I loved this book! Truly another great one to add to the Sworn Soldier series!! Thought provoking and creepy! Definitely gives all the spooky mystery vibes, perfect for Halloween read. Would recommend any day of the week!

Another hit from T. Kingfisher. I really enjoy how they are expanding the Sworn Soldier series, and while I think that the first definitely hits the hardest, this book is a really solid addition to the series. I really enjoyed seeing Alex in America and having to be outside of their comfort zone so heavily, both in terms of culture and what they were asked to do during the actual plot. I struggle to find praises without giving spoilers away, but I will say that they do a great job with the character work for Alex as always, but also the background characters.

What Stalks the Deep is another excellent entry in the Sworn Soldier series by T Kingfisher. Our protagonist Alex Easton is summoned to the United States by an urgent letter from Denton, their friend from the previous novella, What Moves the Dead.

Upon arrival in the US, they journey along with Angus, Denton, and Denton’s manservant Kent, to Elk Hollow, an abandoned mine in West Virginia where Denton’s cousin Oscar has gone missing. As the mystery of what happened to Oscar begins to unfold, Alex confronts the darkness of the deep, as well as their own personal fears.

The author has crafted a good blend of suspense and fear, and I was engaged for the entire novella. I really enjoyed the southern gothic feel of this novella, it made it different enough from the previous installment to keep things fresh and interesting while following the same sort of genre pattern. The “horror” aspect felt lighter than the previous installment, with more tension and suspense versus the truly frightening, and I didn’t feel like I wanted to hide my head under the blanket with the lights on. I’m not typically a horror reader (epic fantasy preferred), with T Kingfisher being my only really exception, so I would say this is suitable reading for those new to the genre as well as veteran T Kingfisher fans.

I adore T Kingfisher’s writing, with its masterful blend of wry humor, fatalism, and wit. The imagery was vivid and I loved the world-building as always.

I enjoyed the discovery process, and really loved the setting of the mine and the subsequent revelations as the characters move deeper and deeper within - a nice patterning of the process and the setting together. There were a few twists to enjoy and the ending resolved nicely. All in all, another excellent addition from T Kingfisher, and I look forward to the next Sworn Soldier novella.

Alex Easton is one of my favorite fictional characters. Ever. Such wit and heroism. And Easton gets involved in the craziest situations ever. What Stalks the Deep is incredibly creative and gross and funny. Kingfisher has a true talent for this type of story telling. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

Thank you, NetGalley and to the publisher (and T. Kingfisher) for the e-reader arc!

I recently read the first two novellas in the Sworn Soldier series, and I was absolutely smitten with Alex Easton and their storytelling, especially in What Stalks the Deep. I couldn't tell if Easton was written as more comedic throughout the third novella, or if the writing was more familiar and I could pick up on that humor more. Overall, I was fully taken in by how Kingfisher portrayed Easton as a story recounter - it felt very personal and much more immersive because of the narrator.

As Easton brings us through their third adventure with the uncanny, this novella was rife with elements of gothic literature - from ruined buildings/tight spaces (old towns/caves), fear and suspense, social dynamic critiques, to that Freudian sense of the uncanny and otherness. By reading these novellas, it felt like such a classic gothic experience and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I particularly liked the symbolism between this novella's "antagonist" and where Easton and his crew parallel with what it means to be a fragment or a whole and how information is transferred. That idea of sharing information and connection really resonated with the Sworn Soldier series, and especially this novel. I hope Kingfisher continues with this novella series in the future!

What Stalks the Deep is another great entry in the Sworn Soldier series. T. Kingfisher once again blends humor with fantastic horror elements to create a highly enjoyable story. The author does a great job merging returning characters with new ones to create a dynamic group of adventurers. Alex and Angus are still an entertaining duo, and I hope to continue to follow their adventures for a long time to come.

T. Kingfisher has created a compelling narrative, one that can just about go anywhere. There is no end to where Alex and Angus could go; who they could meet along the way; and who from their past may cross their paths again. I eagerly await the next instalment of the Sworn Soldier series

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the ARC.

Sworn Soldier Alex Easton is headed to America, specifically an abandoned coal min in West Virginia. They do not want to but Dr. Denton has asked for finding his cousin who has disappeared under mysterious circumstances.
Alex and Angus must once again face something that will test their fears and prejudices. Ingold is a great new character and I quite liked fragment. Alex’s dark humor is always enjoyable and the descriptions of the “squeeze” were dark and ominous.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for this DRC.
#WhatStalkstheDeep #NetGalley