FEAST

written by R. Scott McCoy

art by Nick Tripiciano

published by Shroud Publishing

(2009)

ISBN: 978-0-9819894-3-3

review #1 by Adam Armstrong

8.14.09

And you think you have a soul-crushing job.

Nick Ambrose and his older brother, Pete, have finally found the home of a twisted killer. Only the killer is already dead, sort of.  The killer, Reid, can take over other people’s bodies. Reid kills Pete and attempts to get into Nick’s body but Pete tags along and all three of them end up in one mind. Presumed dead, Nick flees the scene but is horrified to find that he must consume souls in order to maintain his new life. Along with the soul eating Nick is granted a few special abilities such as rapid healing, no longer needing sleep, extreme strength, and complete inexhaustible stamina. Nick attempts to use his new powers to help but lands his only remaining friend in dire trouble. Nick has to face the same question all those that guard a fence have to face: Can we keep battling the evil in the world without it infecting us?

McCoy has a great take on the vampire story. Without bothering with formulaic and tired stories McCoy gives us characters that we care about and more importantly characters with limitations that make them all the more real. With his terrific easy flowing narrative voice, McCoy will build a bridge of literacy to a new generation of readers. It was also great to see how someone learns how to use new powers without some silly instant knowledge that is seen so often in movies and books anymore.

As a side note: Tripiciano’s artwork is beautifully disturbing.

Order it now: 5 out of 5

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Review #2 by Garrett Cook*

08.13.09

Let me begin by saying that contrary to the impression one might get from awkward stories from my teen years about a werewolf private-eye, I am not a fan of supernatural detective fiction. Anita Blake and Harry Dresden have gotten nothing better than rolled eyes out of me. But I will go on to say that the best books are books that convert a person into a genre that they would otherwise find trite or silly. F. Paul Wilson’s latter day pulp hero Repairman Jack steps into this territory and makes it exciting. Sadly, R. Scott Mc Coy’s Feast does not.

Feast is the story of Nick Ambrose, a deputy sheriff with the ability to read auras. When he and his brother confront possessed cannibal serial killer Donald Reid at a gruesome and fairly well described crime scene, he develops a new talent and a curse: Reid has passed on a hunger for the souls of others, whether they be sinners or innocents. Ambrose now has to struggle with his conscience and some rather bland heavies that can be traced back to a rather bland antagonist. I was disappointed by this, because the beginning of Feast establishes a world of grit, grue and gore that would surely punch up this anemic genre but the middle and the end of the book fall flat. I also find myself disappointed because Nick Tripiciano’s fantastic artwork deserves a more dynamic story, one that keeps its promises. Tripiciano and Shroud get my thumbs-up for a beautiful book, McCoy’s mediocre novella only merits a shrug. I can’t wait to see what Shroud comes out with and I hope McCoy’s next one elevates its genre instead of floating on it.

*Garrett Cook is a Bizarro writer and freelance critic, the Associate Editor of Bust Down the Door and Eat All the Chickens and a Submissions editor for Evil Nerd Empire Publishing. His book Murderland Part 1:H8 is now available and his books Murderland Part 2: Life During Wartime and Archelon Ranch will be available this Fall.