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Sworn Soldier #2
What Feasts at Night
The follow-up to T. Kingfisher’s bestselling gothic novella, What Moves the Dead .
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.
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.
147 pages, Hardcover
First published February 13, 2024
About the author
T. Kingfisher
49 books15.3k followersT. Kingfisher is the vaguely absurd pen-name of Ursula Vernon. In another life, she writes children's books and weird comics, and has won the Hugo, Sequoyah, and Ursa Major awards, as well as a half-dozen Junior Library Guild selections.
This is the name she uses when writing things for grown-ups.
When she is not writing, she is probably out in the garden, trying to make eye contact with butterflies.
This is the name she uses when writing things for grown-ups.
When she is not writing, she is probably out in the garden, trying to make eye contact with butterflies.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,031 reviews
September 2, 2024
**4.5-stars rounded up**
What Feasts at Night is the 2nd-release in the Sworn Soldier series by one of my favorite authors, T. Kingfisher.
When I read the 1st-book in this series, What Moves the Dead, an atmospheric reimagining of Edgar Allen Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher, I believed it to be a standalone novella.
Having loved it as much as I did, imagine my surprise when I learned we were going to be getting more stories following the witty, charming and delightful MC, Alex Easton.
Alex has quickly become one of my favorite character perspectives to read from. Kingfisher channels her signature sense of humor beautifully into this character and reading their perspective feels like you are sitting with a friend, as they tell you the most horrifying vacation stories.
In this installment, Alex, along with some of the best side characters ever, including Hod, Angus and Miss Potter, travel to Alex's family's hunting lodge, deep in the dark, cold forests of Gallacia.
When they arrive the rest and relaxation they were hoping for is impossible to find, as the caretaker has died and the property is in disarray.
The local village is a titter, claiming that a breath-stealing monster, coming in the cover of night, has taken up residence at the hunting lodge.
While Alex generally doesn't put much stock in local rumors, or the monsters of lore being real, having just survived what they did at the Usher manor, it's hard to write off the possibility entirely.
Soon things that Alex could have never imagined, nightmare-like situations, begin to become reality. Maybe something is going on in the lodge after all?
I loved this. I'm already excited to read it again and to get a hard copy for my shelves. I'm not sure what the plans are for the Sworn Soldier series, but I truly, truly hope this is not the last we are going to see of these characters.
Whether there is one more to come, or sixty more, I am here for them all!!
Kingfisher succeeded again in making me care so much about these characters and what was happening to them. Even though this is just a novella, it packs a punch. The atmosphere, plot progression and horror imagery, were all so well done.
I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a dark, gothic story, following fun and engaging characters. If you enjoyed the first book, I definitely think you will love this one as well.
Thanks to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.
I will be keeping my fingers crossed for more Alex Easton!!
What Feasts at Night is the 2nd-release in the Sworn Soldier series by one of my favorite authors, T. Kingfisher.
When I read the 1st-book in this series, What Moves the Dead, an atmospheric reimagining of Edgar Allen Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher, I believed it to be a standalone novella.
Having loved it as much as I did, imagine my surprise when I learned we were going to be getting more stories following the witty, charming and delightful MC, Alex Easton.
Alex has quickly become one of my favorite character perspectives to read from. Kingfisher channels her signature sense of humor beautifully into this character and reading their perspective feels like you are sitting with a friend, as they tell you the most horrifying vacation stories.
In this installment, Alex, along with some of the best side characters ever, including Hod, Angus and Miss Potter, travel to Alex's family's hunting lodge, deep in the dark, cold forests of Gallacia.
When they arrive the rest and relaxation they were hoping for is impossible to find, as the caretaker has died and the property is in disarray.
The local village is a titter, claiming that a breath-stealing monster, coming in the cover of night, has taken up residence at the hunting lodge.
While Alex generally doesn't put much stock in local rumors, or the monsters of lore being real, having just survived what they did at the Usher manor, it's hard to write off the possibility entirely.
Soon things that Alex could have never imagined, nightmare-like situations, begin to become reality. Maybe something is going on in the lodge after all?
I loved this. I'm already excited to read it again and to get a hard copy for my shelves. I'm not sure what the plans are for the Sworn Soldier series, but I truly, truly hope this is not the last we are going to see of these characters.
Whether there is one more to come, or sixty more, I am here for them all!!
Kingfisher succeeded again in making me care so much about these characters and what was happening to them. Even though this is just a novella, it packs a punch. The atmosphere, plot progression and horror imagery, were all so well done.
I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a dark, gothic story, following fun and engaging characters. If you enjoyed the first book, I definitely think you will love this one as well.
Thanks to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.
I will be keeping my fingers crossed for more Alex Easton!!
February 19, 2024
“What Feasts at Night” by T. Kingfisher is the sequel to the critically acclaimed “What Moves the Dead” novella that was a 5-Star read for me. That was an incredible horror story that to this day, makes me think twice before eating mushrooms. That novel not only won the Locus Award for “Best Horror Novel” of 2023 but was also nominated for the Hugo Award under “Best Novella” so needless to say, I was beyond hyped for its sequel.
Kingfisher is a phenomenal author and once this novella was published, I had to read it immediately to continue the story of the Sworn Soldier, Alex Easton. They’re an incredible character but before I begin my review, I did find two trigger warnings while reading. They were…
- War
- Graphic violence against animals (horses)
If any of these trigger you, please do not read this book. Moving along, it was great to see Easton back and several returning characters from the original. Kingfisher’s writing skills are top-notch and her atmospheric world-building was once again incredible. It was so gothic and pretty awesome, to say the least.
I loved all the little subtle references to the original book and how things started. Don’t worry, I won’t spoil anything for you but I started to get excited about where I thought this novella would take me.
The angle of going into this sequel as a horror mystery was a smart one but unfortunately, things started to get too slow-paced for me with not enough horror. I felt the build-up was there and perhaps it would end up being a slow-burn kind of read but it took way too long to get to the scary part and really, it’s just one part that was good towards the end. The rest was more storytelling, dialogue, and trying to figure out what was going on.
I’d say this is a mixture of a decent story mixed with a supernatural undertone and a bit of a “creature feature” but I wish the horror was better. The whole reason “What Feasts at Night” blew up as much as it did is because it was a great story with a unique horror twist. This didn’t have that at all or even as much horror as the original did. I was expecting a lot more or at the very least, to continue the momentum of the wildly successful original but that wasn’t the case.
This was an underwhelming read and even the ending left much to be desired. I was surprised that there wasn’t a more climactic race to the end or something crazy going on as when events happened, it was okay but didn’t send a chill down my spine or anything. Even though I enjoyed this new adventure of the Sworn Soldier, this was a letdown.
I’m hoping that this series continues and we see more of Easton but this one didn’t deliver as much as I had hoped. It was still a decent read but wasn’t anything as extraordinary as the original. That book was mind-blowing but this one wasn’t as scary or impactful as I had hoped it would be.
I give “What Feasts at Night” by T. Kingfisher a 3/5 for being a decent reading experience but didn’t take this series to the next level after the blockbuster “What Moves the Dead” and it’s a shame. This had all the makings to do so but it’s a bit heavy on dialogue and not enough on horror. The setup was great but it fizzled out at the halfway mark and never rebounded. The ending was lackluster and this is an underwhelming read as a whole. I still love the way Kingfisher writes and will still read her other books but this could have been so much better.
Kingfisher is a phenomenal author and once this novella was published, I had to read it immediately to continue the story of the Sworn Soldier, Alex Easton. They’re an incredible character but before I begin my review, I did find two trigger warnings while reading. They were…
- War
- Graphic violence against animals (horses)
If any of these trigger you, please do not read this book. Moving along, it was great to see Easton back and several returning characters from the original. Kingfisher’s writing skills are top-notch and her atmospheric world-building was once again incredible. It was so gothic and pretty awesome, to say the least.
I loved all the little subtle references to the original book and how things started. Don’t worry, I won’t spoil anything for you but I started to get excited about where I thought this novella would take me.
The angle of going into this sequel as a horror mystery was a smart one but unfortunately, things started to get too slow-paced for me with not enough horror. I felt the build-up was there and perhaps it would end up being a slow-burn kind of read but it took way too long to get to the scary part and really, it’s just one part that was good towards the end. The rest was more storytelling, dialogue, and trying to figure out what was going on.
I’d say this is a mixture of a decent story mixed with a supernatural undertone and a bit of a “creature feature” but I wish the horror was better. The whole reason “What Feasts at Night” blew up as much as it did is because it was a great story with a unique horror twist. This didn’t have that at all or even as much horror as the original did. I was expecting a lot more or at the very least, to continue the momentum of the wildly successful original but that wasn’t the case.
This was an underwhelming read and even the ending left much to be desired. I was surprised that there wasn’t a more climactic race to the end or something crazy going on as when events happened, it was okay but didn’t send a chill down my spine or anything. Even though I enjoyed this new adventure of the Sworn Soldier, this was a letdown.
I’m hoping that this series continues and we see more of Easton but this one didn’t deliver as much as I had hoped. It was still a decent read but wasn’t anything as extraordinary as the original. That book was mind-blowing but this one wasn’t as scary or impactful as I had hoped it would be.
I give “What Feasts at Night” by T. Kingfisher a 3/5 for being a decent reading experience but didn’t take this series to the next level after the blockbuster “What Moves the Dead” and it’s a shame. This had all the makings to do so but it’s a bit heavy on dialogue and not enough on horror. The setup was great but it fizzled out at the halfway mark and never rebounded. The ending was lackluster and this is an underwhelming read as a whole. I still love the way Kingfisher writes and will still read her other books but this could have been so much better.
February 26, 2024
Lieutenant Alex Easton is back after the dramatic and creepy events involving their friends Madeline and Roderick at Usher house. (My review of What Moves the Dead) In great need of rest from that and the war effort, they bring along their valet Angus and their trusty horse Hob to spend some time at their inherited hunting lodge. Truth is, Alex is mainly going because Angus wants to spend time with quirky British mycologist, Eugenia Potter, who we met in the first book!
It’s not long before the saying “No rest for the weary” comes into play!
What begins with the mysterious absence of Codrin, the lodge’s long-time caretaker, devolves into a story of dangerous mythical creatures that have the superstitious people of Gallacia on edge - particularly Widow Botezatu, who’s taken Codrin’s place along with her grandson Bors. She clearly has no love in her heart for Alex, so is there more to the story of why she took the job?
I’ll only say that things start to get really weird at the lodge, and this novella will make you rethink going to sleep at night!
I liked this, and the one major draw for me to T. Kingfisher’s books is her sense of humor. She’s able to inject it into the darkest of stories and still bring a smile. I felt the tension and menace of the story, but her wit makes her brand of fantasy/gothic horror manageable for a horror wimp like me!
I listened to this while reading along on my Kindle, and thought narrator Avi Roque did a lovely job with all the voices, giving personality to all the characters regardless of gender and dialect.
I liked the previous book just a bit more, but this still entertained me. I’ll be curious to see what Kingfisher comes up with next for this series!
★★★ ½ (rounded to 4)
Thanks to Tor Nightfire Books, NetGalley and author T. Kingfisher for this digital ARC and to Macmillan Audio for the ALC to honestly review. It’s out now.
It’s not long before the saying “No rest for the weary” comes into play!
What begins with the mysterious absence of Codrin, the lodge’s long-time caretaker, devolves into a story of dangerous mythical creatures that have the superstitious people of Gallacia on edge - particularly Widow Botezatu, who’s taken Codrin’s place along with her grandson Bors. She clearly has no love in her heart for Alex, so is there more to the story of why she took the job?
I’ll only say that things start to get really weird at the lodge, and this novella will make you rethink going to sleep at night!
I liked this, and the one major draw for me to T. Kingfisher’s books is her sense of humor. She’s able to inject it into the darkest of stories and still bring a smile. I felt the tension and menace of the story, but her wit makes her brand of fantasy/gothic horror manageable for a horror wimp like me!
I listened to this while reading along on my Kindle, and thought narrator Avi Roque did a lovely job with all the voices, giving personality to all the characters regardless of gender and dialect.
I liked the previous book just a bit more, but this still entertained me. I’ll be curious to see what Kingfisher comes up with next for this series!
★★★ ½ (rounded to 4)
Thanks to Tor Nightfire Books, NetGalley and author T. Kingfisher for this digital ARC and to Macmillan Audio for the ALC to honestly review. It’s out now.
Read
February 20, 2024A delightfully creepy and disturbing sequel to What Moves the Dead. It's lovely to see Alex (gender: soldier) again, along with Angus and the marvellous mycologist Miss Potter, and especially to delve into Gallicia, which is basically Ruritania's evil twin, ie the endless-war-mud-murder-and-awful-spirits part of Europe.
This takes place just after What Moves the Dead and it is notable that Alex is actually *really fucked up* by and about the events of that book, which I respect greatly.
Hugely readable and endearing horror.
This takes place just after What Moves the Dead and it is notable that Alex is actually *really fucked up* by and about the events of that book, which I respect greatly.
Hugely readable and endearing horror.
April 24, 2024
1.) What Moves the Dead ★★★
i really enjoyed this novella, and sequel to what moves the dead that i was very much not expecting to ever have! we once again follow alex, going to a somewhat isolated hunting lodge in galician that they inherited, even if they are just longing to be back in paris where the noise is a comfort and the silence isn’t haunting. alex is also with angus, miss potter, and the best horse (hod), and when they get to the lodge, no one is there, not even the caretaker who has been in alex’s life forever. and a mystery ensues, filled with maybe scary ghosts and haunted dreams and hard memories and hot cups of tea. i really had a good time with this one and i hope t kingfisher continues to give us more of alex and adventures in this world!
trigger + content warnings: anxiety, chronic health condition (tinnitus), ptsd, medical procedure imagery, fungus imagery, talk of war and battle and death in past, loss of a friend, depression, nightmares, loss of parent in past, a lot of sickness that hinder breathing and involves the lungs (i do think this could be very triggering for covid related trauma, so please use caution), blood, talk of pneumonia, talk of tuberculous, animal gore / body horror, and just overall this is a dark story with dark themes
blog | instagram | youtube | kofi | spotify | amazon
♡ Nettle & Bone ★★★★★
♡ A House with Good Bones ★★
♡ Thornhedge ★★
i really enjoyed this novella, and sequel to what moves the dead that i was very much not expecting to ever have! we once again follow alex, going to a somewhat isolated hunting lodge in galician that they inherited, even if they are just longing to be back in paris where the noise is a comfort and the silence isn’t haunting. alex is also with angus, miss potter, and the best horse (hod), and when they get to the lodge, no one is there, not even the caretaker who has been in alex’s life forever. and a mystery ensues, filled with maybe scary ghosts and haunted dreams and hard memories and hot cups of tea. i really had a good time with this one and i hope t kingfisher continues to give us more of alex and adventures in this world!
trigger + content warnings: anxiety, chronic health condition (tinnitus), ptsd, medical procedure imagery, fungus imagery, talk of war and battle and death in past, loss of a friend, depression, nightmares, loss of parent in past, a lot of sickness that hinder breathing and involves the lungs (i do think this could be very triggering for covid related trauma, so please use caution), blood, talk of pneumonia, talk of tuberculous, animal gore / body horror, and just overall this is a dark story with dark themes
blog | instagram | youtube | kofi | spotify | amazon
♡ Nettle & Bone ★★★★★
♡ A House with Good Bones ★★
♡ Thornhedge ★★
October 28, 2023
Another atmospheric and creepy read by T. Kingfisher. What Feasts at Night is the second novel (novella, really) in the Sworn Solider series, and while I'm not sure that I enjoyed it quite as much as the previous book, What Moves the Dead, I still found it to be fast-paced and entertaining.
First off, I wouldn't recommend reading this one without already having read the first book in the series. While I suppose it could be a stand-alone if absolutely necessary, you'd be missing out on a lot of the backstory and there are some references to prior events that likely wouldn't make much sense. Plus, the first book is outstanding and if you're only going to read one, it should definitely be that one.
Not that this installment is bad by any means – it's quite the opposite. It's incredibly atmospheric and spooky, and yet also rather witty. Easton in particular has some truly hilarious lines. All of the characters are fantastic, however, from Hob the long-suffering horse to the mushroom-obsessed Miss Potter.
The plot is well-written and suspenseful. The locals believe that a moroi (a ghostly woman who sucks your breath away while you sleep) is haunting Easton's inherited hunting lodge. Easton isn't so sure they believe in such things (which, honestly, is a little odd considering the insane events of the previous book) but they can't deny that something strange is happening on the estate. The climax of this book revolves around a rather terrifying dream sequence, and although I'm not generally a huge fan of dream sequences in books, this one was really well done and is probably as realistic as such things get.
The descriptive writing is also really fantastic. You almost feel as if you're there in cold and damp Gallacia with Easton and their comrades, and Kingfisher certainly knows how to bring out the creepiness in a scene.
Final rating: 4.05 stars, rounded down. What Feasts at Night is a wonderfully unsettling and atmospheric read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.
First off, I wouldn't recommend reading this one without already having read the first book in the series. While I suppose it could be a stand-alone if absolutely necessary, you'd be missing out on a lot of the backstory and there are some references to prior events that likely wouldn't make much sense. Plus, the first book is outstanding and if you're only going to read one, it should definitely be that one.
Not that this installment is bad by any means – it's quite the opposite. It's incredibly atmospheric and spooky, and yet also rather witty. Easton in particular has some truly hilarious lines. All of the characters are fantastic, however, from Hob the long-suffering horse to the mushroom-obsessed Miss Potter.
The plot is well-written and suspenseful. The locals believe that a moroi (a ghostly woman who sucks your breath away while you sleep) is haunting Easton's inherited hunting lodge. Easton isn't so sure they believe in such things (which, honestly, is a little odd considering the insane events of the previous book) but they can't deny that something strange is happening on the estate. The climax of this book revolves around a rather terrifying dream sequence, and although I'm not generally a huge fan of dream sequences in books, this one was really well done and is probably as realistic as such things get.
The descriptive writing is also really fantastic. You almost feel as if you're there in cold and damp Gallacia with Easton and their comrades, and Kingfisher certainly knows how to bring out the creepiness in a scene.
Final rating: 4.05 stars, rounded down. What Feasts at Night is a wonderfully unsettling and atmospheric read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.
March 20, 2024
*Ok, so I listened to it this time. I loved the narrator. Now it wasn’t as good as the first but I did like it. I hope she does more of these particular books.
••••••
I’m going to have to listen to this book. I was getting a bit bored and skimmed to the end. Some parts were good but I just don’t know.
I’ll try it again. I enjoyed the first at any rate.
The first books was awesome! I guess I was hoping for more of that as well.
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
••••••
I’m going to have to listen to this book. I was getting a bit bored and skimmed to the end. Some parts were good but I just don’t know.
I’ll try it again. I enjoyed the first at any rate.
The first books was awesome! I guess I was hoping for more of that as well.
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
April 25, 2024
I had the unpleasant feeling that I was riding straight down a giant throat.--------------------------------------
…the woods of Gallacia are as deep and dark as God’s sorrow.T. Kingfisher, nom de plume of Ursula Vernon, introduced Alex Easton, the Sworn Soldier of the series title, in her 2022 novella, What Moves the Dead. Easton is a native of the fictional nation of Gallacia, a place with its own language, nasty weather, and plenty of reasons to stay away. Alex travels with Angus, erstwhile batman from military days, and overall assistant these days. It is the late 19th century. The pair managed to survive the creepy challenges offered in the first book in the series, a particularly original and alarming take on Poes’s, The Fall of the House of Usher. They are looking forward to a holiday at Easton’s hunting lodge. But they do have a penchant for finding the unusual and unpleasant.
T. Kingfisher, aka Ursula Vernon - image from Edubilla.com
Easton invited Eugenia Potter to be a guest at the lodge. Potter is Beatrix’s aunt, a personage from the prior book, and a love interest for Angus. Easton is hoping that the lodge has been well maintained, as a local had been hired to see to that, but had proven unreachable. Is the place ready? Is it even standing? Who knows?
The focal point on the spectral scale in this volume is an obscure regional spook. According to wiki, a moroi is a phantom of a dead person which leaves the grave to draw energy from the living, so, not a paying guest. Vacation plans are foiled, in fact, replaced with mortal perils
The initial volume in the series introduced Alex Easton as a person with female physical attributes who is established in a traditionally male role. The author even takes on pronoun-ing in the created culture that incorporates such a person into the extant culture. It was an interesting element in the first volume, but is only lightly addressed here.
Kingfisher has fun setting the creepy stage with grim descriptions of Gallacia, and the particularly dreary part of it in which Alex and company find themselves. For examples, see the two quotes at the top of this review. But she also peppers the tale with humor.
…I recognized the smell of livrit, our beloved national paint thinner, made from lichen, cloudberries, and spite. No Gallacian soldier would be without a bottle, in case we ever need to remember what we’re fighting for. (Mostly the opportunity to be somewhere that has better liquor.)--------------------------------------
The greatest city in Gallacia is fine, I suppose, but I didn’t feel the need to linger. Imagine if an architect wanted to re-create Budapest, but on a shoestring budget and without any of the convenient flat bits. While fighting wolves.And Potter butchering the local patois is quite fun.
Alex and company try to figure out what is going on, then how to address the problem. The local woman, whom they hire to take care of the household, should come with a surgeon general’s warning.
The most interesting element in the story is the fuzzing of the lines between reality and the dreamworld. Are battles fought in an unconscious state still deadly? The struggle for self-control, for self-awareness is as significant as the physical (or is it spectral) harm that is risked, and even suffered.
But frankly, this one was a bit of a dud for me. Only occasionally scary at all. I always enjoy a bit of humor and Kingfisher offers up a fair bit here. But there seems far less richness to this book that there was to its predecessor. An enjoyable read but far from a compelling one. It has the benefit of being a short one, a novella, not a full novel, so you can inhale it in a sitting.
Kingfisher/Vernon has a third Sworn Soldier volume in the works, set in the USA, and featuring Dr. James Denton from What Moves the Dead. Hopefully the digging she has been doing for that project will yield a motherlode of fun and horror.
The silence didn’t feel peaceful. It felt thick. Like a layer of fuzz on your tongue after a hard night of drinking, which you can’t see or touch but you can damn well taste. There weren’t even any birds singing.
Review posted - 04/19/23
Publication date – 02/13/23
I received an ARE of What Feasts at Night from Tor/Nightfire in return for a fair review. Thanks, folks, and thanks to NetGalley for facilitating.
This review will soon be cross-posted on my site, Coot’s Reviews. Stop by and say Hi!
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Links to Kingfisher’s personal, Goodreads, and Twitter pages
Profile - from the Fantasy Hive
T. Kingfisher is the adult fiction pseudonym of Ursula Vernon, the multi-award-winning author of Digger and Dragonbreath. She is an author and illustrator based in North Carolina who has been nominated for the Ursa Major Award, the Eisner Awards, and has won the Nebula Award for Best Short Story for “Jackalope Wives” in 2015 and the Hugo Award for Best Novelette for “The Tomato Thief” in 2017. Her debut adult horror novel, The Twisted Ones, won the 2020 Dragon Award for Best Horror Novel, and was followed by the critically acclaimed The Hollow Places.
My reviews of earlier books by Kingfisher
-----2022 - What Moves the Dead
-----2023 - Thornhedge
Items of Interest
-----Wiki on moroi
-----Stone Soup - The Mess That the Editor Fixes: What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher - really only so-so
July 26, 2024
If this was a fairy tale, it was the kind where everyone gets eaten as a cautionary tale about straying into the woods, not the sentimental kind that ends with a wedding and the words, “And if they have not since died, they are living there still.”
What Feasts At Night by T. Kingfisher is the second book in the Sworn Soldier series, in which Alex Easton returns to their hunting lodge to find the caretaker dead, learns about the local superstition regarding ghosts appearing in dreams, confronts their belief/ non-belief in the supernatural and chooses to do everything they can to protect their friends.
Kingfisher's terrific world-building continues in this second book, this time leaning more on the supernatural. The characters retain their deadpan humour however and their interactions are still fun to read!
The story is fast paced, showing how belief in the supernatural is viewed by different characters. The writing weaves superstition, dreams, hallucinations and internal battles brilliantly, emphasizing survival instinct and acceptance of the battle to win.
It can’t have worked, I thought. You can’t really kill someone in a dream. This isn’t just a dream, though. It’s the war.
🌟🌟🌟🌟
[One star for the premise and the whole book; Half a star for the characters; Half a star for the story; One star for the writing; 3/4 star for the world-building - 3 3/4 stars in total, rounded up to 4 stars.]
What Feasts At Night by T. Kingfisher is the second book in the Sworn Soldier series, in which Alex Easton returns to their hunting lodge to find the caretaker dead, learns about the local superstition regarding ghosts appearing in dreams, confronts their belief/ non-belief in the supernatural and chooses to do everything they can to protect their friends.
Kingfisher's terrific world-building continues in this second book, this time leaning more on the supernatural. The characters retain their deadpan humour however and their interactions are still fun to read!
The story is fast paced, showing how belief in the supernatural is viewed by different characters. The writing weaves superstition, dreams, hallucinations and internal battles brilliantly, emphasizing survival instinct and acceptance of the battle to win.
It can’t have worked, I thought. You can’t really kill someone in a dream. This isn’t just a dream, though. It’s the war.
🌟🌟🌟🌟
[One star for the premise and the whole book; Half a star for the characters; Half a star for the story; One star for the writing; 3/4 star for the world-building - 3 3/4 stars in total, rounded up to 4 stars.]
March 18, 2024
This is an atmospheric, dark follow-up to What Moves the Dead with the same characters, but set in Alex Easton's home country of Gallacia. The small town is a primitive place and Easton's hunting lodge is a bare bones building, but they've promised Miss Potter, that she can come and study her beloved mushrooms there.
It's winter and not scenic, mostly muddy and depressing. What makes their homecoming worse is that Alex was staying in Paris, the gayest and most beautiful city in the world. When Alex and their trusty horse, Hob, and Angus, their batman arrive, the lodge is in disarray and the man they had as caretaker is no where to be found. The situation gets worse as there could be murderous ghouls afoot, worse even than maleficent mushrooms.
It's winter and not scenic, mostly muddy and depressing. What makes their homecoming worse is that Alex was staying in Paris, the gayest and most beautiful city in the world. When Alex and their trusty horse, Hob, and Angus, their batman arrive, the lodge is in disarray and the man they had as caretaker is no where to be found. The situation gets worse as there could be murderous ghouls afoot, worse even than maleficent mushrooms.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2024
Even better than the first one because of the marked lack of fungi (at least comparatively) 😎
February 19, 2024
This has the potential to be my cozy horror series. Maybe because its not so much horror.
Like the first one, 'What feasts at night' has a great gothic atmosphere, although it tends to repeat itself a little bit with the mushroom imagery. It also gives stronger Sherlock Holmes vibes. The Romanian references found in the world of Gallacia are another thing that really worked for me.
The downside is that it does not have at its core a strong story. While 'What moves the dead' made good use of Poe's 'The Fall of the House of Usher', here the murder mystery is about a sort of monster that is so deeply buried in some sort of folklore that it does feel a little bit too ordinary.
If T. Kingfisher chooses to continue the series, next time they should spend more time with the story, because this wasn't enough.
Like the first one, 'What feasts at night' has a great gothic atmosphere, although it tends to repeat itself a little bit with the mushroom imagery. It also gives stronger Sherlock Holmes vibes. The Romanian references found in the world of Gallacia are another thing that really worked for me.
The downside is that it does not have at its core a strong story. While 'What moves the dead' made good use of Poe's 'The Fall of the House of Usher', here the murder mystery is about a sort of monster that is so deeply buried in some sort of folklore that it does feel a little bit too ordinary.
If T. Kingfisher chooses to continue the series, next time they should spend more time with the story, because this wasn't enough.
Want to read
April 20, 2023OH MY GOD, this is happening?!?! I loved What Moves the Dead SO MUCH! 😍
August 26, 2024
3/3.5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
What Feasts at Night is the second installment in the Sworn Soldier series.
In my opinion, the first book What Moves the Dead has more horror elements than What Feasts at Night and I think this second installment is a bit light on that.
There's still some creepy moments at the end of the book, and we’re also introduced to new characters; Widow Botezatu, Bors and Father Sabastian.
I really loved the new characters in this one!
In the beginning, Alex Easton and Angus are returning to their country of Gallacia after the disturbing events at the Usher house.
Easton and Angus are looking to stay at Easton’s hunting lodge while Eugenia Potter comes for a visit and forages for her beloved mushrooms. I absolutely loved the quirky love relationship between Angus and Miss Potter!
When Easton and Angus first get to the lodge, they discover the caretaker is no longer there and has passed away. He’s passed away under suspicious events from what the community believes.
What Feasts at Night has all the atmosphere, humor and great pacing that I love in her books.
In this plot, I love how T. Kingfisher brings to light the legend of the Moroi, a interesting mythical creature that I looked up more information on.
One last thing with this review, I liked how soldiers are shown in the book with what one would experience after the war, along with the mental and emotional stress of it all.
What Feasts at Night is the second installment in the Sworn Soldier series.
In my opinion, the first book What Moves the Dead has more horror elements than What Feasts at Night and I think this second installment is a bit light on that.
There's still some creepy moments at the end of the book, and we’re also introduced to new characters; Widow Botezatu, Bors and Father Sabastian.
I really loved the new characters in this one!
In the beginning, Alex Easton and Angus are returning to their country of Gallacia after the disturbing events at the Usher house.
Easton and Angus are looking to stay at Easton’s hunting lodge while Eugenia Potter comes for a visit and forages for her beloved mushrooms. I absolutely loved the quirky love relationship between Angus and Miss Potter!
When Easton and Angus first get to the lodge, they discover the caretaker is no longer there and has passed away. He’s passed away under suspicious events from what the community believes.
What Feasts at Night has all the atmosphere, humor and great pacing that I love in her books.
In this plot, I love how T. Kingfisher brings to light the legend of the Moroi, a interesting mythical creature that I looked up more information on.
One last thing with this review, I liked how soldiers are shown in the book with what one would experience after the war, along with the mental and emotional stress of it all.
August 26, 2024
I enjoyed the heck out of this. It was like taking a side quest from a Witcher game and making a short book out of it. An old hunting lodge that has been taken residence by a woman/creature from an old folktale who sits on your chest while you sleep and steals the breath from your lungs like a damn sleep paralysis demon. All horror aside though, the friendship and chemistry between Alex and Angus are pure gold just like Geralt and Dandelion. Need more of them PLEASE.
Full review to come on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/hollyheartsbooks
Full review to come on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/hollyheartsbooks
November 28, 2023
T. Kingfisher is in the house! Or shall I say, Easton is in the house and not alone!!!! What Feasts at Night is the addictive and brilliant follow up to the gripping and hard to put down What Moves the Dead novella. Seriously, Kingfisher is on a roll with these books (novellas). Woohoo!!!! Bring it on!
First things first, read What Moves the Dead first. It introduces Alex Easton, a retired soldier, Miss Peacock, a mushroom researcher, and Hob, a grumpy yet trusted horse. Their backstories are important and What Moves the Dead knocked my socks off. Can this be read as a stand-alone? Sure, but you will be missing out on the backstories of some of the characters and references to the first book.
Alex Easton, Hob and Angus have returned to Easton's family hunting lodge after the events at Usher manor. Needing some rest and down time, only to find that the Lodge has not been kept up and the caretaker is missing. Upon learning that they poor man has passed away, Angus and Easton set about finding help and getting the Lodge back in tip top shape. That will prove to be easier said than done.
There are whispers in the village about what is happening at the hunting lodge. But it's all talk right? Easton was not raised to believe in superstitions, but things are quite right at home, so.......
T. Kingfisher brings on the chills, the thrills, and the spooky creep factor in this book. I loved the atmosphere; it was out of this world! I could almost feel the chill and dampness in the air. Plus, the manor house and surrounding grounds provide the perfect setting. It has an isolated feel as it is several miles from the village.
I could visualize everything due to Kingfisher's vivid descriptions. I felt as if I was afly moth on the wall watching as things became more tense and spooky in the house. Then there are the characters: Hob the grumpy horse with a distinct personality who cracks me up, Miss Potter the proper English mushroom researcher, Angus who is straight to the point and has a mouth on him (gotta love it), Widow Botezatu, who cooks and cleans when not being sarcastic and mouthy, Bors, a sweet young man who helps around the lodge, and of course Easton who provides witty comments, bravery, and let's face it, is an interesting character.
This was such a wonderful and creepy book. It's in the horror genre but don't let that scare you away. It is spooky and creepy. There are no gory scenes. I place it in the gothic category with some horrific scenes.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it to be a very fast read (160 pages). I was glued to the pages from the very beginning. T. Kingfisher's writing dazzles me every time with lush and vivid descriptions. I loved the feeling of unease that permeated throughout the book. The is a sense that something isn't quite right from the very beginning. I loved the feeling of anticipation that I had while waiting to find out how things were going to unfold. This book left me satisfied and wanting to go on another adventure with Easton.
Well written, atmospheric, tense and gothic.
Thank you to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
First things first, read What Moves the Dead first. It introduces Alex Easton, a retired soldier, Miss Peacock, a mushroom researcher, and Hob, a grumpy yet trusted horse. Their backstories are important and What Moves the Dead knocked my socks off. Can this be read as a stand-alone? Sure, but you will be missing out on the backstories of some of the characters and references to the first book.
Alex Easton, Hob and Angus have returned to Easton's family hunting lodge after the events at Usher manor. Needing some rest and down time, only to find that the Lodge has not been kept up and the caretaker is missing. Upon learning that they poor man has passed away, Angus and Easton set about finding help and getting the Lodge back in tip top shape. That will prove to be easier said than done.
There are whispers in the village about what is happening at the hunting lodge. But it's all talk right? Easton was not raised to believe in superstitions, but things are quite right at home, so.......
T. Kingfisher brings on the chills, the thrills, and the spooky creep factor in this book. I loved the atmosphere; it was out of this world! I could almost feel the chill and dampness in the air. Plus, the manor house and surrounding grounds provide the perfect setting. It has an isolated feel as it is several miles from the village.
I could visualize everything due to Kingfisher's vivid descriptions. I felt as if I was a
This was such a wonderful and creepy book. It's in the horror genre but don't let that scare you away. It is spooky and creepy. There are no gory scenes. I place it in the gothic category with some horrific scenes.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it to be a very fast read (160 pages). I was glued to the pages from the very beginning. T. Kingfisher's writing dazzles me every time with lush and vivid descriptions. I loved the feeling of unease that permeated throughout the book. The is a sense that something isn't quite right from the very beginning. I loved the feeling of anticipation that I had while waiting to find out how things were going to unfold. This book left me satisfied and wanting to go on another adventure with Easton.
Well written, atmospheric, tense and gothic.
Thank you to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
March 18, 2024
Please note that I received this book from NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.
Breaks my heart to say this but this second book was so not as good as book #1.
This should have been left alone as a standalone. Alex was annoying and boring in this one and there’s nothing in this that makes you want to read more. I think without the Fall of the House of Usher, this falls flat and flails to its unimportant ending.
Full Review:
"Sworn Soldier" follows Alex Easton as they return to the country of Gallacia. Alex does not want to return, but does it as a favor to Angus since Ms. Potter (see Sworn Soldier #1) wants to tour the country to inspect mushrooms. Alex is confused though when they arrive and realize the person that was hired to keep the family's lodge in good shape is missing. And that the village seems terrified of working there.
So the good, the book was funny. I did laugh a bit about interactions between Alex and Angus. Things in my mind got really good when Ms. Potter finally arrived. And the initial interactions between Alex and the widow were great. But a horror book having funny parts was not enough to get me to give this more than 3 stars.
I think the biggest thing is this book is so freaking slow. It just stop and starts. I felt at times that pages must be missing because the book just felt off in some weird way while I was reading it. And the Alex who has gone through the things in book #1, I can't see why they were so resistant to what could possibly be happening in this book. It didn't pass the smell test for me.
And I don't mind folk lore horror, it just didn't make a lot of sense to me and Kingfisher kept adding things like and this was never explained and sometimes that is just what happens. What? I want explanation. It felt like at some point Kingfisher realized there were plot holes galore but wanted to get to the ending.
And the ending. I don't even know what to say. I just felt let down after the juggernaut of "What Moves the Dead." I think that book should have stayed an excellent standalone.
Breaks my heart to say this but this second book was so not as good as book #1.
This should have been left alone as a standalone. Alex was annoying and boring in this one and there’s nothing in this that makes you want to read more. I think without the Fall of the House of Usher, this falls flat and flails to its unimportant ending.
Full Review:
"Sworn Soldier" follows Alex Easton as they return to the country of Gallacia. Alex does not want to return, but does it as a favor to Angus since Ms. Potter (see Sworn Soldier #1) wants to tour the country to inspect mushrooms. Alex is confused though when they arrive and realize the person that was hired to keep the family's lodge in good shape is missing. And that the village seems terrified of working there.
So the good, the book was funny. I did laugh a bit about interactions between Alex and Angus. Things in my mind got really good when Ms. Potter finally arrived. And the initial interactions between Alex and the widow were great. But a horror book having funny parts was not enough to get me to give this more than 3 stars.
I think the biggest thing is this book is so freaking slow. It just stop and starts. I felt at times that pages must be missing because the book just felt off in some weird way while I was reading it. And the Alex who has gone through the things in book #1, I can't see why they were so resistant to what could possibly be happening in this book. It didn't pass the smell test for me.
And I don't mind folk lore horror, it just didn't make a lot of sense to me and Kingfisher kept adding things like and this was never explained and sometimes that is just what happens. What? I want explanation. It felt like at some point Kingfisher realized there were plot holes galore but wanted to get to the ending.
And the ending. I don't even know what to say. I just felt let down after the juggernaut of "What Moves the Dead." I think that book should have stayed an excellent standalone.
July 11, 2024
Dipping more into classic folklore horror for What Feasts At Night, T. Kingfisher continues our journey with retired soldier Alex Easton (ka/kan) returning to kan’s family hunting lodge in Gallacia, seeking peace but instead finding the caretaker dead and the lodge in disarray. As eerie occurrences unfold and villagers warn of a breath-stealing monster-witch, Easton must confront a terrifying new reality that challenges kan’s skepticism of local folklore.
As someone who doesn’t read or watch a lot of horror, I find shorter forms like this (~150 pages) particularly appealing. Maybe this stems from getting my dose of gothic/fantasy/horror exclusively through The Complete Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales as a child idk. The pacing provides just enough information to keep me intrigued without theorizing forever.
Kingfisher’s prose is so visual that you are immediately immersed in the gothic, damp, and dreary setting of Gallacia. Personally, I pictured it as the third faux season of The Haunting anthology miniseries on Netflix (I loved both seasons). Additionally, I enjoyed the dialogue between characters, especially in group settings. Each character’s personality really had a chance to stand out.
An unexpected highlight: with the addition of Father Sebastian (va/var) in the second book of the series, the neopronouns of both var and Alex’s characters felt more smoothly integrated and easy to follow (though I very well may have butchered them in practice here).
Lastly, the narrator, Avi Roque, is a perfect fit as Alex. They do an excellent job balancing Alex’s unique individuality as a sworn soldier with kan’s dedication to the betterment of the whole.
Thanks to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, T. Kingfisher, and Avi Roque for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
P.S. love the covers for these books, unique and fitting the theme.
January 28, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up
As someone who ADORED What Moves the Dead, I went into this feeling like I was satisfied with the first book as a complete story and unsure if I wanted/needed more in the world. And I think that intuition was more or less accurate, but other readers will probably feel differently. That's not to say this wasn't good, because it's still a fairly engaging horror novella with quieter moments. It just didn't have the same magic for me.
What Feasts at Night follows Alex Easton returning to their home country and discovering that the property they're fixing up to live in might be haunted by a monster from local lore. It doesn't get creepy right away and has a bit of a slow build. I like how this is using horror to explore PTSD given Alex's background as a soldier, and the way that past misdeeds can come back to haunt you or create generational trauma. It's also interesting because we get a little more understanding of the different ways prounouns are used in this language including specific ones used only for God. A solid novella with some very creepy scenes, but it made me miss the magic of reading What Moves the Dead for the first time. The audio narration is pretty good. I received an audio review copy from NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
As someone who ADORED What Moves the Dead, I went into this feeling like I was satisfied with the first book as a complete story and unsure if I wanted/needed more in the world. And I think that intuition was more or less accurate, but other readers will probably feel differently. That's not to say this wasn't good, because it's still a fairly engaging horror novella with quieter moments. It just didn't have the same magic for me.
What Feasts at Night follows Alex Easton returning to their home country and discovering that the property they're fixing up to live in might be haunted by a monster from local lore. It doesn't get creepy right away and has a bit of a slow build. I like how this is using horror to explore PTSD given Alex's background as a soldier, and the way that past misdeeds can come back to haunt you or create generational trauma. It's also interesting because we get a little more understanding of the different ways prounouns are used in this language including specific ones used only for God. A solid novella with some very creepy scenes, but it made me miss the magic of reading What Moves the Dead for the first time. The audio narration is pretty good. I received an audio review copy from NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
February 16, 2024
This story is:
① Way too short.
② Not long enough.
③ Despicably succinct.
④ Severely lacking in the duration department.
⑤ As hilarious as it is creepy.
⑥ As creepy as it is hilarious.
⑦ Bloody shrimping scrumpalicious from beginning to end.
Also, those lines! Those characters! I'm in 💕lurve💕!
P.S. Need I remind you that Alex Easton is MINE MINE MINE? Didn't think so 😬.
P.P.S. T. Kingfisher, we better get another installment in this series, or else...
· Book 1: What Moves the Dead ★★★★★
① Way too short.
② Not long enough.
③ Despicably succinct.
④ Severely lacking in the duration department.
⑤ As hilarious as it is creepy.
⑥ As creepy as it is hilarious.
⑦ Bloody shrimping scrumpalicious from beginning to end.
Also, those lines! Those characters! I'm in 💕lurve💕!
P.S. Need I remind you that Alex Easton is MINE MINE MINE? Didn't think so 😬.
P.P.S. T. Kingfisher, we better get another installment in this series, or else...
· Book 1: What Moves the Dead ★★★★★
Read
December 27, 2023I was just about to say, "Check out my Notes & Highlights"! But just realized it was a NetGalley and not a Kindle edition. Boo.
Here, let me add some of them here for ya:
"Serrated ranks of pine lined the road, with bare branches of oaks thrusting out between them like arthritic fingers."
I loved that.
"Soldier's heart doesn't know the difference between terrible things. Fungus or cannon fire, it's all just war."
"So they say. She is supposed to come in the form of a moth or a beautiful woman."
Review soon!
Here, let me add some of them here for ya:
"Serrated ranks of pine lined the road, with bare branches of oaks thrusting out between them like arthritic fingers."
I loved that.
"Soldier's heart doesn't know the difference between terrible things. Fungus or cannon fire, it's all just war."
"So they say. She is supposed to come in the form of a moth or a beautiful woman."
Review soon!
February 9, 2024
"Nature creates horrors enough all by itself."
Here's another creepy and atmospheric tale from one of my favorite authors.
Alex Easton, the much beleaguered retired soldier is back. This time his supernatural foe isn't a fungus among us, but a nocturnal visitor who sucks the life out of her unconscious victims. I thought the ghost/demon was a little too easily vanquished, but Kingfisher sure knows how to weave a mesmerizing story.
Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for sharing.
Here's another creepy and atmospheric tale from one of my favorite authors.
Alex Easton, the much beleaguered retired soldier is back. This time his supernatural foe isn't a fungus among us, but a nocturnal visitor who sucks the life out of her unconscious victims. I thought the ghost/demon was a little too easily vanquished, but Kingfisher sure knows how to weave a mesmerizing story.
Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for sharing.
February 13, 2024
OH HELLLLL YESSSSSSS !!!!! So excited! What Moves The Dead was abso-freakin’-lutely FANTASTIC!!!
November 18, 2023
Alex Easton returns in a delightful, creepy tale set in Easton's home country of Gallacia.
Easton is still dealing with the effects of war. On top of that they are also dealing with the events of the previous book. Set on some rest and relaxation, Easton heads to the family hunting lodge. Unfortunately, upon arrival, the caretaker is found dead, the lodge is in shambles, and there's a strange sort of silence hanging over it all. Will Easton figure out what happened? Will Miss Potter still be able to visit? And what's all of this local talk about some creature that steals your breath? You'll have to read this to find out!
Even though this book wasn't quite as compelling as the first, it was a lot funnier, but with less horror action. The story was still intriguing and introduced to me to some folklore with which I was previously unfamiliar. If I had to label this I would call it folk horror, but with wit. Easton is a fascinating character and I love their interactions with the lively Miss Potter and the townsfolk.
Overall, this was a delightful novella, even if a little light on the horror aspect. The characters were well drawn, some fascinating, and the razor sharp wit was just the cherry on top.
Highly recommended, especially to fans of the first novella. Let us hope now for another installment!
*Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Nightfire and the author for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
Easton is still dealing with the effects of war. On top of that they are also dealing with the events of the previous book. Set on some rest and relaxation, Easton heads to the family hunting lodge. Unfortunately, upon arrival, the caretaker is found dead, the lodge is in shambles, and there's a strange sort of silence hanging over it all. Will Easton figure out what happened? Will Miss Potter still be able to visit? And what's all of this local talk about some creature that steals your breath? You'll have to read this to find out!
Even though this book wasn't quite as compelling as the first, it was a lot funnier, but with less horror action. The story was still intriguing and introduced to me to some folklore with which I was previously unfamiliar. If I had to label this I would call it folk horror, but with wit. Easton is a fascinating character and I love their interactions with the lively Miss Potter and the townsfolk.
Overall, this was a delightful novella, even if a little light on the horror aspect. The characters were well drawn, some fascinating, and the razor sharp wit was just the cherry on top.
Highly recommended, especially to fans of the first novella. Let us hope now for another installment!
*Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Nightfire and the author for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
March 22, 2024
The signature quirk and humor was there, but sadly this wasn't as creepy as the first book.
June 7, 2024
How do you follow-up a clever horror story that owes its roots to Edgar Allen Poe? T. Kingfisher will (perhaps) tell you that you go to a simpler horror format. More of a fairy tale type horror that brilliantly integrates PTSD with the myth. I cannot over state how smart I think What Feasts at Night is in its use of PTSD to both explain, justify, and debunk the story. On each page turn near the end you can argue that, our lead character, Easton and his PTSD is both fuelling, debunking, and creating the horror story. That is the kind of creepiness I like!
For book two we have our leading man back and side appearances by other known characters from book 1; but really it is Easton’s show. I would probably call this more of a 1.5 in the series book. Although not as long as book 1 (a novella) it felt much shorter to me. Whether that was due to the excellent writing or the pacing being a bit faster I’m not sure.
My biggest disappointment here was that it felt as though the characters from book 1, besides Easton, were just there because readers would like seeing them again. I’m not convinced we needed them; and in fact, it might have been scarier if we didn’t have anyone with Easton who had experienced Usher house and was used to bizarre happenings. A little more isolation with the cabin caretaker and widow homemaker might have been just the extra spice this needed to make it a five star book.
I felt the narrator on the audiobook (which I gave up on after like 15 minutes and returned to my ebook) sounds far too young to be the voice of Easton. Not that they aren’t a good narrator, as they are; but Easton is a war-torn soldier whose been around thus for his narrator to sound like they are a youngin’ just didn’t work for me. I wanted a deeper, more masculine voice (I know bad me on the stereotypes, but come on war torn soldier!). That’s not to say that Easton needs this narrator (as Kingfisher’s writing is more than good enough!); it’s just my image of him is a certain way and it didn’t match up with the narration. That’s okay, to each their own when it comes to how a character might sound. Plus audiobooks are still a struggle for me sometimes so I’ll always happily return to my e/print copy.
All that said, I enjoyed visiting these characters again and will certainly follow along in reading this series (as I hope there is more to come). Kingfisher continues to prove she is at the top of her game and I cannot wait for more stories from her, in any genre, that I can gobble up in a day or two.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
For book two we have our leading man back and side appearances by other known characters from book 1; but really it is Easton’s show. I would probably call this more of a 1.5 in the series book. Although not as long as book 1 (a novella) it felt much shorter to me. Whether that was due to the excellent writing or the pacing being a bit faster I’m not sure.
My biggest disappointment here was that it felt as though the characters from book 1, besides Easton, were just there because readers would like seeing them again. I’m not convinced we needed them; and in fact, it might have been scarier if we didn’t have anyone with Easton who had experienced Usher house and was used to bizarre happenings. A little more isolation with the cabin caretaker and widow homemaker might have been just the extra spice this needed to make it a five star book.
I felt the narrator on the audiobook (which I gave up on after like 15 minutes and returned to my ebook) sounds far too young to be the voice of Easton. Not that they aren’t a good narrator, as they are; but Easton is a war-torn soldier whose been around thus for his narrator to sound like they are a youngin’ just didn’t work for me. I wanted a deeper, more masculine voice (I know bad me on the stereotypes, but come on war torn soldier!). That’s not to say that Easton needs this narrator (as Kingfisher’s writing is more than good enough!); it’s just my image of him is a certain way and it didn’t match up with the narration. That’s okay, to each their own when it comes to how a character might sound. Plus audiobooks are still a struggle for me sometimes so I’ll always happily return to my e/print copy.
All that said, I enjoyed visiting these characters again and will certainly follow along in reading this series (as I hope there is more to come). Kingfisher continues to prove she is at the top of her game and I cannot wait for more stories from her, in any genre, that I can gobble up in a day or two.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
February 25, 2024
I don't read T. Kingfisher's horror books because I want to be scared (I rarely find them scary): I read them for the wry sense of humor, the snippets of science and occasional kooky scientist, the keen observations of human behavior, and the vivid imagery of lines like, "May he shit pinecones in hell." Ouch.
Alex Easton, our retired non-binary soldier, is finally returning home to Gallacia, spurred by a nagging sensation that something has gone wrong. The Lodge is dusty and abandoned, its caretaker dead from reasons the villagers seem unwilling to talk about. Oh yes, and there are mushrooms, which conjure up unpleasant memories from What Moves the Dead.
These turn out to be Mycena haematopus which Kingfisher tries to paint as deeply creepy (and yes, they do bleed a latex that looks strikingly like blood in color, viscosity, and staining), but are actually tiny, fragile, and pretty mushrooms that I am fond of, though I more often see their bleeding relative Mycena californiensis. But like the indomitable Miss Potter (who seems based on Beatrix Potter and shows up again in this book), I'm too interested in fungi to find them creepy.
Things rapidly get spookier after the mushrooms. For once, Kingfisher actually addresses why her hero doesn't GTFO as soon as strange and unsettling things start to happen. (This is often the point at which Kingfisher horror stories make me yell at them to just leave already.)
I wasn't that into the horror elements, even though they are based in mythology, but I would gladly read an encyclopedia written by T. Kingfisher, and her writing carried the story for me:
Hmm, I don't think anything in the Agaricus genus (button mushrooms = Agaricus bisporus) specifically eats brains, though they are saprobes, which are generally not picky as to type of organic material they decompose. So they could eat brains, if they were provided with brains. I'm not worried about what eats my dead body, but let's have a talk about fungi that can infect living brains?
I think Kingfisher does a nice job balancing light with dark, touching upon PTSD and war and even pronouns in ways that don't feel didactic or simplistic. I even read the acknowledgments at the end because I am so consistently entertained by her writing, and was promptly rewarded with this:
Hey, you forgot the cranky botanists and mycologists of the world! Thanks for consistently getting that stuff right, too.
Alex Easton, our retired non-binary soldier, is finally returning home to Gallacia, spurred by a nagging sensation that something has gone wrong. The Lodge is dusty and abandoned, its caretaker dead from reasons the villagers seem unwilling to talk about. Oh yes, and there are mushrooms, which conjure up unpleasant memories from What Moves the Dead.
Mushrooms grew from the central floor, their thin flesh-colored stalks clotted with wet earth. I shuddered. Fleshy stems, thin white threads growing through the staring eye of a hare.
These turn out to be Mycena haematopus which Kingfisher tries to paint as deeply creepy (and yes, they do bleed a latex that looks strikingly like blood in color, viscosity, and staining), but are actually tiny, fragile, and pretty mushrooms that I am fond of, though I more often see their bleeding relative Mycena californiensis. But like the indomitable Miss Potter (who seems based on Beatrix Potter and shows up again in this book), I'm too interested in fungi to find them creepy.
Things rapidly get spookier after the mushrooms. For once, Kingfisher actually addresses why her hero doesn't GTFO as soon as strange and unsettling things start to happen. (This is often the point at which Kingfisher horror stories make me yell at them to just leave already.)
I wasn't that into the horror elements, even though they are based in mythology, but I would gladly read an encyclopedia written by T. Kingfisher, and her writing carried the story for me:
I sighed. Perhaps it was easier when you were a mycologist and saw the whole world in shades of fungi, and could easily differentiate between those that went into an omelet and those that consumed dead women's brains.
Hmm, I don't think anything in the Agaricus genus (button mushrooms = Agaricus bisporus) specifically eats brains, though they are saprobes, which are generally not picky as to type of organic material they decompose. So they could eat brains, if they were provided with brains. I'm not worried about what eats my dead body, but let's have a talk about fungi that can infect living brains?
Angus leaned down and pulled a small amber bottle out of his pack. He didn't even need to open it before I recognized the smell of livrit, our beloved national paint thinner, made from lichen, cloudberries, and spite. No Gallacian soldier would be without a bottle, in case we ever need to remember what we're fighting for. (Mostly the opportunity to be somewhere that has better liquor.)
If you have ever dealt with the possessions of the dead, you probably know what I mean. You take things away and leave behind emptiness, and everything you remove - every sheet and pillowcase, every lost sock and old razor - erases a little bit of the dead person's footprint in the world. You picture your own home being carted away, piece by piece, hopefully by loved ones and not by strangers.
I think Kingfisher does a nice job balancing light with dark, touching upon PTSD and war and even pronouns in ways that don't feel didactic or simplistic. I even read the acknowledgments at the end because I am so consistently entertained by her writing, and was promptly rewarded with this:
[...] the two groups who will always spot the details are the gun people and the textile people, and while I fear the textile people somewhat more, I like to stay on the right side of both of them.
Hey, you forgot the cranky botanists and mycologists of the world! Thanks for consistently getting that stuff right, too.
November 14, 2023
"Rags of bloodless skin curled back, revealing emptiness. I stared up into her skull, into a hollow cavern of bone that seemed to fill her entire face, the inside red and ridged and damp."
After completing What Moves the Dead, I wasn't sure if I would ever be able to breathe (or sleep) normally ever again. Anytime I spotted fungi they would stop me dead in my tracks and my brain would tell me to run! Then I found out that this little gem was being released and my body started to tingle. I just knew that I had to read this and I couldn't request this fast enough. I think I burned a hole through my phone's screen.
Should I cry now or cry later? This really pains me to say this, so I'm just going to come right out and say this. This bored me and it really wasn't my favorite. (Hides head in shame) I adore this author so much with her creepy tales but this one didn't do anything for me. Things really didn't pick up until the last thirty percent. For being such a short tale the story should have taken me almost instantly like her others have. It just didn't. *sigh*
What Feasts at Night has a hauntingly spectacular cover and one I would hang up on my wall. The story just didn't do it for me. Very slow-paced and not enough action to hold my full interest. I'll still read books by her because who wouldn't?
After completing What Moves the Dead, I wasn't sure if I would ever be able to breathe (or sleep) normally ever again. Anytime I spotted fungi they would stop me dead in my tracks and my brain would tell me to run! Then I found out that this little gem was being released and my body started to tingle. I just knew that I had to read this and I couldn't request this fast enough. I think I burned a hole through my phone's screen.
Should I cry now or cry later? This really pains me to say this, so I'm just going to come right out and say this. This bored me and it really wasn't my favorite. (Hides head in shame) I adore this author so much with her creepy tales but this one didn't do anything for me. Things really didn't pick up until the last thirty percent. For being such a short tale the story should have taken me almost instantly like her others have. It just didn't. *sigh*
What Feasts at Night has a hauntingly spectacular cover and one I would hang up on my wall. The story just didn't do it for me. Very slow-paced and not enough action to hold my full interest. I'll still read books by her because who wouldn't?
February 13, 2024
I am truly hoping T. Kingfisher has several novellas within her Sworn Soldiers series lined up for the future, now that she’s got two under her belt that are sure to entertain readers.
While the first story reimagined an Edgar Allan Poe classic with the creeping threat of a fungal spread, Kingfisher’s newest installment starring beloved protagonist Alex Easton is sure to take your breath away—or at least that’s what it’s threatening to do. Borrowing from the folklore of the Night Hag, the story follows Easton back to their home country of Gallacia where they from locals that a breath-stealing monster is said to be terrorizing the village of Wolf’s Ear, snatching souls in victims’ sleep.
In an early Tor Nightfire article, Kingfisher expressed that writing Alex Easton has become a joy for her, and it truly shows on the page. I love Easton as a protagonist and enjoyed getting to know them better as they introduce readers to their way of life, their way of speaking, and a glimpse into their war-burdened past. I can see a whole series of books, with Alex Easton leading the charge and facing battles both real and supernatural.
Readers will have a fun time with this one! But be warned not to crack open this book after a heavy meal when you're feeling cozy and drowsy and ready to turn in for the night. Stay alert, stay awake!
While the first story reimagined an Edgar Allan Poe classic with the creeping threat of a fungal spread, Kingfisher’s newest installment starring beloved protagonist Alex Easton is sure to take your breath away—or at least that’s what it’s threatening to do. Borrowing from the folklore of the Night Hag, the story follows Easton back to their home country of Gallacia where they from locals that a breath-stealing monster is said to be terrorizing the village of Wolf’s Ear, snatching souls in victims’ sleep.
In an early Tor Nightfire article, Kingfisher expressed that writing Alex Easton has become a joy for her, and it truly shows on the page. I love Easton as a protagonist and enjoyed getting to know them better as they introduce readers to their way of life, their way of speaking, and a glimpse into their war-burdened past. I can see a whole series of books, with Alex Easton leading the charge and facing battles both real and supernatural.
Readers will have a fun time with this one! But be warned not to crack open this book after a heavy meal when you're feeling cozy and drowsy and ready to turn in for the night. Stay alert, stay awake!
January 30, 2024
✨ "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."
What even was the point of this sequel? Zero chills, zero thrills, zero creep factor and a far cry from What Moves the Dead.
The story just didn't pull me in or engage me at all. There was lots of info dumping that distracted from the main plot. Even the lore and worldbuilding was disappointing.
Just as I started to get into things, it all falls apart and turns out to be so underwhelming. I mean, gunshots at a supernatural entity? Really?
I did like the return of Angus and Miss Potter, as well as the dark humour. I also loved the final scene and found it particularly striking, so two stars for those. But other than that, this was really boring despite the promising build-up.
On the bright side, this novella is only 160 pages. On the downside, it took me forever to finish. Or ten days, to be exact.
✨ "You're there and then you leave, but places don't stop existing just because you aren't looking at them."
Thank you to Tor Nightfire for the Netgalley ARC.
What even was the point of this sequel? Zero chills, zero thrills, zero creep factor and a far cry from What Moves the Dead.
The story just didn't pull me in or engage me at all. There was lots of info dumping that distracted from the main plot. Even the lore and worldbuilding was disappointing.
Just as I started to get into things, it all falls apart and turns out to be so underwhelming. I mean, gunshots at a supernatural entity? Really?
I did like the return of Angus and Miss Potter, as well as the dark humour. I also loved the final scene and found it particularly striking, so two stars for those. But other than that, this was really boring despite the promising build-up.
On the bright side, this novella is only 160 pages. On the downside, it took me forever to finish. Or ten days, to be exact.
✨ "You're there and then you leave, but places don't stop existing just because you aren't looking at them."
Thank you to Tor Nightfire for the Netgalley ARC.
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