What Feeds Below

by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne, Da Eun Yoon (Narrator)

The darkness isn't empty. It's hungry.

At the edge of the City of the Void, a massive chasm extends miles into the earth, its treacherous terrain overrun with vicious monsters and carnivorous plants. For orphaned best friends Petra and Jade, guiding treasure-seeking tourists down into the Void is the only way to earn enough to pull themselves up out of the slums for good.

Petra prefers to play it safe and take jobs only in the Void's upper levels, where the dangers are better understood, while Jade wants to risk a descent to the deepest and most mysterious Sixth Layer. Because the deeper they go, the better the payout, and the sooner their dreams can become reality. Their friendship is Petra's whole world, and Jade's approval means everything—so Petra agrees to do it Jade's way.

When their job goes wrong and Jade is lost in the Void, Petra must plunge deeper than she's ever dared to save her friend. But she doesn't know the truth of the Void . . . or what really waits for her in its depths.

Genres: Horror, Fantasy, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Thriller, Fiction, Dystopia

Audible Audio

First published October 6, 2026

About the author

Tatiana Schlote-Bonne (Shh-low-tee Bo-Nay) is the Indie and USA Today bestselling author of the horror novels What Feeds Below, The Mean Ones, and Such Lovely Skin. She has an MFA from The Nonfiction Writing Program at the University of Iowa. When she’s not writing, she’s either gaming, lifting weights, or teaching people how to lift weights. She is of Japanese, Mexican, and European descent, and lives in Iowa. Find her on IG @thebuffwriter

Reviews

[Saray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sorry to my boss, because I was reading this on company time, I really could not put it down. If you feel like your life is missing something, it's this book. Like, oh my godd, how do I convince everyone and their mom to read it?

A terrific world-building book with such descriptive and immersive details that made me feel physically squeamish, anxious, and deeply unsettled. It unraveled every expectation I had and replaced it with something deeper, something more. What starts off slow (almost gave up, PLEASE DON'T), as we dive into the mechanics of this world, quickly transforms into a gripping and all-consuming intensity

What Feeds Below is told from Petra's pov as she and her best friend, Jade, navigate through their world surrounding a mysterious one-mile-wide, six-layered hole named The Void. As you descend into the Void, it gets progressively more dangerous, with creepy and mutated monsters that can kill you in the most gruesome way possible. However, mystic artifacts can be found from a secret and old civilization that can be sold for modern currency on the surface.

On the verge of turning eighteen, Petra and Jade, both orphans, are soon to be displaced. Petra's dream is to open a health clinic where she can use her vast knowledge of Void plant life to create medicine and care for the poor. Petra and Jade become Void Divers in hopes of finding rare artifacts that they can sell to save up money for the clinic. When they get separated during a dive, Petra, the cautious half of the duo, is desperate to save her found family and turns to an estranged friend, Flint, for help to find Jade. In return, she will help him descend to the sixth layer for a secret that he's guarding closely. And hollllllyyy SIX-HELLS (ifykyk) is the journey that they take.

If you've made it this far into my review, I'm hoping that I've somehow convinced you to read this book, and please do, so we can talk about it because that ENDING? TATIANA SCHLOTE-BONNE, I AM SICKKKK OVER THIS, and I need compensation.

Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Ricarda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love books that make me think "wow, this was really gross from start to finish" and What Feeds Below definitely belongs into that category. The book is all about Petra and Jade, two orphans living in the City of the Void, which is famous for, you guessed it, the Void. It's basically a huge hole in the ground that can absolutely kill you, but the promise of rare treasures still made it into a tourist attraction for people all over the world. Petra and Jade make their money by leading tourists in and out of the upper layers of the Void and while they already saw quite a lot of freaky stuff on their tours, it's no comparison to the things that happen further down. There are sentient plants, vicious creatures and mutated humans and most things want to kill and eat everyone that walks by. It's also rumored that there is a whole lost civilization at the very bottom or that the whole place has mystical powers, and everyone has lost their mind a bit when it comes to the Void. It's very clear that the best loot and the rarest resources await in layers that aren't as frequently walked through, but people who go so deep rarely return with all their limbs still attached or with their mind intact, if they return at all. Jade and Petra end up on a tour to the very bottom anyway, so this book explores everything that the Void has to offer. There are plenty of creatures with lovely names like gutweaver, bonedrinker or cadaver giant and everything has too many legs and eyes where there shouldn't be any. Every encounter was gross and freaky, and I was living for it. Like, we're talking about people getting turned into goo and slurped up by monsters with a straw-like beak. I love to see it. Almost the entire story takes place underground and it has a tense and hostile atmosphere from start to finish. No character was safe from harm and danger and it was just so thrilling to read because of that. It's basically non-stop action with everyone being constantly attacked. At other moments they were crawling through tight spaces or swimming underground and all of that is absolutely horrible to me too, so I can't say that I was feeling any relief during these parts either. The characters were not new favorites or anything, but they had goals and were determined to reach them. Petra wants to built a clinic where she can help people with her medical knowledge and it was fun how she constantly swooned over potentially lethal plants and the medicine she could make out of them. It added a nice layer to the story and made the decision to go to the bottom layer a bit more believable, although that remains the most stupid thing that anyone could ever do in this world. But I'm not complaining. This is a fast and addicting read, full of freaky moments and twists that I didn't see coming. I think the author did perfectly what she was trying to achieve and that is to gross me out (in a good way.)

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Bindery Books for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Chewable Orb · Rating 4 out of 5]

What Feeds Below by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne
4.25 rounded down to 4🔮orbs
Pub. Date: Oct. 6, 2026
Bindery Books



Down in a hole….

💡 Orbs Prologue: An extremely large orifice lies in the belly of a place called the Void. Much like a stray piece of fuzzy lint lodged in a man's hairy belly button, things survive here. But what types of "things," you may ask? Dear readers, as I take you down below, the clanking of chains and metal reverberates off the rugged tunnel walls. You are caged like an animal in a zoo. Mishapen flying beasts buzz around us, taking us in. You can’t help but feel like prey. This steel contraption you occupy descends ever so slowly. Small jabs of panic erupt deep within your body as the small bouts of motion sickness play their evil games. A dankness seeps from below, and I, Void Diver Orb, tell you in a calm voice to relax. In my hundreds of dives in this jagged chasm, I have yet to lose an adventurer. And while I don’t mean to boast, this accomplishment seems scarce amongst the Void diving community. After paying top dollar, you require safe passage to find certain artifacts buried somewhere on the sixth layer, and I am your best option to get you there and back in one piece…

🧐 A small glimpse: Petra and Jade are void divers. They are a team, friends more like sisters. Petra has depended upon Jade as a protector ever since she was left to fend for herself. They survive by diving, making just enough money to get by. However, a dream exists of owning something they can truly call their own. Can they push their diving boundaries? Descending into the lower layers of this frightening cavern might get them a prized artifact they need to make their dreams come true. Tatiana Schlote-Bonne, author of The Mean Ones, is back with a different type of horror. This time, dropping readers into the abyss, Schlote-Bonne skewers us through our wormlike bodies and casts a rusty hook deep into the unknown. What she might catch is anyone’s idea.

👍 Orbs Pros:
👏 If David Cronenberg had created a dimly lit Avatar-ish movie, minus the more hardcore SF elements (mechs), in a nightmarish rendition!
👏 Loved Petra’s backstory!
👏 Creative!
👏 Pacing was spot on!
👏 A terrifying environment!
👏 A little bit of romance!

👎 Orbs Cons:
🤔 While there were twists, I may have figured this one out too early.
🤔 Rather short. This could be a pro or con. I wanted more!

⚠️ Warnings: Depictions of blood and violence. Psychological trauma.

Highly recommended! I have to give Tatiana Schlote-Bonne some credit. After enjoying The Mean Ones, I expected more of the same campy horror trope. Wow! What a divergence. This was on the complete opposite side of the spectrum, and I loved it! The environment and the creatures inside stole the show. A very cinematic feeling was evoked.

💡 Orbs Epilogue: You seem like a good person but ill-prepared. I am not sure you comprehend the magnitude of the dangers that lurk around every corner. If we survive, a very questionable proposition that I may have forgotten to mention, we will encounter a variety of mutated plants and beasts. “Here, put this on," as I hand you some spray that conveniently masks our smells so as not to attract creatures. This place offers a glimpse into a world devoid of light. Darkness reigns supreme, and our flashlights will both help and hinder our progress. “Only flash the light when I tell you,” I repeat twice for the utmost clarity. Exiting the cage, we step onto a mushy, mud-like surface. Through wispy clouds of steam on our left flank, a canopy of trees with hanging fruit-like jaws gorge on six-legged monkeys with human-like faces. I point to a shimmering pond behind some normal-looking brush. As you start to move, your hand grazes your flashlight, and the small click of death spells your impending doom. Unfortunately, the light’s radiance is aimed directly at the killer trees, and miraculously they crane their trunks and turn to shuffle over to our group. So this is the end, but at least you got to see what was down in the hole…

Many thanks to Bindery Books for the ARC through NetGalley. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Esta · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

Things not to do in the Void:

- Go in alone.
- Follow suspicious lights or voices.
- Get caught without a light source.
- Die

Excited to read this with Ivana 🍄

Full review to come

[gabbie (trying to catch up 🥲) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I swear this book almost cured my aphantasia. I could actually almost picture things in my head for once, which is basically a medical miracle. Usually I'm the first person to say, "Please, no movie adaptation, just let the book be a book,” but I need to see this on a screen. Hollywood, do your thing, please.

Petra and Jade are teen orphans in a city built around a massive chasm: the Void. It's miles deep, overrun with monstrous flora and fauna, and lucrative enough that people (including Petra and Jade) will risk their lives guiding tourists into it for the payout. The deeper you go, the more dangerous and lucrative it gets. Petra is fine staying in the upper layers. Jade is not. When Jade goes missing during a tour, Petra has to go after her. Who knows how deep she will have to go to find her best friend? She hasn’t even spent a full hour in the Third Layer. And the Sixth Layer has exactly ten known survivors.

The Void truly feels alive. It feels like its own character, oozing with weird diseases, mutations, and creatures that are technically animals but maybe not? fungal, botanical nightmares, claustrophobia, you name it. It's clear that Tatiana knew exactly what kind of world she was writing about. While Petra descends, you also get excerpts from in-world books that flesh out the history of the Void and how deeply it has shaped the world around it. And then there are the creatures. My absolute favorite part of this book. I do love me some body horror, and man, does this book do it well. Like the first creature they meet, the one that kills by shoving little tiny baby hands through a body like it’s trying on a new skin suit? Chef's kiss 🤌🏻 and that’s just the warm-up!

Some parts felt predictable. I saw the plot twist coming, and the characters definitely act their age in the way YA characters tend to, but I didn't care. I'm not the target audience anyway. The other parts more than made up for it. I just wanted to keep reading. Isn't that kind of crazy? In a way, I had a pretty clear idea of where the story was going, but I was so hooked by the incredible world Tatiana created and the insane Void creation she was going to put on the next page that I just couldn’t stop reading.

The pace is fast and balanced. Some people say it starts slow, but I disagree. It's the perfect balance between backstory and action. Once Petra drops into the Void (which doesn’t even take long), you’re right there with her, clinging to the edge of your seat. I read the whole thing in a day, which is wild because I am not a fast reader.

If you're looking for the perfect Halloween read (release date is Oct 6), add this title to your TBR and start counting down the days. You're in for a treat.

A big thank you to NetGalley, Bindery Books/Boozhoo Books, and author Tatiana Schlote-Bonne for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Sidney · Rating 5 out of 5]

tatianaaaaa! sooo when does the movie come out??? this was like if the descent x annihilation x atlantis the lost empire had a baby & the descent is one of my favorite horror movies of all time so naturally i was living, laughing, & loving What Feeds Below.

i will read anything & everything Tatiana puts out, i don't care what it's about just take my damn money! i have been a fan since Such Lovely Skin & every book gets better & better. this had me glued, GLUED I TELL YOU, from the very first pg.

we follow best friends Petra (Pet) & Jade who make a living as tour divers guiding treasure seeking tourists into the Void. the Void is a massive chasm full of terrifying mutated animals, fiends, plants that want to eat you & quite literally anything else that could possibly kill you. Petra always wants to play it safe by never diving deeper than the second layer but Jade insists the deeper they go, the better the payout & the faster they can make their dreams come true. when a new job goes terribly wrong & Jade turns up missing, Petra has no choice but to go deeper into the depths of the Void to find & save her.

this genuinely had me on the edge of my seat. not only am i claustrophobic, so you'll NEVA EVA see me near a cave, but you'll also never catch me venturing too deep into any large body of water (you never know what's in there)...mix those two together with mutant creatures hunting you down?? oh this was like reading my worst nightmare!

this was packed with action, so cinematic it read like a movie! the imagery was vivid, the way Tatiana describes the void & all the flora, fungi & fauna is perfectly detailed. the body horror was juuust gross enough to push the whole reading experience to the next level. the twist?! i'm kind of mad at myself for not fully seeing it coming. the way i absolutely devoured this, i can't rate it any less than 5 Stars ✨ this was just such a fun read

pre read── .✦
tatiana always writes such fun books, i know this won't disappoint!

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review

[₊ ˚ ale ࿓ ♡ ⋆｡˚ · Rating 5 out of 5]

‎ ‎ ‎ ⌗‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ──🍋‍🟩🐈‍⬛ᝰ .ᐟ read.
NO BECAUSE WTF WAS THAT ENDING, TATIANA??????? RTC BC WTFFFF

‎ ‎ ‎ ⌗‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ──🍋‍🟩🐈‍⬛ᝰ .ᐟ pre-read.
i'm 50% done and this is so so so good. i can't stop reading.

thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange of an honest review!

[Aiden Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lush, terrifying, and utterly consuming. What Feeds Below is a fever-dream descent into a world where wonder and horror share the same breath. Schlote-Bonne crafts a friendship as fierce as the abyss is hungry, asking how far we’ll go for love — and what we’re willing to become in the dark.

[Aardvark Book Club · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you tired of staring into the void? Trying diving in instead.

In fiction, a cave is always a metaphor: for interiority, the bits beneath the surface that no one else sees, for digging into the self, the psyche, the long-forgotten past…you know the drill. So when you see a book set in a cave—or in the Void, a miles-deep sprawling cave with six increasingly dangerous layers—you know you’re in for a real treat.

What Feeds Below gives us all that—the deep-diving and layer-peeling, both physical and metaphorical—plus a zingy kick of page-turning fun. It’s a brilliantly crafted coming-of-age sci-fi thriller, the kind of book you inhale in one sitting and think, just, wow. Reading it feels like stumbling upon something truly special—like finding a rare Third Layer glow gem (and the real thing, not a tricksy gem-tailed viper disguising itself as something precious).

If you’ve been on the lookout for some adventure, or just a guaranteed good read, don’t sleep on What Feeds Below. And if you’re still thinking of skipping it, our absolutely stunning special edition cover might convince you otherwise.

[Brandon Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO MUCH FUN!!!

This was a fast paced, claustrophobic, action packed, bodily horrific nightmare that I could not read fast enough!! It reminded me of a mashup between The Call by Peadar O’ Guilian (my fav YA horror) and Annihilation, while still very much being its own thing.

A few scenes genuinely shocked me and the body horror was so disgusting and cringeworthy at times it had me like physically recoiling, and the way that the different monsters were described and the way the stakes kept getting higher and higher the deeper our characters descended just made for a very stressful, high stakes, and wildly entertaining read.

Highly recommend!

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

NOW THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT. First and foremost can we talk about the IMAGERY??????? It was so vibrant. I could literally see every mushroom, every creepy crawly creature, every little thing was so vivid like it was right in front of me. The world building was superb.. just enough for us to know what’s what and got straight to the point.

Jade and Petra. Void Divers. Two Bestfriends. One End goal……..or so I thought. This was probably one of the best plot twists I’ve read in a long time. I didn’t see that coming AT ALL. I’m shook.

The ending ???? WTFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF is going on???

This was so damn fun and horrifyingly whimsical. The body horror????? CHEFS KISS

[Christine Garrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m cautious enough to avoid deep caves even when they’re monster-free. Add carnivorous plants, parasites, and creatures that can liquefy or inhabit their victims, and I’m definitely staying near the surface.

In What Feeds Below, Petra and her best friend, Jade, make a living guiding tourists into the Void, a vast chasm with six increasingly dangerous layers. Petra prefers the familiar upper levels, but when an expedition goes disastrously wrong and Jade is lost below, Petra must descend farther than she has ever dared. With Flint alongside her, she faces a hostile ecosystem where nearly everything seems capable of killing them and where it becomes difficult to know whether the people around her are still in control of themselves.

This is not a book for the faint of heart. The deaths are graphic, gruesome, and inventively gory. I’d rather avoid having a brain worm crawl into my ear canal or slowly succumbing to parasitic mushrooms, thank you very much. The deeper Petra and Flint travel, the more dangerous and unsettling the Void becomes, making the descent feel claustrophobic even before the creatures appear.

The story reminded me of T. Kingfisher’s What Stalks the Deep: both tap into the fear of being trapped underground with terrifying, otherworldly creatures. What Feeds Below adds another layer of unease by making us question whether the characters can trust their own minds or whether one of the Void’s many invasive species has already compromised them.

I especially enjoyed Petra’s attempts to sound nonchalant in the face of horrors like the skin leech. Finding room for even a little humor when everything is going wrong is something I’ve always admired. As the creatures force the characters to revisit painful moments from their pasts, we also begin to understand what drives them to risk their lives in the Void. Petra’s repeated bravery sits alongside her deep self-doubt, giving her more dimension than a straightforward survival hero.

Da Eun Yoon’s narration makes the audiobook even more immersive. She differentiates the three travelers clearly, helping each voice stand out as the danger closes in. The result is an absorbing, frightening listen that should appeal to readers who enjoy subterranean horror, grotesque creature design, and high-stakes survival stories. Just be prepared for graphic body horror as well as the unsettling thought that when you’re alone beneath the surface, you may not be alone at all. The company might just be hungry.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing an advance listener copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Upated Review:

Do you ever pick up a book and realize that you're not leaving until you finish it? That was me with What Feeds Below. I was instantly pulled into this world with Petra & didn't want to let go until I reached the bottom of the Void. The monsters were creepy, the body horror was intense, and that ending?!?! I absolutely loved this novel and can't wait for more people to finish it!

Beta read review: you guys, I read this in ONE SITTING because I couldn't put it down. Absolutely cannot wait to read the final copy again and gift it to everyone next year because I think it might already be my favorite book of 2026 😱

[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

Update (audiobook):

Great listening experience. Thanks so much to Dreamscape Media for this advance listening copy of What Feeds Below. I really enjoyed the narration and the story!

——

Book: I really enjoyed this horror book. It was really entertaining. I binged read it! Had a great time! 🤩

Thanks to Bindery Books and NetGalley for this eARC, to be published on October 6th, 2026.

[Sadie Hartmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Advanced reading copy entrusted to me for blurb consideration from Boozhoo Books, a Bindery imprint from acquisitions editor, Naomi (fromthemixedup desk) who is committed and dedicated to 'uplifting Indigenous voices and making space for Indigenous books on shelves'. This aligns with my goals to center horror books by women in underrepresented communities. I read, The Mean Ones by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne and fell in love with her storytelling style and imagination, so I leapt at the opportunity to be a first-reader of What Feeds Below

I don’t know how to take my entire reading experience and all of my notes and feelings about this book and what makes it so great and try to boil it down to a few sentences. Somehow, someWAY, she understands modern horror readers, and more specifically, her own niche audience and delivers EXACTLY what we want.
Like a Horror-Fantasy Alchemist, Tatiana Schlote-Bonne pulled in my adolescent obsession with high fantasy and elaborate world-building and blended it with my hyper-fixations with
-Sporror (fungus-horror)
-Descent horror
-Body horror
-Anime-style quest narratives
-Intricately plotted, character-driven, horror with heart
-Elaborate, vivid, atmospheric eco-centered setting where the location is a standalone character
-Two MC protagonists who are best friends, opposites, and have an intense, relational dynamic with a strong gravitational pull on the reader--I could not STOP reading! I love how the author gave Jade and Petra unique voices and played them against each other but stayed mindful of the ways in which they fight for each other
My mind is honestly blown. Tatiana Schlote-Bonne writes specifically for me, I am her target audience. She serves impossibly high-stakes (big risks with the promise of emotional devastation), fully developed, unique characters to fall in love with (total upfront investment) and an intricately plotted story where she taps some hyper-specific niche obsession. I don't know how she does it.

Official blurb:

"Tatiana Schlote-Bonne is a horror genre alchemist, a mixologist able to blend together niche sub-genres and cultural hyper-fixations to create wildly satisfying stories that hit on so many levels. What Feeds Below is horror-fantasy hybrid centering an opposites attract friend dynamic, plunges them into an anime-style quest drama set in a horror landscape with high-fantasy elements. This is addictive brain-candy. I could live in this book."

[Tatiana Schlote-Bonne]

I started writing What Feeds Below soon after I finished my second book, The Mean Ones, which draws heavily from my own life and relationship trauma. I needed a break from dredging up my past and wanted to write a book that was pure fun and escapism. I'd recently watched the second season of Made in Abyss and was thinking about how if the Abyss existed in our world, it would be mined for profit. I was also thinking about danger tourism and the Sherpas of Mount Everest. And so I started developing my own take on the Abyss from MiA that was darker with cave systems (like The Descent), fungal and plant mutations (like The Last of Us and Annihilation), and scary monsters inspired from my favorite Golgari Magic: The Gathering cards. Put that in a capitalist society hungry to profit from everything within, no matter the danger, and the Void was born.

Like I'd hoped, it was a blast to write about.

What Feeds Below is a love letter to my favorite anime, horror movies, and games, and it was a much needed escape when I needed it. This novel made me remember how much fun writing is, and like all of my stories, this novel also has a deeper heart, one of girlhood friendship and finding inner strength (I really do write about the same things again and again and again.)

If you'd like them, here's a list of content warnings (some are spoiler-y):

Gore, limb loss, claustrophobia, thalassophobia, trypophobia, infant death (mentioned), toxic friendship, emotional manipulation, gaslighting.

[Johanna Van]

I blurbed this one!

"Fast-paced, suspenseful, and plenty gory, What Feeds Below is a richly-imagined fantasy horror novel that you'll want to devour in one sitting rather than feed on for days, but be careful: it'll linger long after you've gobbled up the final page."

[andreea ᥫ᭡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

𐔌 . ⋮ what feeds below 🍄 .ᐟ ֹ ₊ ꒱

thank you to netgalley and bindery books for providing me with an arc of what feeds below by tatiana schlote-bonne in exchange for an honest review.

what to expect:
— a horror/fantasy blend set in a massive, dangerous underground void
— two best friends with a very intense, codependent dynamic
— creepy creatures, carnivorous plants, and some body horror
— survival + rescue mission
— strong atmosphere and worldbuilding

this book has it all.

𐔌 . ⋮ plot 🍄 .ᐟ ֹ ₊ ꒱

the plot of what feeds below is pretty straightforward at its core, but the way it plays out makes it feel a lot bigger.

it follows petra and jade, two orphaned best friends who make a living guiding people into this massive underground void filled with monsters, dangerous terrain, and genuinely horrifying things. the deeper you go, the more money you make, so even though it’s risky, they keep doing it because it’s their only way out of the life they’re stuck in.

petra is more cautious and prefers staying in the upper levels, where things are at least somewhat predictable, while jade is the opposite. she wants to go deeper, take bigger risks, and chase something more. their dynamic is very much built on that tension, with petra constantly trying to keep up with jade and not lose her.

everything kind of spirals when a job goes wrong and jade is lost somewhere in the void. from that point on, the story turns into a descent (literally and figuratively), with petra going deeper and deeper into layers she’s never dared to enter before, trying to find her. and the further she goes, the more dangerous and unknown everything becomes, not just physically, but in terms of what the void actually is and what it does to people.

𐔌 . ⋮ characters 🍄 .ᐟ ֹ ₊ ꒱

one thing i really liked in what feeds below was the characters. even though the book is only around 220 pages, i feel like petra’s growth is very real and noticeable. at the beginning, she’s a lot more cautious and hesitant, someone who sticks to what she knows and avoids unnecessary risks. she prefers staying in the upper levels of the void where things are at least somewhat predictable, which says a lot about how she approaches life in general.

but as the story goes on, especially after jade is lost, she’s forced to push past all of that. she goes deeper than she ever wanted to, both physically and mentally, and you can really see that shift in her. it never feels rushed or unrealistic, which i appreciated.

jade, on the other hand, is basically her opposite. she’s more reckless, ambitious, and constantly chasing something bigger. she’s the one pushing them to go deeper into the void in the first place, because she wants a better life faster, no matter the risk.

i also want to mention flint, because i actually really liked what he brought to the story. he’s one of the people petra ends up traveling with during the descent, and he adds a different kind of energy to the group. where petra is more cautious and jade is impulsive, flint is a bit more grounded and practical, which helps balance things out.

he’s not overly complex, but he doesn’t feel flat either. his presence makes the journey feel less lonely, and i liked the way his dynamic with petra developed over time. it never takes over the story, but it adds just enough to make the group feel warmer in a way and give petra someone to bounce off of besides jade.

he also helps highlight petra’s growth, especially in the way she starts to trust others more and rely less on just jade.

𐔌 . ⋮ writing 🍄 .ᐟ ֹ ₊ ꒱

the writing style was one of my favourite parts of the whole book. it felt very cinematic to me, like i was watching everything play out. the descriptions are so vivid that the void, the creatures, and everything happening down there feel really real and almost too easy to picture. a lot of the scenes genuinely felt like something straight out of a movie.

the atmosphere is also done really well. it’s very immersive and intense, especially as the story goes deeper into the void. everything starts to feel more claustrophobic and more dangerous. the setting feels like an actual part of the story, almost like its own character.

i also really liked how the horror elements were written. the body horror and creatures are described in a way that’s detailed enough to be unsettling without feeling overdone, and it adds a lot to the overall tension. this is definitely one of those books that would translate so well to screen.

𐔌 . ⋮ final thoughts 🍄 .ᐟ ֹ ₊ ꒱

overall, i had a really good time with what feeds below. i can’t wait for this to hit shelves so i can get my own copy, and i’ll definitely be recommending it to other people.

i would say to maybe check the trigger warnings before going in, just in case. there are some darker elements (especially body horror and general horror themes) that might not work for everyone.

publishing date : october 6th, 2026


𐔌 . ⋮ pre-read 🍄 .ᐟ ֹ ₊ ꒱

this mix of horror and fantasy sounds right up my alley, so i’m really excited to dive into this one. 🤞🏻

[Melanie Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Disgustingly Good Nightmare! 🕳️🌿

​With What Feeds Below, Tatiana Schlote-Bonne delivers a fast-paced, claustrophobic, and utterly gross horror trip that you won't be able to put down.

​The Story:
Orphaned best friends Petra and Jade guide tourists through the upper layers of the City of the Void - a massive, monster-filled abyss - to escape the slums. When a descent into the perilous Sixth Layer goes wrong and Jade vanishes, Petra must plunge deeper than ever into the dark to save her.

​What to Expect:
• ​Horrific Monsters: From gutweavers to bonedrinkers, expect relentless creature-feature terror, goo, and body horror that will make you physically recoil in the best way possible.

• ​Non-Stop Tension: Set almost entirely underground, tight spaces, constant attacks, and high stakes create a suffocatingly thrilling atmosphere.

​Closing thoughts
A cringe-inducing, action-packed nightmare. If you love gross, high-stakes creature horror, this is a must-read! 5/5 Stars 💀✨

[Adam Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tatiana Schlote-Bonne's third novel is a masterclass in world building. It is remarkable how fast we get into the world of the Void and all of the people and creatures that populate it. I could probably write a review just describing the creatures that inhabit the void. There is so much imagination that goes into them and each one is more nightmarish than the last, leading to multiple times that the book physically caused me to jump or cringe in horror. While I would never, and I mean never, want to actually go into the Void myself, I would love to see this world created for the screen at some point in the future because it is absolutely begging for it.

As for the plot itself, this is a fantastic, search and rescue mission where the situations that the characters find themselves in get worse and worse until I was on the edge of my seat and chewing my fingernails waiting to see what was going to happen. And the main three characters, especially Petra, are fully drawn and had me rooting for them, mostly anyway. Schlote-Bonne is such a talent and with each book she gets more and more confident in her storytelling. This book had to have been quite a challenge, horror/fantasy with some Sci-Fi thrown in, and she absolutely nails it. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

[jenny✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

i devoured this the way a void creature would consume a human who's fallen into its cave: wholly. immediately. with relish and abandon.

wow. wow wow wow. i discovered this book by accident today; requested an advance reader copy today; received said copy today; and now i'm somehow DONE because this story is just that compulsively readable.

before we dive into it all i just needed you to know that, as i was reading, melanie martinez's VOID (one of my fave songs off her portals album) played on a loop in my head and it was weirdly fitting? i will be inserting clips from the music video (which looked like it was filmed right in the third or fourth layer of the void) throughout this review......



a quick synopsis: petra and jade are teenaged orphans living in a sprawling metropolis that has grown around a deep chasm overrun with monstrous flora and fauna: the void, capable of mutating the human divers who stray into its depths.

as divers themselves, petra and jade make a living by taking tourists into the void, with the ultimate goal of someday saving up enough to open their own medical clinic at the orphanage.

divided into six layers, each progressively deeper and more dangerous than the last, the void was discovered two hundred years ago: a natural hellhole in an uninhabited continent. when explorers finally made their way to the very bottom, they discovered priceless relics and the ruins of an ancient, technologically advanced civilization that worshipped a mysterious, powerful force at the centre of the void. when the book opens, petra and jade are gearing up to take a client deeper into the void than they've ever ventured before—and something goes wrong on the trip, leaving jade stranded in the void and petra terrified without her. somehow, petra has to find a way to save jade and survive the horrors of the void: but what is awaiting her in the depths will be far worse than anything she could have imagined.



without a doubt my absolute favourite part of this novel were the ravenous monsters that populate the void.

they're a little cuddlier near the surface—winged deer, giant parrots, six-armed monkeys—and become increasingly disturbing the further down you go. (for readers who would rather be surprised than know about the monsters in advance, i'm putting the following sentence under spoiler tags so you can choose your own adventure.)

there are fungi that reanimate corpses, and sea creatures that latch spikes onto your face and make you hallucinate your worst fears. there are creatures with their guts hung on the outsides of their bodies, creatures part-spider and part-human; something that has evolved to mimic a human with a cavelight—only for you to come close and realize, too late, that the thing has too many legs and too-sharp teeth.

these monsters had me riveted. if you're like me—that is, fascinated by the gory and macabre; drawn to body horror and monstrous world-building—i guarantee you will find this novel just as un-put-downable.



if there was one small gripe i had, it would be the untapped potential of this book's emotional core.

we have a very interesting central cast here: three characters who have a fraught history and conflicted, yet intense, bonds and dynamics. i would have loved to see more interactions between the characters outside of flashbacks and the high-octane mission to save jade. i could feel the tensions between them, but i wanted more. more flint. more jade. more petra, and the others around them. as an example of what i thought was untapped potential: the scenes involving petra and her father-turned-fiend were incredibly strong from an emotional standpoint, and i would've loved to read more interactions and scenes between them from before he disappeared to really hammer it home.

(i'll be the first to admit, though, that that could simply be my own greediness for more of the characters!!! from the overwhelmingly positive reviews from early readers so far, other people don't necessarily share my gripe, and understandably so—what feeds below is a VERY strong offering to the upper-YA-horror niche.)



i am also of two minds about the twist at the end. on the one hand, jade's betrayal presented a high-stakes climax to the dynamics that had been brewing throughout the entire novel, with petra finally taking a stand for herself and naming the imbalance in their friendship and owning up to the hurts and insecurities—and her own power and worth—that she had suppressed all these years.

and this hit me hard, because i relate on a personal level to petra: years ago, i had a best friend whose voice i internalized, much the same way petra swallowed jade's. i didn't know yet that i had a voice, much less how to listen to it, and so i let someone else guide me and tell me my worth. seeing this play out in a speculative YA horror novel was interesting and something i appreciated.

on the other hand, i feel like the revelation that jade had been lying all these years undermined the emotional depth of the book: the life-or-death loyalty and fierce love between jade and petra (and the tensions as well as joys that came out of their intense bond) was something that i'd immensely enjoyed, a tether to humanity amidst the monsters and gore. without this, the emotional pull of the story felt diminished, and while i do love my monsters, i don't necessarily want a story carried by them.

lastly, the author mentioned that this novel was inspired by made in the abyss, an anime i hadn't yet heard of and am now definitely going to watch. to me, what feeds below is journey to atlantis meets caitlin starling's the luminous dead, with creatures straight out of the last of us and love and monsters that would put those in naomi novik's scholomance to shame. (if you understood this last sentence, congratulations and i think we should be friends 😂)



bottom line: this was such a fast-paced, twisted ride—and the most stunning cover i've seen all year. it's been so so long since i've been utterly immersed in a book like i was with what feeds below. i highly recommend this to adventure-hungry readers who find themselves drawn to body horror, gore, and monstrous world-building. tatiana schlote-bonne, i have my eyes on you!!!!

thank you netgalley and bindery books for an advance e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Mikey ಠ◡ಠ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omggggg this book!!! Stand back everyone, I'm about to make this book my entire personality, prepare to be SICK OF MEEEEE talking about this book nonstop.

Quick overview: In What Feeds Below we follow two best friends Petra and Jade who are caving guides for a place called The Void. The Void holds a lot of treasure, but it's also extremely dangerous, which is where Petra and Jade come in. They agree to take an adventurer to the third level of The Void in hopes of earning enough money to fund their dreams and things immediately go sideways. Jade is taken and Petra must go deeper into The Void to save her best friend. Can she? ...Should she?

I think my favorite thing about this book was the mixed media elements at the beginning of each chapter where you got to see things like a waiver for entering The Void, an ad for Beast Away, and journal entries from previous adventurers. Y'all know I had to say it, my love for mixed media runs DEEP. I also really enjoyed hearing about all the flora and fauna that lives in The Void, catch me incessantly DMing the author until she writes us a Void Flora & Fauna Compendium.

I enjoyed Petra's horticultural interests and that she worked as a guide for several reasons. ALSO, if you guys are familiar with the nutty putty caving incident, there's a part in the book that's ah, inspired by this incident and it was so traumatizing to read omg. I have SUCH a fear of caves and caving accidents and this book, if you can even believe it, DIDN'T HELP.

Quick aside, I listened to this audiobook and read along with the physical ARC for a tandem reading experience and while overall I enjoyed the audiobook I have to mention at times the narrator came off a bit flat, especially in tense situations which led me to feel a little underwhelmed in moments that I think normally you would have had to peel me off the ceiling. I was going to mention the narrator's odd voicing choice for Jade but after the reveal, I think I mostly enjoyed the vocal choice in retrospect.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to listen to an ALC and provide an honest review, all opinions are my own.

[BookishlySonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had such a fun time reading this and flew right through it! The prose is incredibly cinematic. Every scene plays out so clearly it almost demands a film adaptation. And I would absolutely sign a petition to see this on screen because the visuals are already there on the page.

And what visuals they are! Monstrous creatures are described in gory detail. It was truly stomach churning at times and several scenes left me scratching at my neck as the feeling of suffocation transcended the page. I loved every single minute of it.

The beginning is a bit of a slow burn, but it is 100 percent worth it. That buildup is what makes the world feel so real and fully realized. By the time things really take off, you are completely in it. It is such a fun, gory read, but it also hits with surprising emotional depth. There are moments that are genuinely tender and human and balances out the horror found throughout.

This book has fully cemented Tatiana Schlote-Bonne as an autobuy author for me.

[Nenia Campbell]

I have so many ARCs to catch up on but if you think I'm not jumping right into this one after waiting for it for MONTHS, you're crazy lmao

[Ga.selle (Semi-hiatus) Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

After loving Such Lovely Skin, I had high expectations for Tatiana Schlote-Bonne’s latest—and it did not disappoint! Mixing Nick Cutter-level body horror with the claustrophobic dread of The Descent, this book is an absolute masterpiece of fast-paced, unhinged creature feature horror.

Eerie, grotesque, and dripping with atmosphere, the story pulled me in immediately. It is mind-blowing how Tatiana (@thebuffwriter) managed to pack such rich sci-fi world-building, nightmare-inducing monsters, emotional depth, and non-stop adrenaline into under 300 pages. If you crave horror that leans hard into the weird, bloody, and visceral, this hits every single sweet spot.

My only complaint? I wasn't ready for it to end. I would have gladly suffered through another 200 pages trapped in that horrifying underground world!

And that ending... Even though I had a feeling where things were heading, the twist still managed to pleasantly surprise me in the best way possible. I refuse to spoil a single detail—you just have to go in blind and experience the madness for yourself.

Tatiana is quickly becoming one of my all-time favorite YA horror/thriller authors, and I cannot wait to pick up The Mean Ones next.

[✧˖°.⋆.˚ ☾⭒.˚₊ ⊹ ♡Megan ₊˚⊹ ᰔ ⟡ ݁₊ . · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC from NetGalley.
Immediately five stars! IMMEDIATELY!!

You know the feeling when you go to the movie theater and the movie is so good that the whole theater is absolutely silent and then when the credits come on everyone stands up and claps in unison? That’s what finishing this book felt like.

(Spoiler-free review)
Hello, this book was absolutely phenomenal. First off, the way that Tatiana Schlote-Bonne writes is so captivating, it really makes you feel throughly immersed inside of the story.

This story follows a pair of orphaned seventeen year old best friends Petra and Jade who work as tour guides bringing people into the “void” which is a six level chasm in the earth with each level more dangerous than the last. But when Jade gets lost within the upper levels Petra has to go and find her.

During her journey Petra encounters large mushrooms the size of trees, carnivorous plants, fungi, extremely large and mutilated insects and animals, boobie traps, vast jungles where everything is out to get you.

Not only did this book completely transform me into a world with beautiful glowing untrustworthy flowers, large puffy mushrooms, crystal clear pools of sparkling acid and snapping fungi but this book also made me feel claustrophobic, queasy, itchy and disgusted in the best way possible. Every single page held something different.

Visuals aside, this book did an amazing job of confusing me as a reader and really making me feel like I didn’t know who to trust. I also liked how at the beginning of each chapter there was little notes from previous void divers. I had to break this book up into two days because I didn’t want to finish it too fast. Also, that ending? Damnnn!!!

🍄🍄‍🟫🪸🪨🐛🕷️🪱🕳️🦠

[Kaitie Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

🍄 YA Survival Scifi/Horror
🕳 Botanical + Body Horror
🍄 Video Game Levels
🕳 Found Family
🍄 Quest / Adventure

Okay, this was such a cool freaking book. I don't know wtf I just read, but I was INVESTED. The world Tatiana Schlote-Bonne created in What Feeds Below is both mesmerizing and absolutely terrifying, with an almost childhood-nightmare, immersive video-game vibe.

•

Petra has grown up in proximity to *the void*, a chasm in the earth that becomes all the more frightening with each level you descend—so naturally, it is a popular tourist attraction. As void divers, she and her bestie, Jade, take tourists into the void for money, where they can bring back mementos and valuable goods. They stick to the upper two layers; however, the pay is meagre, and in order to attain their dreams, Jade urges Petra to take on a job that goes down to the third layer.

•

This book is so immersive, and it's one of those stories that keeps building on the horrors as it goes. It feels like entering a video game, where you're rooting for Petra and Jade to master the void as they descend, going deeper into the most absolute horrors. Some of the occurrences in the void are absolutely viscerally disgusting, and it's amazing.

I devoured this book; I needed our girls to be okay, I needed Petra to get out and be able to open the clinic of her dreams (a goal she has been working towards to escape the classist void-diving horrors). Everything is so vividly described, from the plant life to the insect hybrid creatures to the eerie environment of the void itself. It's a lot of fun, and you CANNOT look away from the action.

I did, however, question some elements of the plot, like there's a lot you can get away with in a supernatural void setting—but some things felt almost too easy. I can't really expand on the aspects that didn't quite land for me without crossing into spoiler territory. I also found the foreshadowing extremely heavy-handed, which again could be the author giving the readers intel that the characters themselves do not know—but I couldn't quite make out whether it was intentional or not.

Overall, an absolutely bonkers book that is definitely a must-read. I had a great time; the world-building and horrors that our characters face are so freaking cool. This is probably one of the most unique books I have ever read!

•

Thank you to Bindery Books for the ARC of this book. All thoughts and feedback contained within this review are my own.

[The Reading Frog (Less online ATM) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Tatiana Schlote-Bonne, Bindery Books | Boozhoo Books & NetGalley for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review

Rating: 4.25/5 ⭐
CW: Explicit | Gore, blood, body horror, injury description, death.
Moderate | Implied child trafficking, graphic dismemberment, body horror, cutaneous myiasis, breaking bones, toxic dynamic.
Mild | Urine and feces, vomit, past death of an infant/child, past parental loss, mention of child enslavement, panic attack, mention of suicidal ideation, fire/burn injury.
My chosen soundtrack: Subterranean Wombs - Jolly Damper, Nick Grimes

We never should’ve come down here.
- Anonymous, Voices from the Void

If you love Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Annihilation, The Last of Us, and/or the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3, you should definitely check out 'What Feeds Below'. This book is made for you.


Representation
╰┈➤ Unspecified BIPOC rep, Flint, is described as having dark-brown skin
╰┈➤ Disability rep, Flint lost his leg and uses a prosthetic, Geode and Petra's mother seems to have use of one eye only, and (extreme spoilers), Petra ends up with an underarm amputation.


Themes
Dark tourism, conspiracy theories, hazard pay, poverty, herbalism, botany, dead advanced civilization, commodification & materialism, greed, sentient flora and fauna, botanical horror, humans' destruction/exploitation of nature, uncanny valley, what's real or not real?, self-worth issues, codependency, and selfishness as a tool of survival.


What I liked
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Each chapter opens with a little anecdote, a quote, or an excerpt of media on The Void. I loved how this structure could be used to set the tone or give us the info needed for each chapter.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Besides the chapter openers, the book also does an amazing job of teaching us about this world without feeling info-dumpy.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ The worldbuilding takes the cake in this one. It feels unique, detailed, insane, yet still believable due to the amazing writing. I appreciate that we get to learn about this world through the eyes of our MC, Petra. Her being a herbalist/botanist makes her focus on more than only the bad and scary. The Void is both beautiful and horrifying. It can take but also give, and Petra does an amazing job of showcasing this duality. Even when Petra is scared and/or fighting for her life, she still admires and respects all nature and (un)living things in The Void.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ The Void highlights how we, as humans, are also just part of the food chain. It respects the order of nature and doesn't glorify human sentience as something superior. Yet it does so without dismissing humans as something docile or harmless. Humans/humanoids are still able to be frightening in their own right.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ The prose is descriptive and does an amazing job at helping the reader visualize this complex and incredible world. Which I imagine is not easy to do, since this universe contains some crazy concepts and creature designs.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ I personally love it when contemporary problems are explored through non-contemporary concepts, which Tatiana Schlote-Bonne did an amazing job at.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Discourse on capitalism, poverty, lack of accessible healthcare, and hazard pay.

"You know what the real monster in the Void is? Capitalism. No reason any sane person ought to go deep in there. (...) And you know who's benefited the most out of it all? The creatures. (...) We're the ones feeding them."

It doesn't glorify being forced to take on dangerous jobs; it heavily criticises it. A lot of the skills our characters possess are direct results of having to survive in a place where nothing is given for free. Many choices, current and past, that our characters make would have been completely different if not for the fact that, in this universe, there is simply not enough to go around. Becoming a void diver is, unfortunately, for many, the only option available.

“People let their kids play in here?” Henry asks.
“Usually no,” I answer. “But those kids don’t have parents. And they’re not ‘playing,’ they’re training to become Void divers.”

‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Discourse on (dark) tourism, commodification, materialism, and consumerism.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ If you know me, or have followed me for a little while on Goodreads, you'd know I have quite the hyperfixation on things like sentient nature, carnivorous plants, funky fungi, and overall just 'something is wrong with the forest' vibes. This book felt like it was made for me! I LOVE botanical horror and, in turn, loved this book. If you've read C.G. Drews's work or books like What the Woods Took you'll probably end up loving this one as well.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ I love how an advanced civilization of the past basically haunts the plot.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Explores the concept of uncanny valley and how humans/humanoids are spine-chilling in their own ways.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Explores the complexities of being in a co-dependent dynamic. For example, the constant comparisons, the level of dependence and/or lack of independence, learned helplessness, and the 'us against the world' mentality that seems to rule these types of dynamics.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Discourse on selfishness as a means of survival and empathy as a form of weakness in a world where it's 'every person for themselves'.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ This book is very plot-driven yet still contains an interesting and satisfying character arc.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ In the end, no one really got what they wanted. And although sad, I prefer it over the pipedream Petra was imagining.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Very much a spoiler, but this quote made me laugh my ass off:

“Thanks for deworming me, guys.”

‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ I love the universe Tatiana Schlote-Bonne has crafted in this book, and I would definitely read anything else in the same setting. The worldbuilding was just top-tier. Be it a prequel or a different diver's story, I would pick it up immediately. I would be delighted to explore The Void for a little longer.


What I didn't like/felt lackluster about
‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ This might just be because I'm a lesbian, but I didn't feel any chemistry between Pet and Flint; besides aesthetic attraction, I didn't really get her crush on him. Regardless, I did enjoy both their characters on their own.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ I predicted a huge plot point, but honestly, the amazing worldbuilding made up for it. And even while knowing what was going to happen, I still really enjoyed seeing those predictions come to fruition on these pages. Which is a compliment to Tatiana Schlote-Bonne, she's truly amazing at building tension and taking us along in high-stakes, at times violent situations.


Conclusion/Notes
'What Feeds Below' is an amazing botanical and creature horror that I wholeheartedly devoured.

It explores interpersonal conflicts, societal issues, and economic inequality through grotesque creatures and even more grotesque situations our characters are forced to be in.

This book reads like an adventure story, if a dreadful, disgusting, and often gruesome one. The scenery keeps changing, and the stakes keep growing. It showcases the horrific yet beautiful unrestrained power of nature and explores how humanity fits or doesn't fit into it. It explores selfishness, empathy, and how poverty forces us on journeys we would never have taken otherwise.

'What Feeds Below,' however, is a journey I can enthusiastically recommend to all readers who love (botanical) horror. With a release date that fits the theme, I urge you to pick this one up during spooky October!


Follow me on Spotify for specific reading playlists like these: 📚 Horror/Thriller Reads | 📚 Something is wrong with the forest | 📚 Collapse Of Society

[The Morbid Mama ☠︎︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy shit.

That book was UNREAL. I was completely and utterly lost between these pages. The world building and imagery of the Void is vibrant and lively while also being downright TERRIFYING. I was also pleasantly surprised with how juicy and graphic the descriptions were!

The creatures and beings residing within were all so unique and had my skin CRAWLING. The cave anglers? It’s pretty much my fear of house centipedes amplified by 10000000. There were also many times I felt claustrophobic and caught myself holding my breath. The sense of dread I got from reading What Feeds Below was unlike anything I’ve ever read before. And do not even get me STARTED on those damn skinleeches 😭 That was the first time my stomach has ROILED from reading 🤢

What Feeds Below will be released on 10/6/2026 so be sure to preorder your copy now!!

A huge thank you to NetGalley for this incredible ARC!

[Ash · Rating 3 out of 5]

the first thought i had upon completing this was: damn, this would make such a great movie.

the setting is very creative; deadly and violent in a hyper-saturated, vivid way (think: the arena in sunrise on the reaping). i usually struggle with visualising book settings, but the ‘void’ was described so well that reading felt like watching a movie montage.

their world (literally) centres around the void: a gaping chasm made of six distinct layers, each more deadly and bewitching than the last. six-limbed rabbits, flesh-eating insects, giant weasels, glowing gemstones and carnivorous trees… it’s high stakes, high reward. artifacts from the depths sell for crazy numbers.

enter petra and jude: two best friends, practically sisters, working as void divers to save up for their dream of opening a clinic. jude is obsessed with reaching the six and final layer, and because petra can never deny her anything, she and her childhood friend flint, join jude on this deadly descent.

petra spent the majority of the novel firmly in jude's shadow. she constantly undermined herself and did't feel like a person without jude around. and jude oscillated between being friendly and being straight-up vicious. petra's blind faith in jude grated on my nerves, and there was zero internal turmoil to give her decisions weight. the dynamics lacked tension. jude and flint's mutual dislike was almost comical in places. like, near-death situations are hardly the place to have petty squabbles about who stole 5 nox seven years ago😭

the plot was pretty straightforward, and i guessed a major twist early on. that isn't typically an issue for me, but there was no other conflict set up. the stakes were technically sky high, but our characters never had any room to to breathe. 24/7 high stakes just desensitised me.

gore aside, the writing style itself also leaned a bit too young-YA for my taste, and I really wish this would’ve been longer so the conflicts could've been explored more in-depth.

still, a super cool concept with a great setting, and i liked the ending. it wraps up on a nicely ambiguous note.

thank you to netgalley and bindery books for the arc! all opinions are my own

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