Anathema

The Eating Woods, Book 1

By: Keri Lake

Narrated by: James Cassidy, Melissa Barr

From the author of Nocticadia comes a spellbinding gothic dark fantasy about a shunned woman who is forced beyond the mortal realm's forbidden boundary into a terrifying world of cursed souls and grotesque creatures.

Only the banished know what lies beyond the woods...

There are whispers about what lurks in Witch Knell—the forest where sinners go to die. The villagers call it The Eating Woods because what's taken is never given back. Only those who've lost their senses would dare to go near it.

Or the banished.

Maevyth Bronwick knows better than to breach the misty labyrinth of trees, but a tragic turn of events compels her beyond the archway of bones to a boundary no mortal has crossed before. One that cloaks a dark and fantastical world that's as dangerous as it is alluring.

It's there that he dwells, the cursed lord of Eidolon. The one tasked to keep her hidden from the magehood that seeks to crucify her in the name of an arcane prophecy. Zevander Rydainn, known to his prey as The Scorpion, is the coldest, most calculated assassin in all of Aethyria, and he'd sooner toss his feisty ward to a pack of vicious fyredrakes than keep her safe.

If only he could.

Maevyth's blood is the key to breaking his despised curse and vanquishing the slumbering evil in Witch Knell. Unfortunately for Lord Rydainn, fate has other plans for the irresistible little enchantress. And his growing obsession with her threatens to destroy everything.

Including himself.

Anathema is a full-length gothic dark fantasy and the first book in The Eating Woods series. Perfect for listeners who enjoy a plot-heavy and atmospheric story with a unique magic system, a slow-burn romance, and a touch of horror.

Contains mature content. A complete list of content warnings can be found on the author's website.

Narrated in duet style.

©2024 Keri Lake (P)2025 Podium Audio

OBSESSED is an understatement!!

Love this book so much. Can't wait for the next one. I love when fantasy books are duet narration & this one does not disappoint.

WOW!

This is one of, if not the favorite of the books I’ve read this year. The slow burn leaves you drooling, as does Xvander. The plot was AMAZING and so was the world building and characters. So happy I read this!

The ending got to me big time… can’t wait for more…

Loved this so much. The different time lines and perspectives were perfect. The narrators acted well for their roles.

Gothic ACOTAR

Gothic version of fae and mortals and stuff. If you like that, you will like this one. Can’t wait for the next book!

Dark Gothic Fantasy Slow burn Romance

I loved the narrators, the world building, and spooky Gothic vibes were fantastic. I love the whole fated mates factor.

Dark and gothic with incredible narration

🐦‍⬛Duet narration
🪾Open door spice
🐦‍⬛Gothic dark fantasy
🪾Elements of horror
🐦‍⬛Slow burn
🪾Cursed & tortured MMC
🐦‍⬛Enemies to lovers
🪾Forced proximity
🐦‍⬛One bed
🪾Found family

📝My Thoughts:
📚Oh my crows and curses I loved this one! It delivered such a superb and richly imagined Gothic world full of magic and unpredictability that kept me completely hooked! It has dark creepy Tim Burton, haunted mansion vibes and is filled with unexpected turns and a fiery and magical slow burn. I loved the balance of plot with eerie, suspenseful moments, lethal creepy creatures, and danger. I loved the character development between our two leads tortured Zevander and strong Maeyveth and just cannot get enough!!

🎧 There simply isn’t enough bandwidth on the internet to say just how much I adored this audio. I was completely transported into a world brimming with emotion and intrigue, every creak, every whisper felt exquisitely alive. Melissa delivered the strong FMC with such heart and nuance that I found myself rooting for her through every triumph and setback. Her pacing was spot on and every beat landed exactly where it should.

And then there’s James. *Gasp* If I could bottle his voice and listen on repeat, I would. His portrayal of the tortured and cursed Zevander, was nothing short of jaw dropping. He shifted effortlessly between gravelly anguish and sly banter and his range of character voices added so many layers of magic.

This audio seriously knocked it out of the park. If you value exceptional voice work that brings the characters and their shadowy world vividly to life, do yourself a favor and listen to this one. I CANNOT WAIT FOR BOOK TWO!

A Gothic Masterpiece

It took me a minute to get into this because the FMC and MMC don’t meet until like 50% but after that I was invested. My first gothic romantasy and it was unlike anything I’ve ever read! I looove Maeve and Rykaia’s friendship. The MMC narrators voice was growly and perfect for his character. There are still some parts that I’m confused about because the world building and magic system was very complex but I’m hoping to get more clarity on that in the second book. I did have to listen to this with the book in front of me because the world building was complicated and I was getting lost with just the audio but this is to be expected with fantasy books.

loved this audiobook and story!

Loved the plot, characters, magic, and gothic feel to it. The only thing that was difficult was getting used to the glossary and remembering so many new terms. Overall, it was an intriguing story.

Dark

Lots of very dark and twisted elements, has a bit more horror vibe then expected (not unhappy about it) excellent performances all around, very addictive.

Omg Zevander

Perfect time of year for this spooky, grotesque but oh so good book! Zevander gives Slade a run for his money in the book boyfriend category. The storytelling and world building is on point. I absolutely loved it. Kerri Lake hit this one out of the park. I can’t wait to read the next book.