The Feeding

Ryan (Born of an Iron Storm) successfully pivots from epic fantasy to post-apocalyptic thriller in this pulse-pounding vampire tale. Fifteen years before the start of the novel, an event dubbed “The Feeding” led to the evolution of three types of vampires: feral gammas; slightly more human betas; and powerful alphas, who are intelligent enough to pass as fully human. Since then, billions have died. Teen survivor Layla lives in one of the few remaining human strongholds, the Redoubt. After one of her fathers, Strang, contracts a lung infection, Layla is desperate to obtain antibiotics to treat it. With none available in the Redoubt, she successfully applies to join the Crossers, a highly trained unit that ventures into the feeder-infested Outside to search for precious resources. Each Crosser is also allowed to bring back a few personal items, and Layla hopes to hunt down the medication and get it to Strang in time. Scrappy Lyla is a wonderfully multifaceted heroine and, as she and her teammates face threats both from the voracious feeders and from one another, Ryan keeps readers on the edges of their seats. Fans of The Last of Us will be enthralled. (Aug.)