Anthony Ryan, best known for his dark fantasy novels, branches out into horror for a second time with The Feeding. After reading Red River Seven I was chomping at the bit to get another of his horror books to read, and once again it made me feel like the author has come up with another fun concept and story that would transfer amazingly to the silver screen.

In The Feeding, the world as we know it has ended. What started out as random acts of violence and some murder has become a wilderness of savage, animalistic vampires who have hunted humanity to the brink of extinction. Small fortresses of humanity remain behind high walls, with scarce resources to feed their people and few bullets left with which to protect them from the planet’s new apex predators.

Facilitating trade between the settlements are the Crossers—an elite group of people brave or desperate enough to venture out beyond the walls in the hope of reaching another settlement and trading for what the people need. An added incentive to become a crosser is the ability to claim an item for yourself, and when Layla’s father figure comes down with a horrible illness, she finds out that her settlement does not have the medicines he requires to live. When a crosser team is wiped out by feeders and the remaining crosser needs a new team, Layla puts her hand up to help her adopted family.

This post apocalyptic horror was an easy and fun read, with light themes of distrust, found family, and what you’d do at the end of the world at the fore. Themes that you could lean into easily and just enjoy the book for what it is. This allows Layla to shine as the main character, as she deals with trying to help her family, protect her friend / adopted brother, and then, once she’s out past the walls, protect herself so she can save her adopted fathe. At times we are asked if it’s okay for others to die so that those we love may live, and I quite enjoyed that aspect of Layla’s internal monologue and actions.

The overarching world is a nice mix up of some of my favourite end of the world-style IPs, creating an eerie and enjoyable backdrop to the story of the Crossers. I really enjoyed the way Ryan provided the colour of what the cities have become over the 15 years since the end of the world, and how the Feeders survived and thrived in those environments. I’ll certainly be peering deeply into any shadows on late night walks for the next few weeks.

The only thing I didn’t enjoy about the book was the last part of the last chapter. It seemed an unnecessary and unlikely wrapping up of a story arc that I didn’t realise was in play at all, but clearly mattered enough to the author to finish the book that way.

Overall, Anthony Ryan’s The Feeding is fast, comfortable, accessible, and just flat out fun to read. I don’t read many horror books, but I will 100% pick up anything further Ryan releases in this genre.

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