THE NO. 2 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER‘I devoured this’ V.E. Schwab‘A vampire-themed Handmaid’s Tale, with effective thrills that are intensified by social commentary’ GuardianA gorgeous new fantasy horror – a book about stories and fairy tales with family and love at its dark heart…A gorgeous new fantasy horror – a book about stories and fairy tales with family and love at its dark heart…Hidden across England and Scotland live six old Book Eater families.The last of their lines, they exist on the fringes of society and subsist on a diet of stories and legends.Children are rare and their numbers have dwindled, so when Devon Fairweather’s second child is born a dreaded Mind Eater – a perversion of her own kind, who consumes not stories but the minds and souls of humans – she flees before he can be turned into a weapon for the family… or worse.Living among humans and finding prey for her son, Devon seeks a cure for his hunger. But time is running out – for her family want her back, and with every soul her son consumes he loses a little more of himself…This is a story of escape, a mother’s savage devotion and a queer love that will electrify readers looking for something beguiling, thrilling, strange and new.Perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman, Susanna Clarke, and Let the Right One In