Hello again dear reader or listener, I am here to say I succumbed to the mood reader in me while still maintaining some modicum of responsible reviewer conduct by making sure what I did read was an ARC. The fact that this comes out in August is beside the point.

With thanks to the Blackstone Publishing team for this early review copy then, allow me to list all the reasons why you need this new postapocalyptic thriller on your TBRs.

For those who don’t already know, Anthony Ryan has been an auto-buy author for me for years. I don’t even read the plot blurbs, I see he’s got a new book coming, I do the grabby hands. Reason being he has proven his skill time and time again in many a subgenre of SFF. Be it under his name and, in recent years, he’s also joined the ranks of post-apocalyptic horrors and thrillers under the pen name A.J. Ryan. I was actually surprised to realize his first foray into the genre, Red River Seven, came out two years ago!

Now, I deeply enjoy his fantasy epics, some more than others, as is natural when an author has a certain scope in their writing. But with this new upcoming book I think I can safely say that I love the hell out of his post-apocalyptic thrillers!

With The Feeding, Ryan continues to prove he is an expert at rendering vivid and powerful ambiance even through the simplest and most straightforward of plots. His characters are all memorable even when not overburdened with details or backstories that would fill pages. Instead, we get right into 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, (just to name drop a few IPs in there for the vibes for ya) The Feeding stands on its own two feet as a brand-new entry among the ranks of post apocalypse without any of the tired clichés but with all of the beloved tropes you want to find in this subgenre. And bear in mind, this is not a zombie book. Not quite.

Also, much like Red River Seven, this book gives you the feeling of a videogame novelization and at this point I am asking, begging even, somebody at Naughty Dog, Rockstar, or Bethesda, to give this author a contract to write for them. We digress.

Set 15 years into the apocalypse, Ryan successfully plays the difficult balancing act of determining how much has humanity tried to hang onto the social contracts of civilization as we know it and how much they’ve shed and moved past to make the best of what they have now. Are all old rules and conventions still relevant? Or should they for that matter? What is the point past which you say “Fuck it, I am changing things because holding onto the past is pointless”? That is arguably one of my favorite themes within postapocalyptic fiction and seeing the ways in which each author tackles it is always interesting to me. Needless to say, I found Ryan’s answers to these questions intriguing while also grounded. Utilitarian but also without the level of cynicism this genre is often prone towards. All the while keeping certain details purposefully vague so as to not set it in one specific/recognizable location – the world did end after all. It is left to the reader to decide where the story is happening.

Compared to the slow and inexorable building dread and mystery that characterized Red River Seven, the narrative pace of The Feeding is speedy, uncompromising, and to the point, keeping you on your toes while still pulling the rug under you any time you feel safe enough to take a breath. Being fast on your feet is not nearly enough in this world. Past the walls keeping what is left of humanity safe, sentimentality or weakness will get you or those around you killed. And yet still, the author doesn’t sacrifice character likeability for their ruthlessness, nor does he leave you wanting for details that slowly build a mystery within what initially seemed a simple enough action plot going from point A to point B.

I was also very pleased by the lack of answers for certain things. Yes, you read that correctly, I loved the questions that remained, or the missing context at times. It grounded this story with the realistic rendering of lack of information one expects after world ending events. We take so much of what we know for granted after all, and books like this are a reminder of that.

Finally, I am a simple movie nerd, I see pop culture Easter eggs, I get a boost of serotonin.

In short, The Feeding is pretty much everything you want in a postapocalyptic horror. You can take it as a “simple” yet badass action flick that’ll have you enthralled for the duration of the ride, with its scares, thrills, and cinematic storytelling. Or, you can give it an extra minute to ponder the underlying themes it allows for without beating you over the head with them. My only real qualm with this book is that I wanted more of it regardless of how satisfying yet a little bitterwseet the end was.

The Feeding comes out through Blackstone Publishing in the US, and through Orbit Books in the UK (under the A.J. pen name) August 26th, and if anything I said piqued your interest, dear reader, this is exactly the book you need on your shelves!

Until next time
Eleni A. E.

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!!

An adult thriller version of The Maze Runner trilogy kinda.
It’s the Zombie apocalypse and the citizens of New City Redoubt have been living behind huge walls. However, the Crossers who get their supplies have started dropping in huge numbers.
Layla is a scavenger who needs medication to save her father, so makes it her aim to join the Crossers.

This was unlike anything else Ryan has written. His lyrical profound prose is swapped for pulse-pounding actions and tension.

Due to the shorter length of the novel, the character work I adore Ryan for him his fantasy series is lightly lacking, yet you really get inside Layla’s head.

The wider implications and world-building is loose yet delivers enough to satisfy - especially for a story in this sort of sub-genre.

My warning to you - don’t get attached to anyone.

Arc gifted by Blackstone Publishing.

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.

“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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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 is a stand-alone novel that I had a hard time starting. My progress stalled in the first chapter or two and I had to restart the book. However, that was a product of my own work schedule and other distractions, because once I was able to concentrate on my reading, this book really drew me in.

The post-apocalyptic setting was familiar and some of the protagonist, Layla's, explorations reminded me of part of the Silo series by Hugh Howey mixed with The Last of Us (the show, I haven't played the game). In my mind, the feeders were zombies, but that initial perception wasn't true, for they were more accurately vampires once the setting is made clear. I particularly liked the way they were portrayed because they felt different from your stereotypical vampires that have been overdone in recent books and other media.

I found Layla's journey in this story to be scary and I was alone in my house while reading most of this, so every creak and small noise made me imagine feeders closing in on me. I'm not generally a horror fan because the genre tends not to scare me, but this book did manage it! This is also not a happy story, but I think the set up for that is well done and no one that starts this book should expect all the characters to make it through the story.

The initial plot of the novel make me wonder about the scope of the story, and I didn't see the central thread or antagonist right away. However, it steadily snuck up on me and I made the same catastrophic realization that Layla did about half a page before it was confirmed.

I felt for Layla and all her people, and was engaged in their struggles throughout the book. Everyone had believable motivations and the ending wrapped up all the loose ends, while leaving open the possibility of another book. It doesn't NEED another book, but if the author wanted to write one, I'd read it.

"The Feeding” by Anthony Ryan is an adrenaline-filled 5-star post-apocalyptic thriller! The world has been devastated by transformed humans known as feeders, and the survivors live in scattered settlements. One of these is Redoubt, where Layla spends her days scavenging local ruins for valuable items to trade at the market. When tryouts are announced for a dangerous role as a crosser, Layla takes her shot at joining this elite group.

I am probably not the typical reader for this book. I have only read one other novel by Anthony Ryan, which I loved, and I usually do not pick up many adult post-apocalyptic stories. The most recent one I read was Swan Song, another favorite of mine. These two factors convinced me to give this book a chance, and I am so glad I did. This is a high-stakes survival story with plenty of action. While it is not a long book and does not have extensive world-building, we still learn everything we need. Layla’s character is well developed, and her struggles feel real and compelling. I also enjoyed the variety of feeders, each with unique qualities.

I hope this is not the only book set in this world, because there is so much more that could be explored. Either way, I look forward to whatever Anthony Ryan writes next, even if it is not in this wasteland.

Thanks to Blackstone Publishing, Anthony Ryan, and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read this ARC and share my honest review.

This is a thrilling postapocalyptic story about a determined young woman on a mission to save her father. New City Redoubt, a city born from the ashes of a forgotten world, relies on the brave individuals who venture outside of the wall to bring back lifesaving materials. Outside the city's safety, creatures known as feeders hide, eager to stalk and hunt. Finding the life-saving medication her father needs will take her outside the walls and onto the feeder's territory. She embarks on the most terrifying journey with a small group of veteran and new crossers, where she'll soon learn that feeders aren't her only threat.

A gripping story that will have readers on the edge of their seats. The world, creatures, and characters create a perfect blend of terror and excitement, leaving the reader wanting more. The main character shows the complexity needed to survive the frightening world around her. The stakes are high; every chapter draws the reader in, investing them in the crosser's journeys. The story is well-paced, each chapter pushes it forward, and has vivid imagery, making it a good choice for late-night reading.

Overall, this was a great story that hooked me within its first few chapters. I am excited to see where the story goes after this book. The author has set the stage for additional stories and leaves more to explore for the characters introduced in the story.

For readers who enjoy postapocalyptic stories with a hint of The Last of Us and I Am Legend.

**I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is an advance reader copy (ARC) and may contain errors or changes before final publication. My review is voluntary and reflects my personal thoughts.**