The Hunger by Michael D. Young

Michael D. Young's "The Hunger" is a fantasy novel following Azil and his friends as they set out to change the world and help to bring on the coming of a new age.

In this world, everyone can do magic to a degree. Not only do they need to eat food for physical needs, but they also need to eat Sustenance for their magical needs. Those who cannot obtain Sustenance starve and become malformed, also losing the ability entirely to do magic, thus explaining the main title.

Different colors of Sustenance provide different types of magical boosts. Red provides sight-related magic, yellow is speed, and blue is strength. These can also be mixed to provide combination magic -- orange provides sight and speed, and so on. And then there are other Sustenances that provide special boost or effects.

There are also three Keeps, each specializing in one of the three magic types, and run by three families.

Watching over everyone is Rahim, the creator, or some kind of god character. In this day, the people have pretty much forsaken Rahim in their hearts, and have become full of pride where many are poor and unable to get Sustenance. This is why Azil and friends must change things up and do what must be done to clean house and bring on the good times.

I came across this book because my friend, Michael D. Young, reached out to me (among others) to critique the upcoming next two books in this series, not yet published. As part of this arrangement, I received this first book for free. Providing a review was not a requirement, but as is customary, he did ask me to provide one if I felt inspired to do so.

I was pleasantly surprised, as friends' books usually aren't as good as more professionally-established authors' books, but this one holds really well. I love all the imagery and the world building. The magic is believable, as are the creatures and the events as they unfold. I also love the use of color throughout the whole book.

I would rate this 8.0 out of 10.0. While the story is exciting all the way through, there are a couple of unanswered questions in the area of world building. The story concentrates entirely on the big players, so we don't get much in seeing how the little people live. I'm also struggling to see how everyone can do magic, but some are better than others. It just feels like something's missing in the setup. Also, I must admit that I like the upcoming sequels more -- even in their unedited state.

Regardless of these perceived weaknesses, the story gripped me. The twists and turns are fun. The characters are endearing and distinct. It becomes hard to predict what's going to happen next. The ending is satisfying and made me want to read more.

If you're looking for something new and different, give this book a try, and look for the sequels coming shortly.