The Feeding - by Anthony Ryan (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

With echoes of The Road, New York Times bestselling author Anthony Ryan's The Feeding is a brilliant postapocalyptic novel that is perfect for fans of Justin Cronin, M. R. Carey, and Alexis Henderson.

Fifteen years ago the feeders rose from the shadows to transform the world into a graveyard. The few survivors exist in fortified settlements surrounded by the empty ruins of a destroyed civilization. For years the citizens of New City Redoubt have relied on an elite cadre of Crossers to navigate the feeder-infested wasteland between settlements in order to trade for vital supplies. But the Outside is becoming ever more dangerous, and the ranks of the Crossers grow thinner with every crossing.

Layla, only a child when the Feeding destroyed the old world, spends her days scavenging the ruins for valuable scrap and her nights helping her adoptive family eke a living from the Redoubt's only movie theater. Now, with her father slowly dying, Layla resolves to join the Crossers to retrieve the medicine that can save him. Smart, ruthless, and fast on her feet, Layla quickly gains the respect of her fellow Crossers. But, in a world lost to the deadliest predators, can even the most cunning prey survive?

Review Quotes

"The Feeding delivers of ton of action, gore, loss, intense competition, and even at moments some heart. This blend made for a wonderful journey that was as thrilling as it was heartfelt. The fast pace kept me hooked and hit all the marks I look for in a postapocalyptic tale."

"I Am Legend meets Dying Light 2...What I liked: The author's ruthlessness--and I shan't elaborate on that, because of spoilers, but dear lord."

"A captivating story of survival, pervaded with riveting action made all the more thrilling by the high stakes, and interspersed with, at times, a certain pragmatic poignancy that drives the emotional impact in fully. Parts I Am Legend, parts The Last of Us, and with perhaps a certain whiff of Fallout or Mad Max-esque fortified settlements."

"An entertaining read, briskly paced, competently written, and built around a protagonist who's easy to root for."

"Ryan successfully pivots from epic fantasy to postapocalyptic thriller in this pulse-pounding vampire tale...Fans of The Last of Us will be enthralled."

"The prose and ideas are once again top notch, only surpassed by the explosive conclusion that will drop the jaws of all those who pick it up...A postapocalyptic tale that fans of The Last of Us or The Walking Dead will add to their shelves without a second thought, enjoying it immensely...Do yourself a favor, pick this one up as fast as you can run to it."

A gripping stand-alone thriller that masterfully blends relentless action, poignant character drama, and genuinely unsettling horror...This novel carves a distinct niche within a crowded genre, offering both visceral thrills and thoughtful commentary on survival, sacrifice, and the fragile remnants of humanity."