I love Easton, I love this world T. Kingfisher has created and I really enjoyed this book!

I think I might have even enjoyed this one more than the first one which is surprising for me.

The story was short in length but the world is still oozing with character and atmosphere that leaves me thinking about the book for hours after I've stepped away from it. It's fun to learn about Gallacia and the way T. Kingfisher implements world building without being too expository is refreshing.

Not the scariest or most horrifying horror novel, but definitely a fun and unique read set in an interesting world.

There's Always Fungus Among Us

What a terrific story! I don't want to mislead you though, Miss Potter enjoys studying mushrooms, but they are only an incidental topic. The threat the characters must face is well-developed and scary, all the more frightening because of the remote seclusion and the hostility they encounter among the villagers. My interest was riveted from the first paragraphs and I was done reading before I knew it.

Kingfisher’s central characters are like old friends whose company I'd been missing. I enjoyed the budding romance between Angus and Miss Potter, the mushroom expert. I especially liked the main character, Alex Easton, who is good-natured, kind, capable, and courageous. I sympathize with how they can't get a break from danger so they can fully heal.

They are coping with PTSD from their time at war as well as their last ordeal at the Usher house. What happened then is chronicled in the first book of the series, What Moves the Dead, which is referred to in this book, but they both are stand alone novellas. If you can, read them in order, but it isn't necessary.

Thank you to the author, T. Kingfisher, Tor Nightfire, and NetGalley for the free advance reader's copy of What Feasts At Night. I'm under no obligation to them and am giving my recommendation simply because it was an absorbing, entertaining, and memorable read.

This was a not as successful sequel to What Moves the Dead. I wasn't expecting there to be a follow-up to it and with it being a favorite book of the year it had an expectation to meet. I still enjoyed it but not as much.

We follow Alex Easton to a hunting lodge in their home territory in a very small town where he finds that the caretaker employed has passed away and no one will explain the details. It's all very small town hush hush.

Alex, Angus, and Miss Potter try to find out who or what is causing the new caretaker's grandson to take ill as well as Alex themself. It's a bit more supernatural than i was expected but definitely fits into the horror genre well.

A stunning follow up novel to Kingfisher's previous. It was nice to be back in that world once more. I love that fantasy world Kingfisher creates.

Kingfisher has a way of just spiriting you away to a new dimension where within a few sentences you are completely immersed. I loved What Moves the Dead but thought that was maybe simply because I was a fan of the source material. Kingfisher's work has a way of being more about vibes than plot and I've been a bit up an down on the overall ratings for her stories. I'm always compelled to read them but often wish that there had been more action. What Feasts at Night hit the vibes vs action balance just right. It's got the dark, creepy gothic vibes with completely lovable and not so lovable characters but there was real peril with this one. I love a monster steeped in folklore. I hope this series continues, Easton is a great character and I get Maniscalco Stalking Jack the Ripper series vibes... a new monster every book would be fabulous.

I'm going to digress for a moment because the writing here is the star. The way each sentence is crafted is intoxicating and you find yourself thinking, I never would have said it that way, but now I want to. Kingfisher's frequent descriptions of PTSD and how Easton was plagued by his time in the war was so beautifully presented and explained. I feel like this is a must read for that fact alone.

Thanks to Tor Publishing for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.

5⭐️

<b>“Something bad happened to both of us, too. We don’t deserve to fall apart either.”<\b>

Another great T. Kingfisher book! I love Easton and it was so great to have another installment to this story, and I hope there are more to come! This book was eerie and atmospheric in the best ways and I loved every minute.

<b>They tell you that everything gets dark at the end, but it went white instead, the color of snow falling outside a window, and all I had to do was sit and watch it fall, forever.<\b>

I had enjoyed Kingfisher's previous novella with Alex Easton, What Moves the Dead, so was curious to read Alex's continuing adventures. The character is loosely based on the soldier from the Poe story, Fall of the House of Usher. In Kingfisher's stories, Alex Easton is a retired soldier, who by custom of their homeland, though they used female pronouns as a child, now chooses to use the nonbinary term specifically reserved for sworn soldiers; Gallacians also have pronouns specific to religious leaders. In this story they have traveled from Paris to their family's Hunting Lodge along with their faithful servant Angus. When they get to the Lodge they are surprised to learn the Groundskeeper had passed away. They are soon joined by Miss Potter who had aided them with their previous mystery and is curious to study the local mushrooms. The dialogue between the characters is charming, but the possible cause of the mysterious illness that has afflicted the village suitably spooky for horror fans to enjoy. The novel can stand alone from What Feasts at Night so you can enjoy this story without having read the previous one, but both are highly recommended. This is the perfect book to snuggle up with on a wintry day, though I'm not sure if I'd recommend reading it right before bed, lest your dreams become haunted.

This follow-up novella takes us to Alex Easton’s hunting lodge, which has been in the family for decades. Mystery ensues when Alex and Angus reach the lodge, and find it abandoned….with the care taker’s whereabouts unknown. With Miss Potter due to arrive soon for a visit, Alex can only hope that there isn’t anything alarming happening at the lodge.

I really enjoyed this book, and I hope Kingfisher continues with Alex’s adventures in a series! The bits of humor from Alex make for a very entertaining read.

I would consider this book “ horror light”, as it’s not gory or frightening. More of a dark fairy tale.

I really love that this series became a sequel.

Alex Easton is a lovely, if sarcastic, narrator. If I must compare kar to other characters kars very much like a Watson, stuck in an eldritch Eastern Europe. Kingfishers world building is so rich a detailed. I admire how seamlessly queer aspects are included, the idea that a profession is also a gender is fascinating idea I'd love more authors to write about. The characters balance between expected tropes and personalities to give unique perspectives.

The horror of "innocent monsters" is just so lovely and tragic. It really feeds into this theme of 'trying your best is not enough for the world to reward you' vibe that oozes off of the series.

“What Feasts at Night” by T. Kingfisher is the continuing adventures of Alex Easton. After the events of “What Moves the Dead,” Alex returns to Gallacia to find themself in another terrifying situation: their home is empty and their caretaker dead. Word around town is that a Gallacian folktale is real.

Written in the gothic style readers can expect from T. Kingfisher, this novella is a quick read. Don’t try to read it without reading “What Moves the Dead:” you might enjoy it, but some of the context and events of the previous book will be lost on the reader. Still chilling, still unsettling.

Thank you to T. Kingfisher and Tor Nightfire for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

I love T. Kingfisher, and this one did not disappoint! Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this one!

After the events with the Ushers Alex Easton heads to their homeland of Galacia and help friends at their hunting cabin in the forest. Something very strange is happening in this area and Alex needs to take on an adversary straight out of the folklore of the area.

After the events of What Moves the Dead we follow Alex to their hometown. It was a treat to read more about Alex and their home country. The damp dark forest made for an atmospheric setting for this tale as something sinister takes hold. The horror elements were incredibly creepy. However, they did not come into play until late in the novel so it had a slower start. At less than 200 pages it was still a really quick read that did not linger too long.

I would recommend this novel to those who want to know more after reading What Moves the Dead. This one will especially appeal to fans of dark fantasy and folk horror.

Fun and funny and dreamy with Kingfisher’s trademark irreverent charm. It’ll make your chest hurt with sympathy, terror, and laughter.

Alex and Angus are travelling back home to Gallacia to make ready the family hunting lodge for Miss Potter, who will be meeting up with them shortly. Alex hasn’t heard from the caretaker for quite some time, and once they arrive at their destination, they realize the reason. When they inquire in town there are whispers and superstitions among the townspeople. No one wants to take the job as caretaker, but they luck out by hiring a cantankerous widow and her grandson. It doesn’t take long for them to realize that something is very wrong with the hunting lodge– strange silences, a creepy stillness, and terrifying dreams that steal their very breath.

As a huge fan of this author, I was simply delighted for a second entry in the Sworn Soldier series which follows retired soldier Alex Easton. This is a fast read at only 147 pages, but it is big on the creepiness. The lovely Miss Potter has also returned, and she lightens every page, despite the dreariness of the backdrop. I’m here for a romance between her and Angus. Alex is once again tested by supernatural powers and I was on the edge of my seat, hoping for the best, but fearing the worst. Especially for the kindhearted Bors.

All ends well, but the journey there is a dark, gothic delight.

Lieutenant Alex Easton is back after the dramatic and creepy events involving their friends Madeline and Roderick at Usher house. 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 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!

A lovely sequel to What Moves the Dead. I enjoyed another weird tale told by Alex Easton. The story was fun and a little unsettling. It was great, I love a good folk lore monster. Will love reading more of these little adventures.

In What Feasts at Night, we are reunited with Alex, Angus, and Miss Potter from What Moves the Dead. Alex is faced with another supernatural force they can't quite believe is real until all rational explanations have been exhausted. Set in Alex's family lodge in Galicia, where superstition still reigns, Alex must confront the entity plaguing their dreams and stealing the air from their lungs. The question is: How do you fight a Dream?

I loved revisiting the eerie world T. Kingfisher has built in the Sworn Soldier Series. T.Kingfishers has set their talents to send chills down your spine with Gothic vibes, creepy settings, and descriptive prose that may have you flinching in disgust. The imaginary Kingfisher employs, paints a vivid world full of uneasy dread. Horror fans will have their toes curled in delighted horror.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing for an advance copy of What Feasts at Night.

I was surprised and excited when I learned that What Moves the Dead was getting a sequel, especially because the previous book in this series was a retelling of Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher. As far as I know, this isn't a retelling. It's a continuation of Alex Easton's story.

This one had an interesting premise. Easton and Angus end up at a hunting lodge that villagers won't go near. The caretaker is dead and no one will tell them how he died. The villagers seem to be afraid of a breath stealing monster.

I enjoyed catching up with characters from the first book. The pacing felt almost like a slow burn with light horror. Then the story starts moving really fast, to the point that it felt a bit rushed towards the end.

I read that the author started writing a sequel to What Moves the Dead and then realized that another book had to come before it. This might explain why the story feels like it does.

Overall, What Feasts at Night was enjoyable. I would have just wanted it to be a bit longer/more developed and a dash more horror. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

I'd recommend this short & quick read to anyone, especially those who like stories about folklore.

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

It's not as if we sat together and you said, "Alex, tell me a tale where you had a pleasant trip to your homeland and the worst menace you faced was the amount of paprika the Widow put in the sausages." No, you wanted a proper hair-raiser and here I am, trying to tell you one, whoever you are.

This was more an interesting look into Alex's homeland of Gallacia instead of an actual horror novella. The horror part wasn't super scary, IMO. It was how everything was handled that was horrifying—the casual shrugs and brush-offs. The absolute lack of concern and chalking stuff up to local superstition...all while the lingering doom of the previous book's events park themselves on everyone's shoulders.

It was good. I was entertained.

I would like another, please.

Perhaps set in Paris?

I liked What Feasts at Night even more than What Moves the Dead. Alex, Angus and Miss Potter are back in a potentially haunted house-- and with new characters as well. I loved the day today scenes and the creeping horror of the spirit. Alex is a great character and the semi fantasy element works well. I highly recommend this book.