I'm glad I knew not to read this one with the lights off—I Am the Dark That Answers When You Call is just as haunting and biting as its predecessor. Another instant hit from Jamison Shea!

I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me was my absolute favorite book of 2023 and one of my favorite books of all time! But, I just can’t get into the sequel.

When I finished the first book, I felt that it didn’t need a sequel. It was perfect the way it was! But, I was still incredibly excited to read this! However, while the writing style itself is good, the book is so character driven that absolutely nothing is happening in the story. I made it over halfway into the book and nothing has happened except for continuous introspection from Laurence. Also, neither Niamh, nor Acheron, are translating well into characters. Acheron feels forced and Niamh is just lacking personality.

I wanted to love this so bad, but I’m going to have to leave it alone and just think of I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me as a standalone.

Thank you Fierce Reads and NetGalley for this arc. All opinions are my own.

This was a fantastic follow-up to Shea's debut—equally dark, full of rage, horror-tastic, and unputdownable. A talent to watch.

I really enjoyed this mix of horror and fantasy. I love when books explore the darker side of human nature and this definitely delivered! My only regret is that I didn’t realize it was a sequel but I am excited to now go back and read the first book!

Not my thing. I liked book 1, but this one fell a bit short. It took forever for anything to really happen (about 52% into the book) and I didn't find the main character likeable at all.

“All That Comsumes Will Be Consumed As Well”

I AM THE DARK THAT ANSWERS WHEN YOU CALL Book Review

As we continue the climb, our senses heightened, and aware with every turn of the page while we are greeted with familiar and New characters that rise and fall from their own definitions of grace!

This entire novel encapsulates every emotion within your being and takes you along the journey of these characters and their discovery of their purpose, their power, their desire, their longing, their primal need, and a slight moral aptitude while consuming!

This journey is personal and with each chapter, you find yourself in the dance, wondering if your emotions will survive!!

What excellence you’ve bestowed upon us, @wickedjamison

Created playlist

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3TLlh7ElwJBYZaNd3ygpfr?si=ynxS6_prT1-zR4c2d86e8g&pi=u-Ck4Si-4lSbOI

YA horror of a ballerina who makes a deal with a god.
This is the second book in the I Feed her to the Beast duology so I am not going to go into the plot too much as I don't want to spoil anything from either book one or two.
This book focuses more on relationships than the fantasy it emulates. It's definitely more of a character-driven story than what I was expecting, it's good though. I do have to say that the world feels different. The mix of horror and ballet. It's kind of a beautiful mixture.
Jamison Shea's writing style is easy to get lost in. This book was read in two afternoons. I just read it and got lost in it. It's not super complex or over the top with action but it's just entertaining.
A page turner of a sequel will keep you reading in this ballerina meets YA horror.

Not my cup of tea. The protagonist was very inactive and frustratingly spineless. No likeable characters either.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this novel!

Preface: I loved Shea's debut novel, I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me. I thought it was an exceptional debut -- the plot, the characterization, the atmosphere -- it all worked for me. I was pretty excited to learn there would be a sequel, even though the first book definitely can stand on its own.

And I am so bummed that this didn't really work for me. I still like the characters but this book needed at least another pass through in terms of developmental editing. The writing is so repetitive and the plot is a bit all over the place. There are so many sub plots that get thrown out that none of them feel satisfying or even all that interesting by the end of the novel. The book had such a problem with telling the reader how Laure felt instead of showing the reader Laure's insecurities and trauma and grief. There are only so many times I can read the lines "I am a monster" in a 300 page book. The repetition made the novel feel so bloated even though it's not a long novel.

There were some plot beats that I thought were well done, especially in the context of the first novel, but as a whole, I was pretty disappointed with this installment.

good mystery about a couple and staying in a house and the other couple there. kept me on my toes . good mystery and figuring stuff out.

A sequel that rarely shines as much as its predecessor, sadly. The book doesn't really pick up until over 60% in. I was hoping to find more had built on itself but mostly it's a lot of spinning wheels followed by an abrupt ending.

A fitting end to this duology, this sequel takes a lot of the themes and character development from the first book book and expands on it. I appreciated the move away from quite so much ballet and deeper exploration of the situation with the eldritch power, as well as Laure’s growth as a character.

Woah! This was a really great story.
An engaging and thought-provoking YA horror. This book had me from the beginning. I was hooked and kept turning the pages.

4/5 stars

“I made the devil fade away. And this dark is mine.”

With terrifying body horror and captivating prose, I Am The Dark was the perfect end to Laure’s journey.

Laure, more or less, is crashing out after the events in I Feed Her To The Beast and is coping with the aftermath in destructive ways. In Dark, we’re not only delving deeper into the internal struggle with her monstrous side and humanity, but how she’s grieving the loss of almost everything she’s ever loved — including herself.

Laure’s arc has such a gratifying conclusion and shows that Shea is a master in writing character growth. I was frustrated with Laure, yes, but I was always rooting for her, even in her villain era. I also appreciated that we got additional lore, as well as expanded on the other characters, their interpersonal relationships, and how Acheron affected their lives.

Dark also didn’t skimp on the graphic imagery and twists. I love body horror and I cringed at certain parts (which is a good thing in my book!) and was consistently kept on my toes until the last page.

I genuinely couldn’t have asked for a more satisfying ending to this duology. I can’t wait to see what Shea has for us in 2025.

I Am the Dark That Answers When You call is a sequel to I Feed Her to the Beast. I Am the Dark... dives deeper into a world of chaos, danger, and twisted emotions. I haven't read I Feed Her to the Beast but I'll definitely be picking it up to learn more about what makes Laure tick.

Thanks NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC!

This book kicks even more ass than I Feed Her to the Beast, and I wasn’t sure that was possible. I loved every second of it.

I Am The Dark That Answers When You Call follows Laure (and Acheron) as it becomes clear that something is wrong with Elysium, and it’s bleeding into the streets of Paris. I love the rage, violence, and monsters that fill this series. Laure’s anger is tangible and raw, as she faces trial after trial. Again, Andor is one of my favorite characters. I love how Jamison Shea can write characters that balance both sharp and soft edges. Through describing horrifying images, they write it so reverently that you can’t help but see the beauty in it.

This is a very worthy, stunning sequel to "I Feed Her to the Beast, and the Beast Is Me." It's a great duology, full of rage and beauty, and I can't wait til everyone can read the completed series!

I wish this book had come out before Halloween! It would’ve been a great recommendation for kids looking for something spooky. I did miss the heavy involvement of ballet that was in the first book of this series; the development of the horror elements’ lore was spectacular, though.

Not feeling this as much as the first book. And honestly that could have been a standalone with a sufficient enough ending.
2 months after the incident at the Palais Garnier, Laure is spinning out of control. She's drinking and partying and basically just being one with Acheron. Until Laure discovers that Elysium is dying and Acheron and Lethe's influence starts spilling out onto the streets of Paris. Who better to save the day than the monster they made?

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co. for this e-arc.*