Was super excited for this book, as I loved previous books by this author. However, I found this to be a very slow read that did not hold my attention.

A very good sequel and enjoyable read. T. Kingfisher is really engaging and has a way of describing the environment in a visceral way. I am excited to read more by this author in the future.

Kingfisher has once again taken well known stories and myths and transformed them into a chilling story.

Thank you to #TorPublishingGroup #TorNightfire and #NetGalley for providing this #ARC Advance Reading Copy. Expected publication date is February 13, 2024 • 5 Stars

“What Feasts at Night” is a horror-fantasy novella by T. Kingfisher and the second book in the “Sworn Soldier” series. The story follows retired soldier Alex Easton, who is asked to investigate a family hunting lodge in Gallacia. Upon arrival, they find the caretaker dead, the lodge in disarray, and the grounds troubled by a strange, uncanny silence. The villagers whisper that a breath-stealing monster from folklore has taken up residence in Easton’s home.

#Bookstagram #WhatFeastsAtNight #SwornSoldier2 #TKingfisher

I adore T. Kingfisher but I wasn't feeling this second novella in her "Sworn Soldier" series. While I enjoyed seeing some hints of Alex Easton's life before they became a soldier I just couldn't get into this strange little tale of a breath sucking spirit attempting to off Alex and company. Between being generally unclear about what was going on and wondering why Alex would be having such a hard time accepting strange goings on following the absolute bat shittery of "What Moves the Dead" this just didn't do it for me. I will happily and readily read Alex's continuing adventures but I think I want a little more meat on the bone next time.

I love T. Kingfisher/Ursula Vernon, so I was very excited to get this. I finished the previous book What Moves the Dead in about two hours back in May. This one took longer, and not just because I was working on end of the year challenges. This is definitely slower paced than WMtD and it seemed a little rushed to me at the end, although that could also be the result of reading it over a longer period of time. I liked it, but I didn't love it, and that's okay!
Thank you so much to Tor and NetGalley for the ARC! :D

A stunning follow up to the Sworn Soldier first book. I loved the take on folklore and ghosts and everything about it. Kingfisher has a true talent for making something both magical and terrifying.

A horrifying follow-up adventure to What Moves the Dead. Kingfisher does not disappoint. A captivating story with compelling characters.

Thank you NetGalley and TOR Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The caretaker is missing when Alex Easton and his friend Angus make it to the cabin in the wilds of their homeland of Gallacia, and tension builds around the fear of being the next to go missing. A monster is on the loose, and old folk remedies to get rid of the monster are no help at all.

I'm always impressed with Kingfisher's writing style and wit, and WHAT FEASTS AT NIGHT provides both. This novella is light on plot but heavy on atmosphere, just like the first novella in the series, although I was more into the plot of WHAT MOVES THE DEAD and found it more frightening. While WHAT MOVES THE DEAD, gave the sense of magic growing out of control, the second gives the sense of being surrounded by magic, enclosed, under siege. Escape is next to impossible, which seems to be the essence of the horror in this series.

There are equivalents for the hares from WHAT MOVES THE DEAD in WHAT FEASTS AT NIGHT, but these creatures (no spoilers!) are just not as scary as the hares. They needed something to make them more horrifying, although I can't imagine what.

Alex is a great nonbinary character. Ke is good practice for thinking about a literary character in a non-gendered manner and attributing only the physical characteristics that the author describes, which can be hard for me, just as it is easier for me to imagine white characters and read in my own voice. T. Kingfisher is full of creative use of pronouns in the Sworn Soldier series. If queer representation is what you crave in adult fiction, the fantasy genre is leading the way.

I look forward to the continuation of the series. What will the author dream up next?

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for an ARC copy of What Feasts at Night in exchange for an honest review.

Alex Easton has been thoroughly traumatized by the events that took place at Usher house, but is determined to continue to the next adventure. Alex and Angus set off for Alex's land, but arrive to a strange situation. The normal groundskeeper has vanished with no explanation. Alex tries to find answers and hire new help, but the welcome they receive is less than helpful. Strange things begin happening on the land and personal attacks on Alex and the staff have them searching for answers. What they discover is both frightening and heartbreaking - however, they must work together in order to make it through the night alive.

****Spoilers****


T. Kingfisher is a beautiful story teller that makes you feel as if you have been transported into the story. This tale is only 160 pages, but I felt like I was in this fictional town - not at home on my couch. I liked the incorporation of local folklore into the story. The Widow's tales and odd superstitions were a glance into how many people dealt with these situations in the past. Examples being the knife under the bed, the salt, the red string. If you have ever had nightmares, you know the feeling of doubt as you question the validity of what just happened. "It was only a dream" is a mantra you repeat so that you return to sleep at night. But what if it was more than that? Would you look further into it's meanings? Kingfisher poses that question in this tale and I look forward to reading more stories by this author!

"What Feast at Night" by T. Kingfisher fell short of expectations. While the author's writing style is competent, the plot lacks depth and fails to engage the reader fully. The characters, though quirky, lack the development needed to make them truly compelling. The pacing feels uneven, with moments of stagnation followed by abrupt developments. Overall, it's a mediocre read that struggles to leave a lasting impression. Thank you NetGalley, T.Kingfisher, and publisher for the ARC!

I LOVED LOVED LOVED What Moves the Dead, but did not expect there to be a sequel since it was wrapped up so nicely at the end. So the excitement I felt when I found out I could get more in this spooky world and poetic narration is indescribable, and this book did not let me down. I think this one is actually even better that What Moves the Dead. The characters are much more thorough, the imagery is just as intense and effective, and the story is just as exciting.

T, Kingfisher is ALWAYS a delight. I've enjoyed every book I've read of hers and What Feasts at Night is no different. Any fan of What Moves the Dead will love this follow up story on the tracks of Alex Easton who feels like both the Final Character of traditional horror as well as old world sleuth. This dark mystery is perfect for the winter months. Highly recommend for cozy mystery fans that want something darker, The Shining fans that want something cozier, and T. Kingfisher fans (like me) who are always craving more from this author.

I loved What Moves the Dead, so I was a bit wary about this -- it can be hard to follow-up what (I felt) was perfection. But T. Kingfisher if nothing if not incredibly talented. This rocked. This is dark, tragic, it felt like being wrapped up in an uncomfortably wet blanket. I can't recommend it enough.

I loved What Moves the Dead and so I think I was maybe too hyped up for this follow-up. Because it didn't quite live up to the first Sworn Soldier book for me. I mean, it's still T. Kingfisher so it's fabulous and well written and creepy and weird. But just not....something. It was missing the spark the first book had. For me anyway. Still! Very very good!

This is the second novel by Kingfisher in the Sworn Soldier series. I was so excited to see the author bring back the adventures of retired soldier Alex Easton and his trusty companions Angus and Miss Potter. Easton arrives at his hunting lodge in the Gallacian woods to find his caretaker has died and the lodge and grounds in shambles. He starts to hear whispers around the village that the death may have been due to something evil that is lurking in his lodge. Stories of a “monster” stealing the breath of its victims begin to surface and Easton struggles to find the answers and protect and save himself and his friends. This was a quick read that I really enjoyed. I look forward to more in this series!

After the events taking place in What Moves the Dead, Alex Easton and Angus are looking to relax and recharge at Alex's hunting lodge. But once they arrive, it's quickly obvious that the caretaker hasn't been doing his job in keeping up with the property. Alex and Angus soon learn that the caretaker has died mysteriously. Not so coincidentally, rumors of a breath stealing monsters is circulating around Gallacia.

The atmosphere and writing of this book was AMAZING. Think dark, dreary, wet, moldy, etc. I loved the characters and was so pleased to see Miss Potter return to book 2! I don't know if there will be more books in this series but I would be really happy if there were.

While What Moves the Dead worked perfectly well as a standalone, I was happy to see there would be further stories following Alex Easton and Angus. This time Alex is returning home to Gallacia to meet Eugenia Potter, the mycologist who helped resolve the uh… fungal situation in the previous book.
Alex and Angus are taking up residence in a hunting lodge that Alex inherited years before so that Eugenia can study the Gallacian fungal population. They arrive in Gallacia only to find the caretaker deceased and the lodge supposedly haunted by a moroi - a creature that haunts dreams and steals the breath from your lungs. The locals all seem to know what’s going on, but no one really wishes to speak of it and so Alex and Angus fumble around blindly trying to fix the situation that released it in the first place.
I think I overestimated how spooky this book was going to be because it was not at all scary. It lacked the unsettling dread and sense of wrongness that made What Moves the Dead such a win for me. I feel like too much of the horror is internalized thanks to the nature of the beastie in question and also happening to someone too distant from our main characters. That remains the case right up until the very end of course, but the ending was a wonderfully dark look into Alex’s time as a soldier and the scars that leaves on the psyche.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read, but the first installment remains my favorite of the pair. I hope there are more stories following Alex and their supernatural misadventures. I mean really, Alex just wants to lounge about Paris and live a comfy life, and everytime they leave the city of starlight some supernatural boogeyman pops up!

The creepy cover and it being a T. Kingfisher book sold me. I didn’t need to know more to know I needed to read this. Apparently I really did. It took an embarrassing amount of time for me to realize this is book two, a sequel to What Moves the Dead and now that I know it I can’t help but see the obvious signs I miss. I don’t recommend reading this without first having read What Moves the Dead, which luckily I had previously devoured (not read, devoured as is the case with any T. Kingfisher book).

The most prominent being that we continue to follow retired soldier Alex Easton on his adventures. This time Alex is in need of calm so he returns home after a long absence to his family’s hunting lodge to discover that nothing is the same and a creature of sorts is haunting the grounds.

I’ll take a haunted house any day but mention mushrooms and I’m done. I can thank horror/fantasy novelists for unlocking that fear in my brain. So if you too have been traumatized by what books have done to mushrooms, I can assure you that you’re okay but surely bound to unlock an entirely different kind of creepy in this one.

This series is a fantastic blend or historical fiction, fantasy and a dash of horror. It’s a short novella that certainly packs a punch while maintaining a delightfully albeit creepy atmosphere. It’s characters are certainly relatable and Kingfisher certainly puts Alex through his paces in only a short 160 pages.

Thank you Tor Books for providing an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received this ARC from NetGalley.

I liked this one more than What Moves the Dead, partially because it didn't have the fungi reveal. I really like T. Kingfisher's writing style. It feels interesting even when not much is happening. Maybe there wasn't as much suspense as I would've liked, but I liked the story overall, and I connected with Easton more than I did in the first book. Reading the first one isn't necessary to read this one, although there are a lot of references to it. But the storyline is completely different other than the carryover of some characters.