world-changing conflict when the monstrous crown prince finds out about it.

My Thoughts: This standalone is taking on a lot - a magic system built around sacrifices, complex politics, ace representation, morally grey characters, a takedown of capitalism, and more.

It all sounds like a list that should add up to something I LOVE, but the execution is where it missed for me. The writing wasn’t bad exactly (this book is being compared to Wicked Saints, which I found unreadable, so it’s already got a leg up there), but it was...muddy. Things felt more convoluted than they needed to be, and Lorena’s voice was hard to connect with. The words “wright” or “wrought”....at least 4 on every page.

All that said, the story went in places I definitely didn’t expect and that ending was a shocker. I think if you’re a fan of darker, more gothic fantasies you may enjoy this one. And I was reading an ARC, so it’s possible that some of the writing may have been cleaned up a bit.

CW: Self-harm, violence, murder, abuse

Lindsey Miller’s What We Devour was unlike any other book I’ve read this year.
We’re thrown into a world where some mortals are “blessed”, it just so happens that Lorena, Lore, has been “blessed” twice by the now banished gods; the Noble and the Vile. She’s attempted to keep her powers a secret but this all changes one day when Prince Alistair agrees to make a contract where Lore will aid his research while her family remains safe from the charge of treason the Queen has accused them of until they have a fair trial.

The world-building was so complex that I found myself re-reading chapters just to understand what exactly was happening. Seeing how Alistair, who grew up with his powers always being contained and controlled by intricate and complex contracts, attempt to understand how Lore has grown and interacted with her powers without a contract still remains my favourite part of the book. One views the powers as a parasite while the other has a deeper and more personal understanding of what the powers are and what they require to work.

The only negative thing that I could possibly say is that I found myself trying to learn as much as I could about the Noble and Vile. The ending of this novel left me with so many questions about what could possibly happen next in this world.

"Perhaps I am a monster, but what good are dreams if you've never known nightmares?"

What we Devour was such a profoundly unique reading experience. One door is all that keeps the world safe from the monsters but what happens when the door starts demanding a sacrifice that is too high?

The premise of the book is quite clever, we have Loren who is a dualwright meaning she can channel both noblewright (you must sacrifice a part of yourself) and vilewirght (you can sacrifice a part of someone else). This rarity brings her to the attention of the Heir to the throne who is fascinated by her duality. Lorena was such a complex character, aside from her being asexual, she is scarred by her past leading to her distrust of everyone. Aside from being a dualwright she has an uncommon synergy with her magic, almost a keen respect, and mutual understanding. Lorena is tasked by the heir (who covets her for more than her magic) to find a solution to the demanding door before they are overrun by ancient gods.

The characters in this book were the perfect shade of morally grey and I relished how they embraced the darker side and their monsters. There was also a great representation of queer and gender-neutral characters. This book was fast-paced and morphed from self-sacrifice right into an end of the world invasion. The magical world has complex and well scripted.

What we Devour is a unique take on embracing your inner monster and choosing the right road regardless of the repercussions. Thank you to Sourcebooks, the author, and NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

“If you can’t tame your demons, set them free.”

What We Devour is a unique YA fantasy stand-alone, perfect for fans of morally grey characters, brutal fantasy worlds full of old gods and dark magic, and ethical questions that are hard to answer.

The world-building in What We Devour is very unique, and something I found myself drawn to from the beginning. Old gods that are locked away, creatures that grant power to some, but only ever in the form of a sacrifice—blood or skin or a beloved memory—and most often one you’d rather not part with. There are two kinds of wroughts, people with the ability to use magic: first, noblewroughts, who have to sacrifice something of theirs; second, vilewroughts, who have to sacrifice something of others. This is such a fascinating system, and one I was curious to learn more about.

I also really liked Lorena Adler, the protagonist. Lore keeps her secrets close, she’d do anything to make a better life for those who’ve been treated poorly by society—and especially the rich and powerful—their whole life. She’s clever and her magic comes to her intuitively, whereas others have to formulate long, complicated contracts as not to risk harm coming over them. I liked the way she formed a bond with her wrights, saw them as more than weapons or something to use, but something that was a part of her, a symbiosis: They kept her alive, because as long as she stayed that way, they would stay alive, too. She’s ruthless at times, calculating, but also driven by her past, by the injustice of living in a world that’s only really survivable by those with the most money or the most power, and her wish to create something better for those that come after her. She’s also asexual, which is a carefully (if not necessarily central) explored theme of this book.

“The world doesn’t demand we break ourselves to survive; the people refusing to help us do.”

I also simply loved the dynamics between the characters! Lore’s friendship with the other wroughts, but also some of the people she loved back home, was one of my favourite things in this book. Messy, queer characters and found family will always draw me in!

Truly, reading What We Devour was an incredibly wild ride! It started out with a protagonist with a rare kind of magic, who loved fiercely and would sacrifice herself for those she cared about—and it turned into something else entirely, an end-of-the-world scenario, an exploration of power and those who wield it, and many ethical questions that aren’t easy to answer. If the world as you knew it would end in a few months and you could only save so many, who would you save? You’ll see that the characters in this book would answer this question quite differently—and that their answers will change everything.

Additionally, What We Devour features one of my favourite, very niche tropes: a powerful being, deity or demon, who is unfeeling and cold by nature, but who learns to care for the human(s) they surround themself with.

Overall, What We Devour is a brutal yet intriguing story about a whole variety of choices—and the consequences people have to face and live with, after making them. It centres themes of sacrifice and injustice, features an asexual protagonist with a rare kind of power, old gods and violent, bloody magic—all against the backdrop of a world on the brink of ending, leading into a new era of old gods—but who will survive to see it?

I think fans of morally grey characters and unique fantasy worlds would especially love What We Devour; if you’ve read any of Tessa Gratton’s books—Night Shine in particular—chances are good you’d enjoy this one, too!

“How monstrous we made ourselves to survive.”