Thank you Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for my free ARC of What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher — available Feb 13!

Read this if you:
🐇 loved the first book in the Sworn Solider series
🌈 enjoy quirky, unique stories with endearing characters
🧟 want a smidge of horror but nothing to keep you up at night

Alex and Angus depart the Usher manor and head home to Gallacia, to ready the old family hunting lodge for Miss Potter's mycological studies. Upon arrival, something isn't right, and Alex hears whispers that a legendary moroi has taken up residence at the lodge, stealing breath from its residents while they sleep. Will they be able to save anyone else from this terrible fate before it's too late?

First and foremost, T. Kingfisher can absolutely do no wrong. Her stories are full of vibrant, unconventional characters and I love them all to bits. The characters in this latest installment are no exception! We already know and adore Alex, Angus, and Miss Potter, but get ready to expand your heart to make room for a cranky widow and her grandson. I enjoyed how easily this second story flowed from the first, and I will read any and every book that comes out in this delightfully terrifying series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alex Easton is back at it again, another decaying estate; another brush with the paranormal.

This was such a fun combination of horror and folklore, creating fantastic atmosphere for such a short novella! It was creepy, unsettling and keeps you guessing on what is reality and what isn’t.

I thought this was a perfect follow up to What Moves the Dead and can’t wait to see what comes next!

I came away from this mostly feeling meh. It’s definitely atmospheric and creepy as advertised but I think I like everything about it except the main character Easton? It’s just not clicking for me, I love all the side characters and Hob the horse but Easton just isn’t for me. The writing is great, the plot comes together very well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Im a huge Kingfisher fan...and this book didn't disappoint.

Entering back into the world of Alex Easton was great; even in short books Kingfisher is so good at world building and character development. This story takes place back in Eastons native Gallacia and has Angus and Miss Potter and Hob and another inexplicable phenomenon mixed with superstition and folklore. I love the way it mixes the whimsical with the very real after effects of war bc it manages to be very human and insightful. Recommend.

I read What Moves the Dead in October and loved it, and I felt the sequel did not disappoint! I think I liked the plot of the first one a little more, simply because I enjoyed that it was a crazy nature connection that had caused the illness. I did appreciate the creative liberty in this one, though, to leave whether or not the sickness was caused by the Maroi or just our imaginations ambiguous. I felt that it would have been better to make the Widow a little kinder to Alex, given va had done nothing to deserve such pure hatred, and that's what it felt like to me when she was offering him up instead of Bors - not for sacrifice so much as out of spite. As always, the voice was phenomenal and the humor well sprinkled and the story well told!

2.5 stars - feels like the pacing of this story was off, Alex struggles to accept what is happening for at least 75% of this book which was extremely frustrating. Wanted more character development from the side characters and more expansion on the folklore being explored in this book. The writing was beautiful and I really enjoyed the commentary on PTSD and the effects of war.

A great follow up to Book #1 What Moves the Dead, T. Kingfisher brings us together again with Alex Easton, retired Soldier when they travel back to their home in Gallacia to meet up with Miss Potter for another hair raising trial with the supernatural.
A quick read this story expands on a folklore tale of the Moroi, I enjoyed hearing about this story and felt Kingfisher did a great job bringing it to life in this shortie.
Recommended for fans of TK, fantasy and retellings of Folklore/fairy tales.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for an ARC of this ebook in exchange for an honest review !

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for providing me with this ARC.

While I've never met a T. Kingfisher book I didn't like, What Feasts at Night was regrettably not my favorite of her works by any means. Though the novella does a great job setting the atmosphere of fictional country Gallacia, it failed to truly creep me out like its predecessor, What Moves the Dead, or like her other works, The Twisted Ones and A House with Good Bones. Though I really liked the vibes of the book, with main character Alex Easton returning to their isolated hunting lodge in the forest of their home country of Gallacia, I wasn't creeped out or terribly invested in the story. 

“Serrated ranks of pine lined the road, with the bare branches of oaks thrusting out between them like arthritic fingers. The sky was the color of a lead slug and seemed barely higher than the trees themselves. Combined with the wagon ruts that left a ridge down the center of the road, I had the unpleasant feeling that I was riding straight down a giant throat.”*

Kingfisher, as always, really knows how to set a scene, using haunting imagery left and right to create a feeling of foreboding. I could easily picture the deserted hunting lodge in a state of disrepair,  with its taxidermied trophy heads looming over everything. So too, could I picture the cold dank forest in which it sat, and the small village town where Alex and Angus hire help in the form of a stout widow and her grandson. The widow was truly my favorite of all the characters in this novella, even out of the returning ones, like Alex, Angus, and Miss Potter. I loved her open disdain for her employer, the “wastrel” Alex, and her own brand of practicality that she managed to maintain even amidst her own countless superstitions. It is through her that Kingfisher’s trademark sense of humor really shines.

“As Angus had predicted, I did not like the Widow, but that was neither here nor there, because I understood her perfectly well. She needed the money and was grateful to have it and resented both the need and the gratitude. She dealt with that resentment by taking it out on her employer, namely me.”

The employer in question, Alex Easton, is a bit worse for the wear after the events of What Moves the Dead, which is something the novella doesn't shy away from. I really liked all of the references and flashbacks to the previous book, as I feel so often that the heroes in works of media are left unchanged by such traumatic events. But that is not at all the case for Alex, who is still working through their trauma from both the war and the horror that struck their friends, The Ushers. Readers can choose to start the series with either entry, but I do think having read What Moves the Dead added layers to both Alex’s and my own experience of reading What Feasts at Night.

I also really liked that Alex had not returned to this lodge or village in Gallacia for many years, so their understanding of the beliefs and culture of the villagers was just familiar enough to move the plot along, but wasn't expert enough to not need things spelled out for them. This made them the perfect narrator for the situation, as readers never really felt Alex had quite a full understanding of the people, area, and the superstitions. Due to Alex’s own obliviousness and admitted shortcomings in comprehension of local beliefs, the sense of unease builds throughout the story, as it's obvious that something supernatural is at play—even though they are determined not to believe it.

Unfortunately, despite their experiences in What Moves the Dead, Alex has no problems denying what is going on in What Feasts the Night, even when it's painfully obvious. I was frustrated by their continued forced obliviousness to the situation at hand. I am sure this refusal to accept that there is something larger at play in the woods of Gallacia is to move the plot forward, but it didn't make a whole lot of sense to me as Alex has been so traumatized by the events of What Moves the Dead. It would have felt more logical if Alex were paranoid that something supernatural was actually going on rather than their continued nonacceptance of it. 

“Don't look, I thought, don't look. I'd learned long ago that things you don't see can kill you, but at least the visions don't stalk your mind for decades after.”

I was also really pleased that What Feasts at Night was less information dump-y than its predecessor about the pronouns and the whole sworn soldier thing. Instead of over-explaining the concepts, like in What Moves the Dead, this novella presents the ideas in a more off-handed, casual way that feels natural. Instead of these overly long introspective explanations that were the norm in What Moves the Dead, special pronouns and concepts are simply explained to an intelligent foreigner in a sentence or two, making them accessible and easy to grasp. This style of explanation meant I was not finding my attention slipping away and prevented the story from grinding to a halt for said information.

And the story is interesting enough, so I was glad I was able to give it my undivided attention without having to try to decipher other things and their significance. The creature the villagers of Gallacia fear is at large again is one that seems to encapsulate a lot of our own world's paranormal creatures, but still manages to be unique. Despite the originality of this being, I found I really lamented the loss of the Poe-retelling aspect of What Moves the Dead, as it made for a much stronger and more suspenseful story in which I had felt immediately invested. Sadly, nothing in What Feasts at Night quite compares to the building tension and dread of What Moves the Dead.

Though What Feasts at Night is a short and fun story with likable characters, good humor, and a disquieting atmosphere, there's not a whole lot of substance to the story and it also doesn't have the Poe retelling angle going for it.  One can easily read this novella in a single sitting if they aren't bothered by the slower place and longer set-up. I would definitely recommend this to readers who are looking for more of a cozy spooky novella than an actual horror story, as it presents a sense of unease more than actual scares. Though I didn't care for this entry in the Sworn Soldier series as much as the first, I'll still be on the lookout for upcoming books in the series, as I am curious where Alex's adventures will lead them next.

*All quotations taken from an ARC and subject to change at time of publication.

What Feasts at Night is the sequel to the excellent What Moves the Dead. Like What Moves the Dead, this book is a breezy read with some really creepy horror imagery, dream-stuff, PTSD, and T. Kingfisher’s signature humor. I read this in a couple of sittings and it moves well. Perfect if you want a quick creepy and funny read. I’m looking forward to future Alex Easton stories, if T. Kingfisher continues to write them.

Thank you to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I finished the first book in this series, “What Moves the Dead” and immediately went to request an ARC for the sequel. There’s something about Kingfisher’s writing that is so charming while being simultaneously bone chillingly terrifying. I was completely engrossed.

What Moves the Dead was a five star read for me. I absolutely loved it. I hated The Fall of the House of Usher, but the retelling really hit something in me. Mostly that it was horror, but it also hit on something for me that was scientifically possible, but not probable. The characters were amazing and I was intrigued by the world-building. I found the concept really interesting and it came together perfectly for me. I can’t quite say the same of What Feasts at Night.

What Feasts at Night is a horror story that leans more into the supernatural than the scientific, which is generally more appealing to me. I enjoy stories with spirits, ghosts, and preternatural creatures. The move from the scientific to the supernatural threw me off a little at first, but I didn’t really bother me. What made me enjoy the sequel less, falls more in line with the way the story unfolded.

For me, the way that What Moves the Dead unfolded was masterful. The pacing and the reveals were just perfect. However, the beginning of What Feasts at Night was a little slow to get off the ground and in a slender novella, that’s not necessarily a good thing. I think T. Kingfisher is normally very good at pacing a novella, this was not her finest pacing. Most of the reveals happen in the latter half of the book and everything truly exciting happens in the last 85%. I don’t think the suspense had enough time to build as the reveals were placed too close together.

Does this mean that I didn’t enjoy it? No, I still enjoyed it. I love the characters in this book. Alex is fantastic and I love kan. I also enjoy Hob, as much as I can enjoy a horse. I live and breathe the romance between Angus and Ms. Potter though. I adore them together so much. I also loved our new side characters. Also, the general commentary on Finns and salmiakki was spot on. I still love Kingfisher’s humor and the way that she writes is descriptive and, at times, horrifying and beautiful. I still enjoyed this, but I just enjoyed What Moves the Dead more.

Overall, I still think fans will be generally satisfied, but I think most are just excited that this could become a series. I would read the snot out of the adventures of Alex Easton gallivanting all over Europe and having a series of unfortunate events and experiences. I could understand if Kingfisher wasn’t as keen to continue though. I think that series can become a bit of a cage for some writers. A certain group of readers may even enjoy this more than the original. Those that wanted a more supernatural than a scientific explanation. I am just excited for anything that I can get from Kingfisher in the future.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC of this novella, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

How nice to be back in an adventure with Alex Easton. I want more adventures, more tales, more, more, more. This was gruesome and humorous and a little sad. I didn't laugh as much as I did with What Moves the Dead but still a creative and mesmerizing story. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC.

I loved this! I think as far as sequels go, this was just perfect. Alex heads into kan homeland, Galacia, accompanied by Angus and kan horse, Hob (btw, the horse is fine). Staying in kan hunting lodge, Alex discovers that the caretaker has passed away and in such a way that has started rumors of a Moroi. Readying the house for Miss Potter (one of my all-time favorite experts in mushrooms), Alex hires a local duo to help out around the place.

Of course, the Moroi that even Alex knows ka should have initially believed in at this point turns out to be a bit more real than just a rumor. This Moroi and what it does really remind me of sleep paralysis which is something I struggled with for a little over a year, and trust me, it's a terrifying experience.

I really liked this. I think one of my favorite aspects of this book was learning so much more about Alex and particularly T. Kingfisher's created country, Galacia. It's horrifying but also cozy and funny. I just hope I get to see more about Alex. I am in such awe of this author and their creativity and humor. The balance between feeling scared and cozy vibes is just brilliant.

Out February 13, 2024!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

I really liked What Moves the Dead, but I had a few issues with it, mainly the pacing. I think What Feasts at Night fixes that and I'm still really loving the characters. I love Easton and the non-binary representation.

The horror aspect was super well done, just as in What Moves the Dead, although I do feel like Easton was centered a little more than in the previous book.

Overall, I'm really looking forward to any books in this same series and and books by T. Kingfisher in general.

This is the sequel to the gothic horror novella What Moves the Dead, one of my favourite reads of 2022.

What Feasts at Night takes Easton and Angus home to a village in Gallacia. The caretaker of Easton’s family cabin is dead, and the villagers claim there is a breath-stealing monster haunting the cabin.

The novella is spooky and funny. It also delves into Easton’s background as a soldier and looks at attitudes around PTSD in the late 1800s.

I love the way Kingfisher mixes horror and drama with her particular sense of humour. This is a quick, fun read with unexpected depth.

Thank you to Tor Nightfire and Netgalley for my review copy of this book.

Not as many fun moments as the first (which you do really need to read first to get the most out of this one!), but gloriously moody and an incredibly fast read. I downed it in one sitting. (On the plus side, it won't leave you twitchy about something as common as mushrooms...)

This was great! I liked it quite a bit better than What Moves the Dead. I enjoyed that book too, but I had more fun reading this one. Maybe because I feel like I've heard enough mushroom based horror stories for a while when I read it, but I still like the folk horror/fairy tale approach to this one better. There's a lot of story in such an a short novella. Alex Easton's still a great character and I hope Kingfisher continues their adventures. Thanks for the ARC!

What Feasts at Night is a slow-burn atmospheric horror exploring survivor's guilt and class dynamics. A perfect read for a long winter night.

T. Kingfisher's What Feasts at Night is a solid follow-up to What Moves the Dead.

This time, Alex Easton finds themself back in their homeland, Gallacia - a laughably dreary place as Alex describes it - a few weeks removed from the Usher House horror. Alex's employed maintenance man working at their inherited lodge has not responded to any of their letters in quite some time, so Alex stops in to find out what happened to the fellow. From here, a mystery unfolds revolving around an Eastern European folkloric monster. Or maybe just pneumonia, for the skeptics among us. Silence and moths and iron blades abound.

I enjoyed Kingfisher's angle on grief, trauma, survivor's guilt, and PTSD, as well as the trademark humor throughout. The prickly and superstitious Widow made for an interesting adversary.

Loved this installment almost as much as the first. T. Kingfisher has such a way with words that just places you exactly in the midst of all the gore and creepiness and I love it. This book picks up exactly where the last ended and takes us on a new path with Alex as they return to their home. The entire story is creepy and atmospheric. The ending specifically had me in knots. Excellent!

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What Feasts at Night is the follow-up to What Moves the Dead, a favorite of mine from last year. This one follows Alex as they travel to their home country to meet Miss Potter so she can explore the fungi of the land. Upon arrival they find their grounds keeper has passed away in possibly suspect circumstances and soon things get… spooky.

I really enjoyed the exploration of Alex’s homeland and the exploration of PTSD and what it feels like to be thrown back into memories. This happens to Alex a lot here, and it’s talked about how hard it is to escape something like that. It was familiar and comforting to see it rendered so well and simply. Sadly the story and creepy factor didn’t quite hit for me. I think this could have been the format in which I read the novella as objectively it was creepy. However the hit of the creepy factor didn’t land due to issues in the format.

As a follow-up I don’t think it’s quite as strong as it could be, though I reserve my complete judgement on that till I can reread this in physical. Outside of that I enjoyed T. Kingfisher’s world and the care she takes with her characters and topics. I will still definitely be picking this up for my collection and rereading it in the future.

4 out of 5 dissolving horses