A very atmospheric story and a worthy follow up to "What Moves the Dead". Consistently creepy and a great read for a rainy Autumn day

This book does a fantastic job of not only bringing back the wonderful characters from the first book, but also expanding the world in a way that a lot of second books don't pull off. This book is what I like to call "kind horror" where not only are the characters able to fight against the monster but they're also able to understand and be compassionate towards it. Plus, the mix of a fictional place being mixed with real historical events is so well done. I could read an entire series of Alex Easton stories.

The follow-up to T. Kingfisher’s bestselling gothic novella, What Moves the Dead . Retired soldier, Alex Easton, returns in a horrifying new adventure.

I loved What Moves the Dead so much that I was worried this follow-up would fall flat. I was pleasantly surprised, instead, to find that it is just as good as its predecessor. Eerie and atmospheric and tense and just wonderfully done. T. Kingfisher is a master!

T. Kingfisher can do no wrong, in my opinion. I was so excited for this continuation of the Sworn Soldier series. While What Moves the Dead could have easily been a standalone, I'm really glad she decided to continue the series. I will say that I definitely liked the horror elements in the first novella more than this one, but I still really enjoyed this book. All of our main characters were back, and I liked that we were given a little more insight into their backstories. I also think that the commentary on PTSD was very well done and not something that you see very often in fantasy novels.

"God, in my experience, is more likely to be found in gutters and at the bottom of dirty trenches than in designated architecture."

I would highly recommend reading the first book in the series before starting this one.

What Feasts at Night took a different avenue than is predecessor. What Moves the Dead was gripping with its suspense; its atmosphere thick and immersive. This book, however, felt like it was primarily a character exploration of our MC Alex Easton. We witness how the House (and the war prior to that) traumatized them. Easton has easily quotable and witty lines. We get to see old characters (I will forever love Hob) and are introduced to new ones. I was excited to hear more about Gallacia and its interesting customs. There was a paranormal aspect but it was comparably less intense in its telling as I found the book was more invested in the characters interactions.

Thank you Netgalley and Tor Nightfire for giving me an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review. All quotes come from an arc and may change.

Another spooky adventure with Alex Easton, our stolid and damnably likeable narrator. Taking us into the alternately cosy and foreboding woods of fictional Eastern Europe, which have a fable-like atmosphere that recalls Jonathan Harker's early Transylvanian travels in Dracula, and likewise pulling from eerie folklore. Even if you aren't previously familiar with this book's monster, you don't need to know it to feel the dread. It's the kind of thing that feels like it exists in the shadowy corners of your psyche, a threat that you forgot you were supposed to remember. Kingfisher does a fanastic job of relating this, capturing the creeping sense of unease while also offering the everyday response and the daylight-thinking of someone who doesn't know they're in a horror story.

Marvellously managed tension and side characters that are compelling even when they're dislikable, and frequently funny writing that is a trademark of Kingfisher. I can never get over how much I like just hanging out with her characters, and Easton in particular.

Retired soldier Alex Easton would like nothing more than to continue holing up in their comfortable (if extremely messy) French apartment while they try to recover from the events of the last book, but after being asked to help provide lodgings for their friend Miss Potter to stay and study fungi in their home country of Gallacia, they travel deep into the backwoods to make ready an old family hunting lodge that would serve Potter's purposes perfectly. After hiring some cautious locals to replace the previous caretaker who had passed away in Alex's absence, everything appears to be set for Miss Potter's arrival. Unfortunately, something unseen has also taken residence in the lodge, an unwelcome presence that will push Alex to their very limits as they try to protect their friends.

T. Kingfisher has delivered a standout follow up to the first book starring Alex Easton, and fans of the prior entry will be delighted to spend more time with Alex and company in this horrific tale. While not as viscerally shocking to me as What Moves the Dead, the slow building horror and atmosphere of the dark forests of Gallacia and the terrors within kept me turning pages well into the night.

ARC provided by NetGalley

I was very excited to read this second novella in the Sworn Soldier series. I recently finished the first novella, What Moves the Dead, which I found both well written and extremely entertaining (and even a bit creepy at times).

While this second story is just as well written, I fear it lacks some of the entertainment value of the first. So much of this story is wasted on explaining and describing things before the "monster" is even revealed.

The characters are very endearing, in fact more so than the last novella, but I still felt the ending was somewhat rushed and lackluster.

Still, I remain a T. Kingfisher fan and will no doubt be buying a physical copy when it becomes available, if not simply to complete my collection.

Magnificent!! The adventures of Alex Easton, Angus, and Miss P are always in the right place at the right time for a perfect horror novella!

I had the pleasure of reading T. Kingfisher’s What Moves the Dead earlier this year and absolutely adored it. To be reading the second installment in this series that I was almost certain was going to be a stand-alone novella is an absolute gift.

The author’s writing is whipsmart and clever as always. Each character is so full of life and personality, it’s hard not to fall in love with each and every one. At it’s heart this is a horror novel, but I found myself literally laughing out loud several times (particularly at Miss Potter and her phrasebook) . To be able to blend creepy atmospheric writing and humor in such a way speaks to the author’s skill.

This particular title focuses more on Easton’s past as a soldier and the ongoing trauma because of it. I enjoyed how it is seamlessly intertwined with the abilities of our monster-of-the-week. I was also happy to learn much more about the fictional country of Gallacia, which I would have easily believed is a real place had the author not mentioned anything in the afterword - no, my knowledge of European geography is not very good. The story itself is classic in gothic horror, but well executed.

This series is great for those who want an accessible horror title, or just want to get started in the genre. I personally have made it a goal to read more T. Kingfisher and will definitely be looking forward to all future releases.

In this second novella in the Sworn Soldier series, Easton has decided to head to his hunting lodge, along with his long suffering steed Hob and companion Angus, as well as Miss Potter who will be joining them a bit later.
Upon their arrival however, the lodge is even greater disrepair then expected due to the demise of the long time caretaker. Easton believes this to be due to an illness, and simply old age... the caretake HAD been employed for quite a while.... but the gossip around town indicates something far more sinister and spooky.
Only one particularly desperate villager and her grandson are willing to brave the possibility of a breath stealing moroi.
This was definitely a great spooky October read, descriptive and atmospheric. I did enjoy the first book, What Eats the Dead, a little more, but this was still and excellent story and highly recommend it, any time of year.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

T. kingfisher returns to her characters from What Moves the Dead in this sequel. While the debut of this series was rooted in a classic tale, this one appeared to take on its own roots while following Lieutenant Easton, Angus, and Miss Potter as they take up residency at Easton’s hunting lodge. They find the caretaker of the property not present, and shortly after discover that he has died. The locals are incredibly superstitious, and believe that he was in truth killed by a fictitious monster by the name of a Moroi. Things seem to escalate after the grandson of a widow who moved in to take care of the property falls ill. Easton must soon. One face to face with whether this creature is real or just simply the power of suggestion.
The storyline was captivating, truly an enjoyable read for me. I did view the book to be very quick towards the end. I think I would have liked to have explored more of the Moroi, the finality of the ending wasn’t expected, and the wrap up felt a little rushed. However, I couldn’t put it down, so for me personally it is a 4.5 star….however, you cannot give half stars. As a result I am going to give it 5 stars.

3.5 stars
Kingfisher never fails to entertain. While I enjoyed this book, I didn’t love it quite as much as What Moves the Dead. I can’t put my finger in the reason though. It’s just a little slower paced, not quite as involved. Either way, it was still very entertaining and I’m glad to have read it.

T. Kingfisher books are always good! This one wasn't as creepy as I'm used to from her work, especially after What Moves the Dead, but it was still enjoyable and still excellent writing. I'm hoping that she continues this series!

Gotta love cozy horror! And that cover? Amazing.

I’m a huge Kingfisher fan. She successfully creeps me out and makes me laugh (often with the same paragraph) every book. What Moves the Dead was an enjoyable novella and I loved returning to Alex Easton’s world with its atmospheric setting and lovable cast of side characters. While I didn’t love this as much as the first book, it was a quick, fun read. We definitely got to explore Easton’s character more, which I really liked, and Miss Potter was once again such a delight. I do wish it was creepier and that things ramped up a bit sooner than the 70% mark. Compared to WMTD, this was much more mild and not quite as satisfying. Recommend to anyone who enjoyed the first book. Looking forward to future Sworn Soldier books!

This one didn't grip me as much as What Moves the Dead and I think I was really expecting to love this one more. While many creepy elements I love were in this novella, I also felt it was lacking as well. I'm not sure if my high expectations are to blame or if the story itself was not for me (which are definitely "me" problems), or what.

But I LOVE how T. Kingfisher can create such a kickass and vivid setting. She can really paint a picture and it just tickles my creepy bone sOOoOooO much when she writes about bloody flesh hanging from bodies, you know, and other fun gory stuff.

Thank you as always to Nightfire for just being the fucking best and allowing me to keep creepin' 💀

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available to me.

Fun stuff, if you can apply that label to gothic horror. Set in the late 1800's, it follow the protagonist to their sometime home, a lodge outside a small country village. This time we deal with a folklore legend, the woman/spirit who sucks the life out of unsuspecting victims in an effort to regain a semblance of living. Dark, moody, and fun to read.

T. Kingfisher can do no wrong! I prefer her fantasy/romance to her horror stories, but she always delivers, no matter what she writes.

I would read an entire tome of Alex's unwilling adventures with the supernatural. What Feasts at Night is a follow-up to What Moves the Dead, showing Alex in the wake of the mycological horror they recently experienced. This is a simpler and more straightforward plot, but I still enjoyed the characters and the strange and eerie creature haunting them. This was a very quick and entertaining read.

"What Feasts at Night" by T. Kingfisher is a fantastic follow up to the first Sworn Soldier book, "What Moves the Dead." We are back with some of our favorite characters, Easton, Angus, Ms. Potter, Angus' moustache... They have traveled back to Gallacia to a family lodge so Ms. Potter and Angus can "look for mushrooms." And find rumors of a monster of folklore may be responsible for death and unease in the community.

T. Kingfisher has quickly become my absolute favorite author. Her description is phenomenal. I love that a serious horror book can also make me laugh, and feel so endeared to sweet characters.

I read this in one sitting as soon and I received it, and still pre-ordered my own copy. THANK YOU to Netgalley for the ARC of this book, and thank you TOR Nightfire for supporting T. Kingfisher so we can continue to read more of her work!