Full review available on my blog July 8th.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire for the eARC of this book. It has not affected my honest review.

Content Warnings: violence, gore, death and murder, self-harm (as part of magic system, graphic), harming others (as part of magic system, graphic), classism, aphobia, worker abuse, cannibalism (mentions only).

I freaking adored this book, but cramming it into 336 pages did it a disservice. I am going to reread the finished copy when it’s out for two reasons: to see if it’s improved pacing-wise from the eARC and because I’m simping hard for Lorena/Alistair. The intimacy between them? Oof. Fundamentally my only problem with this book is that it deserved to be longer. If The Thing that happens around 50% of this book had been the end of book 1, and the second half had been its sequel? This would be my perfect duology. It just felt like everything happened in such a rush and I wanted to linger over it. It made for a confusing start to the book, because we hustled at such a rapid pace that I didn’t understand what was going on until about 30% in.

Onto what I loved, aka 98% of this book! Lorena being both asexual and blisteringly sexy is exactly the kind of ace rep my aroace lesbian self needs. Between What We Devour and Belle Révolte, Linsey Miller is absolutely killing it with ace rep. Both books have made me weepy in their protagonists descriptions of their asexuality. Lorena’s relationship with Julian was (unfortunately) relatably conflicted while her hate-to-trust-to-hate-to-love thing with Alistair? Perfection. The intimacy between them was so perfect that it left me breathless, and every touch between them had my heart pounding. If you like your bad boys with a history of unforgivable crimes and a desperate desire to Be Better, then Alistair Wyrslaine will steal your heart too. The way that Lorena and Alistair work together and against each other is so good and the cunning protagonist against the powerful morally grey character will never not be my jam.

The magic system in this book, once I understood it, is massively interesting. I love the idea of characters being able to make requests, almost like prayers, in exchange for sacrifices and the option of tangible (e.g. blood) versus intangible (e.g. a memory) sacrifices made for a really interesting dynamic. Lorena has the potentially to be ridiculously powerful, but has to weigh each action against her own willingness to sacrifice. It builds and builds into a hell of a climax, and by the time this book ends, everyone has been forced to do terrible, terrible things. I love it. There is so much backstabbing and betrayal in this book. Everything is terrible a lot of the time, and I loved that I could never guess where the next hit would come from. It meant I spent half my time reading holding my breath and waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I was instantly intrigued by the synopsis of this book. I have a love for dark tales.
This book did take me a while to understand the magic system, I did like how unique it was, and that we were not "told" but "shown" details along the way. This is always my favorite way to discover these details of the story and, it was done very well in this book.
There were however some twists at the end of the book that I would have like to have seen done a different way.
This did put me off a little and brought my overall rating down. I am sure the author had her reasons for this and maybe we will see this in book 2

The synopsis really pulls an intrigued reader in, promising an interesting plotline that sounds very original. When I went in, it did not disappoint. I enjoyed this a lot and looking forward for more books from this author!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I didn’t know what to expect from this book because I had never read anything by Linsey Miller but the summary was interesting so I wanted to give it a try!

We follow Lorena who is a dualwrought, a unique power that comes from the banished gods, the Noble and the Vile, and in order to protect herself, she has to make sure anyone finds out what she is. Unfortunately, one day there is an attack in her town and to save her future father-in-law, it is revealed that she is a dualwrought to bloodthirsty prince. To save her townspeople and those closest to her, Lorena agrees to a deal with the prince where she is to help repair the Door that holds back the banished god Vile.

This world was darker than I expected, which I enjoyed. I also really enjoyed the characters in this book, especially Lorena, who was brave and smart no matter the situation she ended up in. There is Asexual rep in this book which was a nice addition because I have not read many books where Asexual characters were represented.

I will definitely look into reading other books by Linsey Miller in the future.

unfortunately, the book was just not for me.

I went in really excited and with pretty high hopes after reading the synopsis, and the comparisons with 'Wicked Saints' as well as the general premise sounded right up my alley. but the actual execution was a complete letdown.

the major issue I had was just that this book was SO CONFUSING. I read a lot of fantasy and I like to think I can do a pretty good job when being thrown into new fantasy worlds. but for the life of me, I could not understand a single thing that was happening. I actually kept getting more confused as the story progressed instead of getting more used to it because new information was constantly being thrown in my face, leaving no time to actually process or grasp how anything worked. the world building and the magic system were a mess.

the basics of the magic system, surrounding sacrifice as the price for magic, were fairly easy to understand, even though the actual sacrifices themselves made no sense at times. but then there was just so much extra stuff and information that was part of the whole magic system that were STILL getting introduced up until the END of the book, that I completely gave up trying to fully understand how it worked pretty early on. it was so disorienting. because of this, I was just bored and confused, making this a struggle to finish.

I didn't absolutely love the main character but she wasn't a horrible protagonist. her biggest problem was how she was a little inconsistent and unrealistic at times, but otherwise she was a fun, determined, morally gray character. I especially didn't like the love interest, nor did I love the romance. the side characters were one of the only parts I absolutely loved. it was almost like a found family and I was so invested in some of their subplots. the casual queer rep between the cast was also wonderful, and I liked how the ace main character was shown (although I am not an ownvoices reviewer).

overall, I think this book might've just been a personal miss, because I see how so many other people loved it. I'd recommend anyone who thinks the premise sounds interesting to still give it a try as you might end up loving it as well.

This is going to be a hard review to write, because while I didn’t exactly dislike this story I didn’t really like it either. I found all of the characters unlikable, and none of them had any morals, gray or otherwise. I also found the world to be utterly confusing and not well explained, which did not help with the very confusing and disjointed plot.

I tried really hard to like Lorena, she is the sole narrator of this story, but I just couldn’t. She just wasn’t a very nice person even when she tried to be. I think some of that had to do with her ‘powers’ but I found that whole part of her personality so very confusing that it didn’t help. She did have a difficult upbringing which I am sure made her who she was, but I think she could have handled things better, and maybe found a different solution to the whole problem.

As I said, there really weren’t any characters that were very likable, but I did like the Vile Prince the most out of everyone. I really think he at least tried hard to solve the problem without violence, or at least with out a huge number of sacrifices, but in the end he too was just a terrible person who only wanted his needs and desires fulfilled.

One issue I had with this book was the world building. It really made no sense and wasn’t well explained. That may have been due to the fact that our main narrator maybe really didn’t understand it herself. But the whole Nobles and Viles that are from some gods that attached themselves to humans and therefore those humans could do things others could not, just was kind of weird and befuddling. Also, you could only use your powers if you made some sort of sacrifice, but many times these sacrifices involved self harm or harming others, which made for quite a violent book at times.

I think I could have handled the lack of clarity with the magical system if I hadn’t felt like I was constantly missing something as I was reading. I often felt like I came into the middle of a conversation every time there was dialogue. It almost felt like I spent the entire book listening to it through a door and only heard about half of what was going it. If this only happened a few times in the story I might have put it down to being my issue, but it seemed like it happened all of the time, so I don’t think it was.

There are really lots of good reviews of this book, so please don’t let my views keep you from giving this book a try if it sounds like something you would like. Also, please take into account that this was an ARC, and even though that usually means it is almost complete, some of my issues could have been cleared up and I hope so. There were moments when I thought that things were going better, but then fell apart again, so I have hope that the final product will turn out okay.

I liked many things about this book. The magic concept, the sacrifices, the world-building, and the queer representation in the characters were great. But you are introduced to them so quickly that they constantly confuse you. I was uncertain about the plot-line until three quarters in. Overall great concept, I would pick up the sequel but the introduction to this universe is extremely confusing and diminishes the reading experience.


Thank you, NetGalley, Sourcebooks Fire, and Linsey Miller for the arc.

TRIGGER WARNING:
First things first…if self-harm/mutilation triggers you…this is not the book for you. In order for people to access their wrought/wrights, they need to provide a sacrifice. In most cases, the sacrifice is flesh and blood from themselves or others.

This was one of those books that took me longer to fully digest…and for a good portion of the start I was worried I was reading a book that really wasn’t meant for me. Fantasy books, in general, take me a little bit to get into since there’s usually a lot of world-building and characters that can be overwhelming at times.

As I had asked for this ARC, based on the summary, I was determined to finish the story…I mean something sparked my interest and curiosity so it was only fair to see it through, right? Don’t get me wrong… I’m not above DNF’ing a book, I just feel being given access to an ARC is a little different than me getting a random book that I may DNF now, but pick up again later.

This was one of those books that I didn’t instantly connect to, but I also didn’t dislike, so I pushed through and continued reading, as the concept of the world fascinated me, even though I struggled to connect to the characters. A story that I needed to let marinate a day or so after completing to really let myself understand it before writing my review. I really had to think about what I wasn’t connecting to and why I might not be connecting to that part.

Why was I having trouble connecting to Lorena? I really thought this over, she’s a good person trying to ensure the safety of the many so why am I struggling so much to connect to her? And then my “Aha!” moment finally clicked into place. One of Lorena’s main sacrifices is her memories. Over the years Lorena has sacrificed countless memories to her wrought/wright. Memories shape us and make us who we are…they connect us to those around us and a lot of times our decisions are lead by our emotions around certain memories.

As a reader, and human in general, I rely on connecting emotionally to characters and people. I crave emotional connection. Lorena has sacrificed a lot of memories to ensure she remains on the mission she’s given herself. Sacrificing those memories helps her focus and not be lost or confused about what she needs to do. As someone who relies so strongly on my own emotions…the idea of erasing painful/happy memories is something I struggle to understand. If given the choice I’d rather sacrifice flesh and blood than erase any memories from my past…even the most painful ones. I’m too scared of who I might be if I didn’t have all those memories.

Once I finally realized this was my hesitation to connect to Lorena… I viewed the story, and Lorena, in a completely different light. Lorena has a true hero mentality, she will do what it takes, and make any sacrifice necessary to ensure the future of the many. Lorena’s strength and ability to put others first is …phenomenal. I look forward to re-reading this book now that I see Lorena through new eyes.

If you’re looking for a book that has Ace, and NB, representation, as well as a hero whose fierce determination to protect, is awe-inspiring…you should definitely check this book out!

I really wanted to like this book - dark fantasy with asexual representation? Exactly my jam! - but I was disappointed. The plot is disjointed, character motivations are changeable or indecipherable, and instead of a proud asexual character, her identity is repeatedly disrespected by her fiancé. Overall, this book was hard to read on many levels.

Thank you Netgalley for this incredible read!

This story puts a whole new meaning to the idea of Sacrifice. And it's so so hard hitting! Especially with the way it ends! I do not think I will be forgetting this story or any of these characters anytime soon.

This magic system is all about having either the power to create or destroy (or both) and to use this ability comes with a high price. Lorena has been living under the radar her whole life and is an unbound dualwrought (meaning she has a vilewright and noblewright and is not bound to serve anyone). When a vilewrought prince named Alistair finds her, her life completely changes. She goes from living in the rural country with the only family she knows to being part of a group of trained wrought and learning some things that alter her in every way.

So yes, this book was so so high in emotion for me. The self harm, harming others, murder, deaths and mental impact of the magic system was very affecting to read about. It's hard to describe but the whole idea of the characters giving so much of themselves or taking it from others (voluntarily or involuntarily) for either creation or destruction is just deep. It puts everything in this story about the class system and the idea on Who should rule or How they should rule in such an intriguing and thought provoking light.

I definitely recommend this but please be warned of the triggers I mentioned earlier, particularly self-harm, violence and grief.

WHAT WE DEVOUR is a dark and twisty, complex YA fantasy.

To be perfectly honest, it took me a few chapters to really get myself immersed in the world Miller has created here. The magic is pretty unique (At least, while I was getting to grips with it, but maybe that’s just me. I spent a couple of chapters sure I wasn’t smart enough to keep up). The ending felt a little rushed and disjointed, but I suspect that’s perhaps because I still hadn’t gotten a full handle on everything that was going on and how the world-building elements all fit together.

I think what I needed was more. A longer book, or even a duology, with more time spent explaining the , the door, its inhabitants and the vile/noble powers; more time with the side characters; and more development of the queen as a threatening presence in Lore’s life.

It was a thrilling ride though and I really enjoyed the reading.

I did love the characters here, especially the protagonist, Lorena. I loved how morally complicated and grey everyone was, and how pragmatic Lorena managed to be while still being entirely self-sacrificing and noble. A truly complex, cunning and well-round heroine with a dark edge. Just what I like to see.

With a cover and premise like WHAT WE DEVOUR has, the thing I really wanted from this book was all the chilling atmosphere and dark vibes. I definitely got that in spades! It’s dark, magical and dangerous, with twists and lurking violence throughout.

I've been a Linsey Miller fan since Mask of Shadows and when a link to the ARC of What We Devour came through my inbox I was stoked! With Miller's work the reader tends to come in to a story already in progress. Instead of dumping a ton of information on the reader about the world and its lore Miller doles it out in bits, making the reader continue plowing through the novel for the next crumb. Personally, this style really works for me. I don't need all of the ins and outs all at once, I need to be intrigued while also being able to draw my own conclusions.

What We Devour had me hooked from the very beginning. Yes, please, I would like the main character to be a magical undertaker. Of course, I want everything to go off the rails almost immediately so that Lorena needs to rethink the life she's built. Please give me that ridiculous prince who is too smart for his own good that he forgets that there are human consequences for his actions! (That might say more about me and my ridiculous excess of emotions that I need the analytical and practical in my fiction.) Also, I would like an entire novel following Basil and Mack on a lovely adventure where they have frequent picnics over crossbow building. Some readers may find the plot moves too fast, however, I found it helped support the urgency the characters felt while trying to solve the dilemma of the Door.

Minor spoilers (sort of?) ahead!

My only real complaint is that I want more. I want to see what happens in the aftermath. What is the next decade going to look like? How are the newly unbound feeling about their abilities now? Just how far can the boundaries be pushed without fatal consequences? What shenanigans is Vines going to get up to? So, Linsey Miller, in case you ever decide this needs a sequel I am here for it!

Now, this is the type of book that screams potential, but once you get round to reading it, you're sorely disappointed. I expected so much more from this book and what I received, I didn't like.

First of all, I adore the cover and the premise sounded like something I would really enjoy reading. I thought the idea of a dark fantasy revolving around secrets and royalty and strong female leads but this book was a confusing mess.
Right so the world-building, or can I say - lack of it. I was so confused throughout this entire book on what was what, who was who and the differences between these vilewroughts and whatever the other one is called. I'm either thick as hell or something just didn't translate on paper as it easily did in Linsey's head. I was struggling with the magical elements and why everything was kept so secretive.
I also didn't care for any of the characters. Yes, we did get a strong female lead but she was also kind of a follower too and I honestly felt she gave in too easily when challenges came up. I didn't care for the Prince either and his lack of a generic <i>I hate the world</i> personality.
There were some major plot points I didn't enjoy but as this is a spoiler-free review, I'll just say that I shook my head. A lot.
The writing was...alright. I honestly nearly DNF'ed this book so many times and if it wasn't for a review I'd have tossed my Kindle into the nearest bin and burnt the idea of this book from my head.
This just wasn't for me at all.

<i>I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

This was an interesting book for me and upon finishing I’ve decided to rate it 3 stars. The concept was intriguing and interesting, however I think that the writing style just wasn’t for me. I found myself wanting just a little bit more from everything in this story; from the characters to the environment. The pacing was also slightly off for me which made it feel disjointed in some parts and in conjunction with the sparse writing style left me occasionally confused throughout the book. It had a solid storyline and the main character was quite well fleshed out and I enjoyed how morally grey they were, yet with a bit more detail and attention paid to certain aspects my rating would have been higher.

Overall this was a rather enjoyable read with a uniquely dark premise, I would recommend for people who are fans of Shadow and Bone as it has a similar atmosphere although a tad more intense and darker.

this book was so good and so fast paced. i loved ever second of it and thought the plot was amazing! linsey’s writing is forever my favorite

What We Devour by Linsey Miller is a dark YA fantasy. I loved her previous book, Belle Révolte, which came out last year. So I had very high expectations for this one, and I ended up quite disappointed. It’s not a bad book – but it lacks the mind-blowing magic that made me fall for Belle Révolte. What We Devour is the story of Lorena, who is hiding out as an undertaker so the powers that be don’t take notice of her, in a world that is ruled by the Door that is supposed to keep back the Vile. But then she does get involved in a major threat to her world, and has to decide what she is willing to sacrifice to save as many as she can. What frustrated me about the story is that none of the characters seem to have a lot of personality, which I expected from the story. This made me not connect with the story and struggle to stay motivated to read it. This might me a me-thing more than a book thing – so if the blurb has you interested, check out a sample.

This book continuously felt like listening in halfway through a conversation full of history and “inside” jokes, and never quite catching up. I think it would have been beneficial to either offer a bit more background on everything or stretch this particular novel into a duology or even trilogy in order to really flesh out this world, its characters, and the situations (past and present) in which it finds itself. I constantly questioned whether this was the second or third installment in a series which kept me from really enjoying since it seemed as though I should know more about what was going on and how it got there.

This one was tough for me - I loved it until the end, so this is definitely a case where the ending felt disappointing after all that happened, and kind of ruined how I felt about all the rest. Up until the end it was hovering around a 4-5 star. It's a dark gritty fantasy which I love, but in the end it was lacking that something "good" (amongst all the darkness) that makes it all worth while. The magical system was a little confusing in the beginning, but once I got past that I really got into the book and for the most part couldn't put it down, however, those things that did keep me reading never really developed into any sort of fruition in the end - ie the romance was not a romance after all so it seemed a bit awkward to have all these casual touching scenes (he touched her face, arm, hair etc) that never really developed into anything physical.
The romance angle would have also given me a reason to root for the main protagonist more, and believe in her more - as it was I found it hard to swallow that this girl wanted to save "all the nameless masses" when she never cared about any of the people in her own environment (the romance if it had developed would have demonstrated her ability to actually care about a real person, and not just a political ideal).

**SPOILER WARNING BELOW!!**

Up until the end I still had hope for this protagonist, that she was actually going to care about someone (other than the nameless masses), and had this been part of a trilogy or duology I would have been able to hold that hope on and probably been more okay with the ending. At least with another book there is a chance that Alastair could somehow come back to life (he was probably my favorite character, even as ineffectual as he was), and a chance for our protagonist to earn some redemption and actually care about somebody.

As it was I found myself thinking that if this is really the end, then I would have been happier had the main character died at the end. Her hubris wasn't all that different than all those she fought to destroy and honestly I would have probably swallowed her doing all this if her motivation was her own anger or monstrosity or hubris or whatever and that she just went bloody crazy (as opposed to the idea that actually wanted to save all these people).
I dunno...I guess I'm sort of of the mind that if your anti hero is not going to have a happy ending than they might as well go down in a blaze of hideous glory.

CW: cutting (for magical purposes), death, violence, blood, murder, abuse, acephobia

What We Devour is a book that I have been eagerly anticipating. I have heard such great things about Linsey Miller's books and I own Mask of Shadows, but this is the first book that I have actually read by her. This book really piqued my interest once I heard that the main character was asexual, but I knew I needed to request this book once I read the synopsis.

I couldn't see where this book could go wrong with such an interesting premise and unique magic system. But, wow, I was bored for the first 70% and confused the rest of the time. The side characters were underdeveloped and some of them blended together in my mind and I had a hard time remembering who was who. The plot was very convoluted and messy, and while I appreciate what this book was trying to do, it definitely wasn't for me.

I DNFd this at 40%. I don't want to think when I read but there was so much to keep track of it was exhausting. I was hoping for a dark fantasy when I started this but instead I got a science-magic book with a touch of fantasy. This book was not for me, but I think more science-y YA fans will enjoy this