Reviewer: Alan Chin
Publisher: Queer Space (August 23, 2022)
Rating: ★★★★
Pages: 420
All of Great Britain is thrown into jeopardy by an ancient Egyptian deity seeking to reestablish her religion in the heart of nineteenth century London. She is ruthless, merciless, and lethal. Her loyal followers are formidable shift changers who prefer to take the shape of panthers when they hunt their prey. As she gains followers and power, she decides she needs Oscar Wilde to become her high priest. With his abundant talent for writing, she wants him to write the most awe-inspiring invocations to her greatness. Wilde, with help from lovers and friends and even enemies, goes on a campaign to destroy this power-hungry immortal. Throughout the battle to overcome her tyranny, Wilde comes to better understand his relationships with his young male lovers, his wife, close friends, his enemies, and he finds what’s ultimately important in his life. But what helps him most is what the Goddess craves, his own genius as a writer and playwright.
An insightful, far-reaching novel pushing the boundaries of human imagination, where the forces that give life value―art, poetry, music, wellbeing, care, loved ones―are thrown into sharp relief. The Feast of Panthers exposes our shared vulnerability, the limits and benefits of compassion, and the fragile nature of being human.
I confess I’m not a devotee of fantasy/thriller fiction, but I am a huge fan of well-crafted writing, and so I very much enjoyed this novel. This story has vibrantly drawn characters overcoming hideous foes. It is a story of survival, but more so it is an entrancing story of realizing love of those closest to you.
The Feast of Panthers is a skillfully crafted yarn. The fears, loneliness, anxieties, and surprising intimacies seem genuine, and carry the reader along.
Like so many formula thrillers, this story leaves the reader feeling satisfied. It is a stimulating read with a splash of gay stardust to keep things more interesting.
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