I absolutely loved I Feed Her to the Beast when I read it last year. When I saw its sequel, I have never wanted to get my hands on an ARC in all my life. The only difference this time around was that I was consuming it as an audiobook rather than text, and I was extremely curious to hear how Shea's writing would sound being performed aloud.

Even though this book was still good, it didn't grab me like its predecessor.

Firstly, the narrator was pretty good. Kristolyn Lloyd made Laure voice's very strong and imbed in my brain, and her narration of the scenes and descriptions were splendid, too. There were times I found it kind of goofy. I think it's because I was listening at 1.5x speed, but her voice for Acheron, which was demonic, felt very non-serious, as well as the accents she put on for other characters. It wasn't bad, nor did it hinder my enjoyment; it just pulled me from the story sometimes.

Speaking of which, the story started out good, but it kinda stretched itself thin at the end. There's only so many times you can say someone's spiraling, and Laure's mental health crises were more upfront rather than the clasping of her god's sanctuary. Normally, I wouldn't mind that, but her thoughts got very repetitive. I think this was a problem in the last book, too, but I really felt it here. There were so many times I wanted Laure to lose it on someone, to tell them flat out what she was thinking rather than sit there and seethe on it. That probably speaks more to her character, because the reason she got here in the first place was due to taking all the crap the world has thrown at her throughout her life. But I wanted her to be more unhinged vocally, for her to show how monstrous she's become while inhabiting an eldritch god.

There's so much happening outside of Laure's downward plunge, but it still feels like nothing all that much at he same time. Her boyfriend is scared of her for a bit before getting over it (She also gets a girlfriend? Kind of? That wasn't explicitly clear by the end), her protegee turns on her, a certain parental figure bombards back into her life, there's a whole other god name Leafy (Forgive me if I spell it wrong; I'm assuming based off the audiobook), which makes me laugh because I kept imagining it being LeafyIsHere, and said new god has a acolyte named Gabriel who becomes Laure's new ballet teacher/enemy/father figure(?). Despite all of this, I wasn't entranced as I was with Laure's struggles last book. I dunno, the connections with her struggles last time felt more intertwined, more natural, and here it felt - scattered. I feel like some threads could have been trimmed to make the whole tapestry a little cleaner, but, ultimately, it is what it is.

I think I would still recommend this book to anyone who loved the first one just to see through the end of Laure's story. Plus, I still like the writing, even with the repetitiveness. I can only hope whatever Shea does next grabs me like their debut.

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 Macmillan Audio for this audio e-arc..*

From the first sentence to the last, I Am the Dark That Answers When You Call had me in a chokehold.

Jamison Shea's second installment of the I Feed Her to the Beast series was a vast improvement on the first novel. That's particularly impressive because the first book was very good. The one weakness in that novel was completely rectified in this one. Before, I was disappointed with the level of development in Laure Mesny's significant relationships. The sequel delves into the strained dynamic with her parents, shows the deep complicated bond between her and her close friends, details her exploring romance, and explored her connection with an eldritch god.

All of this quality relationship building strengthened what had already been achieved in the first book. Following Laure as she navigated new challenges was incredibly rewarding. I wish all sequels were this amazing. I'm giving this a solid five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review: I'm so sad to say this, but I think I Feed Her to the Beast should have been a standalone...I was invested enough in the series to be excited about the potential for a sequel. but this sequel left me unconvinced. I never looked forward to reading this one, like I did the first. It was lacking all the things I loved about the first one. There was nothing in this book that made me feel like I needed to read it. At times, it felt like a very dragged out epilogue. Just generally very disappointed in this one, especially because I Feed Her to the Beast was a five star read for me.

Synopsis: Monsters and mortals, rejoice! Acheron is back . . .Though Laure has tried to close the lid on her ballet shoes and the feelings she once held for dance since the Palais Garnier incident two months ago, Laure is spinning out. Between partying, drinking, and avoiding anything and, well, everyone, she has no time to be anything but a monster. But when Laure stumbles across a mysterious dead body during one of her nights out, she’s forced to notice the cracks stretching beyond herself.Below the streets of Paris, Elysium is dying, and Acheron and Lethe’s influence is spilling into the streets like a blight. Laure isn’t the only of Elysium’s beasts to rise from the ruins of Palais Garnier, and someone is mobilizing an army of monsters with plans greater than Laure, Andor, and Keturah could have ever guessed. While Laure is warring between her wants and Acheron’s ever-demanding appetite, she and her circle of monsters are left to reckon with a not-so-simple how do you save yourself from oblivion?

I was very disappointed in this book. The first book was perfection. This one....wasn't. There were some great plot e; elements that I liked such as her mom showing up and the dying on Elysium. But Laure was a shadow of her former aself even as Acheron became her Venom. It's not till the end that we see the Laure we knew and loved. As a book on its own, it's not bad.
As I was given an audiobook ARC, I must speak to the narrator. She did a good job becoming Acherom and with French pronunciation but she didn't sound like Laure and I didn't like that.
I give the book three stars

Thank you Net Galley for the audio ARC! As soon as I finished the first book, I needed this second one. And can we talk about how gorgeous this cover is?

This book picks up two months after the first book ends. Laure is self-medicating by partying and avoiding all of her problems until she is forced to deal with them. I loved Laure's growth through this story. The first book is about what the world owes Laure and the second book focuses more on Laure discovering and valuing her own worth.

I love the dark writing style, the gore, the monsters, the characters, everything!

I Am the Dark That Answers When You Call was great! I really loved the first book and this was a great follow up / sequel. I did enjoy the first book more, but this was still really good and a solid horror / thriller read.

This series is very fun.

Gorey af and creepy.

Laure is spinning out from all the events in book one and really wants to find herself again and turns to finding a new dance company to join. All while a blight is taking over Elysium and the demon gods are taking over she needs to figure out her shit and get everything under control before everyone’s ultimate demise.

I enjoyed it a lot and look forward to more from this author.

Thanks to netgalley and Macmillan audio for an alc

Laure’s life has been turned upside down as she looks to navigate a world without the ballet and all she has known. To make matters worse, Elysium is dying and new recruits to this otherworld are causing problems. As Laure tries to stay in power, balance her personal life and control the dark within her, she discovers a new depth to herself. Will she be strong enough to have it all?

First, this was a well done audiobook. The narrator did an excellent job of creating unique voices for the many characters in this novel without it being distracting. Laure’s character also had great depth conveyed with her many internal voices. All was very clear and easy to follow at 1.5x audio speed.

Second, this was a good conclusion to an entertaining YA horror/thriller novel. There are a lot of messed up things that are either addressed or actually happen in this novel. There are a few good things too. But ultimately Laure’s character goes through some intense personal growth and the journey she takes is an entertaining ride. 5 stars.

Review based on an Advanced Audiobook provided by Macmillan Audio/Macmillan Young Listeners and NetGalley. Thank you!

This one didn't hit as hard for me. I think it was still good, but like a 3.5/5.

I enjoyed seeing the expansion of the gods and their abilities, and the different kinds of rage. While it may be cathartic for some to see where her relationship with her parents ends up, I'm not quite sure it was fleshed out enough for me to find believable.

The first book was strong enough and fun enough that I think it can wholly exist on its own and didn't really need a sequel, but if you're itching for more then the sequel will be a good shout, at least.

Audiobook Notes:
The narrator took on a lot of different voices to portray all the characters. While I quite like the god voices, there are a few human voices that I did find a little annoying (namely Coralee).

A great sequel! The story picks up right after the first one and doesn’t let go. Keeps you on the edge and gives the horror.

4 ☆
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I am the Dark That Answers When You Call is book two in the "I Feed Her to the Beast" series. I like how this book picks up where the first book left off. Unlike the first book, it didn't hold my attention as well as I wanted it to, which is why I gave this book four stars.
The audiobook is good. The narrator did a good job telling the story and made it extremely easy to listen and follow along.
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Thank you, Netgellay, and MacmillanAudio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I requested this ALC In a Situation where ai was looking for horror due to the season as well as needing a new audio book at the time. I mention that because I did not realize it was a sequel. Honestly, it didn’t matter as this book was so well written it could serve as a stand alone.

Now I’ll mention that personally it didn’t end up being my type of story however that does not take away from the engaging and very layered and thought provoking story.

I listened to an ALC which definitely provided an immersive experience and I recommend! I did need to speed it up to make it more easily listenable but that’s easily remedied.

This is a YA book and while it would provide a great reading experience for older teens it is also a great book for folks past the YA age.

I am thankful to have gotten an eARC for free from Netgalley and Macmillan Audio to enjoy which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

This come out Nov 12 2024!

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

If you enjoyed the first book in this series, you will enjoy this one too. This YA horror novel follows Laure as she searches for herself and for the cause of the dead body she finds after spending a night in the club. She has to wrestle with who she is, her growing feelings for Andor, and an evil threatening to consume everything she cares about.
I was not sure how to feel about the fact there was even a sequel because I felt enough of the story was wrapped up in the first book. Even though I only had a three week break in between reading the first and second book, there were some details I missed that it took a second to place (a problem I do not typically have with stories). I enjoyed this book overall, but I still do not feel that it is a horror. I would consider this more of a thriller with elements of gore. Perhaps this is because Laure's character can be a little bit shallow at times or because Acheron is not fully explained. That being said, it was still an interesting read.
I loved this narrator! Her name is Kristolyn Lloyd. Her voice is passionate, and she reads with an animated voice. She does slight character voices, enough to tell the differences between characters but not so much that it is distracting. She voice is a little dramatic, but this is a dramatic story filled with bold, theatrical statements, so the narrator rose to the occasion. I listened to this audiobook on a trip, and it made the long drive feel short and fun. It was pretty easy to tell the chapter breaks without interrupting the flow of the story. Some of the fast cuts are a product of the novel itself and not the reader.
I did not get the opportunity to read this novel in print, but the audiobook helped move through some of the rare slower parts of the story to keep me engaged. I definitely listened to the author sped up, but that is purely a personal preference; I did not listen to it that much faster and she does not talk slow. I would definitely recommend you listen to this narrator, especially if you prefer listening to audiobooks!

Shea does an incredible job of welding fantasy with young adult lives. I found this horror tale to be filled with relatable emotions when it comes to navigating those early years of figuring out what you want to do with the rest of your life on top of pressure from family and friends and those you look up to.

Laure is absolutely caught between what was and where to go from here. Revisiting Laure, her friends and her … Acheron does not disappoint and although she shows sooo much growth, we are painstakingly there for her throughout her shifting loyalties and her own inner strength.

With angst and passion on standby throughout, I found this to be an energetic telling of learning from the beast and matching it.

I absolutely loved the first book, and the second lived up to the hype as well! The story continues for Laure, and we start off seeing her not doing too well. She begins partying more and drinking after the last book. This book was fast paced, intriguing now that new characters were in play, including one who Laure picked to be in Acheron's favor. Elysium is dying, and it seems only Laure cares. There were twists in this book that I did not see coming! I love how Laure accepts being different and embracing the beast that she has become.

This was a great follow up to the first book. I thoroughly enjoyed Laure’s story. And her transformation throughout.
The narrator was excellent as well.

Big thanks to NetGalley for access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the first book "I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me", and I have to say that this book was enjoyable as well. Where the first book focuses on the main character's struggle to be seen and appreciated in the world of ballet, this second book follows a different path. We are less focused on the dancing but on her stuggle with the beast inside her.

The writing is beautifully done however the dialog could be improved. I did listen to this book as an audio book and the narrator did an excellent job keeping the listeners engaged and voicing the different characters.

I would recommend this to a YA horror fan any day.

I did not realize this was a sequel when I applied. That being said, that didn't stop me from diving head first.
The narrator is exceptional. I absolutely love her different voices, her inflections and key details (i.e. "I know," he laughed. She will actually laughed when saying "I know" versus other narrators that just read it and keep going.) I'm looking forward to listening to more of her work in the future.

Now, for I Am the Dark That Answers When You Call - wow. I've never seen such darkness in a YA book so it was a bit jarring, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I'm used to reading horror, it just threw me off that it was for a younger crowd. This book was twisted, it was dark, it was entrancing. I appreciated the background we got on Elysium, especially for someone who hadn't read the first book, and enjoyed the bits and pieces of back story to our cast.

Laure was an interesting character, as was her relationship with Acheron. She's so fierce and determined! I found her development, as well as the story itself, to be steady and enjoyable if not tense at times. (Tense in a good way.)

I'll be purchasing this book, as well as the first one.

Thank you for the opportunity to listen and dive into this twisted world of gods, monsters, and fierce women. It's one that is going to stick with me for a while.

3.5 stars rounded up

I Feed Her to the Beast was really excellent YA horror following a Black ballerina in Paris who makes a deal with an eldritch god in a river of blood. But it has an ending that I think works as a standalone, so I wasn't sure what to expect from this followup.

I liked it okay and I think it does create an interesting throughline with some of the plot threads involving things like the main characters parents, but I didn't think it was as strong as book 1 and I don't think it hit nearly as hard. This really could have been a standalone, but it's still a decently good YA novel and I like how the author is writing these difficult, complicated, maybe unlikeable heroines and going hard with the horror elements. This one was a like but not love for me. If you loved book 1, maybe try it if you want to know more about the world and what happens next! The audio narration is good, and seems similar to first book. I received an audio review copy from NetGalley, all opinions are my own.