Feast: Harvest of Dreams [Mass Market Paperback]

Merrie Destefano (Author)

Book Description

Release date: June 28, 2011

“Merrie Destefano storms the world of urban fantasy…breathing new life into the vast genre of the undead.”
—Tosca Lee, author of Havah and Demon: A Memoir

“Merrie Destefano has made a fine start on a promising career.”
—James Gunn, science fiction Grand Master

With her brilliant debut novel, Afterlife, author Merrie Destefano earned herself a place of honor at the banquet table alongside today’s top authors of sf and urban fantasy. With Feast, she serves up another heaping helping of thrills, shivers, wonder, and glorious invention while spicing up the recipe with dark romance in the bestselling vein of C.L Wilson, Marjorie M. Liu, and other paranormal superstars. A spellbinding fantasy of supernatural intrigue and forbidden love, Feast blends vampire and fairy lore, with the resulting dish offering a sumptuous new take on both, as a troubled storyteller returns home to the mysterious autumn woods just prior to Halloween, to find her life and her soul captivated by a cursed immortal, the Lord of the Hunt.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Halloween is a bad time to return to the woods . . .

Madeline MacFaddin ("Mad Mac" to fans of her bestselling magical stories) spent blissful childhood summers in Ticonderoga Falls. And this is where she wants to be now that her adult life is falling apart. The dense surrounding forest holds many memories, some joyous, some tantalizingly only half-remembered. And she's always believed there was something living in these wooded hills.

But Maddie doesn't remember the dark parts—and knows nothing of the mountain legend that holds the area's terrified residents captive. She has no recollection of Ash, the strange and magnificent creature who once saved her life as a child, even though it is the destiny of his kind to prey upon humanity. And soon it will be the harvest . . . the time to feast.

Once again Maddie's dreams—and her soul—are in grave danger. But magic runs deep during harvest. Even a spinner of enchanted tales has wondrous powers of her own . . .

About the Author

Merrie Destefano left a 9-to-5 desk job as a magazine editor to become a full-time novelist and freelance editor. With twenty years' experience in publishing, her background includes editor of Victorian Homes magazine and founding editor of Cottages & Bungalows magazine. She lives in Southern California with her husband, their two German shepherds, and a Siamese cat.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Harper Voyager; Original edition (June 28, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061990825
• ISBN-13: 978-0061990823
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #621,245 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Merrie Destefano left a 9-to-5 desk job as a magazine editor to become a full-time novelist and freelance editor. Her first novel, Afterlife: The Resurrection Chronicles, is an urban fantasy published by Harper Voyager, and her second novel, Feast: Harvest of Dreams releases June 28, 2011. With twenty years' experience in publishing, her background includes editor of Victorian Homes magazine and founding editor of Cottages & Bungalows magazine. Born in the Midwest, she currently lives in Southern California with her husband, two German shepherds, a Siamese cat, and the occasional wandering possum. Her favorite hobbies include reading speculative fiction and watching old Star Trek episodes, while her incurable addiction is writing. She loves to camp in the mountains, walk on the beach, watch old movies and listen to alternative music--although rarely all at the same time. For more information, visit her website at www.merriedestefano.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars This didn't work for me July 11, 2011

By Jen TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Maddie is a writer, recovering from a painful divorce and a bad case of writer's block. She returns to a small town where she vacationed as a child, hoping to find her muse. When she arrives, with her son and the family dog in tow, her imagination begins firing again almost right away.
Ash is thrilled that Maddie has returned. He encountered her when she was a child and recognized her vast creativity. He didn't claim her then, but hopes to correct that now... just in time for the impending hunt. Others of his kind are coming to join him, and he finds his heavy spirit lightning a bit, despite the heavy curse he has carried since the death of his wife. But one of his visitor has nefarious plans... and as treachery unfolds, it will change everyone's life forever.

If I managed to translate the story in any way that makes sense, I feel like I've earned some kind of reviewer merit badge. I spent almost the entire book at least half-way lost. I'm sure the author was trying to let the details come forth as the story unfolded, but I'm a bit partial to having more than a vague idea as to what is going on in the book I'm reading. For at least half of the book, I didn't even know if Ash was the hero or villain; whether he was a love interest for Maddie or a threat to her. I had no idea what the heck he was supposed to be. And frankly, when I found out, I was... underwhelmed. (On a side note, I also have to mention there were too many narrators, and the perspective changed with each of the 90+ chapters.)

The book wasn't horrible... but it's wasn't a good fit for me. 2 1/2 stars.

P.S. The cover is all wrong here. The lead character is a 32 year-old mom... not a 19 year-old biker-chick.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Unable to get into this... August 4, 2011

By Karianne Stepinski

Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I agree with previous reviews that have stated how confusing the book is at times and difficult to really get into. The chapters are each narrated by a different character with their own motivations and history, which ends up just being too much information that doesnt blend well. I was confused as to what role Ash would play in the story for most of the book; one moment warming up to him, the next disliking him. The romance in the story was underdeveloped, and left me feeling cold. In fact, for the most part, I felt nothing but disgust and dislike toward the majority of the characters.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Dark, Yet Hopeful... June 30, 2011

By B. Hyde

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I'd love to see inside Merrie Destefano's head. I imagine it would be brimming with fairies, dark creatures, brave loyal dogs, beautiful flowers, luscious forests, and all of the characters from her books. Feast is dark, yet hopeful. It's about loss, but also about love and acceptance. There are moments of intense courage and moments of profound danger. Reader's will love the imagery, the characters and the author's beautiful style of writing.