4.5/5 stars, rounded up. Anthony Ryan is one of my favorite fantasy authors. This novel is his second foray into the thriller genre after last year’s Red River Seven, which was a very good story. This futuristic post-apocalypse SciFi/horror thriller might be even better. Ryan is an excellent writer. He has a penchant for very fine prose that keeps the reader engaged and actively reading for what will happen next.

The protagonist of this story, Layla, is a young woman caught in a day-to-day survival with her found family. The city surrounded by a protective wall depends on the Crossers, the elite group of selected individuals who are chosen to leave the city to travel the dangerous land, that is occupied by creatures who hunt humans, in order to trade with other settlements where humans are still able to survive. In desperation to save her ‘father’ from an infection, Layla sets out to become a Crosser to find the antibiotics he needs to survive. This is the story of her trials, training, and life of death adventure being the walls.

Layla is a compelling character with grit, dedication, and a love for her family. She is inspirational in her efforts to succeed for those she loves.

I highly recommend this novel, or really any story by Anthony Ryan! If you’ve never read anything by Ryan this novel is a good place to start, but make sure to read his fantasy works as well.

In a post apocalyptic setting Layla must join an elite cadre of people called "crossers" in order to retrieve meds for an ailing father.

Audiobook Stats:
⏰: 10 hours 13 minutes
🎤: Devon Sorvari
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Format: Singular POV/Timeline
I found the narrator to be clear and concise in her narration. I never had to adjust my speed and was able to listen within my typical range. Well, I found her perfectly suitable to listen to and enjoyed my reading experience. Nothing really set her apart from any other narrator for me.

Themes:
🧛🏾‍♂️: Love of family
🧛🏾‍♂️: Rebuilding after destruction

Representation:
🎒: Queer side characters

Tropes:
💗: Found family
💗: Trust no one

🥵: Spice: 🚫
Potential Triggers: violence and gore **check authors page/socials for full list.

Short Synopsis:
15 years in the past, the Feeders rose up and demolished civilization. Now the remaining humans are forced into settlements that are surrounded by high walls. An elite team of people called "crossers" we often cross the wall in groups and meet with other settlements within the wasteland to trade supplies for survival. But less and less of the crossers are coming back. Layla decides to join the crossers to try and retrieve essential meds to save her dying father. Will anybody return?

General Thoughts:
I am already a fan of Anthony Ryan, and this is a deviation from his typical fantasy into something more dystopian and thriller based. I definitely missed his unique characterization and development as I did not see that present within this novel. However, the setting and overall atmospheric grittiness of this novel made up for what I was missing with the character development.

This is the type of novel where it's highly suggested not to get attached to any character. The overall violence and gore was enough to lend a desolate viewpoint of the setting in this book, while not bad enough to feel gratuitous or extreme.

While the other characters mostly remained superficial, which I imagined was mostly due to their super unreliable chances of survival, we do get a pretty good picture into the head of Layla. Even with the deep dive into Layla's thought process, I still don't feel like I really got to know her on a deeper level. This is probably just a "me "thing, but I never felt endeared toward her character or her cause.

Where the story shined for me was the storytelling and plot line. As well as the very interesting setting and the mystery surrounding the desolate wasteland involving the feeders. They seemed like some sort of cross between zombie and vampire, and it was extremely interesting to me.

Disclaimer: I read this audiobook via free ALC through NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I enjoyed this dark view of a version of Earth. The world is transformed into humans and types of hybrid vampires. The humans are not winning an there is not much hope for mankind. A girl's father is seriously ill and the only hope is going to a neighboring stronghold and trade for medicine. And so the story begins.

The Feeding had me on the edge of my seat, reminiscent of The Passage and I Am Legend. A post-apocalyptic narrative featuring creatures that are not-quite zombies and not-quite the vampire we are familiar with. Devoted daughter Layla must brave the outside world if she wants to save her father who is slowly dying of a lung infection that is easily treated with the antibiotics of today. Yet, in Layla’s world, this illness is a death sentence.

While a compelling story, I felt The Feeding suffered greatly from pacing issues. The beginning is very much a training montage that brings nothing new to the genre nor does it serve to develop the story. The side characters could be developed in more detail and some elements of the final conflict fell flat. I really enjoyed the world building and the ways these small settlements are described. I felt like that could have been explored in a little bit more detail, or as though more information could have been provided regarding the end of the world or how all of this happened.

I’ll be keeping an eye out for more from Ryan and am particularly interested in any plans for a sequel - the reveal at the end blew my mind.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this e-ARC, all thoughts are my own.

This book was okay but it lacked Ryan’s signature prose and character building that made him famous. I realize this is a very different genre but I was hoping that it would transfer over.

The story itself reminds me of the Last of Us and I Am Legend as far the dystopian world with creatures that are kind of zombie like but also kind of vampire like.
He writes in 3 kinds of “Feeders” which I thought was enjoyable. I enjoy encountering different creatures and having to adapt.

I think most people will enjoy this read but I found it to be okay and was racing to finish so I can get to other books on my TBR

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the book!

THE ZOMBIE EPIC YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR!!

The Feeding is a zombie epic that revived the genre for me. Told in a way that made me think of George Romero, Jonathan Maberry, & Max Brooks. The Feeding has a little bit for every type of reader. It contains science fiction with some harrowing science and some excellent weapons designed for killing Feeders. It is action-packed with some badass characters that action fans will love. There are dystopian elements, moments of paranormal mystery, and more that I shouldn’t reveal. Finally, the story is chock full of horror & terror alike. Which made this story fly by in a quick-paced action adventure!

Readers are bound to fall in love with the main character of this story. Her motives are emotionally impactful in a world where hope is in high demand & low stock. These emotions drove me as the reader to feverishly keep reading to figure out how things were going to end. And Ryan keeps you guessing, this is a zombie apocalypse story, so the body count IS HIGH!

I think my only drawback with this story was the wrap-up. We closed a lot of storylines very quickly and I feel like some of those storylines could have taken a little bit more to explore. I was ready for this story to lay the groundwork for several sequels based on the exceptional climax. However, readers can take heart in that the story can continue, but there is also a resounding and satisfying end!

Perfect for fans of George Romero, 28 Days Later, Justin Cronin’s The Passage, and The Last of Us! Trust No One & Prepare for a Crossing in The Feeding!

A fantastic bit of post-apocalyptic horror, "The Feeding" is a departure from most of the highly intricate (and long) fantasy novels for which Anthony Ryan is better known. Here we are thrust into a world where Ryan has managed to build a fantastically believable world some fifteen years after the fall of civilization to a race of creatures that is at once as recognizable as it is a new take on the zombie/vampire/werewolf story. Following young Layla as she joins the ranks of the "runners" who conduct trade between the remaining fortified settlements separated by the Outside filled with the monstrous feeders. While this in and of itself would lend fertile storytelling material, Ryan ties in several additional storylines that makes me sad that the story has come to an end (hopefully only for the moment). The best part is, the lack of complete details, of knowing the full history of the story, only aids in making the storyline better. We are just as limited in our knowledge of this world as Layla with virtually no time spent in trying to justify the state of events or attempting to bring us up to speed. Instead, we have myriad threads which add to the hold but offer rich possibilities for future endeavors. My only complaint is that too many of the great characters who could help tell a much longer story (or series of stories) are wasted in what felt like a very rushed final 20% of the book. The pace through the first half of the book had me strongly thinking this was the first book in a series and even at 75%, I saw all these elements which were looking to set up a much grander story. Alas, this was not meant to be, but with enough loose ends to certainly allow the opportunity. It felt like a TV series that has filmed 3/4 of their season but negotiations are not going well for a renewal so we need to wrap things up in the last handful of episodes so there is some resolution if cancelled but enough to build if that renewal comes though. Still a fantastic read!!

Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the opportunity to read this eARC.

Loved this book. Much different from the previous Anthony Ryan works I've read, but the bones are all there. Gritty, engaging characters and a fantastic plot, with a fun twist on vampiric creatures. It was really enjoyable, and serves as a reminder that although Ryan is mainly known for his incredible fantasy work, he is talented enough to crush any genre he focuses on.

Book: The Feeding
Author: Anthony Ryan
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Publication Date: August 26, 2025
Capone’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 ⭐s (rounding up to 4 for this review's standards)

The Feeding is perfect for fans of The Last of Us who also loved The Hunger Games and survival thrillers. I ought to be careful with this review because I went in thinking Blackstone was giving me horror, and it was most definitely not horror. Rather—and this is clear from other reviews—in this novel we’ve got a clear example of a post-apocalyptic thriller with more action or suspense elements than horror elements. Recommended for those looking for individual and small-group survivalists facing off against an evil closing steadily around their dwindling and downturning encampment. There’s nothing earth-shattering here in terms of premise or execution, but both are effective and well-done.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of The Feeding

Anthony Ryan has been an auto buy author for me since I read his Covenant of Steel series. When I found out about The Feeding, which features one of my favorite mythical creatures, I just had to have it. I enjoyed the book but I did find the beginning to be a bit slow and even boring at some point. However, the second half of the book is much better pacing wise and, as always, Ryan's action scenes are on point. Not my favorite book by him but still a good read.

The Feeding is another tautly written, well-imagined thriller from the fluent pen of Anthony Ryan. It contains a similar format to his novel Red River 7 where a disparate cast of characters are on a journey of discovery. Unlike that novel though, this story contains a welcome promise of more to come.

If I have a criticism it is that his vision can be a little bleak as pretty much everyone and everything in the novel dies except the central protagonist.. Nonetheless I look forward to more to come!.

The Feeding is an apocalypse survival story. Its about a young woman trying to survive a world that is destroyed.

This short novel (or long novella) could be summarized as zombie-apocalypse but with vampires. That'll tell you mostly everything about the setting - few human survivors in a post-apocalyptic milieu against hordes of mindless vampires everywhere (and a few smarter ones thrown in).

Story: Layla, a street-smart young woman who scavenges parts in one of the few remaining settlements ends up applying to join a travelling crew, They go to other settlements in order to trade for vital supplies and she hopes to gain access to medication that her adopted father needs. We get a bit of a training/selection montage and then the main story happens during their outing into the vampire-infested world.

As usual with Ryan's work, the early parts I feel are stronger and the story gets a bit weaker as we get nearer to the end. It never falls through though and there is enough new here to keep the reader interested, even though a lot of this uses the same troupes that have been seen countless times. The cast of characters is good and pacing is wonderful - I finished this in a single day.

The weaknesses come from the setting itself. Changing the zombies to be vampires doesn't really add anything new and I've read the 'brainless horde attacks' thing way too many times already, especially as all of Ryan's books seem to end up with this happening. I'm not a big fan of the zombie genre and even still I could predict mostly everything that was going to happen by switching in vampires.

Overall, if you like zombie apocalypse novels then this is a competent entry. Writing is always strong, the characters are good and no one does something stupid 'just because'. There's a lot to like here if you don't mind how familiar it all is. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for providing me this free eARC in exchange for an honest review. Let it be said but I'm a sucker for a good apocalyptic horror novel and this is great one. I've not read any of the author's previous works but a glance seems to be fantasy is his primary genre. Horror is also one of his strengths. I really enjoyed the unique take on the apocalyptic theme. Highly recommended read.

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 theatre. 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?

This was gresat. Awesome to see such a great author such as Ryan branch out from epic fantasy. This is a post apololyptic thriller with a lot of horror themes mixed in. Think The Road mixed with The Stand. I loved this one and anyone who likes those kind of books or previous Ryan books should love it too!

“They’re not just diseased people turned savage. They’re not even people at all. All you know is the stories you’ve been hearing since you were a kid and even I don’t know if they’re true. The feeding was a mad scramble to get to the Redoubt. A nightmare I do my best to forget.”

The Feeding by Anthony Ryan was something new and different than I am used to by this author. I’m used to epic/grimdark fantasy, but I was in for a surprise and a treat by reading this wonderful book. With equal parts horror, post-apocalyptic, and creature features, this book has a little bit of everything.

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 theatre. 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?

I absolutely loved this book, and I want to thank Anthony Ryan for personally sending me this ARC link to Netgalley to read. I’m a horror lover at heart, but I also almost equally love fantasy, and when one of my favorite fantasy authors writes something that is horror, it became an instant must-read. And I was not let down.

Ryan has a way of making you care for his characters, even the ones that are annoying. By the end of the book, you are feeling everything that Layla feels, the pain, the struggles, the regret, and the loss. It made me want to read more. The characters were brought to life in such a vivid way it almost felt like I was there with them.

And that ending! There were a couple of twists that I did not see coming, and I’m usually pretty good and spotting them, and that was something else that I loved. This isn’t your typical zombie/vampire end of the world book. This had heart and was a breath of fresh air into this genre that has slowed down due to things like The Walking Dead and The Last of us.

If you are looking for a wonderful read that was quick paced but still had enough detail to paint a beautiful picture, then pick up The Feeding when it gets released. I believe the release date is August.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC of The Feeding by Anthony Ryan. This was a late nighter for me....devouring (no pun intended) the apocalyptic setting, with a strong and admirable female MC. The creatures and the plot were terrifying at times, but yet there was still a poetic and emotional thrum to the story. I loved every minute of it! Would definitely recommend for fans of The Road and The Passage.

This book was so good! The premise and the characters were top tier. I can't wait to see what the author does next? Totally worth reading!!

I received this eARC through Netgalley and am giving an unbiased review.

Having enjoyed many of Ryan's other novels, I looked forward to this tale of a dystopian world with a vampire-type disease. Ryan did not disappoint. Though I am used to reading trilogies (or longer) by this author, it was nice to have a stand-alone novel.

"The Feeding" feels like a companion piece to Ryan's "Red River Seven" - both set in post-apocalyptic worlds with mysterious origins that have backed stable society into a corner while supernatural horrors await those who are looking for answers.

This story follows Layla, a young scavenger living inside a walled-off city low on resources. The event known as The Feeding occurred around 15 years prior, and Layla has been living with her adoptive fathers ever since. One of her fathers has fallen ill, and Layla decides to enter into a contest to become a Crosser, a small batch of citizens allowed to leave the city to forage and trade with other surviving settlements. The catch? Mutated horrors lurk in these badlands, and the Crossers have a low survival rate. For Layla, becoming a Crosser and finding medicine for her father is the top priority, even if it means sacrificing her life along the way.

Layla is a fun character to follow. She's very prickly and singular-minded, closing herself off to other relationships and human experiences while focusing on her goal. She is hyper-vigilant, resourceful, and driven. One of the more interesting questions the book presents Layla is how far will one go to meet their goals? Does one human life hold more or less value than others in a collapsed society?

This is a fast-paced novel, rife for adaptation into a TV series or video game. Strong evidence of influence from 'Fallout' and 'The Last of Us' abound, and I tore through the story in just a couple of days. It was hard to find a good stopping point, leading to a couple of obscenely late reading sessions, which makes a pretty strong case for how much fun this story is.

If any of the above settings or themes appeals to you, I'm confident you'll have a blast with this novel.