--- product_id: 658151073 title: "Anathema (The Eating Woods)" price: "£2.81" currency: GBP in_stock: false reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/658151073-anathema-the-eating-woods store_origin: GB region: United Kingdom --- # Anathema (The Eating Woods) **Price:** £2.81 **Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Anathema (The Eating Woods) - **How much does it cost?** £2.81 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Currently out of stock - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/658151073-anathema-the-eating-woods) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description From the author of Nocticadia comes a spellbinding gothic 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 prophesy. 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, the first book in The Eating Woods duology. Perfect for readers who enjoy a plot-heavy and atmospheric story with a unique magic system, a slow-burn romance and a touch of horror. Review: Love it! - First off @kerilake, you did an awesome job writing this🥳 and thank you! You made my weekend. This book had it all! 🤩 It's rare that I give a book 5 stars on Goodreads, but this... this is a 5-star book! ✨ This book is one of the best I've read all year, I swear. Is this on your TBR? If not get a move on! The WORLD! The PLOT! The MAGIC! The FMC & MMC—perfection. I'm so over the moon writing this right now😅 It has a fantastic plot and fantastic characters (with so much depth). There is no rush; everything gets the pages it deserves. The details❤️ I'm seriously dying over this world and character build. I'm in awe! 😍 5 stars. I love it, and I'm impatiently waiting to get my hands on Eldritch! I'm totally going in a slump after this book!³ Review: Anathema Review - This book was so incredibly written to where one minute I was on the edge of my seat and the next I was swooning over Zevander and his cold charm. This book was a book that had a unique touch that I haven’t read in a while. It’s a Gothic Romantasy. That alone gives you an idea of how this novel was. For a while, my husband knew this book as “the scary book”. To give you some context, I never read or watch anything scary or horror of any kind. I embrace the fact that I’m a chicken and am totally fine with it. Anyway, the book had some horror moments that made me turn on the lights during night reading. It was descriptive, intense, and the most horror-ridden fantasy book I’ve personally ever read. With that being said, I actually loved it despite my unease. It was immersive and intriguing in a different way that I have nothing to compare it to. Now the romance is a whole other story (pun intended). The slow burn between our two leading characters was fiery, angsty, and entrancing. I’m not spoiling anything but may I say that the pain and sorrow is real in this book and is completely relatable to those who have been there. So the romance is a mix of so many emotions and intoxicating to read. I hope this review will entice you to enter Anathema and enjoy every bit of it. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #77,373 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #6 in Gothic Fiction #22 in Dark Fantasy #41 in Romantic Fantasy (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 39,199 Reviews | ## Images ![Anathema (The Eating Woods) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71+jYjU+TiL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Love it! *by E***A on January 20, 2026* First off @kerilake, you did an awesome job writing this🥳 and thank you! You made my weekend. This book had it all! 🤩 It's rare that I give a book 5 stars on Goodreads, but this... this is a 5-star book! ✨ This book is one of the best I've read all year, I swear. Is this on your TBR? If not get a move on! The WORLD! The PLOT! The MAGIC! The FMC & MMC—perfection. I'm so over the moon writing this right now😅 It has a fantastic plot and fantastic characters (with so much depth). There is no rush; everything gets the pages it deserves. The details❤️ I'm seriously dying over this world and character build. I'm in awe! 😍 5 stars. I love it, and I'm impatiently waiting to get my hands on Eldritch! I'm totally going in a slump after this book!³ ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Anathema Review *by C***S on March 30, 2026* This book was so incredibly written to where one minute I was on the edge of my seat and the next I was swooning over Zevander and his cold charm. This book was a book that had a unique touch that I haven’t read in a while. It’s a Gothic Romantasy. That alone gives you an idea of how this novel was. For a while, my husband knew this book as “the scary book”. To give you some context, I never read or watch anything scary or horror of any kind. I embrace the fact that I’m a chicken and am totally fine with it. Anyway, the book had some horror moments that made me turn on the lights during night reading. It was descriptive, intense, and the most horror-ridden fantasy book I’ve personally ever read. With that being said, I actually loved it despite my unease. It was immersive and intriguing in a different way that I have nothing to compare it to. Now the romance is a whole other story (pun intended). The slow burn between our two leading characters was fiery, angsty, and entrancing. I’m not spoiling anything but may I say that the pain and sorrow is real in this book and is completely relatable to those who have been there. So the romance is a mix of so many emotions and intoxicating to read. I hope this review will entice you to enter Anathema and enjoy every bit of it. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ the queen of gothic romance, elevated *by T***M on September 23, 2024* I've said this before and I will say it again with the whole my chest: Keri Lake is incapable of writing a bad book. The queen of gothic romance has done it again, but Anathema - the first book in her The Eating Woods duology - feels notably elevated. In tone, cadence, craft, and feeling. This gothic romance is more dark gothic high-fantasy than anything else, but it still has the hallmarks of everything I've come to expect and love from Keri's books - from the exquisitely crafted heroines down to the vicious, broody, emotional constipation of her heroes. Maevyth is shaping up to be my new favorite Keri Lake heroine. The way Keri balances all of these different facets and nuances to Maevyth's character is nothing short of masterful - she's astonishingly resilient and has a mouth on her, but she's also deeply vulnerable and compassionate, even after everything she's had to endure. Her arc isn't quite done yet, but I thoroughly enjoyed the growth she's undergone so far and I can't wait to see the woman of ferocity and power she has the potential to become. Zevander is delicious. Tortured, broody, and the walking definition of "he hates everyone but her". Okay, so not everyone. He does love his sister (as do I. Rykaia is a devious, meddling hoot. Hopefully we'll get some scenes with her and Maevyth's sister, Aleysia. The absolute HAVOC those two could wreak would be nothing short of legendary - but I digress). This is one of the most masterfully executed slow-burns I have read in recent memory, perhaps even ever. This first have of the duology is over 700 pages long, but I was never bored for a single moment. The lore and world-building in this book is rich and decadent and the way Keri crafted each intricate detail was so vivid at times, it was almost effortless to see it all playing out in my head like a movie - and that is a feat only a small handful of authors have ever accomplished, and I can count them all on one hand. There are a number of tangling plots and threads and excellent moments of foreshadowing throughout the book, and several passages that almost felt almost lyrical in their construction, a beautiful dark kind of magic that makes me think of the highest quality of dark chocolate. I don't know - I'm struggling to adequately describe what this book made me feel throughout. It's just... it's just so good. While there is indeed a lot going on in this book, let's focus on the crème de la crème - the budding relationship between Maevyth and Zevander. From the very moment their paths cross, it's clear these two share something inexplicable. This dark assassin from another realm who has never hesitated or faltered couldn't bring himself to harm a single hair on an unassuming mortal's head. But as the two are thrown together by fate and exist in close quarters to one another for the following weeks, anyone with eyes is able to see that there's a darkness in Maevyth that is able to reach Zevander (and his poor elder brother, Branimir) when no one else has been able to. The mystery surrounding who and what Maevyth is is still in the process of being fully unveiled, but what we do get in this book is endlessly intriguing. As mentioned previously, this book is a proper slow-burn - in particular where the romance is concerned, so if you're looking for copious amounts of spice, this book won't be for you. Keri makes you wait for it, and the few teases we do get before those final chapters (yes, I said final chapters) are nothing short of delectable. It takes some serious talent to make doing anything but going all the way as effective as she has and I am forever in awe of this woman's talents. This book is dark and there are a number of deeply disturbing and sometimes outright horrifying moments (which made that whole aforementioned "easily able to picture this playing out in my head like a movie" thing a double-edged sword, if you will). So if you have any sensitivities at all, I would recommend changing the content and trigger warnings first. Otherwise, I cannot recommend this book enough. Anathema was one of my most anticipated new releases of 2024 and it absolutely did not disappoint. Not even a little. Can't wait for the final book! I am desperate to know how all of this ends! INFINITY STARS! The whole firmament! Absolutely brilliant and masterfully executed. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ## Frequently Bought Together - Anathema (The Eating Woods) - On Wings of Blood - Shield of Sparrows --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/658151073-anathema-the-eating-woods](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/658151073-anathema-the-eating-woods) --- *Product available on Desertcart United Kingdom* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-05-22*