"What Feasts at Night" is an atmospheric exploration of the unreality of dreams, particularly concerning the traumas of war. The plot drives the reader forward and the final beats are well-foreshadowed. The haunting is intriguing and steeped deeply in the local folklore. It is a testament to Kingfisher's worldbuilding. The final revelation of the ghost feels underwhelming. I think it could have been more compelling if that story had either been more developed or not developed at all and left as a mystery.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Once again, Kingfisher delivers a delightfully creepy, gothic novella. Easton is just as charming as usual, and I found myself chuckling at the dark humor and interactions between the characters.

The overall horror is much lighter than What Moves the Dead, but when it kicks in it kicks in hard. Kingfisher does a good job in keeping the reader guessing between the antagonist being supernatural or not, although the reveal was more anticlimactic than expected.

While enjoyable, parts of it felt rushed and a novella might have been too short for how much Kingfisher was trying to fit. It left me feeling like I'd watched a mid season episode of a series, very much a gap story that some may write off as filler.

All of that being said, I loved seeing Easton, Angus, Ms. Potter, and Hob again. I look forward to the rest of this series and Easton's disturbing adventures!

I received this book in exchange for a honest review from NetGalley.

This second book in the Alex Easton series is just as good as the first. These book totally scratch the itch for gothic horror. I love that these books are relatively short and easy reads but burst with so much beautiful imagery and inventiveness. I have come to love Alex, Angus and Ms. Potter. They are such great characters and their stories are a joy to read.

In a follow up to What Moves the Dead, Alex Easton returns home after the terrifying events of the prior book to find kan lodge abandoned and the former caretaker dead in a way that isn't as cut and dry as his surviving sister says so. But rumors around town speak of a malignant spirit, a moroi, who sits on your chest and sucks out your breaths.

I think lately I'm just in the mood for these tight little novellas, no real dragging on, and building easily from the previous in the series (which I read pretty recently too) and I enjoy this style of, taking a legend and mixing it into something more realistic (and as a personal bonus, the 'gender what gender' of the sworn soldiers of Gallacia). A race against time! A question as to if this is real or not! A knowing nod that perhaps it is!

I'd read more in this series were they to occur, and if not, this is a good sort of continuation of the first one without leaving anything really out into the wind and unfinished either.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group/Tor Nightfire for the eARC in exchange for review!

I love T Kingfisher. She’s one of my auto buy authors! I loved What Moves the Dead so I was super excited when I heard she had a sequel coming out!!!

I really liked it this book! It’s short and it had the great sense of humor that T. Kingfisher is known for! I just wish it had been a bit creepier like the first one. I still liked it and if you’re a fan of the first book, you will like this one too!

This one was so much slower than the first one. I was underwhelmed by the ending of the story, it had so much potential. I felt like when the story was finally beginning it ended. I hope the next one is better!

I am still not convinced WMTD needed a sequel or follow up, but this one was pretty good. TK is an auto buy author for me, and this one is almost as good as WMTD. It's unique and dark, exactly what I hope for in their books. I can't wait to see what they write next!!!

What Feasts at Night is the companion book to What Moves the Dead and is another great read by T. Kingfisher.
Quick and fun this is an eerie book that features the character Alex Easton in another reluctant adventure.

From the description--"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."

This is an atmospheric novel that creeps up on you.
Thanks to #NetGalley, #Tor Nightfire, and T. Kingfisher for the ARC of #WhatFeastsatNight.

As a lover of What Moves the Dead, I was very excited to read this next installment. While I prefer the fungal horror of the first book, the moroi is unique and creepy. The POV/writing style throughout the story is more stream of consciousness and directly spoken to the reader, which I honestly liked less than the first book. It is very easy to read and keeps you captivated throughout.

My main complaint about this book, which is really a compliment, is that I wish it were longer. I really enjoy reading about these characters and wish we could have a fully fleshed out novel with them and whatever "innocent monster" they're trying to survive. Easton is such a cool and interesting main character, along with Angus and Ms. Potter. I can't wait to read more about them in future installments.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was a huge fan of What Moves the Dead so I was very excited to read this next installment and it did not disappoint. The horror elements of the story were very well done and the plot was straightforward but still very enjoyable. I will continue to read stories in this series if Kingfisher continues to write them

I loved having another opportunity to spend time with Alex Easton! It felt like the character exploration came first in this novella, rather than the mystery. Angus and Miss Potter were such wonderful additions, and I even enjoyed the Widow and Bor. I kind of wish the mystery was a little more complex. I loved how the revelation is What Moves the Dead was a real-life answer to a paranormal question. This time, it didn't land as well. But the dream scenes were creepy for sure. Overall I enjoyed this!

TL;DR

T. Kingfisher’s What Feasts at Night features the wonderful return of Alex Easton in another atmospheric novel. If Kingfisher keeps writing Easton novels, you bet I’m going to keep reading them. Recommended.

Disclaimer: The publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Any and all opinions that follow are mine alone.

Review: What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher

Humans are, by nature, a social animal. We need contact with others to stay emotionally and mentally healthy. It’s also why readers and movie goers attach to characters. We want to find ourselves in characters, but we also want to find our friends and family in characters as well. In character driven fiction, different experiences are available to us. But, in all of these experiences, we can live a life other than our own. We can explore different choices, different thoughts, and even different loves. The best character driven fiction features deep self-reflection and a heightened observation of people and places. What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher sees the return of Alex Easton, who is just such a character. Easton reflects on their life and closely observes those around them to the great joy of the reader.

Alex Easton returns, and the events of What Moves the Dead, Easton feels a debt to Miss Potter. Easton, Angus, and Potter all head to the family hunting lodge in the old country, a.k.a. Gallacia. The lodge needs a lot of work, and Easton and Angus need help. Their old caretaker passed away in, of course, odd circumstances. They enlist the Widow and her grandson, Bors, to help with the place. Soon, Bors comes down with an illness that’s suspiciously like what the old caretaker had. What’s going on with the family hunting lodge?

What Feast at Night is a first person delight. It’s a fast read with wonderful characters. The plot and mystery are easily guessed and not much to get excited about. What Moves the Dead was a retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher. If What Feasts at Night is a retelling, I’m not well-read enough to know what story is being retold. It’s doesn’t matter if it’s a retelling or not because it’s a good story. What stands out is the lovely attention to detail and character that Kingfisher puts into every page. Spending time with Easton, Angus, Miss Potter, Bors, and, yes, the Widow is where the true joy of this story lies. Recommended.

Lovely Characters

Any of the characters in this book are wonderful. The priest who visits occasionally is a good character for the small amount of page time he gets. Alex Easton is wonderful in their way. Kingfishers spends more time ruminating on Easton’s military experiences in this story, and they were lovely. Easton’s reflections on war and the changes wrought by it are sad and all too human. In particular, Easton talks about dwelling in two places at once: the present and the war. This is so insightful and heartbreaking.

The Widow was the character that I liked reading about most, though. That poor, put upon woman. Kingfisher has created a well-rounded individual who made me laugh while also frustrating me. The contrast between her and Bors was an excellent choice, and it was neat to see their relationship through the eyes of Easton.

Setting

Kingfisher excels at setting. In this and the previous book, you really get the feel of the place being described. While reading about the area, I could picture and sense the timelessness of the place. The backwoods of Gallacia is a place of tradition and superstition. It’s a village that one could imagine coming across while hiking in Europe. I hope this series continues, not just because I enjoy reading about Alex Easton’s adventures, but because I want to see where Kingfisher can take us next.

Conclusion

T. Kingfisher’s What Feasts at Night is a short, character driven novel. It features the return of Alex Easton and their friends Angus and Miss Potter. This trio can’t help but get mixed up in supernatural events. What Feasts at Night is no exception. This story features lovely characters in a lively setting. Recommended.

I love Easton, I love this world T. Kingfisher has created and I really enjoyed this book!

I think I might have even enjoyed this one more than the first one which is surprising for me.

The story was short in length but the world is still oozing with character and atmosphere that leaves me thinking about the book for hours after I've stepped away from it. It's fun to learn about Gallacia and the way T. Kingfisher implements world building without being too expository is refreshing.

Not the scariest or most horrifying horror novel, but definitely a fun and unique read set in an interesting world.

There's Always Fungus Among Us

What a terrific story! I don't want to mislead you though, Miss Potter enjoys studying mushrooms, but they are only an incidental topic. The threat the characters must face is well-developed and scary, all the more frightening because of the remote seclusion and the hostility they encounter among the villagers. My interest was riveted from the first paragraphs and I was done reading before I knew it.

Kingfisher’s central characters are like old friends whose company I'd been missing. I enjoyed the budding romance between Angus and Miss Potter, the mushroom expert. I especially liked the main character, Alex Easton, who is good-natured, kind, capable, and courageous. I sympathize with how they can't get a break from danger so they can fully heal.

They are coping with PTSD from their time at war as well as their last ordeal at the Usher house. What happened then is chronicled in the first book of the series, What Moves the Dead, which is referred to in this book, but they both are stand alone novellas. If you can, read them in order, but it isn't necessary.

Thank you to the author, T. Kingfisher, Tor Nightfire, and NetGalley for the free advance reader's copy of What Feasts At Night. I'm under no obligation to them and am giving my recommendation simply because it was an absorbing, entertaining, and memorable read.

This was a not as successful sequel to What Moves the Dead. I wasn't expecting there to be a follow-up to it and with it being a favorite book of the year it had an expectation to meet. I still enjoyed it but not as much.

We follow Alex Easton to a hunting lodge in their home territory in a very small town where he finds that the caretaker employed has passed away and no one will explain the details. It's all very small town hush hush.

Alex, Angus, and Miss Potter try to find out who or what is causing the new caretaker's grandson to take ill as well as Alex themself. It's a bit more supernatural than i was expected but definitely fits into the horror genre well.

A stunning follow up novel to Kingfisher's previous. It was nice to be back in that world once more. I love that fantasy world Kingfisher creates.

Kingfisher has a way of just spiriting you away to a new dimension where within a few sentences you are completely immersed. I loved What Moves the Dead but thought that was maybe simply because I was a fan of the source material. Kingfisher's work has a way of being more about vibes than plot and I've been a bit up an down on the overall ratings for her stories. I'm always compelled to read them but often wish that there had been more action. What Feasts at Night hit the vibes vs action balance just right. It's got the dark, creepy gothic vibes with completely lovable and not so lovable characters but there was real peril with this one. I love a monster steeped in folklore. I hope this series continues, Easton is a great character and I get Maniscalco Stalking Jack the Ripper series vibes... a new monster every book would be fabulous.

I'm going to digress for a moment because the writing here is the star. The way each sentence is crafted is intoxicating and you find yourself thinking, I never would have said it that way, but now I want to. Kingfisher's frequent descriptions of PTSD and how Easton was plagued by his time in the war was so beautifully presented and explained. I feel like this is a must read for that fact alone.

Thanks to Tor Publishing for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.

5⭐️

<b>“Something bad happened to both of us, too. We don’t deserve to fall apart either.”<\b>

Another great T. Kingfisher book! I love Easton and it was so great to have another installment to this story, and I hope there are more to come! This book was eerie and atmospheric in the best ways and I loved every minute.

<b>They tell you that everything gets dark at the end, but it went white instead, the color of snow falling outside a window, and all I had to do was sit and watch it fall, forever.<\b>

I had enjoyed Kingfisher's previous novella with Alex Easton, What Moves the Dead, so was curious to read Alex's continuing adventures. The character is loosely based on the soldier from the Poe story, Fall of the House of Usher. In Kingfisher's stories, Alex Easton is a retired soldier, who by custom of their homeland, though they used female pronouns as a child, now chooses to use the nonbinary term specifically reserved for sworn soldiers; Gallacians also have pronouns specific to religious leaders. In this story they have traveled from Paris to their family's Hunting Lodge along with their faithful servant Angus. When they get to the Lodge they are surprised to learn the Groundskeeper had passed away. They are soon joined by Miss Potter who had aided them with their previous mystery and is curious to study the local mushrooms. The dialogue between the characters is charming, but the possible cause of the mysterious illness that has afflicted the village suitably spooky for horror fans to enjoy. The novel can stand alone from What Feasts at Night so you can enjoy this story without having read the previous one, but both are highly recommended. This is the perfect book to snuggle up with on a wintry day, though I'm not sure if I'd recommend reading it right before bed, lest your dreams become haunted.

This follow-up novella takes us to Alex Easton’s hunting lodge, which has been in the family for decades. Mystery ensues when Alex and Angus reach the lodge, and find it abandoned….with the care taker’s whereabouts unknown. With Miss Potter due to arrive soon for a visit, Alex can only hope that there isn’t anything alarming happening at the lodge.

I really enjoyed this book, and I hope Kingfisher continues with Alex’s adventures in a series! The bits of humor from Alex make for a very entertaining read.

I would consider this book “ horror light”, as it’s not gory or frightening. More of a dark fairy tale.