I love T. Kingfisher and will read all of their writings. this was creepy but a blast to read! I love the mix of historical fiction and horror.

In my opinion, T. Kingfisher never fails to impress. She skillfully combines dry humor with eerie settings to create a unique story, whether a novella or a full-length novel.

In What Feast At Night, the tension slowly builds as T. Kingfisher explores the darker side of superstitions and country folklore. I enjoyed the atmospheric gothic vibe of the book, but I wished it had more horror elements. This book is perfect if you are new to the horror genre or prefer a lighter horror experience. The story can be read as a stand-alone, so you don't need to worry about reading them in order. However, I must add that I found the horror elements in Book 1 to be scarier.

Avi Roque narrates the series; I listened to Book 1 as well. I hope they continue with future books because, to me, Avi Roque is Alex. Roque expertly handles the subtle dry humor while delivering the eerieness of the story.

✨ Review ✨ What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher; Narrated by Avi Roque

Thanks to Tor Nightfire, MacMillan Audio and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

This book follows after What Moves the Dead and returns us to Alex, former soldier, who's now recovering from the horrors faced in the first book. Alex, Angus, and her horse head of to their family hunting lodge in rural Gallacia, where they will soon be joined by the mushroom expert Miss Potter.

While the horrors were apparent in What Moves the Dead from early on, the horror elements appear much later here. It does have great dry humor and gothic vibes thorughout the book, but you definitely have to be patient to get to the spookiness. I enjoyed this book overall, but would have enjoyed a bit more from the horror. I saw one review describe this as endearing horror which really resonates -- we spent a lot of time in the book in Alex's head, learning more about their experiences in and after the wars they fought in. As always, Hob, Angus, and the crew provide plenty of good laughs along the way.

(also I spent most of the book trying to figure out if it was also a Poe adaptation like the first, but I don't think it was?)

🎧 This has the same narrator as the previous book in this series which provided nice continuity. Roque voices Alex well and her inner world that really shines through in this book! I split between audio and ebook here and both were good experiences.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5)
Genre: fantasy, horror (light), queer representation
Setting: rural NW Europe/UK maybe?
Length: 5 hours 2 minutes
Pub Date: Feb 13 2024

Read this if you like:
⭕️ T. Kingfisher's gothic world-building
⭕️ horror that's not too horrifying
⭕️ rural settings
⭕️ so much mud

It was nice to see familiar characters getting into their customary supernatural scrapes and hijinks, but beyond that I don’t have much to say on the second book in the Sworn Soldier series.

T. Kingfisher definitely isn’t phoning it in by any means; I think it’s more that there’s just not much THERE there. I wasn’t sure where the story was going and it made the end destination less interesting. The gag of the extremely rude housekeeper also got old remarkably quickly.

If you enjoyed the first book, as I did, it’s worth giving this one a try, but I don’t know that I’ll feel compelled to read a third book if there ends up being one.

The narrator did an alright job, although I would have liked a broader range of voices and accents.

What an excellent fantasy mystery horror. I have loved Kingfisher’s work and this really has her voice. I love the main character narrator. I love the Eastern European setting. The book is scary but not horrifying. Really great all around.

What Feasts at Night by T Kingfisher is part horror part adventure with gruesome scenes thrown in.

Alex Easton and his companion are looking for a place to rest and recover after the end of the events at the Usher manor. They travel to a hunting lodge where they discover the caretaker has recently passed away and must find someone to come to the lodge to help care for them. Unfortunately no one is willing to accept the post because of the stories of a breath stealing monster that inhabits the lodge.

I enjoyed the way the author quickly drew you in and kept you engaged until the very end. The mix of horror and gruesome details was definitely reminiscent of Edgar Allen Poe or Stephen King. I loved the story was a quick entertaining trip into the dark and macabre. The author throws in just the right mix of humor to deliver an entertaining yet creepy story.

I liked the Galatian phrase I”’m Keeping” which they use for a multitude of responses, which could mean I’m great, I’m horrible, and even I'm surviving. The phrase reminds me of the southern phrase Bless Your Heart. Every time I heard it, it made me smile.

I enjoyed this so much I immediately ordered other books by this author. I listened to the audio book and enjoyed the narrator. They gave it just the right vibes to create that eerie feeling. I definitely recommend this quick creepy tale.

I enjoyed this one more than I did the first book, which I find shocking considering I adore anything Edgar Allen Poe related. This book was just darker. The mushrooms were freaky, sure, but they were natural. This book was supernatural and had a cast of rather interesting characters. The horse scene was horrific, so I think that's what really sold the story to me.

Dear What Feasts at Night,
You were a fun return to the sticky, visceral world of T. Kingfisher. You made me shudder at some of your visuals and horrified me with your supernatural elements. I do have to admit, I feel bad about all that Alex has lived through in their short life, and hope that if I ever return to their world, they have some easier times.

Why are we only allowed to leave 5 stars? This needs MORE! So for the record; I give it 10 + stars. (Don't make me fight you.)

T. Kingfisher is a true master storyteller. She captivates me like so few authors today even bother trying. The story is engaging, exciting, fascinating, creepy, and thrilling.

This is the second Alex Easton novel, which follows up the amazing "What Moves the Dead" 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, 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.

Such a simple description of an unbelievable story of local folklore coming to life.

T. Kingfisher has a strong ability to create a gothic atmosphere that is so realistic you can feel the dampness of the fog, and smell the stench of the stables. The protagonist, Alex Easton is a well-developed, diverse character that you care about. (I admit I get very attached to fictional characters when they are well-written and I am currently in love with Easton.)

Gallacia is also a very progressive little village that seems to find gender not important in the paths one takes. Survival and taking care of yours and Gallacia is what matters. The simple acceptance of no traditional pronouns and Easton theirself is refreshing and a non-subject.

This is not a traditional horror novel. The deaths are not gruesome or very bloody. The terror comes from the mind, the belief that talees told for generations are true and can hurt or kill. I'm not much of a fantasy reader but I love this series.

I had both the book and the audio. I have read where some do not like the narrator, Avi Roque, but I disagree. The voice is perfect for Alex and the other characters are done well. I personally enjoyed listening to this story as much as I did reading it.

I recommend this. This was published by Titan Books and McMillian Audio on February, 13, 2024.

Thanks to @netgalley for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

This was good, but not as great as I expected after really enjoying What Moves the Dead. Sadly this sequel just didn't live up to its predecessor.

The ending was a little anti-climatic and underwhelming, especially considering how much build-up and suspense there was throughout the novel. It all wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly for my liking. I loved the characters and writing (T. Kingfisher is uhh-mazing), but there was a lot left to be desired after finishing this one. It's a quick-paced short little read, so if you read and enjoyed the first book, I would still recommend this. It's not bad by any means, I just don't know if it was entirely necessary to make What Moves the Dead a series in the first place and it was a bit of a letdown. Very very sadly.

Also, I listened to this one and I personally wasn't a huge fan of the narrator. Their voice worked for me when they were doing Alex (our MC), but all the others felt extremely off, unrealistic, and borderline caricature-esque. Just drew me out of the story quite a lot. It's the same narrator as the first book, which I also listened to, but I don't remember being bothered by it then. Unsure what happened or what it is, but just couldn't connect this time around!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced audio copy. All thoughts and opinions are, as always, my very own.

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.

I like Avi Roque as a reader, but not sure they are the best choice for this series. Although, there are other books Kingfisher has utilized a cheerfully upbeat narrator to great comedic effect, so this just may be their thing. If it is, I applaud their ability to step out of the box.

<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.

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.

If you read audio, this is a great series to digest that way, as it has a terrific narrator.

3.5 - Slow start but picked up by the end. Alex has some pretty rotten luck. I didn’t think the first book needed a sequel, but it was nice to get more depth from these characters. Overall enjoyed it and would recommend it to T. Kingfisher fans.

I enjoyed this book, if it was a stand alone I like would’ve rated it higher.

Given that this is an incredibly slow burn, with little horror compared to the first book in the series, I was a tad underwhelmed.?

I was expecting a bit more overall, but I did enjoy it. I will say, I was listening to the audiobook, and it still felt slow.

I bailed after about an hour, because I didn't want to ruin "What Feasts at Night" for myself when I read it and I seriously doubt that I'll be inclined to give it the one star the audio deserves.

This narrator is among the worst I've ever heard. Their voice is unpleasant to my ear -- granted, it may not be unpleasant to everyone's, and if the quality of their reading had been better I might have become inured to it -- but what's worse is that as soon as events start going off the rails, their delivery of every single line becomes artificially tense and breathless. It's all wrong for as steady and competent a person as Alex, who should be striving to understate even a combat flashback. Add the weird tempos -- generally too fast, sometimes too slow, and hardly ever just right -- and the bored-flight-attendant-safety-briefing emphases (neat trick to combine those with the fake-sounding tension), and you get something unlistenable.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC.

This was a bit of a let down. I thought the most interesting part of the first book was the mycelium. I had anticipated that would be carried over a bit to this one and was sad when it wasn't.

I did not enjoy this quite as much as I enjoyed What Moves the Dead but this is T. Kingfisher, the book is still amazing. I love that we got more from these characters (and I hope we get even more in the future!)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

Starting out, you need to read the first book to understand lots of aspects in this one. I found this to be slow and much longer than it really was. This book was just a little too weird for me at times.

The narrator, Avi Roque, was not my favorite. He mumbled at times, causing me to rewind frequently.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced listening copy of this book.

What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher is book two in the Sworn Solider Series. Although book one was my fave of the two, this one did not disappoint. T Kingfisher’s writing style is top notch. The way she can interweave humor in the most darkest and creepiest stories is so incredible, I love horror and she will forever be my go to auto buy author.

A huge thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this ALC. The narrator, Avi Rogue, did such a great job narrating this story. The personalities they brought to all the characters gave life to this story and once I started it I couldn’t stop listening.

I don’t want to reveal too much just know this novella will have you rethinking going to sleep at night for awhile. I highly recommend this series. The audiobook was a short, fun creepy time,