T. Kingfisher does it again - she just can't lose. I loved this as a follow up to "What Moves the Dead." I love the way that Kingfisher builds atmosphere.

This is a sequel to What Moves The Dead and we follow soldier Alex Easton back to his home where he finds that something strange is going on. People are being plagued by a succubus of sorts, that kills men after several nights. Eugenia Potts is back, coming to visit Easton, and if you really loved these characters in the first book you’re going to continue loving them in the sequel too. There are very light hearted and hilarious moments in this novella, as well as some very dark and creepy moments. I don’t want to give much of the plot away as the novella is short – but rest assured that this is an excellent and fun read, and personally I can’t wait to embark on another adventure with Easton and Potts!

This can be read as a stand alone – although there are some references to book one, it’s not vital to have read it to enjoy this book. I recommend this book to those that like horror with a side of hilarity. But if you enjoyed book one, then you will like this one too, although the mystery isn’t as intricate as in the previous book.

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Solemn, atmospheric, and portentous, "What Feasts at Night" follows Alex Easton who we know from their adventures in T. Kingfisher's novella "What Moves the Dead." Alex brings their friend Miss Potter to their hometown of Gallacia only to discover the caretaker is dead, drudging up old folklore from the villagers who believe a creature called the moroi is responsible. I love Alex's spirit in this book! Even in the most ominous of circumstances and among Alex's war memories, they are still able to come up with the funniest quips and dialogue throughout. It's relatable and cute to see the friendship continued with Miss Potter. Perhaps my favorite Miss Potter moment in the whole book is when she does not discount the validity of paranormal activity- just because one is a scientist in something like mycology, does not make them an expert on all the fields of science! There's plenty of superstition throughout, and coupled with the gothic decor of the hunting lodge they reside in, it really paints the picture of isolation in a dark forest. I also appreciated Alex's memories of war interspersed throughout (and which become more vivid the further into the story we get). This was a great sequel, and I hope we continue to receive more dark tales in the realm of these characters, Alex and Miss Potter. They are a great duo! Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher Tor Nightfire for the ARC!

T. Kingfisher has created a strange, creepy little world for herself in the Sworn Solider series in which she can do whatever weird and dark things she wants. And it works so well. This book is very different in premise than WHAT MOVES THE DEAD, but our group of odd, loveable characters helps connect this gap and drew me right into the premise of this story just as quick as the first book. This was a quick read that never felt dull, but still managed to improve on the relationships established in the first book.

I do think the premise of WHAT MOVES THE DEAD was a little creepier to me than this plot, but I still really enjoyed myself and think I'll probably pick up a physical copy at some point, which is something I almost never do with ARCs. I really enjoy the intrigue of the worldbuilding and atmospheric elements of this series and I really hope Kingfisher continues with these episodic novellas. So good!

T. Kingfisher is another favorite at our library. When I started reading horror this author jumped right out. I love the mind and body of these stories. They are quick reads that leave you wanting more, yet satisfied.

Many thanks to Netgalley for the e-arc!

So me and Netgalley have this thing. I request Kingfisher's books and Netgalley approves (thank you).

I found this one to be underwhelming. I soooooo wanted to like this more. What Moves the Dead is absolutely my favorite Kingfisher book, and I couldn't help but compare this to its predecessor. There was less intrigue because the plot wasn't as compelling.

Despite this minor bump, I will always read Kingfisher.

What Feasts at Night is the second adventure we have with Alex Easton. When Alex returns to their cottage they find their caretaker has died. The locals are very tight lipped about what happened but there is definitely something night quite right about Codrin's death.

I enjoyed getting another Alex Easton story and I hope there are more to come. I was able to get into this story a little more than the first. I do kind of wish that maybe this had been a full length novel and I hope one day we see one with Alex Easton.


Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the ARC!

This novella is incredibly spooky -- if I were allowed to adopt this for my curriculum, I would! However, it does require that you have read the first installment: What Moves the Dead. I, sadly, had not.

Even so, the descriptions are breath-taking--literally! This is nicely done thrilling horror in a bite size novella. It's incredibly unsettling, and I think it would've made more sense to me if I'd read the previous book. Which is entirely on me, and not on T. Kingfisher. It's delightfully creepy and I think it may deserve a re-read after I've familiarized myself with the first book.

Thank you for letting me read this!

3.5 stars/5

I think this book unfortunately suffered by the fact that it is a sequel. The first book is so strong and rooted in certain aspects that this book drifts away from.

I was glad to go back and spend time with the characters from What Moves the Dead, and I think they were the strongest part of this book. Alex Easton continues to be fun to follow, and Angus and Eugenia's dynamic was arguably even stronger in this book than in the first. I liked the background characters of What Feasts at Night more than I did the Ushers, mostly because they feel more present and fleshed out. The Widow is a wonderful combination of harsh and caring, and Bors is just so pure that most of the tension for me was just making sure that he would be okay.

Unfortunately, I don't think that was enough to properly set the atmosphere. What Feasts at Night is nowhere as creepy or atmospheric as What Moves the Dead, and left the majority of the book just feeling empty.

One of my favorite things about What Moves the Dead is the lack of anything supernatural. The fungi definitely stretch the bounds of science and reality, but it was still inherently rooted in nature and reality. What Feasts at Night is a purely paranormal creature horror, and on the heels of What Moves the Dead, it just wasn't as interesting.

I did enjoy this book and Kingfisher has never fully disappointed me, but I couldn't help but compare this book to the first one and, unfortunately, I found it lacking.

What Feasts at Night is a marvelous continuation of the first book. Kingfisher once again manages to combine horror, humor, and diverse representation in a marvelous way that keeps you engaged until the very end.

Kingfisher's "What Feasts at Night" is a wonderful mix of humor, atmospheric creepiness, and the supernatural. I devoured and loved "What Moves the Dead" and was very excited for this sequel. There's this sense of familiarity and kinship that stretches over the entire story that pulls you in, and it does not disappoint. I'm a mood readers and this book satisfied my craving for dark and eerie.

The writing is a beautiful mix of haunting and humorous. The year is young, but "What Feasts at Night" has claimed the title of my favorite book of 2024 and is easily in my all-time top 10.

Although this is a sequel to What Moves the Dead, this can be read as a standalone and still be completely enjoyable. To be honest, I don't remember that much about the first book, except that I liked it tremendously and there were some creepy mushrooms and bunnies, and I was able to be immersed in this one.

T. Kingfisher's ability to create this light gothic atmosphere, solving more creepy deaths, and well-developed, diverse characters who are actual adults make this a stellar read. I don't consider myself a horror fan, but Kingfisher's books manage to dip into that genre without pulling me out of my comfort zone.

Another creepy novella featuring sworn soldier Alex Kingston. Ka and kan bodyservant are staying at the Kingston family hunting lodge, to which they have invited Miss Potter, the mycologist from the previous book. Things go creepy, starting with the missing caretaker.

This doesn't ping my horror-meter, although it is quite dark and in some places very disturbing. Good, though. Alex is a great character, and Kingfisher's voice is inimitable.

An amazing, eerie follow-up novel. Kingfisher is my new favorite for both horror and fantasy. Unique, inclusive, and always with great plot twists!

An excellent classic hair-raising sequel to the wonderful What Moves the Dead. One of the things I like about horror novels sometimes is that the titles sometimes turn out to be so very literal. This one is creepy and very satisfying. We get our favorite characters back, and I really love that the 5 sets of pronouns are both present and used throughout the story.

<b><font face="times new roman" size="11pt"> TW: Language, drinking, PTSD, stress, anxiety, depression, smoking, death </a></b>

<b><big>*****SPOILERS*****</b></big>
<b>About the book:</b>
Retired soldier Alex Easton returns in a horrifying new adventure.After their terrifying ordeal at the Usher manor, Alex Easton feels as if they just survived another war. All they crave is rest, routine, and sunshine, but instead, as a favor to Angus and Miss Potter, they find themself heading to their family hunting lodge, deep in the cold, damp forests of their home country, Gallacia.

In theory, one can find relaxation in even the coldest and dampest of Gallacian autumns, but when Easton arrives, 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. Easton knows better than to put too much stock in local superstitions, but they can tell that something is not quite right in their home. . . or in their dreams.
<b>Release Date:</b> February 13th, 2024
<b>Genre:</b> Fantasy
<b>Pages:</b> 150
<b>Rating:</b> ⭐

<b>What I Liked:</b>
1. The cover

<b>What I Didn't Like:</b>
1. I <u>still</u> don't like this narrators voice
2. Even more boring than book one
3. Repetitive

<b>Overall Thoughts:</b>
Oh my God I am so excited that I get to read about tinnitus 800,000 times!!! This tinnitus is Alex's complete personality.

This is book two and I just feel like the author just repeats the same sentences over and over again, but mixing up the order of it.

Honestly I don't care about this review. I don't like the story. I hate the characters. The tone is sluggish and boring.

Alex loves to complain and tinnitus and the war. That's their only story I even know about them after two books.

<b>Final Thoughts:</b>
Dnf at page 100. I am bored. All the characters just talk and complain. I feel like I'm reading book one all over again; go to house, sick person, and have to get them fixed. So repetitive. Didn't we already do this?

Author made a money grab splitting up this book into two when they clearly wrote one whole novel, but decided to split up a story that didn't need to be split.

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<font face="times new roman" size="9pt"><b>
Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Nightfire for the advanced ebook. Thanks for Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a stunning sequel. We finally get to see some of Alex’s home (yes!) and learn more about their unique culture.

This is also a beautiful picture of PTSD and I’m continually obsessed with the achingly beautiful and sad writing.

Fear the shroom.

Conceptually this series is not my favorite of T.Kingfisher’s work, but everything she produces is exceptionally readable and well-paced, and the tone is always pitch perfect.

I liked the plot slightly better in this book than in its predecessor (PLEASE, NO MORE FUNGI-BASED HORROR. Sigh), but it’s not my favorite style of fantasy/horror and Kingfisher has created far more compelling characters and narratives in other work.

Atmospherically it’s fine, though again not the best of Kingfisher’s work. But I love the ever present subtle humor, as prevalent here as in the author’s other novels, and though I was less enthralled with the world building here, Kingfisher’s writing holds your attention even when the bones of the plot don’t succeed completely at doing so.

I loved What Moves the Dead and was shocked when a sequal was released! I loved the continuing atmospheric building and gothic feels. A little repetitive sometimes but for the most part i didnt mind that. My only draw back would be to have more of a storyline and plot compared to world building.

Kingfisher has done it again!!!! While the first book felt complete, I relished the opportunity to return to this world. This felt much quicker and faster paced, and the dramtic tension didn't build as much as a result but I still enjoyed it!!