This is not the continuation I was hoping it to be. I really enjoyed the first book but this one had none of the things I liked about What Moves The Dead.

The atmosphere wasn't hitting, and there wasn't any creep factor either. It didn't feel eerie or unsettling at all, in fact, the only thing that it kept pushing was how quiet everything was and I assume that was supposed to make the reader uncomfortable but it was mentioned so many times it became more annoying than anything.

I found myself really bored with this one, it is very slow. Absolutely nothing happens until about the 75% mark and then it just gets a little gross and confusing. The ending was also anticlimactic and not well written in my opinion. This is the first dud I have read by this author and I hate to say this but What Feasts At Night didn't feel like it was written by the same person who wrote WMTD. I'm not sure what happened here.

An incredible second adventure for Easton and a fun little cast of characters was brought together again. I enjoyed the horror, but didn’t’ find it overwhelming (which was great!). I felt like I had the chance to get to know Easton a bit better and I’m excited to keep following along on the horror and misadventures that befall the group! I was surprised there was an all new kind of horror to deal with and it felt disconnected from the first book, but this didn’t take away form the charm of these horror slaying friends (Angus and Ms. Potter are a favourite of mine). Definitely a fun and quirky horror to dive into :)

I didn't expect to get a sequel to the excellent What Move the Dead, but Alex is back again is this great follow-up! I don't think you need to read the first one to understand this one, but I do recommend it. This had more of Kingfisher's excellent atmospheric and creeping horror, with engaging side characters. The queer rep is always a huge bonus for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!

In the newest adventure of Lieutenant Easton, they and their friends join together in their home country of Gallacia. With the caretaker of Easton's lodge dead and a story of a ghostly creature roaming around, they find themselves in another adventure of determining what's real and what's story.

I may be in the minority, but I loved this much more than the first book (though I did enjoy that one as well). I can see why some may think the horror wasn't as effective, but I think that just depends on what type of horror scares you. I had a blast with this story. It was creepy and interesting and I loved arguing with myself whether or not anything paranormal was happening or not. Easton is also as great and funny as ever. I would love to read more stories about them!

What a terrifying, gothic novella full of terror about what preys on the vulnerable at night. Alex Easton continues on in this second novella by T. Kingfisher.

This whole story had such an eerie and dark aura to it, similar to What Moves the Dead. With the twist of folklore – a breath-stealing monster with a broken face – this story unfolds darker and darker.

This story will literally give you the chills! Especially when you can't tell what is real and what is a nightmare!

Thank you to NetGalley and TOR publishing for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I hadn't even picked up the first book "What Moves the Dead" before being approved for this one, but T. Kingfisher knows how to write a novella that you will want to devour in one sitting.

As I rushed to read both books in time, I was absolutely blown away to get another installment from Easton, Angus, and Miss Potter. The Gallacia setting and folklore in this sequel is just as humorous and delectable as the first. Now will I be frightened by moths....maybe a bit more now, however that may be the price to pay to read it.

A triumph of a sequel to fuel your nightmares by T. Kingfisher!

I received a copy of this book for review from NetGalley. Once again, I made sure to only read this book in broad daylight, which turned out to be a good plan. While this installment of the duology (yay Alex Easton) lacks some of the visceral wrongness that was the first book, it still had plenty to haunt your dreams. Our beloved cast of characters was transported to a new location and a new set of vaguely unsettling conditions that is up to them to figure out. The author's trademark sense of humor and wordplay kept the story fresh and fun, while still ensuring that I will hold my cat up to every moth that I find in the house. I loved it.

An addictive read, this sequel to What Moves the Dead is complete with Kingfisher’s engaging prose, and it’s a slow and atmospheric novella focusing this time on themes of PTSD.

Equal parts ghost story, historical fiction, and mystery, What Feasts at Night is such a great novella. The first book focused a little on Easton’s past as a soldier, but this one really brought out the concept of “soldier’s heart,” which we now know as PTSD. Yet, it’s woven into the text in a way that feels natural to what’s going on and ties well with the ghost’s powers (if, indeed, it is a ghost - of course, this is part of the mystery, as with all ghost stories).

The characters are great. Non-binary icon Easton is a down-to-earth, seemingly unintentionally hilarious narrator and is immensely likable. The side characters are great, especially the cantankerous housekeeper in this one.

I also really enjoyed the setting. Easton’s home country is a fictional European nation that feels like it should be real. Kingfisher’s small details and worldbuilding gave it a depth that made me want to visit. Likewise, the setting is this hunting lodge in the woods- the perfect place for a haunting.

The novella is short but doesn’t feel too short. The action takes a while to build, but when it does, it really ramps up. It's slow burn, but it's definitely not slow.

Overall, I really loved this and hope we get more of these Alex Easton novellas from Kingfisher!

This was a short little novella sequel to Kingfisher's "What Moves the Dead," and while I liked it, I didn't love it quite as much as the first. I sort of felt like it wasn't creepy enough for a horror book creepy folklore horror moths. Still enjoyable and an additionally interesting look at a soldier's PTSD from serving in war.

After reading What Moves the Dead I didn't expect to get more of Easton but I'm so happy we did! Since there's no rest for the wicked, Easton and Angus got a lot more than they bargained for when they arrived back home in Gallacia. I was as thrilled as Angus that Miss Potter was included in this sequel as well! We get a mystery, some humor (especially liked the cantankerous old school marm-ish interim caretaker vs. Easton), and some creeptastic folklore. Seriously, something extra unsettling about being pursued by a baddie when you're sleeping and at your most vulnerable. It was a pretty quick read that keeps you engaged throughout. I hope to see even more Easton adventures in the future and, as always, I look forward to whatever T. Kingfisher comes up with next!

This is the second novella in The Sworn Solider series. Alex Easton and he is back with another terrifying adventure. When he returns home to his hunting cabin with Angus and Miss Potter, everything isn’t as it should be. It’s to quiet and the person looking after the place is gone.
I love the atmosphere of the deep woods, they are alone and the sense of disbelief as things start to happen. Wives tales of what could be causing the sickness. It was cool seeing all the different beliefs by town. And what you could do to keep those things at night away! Once it ramped up, it did not stop. I would have been terrified to go to bed!

I’m really looking forward to more adventures with this trio!!

Thank you @tornightfire for my #gifted copy!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of What Feasts at Night.

After the frightening events of the first novel, What Moves the Dead, Alex Easton and his faithful friend, Angue, returns to their family hunting lodge in their home country of Gallacia.

When they discover the keeper of thel odge was felled by a strange illness, what the locals believe was caused by a moroi, a ghost who steals your breath in order to live once again, Alex pays no mind to superstitions.

But, they soon discover they're not alone in the lodge, and this uninvited guest doesn't have the best of intentions.

If you haven't read What Moves the Dead, I'd advise you read it first before jumping into this one. It helps to have the background since Alex references previous events and their experiences as a weary soldier.

I was glad to see Miss Potter is back; she's my favorite character and I wished she had more of a role in the second book.

I enjoyed What Feasts at Night, though it's shorter and more contained as a story than What Moves the Dead.

The supernatural and horror elements are my favorite parts and the descriptions of Gallacia was interesting..

I did wish there was more exposition about the moroi; where did it come from? Are there others?

I like how the author incorporates Alex's PTSD and war experiences into daily life because just because the war is over, you never stop being a soldier. Those experiences, both positive and traumatic, shape the person you become and your actions.

I appreciate the opportunity to read this before publication and look forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.

Let me start by saying that at this point I will read anything T. Kingfisher puts out. I loved the first book, What Moves the Dead. This sequel is not quite as good; however, if you read the first book, please read this one. Alex Easton is such a great main character, and we get to learn a bit more about them as they have another run in with local lore. It takes a little longer to get as creepy as the first one, but I still love where it ended up.

Rating 4/5

I love T. Kingfisher so I knew I would enjoy this and really liked What Moves the Dead! This one was also a great read I loved the characters and the vibe was just so unique and easily to get immersed in. Great representation and it kept me wanting to keep reading! I know it is a novella but it did feel a bit short and would have liked more time dedicated to the ending. Still really enjoyed and will be adding to our library!

<i> What Moves the Dead </i> was one of my top books of 2022, so I was eager to read the next installment in Alex Easton’s adventures. And, for the most part, I absolutely loved it.

The writing is amazingly descriptive and atmospheric right out of the gate. Kingfisher has a gift for making the reader really feel the unease, the unsettling something <i> off </i> about a place, and also an ability to conjure up an entire, vivid landscape with a few well-chosen similes. Her characters are also brimming with life, each establishing a sense of history and fully-formed personality in only a few lines of dialogue.

Points also for a really excellent description of what we now call PTSD, and some brilliantly executed (and highly unconventional) body horror.

So why isn’t it five stars?

I know that this is a novella series, but this book felt too short, and not just because I want to spend more time with Kingfisher’s masterfully crafted narrative voice. The story felt a little too small, the plot contained to just a little too few incidents. I was left feeling as if the story was resolved before it ratcheted up the final notch. That said, the <i> way </i> in which the story resolved was excellent.

Highly recommend to fans of the first and to anyone who likes gothic horror with a bit of humor. I sincerely hope there's a third book to come—if there is, I will definitely be reading it.

I have never read a T. Kingfisher book I didn't enjoy and I'm not about to start now. This follow up to the Edgar Allan Poe inspired What Moves the Dead was all that I hoped it would be: atmospheric, emotional, funny, and so creepy! Kingfisher is a master at writing novellas that are as immersive as a novel while not leaving the reader unsatisfied, though the Sworn Soldier books aren't long ones, they pack in a lot of story.

In this installment, Alex Easton returns to kan home country, Gallacia, with Angus, Miss Potter, and, of course, Hob, and finds that there is something strange going on at their lodge. I won't spoil the plot, but I found the way the mystery unraveled to be as clever and interesting as what happened on the grounds of the Usher house in book one and it was easy to get invested in the characters introduced in this new setting as well. Bors, especially, is a new favorite of mine and if we get a third Sworn Soldier book, I would love to see him again!

Another thing I love about this book is how Easton's experience as a soldier was explored, with care being taken to show how trauma can affect people even years down the line, and how important it can be to just be there to support someone with "soldier's heart".

One thing that I think is special about these books is that in a way, there are no villains. Just people and beings who are doing their best to survive their circumstances, and as much as I root for Easton and the rest of the squad, I like seeing how empathetic the narrative is towards the things in the books that scare us. There is one quote in particular that knocked me out, when Easton asked, "Blessed Virgin, why must you keep sending me innocent monsters?" and I think that perspective coming from the protagonist is so unique and fitting for these stories.

The ending of the book, too, I love for doing that kind of thing, saying, "It's not the place's fault...It doesn't deserve to fall apart because something bad happened here...Something bad happened to both of us, too. We don't deserve to fall apart either." (I will say again I LOVE BORS!) And the way that the ending of this book is so starkly contrasted to the ending of What Moves the Dead, and the way the ending of this book is actually a full circle moment from the lines at the beginning of the book was just so lovely!!!

I feel like I could go on about this series for some time, but I don't want to spoil anything else and so finally I'll just say that I really enjoyed seeing the ways all of the characters, both from WMTD and new to WFAN grew and interacted together. T. Kingfisher really knows how to build a loveable cast (anyone who has read Nettle & Bone knows this well, I'm sure!) and though I was satisfied with the ending we have here, I would be very excited to read another Sworn Soldier book someday. In the meantime, I'm still happily working through every backlist title of Kingfisher's I can get my hands on!

It’s official: T. Kingfisher is an auto-buy author for me. The prose, the atmosphere, the humour! I preferred the first installment, but I still had a great time reading this one. 3,75⭐ rounding up to 4.

❤️ Atmosphere
❤️ Skillful and effortless nonbinary and genderqueer representation
❤️ Funny and fascinating narrator
❌ Slow start
❌ Underwhelming ending

Trigger Warnings: alcohol consumption, anxiety, war trauma, blood and gore, misgendering, and magical coercion or possession. Mentioned, off page: potential sexual abuse and murder.

Plot:
Retired soldiers Alex and Angus return to Gallacia, hoping to welcome their mycologist friend Miss Potter in time for mushroom season. They arrive to find the hunting lodge filthy and deserted, soon learning that the caretaker has passed away. But there is something mysterious about the old man’s death, and the way the villagers refuse to talk about it. Joined by a feisty widow and her kind grandson, Alex, Angus, and Miss Potter will try to stop the old evil that’s trying to claim more lives.

Who doesn’t love a good, short creepy folklore tale? The story beings with a rather long description of the story setting. There is a mysterious death, suspicious small-town locals, superstitions, and folk tales. Our protagonists are skeptical at first, but they soon realize that the stories might be true after all. I thought that the story was very slow to start (I remember being 40% in and feeling like the story hadn’t really started), but Alex’s funny and witty narrating made it fun to read nonetheless. There was more humour and less horror than in What Moves at Night, with a lot of emphasis on suspense and atmosphere. For me, the ending was slightly underwhelming. I would have preferred a faster pace with a more impactful climax, but I still had a good time reading it and cackled more than a few times.

Characters:
Such a loveable bunch! Alex is a fascinating and funny narrator, and kan (a nonbinary pronoun that only sworn soldiers can use) interactions with pretty much everyone, and especially Angus and the Widow, are *chef’s kiss*. Miss Potter is, again, my favourite. Such class! I could read stories about them over and over, and I’m quite sad that this was only a 2-book series.

Writing:
Kingfisher’s writing never fails to impress me: elegant and sharp, evocative, complex yet accessible, extremely funny without feeling forced. There are so many details that make me smile or laugh. It’s really refreshing, and I’ll never stop praising and recommending it.

An enjoyable novella and fine follow-up to "What Moves the Dead." I found this one to be a bit slower and missing some of the ominous vibes that made the first one a 5 star read. Will continue to read the series and look forward to the next one, if there is one.

I love when a book throws me into a mysterious dark adventure and this book certainly did that. I became a fan of T. Kingfisher after reading Thornhedge and I plan to read more of their works in the near future.
Though this is Book #2 of the Sworn Soldier series, I do not feel you need to read book 1 to understand what is going on in this one. I read this one before book 1 and feel as though I was still able to fully enjoy the story and the folklore.
It's not a long book, so the events happen quickly and it is easily able to be read in a single sitting. My only caveat would be, since this is the second book in the series and the main characters have already been through other fantastical events, they are very stalwart in their belief of the events.
I do not want to give too much away, so I will try to pause my review here. However, I encourage you to pick up this book as well as the first in the series and give them a chance. There is certainly a creepy air about them which reminds me of "The Haunting of Hill House" or other gothic fantasies which have ghosts and other creatures of the night lurking around each corner.

4.5 stars
(For reference, I gave the first book, What Moves The Dead 5⭐️)

I love this series. So. Much. That shouldn't come as a surprise because Kingfisher is one of my favorite authors!

What Feasts at Night is a "follow up" to What Moves The Dead. However, in my opinion, they can be read as stand alones, even though the books are connected they stories are individual..BUT I do recommend reading both because they are so good.

What Feasts At Night almost hit the 5⭐️ mark for me, but it was missing that ominous vibe that What Moves The Dead delivered but still a really fantastic read. It's more lighthearted, funny and sarcastic which I really enjoyed and it's lighter on the horror. I think this is a fantastic, cozy horror.

I hope that there is more coming in this series (T. Kingfisher, if you're reading this 🙏🏻) we need a book 3, 4, and 5, and so on of Alex just going on spooky adventures. 👀

Many thanks to Netgalley for providing a digital copy to read, as always opinions are my own.