Title: May We Feed the King: A Novel
Author: Rebecca Perry
Pages: 264
Release: October 20, 2026
At first, this book seems destined to be the most interesting novel about the procurement and placement of fake fruit you’ll ever read. Soon after, though, we’re swept into an unnamed kingdom and placed at the feet of a nameless king, oh so burdened by the weight of his crown.
Both narratives are equally engrossing and could have carried novels on their own. Perry pairs them instead, inviting us to juxtapose two lives shaped by grief and the weight of expectation. The decorator possesses a freedom the king can only dream of: she tells the story, arranges the objects, and creates a scene of her own making. The king, meanwhile, is beset by the ceaseless gossipmongering of his court and has little control over the story being told about his reign. Only when he learns to harness those narratives and use them for his own ends can he begin to free himself from them.
I’m still mulling over exactly what these two stories achieve together. Individually, though, they’re both engrossing.
Through silky-smooth prose and an eye for exacting detail, Perry has stitched together two wholly entrancing tales. Each is worthy of your time. I enjoyed this greatly.
★★★★
My thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Speculative Shelf 