Hello, bookworms! I am back with another review. This time it’s about a debut, with the stunning title, The Devouring Gray. But first of all, I want to thank Titan Books for sending me a free copy for review!
This book, written by Christine Lynn Herman, pulled me out of my reading slump. It’s a mixture of Stranger Things, Riverdale & The Raven Boys. Let’s see the cover and synopsis below!
After the death of her sister, seventeen-year-old Violet Saunders finds herself dragged to Four Paths, New York. Violet may be a newcomer, but she soon learns her mother isn’t: They belong to one of the revered founding families of the town, where stone bells hang above every doorway and danger lurks in the depths of the woods.
Justin Hawthorne’s bloodline has protected Four Paths for generations from the Gray—a lifeless dimension that imprisons a brutal monster. After Justin fails to inherit his family’s powers, his mother is determined to keep this humiliation a secret. But Justin can’t let go of the future he was promised and the town he swore to protect.
Ever since Harper Carlisle lost her hand to an accident that left her stranded in the Gray for days, she has vowed revenge on the person who abandoned her: Justin Hawthorne. There are ripples of dissent in Four Paths, and Harper seizes an opportunity to take down the Hawthornes and change her destiny-to what extent, even she doesn’t yet know.
The Gray is growing stronger every day, and its victims are piling up. When Violet accidentally unleashes the monster, all three must band together with the other Founders to unearth the dark truths behind their families’ abilities—before the Gray devours them all.
So, this is a modern fantasy that mixes up horror, mystery and romance! The characters are all very mysterious & complex and the story full of twists and turns.
The pages flow; I mean, it was such a fast paced read and I couldn’t put it down.
Let’s see the story a bit. Four Paths is a small town. What it doesn’t lack is mystery. The town is run by the founder families but there is more. The town is the prison of a monster that feeds off of innocent people. That prison is what the founding families call, the Gray.
LIttle children, led astray,
Wandered through the woods one day,
Stumbled right into the Gray,
Never to return.
In that place where nightmares dwell,
Only four have lived to tell.
That is why we have to stay:
Branches and stones, daggers and bones,
They locked the Beast away.
When Violet moves into town with her mother, she soon realises that Four Paths is not an ordinary town…and it’s far from peaceful. It also doesn’t help that she is herself a member of one of the founding families.
Soon, she meets Justin, May, Isaac & Harper and new revelations come to torment her. Being a part of a founder family comes with a price…and a power she never knew she possessed. Her world threatens to crumble all around her and her grief for her lost sister is not the only problem she has to face.
The book managed to surprise me even though the plot twist didn’t shock me. I was kind of expecting it. Still, the writing was so fun and entertaining and the characters really spoke to me! The author shows what lies and lust for power can do to people. She shows that courage can overpower any physical weakness and that family is not always the one that you were born into. She shows the power of friendship and love. She adds a lot of vibrancy to her descriptions and she managed to make the Gray utterly scary.
The book is not a standalone so you’ll have to live with that cliff hanger at the end! But if you love contemporary fantasy and unique storylines, then I highly recommend you pre-order a copy of this book asap!!!! I am going to link everything below so you can check the book out yourselves!
I cannot wait for the next book.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!
*The book releases in the UK on April 16th and in the US on April 2nd.*
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