I really enjoyed this! What Feasts at Night brings back the spooky vibes as Alex Easton is back and in this one comes to their family's old hunting lodge to discover the villagers believe it is haunted by a creature of nightmares. I like that this story was more grounded in folklore and had a more ambiguous ending than the sci-fi feeling that the first book had for me. Easton is still processing trauma from events of the previous book as well as their experiences as a soldier, and T. Kingfisher does an excellent job of exploring PTSD through the lens of horror here. I love Alex as a narrator, they are very witty and anxious at times and you can see how their past experiences have made them into the person they are today. And the side characters are so fun, especially Angus and Miss Eugenia Potter. I appreciated that this book is short but still feels complete, and it doesn't overstay its welcome. Similar to the first novella, the book has a slower pace until things ramp up at the end and Easton faces what's haunting their home. If this does become a longer series, I would like to see more direction/connection between the stories if possible - so far it has felt like Alex is just stumbling their way into strange situations. Also, I love Avi Roque as a audiobook narrator! They bring a fun, lighthearted energy to this spooky tale. I'd love to see more books written in this series in the future!!

I like T. Kingfisher. Sometimes her work gets a little too "fantasy" for me and this one pushed that boundary but managed to keep me engaged and entertained throughout.

3.5 stars rounded up

As someone who ADORED What Moves the Dead, I went into this feeling like I was satisfied with the first book as a complete story and unsure if I wanted/needed more in the world. And I think that intuition was more or less accurate, but other readers will probably feel differently. That's not to say this wasn't good, because it's still a fairly engaging horror novella with quieter moments. It just didn't have the same magic for me.

What Feasts at Night follows Alex Easton returning to their home country and discovering that the property they're fixing up to live in might be haunted by a monster from local lore. It doesn't get creepy right away and has a bit of a slow build. I like how this is using horror to explore PTSD given Alex's background as a soldier, and the way that past misdeeds can come back to haunt you or create generational trauma. It's also interesting because we get a little more understanding of the different ways prounouns are used in this language including specific ones used only for God. A solid novella with some very creepy scenes, but it made me miss the magic of reading What Moves the Dead for the first time. The audio narration is pretty good. I received an audio review copy from NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

T. Kingfisher is killing the short fiction game 'cause this is another great, memorable story under her belt! I love Easton and would gladly read many more of their adventures. I love how Kingfisher handles Alex's trauma, not just from war, but from the events of the first book! So often it feels like there's no real consequences for characters and that's not the case here. I also liked how the story reflected the first one while also being unique enough and exploring a different type of the subgenre - albeit still with some great body horror featured again! Avi Roque did a brilliant job narrating! They bring the perfect amount of humour and anxiety that a character like Alex demands, and it was very easy to distinguish between the rest of the characters as well. I preordered my physical copy and I can't wait to have it on my shelves next to What Moves the Dead!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book.

I absolutely loved this. It was a perfect follow up to the first book. I love Easton and their commentary on everything and being able to see what’s going on inside their head. The use of folklore was an interesting choice and thought it worked really well. The mix of old and new characters was nice too. If you enjoyed the first book, definitely pick this one up.

I loved What Moves the Dead, T. Kingfisher's reimagining of The Fall of the House of Usher. No one writes characters or sets scenes as well as she does. In the second installment of the Sworn Soldiers series we follow Alex Easton, Angus and the always interesting Miss Potter to a lodge in Gallacia. This story is not another reimagining but it pulls strongly from folklore. The village is plagued by a breath-stealing being. This book did leave me a bit bored at times and I missed the build up of suspense that What Moves the Dead had.

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!

T. Kingfisher's fantasy horror makes me rethink whether I should try some more from the genre. Alex is back and has returned home after the events of the previous book with the Ushers. We get some nods to the first story, but this story can standalone.

This is a ghost story with some suspense thrown in. There's the tiniest bit of horror during a dream sequence. While it's short in length, the pace is not fast, which is something Kingfisher somehow manages time and again. You feel like you get a full adventure in a compact package.

I enjoyed seeing more of Alex and their backstory. I hope there's more to come!

The narrator of this, Avi Roque, has such a distinct voice that I found myself trying to think of all the other books for the first few minutes of this. They've got a great style and do a nice job with all the characters in this story.

It's rare that I like a sequel more than the first book in a series, but it was true in this case! Many characters from the first book return, but the world building continues in that the reader learns more about Gallacia and Alex's background and experiences in The War. This time, there's a different horror plaguing their lives, but the idea is much the same in that they are being affected by an outside, non-human force. I enjoyed the way that the events of the first story had a lasting effect on the characters, but that this story was completely separate.

Before starting this title, I read the prior to be reacquainted with the cast of characters. Where the first was unsettling and 'grounded' in the world (i.e., the mushrooms) - this volume is in folklore/supernatural/superstitions of the homeland of Alex the Sworn Soldier from the previous story. 

The narration was well done, easy to follow and engaging, and thought there were moments that you are taken out of the story by the narrator talks directly toward the reader. 

There are moments of disorientation in the story, though I believe that primarily is a side effect of the take on PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) that the character has from their time as a soldier. 

Overall, it is a solid sequel that extends the world of the series that I do hope continues.

What Feasts at Night features sworn soldier Alex Easton returning to their lodge in the fictional European country of Gallacia, where they discover that the caretaker of the lodge had died mysteriously several months ago, and no one in the village is willing to come help out at the lodge except for a cranky old widow and her grandson. As Alex, their batman Angus, and previously-introduced mushroom enthusiast Eugenia Potter settle into the lodge, they start experiencing oddities and disturbances, along with a suspicious refusal among the villagers to speak of how the former caretake passed away.

This is a bit of a slow and contemplative read, with more of a focus on Alex settling back in their home, reflecting on events from the war and when they had previously returned to the lodge while on leave. The horror element is fairly muted and low key for most of the story, and only really expands towards the end. The moments the horror and supernatural elements become more front and center were the most interesting to me, and I wish Kingfisher had included more of that aspect in the novella versus war reflections, even though it all sort of ties together.

The narrator was a good fit for Alex’s voice; I was less into their accent work for the other characters and unsure why some characters had the accents they did. Overall though, the narration neither took me out of the story or particularly enhanced it.

(You don’t need to have read What Moves the Dead to read this one, but you should because 1) it’s excellent and 2) there are a few references to events in that book that are more fun if you know what they’re referring to.)

Narration was very done well - engaging and easy to follow. The story lagged a bit at the beginning but that's not unheard of for a gothic style novella. Overall I liked this quite a bit more than What Moves the Dead, which was no fault of the author or writing, just my preference of not loving retellings of The Fall of the House of Usher. I enjoyed the way this sequel didn't dwell on that and expanded the world.

What Feasts at Night and What Moves the Dead are two of the best books that I have recently read. T. Kingfisher is one of my favorite authors and this book holds up as one of her best. At times whimsical abd at others horrifying, this is a book you won't want to put down.

With “What Feasts at Night,” Kingfisher takes the Sworn Soldier series in a markedly supernatural direction. Beautifully written with a dynamic cast of characters, Kingfisher’s new novel examines skepticism in the face of local superstition, its value and the protection (if any) it offers.

I had absolutely loved What Moves the Dead so this sequel was a highly anticipated read/listen for me! The combo of T. Kingfisher's incredibly atmospheric writing and Avi Roque's narration absolutely did not disappoint. The creepy vibes from the first book definitely continue in this one. While the first book re-imagined The Fall of the House of Usher, this one only takes the characters from the first novel and is a different story of it's own. I enjoyed the suspenseful build up and loved listening to the audio. Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this one.

This sequel kept the creepy, gothic quality I loved in the first book. I was happy to spend more time with Alex, Angus and Mrs. Potter, but I think it’s hard to measure up to the first book which had a more suffocating sense of foreboding (and it’s just hard to top Madeline and the hares). There were still some very creepy moments and I enjoyed reading it. Avi Roque did a great job with the various voices/dialects in the audiobook, and I love that they chose a non-binary narrator for this series. I like the way Kingfisher plays with the Galatian language to explore the potential for more gender expansive language. And the humor helped keep things from getting too scary for people like me who like gothic horror, but also like nightmare-free sleep after reading it.

“Bleeding with as much dignity as I could muster”

So now that I've thought on it for a day, I have my thoughts more organized. This is not a bad book by any means, I was just disappointed. The first book was a favorite of 2022 and this one lacked the tension and urgency of that story. I felt as if nothing happened for the first 50% and even afterwards I felt as though the "monster" was an afterthought. As a reader it felt like every unnecessary epilogue ever, in the sense that you can tell Kingfisher wasn't ready to let the characters go yet - but she didn't know quite what to do with them anymore either. If you're a die hard fan of the author I'd still recommend it, after all it's a short novella and a quick read. I did greatly enjoy the audio production and the narrator definitely kept me in till the finish. Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an ARC copy!

I was thrilled to get an advanced reader copy of What Feasts at Night because the first book in this series “What Moves the Dead” was one of my favorite books of 2022 - seriously I am still talking about it.
At 160 pages this novella is a perfect introduction to the horror genre. This book is less creepy than “What Moves the Dead” but it is filled with excellent folklore and is much funnier than its predecessor. I love how I got to know more about Alex Easton and see their personality.

The folklore and horror is this book makes it the winter gothic winter read. The audiobook was also a great listen. The narrator was very good

YES!!!! 🙌

Thank you so much to MacMillan Audio for an early copy of the Audiobook for review. This was a highly anticipated read for me and I am absolutely thrilled to be able to write this here.

T. Kingfisher has easily become my favorite horror author over the past few years. The way she writes bends and blends genres beautifully. I can’t say there’s a single book of her’s I haven’t enjoyed, and ‘What Feasts at Night’ is no exception.

Going in I was a little unsure of what this would be, given it’s a companion to ‘What Moves the Dead’ which retells the story of the House of Usher by Edgar Allen Poe.(Kingfisher + Poe = Perfection.) In short, this continues Alex Easton on another separate adventure, though still linked to some common characters and containing enough context and references to the first that I wouldn’t recommend reading this without having read the first story beforehand. Some time after the events of ‘What Moves the Dead’ Alex and Angus host Mrs.Potter in the Easton family hunting lodge in Gallacia. Upon arrival they find the caretaker who’s been entrusted with upkeep of the house has died under somewhat mysterious circumstances.

As is usual for Kingfishers work, the build of creepiness in the atmosphere is impeccable and the blend of dark fantasy into horror is always something I personally enjoy. However, I will say that plot wise I easily prefer the first book. ‘What Feasts at Night’ is absolutely worth the read, even more so for the continuation of some frivolous but really enjoyable character developments. That said I’d be more inclined to rave if other books by T Kingfisher weren’t even better than this being just: really good. I’d easily give this a 4/5, but ‘What Moves the Dead’ was 5/5 so the comparison feels a little harsh.

TL:DR
Overall, so worth every second spent reading. But, ‘What Moves the Dead’ was better.

What a phenomenal sequel! Once again I'm starting into the world of. Galatia, Lieutenant Alex Easton, her groom, Angus and the redoubtable Miss Eugenia Potts. All the wit, humor and terror from the first book (What Moves at Night, also highly recommended) with a few new characters and a new adventure.

T. Kingfisher is a genius writer, her boss never fail to make my skin crawl and keep new lining over my shoulder.

Avi Roque is an excellent narrator, she captures the sarcasm and dry humor of the relationship between Easton, Angus and Potts perfectly, while moving between accents and inflections seamlessly.

Thanks to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio and the amazing T. Kingfisher for allowing me the privilege to listen to this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I was initially a little unsure about picking this one up because I liked What Moves the Dead so much and I just wasn't sure what a follow up to that story would look like. I loved the retelling of a classic Poe story so much that I just didn't know if I would be as drawn to this story without that element. Ultimately I decided that I will give anything T. Kingfisher writes a try because she's earned my trust as a reader.

This story was a great time! While not quite as atmospheric as What Moves the Dead it was still well-plotted with great characters. I wasn't super invested in the characters in the first book but I found myself much more interested especially in our main character and their struggle with what I assume is PTSD from their time in war in this one.

I also appreciate the use of some real folklore in the crafting of the spook in this story. Such a nice touch and I probably wouldn't have ever heard of this particular piece of lore if not for the way it was weaved into this book that caused me to do some Google-ing when I finished.

T. Kingfisher's touch of humor is one of my favorite things about her writing. It just works for me and it really felt at home with this main character's POV. I think she's hit a really nice sweet spot with these novellas. I will happily consume whatever she gives us in this series.

* Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the ARC copy to review.