As always Kingfisher nails it. So good, so creepy and wonderful narration!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for an ALC of What Feasts at Night in exchange of my honest opinion.

T.Kingfisher really became an auto-read/listen author for me. Specially her horror books. What Feats at Night follows What Moves the Dead with our beloved sworn soldier Alex.
After the whole traumatizing events of the previous books, Alex decides that it's time for a quick rest and for that, goes to the lodge of their family in a distant city. However, things are not going to be very restful for them.

What I love about this book was that T.Kingfisher has an amazing way to tell a horror story that is very atmospheric, dark and grime but at the same time has a strong comedic side. There were so many moments I laughed at Alex's observations and thoughts and it makes the book so much more pleasant to read in my opinion.
Also, I would like to point out that the narrator does a fantastic job delivering those funny lines because there is a certain way to read it that will make it funny and it was thoroughly delivered!

Altogether is is a very solid fun read although I feel I liked the "evil" entity of the previous book better than this one but that did not detract the fun of the book. I just wish that instead of a novella the author elaborated a little bit more and concluded in a less rushed manner like "House of Good Bones", my favorite of her. I honestly could read 200 more pages from Alex and the other amazing secondary characters and I would still be entertained.

However, if you like shorter stories and want to get a horror fix this will be an excellent choice.

I love this author but I only LOVE half of her books. Half of them are like the best books I have ever read in my entire life and the other half are like "I don't think I am the audience for this at all." .
This was the second category. I think that really represents how amazing a writer she is though. Because someone else will see this as the best book she has ever read in her life and the ones I like are like "meh" to her.
Clearly she is brilliant.
I wasn't the audience for this one but I still enjoyed it and I loved the narration. It was beautiful!

What Feasts at Night, the sequel to What Moves the Dead follows Easton as they return to their home and a familiar hunting lodge in Gallacia. Right on the heels of their experience with their childhood friend and some horrifying mushrooms, plus the PTSD from their time as a soldier, the story starts off with us already a little on edge.

Between the two I think I liked What Moves the Dead more both as a story and in terms of the horror vibe. But I liked learning more about Gallacian culture and hearing more about Easton's childhood. I was also very fond of the affection and trust that Easton has for their horse.

Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!

What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher is a tale of mystery, denial, and the desperation one feels when unsure how to help others in the most terrifying of times.

Let’s dive in!

My Thoughts on What Feasts at Night (Sworn Soldier #2) by T. Kingfisher, Narrated by Avi Roque –
Alex and Angus are back on a new adventure, this time visiting a hunting lodge that Alex had inherited to do a favor for Miss Potter in letting her visit and look for mushrooms. Upon arrival though, they find the place in disarray and are distraught to learn that the caretaker had passed. Not only that, but they soon learn from the man’s family that there are rumors that he was killed by a creature who sits on your chest and steals your breath.

Alex wants to brush it aside when Angus explains more about the creature, but neither of them can deny that something feels off within the lodge. When a young man working for them falls ill with the same thing their previous caretaker died from, Alex is desperate to help heal him.

Alex and Angus are such a fun duo! Right from page one, they were already bickering and I couldn’t help but chuckle. I had so much fun reading their interactions, though there seemed to be fewer of them here than in the first book. Seeing Miss Potter again was a treat; her curiosity and the knowledge she shares with the others is always interesting.

In this new adventure, the woman who came to help them clean and cook while they were at the lodge, referred to as “the widow,” is a hoot! Her grumpy and cold demeanor combined with her dry commentary and total lack of fear of stating what was on her mind was so amusing. I loved that she had a soft spot and wanted to keep everyone safe, even if she would never admit it or show that she cared outwardly.

Per usual, the way this author describes the setting is so brilliant. Especially listening to the audio version, I was transported right into the scenery. I loved how quickly things go from beautiful to haunting, for example, vines draped over a tree looking like “spilled entrails.”

Avi Roque does such an amazing job narrating this audiobook! The pacing and flow are wonderful. This audiobook is so easy to listen to! And my gosh, the voices and accents of each of the characters that Avi creates are such a blast!

The one bummer I have to note regarding this tale is how in denial Alex was about what was going on here and how repetitive that got. I could see the character being in denial if there was some new PTSD from what happened in What Moves the Dead that was acting as a mental block, but that wasn’t noted here. So instead, the denial just felt off… like this book should have come before What Moves the Dead. This line especially had me questioning why Alex was so deep in denial: “I have had a great deal of experience with things that I don’t understand.”

My Favorite Quotes from What Feasts at Night –
*Note: I wrote these up while listening to the audiobook, so there may be discrepancies between what I have here and the actual text.*

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.”

Death no longer shocks me, but I still prefer that it not visit my friends and acquaintances in my presence.

One of the skulls rolled its eyes at me. I was against the opposite wall, heart pounding and spine digging into the plaster before I quite realized what had happened. I stared up at the skull, the empty eye sockets dark as grief. Had I imagined it? Would it be better or worse if I had? A white moth climbed out of the eye socket. I sagged against the wall and made a noise that could have passed for a laugh if you didn’t examine it closely.

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 person’s footprint in the world.

Nature creates horrors enough all by itself.

I began to apologize, but she gazed down at me with that slight, sad smile and stroked her hand across my cheek. Then her face tore apart.

My Final Thoughts on What Feasts at Night –
If you enjoyed What Moves the Dead, this follow-up will be a fun read if you can look past the main character’s constant denial! I had fun listening to this one and enjoyed immersing myself in this author’s work. I will certainly be looking forward to more in the future.

Thank you to the publisher for this Audio ARC!

T. Kingfisher does it again. In What Feasts at Night, we have a returning cast of characters from What Moves the Dead. We have a new setting, but the vibes are still immaculately unsettling. I thought the tension in this book was just as good as What Moves the Dead. I liked seeing the relationships between the characters progress and learning more about them. This was another wonderful horror book from T. Kingfisher and I loved the diversity rep. I will absolutely be looking forward to the next book in the Sworn Soldier series.

The narrator: Again, another beautiful narration. I think the inflection and the tone of the narrator added to the story and I never felt taken out of the story by anything the narrator did. I really enjoyed the voice matching the character so well and I look forward to seeing this narrator's future work!

*3.5 stars*

This was a nice short folk horror story; It was creepy and gory. While the story was really interesting, I didn’t think it was as atmospheric and unsettling as What Moves the Dead. I feel like this could have been longer to build up the resolution, and world building a little more.

The audio narration was just as good as the first novella, again being narrated by Avi Roque.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ALC of this work. All opinions in this review are my own.

This is my first ever “i just don’t like it book” by Kingfisher

I love the world, I adore our characters.
I just don’t love the story its self I think this one falls a little flat not having a retelling attached to it. I think it suffered for that. 2024 has me trying to not just defend books because of the author being a favorite, I did not know though it would come with such a reckoning blow.

If you can not put a series down, by all means pick this up. I for one will be reading WMTD as a stand-alone (maybe I’ll revisit again)

If there’s one author who can get me to venture into the horror genre without even thinking twice, it’s T. Kingfisher. For the most part, I’ve classified some of her previous books as “cozy horror,” but this one is anything but. It’s not terrifying, but this story is very creepy and has no shortage of gothic vibes to keep me hooked and listening non-stop.

Although this is a novella, it is the second in a series, and while it works as a standalone, you’d miss out on a lot of important information if you didn’t take the time to read What Moves the Dead first. That one is another novella, but it provides backstory for the characters, a lot of important information that is referenced in this story, and overall, it’s just a really good story you should read before starting this one.

When this story opens, Alex Easton and Angus are headed back to Easton’s family hunting lodge deep within Gallacia. The country doesn’t seem to be overly welcoming, full of cold and damp forests, sharp cliffs, rain, and holes in the road big enough to lose a sheep in. But this pales in comparison to the welcome they receive when they arrive at the Easton lodge—the caretaker is gone, the house has clearly been neglected, inquiries in the village reveal that the caretaker has died, and there’s a weird pervasive silence that has taken over the grounds. This sets the overwhelming gothic tone of the novel, and the silence almost becomes a growing entity throughout the story as well.

As for the characters, we obviously have Alex, who is their usual witty, dry, sarcastic self that I’ve grown to love over the course of the series. Angus has time to shine in this story, as does the irrepressible Miss Potter, who is obsessed with mycology (the study of fungi), and has landed in the perfect place to study it—an environment that is consistently damp. In addition, one of my favorite characters wasn’t even human, but was Hob the horse with a huge personality that comes through on paper.

Coming off the devastating fiasco at the house of his friends, Easton wants to rest in a sunny place. But they can’t say no to Miss Potter, and as a favor to her and Angus, they head out to their family hunting lodge. Instead of the rest they’re craving, they find themselves embroiled in another mystery, one that’s potentially just as dangerous as the one they just barely escaped. Easton is once again racing the clock to save lives—will they be successful?

The story is fast-paced and interesting throughout, and it left me feeling hopeful that there will be more stories featuring Easton, Hob, Angus, and Miss Potter, since I’ve become quite attached to this bunch. The narrator, Avi Roque, is fantastic, and did just as wonderful a job with this story as with the first one. They are non-binary, and the androgynous tone of their voice is absolutely perfect to narrate Easton—it made it so much easier to remember that Easton identifies as non-binary as well, although there is a complicated system of pronouns in Gallacia, and I couldn’t hope to spell them properly just going off the audiobook, so I substituted “they/them” for Easton’s pronouns and hope that anyone reading this review forgives me for this oversight. Overall, this is a wonderful story, and I hope this review inspires you to read it!

Is cozy horror a genre yet? T. Kingfisher is surely the standard for the genre.

In a wonderful sequel to What Moves the Dead, we are treated to more adventures of Alex Easton, Angus, and Eugenia Potter. If you enjoyed the first book, you will absolutely enjoy this one. Like the first, this is an atmospheric, casually-paced horror novella that explores the moroi, a sort of breath-stealing vampire, rather than the insidious fungi of the first. Alex provides such a great perspective, and I enjoy learning so many details about Gallacia, its customs, and its idiosyncrasies.

Additionally, I listened to this and adore the narrator of the audiobook, Avi Roque, who, like Alex, is non-binary. They do such a fantastic job of giving life to the characters throughout and really add a great touch to it overall. I highly recommend giving it a listen if you're so inclined.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio for providing me an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This novella had some interesting touches, but overall, it didn’t keep me engaged.

'What Feasts at Night' falls short of the expectations set by its predecessor, [book:What Moves the Dead|58724626]. While the first book, a loose retelling of "The Fall of the House of Usher," was very engaging with its eerie atmosphere and unexpected twists, the sequel didn't bring the same vibe or punch.

At one point, the book's narrator broke the fourth wall to address the readers, and I loved that choice. I appreciate unexpected touches like that because it takes a historical fiction/fantasy book set in the late 1800s and made if feel modern. Unfortunately, the book didn't have this "cool factor" throughout.

The anticlimactic ending was a disappointment. If there had been a twist or exciting ending, I could’ve forgiven a lot of the things I didn't like about this book. I feel like my time was wasted pushing through its slow and tedious narrative with no payoff.

I liked narrator of this audiobook. They have an "elder" sound and vibe that fits well with the fable-like structure of the story. Great choice.

It's worth noting that I'm reviewing an ARC, and there may have been edits made to the final version.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Tor Nightfire for giving me advanced access to this book in return for my honest review.

I received a gifted audiobook copy of WHAT FEASTS AT NIGHT by T. Kingfisher from Macmillan Audio.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

WHAT FEASTS AT NIGHT is the sequel to T. Kingfisher's WHAT MOVES THE DEAD. We're once again following Alex Easton, a retired soldier, in the time following their strenuous time at the Usher manor. They agree to do a favor, heading to a family hunting lodge in Gallacia, a destination that does not prove to be the place of recovery they desire. The caretaker is dead and there is a troubling silence all around the grounds.

I really enjoyed WHAT MOVES THE DEAD which was a unique retelling of Edgar Alan Poe's THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, so I went into this one with high hopes. My feelings in the end wound up a bit of a mix.

On the plus side, the atmosphere that I really enjoyed in WHAT MOVES THE DEAD and in a lot of T. Kingfisher's writing is really well done here again. The silence and the rumors around it are well done to build up tension for the reader. I was very intrigued to see what the author would do with it and the different directions the story goes in this regard.

The problem that I had with this one is that it was just missing the hook of the first story. While I really like the main character Alex and following their inner dialogue, I didn't feel as big a connection to the rest of the cast. I think this is partly why the story felt a bit too slow paced here and there throughout the story.

Overall this wasn't a favorite, but I still really enjoy T. Kingfisher's writing and absolutely will be picking up more!

"What Feasts at Night" was an interesting folktale-like story. I liked the first book more, but this story was still engrossing. I liked the dream aspects and the side characters a lot. The main character's struggle with PTSD was intriguing as well. This book didn't hit me as creepy as Kingfisher's other works, but it was still good.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

T. Kingfisher never disappoints. I was eager to read the next installment of the Ushers and this was just what I was looking for. Eerie and atmospheric, it was the perfect read!

Alex Easton is back! After they dealt with the terror at Usher Manor, Easton and Angus head back home to the family hunting lodge in Gallacia. Upon arrival, they discover the caretaker for the lodge is not only missing but dead. With Ms. Potter arriving in a few weeks, Easton sends Angus out to find another caretaker for the property so that they can get it in order before her arrival. No one wants the job, but Angus manages to find someone to take the job. Easton is plagued with dreams of a woman coming to visit them at night in their room along with a deafening silence that seems to follow them wherever they go. When rumors of a breath-stealing monster reach their ears, Easton chalks it up to a folklore legend meant to scare kids. It can't be real...right?

I enjoyed the first book in this series, What Moves the Dead, so when I was given the opportunity to listen to the follow up book, I did a happy dance. I was happy to see that they kept the narrator the same for this follow up story as they had in the first one. The cadence of the narration was perfect and lended to the mystery and suspense of the writing. The voice of the narrator is perfect for how I imagined Easton sounded like. This story is told from their POV. When it came to other characters interacting with the Main Character, the narrator did a good job of differentiating their voice. As a reader, I could feel the anxiety as the story progress and the MC was trying to derive what was happening as events unfolded. I did not have any places in the story where the narration dragged and before I knew it the story was over. I love all the characters in this story, Easton, Angus, and Ms. Potter. We are even introduced to new characters which held their own in this short story. The author was able to provide a satisfying conclusion which can be difficult with shorter stories. There were no loose ends left that would cause the reader to say, "well what happened here?"

If you enjoy gothic horror, I definitely recommend picking this book up when it comes out!

Thank you, MacMillan Audio, and Netgalley for providing me the audiobook in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely loved T. Kingfisher’s What Moves the Dead, so I was thrilled to get an early audiobook of What Feasts at Night. I was fun to revisit Alex Easton as they return home to Gallacia as they are involved in yet another Creepy Mystery.

While I think What Moves the Dead is a stronger work, What Feasts at Night was still very compelling and I liked seeing the inner workings of Easton’s mind. The atmosphere was excellent and I love Easton’s narrative voice. Kingfisher’s writing is, as always, absolutely wonderful and while I wanted more obvious horror, I thought this was appropriately unsettling. I did find this to be on the slower side and that it meanders a bit, especially for a novella, but I liked how everything concluded and if Kingfisher writes a third one I will be first in line to read it.

The narrator for the audiobook captures Easton really well; I first read What Moves the Dead on audio and I’m thrilled to see Avi Roque return to reprise their role.

DNF.

I will have to read this book because I don't like the narrator. It's unfortunate but it happens. She has a weird cadence and emphasizes the wrong words.

Thank you for the ARC but it did not play. It is not a playable format for a regular android phone which is strange.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC copy.

I was so thrilled to get an ARC copy of this Audiobook. I love T Kingfisher and loved What Moves the Dead.

In What Feasts At Night follows Alex Easton in dealing with life after what takes place after the events of House Usher.

T Kingfisher does a fabulous job yet again to immerse us in the creepy and cozy horror world as Alex returns to their families old hunting lodge with a story that is steeped in folklore and the things of nightmares while also dealing with the PTSD after the war and the events of House Usher.

This is a short story but it is filled with lore and mystery and is enjoyable from start to finish.

I really enjoyed the narration from Avi Roque. It was the perfect voice for Alex and the world at hand.

I loved this book. It had the right balance between horror and humor to keep it from being too scary for me to read. The audio narrator really brought the characters to life and did a great job with the accents. I loved the setting and how much spookiness it added to the story. Another wonderful book T. Kingfisher.