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Harvest of Dreams #1
Feast: Harvest of Dreams
Madeline MacFadden ("Mad Mac" to fans of her bestselling magical stories) spent blissful childhood summers in Ticonderoga Falls. And this is where she wants to be now that her adult life is falling apart. The dense surrounding forest holds many memories, some joyous, some tantalizingly only half-remembered. And she's always believed there was something living in these wooded hills.
But Maddie doesn't remember the dark parts -- and knows nothing of the mountain legend that holds the area's terrified residents captive. She has no recollection of Ash, the strange and magnificent creature who once saved her life as a child, even though it is the destiny of his kind to prey upon humanity. And soon it will be the Harvest. . . the time to feast.
Once again Maddie's dreams -- and her soul -- are in grave danger. But magic runs deep during Harvest. Even a spinner of enchanted tales has wondrous powers of her own.
But Maddie doesn't remember the dark parts -- and knows nothing of the mountain legend that holds the area's terrified residents captive. She has no recollection of Ash, the strange and magnificent creature who once saved her life as a child, even though it is the destiny of his kind to prey upon humanity. And soon it will be the Harvest. . . the time to feast.
Once again Maddie's dreams -- and her soul -- are in grave danger. But magic runs deep during Harvest. Even a spinner of enchanted tales has wondrous powers of her own.
305 pages, Paperback
First published June 28, 2011
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April 19, 2011
Notes: I was allowed to read the ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of this book. The book comes out June 28th.
Madeline MacFaddin has fond childhood memories of the town where she and her parents rented a cabin 25 years ago. Traveling through the area with her nine year old son, Tucker, she decides they'll spend the night. Maddie is an acclaimed author said to be a cross between Stephen King and Neil Gaiman. She's been experiencing writer's block and is hoping the town will inspire her imagination.
In the small town of Ticonderoga Falls, appearances are misleading. The town may look normal, but it's anything but. It holds a dark secret. The upcoming Harvest, which takes place on Halloween night, can be a dangerous time to be in the little town. The 'feast' is not for humans, but the supernatural beings who 'harvest' the dreams of those around them. Usually the Harvest takes place with no problems, but this year dead bodies are being found even before the Harvest has officially begun. By the time the night is over things will never be the same and not everyone will survive, and Maddie will realize the dreams she had as a child weren't in fact dreams, but memories.
I've been debating on whether to give this book a 2 or a 3 star rating. I'm hoping some of what I'm seeing has to do with this being the ARC version of the book. The author seemed indecisive with what to call the creatures in her book. Darkling seems to be the prevailing name and my favorite of the lot which include shapeshifters, and chupacabra. Chupacabra being the name I like the least and am hoping won't be included in the final version. While supernatural creature rewrites seem to be all the rage, I feel the use of chupacabra would demean the being Destefano has created which really shares none of the traits typically associated with a chupacabra. I also have a lot of unanswered questions.
I am a little confused about the curse. Ash states that he is bound to the town by the curse he invoked and he also stated he's considered 'fallen' because of it. I'd like a very clear statement as to what the curse is, what it entails, and how it exactly binds him to the small town. Hopefully, this little oversight is something that will be cleared up in the final version.*crosses fingers*
Seems there were a lot of terms and titles given to individuals without any clear definition. I have no idea what a Legend Keeper does other than perhaps record things? Why are they necessary? How does one become one? Why is a Guardian necessary and how does one become one? Who exactly was the Guardian - Ash or Driscoll? Evenquest is mentioned twice in this book, but what Evenquest is is unclear. I'm assuming that Evenquest is where the Darklings come from? We are given no clues as to where Evenquest is nor why any Darklings would venture to live away from it.
I would have liked to have seen more interaction of an emotional and physical nature between Maddie and Ash. I'm just not feeling the love or attraction on Maddie's side. I'm not saying the two have to hook up, but I'd liked to have seen some sort of description of perhaps butterflies in the stomach, an unbelievably strong urge to kiss, or other such feeling that would make me feel there is some connection between them on Maddie's part. The last scene of the book just left me feeling it was too little, too late.
I would have liked more of a description of how exactly Maddie saw Ash in his true form. A one word description of how she perceived Darklings when she was seven just isn't enough. The perceptions of a seven year old and a women are very different. Granted she did describe a Darkling when she attempted to draw one, but it wasn't all that descriptive. She made no mention as to whether they are beautiful, terrifying, or ugly. I'd like to know if the way she sees them is the same as how Ash perceives his kind at the beginning of the book.
Usually if a book doesn't answer my questions I look to see if it's part of a series. Sometimes questions are answered in sequels. I checked both the author's website and various book sellers and there is no mention of this being the first book in a series. It appears to be a stand alone book. If a book is a first in series I tend to be more lenient in my rating and it probably would have swayed me towards giving it a 3 star rating. Unfortunately, because it doesn't appear to be the first in a series I've decided to give it 2 out of 5 stars. The reason for only 2 stars is all the holes that seem to need filling.
Madeline MacFaddin has fond childhood memories of the town where she and her parents rented a cabin 25 years ago. Traveling through the area with her nine year old son, Tucker, she decides they'll spend the night. Maddie is an acclaimed author said to be a cross between Stephen King and Neil Gaiman. She's been experiencing writer's block and is hoping the town will inspire her imagination.
In the small town of Ticonderoga Falls, appearances are misleading. The town may look normal, but it's anything but. It holds a dark secret. The upcoming Harvest, which takes place on Halloween night, can be a dangerous time to be in the little town. The 'feast' is not for humans, but the supernatural beings who 'harvest' the dreams of those around them. Usually the Harvest takes place with no problems, but this year dead bodies are being found even before the Harvest has officially begun. By the time the night is over things will never be the same and not everyone will survive, and Maddie will realize the dreams she had as a child weren't in fact dreams, but memories.
I've been debating on whether to give this book a 2 or a 3 star rating. I'm hoping some of what I'm seeing has to do with this being the ARC version of the book. The author seemed indecisive with what to call the creatures in her book. Darkling seems to be the prevailing name and my favorite of the lot which include shapeshifters, and chupacabra. Chupacabra being the name I like the least and am hoping won't be included in the final version. While supernatural creature rewrites seem to be all the rage, I feel the use of chupacabra would demean the being Destefano has created which really shares none of the traits typically associated with a chupacabra. I also have a lot of unanswered questions.
I am a little confused about the curse. Ash states that he is bound to the town by the curse he invoked and he also stated he's considered 'fallen' because of it. I'd like a very clear statement as to what the curse is, what it entails, and how it exactly binds him to the small town. Hopefully, this little oversight is something that will be cleared up in the final version.*crosses fingers*
Seems there were a lot of terms and titles given to individuals without any clear definition. I have no idea what a Legend Keeper does other than perhaps record things? Why are they necessary? How does one become one? Why is a Guardian necessary and how does one become one? Who exactly was the Guardian - Ash or Driscoll? Evenquest is mentioned twice in this book, but what Evenquest is is unclear. I'm assuming that Evenquest is where the Darklings come from? We are given no clues as to where Evenquest is nor why any Darklings would venture to live away from it.
I would have liked to have seen more interaction of an emotional and physical nature between Maddie and Ash. I'm just not feeling the love or attraction on Maddie's side. I'm not saying the two have to hook up, but I'd liked to have seen some sort of description of perhaps butterflies in the stomach, an unbelievably strong urge to kiss, or other such feeling that would make me feel there is some connection between them on Maddie's part. The last scene of the book just left me feeling it was too little, too late.
I would have liked more of a description of how exactly Maddie saw Ash in his true form. A one word description of how she perceived Darklings when she was seven just isn't enough. The perceptions of a seven year old and a women are very different. Granted she did describe a Darkling when she attempted to draw one, but it wasn't all that descriptive. She made no mention as to whether they are beautiful, terrifying, or ugly. I'd like to know if the way she sees them is the same as how Ash perceives his kind at the beginning of the book.
Usually if a book doesn't answer my questions I look to see if it's part of a series. Sometimes questions are answered in sequels. I checked both the author's website and various book sellers and there is no mention of this being the first book in a series. It appears to be a stand alone book. If a book is a first in series I tend to be more lenient in my rating and it probably would have swayed me towards giving it a 3 star rating. Unfortunately, because it doesn't appear to be the first in a series I've decided to give it 2 out of 5 stars. The reason for only 2 stars is all the holes that seem to need filling.
August 3, 2011
http://www.rantingdragon.com/feast-ha...
Another spooky urban fantasy, Feast by Merrie Destefano offers an unlikely interpretation of mythical chupacabras and one isolated town’s dangerous encounters with them. Madeline MacFadden is a recent divorcee, single mom, and uninspired horror writer – but she has fond memories of her childhood summers spent at Ticonderoga Falls, and so she and her nine-year-old son trek there together in the hopes of reinvigorating Maddie’s creativity. But as Maddie finds inspiration in her old haunts in the woods, she also starts to find that some of her most horrific and fantastic dreams as a child might actually be memories.
Confusing point-of-view changes
The premise behind the book sounds promising, right? Mysterious monsters, a stifled writer/single mother and her relationship with a young son – this is all good, dark, creepy stuff to work with. Unfortunately, the plot is muddled by frequent point-of-view changes (think every few pages) that don’t often seem necessary, as well as a convoluted timeline that spans decades.
To make matters worse, Ash, the main male lead (also a mysterious monster – hint: chupacabra), suffered some sort of tragedy and curse long ago that is never made entirely clear. We know, vaguely, that he’s tied to Maddie’s small town. We know he’s somehow in charge of the other mysterious monsters. But the details? They’re a lot fuzzier, and some terms – Guardian, Legend Keeper – were tossed about without any actual explanation or, seemingly, relevance. Feast feels like a much larger story squished into a small package – and not in a good, “this is fantastic world-building” way, but in a confusing, poorly-thought-out way.
A forced romance
Few urban fantasies go on for long without some sort of romantic tension or interest being introduced. Feast is no exception. The difference, though, is that the romance between Ash and Maddie is completely unconvincing: Ash is still hung up over his long lost love, while Maddie is in the middle of a divorce and, until the last third of the book, shows absolutely no interest in her mysterious monster friend. If this were a series, maybe this kind of awkward romance would be forgivable since I could expect it to develop more realistically in the following books – but it’s unclear whether Feast is the start of a series or not, and as a standalone (if that’s what it is) this romance simply doesn’t work.
Another major problem in the romance department: we don’t have much idea of what Ash looks like to Maddie in his true form (that is, when he’s not shapeshifting). How am I supposed to fantasize about a sizzling couple if I can’t picture the man in my head?
Darklings or chupacabras – huh?
Although I’ve been referring to the monsters as chupacabras in this review, Destefanos generally uses the term ‘Darkling’ in her novel (though she also calls them chupacabras and shapeshifters).
You heard me. Darkling.
Call me crazy, but anything that ends with a ‘ling’ just isn’t particularly scary. Darkling sounds cute and fuzzy. Ash and his often murderous friends are anything but (unless they choose to shapeshift into bunnies, I suppose). Many of these supernatural creatures’ traits – shapeshifting, dream-eating, social hierarchy – seem pulled out of thin air and remain largely unexplained for the course of the novel. Although vampires and werewolves are no more believable than Destefano’s Darklings, at least the former two creatures have a long and solid history to draw upon. These Darklings are hardly chupacabras and do not remotely resemble anything else. Their insubstantial description and lack of real-world mythological counterpart made Feast feel equally insubstantial and abstract; I couldn’t get a feel for the Darklings’ physical presence or, more importantly, their physical threat to the forest’s human inhabitants.
Destefano is, in fact, a good writer
The only redeeming factor of Feast is that Destefano is a talented writer and many of the descriptions and action sequences are put together flawlessly, so long as you don’t look too deeply into characterization or plot. My dissatisfaction with Feast hasn’t put me off of her other novels, and I’ll likely take another chance on her work again if I come across it.
Why should you read this book?
Feast is a confusing, mediocre urban fantasy with a romance that falls flat at the last minute. Although Destefano shows talent as an author, this is not her best book; I’d recommend reading her more acclaimed Resurrection Chronicles.
Another spooky urban fantasy, Feast by Merrie Destefano offers an unlikely interpretation of mythical chupacabras and one isolated town’s dangerous encounters with them. Madeline MacFadden is a recent divorcee, single mom, and uninspired horror writer – but she has fond memories of her childhood summers spent at Ticonderoga Falls, and so she and her nine-year-old son trek there together in the hopes of reinvigorating Maddie’s creativity. But as Maddie finds inspiration in her old haunts in the woods, she also starts to find that some of her most horrific and fantastic dreams as a child might actually be memories.
Confusing point-of-view changes
The premise behind the book sounds promising, right? Mysterious monsters, a stifled writer/single mother and her relationship with a young son – this is all good, dark, creepy stuff to work with. Unfortunately, the plot is muddled by frequent point-of-view changes (think every few pages) that don’t often seem necessary, as well as a convoluted timeline that spans decades.
To make matters worse, Ash, the main male lead (also a mysterious monster – hint: chupacabra), suffered some sort of tragedy and curse long ago that is never made entirely clear. We know, vaguely, that he’s tied to Maddie’s small town. We know he’s somehow in charge of the other mysterious monsters. But the details? They’re a lot fuzzier, and some terms – Guardian, Legend Keeper – were tossed about without any actual explanation or, seemingly, relevance. Feast feels like a much larger story squished into a small package – and not in a good, “this is fantastic world-building” way, but in a confusing, poorly-thought-out way.
A forced romance
Few urban fantasies go on for long without some sort of romantic tension or interest being introduced. Feast is no exception. The difference, though, is that the romance between Ash and Maddie is completely unconvincing: Ash is still hung up over his long lost love, while Maddie is in the middle of a divorce and, until the last third of the book, shows absolutely no interest in her mysterious monster friend. If this were a series, maybe this kind of awkward romance would be forgivable since I could expect it to develop more realistically in the following books – but it’s unclear whether Feast is the start of a series or not, and as a standalone (if that’s what it is) this romance simply doesn’t work.
Another major problem in the romance department: we don’t have much idea of what Ash looks like to Maddie in his true form (that is, when he’s not shapeshifting). How am I supposed to fantasize about a sizzling couple if I can’t picture the man in my head?
Darklings or chupacabras – huh?
Although I’ve been referring to the monsters as chupacabras in this review, Destefanos generally uses the term ‘Darkling’ in her novel (though she also calls them chupacabras and shapeshifters).
You heard me. Darkling.
Call me crazy, but anything that ends with a ‘ling’ just isn’t particularly scary. Darkling sounds cute and fuzzy. Ash and his often murderous friends are anything but (unless they choose to shapeshift into bunnies, I suppose). Many of these supernatural creatures’ traits – shapeshifting, dream-eating, social hierarchy – seem pulled out of thin air and remain largely unexplained for the course of the novel. Although vampires and werewolves are no more believable than Destefano’s Darklings, at least the former two creatures have a long and solid history to draw upon. These Darklings are hardly chupacabras and do not remotely resemble anything else. Their insubstantial description and lack of real-world mythological counterpart made Feast feel equally insubstantial and abstract; I couldn’t get a feel for the Darklings’ physical presence or, more importantly, their physical threat to the forest’s human inhabitants.
Destefano is, in fact, a good writer
The only redeeming factor of Feast is that Destefano is a talented writer and many of the descriptions and action sequences are put together flawlessly, so long as you don’t look too deeply into characterization or plot. My dissatisfaction with Feast hasn’t put me off of her other novels, and I’ll likely take another chance on her work again if I come across it.
Why should you read this book?
Feast is a confusing, mediocre urban fantasy with a romance that falls flat at the last minute. Although Destefano shows talent as an author, this is not her best book; I’d recommend reading her more acclaimed Resurrection Chronicles.
June 24, 2011
Note: Free review copy received via NetGalley.
Destefano has created some wonderful new mythical creatures and legends with the Darklings in her new novel, Feast. She writes about them with the care and passion of someone who truly loves her creation.
However, it feels like she isn't quite ready to let them go. Destefano isn't ready to stop working with this novel yet and it shows. Rather than relaying a cohesive story, Destefano focuses more on relaying each and every plot point, allowing each of her characters a chance to speak. Every few pages we are dropped into a different character's narrative, making for a jarring reading experience. Rather than building a sense of mystery about the Darklings, humanoid creatures that live off of human dreams and nightmares, we are fed bits and pieces of information about them throughout the narrative at such a regular pace that by the end of the story I was less than intrigued and more annoyed that I knew almost too much by the end and not quite enough at the beginning to make this an enjoyable discovery.
The "romance" between two of the many main characters felt more or less unnecessary and it might have actually been more interesting just to build Ash as simply a protector of story tellers rather than needing to fall in love with Maggie. Like almost everything else, it just felt tacked on, and part of this is due to the every changing narrative, in addition, there are actually three budding romances that take place in this very short novel and I was really only mildly impressed by one.
Destefano does try very hard to capture the magical feeling of creatures that are capable of weaving spells through song and incantation through her use of language. This includes a lot of purple prose and some very creative sentence structures, unfortunately it came off as gimmicky but might have been more effective if she had chosen to use this method only when writing from the point of view of the Darklings and if she had gone all out with it.
Lastly, by the end of the book, all of the townspeople all of a sudden seem to know everything about Darklings whereas before they were presented as being blissfully unaware of them (with a few exceptions). There is no explanation for this sudden burst of knowledge, unless they were all playing patsy, in which case there are even more questions to be answered.
Overall, this is worth reading a few pages of just to see these new creatures, but the characters and storyline weren't really worth the investment of time. If the author is only willing to invest two pages to a character it is awfully difficult to invest my own time to read about every single viewpoint and keep the facts of the narrative straight at the same time.
Destefano has created some wonderful new mythical creatures and legends with the Darklings in her new novel, Feast. She writes about them with the care and passion of someone who truly loves her creation.
However, it feels like she isn't quite ready to let them go. Destefano isn't ready to stop working with this novel yet and it shows. Rather than relaying a cohesive story, Destefano focuses more on relaying each and every plot point, allowing each of her characters a chance to speak. Every few pages we are dropped into a different character's narrative, making for a jarring reading experience. Rather than building a sense of mystery about the Darklings, humanoid creatures that live off of human dreams and nightmares, we are fed bits and pieces of information about them throughout the narrative at such a regular pace that by the end of the story I was less than intrigued and more annoyed that I knew almost too much by the end and not quite enough at the beginning to make this an enjoyable discovery.
The "romance" between two of the many main characters felt more or less unnecessary and it might have actually been more interesting just to build Ash as simply a protector of story tellers rather than needing to fall in love with Maggie. Like almost everything else, it just felt tacked on, and part of this is due to the every changing narrative, in addition, there are actually three budding romances that take place in this very short novel and I was really only mildly impressed by one.
Destefano does try very hard to capture the magical feeling of creatures that are capable of weaving spells through song and incantation through her use of language. This includes a lot of purple prose and some very creative sentence structures, unfortunately it came off as gimmicky but might have been more effective if she had chosen to use this method only when writing from the point of view of the Darklings and if she had gone all out with it.
Lastly, by the end of the book, all of the townspeople all of a sudden seem to know everything about Darklings whereas before they were presented as being blissfully unaware of them (with a few exceptions). There is no explanation for this sudden burst of knowledge, unless they were all playing patsy, in which case there are even more questions to be answered.
Overall, this is worth reading a few pages of just to see these new creatures, but the characters and storyline weren't really worth the investment of time. If the author is only willing to invest two pages to a character it is awfully difficult to invest my own time to read about every single viewpoint and keep the facts of the narrative straight at the same time.
July 13, 2011
Rating : C - or about 2.5 out of 5 stars.
Both reviews contain spoilers
I received this novel via NetGalley
http://badassbookreviews.com/2011/05/...
The writing style was nice, I liked how Merrie Destefano writes. Her words are poetic, and lyrical. She paints a vivid picture. But this picture just didn’t work for me. I thought that the idea of this novel is cool, but it needs more polishing to really shine.
Sounds good right? It should be better, and I hope some more editing before the release will help.
I had a very hard time with this novel. I’m not even sure how to start this review.
It was all so confusing. First, I guess I’ll start with some questions for the author, then some points.
1) What is a Darkling? How did they come to be, where do they come from, and what the freaking heck are they!!
~After reading this novel, I STILL HAVE NO IDEA!!! That is not good. This novel needs tighter editing, more information available for the reader, and to plug the major plot holes that are pretty glaring.
2) What is a Guardian, why are they necessary, what exactly was this Curse, and what did it entail. The details were sketchy at best. We really need more information.
~Ash is the Guardian of Ticonderoga Falls. OK. Good for him. What does this mean? What is his job, why is he there, what does he do?
3) What is this legend Keeper Business?
~The term was just tossed out there, and we were expected to understand. With no concept of what the Darklings even are, how can we fathom what a Legend Keeper is? Also, When Joe is Telling Maddie the Legend, WHY did you do it off screen? That would have answered SO many questions for the reader!!
4) What exactly is FEASTING. How do the Darklings harvest dreams? This is not explained and the readers have to try and extrapolate the information between the lines, and it is difficult with so much conflicting information.
~They are not vampires? Why does the Sheriff point out the two holes on the neck, and a seemingly empty body that is ‘flat”. OK, so these darklings–do they use their fangs to drink the blood, and with the blood they also get dreams, hopes and aspirations from their victims? The blood is incidental? If so, it would be nice to know that. There was too much telling, and absolutely no showing of how this works. It went like this “We harvest the dreams.” “Mmm I am harvesting” “Oh, I harvested too much, now he/she is dead”
5) Pretty much each chapter was in a different point of view. From every character in the novel. EVERY. ONE. Maddie, Ash, Thane, River, Elspeth, Sage, Sienna, Joe, The Sheriff, The dog, It was a revolving door of characters, and took away my interest.
~ Since we had so many story lines being interwoven, it was hard to connect to any one character.
6) There really is no love in this novel. I didn’t feel the romance. At all. I’m sorry, but it didn’t work for me. It came out of left field, at the very end, and it wasn’t believable. This aspect of the story needs work. The interest needs to be throughout the novel.
Both reviews contain spoilers
I received this novel via NetGalley
http://badassbookreviews.com/2011/05/...
The writing style was nice, I liked how Merrie Destefano writes. Her words are poetic, and lyrical. She paints a vivid picture. But this picture just didn’t work for me. I thought that the idea of this novel is cool, but it needs more polishing to really shine.
Sounds good right? It should be better, and I hope some more editing before the release will help.
I had a very hard time with this novel. I’m not even sure how to start this review.
It was all so confusing. First, I guess I’ll start with some questions for the author, then some points.
1) What is a Darkling? How did they come to be, where do they come from, and what the freaking heck are they!!
~After reading this novel, I STILL HAVE NO IDEA!!! That is not good. This novel needs tighter editing, more information available for the reader, and to plug the major plot holes that are pretty glaring.
2) What is a Guardian, why are they necessary, what exactly was this Curse, and what did it entail. The details were sketchy at best. We really need more information.
~Ash is the Guardian of Ticonderoga Falls. OK. Good for him. What does this mean? What is his job, why is he there, what does he do?
3) What is this legend Keeper Business?
~The term was just tossed out there, and we were expected to understand. With no concept of what the Darklings even are, how can we fathom what a Legend Keeper is? Also, When Joe is Telling Maddie the Legend, WHY did you do it off screen? That would have answered SO many questions for the reader!!
4) What exactly is FEASTING. How do the Darklings harvest dreams? This is not explained and the readers have to try and extrapolate the information between the lines, and it is difficult with so much conflicting information.
~They are not vampires? Why does the Sheriff point out the two holes on the neck, and a seemingly empty body that is ‘flat”. OK, so these darklings–do they use their fangs to drink the blood, and with the blood they also get dreams, hopes and aspirations from their victims? The blood is incidental? If so, it would be nice to know that. There was too much telling, and absolutely no showing of how this works. It went like this “We harvest the dreams.” “Mmm I am harvesting” “Oh, I harvested too much, now he/she is dead”
5) Pretty much each chapter was in a different point of view. From every character in the novel. EVERY. ONE. Maddie, Ash, Thane, River, Elspeth, Sage, Sienna, Joe, The Sheriff, The dog, It was a revolving door of characters, and took away my interest.
~ Since we had so many story lines being interwoven, it was hard to connect to any one character.
6) There really is no love in this novel. I didn’t feel the romance. At all. I’m sorry, but it didn’t work for me. It came out of left field, at the very end, and it wasn’t believable. This aspect of the story needs work. The interest needs to be throughout the novel.
Read
July 5, 2011From FEAST’s first chapter I was engrossed as much with the mythology expanding before my eyes as I was with the characters who had already won my heart. The balance of character development and world building excellence that was impossible to put down. With a dreamy quality that I associate with Charles de Lint or Nina Kirki Hoffman, and with a touch of her own urban fantasy style thrown in, Destefano transforms a piece of our every day world into something dark and magical.
That little piece of magic is the vacation town of Ticonderoga Falls and it’s inhabitants. It’s a getaway spot for humans, and, when the Hunt draws near, Darklings from another realm. The mythology of the Darklings unfolds slowly and organically, mixed in with the sad personal history of our hero, the ancient and damaged Ash. Destefano isn’t shy about painting Ash’s dark side, but it was that grittiness that made it so fascinating to watch him orbit and collide with Maddie and the locals, and created an adrenaline rush of fear and anticipation that accompanied each human/Darkling interaction.
While those moments of contact never came without a frisson of danger, there were also hints of long term symbiotic relationships, of love and passion that crossed realms. While I had a hard time imagining what a happily ever after would look like between Ash and Maddie themselves (never mind their blended families), I loved the level of detail and uncertainty Destefano lavished on her characters. Ash has lived numerous lives before, and Destefano deftly writes glimpses of his past even as she writes his present. Ash himself has doubts about a place for Maddie in his life, and his internal struggles leave the ending in question until the last pages, a delicious delay that never felt contrived.
All throughout FEAST, that artful uncertainty, when Maddie was vulnerable to other Darklings and the entire town of Ticonderoga Falls is at risk for nightmares and heartbreak and death, I was cringing in anticipation and yelling at the pages. From beginning to end FEAST wrapped me up in it’s faerie tale, and kept me completely under the spell of Destefano’s dark dream.
Sexual Content: Kissing, mention of sex, references to magically coerced sex and pregnancy.
That little piece of magic is the vacation town of Ticonderoga Falls and it’s inhabitants. It’s a getaway spot for humans, and, when the Hunt draws near, Darklings from another realm. The mythology of the Darklings unfolds slowly and organically, mixed in with the sad personal history of our hero, the ancient and damaged Ash. Destefano isn’t shy about painting Ash’s dark side, but it was that grittiness that made it so fascinating to watch him orbit and collide with Maddie and the locals, and created an adrenaline rush of fear and anticipation that accompanied each human/Darkling interaction.
While those moments of contact never came without a frisson of danger, there were also hints of long term symbiotic relationships, of love and passion that crossed realms. While I had a hard time imagining what a happily ever after would look like between Ash and Maddie themselves (never mind their blended families), I loved the level of detail and uncertainty Destefano lavished on her characters. Ash has lived numerous lives before, and Destefano deftly writes glimpses of his past even as she writes his present. Ash himself has doubts about a place for Maddie in his life, and his internal struggles leave the ending in question until the last pages, a delicious delay that never felt contrived.
All throughout FEAST, that artful uncertainty, when Maddie was vulnerable to other Darklings and the entire town of Ticonderoga Falls is at risk for nightmares and heartbreak and death, I was cringing in anticipation and yelling at the pages. From beginning to end FEAST wrapped me up in it’s faerie tale, and kept me completely under the spell of Destefano’s dark dream.
Sexual Content: Kissing, mention of sex, references to magically coerced sex and pregnancy.
July 13, 2011
Maddie is a writer, recovering from a painful divorce and a bad case of writer's block. She returns to a small town where she vacationed as a child, hoping to find her muse. When she arrives, with her son and the family dog in tow, her imagination begins firing again almost right away.
Ash is thrilled that Maddie has returned. He encountered her when she was a child and recognized her vast creativity. He didn't claim her then, but hopes to correct that now... just in time for the impending hunt. Others of his kind are coming to join him, and he finds his heavy spirit lightning a bit, despite the heavy curse he has carried since the death of his wife. But one of his visitor has nefarious plans... and as treachery unfolds, it will change everyone's life forever.
If I managed to translate the story in any way that makes sense, I feel like I've earned some kind of reviewer merit badge. I spent almost the entire book at least half-way lost. I'm sure the author was trying to let the details come forth as the story unfolded, but I'm a bit partial to having more than a vague idea as to what is going on in the book I'm reading. For at least half of the book, I didn't even know if Ash was the hero or villain; whether he was a love interest for Maddie or a threat to her. I had no idea what the hell he was supposed to be. And frankly, when I found out, I was... underwhelmed. (On a side note, I also have to mention there were too many narrators, and the perspective changed with each of the 90+ chapters.)
The book wasn't horrible... but it's wasn't a good fit for me. 2 1/2 stars.
P.S. The cover is all wrong here. The lead character is a 32 year-old mom... not a 19 year-old biker-chick.
*ARC Provided by NetGalley
Ash is thrilled that Maddie has returned. He encountered her when she was a child and recognized her vast creativity. He didn't claim her then, but hopes to correct that now... just in time for the impending hunt. Others of his kind are coming to join him, and he finds his heavy spirit lightning a bit, despite the heavy curse he has carried since the death of his wife. But one of his visitor has nefarious plans... and as treachery unfolds, it will change everyone's life forever.
If I managed to translate the story in any way that makes sense, I feel like I've earned some kind of reviewer merit badge. I spent almost the entire book at least half-way lost. I'm sure the author was trying to let the details come forth as the story unfolded, but I'm a bit partial to having more than a vague idea as to what is going on in the book I'm reading. For at least half of the book, I didn't even know if Ash was the hero or villain; whether he was a love interest for Maddie or a threat to her. I had no idea what the hell he was supposed to be. And frankly, when I found out, I was... underwhelmed. (On a side note, I also have to mention there were too many narrators, and the perspective changed with each of the 90+ chapters.)
The book wasn't horrible... but it's wasn't a good fit for me. 2 1/2 stars.
P.S. The cover is all wrong here. The lead character is a 32 year-old mom... not a 19 year-old biker-chick.
*ARC Provided by NetGalley
October 23, 2021
This atmospheric, spooky tale is the perfect Fall read. It completely captivated me from the beginning, but I became even more enthralled as the story kept unfolding. I couldn't get enough of it.
I was lucky enough to read the prequel novella (which I loved, by the way) before diving into this book, and I feel like that helped me get a better grasp of this world and the Darkling fae. The Darkling fae were incredibly fascinating creatures. You could say they're a bit like vampires, having to be invited into a house before they can enter. But instead of feasting on blood, they feed on dreams instead. They can also shapeshift into anything they want. Seriously, it seemed like the options were limitless as to what they could disguise themselves as.
I had a wonderful time reading this book and recommend it to anyone who enjoys dark urban fantasy.
I was lucky enough to read the prequel novella (which I loved, by the way) before diving into this book, and I feel like that helped me get a better grasp of this world and the Darkling fae. The Darkling fae were incredibly fascinating creatures. You could say they're a bit like vampires, having to be invited into a house before they can enter. But instead of feasting on blood, they feed on dreams instead. They can also shapeshift into anything they want. Seriously, it seemed like the options were limitless as to what they could disguise themselves as.
I had a wonderful time reading this book and recommend it to anyone who enjoys dark urban fantasy.
Read
July 19, 2011On the surface, Feast has every element which fans of paranormal romance fiction would enjoy. It has otherworldly creatures with a mysterious past, a strong central female character, a gorgeous backdrop, mystery, tension, danger. Unfortunately, the elements are combined in such a fashion that makes Feast extremely confusing and just plain forgettable.
In any paranormal storyline, the most important thing an author should do is to fully describe the supernatural creature. Unfortunately, Ms. Destefano fails to adequately describe the Darklings so that the reader is left not knowing who they are and why they are dangerous. With fangs, bat-like wings, and an ability to glamour, they appear to be similar to vampires, but they are not. With names like Ash, feeding on dreams, and an entire court system, they also have elements of the Fae, but they are not. Exactly what they are is never explained. The reader is left to put together a puzzle that is missing half of its pieces. This incomplete picture of the main dangerous element of the novel makes for lackluster tension. It is difficult to feel concern for the heroine when one cannot discern what the danger actually is.
The entire novel feels undeveloped. Maddie's past is only briefly described, especially her fame and previous relationship which she is fleeing at the start of the novel. The curse that binds Ash is never explained at all. Neither is The Harvest, Maddie's powers, or an entire slew of essential elements of the story. While the premise is fascinating, there are simply too many holes or unexplained sections that make it difficult for a reader to follow the action and care about the characters.
Where Ms. Destefano does shine is in her descriptions of Ticonderoga Falls. The outdoor scenes are some of the most fully described in the entire novel. As such, the reader gets a clear mental picture of the spookiness of the woods and the natural beauty of the area. These scenes are some of the strongest in the novel, even if the reader does not fully understand what is happening.
My disappointment in Feast is only enhanced by the fact that the premise of it is so intriguing. Done properly, it truly could have been an excellent novel that stood out among its peers for involving a new supernatural creature. Unfortunately, the lack of execution only leaves the reader frustrated with the potential for greatness the story has.
Thank you to NetGalley for my e-galley!
In any paranormal storyline, the most important thing an author should do is to fully describe the supernatural creature. Unfortunately, Ms. Destefano fails to adequately describe the Darklings so that the reader is left not knowing who they are and why they are dangerous. With fangs, bat-like wings, and an ability to glamour, they appear to be similar to vampires, but they are not. With names like Ash, feeding on dreams, and an entire court system, they also have elements of the Fae, but they are not. Exactly what they are is never explained. The reader is left to put together a puzzle that is missing half of its pieces. This incomplete picture of the main dangerous element of the novel makes for lackluster tension. It is difficult to feel concern for the heroine when one cannot discern what the danger actually is.
The entire novel feels undeveloped. Maddie's past is only briefly described, especially her fame and previous relationship which she is fleeing at the start of the novel. The curse that binds Ash is never explained at all. Neither is The Harvest, Maddie's powers, or an entire slew of essential elements of the story. While the premise is fascinating, there are simply too many holes or unexplained sections that make it difficult for a reader to follow the action and care about the characters.
Where Ms. Destefano does shine is in her descriptions of Ticonderoga Falls. The outdoor scenes are some of the most fully described in the entire novel. As such, the reader gets a clear mental picture of the spookiness of the woods and the natural beauty of the area. These scenes are some of the strongest in the novel, even if the reader does not fully understand what is happening.
My disappointment in Feast is only enhanced by the fact that the premise of it is so intriguing. Done properly, it truly could have been an excellent novel that stood out among its peers for involving a new supernatural creature. Unfortunately, the lack of execution only leaves the reader frustrated with the potential for greatness the story has.
Thank you to NetGalley for my e-galley!
June 20, 2023
Darklings can wear whatever skin they choose. Creatures of the night, winged and fierce, they feed off of our dreams and are the stuff of nightmares. A Darkling named Ash rules the land called Ticonderoga Falls. Generations ago, he laid a curse upon the inhabitants, granting his protection but claiming ownership at the same time. The humans belong to him, so no other Darkling can Harvest their dreams. Being food isn’t necessarily a good thing, but Ash never takes it too far and he doesn’t let harm come to those under his protection during the Hunt.
Enter Maddie MacFaddin: recent divorcee, single mom, and former resident of the bed and breakfast in Ticonderoga Falls. She brings her son and dog to the B&B to relax and try to break through her writer’s block. Maddie doesn’t expect to feel so much magic surrounding the land, or to feel the instant attraction to Ash, one of its residents. Before she has time to explore these feelings, the less civilized Darklings decide to have some fun. They start picking off residents one by one, Harvesting to the point of death and challenging Ash for the land.
Merrie Destefano has a spider’s talent for weaving words into wicked phrases. Every scene in this novel was beautiful and enticing. I feel horrible because I don’t have the ability to describe just how captivating the imagery was. Feast was like a dark fairy tale come to life, full of monsters and heroes and things that go bump in the night that feed on your dreams. Part Urban Fantasy, part Horror, I fell in love with this world.
The use of first person point of view with multiple narrators helped move the story along instead of hindering it, as I thought it would. Merrie is one of the few authors I’ve read who can pull this off without making me want to tear my hair out. I loved the insight into each character’s head, learning their true motivations, and sensing when they realized things were about to hit the fan.
Feast isn’t for the faint of heart. While not every scene is chockfull of gory goodness, the underlying spooky element and the off-screen death of children may be too much for some readers. I thought the slow build of darkness added to the appeal of the novel, but I like the devilish side of life.
Enter Maddie MacFaddin: recent divorcee, single mom, and former resident of the bed and breakfast in Ticonderoga Falls. She brings her son and dog to the B&B to relax and try to break through her writer’s block. Maddie doesn’t expect to feel so much magic surrounding the land, or to feel the instant attraction to Ash, one of its residents. Before she has time to explore these feelings, the less civilized Darklings decide to have some fun. They start picking off residents one by one, Harvesting to the point of death and challenging Ash for the land.
Merrie Destefano has a spider’s talent for weaving words into wicked phrases. Every scene in this novel was beautiful and enticing. I feel horrible because I don’t have the ability to describe just how captivating the imagery was. Feast was like a dark fairy tale come to life, full of monsters and heroes and things that go bump in the night that feed on your dreams. Part Urban Fantasy, part Horror, I fell in love with this world.
The use of first person point of view with multiple narrators helped move the story along instead of hindering it, as I thought it would. Merrie is one of the few authors I’ve read who can pull this off without making me want to tear my hair out. I loved the insight into each character’s head, learning their true motivations, and sensing when they realized things were about to hit the fan.
Feast isn’t for the faint of heart. While not every scene is chockfull of gory goodness, the underlying spooky element and the off-screen death of children may be too much for some readers. I thought the slow build of darkness added to the appeal of the novel, but I like the devilish side of life.
July 24, 2011
http://ismellsheep.blogspot.com/2011/...
Merrie Destefano has done it again. She has released a book that isn’t like any others currently on the market. Many people have been confused by Feast because it wasn’t what they were expecting.
http://ismellsheep.blogspot.com/2011/...
This isn’t a traditional Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Romance. It is a dark Fairy Tale, a Fantasy. A story of dreams and nightmares, where the spoken word has a power of its own. Her descriptive prose builds a magical atmosphere. I had no problem entering the dream-like world Merrie created.
Darklings are magical creatures that live around humans and feed off of their dreams at night. They call this Harvesting and there are rules they must follow. Darklings have territories and protect the humans in them from rogues who kill the humans they feed from. In return for this protection, the town will give the Darkling permission to feed from them. They are terrifying to look at in their true form and can shape shift to appear as an animal or human.
Ash, is a Darkling tied to the mountain town of Ticonderoga Falls. His story broke my heart. Once a powerful Darkling, he is now lonely and sad from the loss of his mate 100 years ago. He sees him self as cursed and feels he deserves to live in the shadows.
When author Maddie MacFadden and her son come to vacation in his town, at the time of the ritual Harvest, he is drawn to her dreams like an insect to a flame. He isn’t the only one though, his Darkling cousins have come to take Ash’s territory from him.
He must protect Maddie, the town, and his half-human/half-Darkling daughter from the Rogue Darklings.
Let yourself be suspended in this dream like world Merrie has created. She will take you to the place of nightmares, but don’t worry; you will not be left there. Like in all good fairy tales, love is the strongest magic and the happily ever after is worth fighting the darkness for.
4 Dreaming Sheep
Merrie Destefano has done it again. She has released a book that isn’t like any others currently on the market. Many people have been confused by Feast because it wasn’t what they were expecting.
http://ismellsheep.blogspot.com/2011/...
This isn’t a traditional Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Romance. It is a dark Fairy Tale, a Fantasy. A story of dreams and nightmares, where the spoken word has a power of its own. Her descriptive prose builds a magical atmosphere. I had no problem entering the dream-like world Merrie created.
Darklings are magical creatures that live around humans and feed off of their dreams at night. They call this Harvesting and there are rules they must follow. Darklings have territories and protect the humans in them from rogues who kill the humans they feed from. In return for this protection, the town will give the Darkling permission to feed from them. They are terrifying to look at in their true form and can shape shift to appear as an animal or human.
Ash, is a Darkling tied to the mountain town of Ticonderoga Falls. His story broke my heart. Once a powerful Darkling, he is now lonely and sad from the loss of his mate 100 years ago. He sees him self as cursed and feels he deserves to live in the shadows.
When author Maddie MacFadden and her son come to vacation in his town, at the time of the ritual Harvest, he is drawn to her dreams like an insect to a flame. He isn’t the only one though, his Darkling cousins have come to take Ash’s territory from him.
He must protect Maddie, the town, and his half-human/half-Darkling daughter from the Rogue Darklings.
Let yourself be suspended in this dream like world Merrie has created. She will take you to the place of nightmares, but don’t worry; you will not be left there. Like in all good fairy tales, love is the strongest magic and the happily ever after is worth fighting the darkness for.
4 Dreaming Sheep
July 6, 2011
You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2011/07/...
Feast was a really nice break from the usual urban fantasy fare. Madeline MacFaddin travels back to Ticonderoga Falls with her young son, Tucker, and their dog, Samwise, to hopefully decompress from what was a painful divorce, not to mention the idea of her ex-husband marrying her ex-best friend. A wildly famous writer of graphic novels, Maddie is also hoping to break her writer’s block before her career takes a nose dive. Ash is the caretaker of the inn and the land and holds sway over the magic that cloaks the woods like a shroud. Ash saved Maddie’s life when she was a child, and she still has memories of the dark creatures that live, and feed there. Unknown to her, a war is brewing between two clans of a race of beings called Darklings,that feed on the dreams of humans. Ash’s brother, Thane, plots to take over Ash’s land, so he can feed whenever, and however, he wants. Darklings are rather like vampires, except they feed on dreams instead of blood. Ash and his clan feed on humans without killing them, but Thane’s clan has no such reservations. A dark curse hovers over Ticonderoga Falls, revenge for the death of Ash’s wife, many years ago, and binds the residents to the town and to the Darklings that haunt their dreams.
Feast reads like a dark faerie tale and is told in first person POVs from various characters. It was different, switching back and forth, but I really enjoyed getting to know each character intimately, even the not-so-nice ones. This seems like it would be hard to do, but the author manages it really nicely. Ash is the star, but we get to know Maddie, Ash’s daughter, and Thane as well as other inhabitants of Ticonderoga Falls. Feast called to mind early Dean Koontz (Watchers, Strangers, etc), and not only because Feast and some of Koontz’s stories featured very special dogs. Set against a backdrop of Halloween, magic, and the power of dreams, Feast is a very entertaining combination of fantasy and faerie tale.
Feast was a really nice break from the usual urban fantasy fare. Madeline MacFaddin travels back to Ticonderoga Falls with her young son, Tucker, and their dog, Samwise, to hopefully decompress from what was a painful divorce, not to mention the idea of her ex-husband marrying her ex-best friend. A wildly famous writer of graphic novels, Maddie is also hoping to break her writer’s block before her career takes a nose dive. Ash is the caretaker of the inn and the land and holds sway over the magic that cloaks the woods like a shroud. Ash saved Maddie’s life when she was a child, and she still has memories of the dark creatures that live, and feed there. Unknown to her, a war is brewing between two clans of a race of beings called Darklings,that feed on the dreams of humans. Ash’s brother, Thane, plots to take over Ash’s land, so he can feed whenever, and however, he wants. Darklings are rather like vampires, except they feed on dreams instead of blood. Ash and his clan feed on humans without killing them, but Thane’s clan has no such reservations. A dark curse hovers over Ticonderoga Falls, revenge for the death of Ash’s wife, many years ago, and binds the residents to the town and to the Darklings that haunt their dreams.
Feast reads like a dark faerie tale and is told in first person POVs from various characters. It was different, switching back and forth, but I really enjoyed getting to know each character intimately, even the not-so-nice ones. This seems like it would be hard to do, but the author manages it really nicely. Ash is the star, but we get to know Maddie, Ash’s daughter, and Thane as well as other inhabitants of Ticonderoga Falls. Feast called to mind early Dean Koontz (Watchers, Strangers, etc), and not only because Feast and some of Koontz’s stories featured very special dogs. Set against a backdrop of Halloween, magic, and the power of dreams, Feast is a very entertaining combination of fantasy and faerie tale.
July 7, 2011
* 3 of 5 stars*
Feast, an urban fantasy novel, takes place in a small town in the mountains. The town is unknowingly protected and watched over by Ash, a Darkling holding onto a curse. When Maddie comes to town looking for respite and inspiration for a new book, she finds not only inspiration, but also supernatural creatures and legends. Ash’s enemies are ready to take the town away from Ash, and harvest the humans living there. Ash must face his curse to save the town, and Maddie, but some things are easier said than done.
On the whole, I enjoyed reading Feast. It took me awhile to get into it, and to understand the characters and the Darklings. The Darklings seem to be a combination of vampire, shape-shifter, and fallen angel. They eat the dreams of humans to survive and thrive. The book builds up to the night of the “Hunt,” which wasn’t explained very clearly until late in the book. The point of view changed on a regular basis, but all in first person. I didn’t really mind it, but at times it gave the book a slightly disjointed feel.
I did like several main aspects of Feast. The characters were very creative and interesting. Maddie’s character is a writer, and her imagination and creativity stand out. The artistic feel to Feast was well done, and I appreciated it. The language was very beautiful and expressive at times, but not over done. Also, the concept was so unique and new, it was a very interesting read.
I did enjoy reading Feast, it is not part of a series, and it was a fairly quick read. I will read more by Merrie Destefano in the future and I am looking forward to meeting more new, creative characters.
Feast, an urban fantasy novel, takes place in a small town in the mountains. The town is unknowingly protected and watched over by Ash, a Darkling holding onto a curse. When Maddie comes to town looking for respite and inspiration for a new book, she finds not only inspiration, but also supernatural creatures and legends. Ash’s enemies are ready to take the town away from Ash, and harvest the humans living there. Ash must face his curse to save the town, and Maddie, but some things are easier said than done.
On the whole, I enjoyed reading Feast. It took me awhile to get into it, and to understand the characters and the Darklings. The Darklings seem to be a combination of vampire, shape-shifter, and fallen angel. They eat the dreams of humans to survive and thrive. The book builds up to the night of the “Hunt,” which wasn’t explained very clearly until late in the book. The point of view changed on a regular basis, but all in first person. I didn’t really mind it, but at times it gave the book a slightly disjointed feel.
I did like several main aspects of Feast. The characters were very creative and interesting. Maddie’s character is a writer, and her imagination and creativity stand out. The artistic feel to Feast was well done, and I appreciated it. The language was very beautiful and expressive at times, but not over done. Also, the concept was so unique and new, it was a very interesting read.
I did enjoy reading Feast, it is not part of a series, and it was a fairly quick read. I will read more by Merrie Destefano in the future and I am looking forward to meeting more new, creative characters.
July 7, 2011
4.5 stars
I love to read paranormal fiction and as such I've read a lot of it in the past few years so not much surprises me but Merrie Destefano has once again captured me from the first page with her imaginative characters and originality. The elements that make an awesome story, interesting characters, fascinating, fast-paced plot and tons of action tinted with just a hint of romance were all present in spades! Feast: Harvest of Dreams reminded me of a scary fairy tale. At times it left me breathless.
Merrie definitely writes the best canine characters into her stories. Samwise, Madeline and her son Tucker's loyal German Shepard steals the show more than once and often shows up in the nick of time. Ash, the Darkling/shapeshifter leader of Ticonderoga Falls is quite a story in and of his own self. I couldn't quite decide whether or not he was a "good guy". He always seemed to be walking the fine line between good and evil, so if you like your characters to be somewhat tortured and complex he definitely fits the bill.
I loved every second of this story and I'm hoping a sequel is in the works. There's some violence and mild language but not enough to make it graphic so I think this is perfect for both older teens and adults. If you're looking for an interesting fantasy read I definitely recommend Feast!
I love to read paranormal fiction and as such I've read a lot of it in the past few years so not much surprises me but Merrie Destefano has once again captured me from the first page with her imaginative characters and originality. The elements that make an awesome story, interesting characters, fascinating, fast-paced plot and tons of action tinted with just a hint of romance were all present in spades! Feast: Harvest of Dreams reminded me of a scary fairy tale. At times it left me breathless.
Merrie definitely writes the best canine characters into her stories. Samwise, Madeline and her son Tucker's loyal German Shepard steals the show more than once and often shows up in the nick of time. Ash, the Darkling/shapeshifter leader of Ticonderoga Falls is quite a story in and of his own self. I couldn't quite decide whether or not he was a "good guy". He always seemed to be walking the fine line between good and evil, so if you like your characters to be somewhat tortured and complex he definitely fits the bill.
I loved every second of this story and I'm hoping a sequel is in the works. There's some violence and mild language but not enough to make it graphic so I think this is perfect for both older teens and adults. If you're looking for an interesting fantasy read I definitely recommend Feast!
May 9, 2011
My Thoughts:
Dreams, it is what we do when we sleep… But have you ever wondered what happens when you can’t remember your dreams? Well the answer is here in Feast: Harvest of Dreams.
Oh Merrie has done it again. She has my mind spinning. Feast was a very interesting story. Interesting in a very Wonderland meets Paranormal kind of way. Merrie does a great job of setting up this world for us, a world of good and evil. I got really sucked into Ash’s world and his struggles to deal with who and what he has done and will continue to do.
There is a romance in this book, in fact there are two. One is first love and one happens to be an old love revisited even if one can’t remember it. For those who want to know. No, there is no sex in this book. Although I only realized that after I finished the book and sat down to write this review. So therefore I didn’t feel that I was missing anything. I did find the struggles that character go through wonderful.
I did speak with Merrie and there is a good chance that this story line will continue. And I sure hope so there are so many questions I want answered, characters I want to revisit, and I want to know more about Ash.
If you are looking for a book a little out of the normal paranormal or fantasy genres I would highly recommend you join the Feast…….
Dreams, it is what we do when we sleep… But have you ever wondered what happens when you can’t remember your dreams? Well the answer is here in Feast: Harvest of Dreams.
Oh Merrie has done it again. She has my mind spinning. Feast was a very interesting story. Interesting in a very Wonderland meets Paranormal kind of way. Merrie does a great job of setting up this world for us, a world of good and evil. I got really sucked into Ash’s world and his struggles to deal with who and what he has done and will continue to do.
There is a romance in this book, in fact there are two. One is first love and one happens to be an old love revisited even if one can’t remember it. For those who want to know. No, there is no sex in this book. Although I only realized that after I finished the book and sat down to write this review. So therefore I didn’t feel that I was missing anything. I did find the struggles that character go through wonderful.
I did speak with Merrie and there is a good chance that this story line will continue. And I sure hope so there are so many questions I want answered, characters I want to revisit, and I want to know more about Ash.
If you are looking for a book a little out of the normal paranormal or fantasy genres I would highly recommend you join the Feast…….
June 25, 2011
4.5 stars.
HarperCollins has been extremely gracious to allow me to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release yesterday, and I must say, I’m in LOVE! This was a beautifully written novel and I was captivated the entire way through. One of my favorite aspects of the novel is the multiple points of view, which is turn creates very short chapters. There are many characters within the novel, both good and evil, and having their perspective of events is such a great aide to the story, allowing the reader to see deep inside their souls as events unfold around them. I also liked that, though Destefano uses multiple points of view, she doesn’t rehash the exact same stories repeatedly. One chapter may be Maddie’s point of view in terms of coming across a dead body, and the next chapter could be Ash reminiscing about a past harvest. While there does seem to be some sort of connection between the events of each chapter, the fact that they don’t simply rehash the same event from a new perspective is refreshing. I really enjoyed the way this novel was written and I was enamored the entire way through...
To read my full review (6/29):
http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...
HarperCollins has been extremely gracious to allow me to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release yesterday, and I must say, I’m in LOVE! This was a beautifully written novel and I was captivated the entire way through. One of my favorite aspects of the novel is the multiple points of view, which is turn creates very short chapters. There are many characters within the novel, both good and evil, and having their perspective of events is such a great aide to the story, allowing the reader to see deep inside their souls as events unfold around them. I also liked that, though Destefano uses multiple points of view, she doesn’t rehash the exact same stories repeatedly. One chapter may be Maddie’s point of view in terms of coming across a dead body, and the next chapter could be Ash reminiscing about a past harvest. While there does seem to be some sort of connection between the events of each chapter, the fact that they don’t simply rehash the same event from a new perspective is refreshing. I really enjoyed the way this novel was written and I was enamored the entire way through...
To read my full review (6/29):
http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...
August 30, 2011
This book was on my wishlist for a long time and although I was able to get access to a copy via NetGalley I waited for the autographed copy that I won to arrive instead.
I finally managed to read it this week after having a catch up on some other reading commitments.
And it was so worth the wait.
I LOVED this book.
This story used a cornucopia of elements including dark traditional folk tales, good old scary campfire stories, urban legend, fairytale, and a little subtle romance.
It very much reminded me of what I would call traditional paranormal suspense not unlike classics such as Pet Cemetery and It by Stephen King.
Although so many different P.O.V would normally do my head in, Ms Destefano has written it in such a way that I was eager to read the differing sides of the story rather than lamenting it.
I really wanted to climb into the book with Madeline and Ash, Elspeth and Jake. And Tucker and Samwise will just melt your heart. I cant wait to read more of this series.
Expertly written, interesting characters, mysterious Dark-lings, Feast is a must read for everyone.
5 Stars ~<;]
I finally managed to read it this week after having a catch up on some other reading commitments.
And it was so worth the wait.
I LOVED this book.
This story used a cornucopia of elements including dark traditional folk tales, good old scary campfire stories, urban legend, fairytale, and a little subtle romance.
It very much reminded me of what I would call traditional paranormal suspense not unlike classics such as Pet Cemetery and It by Stephen King.
Although so many different P.O.V would normally do my head in, Ms Destefano has written it in such a way that I was eager to read the differing sides of the story rather than lamenting it.
I really wanted to climb into the book with Madeline and Ash, Elspeth and Jake. And Tucker and Samwise will just melt your heart. I cant wait to read more of this series.
Expertly written, interesting characters, mysterious Dark-lings, Feast is a must read for everyone.
5 Stars ~<;]
July 5, 2011
FEAST had the dreamy quality I associate with Charles DeLint or Nina Kiriki Hoffman, transforming a piece of our every day world into something dark and magical. Maddie soon had me wrapped around their little finger, just as she won the heart of ancient, damaged Ash and reckless, amoral Thane. FEAST had me cringing in anticipation and yelling at the book when characters were in danger, Destefano completely swept me away into her dark dream.
Full review at All Things Urban Fantasy.
Full review at All Things Urban Fantasy.
August 5, 2011
I won this book through a blog contest =) This was a new kind of paranormal read for me, a little darker setting. I read half the book in one evening because I was so into what was happening and what was going to happen. This book is written in each characters POV so you hop back and forth between them, which I thought was pretty cool. You get to see and feel how they do. I thought the story was great and very unique. I'm sure Merrie's Afterlife series has it's own uniqueness so I will probably give that one a read also. Good paranormal read.
June 1, 2011
Book- Feast: Harvest of Dreams by Merrie Destefano
Published by: HarperCollins on July 1st, 2011
Received by: Netgalley
This book was unique and intriguing, but hard to follow at times. I enjoyed the storyline for it’s individuality and found the characters somewhat interesting. However I felt the story was not cohesive and I was left lacking any connection to the characters in the end.
Published by: HarperCollins on July 1st, 2011
Received by: Netgalley
This book was unique and intriguing, but hard to follow at times. I enjoyed the storyline for it’s individuality and found the characters somewhat interesting. However I felt the story was not cohesive and I was left lacking any connection to the characters in the end.
April 16, 2011
This book really frustrated me. The story was OK but it left me with more questions than it answered! I felt like I came into it with the story already in progress and with no one to answer some simple and key questions...very unsatisfying.
April 20, 2011
I thought this story was amazing. I loved the new creatures, the Darklings, and I really hope that this is the first book in a series. The ending made me think that it probably is.
June 16, 2011
Yummy!
My review will post Friday, June 30, 2011 on http://www.glitterinthesun.com.
My review will post Friday, June 30, 2011 on http://www.glitterinthesun.com.
May 28, 2018
I really liked the story idea, but there were a few too many things that kept me from loving this book. The characters were interesting, but we kept popping into perspectives that made the plot drag. Like, every time things started getting good, we'd switch to some random person and it would slow down. I never really figured out what the legend or curse was. It kept being alluded to, but was never actually told. Also, the legend apparently was flying around. That made no sense to me.
The romance between Ash and Maddie seemed tacked on at the end. They really didn't interact enough for me to feel like they were falling for each other. Plus with them and at least one other character I felt there was too much confusion. They kept talking about harvesting them, but they liked-liked them too? I really couldn't figure out if harvesting was a predatory thing that was bad for humans or not.
It was well written. Heavy on the prose, but given the darklings myth, it made sense. I just wish some of the POV chapters had been cut and the romance actually fleshed out so it didn't feel like they added at the end it because 'readers expect boy and girl to hook up and have a happily ever after'.
The romance between Ash and Maddie seemed tacked on at the end. They really didn't interact enough for me to feel like they were falling for each other. Plus with them and at least one other character I felt there was too much confusion. They kept talking about harvesting them, but they liked-liked them too? I really couldn't figure out if harvesting was a predatory thing that was bad for humans or not.
It was well written. Heavy on the prose, but given the darklings myth, it made sense. I just wish some of the POV chapters had been cut and the romance actually fleshed out so it didn't feel like they added at the end it because 'readers expect boy and girl to hook up and have a happily ever after'.
September 10, 2016
This novel takes the sexy supernatural trope and adds enough of a spin that people who like this subgenre will likely find this refreshing and new. Alas, FEAST does not put enough of a spin on it to catapult it out of the ordinary for people like me, who are a little jaded and weary of the sexy supernatural.
Mad Mac is reeling from a divorce, and she takes her young sun Tucker to Ticonderonaga Falls, a resort town she'd visited as a child. She hopes that there she'll be able to overcome her writer's block and create another award winning comic that will put her back on the path to success. This used up my first piece of goodwill. I dislike reading books about authors, and a comic book author is close enough. Authors in novels get awards and six-figure advances as often as ordinary people get parking tickets, and while I'm as much a fan of wish-fulfillment fantasy as the next gal, it just hit me wrong. Still, she's not just a writer, she's also a single mother with a wounded heart and a nine-year-old son to care for, so she's got something other than her hordes of adoring fans.
The second main character is Ash, who is the lord of the desmesne, so to speak. He's also some kind of supernatural creature. I actually liked that Destefano didn't say waht kind they were. They fly, but they can shapeshift as well. They can turn into smoke, they can carry people off into the air. Basically, they're pretty creepy. They feed off people's dreams, and so Mad Mac is an enticing tidbit to them, since she's a walking dream-factory. Ash also likes her because she's pretty.
There are other characters in this novel as well. Ash has a half-human daughter, Elspeth*, and several cousins who are in town for the "Hunt" which takes place around Halloween. Apparently, that's when they go whole hog and hunt people down, putting them to sleep and drinking from their dreams for their sustenence. Ash goes on about how they're not supposed to kill people, just sup from them a little bit, but that goes wrong pretty early on when his cousins accidentally kill someone. Later on they kill people un-accidentally.
My main complaint with this novel is that the prose was florid and overblown. Many times I rolled my eyes and said "blah blah blah" which is what I do when a book takes itself too seriously. It had oo many adjetives, and way too many overblown metaphors for my taste. Random example:
"I could smell it, layers of shadow, the heady fragrance of hte forest at dusk. The scent hung in the air like droplets of water, sparkling, spinning. She had to walk through the mist to get her card adn her eyelids blinked like she was fighting a dream."
This is just her picking up her credit card from the front desk. When she actually encounters magic, it gets even thicker.
Second complain was that there are so many characters that none of them are fully fleshed out. Except for Elspeth who is "standard teen," the non-Ash darklings are pretty much interchangeable to me. Some of them are bad, but they are mostly bad because they want to take over Ash's territory (and he's the "good" guy). They are also bad because they kill people. Ash doesn't kill people, but he imprisons them, so he's not exactly a pillar of morality either. Basically, they're all parasites for whom the best they can do is not kill their human host. I kind of sided with the humans who took shotguns to them.
So much of the magic I felt was just thrown at me without any rules. There's a "Legend" that gets sung over the town, but is it all the time, or just on Halloween? Can ordinary people hear it? What the hell is a "Legend keeper" and why does it matter? I got that Ash kind of felt bad about having imprisoned an entire family for generations, but why did him releasing that family mean that he lost control of the town? And there's this character named "Hunter" who may or may not be a darkling, who pulls out some major magic later on, but his motives make no sense.
Mad Mac could have been a lot better fleshed out. Maybe this is her second book or something. She's got these comic book characters, who are supposed to be so cool, but I don't know anything about them so I have to take it on faith from the tertiary characters who stand around to talk about how cool she is. And I could have empathized that she's got a wounded heart and wants love again, but Ash is no prize. He's a bad father, he drove one of his wives to suicide, and he carried his grief for his first wife to unreasonable extremes. Yes, it's awful to have someone you love die, but after a hundred years or so, you should just suck it up and drive on. I wanted to tell Madeline that Ash is the last thing she needs in her life. Didn't she just run away from an asshole whose beauty was only skin deep? Does she really want to mess up her life like that again?
There were some aspects of this that I thought super cool. The way Ash's first wife died was hilarious, in a black and morbid sort of way. I also liked that dogs can become werebeasts by biting darklings. It's etymologically incorrect, but still kind of cool.
This would make a great movie, if you like the kind of movie that has lots of action scenes and hot actors in tight leather outfits but doesn't actually make sense when you try to describe the plot to your friend after the fact. If you just want a romance with a supernatural hottie and a woman kind of like you (but Eisner-winning) this may satisfy. If you want cohesive, comprehensible worldbuilding and characters that are fully fleshed out, this may disappoint you.
*. Elspeth has a human mother and a darkling father (Ash). She doesn't have all the abilities of a darkling, but she has many of them. She is half darkling, half human. At one point, Ash's cousin is twirling his mustache and outlining all the nefarious deeds he's planning, and he says he wants to keep Mad Mac as a slave and take Elspeth as a bride, and make more half-human darklings.
Basic biology: if two creatures can create fertile offspring, they are, by definition, the same species. If they are not the same species, Elspeth is a mule.
Mad Mac is reeling from a divorce, and she takes her young sun Tucker to Ticonderonaga Falls, a resort town she'd visited as a child. She hopes that there she'll be able to overcome her writer's block and create another award winning comic that will put her back on the path to success. This used up my first piece of goodwill. I dislike reading books about authors, and a comic book author is close enough. Authors in novels get awards and six-figure advances as often as ordinary people get parking tickets, and while I'm as much a fan of wish-fulfillment fantasy as the next gal, it just hit me wrong. Still, she's not just a writer, she's also a single mother with a wounded heart and a nine-year-old son to care for, so she's got something other than her hordes of adoring fans.
The second main character is Ash, who is the lord of the desmesne, so to speak. He's also some kind of supernatural creature. I actually liked that Destefano didn't say waht kind they were. They fly, but they can shapeshift as well. They can turn into smoke, they can carry people off into the air. Basically, they're pretty creepy. They feed off people's dreams, and so Mad Mac is an enticing tidbit to them, since she's a walking dream-factory. Ash also likes her because she's pretty.
There are other characters in this novel as well. Ash has a half-human daughter, Elspeth*, and several cousins who are in town for the "Hunt" which takes place around Halloween. Apparently, that's when they go whole hog and hunt people down, putting them to sleep and drinking from their dreams for their sustenence. Ash goes on about how they're not supposed to kill people, just sup from them a little bit, but that goes wrong pretty early on when his cousins accidentally kill someone. Later on they kill people un-accidentally.
My main complaint with this novel is that the prose was florid and overblown. Many times I rolled my eyes and said "blah blah blah" which is what I do when a book takes itself too seriously. It had oo many adjetives, and way too many overblown metaphors for my taste. Random example:
"I could smell it, layers of shadow, the heady fragrance of hte forest at dusk. The scent hung in the air like droplets of water, sparkling, spinning. She had to walk through the mist to get her card adn her eyelids blinked like she was fighting a dream."
This is just her picking up her credit card from the front desk. When she actually encounters magic, it gets even thicker.
Second complain was that there are so many characters that none of them are fully fleshed out. Except for Elspeth who is "standard teen," the non-Ash darklings are pretty much interchangeable to me. Some of them are bad, but they are mostly bad because they want to take over Ash's territory (and he's the "good" guy). They are also bad because they kill people. Ash doesn't kill people, but he imprisons them, so he's not exactly a pillar of morality either. Basically, they're all parasites for whom the best they can do is not kill their human host. I kind of sided with the humans who took shotguns to them.
So much of the magic I felt was just thrown at me without any rules. There's a "Legend" that gets sung over the town, but is it all the time, or just on Halloween? Can ordinary people hear it? What the hell is a "Legend keeper" and why does it matter? I got that Ash kind of felt bad about having imprisoned an entire family for generations, but why did him releasing that family mean that he lost control of the town? And there's this character named "Hunter" who may or may not be a darkling, who pulls out some major magic later on, but his motives make no sense.
Mad Mac could have been a lot better fleshed out. Maybe this is her second book or something. She's got these comic book characters, who are supposed to be so cool, but I don't know anything about them so I have to take it on faith from the tertiary characters who stand around to talk about how cool she is. And I could have empathized that she's got a wounded heart and wants love again, but Ash is no prize. He's a bad father, he drove one of his wives to suicide, and he carried his grief for his first wife to unreasonable extremes. Yes, it's awful to have someone you love die, but after a hundred years or so, you should just suck it up and drive on. I wanted to tell Madeline that Ash is the last thing she needs in her life. Didn't she just run away from an asshole whose beauty was only skin deep? Does she really want to mess up her life like that again?
There were some aspects of this that I thought super cool. The way Ash's first wife died was hilarious, in a black and morbid sort of way. I also liked that dogs can become werebeasts by biting darklings. It's etymologically incorrect, but still kind of cool.
This would make a great movie, if you like the kind of movie that has lots of action scenes and hot actors in tight leather outfits but doesn't actually make sense when you try to describe the plot to your friend after the fact. If you just want a romance with a supernatural hottie and a woman kind of like you (but Eisner-winning) this may satisfy. If you want cohesive, comprehensible worldbuilding and characters that are fully fleshed out, this may disappoint you.
*. Elspeth has a human mother and a darkling father (Ash). She doesn't have all the abilities of a darkling, but she has many of them. She is half darkling, half human. At one point, Ash's cousin is twirling his mustache and outlining all the nefarious deeds he's planning, and he says he wants to keep Mad Mac as a slave and take Elspeth as a bride, and make more half-human darklings.
Basic biology: if two creatures can create fertile offspring, they are, by definition, the same species. If they are not the same species, Elspeth is a mule.
October 13, 2021
Ash and Maddie . . .
3.5 Stars
Maddie MacFaddin is a creative writer with writer’s block, returning to Ticonderoga Falls where her family had taken her as a child. Things are difficult for her right now after dealing with her divorce.
When she was a child, she was rescued by Ash, a darkling Fae, who has been trapped there for a century and is forced to hold a Hunt every year. On that date, hungry Fae enter the village and consume the dreams of the inhabitants. But over-consuming the dreams can kill the humans. And now, Maddie has become the targeted prey the darkling Fae are after. This time he can’t protect her.
The story didn’t flow well for me. And a romance between Maddie and Ash was not convincing. Other inconsistencies within the story line brought up questions that never were answered. The writing wasn’t bad and I think others may enjoy this book. But something about it just felt disjointed to me.
3.5 Stars
Maddie MacFaddin is a creative writer with writer’s block, returning to Ticonderoga Falls where her family had taken her as a child. Things are difficult for her right now after dealing with her divorce.
When she was a child, she was rescued by Ash, a darkling Fae, who has been trapped there for a century and is forced to hold a Hunt every year. On that date, hungry Fae enter the village and consume the dreams of the inhabitants. But over-consuming the dreams can kill the humans. And now, Maddie has become the targeted prey the darkling Fae are after. This time he can’t protect her.
The story didn’t flow well for me. And a romance between Maddie and Ash was not convincing. Other inconsistencies within the story line brought up questions that never were answered. The writing wasn’t bad and I think others may enjoy this book. But something about it just felt disjointed to me.
January 30, 2023
This book.. This damned book!
I can't describe my frustration any better than this:
I read the 222 page e-book.
This book is divided in 4 parts. 4 parts with 78 chapters, and an epilogue. First, why so many parts? Why so many chapters and why were they so short??! The chapter length was ridiculous! 1 page, 2 pages, 4,... Just... why??!
A lot happened in the numerous chapters, but romance wasn't it. Not until the second to last sentence of chapter 78.
I sat waiting and waiting and waiting and hoping that something would happen. After all destined loves was the whole point. Halfway through I said to a friend "I swear if it's going to be the last chapter.."... and unfortunately, I was right..
Pretty much out of nowhere, someone kissed someone.
78 bloody chapters.
This could have been good. The idea was certainly promising. Unfortunately the execution was lacking.
I can't describe my frustration any better than this:
I read the 222 page e-book.
This book is divided in 4 parts. 4 parts with 78 chapters, and an epilogue. First, why so many parts? Why so many chapters and why were they so short??! The chapter length was ridiculous! 1 page, 2 pages, 4,... Just... why??!
A lot happened in the numerous chapters, but romance wasn't it. Not until the second to last sentence of chapter 78.
I sat waiting and waiting and waiting and hoping that something would happen. After all destined loves was the whole point. Halfway through I said to a friend "I swear if it's going to be the last chapter.."... and unfortunately, I was right..
Pretty much out of nowhere, someone kissed someone.
78 bloody chapters.
This could have been good. The idea was certainly promising. Unfortunately the execution was lacking.
July 7, 2011
Originally posted at http://www.smexybooks.com/2011/07/rev...
Favorite Quote: ”Rest, my sweet. Save you dreams for me. For no one but me.”
Madeline MacFadden (Mad Mac to her fans) spent her summers growing up in Ticonderoga Falls. When her marriage falls apart she brings her son back to this idyllic village in hopes of recapturing the peace it once brought her. But Maddie doesn’t remember everything about Ticonderoga Falls. She doesn’t remember the darkness, the legends, or the mysterious caretaker, Ash, who once saved her life as a child.
As Maddie and her son get settled, Maddie’s childhood dreams begin anew and take a sinister turn. Monsters invade her dreams and soon the village for it is once again time for the Harvest and the time to feast. But magic runs high during the feast and even a spinner of tales can wield unimaginable power when those she loves are threatened.
Feast reminds me of a fairy tale by the Brothers’ Grimm. Dark and foreboding, it weaves its insidious spell around the reader and transports us to a time when humans were slaves to the monsters and magic that ruled the land. Ticonderoga Falls is a small jewel of a town. Nestled deep in a valley surrounded by mountains. Seemingly perfect, the town hides a dark secret. It is cursed. Half the residents are “bound” to Ash; a darkling (fae I believe-we aren’t really assured of that) who watches over the town and his residents in return for for the right to harvest (feed) their dreams. Ash saved Maddie as a child when she wandered too far into the forest and was almost taken by one of his wilder cousins. To mark one so young was considered bad form and Ash could not allow it as she was “his.” Now as an adult, Maddie is ripe for harvesting, but Ash senses something different about her and declares her off limits to his family during the harvest.
Right before the feast is about to start, Maddie finds a dead body which appears as though it has been sucked dry. Ash realizes then that his cousins (River and Thane) have started the harvest early; breaking the rules of the feast. He rescinds their invitation and commands them to leave, but Thane is tired of living off the scraps of others and covets Ash’s territory for himself.
Feast is a heartfelt blending of emotional prose. Vivid world building offers up a different look at the fae and humanity. The story is told from multiple POVs (human and darkling), which gives us insight to what has and is happening from many different sides. It also allows us to experience the gradual changes in feeling and loyalties in our characters as the story progresses. However,the POVs are presented rapidly and often not of the same scene which is confusing. It’s interesting in its presentation, as though we are given a peek into someone’s deepest thoughts but confusing because it’s hard to keep up when leaping around. I felt as though I missed things. I also wish we were given more in-depth background information in Ash’s curse, how the town became involved, what exactly the darklings are. Ms. Destefano barely scratches the surface and it left me with questions.
Our two protagonists are a study in betrayal. Maddie is betrayed first by her drunken inept parents and then by her ex husband when he cheats on her and marries her best friend. Ash betrays his people and his wife by mating with a human, producing a child, then taking the child from the human; causing her to commit suicide. His reasons for taking the child are valid, but his callus ways have caused him nothing but pain from then on.
Maddie is almost fae like in her make up. A fantasy writer, she sees her main characters as real beings in her mind. I like that Maddie isn’t presented like an enthralled human-doing what she is told. She has magnificently strong will and knows something is wrong with Ash and the town. She doesn’t hesitate to let him know either. Her child, Tucker, and their dog, Samwise, present a much needed sense of realism to the the book and offer up some humor to an otherwise serious story. I will say that Samwise is my favorite character in the book.
Ash is fascinated by Maddie. He too sees her characters surrounding her. At first she is nothing more then a means to an end for him, but soon his fascination with her becomes more emotional and he realizes that he is once again falling for a human. I like how the change in Ash’s feeling are so subtle you almost miss them. You think by his POVs that he is still the same unfeeling ‘beast” he has always been but soon you learn that he wants to release his town and residents from the curse as much as some of them want to be released.
The romance between Maddie and Ash is very low key. So low key, their coming together is almost a surprise. You know it’s going to happen because that is the way the storyline harkens towards it-but you really don’t see it happening. As I stated earlier, the POVs are rapid and not very clear at times. Its more of a behind the scenes implication. I wish their romance would have drawn out a little more.
Our secondary characters are as dominate as our protagonists. Sage, Ash’ s sister and Eve, Ash’s daughter, give us some insight into Ash and his curse. Thane and River, though presented as the villains, are not so much evil as they are merely acting on their instincts. They are like children in a candy store. They want it all with no concern of the consequences.
The ending is ripe with tension as we see more real time interaction between everyone. The finale is action packed and helps to bind everything together, yet also leaves enough open to continue with this storyline.
Rating: C
Favorite Quote: ”Rest, my sweet. Save you dreams for me. For no one but me.”
Madeline MacFadden (Mad Mac to her fans) spent her summers growing up in Ticonderoga Falls. When her marriage falls apart she brings her son back to this idyllic village in hopes of recapturing the peace it once brought her. But Maddie doesn’t remember everything about Ticonderoga Falls. She doesn’t remember the darkness, the legends, or the mysterious caretaker, Ash, who once saved her life as a child.
As Maddie and her son get settled, Maddie’s childhood dreams begin anew and take a sinister turn. Monsters invade her dreams and soon the village for it is once again time for the Harvest and the time to feast. But magic runs high during the feast and even a spinner of tales can wield unimaginable power when those she loves are threatened.
Feast reminds me of a fairy tale by the Brothers’ Grimm. Dark and foreboding, it weaves its insidious spell around the reader and transports us to a time when humans were slaves to the monsters and magic that ruled the land. Ticonderoga Falls is a small jewel of a town. Nestled deep in a valley surrounded by mountains. Seemingly perfect, the town hides a dark secret. It is cursed. Half the residents are “bound” to Ash; a darkling (fae I believe-we aren’t really assured of that) who watches over the town and his residents in return for for the right to harvest (feed) their dreams. Ash saved Maddie as a child when she wandered too far into the forest and was almost taken by one of his wilder cousins. To mark one so young was considered bad form and Ash could not allow it as she was “his.” Now as an adult, Maddie is ripe for harvesting, but Ash senses something different about her and declares her off limits to his family during the harvest.
Right before the feast is about to start, Maddie finds a dead body which appears as though it has been sucked dry. Ash realizes then that his cousins (River and Thane) have started the harvest early; breaking the rules of the feast. He rescinds their invitation and commands them to leave, but Thane is tired of living off the scraps of others and covets Ash’s territory for himself.
Feast is a heartfelt blending of emotional prose. Vivid world building offers up a different look at the fae and humanity. The story is told from multiple POVs (human and darkling), which gives us insight to what has and is happening from many different sides. It also allows us to experience the gradual changes in feeling and loyalties in our characters as the story progresses. However,the POVs are presented rapidly and often not of the same scene which is confusing. It’s interesting in its presentation, as though we are given a peek into someone’s deepest thoughts but confusing because it’s hard to keep up when leaping around. I felt as though I missed things. I also wish we were given more in-depth background information in Ash’s curse, how the town became involved, what exactly the darklings are. Ms. Destefano barely scratches the surface and it left me with questions.
Our two protagonists are a study in betrayal. Maddie is betrayed first by her drunken inept parents and then by her ex husband when he cheats on her and marries her best friend. Ash betrays his people and his wife by mating with a human, producing a child, then taking the child from the human; causing her to commit suicide. His reasons for taking the child are valid, but his callus ways have caused him nothing but pain from then on.
Maddie is almost fae like in her make up. A fantasy writer, she sees her main characters as real beings in her mind. I like that Maddie isn’t presented like an enthralled human-doing what she is told. She has magnificently strong will and knows something is wrong with Ash and the town. She doesn’t hesitate to let him know either. Her child, Tucker, and their dog, Samwise, present a much needed sense of realism to the the book and offer up some humor to an otherwise serious story. I will say that Samwise is my favorite character in the book.
Ash is fascinated by Maddie. He too sees her characters surrounding her. At first she is nothing more then a means to an end for him, but soon his fascination with her becomes more emotional and he realizes that he is once again falling for a human. I like how the change in Ash’s feeling are so subtle you almost miss them. You think by his POVs that he is still the same unfeeling ‘beast” he has always been but soon you learn that he wants to release his town and residents from the curse as much as some of them want to be released.
The romance between Maddie and Ash is very low key. So low key, their coming together is almost a surprise. You know it’s going to happen because that is the way the storyline harkens towards it-but you really don’t see it happening. As I stated earlier, the POVs are rapid and not very clear at times. Its more of a behind the scenes implication. I wish their romance would have drawn out a little more.
Our secondary characters are as dominate as our protagonists. Sage, Ash’ s sister and Eve, Ash’s daughter, give us some insight into Ash and his curse. Thane and River, though presented as the villains, are not so much evil as they are merely acting on their instincts. They are like children in a candy store. They want it all with no concern of the consequences.
The ending is ripe with tension as we see more real time interaction between everyone. The finale is action packed and helps to bind everything together, yet also leaves enough open to continue with this storyline.
Rating: C
July 2, 2011
You can also read this review at Reflections on Reading Romance
I received this book for review from the publisher through NetGalley, and I have to admit that I’ve been putting off writing the review because I have mixed feelings about the novel. In fact, I forced myself to read the book a second time, because I wasn’t sure I could do a fair review based solely on my first reading. I’m glad I read it a second time, because it definitely improved with a second reading. This book totally creeped me out (in a good way), and I think that’s one of the reasons it’s been so hard to write this review.
Feast is a fantasy novel with some romance elements, and it takes place in the small town of Ticonderoga Falls. The town clearly has secrets, and there is a sense of foreboding and menace as Halloween approaches. Madeline “Maddie” MacFadden is a graphic novelist known as Mad Mac, and after a nasty divorce, she’s returned to Ticonderoga Falls with her son Tucker to spend a few nights in the cabin she visited with her parents when she was a child. Since her divorce, she’s had a bad case of writer’s block, and she hopes that the change of scenery will inspire her to start writing again. Artists are frequently drawn to the town, but the reasons for the creative draw are less than innocent. The town’s protected (or is it cursed?) by a being named Ash, a Darkling. The Darklings feed off human dreams, and Halloween is the time of the Darklings’ harvest. To protect the humans, the Darklings’ laws prohibit them from gorging themselves on the humans’ dreams, which kills them and leaves their bodies as dried-up husks. With Halloween drawing near, members of Ash’s Darkling family arrive to feast during the Harvest, but after a century of protecting Ticonderoga Falls, Ash’s control of the town is beginning to be called into question by some very dangerous adversaries.
Ms. DeStefano does an amazing job of creating an ominous and sinister feel to the novel. In fact, I completely blame the novel’s creepiness for my difficulties reading it the first time, since I had to keep putting the book down because of the threatening atmosphere. I love how she juxtaposed Maddie’s innocent hikes through the sunlit forest with the shadows that hide the Darklings stalking her, because what should have been a relaxing vacation suddenly takes on menacing overtones. It’s clear from the start that Maddie is special, and her creative abilities attract the creatures that feed on dreams and fascinating Ash. There’s also the constant question of whether or not Ash is the town’s savior or demon. Has his 100 year stay in Ticonderoga Falls been a curse or has it provided protection for the town’s inhabitants? As the novel progresses, we learn more about the Darklings and their powers, providing much of the uncertainty over whether or not Ash is a hero. Also, Ash’s cousins Thane and River arrive for the Harvest, and it becomes clear that they do not intend to abide by the rules, pursuing and taunting their victims in the woods. As the Harvest draws near, the tension between the Darklings and Maddie’s confusion about what is happening in the woods creates suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat, especially since the town’s children will be out trick-or-treating during the Darklings’ feast.
The fictional world created by Merrie DeStefano is a fascinating one, and she does a stellar job of drawing out the tension by gradually revealing information about Ash’s past and the Darklings’ nature through the eyes of different characters. The novel is narrated mainly from Maddie, Ash, and Thane’s points of view, with glimpses from other secondary characters. Unfortunately, this is not always successful. At times, I felt the information gained from the secondary characters was unnecessary. Eli Driscoll, the grandson of the man whose actions drew Ash’s curse, is an important character, but his point of view seems unnecessary, as do those of Joe Wimbledon (the Legend Keeper) and Sheriff Kyle. All three characters play roles in how the action develops, but instead of presenting their points of view, the author could have limited them to interaction with the main characters. The multiplicity of voices was a distraction, and I believe the space devoted to these secondary characters could have been used to develop Ash and Maddie’s characters and incipient romance. The one secondary character whose point of view I did enjoy was that of Elspeth, Ash’s half Darkling/half human teenage daughter. Her voice was my favorite among all the characters, because I felt it was strong and gave a great sense of Elspeth’s vulnerability, more so even than Maddie. At times Ash and Maddie seem a little two dimensional, and their romance seems a bit contrived. While the finale proves that Maddie is a strong creative force, able to interact with the Darklings in ways the other humans cannot, for most of the novel Ash’s attraction to Maddie seemed to be directly related to her creative energy, rather than, say, her personality or character.
Ms. DeStefano is a gifted writer, able to create superbly creepy worlds rivaling that of any horror writer. If you are a fan of fantasy fiction, this would be a great addition to your library. However, if you are more interested in romance or character driven works, this might not be for you. Either way, I’m interested in seeing future novels from Ms. DeStefano. I’ll just make sure I read them with ALL the lights on.
I received this book for review from the publisher through NetGalley, and I have to admit that I’ve been putting off writing the review because I have mixed feelings about the novel. In fact, I forced myself to read the book a second time, because I wasn’t sure I could do a fair review based solely on my first reading. I’m glad I read it a second time, because it definitely improved with a second reading. This book totally creeped me out (in a good way), and I think that’s one of the reasons it’s been so hard to write this review.
Feast is a fantasy novel with some romance elements, and it takes place in the small town of Ticonderoga Falls. The town clearly has secrets, and there is a sense of foreboding and menace as Halloween approaches. Madeline “Maddie” MacFadden is a graphic novelist known as Mad Mac, and after a nasty divorce, she’s returned to Ticonderoga Falls with her son Tucker to spend a few nights in the cabin she visited with her parents when she was a child. Since her divorce, she’s had a bad case of writer’s block, and she hopes that the change of scenery will inspire her to start writing again. Artists are frequently drawn to the town, but the reasons for the creative draw are less than innocent. The town’s protected (or is it cursed?) by a being named Ash, a Darkling. The Darklings feed off human dreams, and Halloween is the time of the Darklings’ harvest. To protect the humans, the Darklings’ laws prohibit them from gorging themselves on the humans’ dreams, which kills them and leaves their bodies as dried-up husks. With Halloween drawing near, members of Ash’s Darkling family arrive to feast during the Harvest, but after a century of protecting Ticonderoga Falls, Ash’s control of the town is beginning to be called into question by some very dangerous adversaries.
Ms. DeStefano does an amazing job of creating an ominous and sinister feel to the novel. In fact, I completely blame the novel’s creepiness for my difficulties reading it the first time, since I had to keep putting the book down because of the threatening atmosphere. I love how she juxtaposed Maddie’s innocent hikes through the sunlit forest with the shadows that hide the Darklings stalking her, because what should have been a relaxing vacation suddenly takes on menacing overtones. It’s clear from the start that Maddie is special, and her creative abilities attract the creatures that feed on dreams and fascinating Ash. There’s also the constant question of whether or not Ash is the town’s savior or demon. Has his 100 year stay in Ticonderoga Falls been a curse or has it provided protection for the town’s inhabitants? As the novel progresses, we learn more about the Darklings and their powers, providing much of the uncertainty over whether or not Ash is a hero. Also, Ash’s cousins Thane and River arrive for the Harvest, and it becomes clear that they do not intend to abide by the rules, pursuing and taunting their victims in the woods. As the Harvest draws near, the tension between the Darklings and Maddie’s confusion about what is happening in the woods creates suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat, especially since the town’s children will be out trick-or-treating during the Darklings’ feast.
The fictional world created by Merrie DeStefano is a fascinating one, and she does a stellar job of drawing out the tension by gradually revealing information about Ash’s past and the Darklings’ nature through the eyes of different characters. The novel is narrated mainly from Maddie, Ash, and Thane’s points of view, with glimpses from other secondary characters. Unfortunately, this is not always successful. At times, I felt the information gained from the secondary characters was unnecessary. Eli Driscoll, the grandson of the man whose actions drew Ash’s curse, is an important character, but his point of view seems unnecessary, as do those of Joe Wimbledon (the Legend Keeper) and Sheriff Kyle. All three characters play roles in how the action develops, but instead of presenting their points of view, the author could have limited them to interaction with the main characters. The multiplicity of voices was a distraction, and I believe the space devoted to these secondary characters could have been used to develop Ash and Maddie’s characters and incipient romance. The one secondary character whose point of view I did enjoy was that of Elspeth, Ash’s half Darkling/half human teenage daughter. Her voice was my favorite among all the characters, because I felt it was strong and gave a great sense of Elspeth’s vulnerability, more so even than Maddie. At times Ash and Maddie seem a little two dimensional, and their romance seems a bit contrived. While the finale proves that Maddie is a strong creative force, able to interact with the Darklings in ways the other humans cannot, for most of the novel Ash’s attraction to Maddie seemed to be directly related to her creative energy, rather than, say, her personality or character.
Ms. DeStefano is a gifted writer, able to create superbly creepy worlds rivaling that of any horror writer. If you are a fan of fantasy fiction, this would be a great addition to your library. However, if you are more interested in romance or character driven works, this might not be for you. Either way, I’m interested in seeing future novels from Ms. DeStefano. I’ll just make sure I read them with ALL the lights on.
November 3, 2021
Fast-paced
A Place of Magic is a fast-paced, intense read. As always Merrie Destefano makes the setting come alive and you feel you are there in the story. Great characters and a unique take for a fantasy story. Loved it.
A Place of Magic is a fast-paced, intense read. As always Merrie Destefano makes the setting come alive and you feel you are there in the story. Great characters and a unique take for a fantasy story. Loved it.
May 4, 2020
The concept was cool and I got into it for the first third of the book. Then, for some reason, I got really bored. I ended up skimming the rest.
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