First off, the body horror was excellent as always with T. Kingfisher, especially in the nightmare sequences where flesh and faces fell apart with such ease. So gross, but so captivatingly vivid, especially with the horses and the spirit haunting them. There was quite a bit of lore and backstory for Easton and their time as a soldier, which helped build their character and give context for how they react to certain situations.
I found the first half of the story fairly slow and wasn’t a big fan of the main character breaking the fourth wall to speak to me, as well as some of the humor just not being for me personally. However, I felt similarly during the first novel, so I should have remembered to expect these things. I feel that the story wasn’t as fleshed out as What Moves the Dead and that in comparison to that story, it felt like nothing happened. To me, it felt like the only things of consequence that happened plot-wise was that a few characters got sick, had sleep paralysis, and then recovered. Although there were reappearances of characters who were in the first novel, they felt kind of flat and inconsequential to the story, especially Miss Potter, who seemed to have a lackluster and domestic role compared to how dynamic, independent, and important she was in the first book. It also frustrated me that Easton was so skeptical of anything happening in the novel being due to paranormal causes after everything that happened in the first book, which other characters did bring up, but I think it took way too long for Easton to come around to believing in the supernatural or their townspeople’s beliefs. Overall, I was a little disappointed reading this sequel, and I wish it had more substance to it. If the series continues, I hope that more happens in the next book because I did really enjoy the fungal/body horror and relationships explored in the first book.

I love Kingfisher and all that she writes (though I haven't quite managed to make my way through everything, I am trying). I loved "What Moves the Dead". It was a wonderfully haunting retelling of "The Fall of the House of Usher". I would have been just fine leaving the book where it ended, but was surprised and excited to hear that it was getting a follow up with "What Feasts at Night".

I thoroughly enjoyed this second book, though I usually feel that second books aren't as good as their predecessors and that was kind of the case with this one. Alex is back again facing mysterious circumstances and creatures that go bump in the night, though this time they hit even closer to home. Its kind of surprising that he doesn't believe in superstition just because he has already delt with the weird and uncanny...but then again mushrooms and fungi are a naturally occurring phenomenon so maybe the events of the first book were just easier for him to write off.

Nevertheless, he persists in getting to the bottom of the supernatural issue. Is something rooted in facts or something else entirely. Alex will get to the bottom of it one way or another.

The world building, plot and narrator voice are consistent and this was a good follow up to the first book.

Equal parts terrifying and charming, Kingfisher's once again takes a classic tales and folklore and superbly turns them on their head.

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.

I loved WHAT MOVES THE DEAD, so when I heard there'd be a second book featuring the same cast of characters, I was so excited! Thanks to the publisher & author & NetGalley for the early copy!

This was just as creepy and atmospheric as the first book, and it was so much fun spending time with our lovable protagonists again. Easton, Angus, & Miss Potter are joined by a few more new folks in this dark little adventure, this time set in a hunting lodge that's been inherited by the main character. I loved the ghostly aspects of this, but felt like the lack of belief in the moroi initially was really strange considering all the weird mushroom-y shenanigans of the first book! Still, Easton is such a complex, endearing character, and I loved the way they talked about and dealt with their PTSD here,

Overall, a super fun sequel -- I definitely don't recommend this as a standalone 'cause the first book adds a lot of context and backstory, but I do recommend it highly if you loved WHAT MOVES THE DEAD.

Really enjoyed this! Excited to see where the story goes from here! Thanks for the opportunity to let me read this!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor/Tor Nightfire for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Pub Date: February 13, 2024

3.75 stars. This was a quick, bingable read that kept me interested. It wasn't as strong as the first book I didn't think but I still enjoyed it overall. As much as I love Potter's character and I'm glad she was in this book, I'm not sure why she was in it; I don't think she was necessary to the story.

While mushrooms are objectively scarier, I think I enjoyed this much more!

I finished this in a single day and could not put it down. I read What Moves the Dead and I enjoyed it, but I don't remember it being as entertaining and honestly as *funny* as this follow-up was. The voice of Alex Easton is so unbelievably strong and I need someone to explain how Kingfisher had me cackling about ostriches in the midst of talking about ghosts and people dying from a monster. Easton is such a wonderful character and I love the skepticism and witty humour kan bring to the table. This was an oddly light-hearted horror and I'm definitely recommending it to others.

If Kingfisher just so happened to write more Alex Easton adventures, I wouldn't mind at all *hint hint*

Thank you so much to Netgalley and TorNightfire for approving me for this book. I think I may have liked this one more than the first and that's definitely saying something. This is the second book in the Sworn Soldier series, and I really do hope we get to read more about Alex, Angus, and Miss Potter. Even thought it is the second book, it could be read as a standalone novel, but I don't recommend doing that because you lose the love, the backstory, and the introduction of the characters from the first book, especially the description of the pronouns from book one.

After the terrifying conclusion of the house of Usher, Alex, Angus, and Miss Potter want to return to the hunting lodge deep in their home country, Gallacia. When they arrive, they find the housekeeper has died, and the lodge in disarray. Alex and Angus find themselves looking for another housekeeper who brings along the folklore of a breath-stealing monster that is now haunting the Easton house. Alex doesn't believe in superstitions but suddenly starts to realize something may be lurking within the shadows and their sleep.

I definitely thought the book started off a little slow, hence why the book only has four stars. It takes a little while to get into the backstory of the Easton house and what happened to their housekeeper, but it definitely felt a little boring at first. You start to learn about the backstory of the folklore that the townsfolk are whispering about, about halfway through the book, and then it takes off running. I was on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. The climax of the book is a dream, and is really well done. Once the dream ends, the book is pretty much done. Reading the book late at night will definitely give you chills. Not going to lie, I had a hard time going to sleep because I kept thinking about this thing in the book, haha.

Overall, this is a creepy and tense book, and if you're into horror stories, I definitely recommend this series. I can't wait to see what Kingfisher comes up with next.

Another quality novella from T. Kingfisher!

I enjoyed this one just as much as the first Sworn Soldier novella. The writing style/voice of the narrator remains consistent between the books which I appreciate since it is the same narrator. The characters were, once again, delightful, although I wish Miss Potter had more of a central role throughout this one.

Overall this was a good follow-up to What Moves the Dead!

I absolutely loved What Moves the Dead, and it was the book that got me hooked on both T. Kingfisher and horror novels last year. I was so excited to see that she was releasing a sequel to that beloved book.

What Feasts at Night sees the return of our intrepid solider, Alex Easton, on a new adventure with our favorite mycologist, Miss Potter. They both journey this time to a hunting lodge, where they find the caretaker dead and a strange silence permeating the area. As rumors of a breath-stealing monster swirl through the air, Alex must keep their guard up in the lodge—and in their dreams.

I enjoyed this story, but it was not as good as What Moves the Dead. That book had a sort of magic to it, plus a strong gothic atmosphere and sentient mushrooms, and this book was missing all of that.

I love T. Kingfisher’s writing and I will continue to read every book she writes. I would definitely recommend reading What Moves the Dead, which can be treated as a standalone, but I’m hesitant to recommend What Feasts at Night since it’s subpar to the first book, unless you’re a huge T. Kingfisher fan like me.

4.25/5
As both a big fan of T. Kingfisher and creepy house books, I was pretty certain that I'd love this book. And, thankfully, I do! Nobody does the blend of unsettling folklore, lovable characters, and surprising humor better than Kingfisher! I was laughing out loud multiple times and most of my notes are just me laughing, although there were so lovely passages that I also highlighted. And of course, I did get a bit squeamish near the end.

Easton returns to their family hunting lodge only to find that the caretaker has perished under mysterious circumstances. Should they really trust the superstitious locals and their nightmare tales?

What Feasts at Night is the direct sequel to What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher. I enjoyed that quite a bit, but this just didn't work for me as well.

We follow our same main character as they travel to their hunting lodge and encounter a new otherworldly creature. What didn't work for me this time was the tone of the prose. T. Kingfisher sometimes leans in to this goofy tone that I find a bit annoying and informal. I love when authors play with tone, and I think T. Kingfisher nails a fun, casual tone in other novels (see A House with Good Bones) but this was too much.

For such a short book, it felt like it dragged.

4 stars

I can't get enough of T. Kingfisher, and I feel the same about everyone's favorite sworn soldier, Alex Easton. Alex survived the Ushers and probably wants to be home by the fire watching _Phantom Thread_, but instead, they are OF COURSE now going to interface with a new creep show in good ol' Gallacia.

Because this series is comprised of novellas, there's not as much time to develop characters or plot. I had read (and really enjoyed) the first installment, and I'd recommend that approach to prospective readers, too. Part of what makes Alex's experiences here extra horrifying and impactful is the memory of what they have just experienced. You need to experience that with them for maximum outcomes.

I can't recommend the audio version - when and where accessible - enough. The narrator really brings Alex and the zaniness of these characters and situations to life.

I'm very much looking forward to future additions to this series (and to whatever T. Kingfisher will produce next in general).

I was really happy to get another book about Alex Easton and his adventures. Or should I say misadventures? This story didn’t disappoint with all the earie happenings. A hunting lodge, deep in the damp, cold forests of Gallacia. What could go wrong? A lot, obviously! There was a great gothic feel to this story. There were monsters, spooky creatures from folklore and gossip. I would not want to end up in Gallacia on my own! Over all, a great book! Now all I can do is hope that there will be more books about our favorite sworn soldier Alex Easton!

Eerie, atmospheric and will make your skin crawl. T Kingfisher has once again created a horror story weaved with humor as is their signature. While this story starts out slow it excels at being creepy and describes images that could end up in your nightmares. T Kingfisher is an auto by author for me for good reason.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Nightfire for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

T Kingfisher does it AGAIN with another atmospheric novella
that will leave you wanting more.

This story is a continuation of Alex Easton's journeys. This time, Alex and Angus
travel to an inherited hunting lodge only to discover the caretaker/ Easton's friend passed away under seemingly normal circumstances. Still, no one in the small town seems to view it that way. (Don't worry, MISS POTTER will join the trip!)

In keeping with Kingfisher's voice, the prose is engrossing and eerie. However, this storyline
takes a bit of a different path into dark fairytale territory, whereas WMTD felt more like gothic horror.

I loved that she chose this because the story held the expectations of the first while still bringing a fresh concept to heighten interest.

Absolutely loved it and HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

While I always enjoy Kingfisher’s stories, What Feasts at Night felt a little under developed. I think this would have been a lovely full length novel.

It was great to revisit Easton, Angus, & Co., but while this installment was certainly atmospheric, it did not have the same uneasiness and dread that What Moves the Dead had.

The second installment of our soldier that narrated What Moves the Dead has him at a family hunting lodge with unexplained deaths and local "superstitions." The pull between science and folk belief once again is here. This time those who want science to always definitely win and completely debunk folklore will be less happy as Kingfisher plays with the intersection of these concepts of disease.