This was an interesting tale and the 2nd book in the Sworn Soldier series. Alex Eastin, the soldier from the previous novel must take on a Moroi in this story. It was interesting to see what all the people of the town believed as people's lives are being taken. Some believe old superstitions, while others believe the church and/or doctors. I enjoyed this novella, and trying to figure out what was actually going on when Alex Easton encounters the Moroi.

Genre: gothic horror
Gallacia, Late 19th century

Alex Easton is a retired sworn soldier - in Gallacia, men and women can become sworn soldiers and in doing so, take on a new pronoun “ka/kan”, but admittedly Gallacian language has flaws, so they typically choose they/them in social settings - and they’re still reeling after barely surviving their last adventure with mycelium spores and the fall of the House of Usher. On a retreat with their oldest friend Angus who is courting an older, very British Miss Potter, Easton discovers that it’s difficult to hire a caretaker for their cabin outside of town. Rumors of monster who slips into your dreams and steals your breath have haunted these forests for centuries. Are they just rumors? Or do they have foundation in something darker?

I have enjoyed T Kingfisher’s dark fairy tales, but I’ve typically stayed away from her books that fall on the horror side of the spectrum. I should have known based on this cover that this would lean more to horror. But, like Easton, I soldiered through. Kingfisher’s writing, while dark and undeniably creepy and frightening, has ridiculous moments of well-timed humor and levity to pull you out from your own nightmares. As someone who gravitates less to horror, I appreciate that about her darker books.

When I started What Feasts at Night I discovered that it was book two, andI quickly realized that I needed to read book one first. You meet Easton, Angus, and Miss Potter in What Moves the Dead, book one, and Kingfisher does a lot of preliminary worldbuilding to set Gallacia apart from other European powers at the end of the 19th century. The mystery from the first book is also referenced frequently in the second, and Easton spends a lot of time terrified that the horror is reasserting itself again in What Feasts at Night.

SFF novellas are nearly perfect for me as audiobooks. Avi Roque narrates this series with a gravelly voice that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up as you listen to the horrors of the night. At 5 hours long, the time commitment is lower, and yet Kingfisher still manages to give us an intense story and strong characters.

Thank you to @macmillan.audio @tornightfire and NetGalley for an ALC for review. What Feasts at Night is out 2/13, and for the skeptics, there’s just enough of a cute romance subplot between Angus and Miss Potter for Valentine’s Day.

I loved this book as much as I loved the first in the series, What Moves the Dead, I hope there are many more stories in the world of Alex Easton.
I would strongly encourage reading What Moves the Dead before reading this. Many of the characters overlap and the author doesn’t waste too much time getting into the nitty gritty of the relationships, there is also a good deal of the main character’s back story that is discussed in the first book that is important to this book. While I don’t think you would be lost in this book without reading What Moves the Dead I really think a lot would be lost from the reading experience.
The story was so interesting it takes the folklore of the Moroi (Romanian folklore vampire/witch/ghost/werewolf type creature) and weaves it into a story that explores the effects of PTSD and the validity of spiritual beliefs in the face of science. It also had a bit of humor running throughout the whole story, it made the characters feel more real because they were heavily relying on humor as a coping mechanism.
If you listened to the audiobook for What Moves the Dead you will be very happy with this audiobook as they kept the reader the same. Avi Roque again did a fantastic job, I was so happy to hear their voice again it helped me to get sucked right back into Alex’s world.
Overall, if you’re a fan of horror I highly recommend jumping into the Sworn Soldier series. It’s the perfect combination of classic stories/lore and a modern voice.

I enjoyed that this novel addressed superstitions and ghosts. I was not as gripped as I was by the first novel, but the narrator fit the vibe perfectly. I will sure read more works by this author and the next adventure.
3.5 stars

One of the things I love most about this series and author is the length of the book. If you read the synopsis and looked at the cover you'd be expecting a 500-700 page book like most books involving fantasy or other worlds. But these books aren't long at all! Sometimes when you see a book that is 500+ or 15+ hours, it makes the task daunting and hard to enjoy. At least for me when it comes to book like this when there is some world creation.

I enjoyed the subject matter of the story. Reminds me of stories of night hags that torment sleepers at night. I like that Kingfisher sticks to traditional stories.

I read the first book as an e-book so I'm not sure if the same narrator did that one. But I really enjoyed the narrator's voice. It is unique and fit the character and book perfectly.

I love the gothic vibe of the Sworn Soldier series. I'm not sure if more books are coming but I would read more! And I've read a book from the author outside of the series and I really enjoyed it. I love the covers too!

Thank you to NetGalley, T. Kingfisher, Tor Nightfire and MacMillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to What Feasts at Night. I have written this review voluntarily.

I’m so torn on this! I read the first book over a year ago, and there was very little in the beginning of this one to remind me of who everyone was. While I don’t like authors who spend too much time rehashing previous books, a little bit is necessary otherwise readers get lost.

Also, I was maddened by Easton’s use of “var, va” when referring to the priest. We get it, Gallacia has its own language. So does just about every country. But you don’t read a book set in Spain where elders are referred to by “el.”

The overall story was interesting and I really liked Bors and his grandmother.

The narrator had some odd pauses that took me out of the story, but the accents were great and I was able to clearly distinguish between characters.

Would definitely read more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of the audiobook.

I was so excited to receive this ARC I might have peed a little (I didn’t I promise). This continuation of the Fall of the House of Usher/Sworn Soldier series ABSOLUTELY lived up to the hype and I felt so lucky to get to read it in advance of its release date. Thank you NetGalley!

This is a fantastic sequel to What Moves The Dead. It is dark, atmospheric, and quirky. They have such a unique writing style that I absolutely love. It is short and fast-paced with a great cast of characters. The narrator was a perfect fit and did an amazing job at capturing the personality of the story.

t was so great to be able to catch up with Alex, Angus, and Miss Potter after the events of What Moves the Dead. This time the story is set in Gallacia, so it was fun to learn about the different history, customs, and folklore of the country. In What Feasts at Night the horror and danger comes from a creature that supposedly comes to steal your breath in the middle of the night. At first Alex doesn’t believe in the moroi… but as events unfold it starts to seem more real.

I think I preferred the overall atmosphere of the What Moves the Dead a tiny bit more than this one. But I still had an excellent time reading it. Definitely check this one out if you enjoyed the characters in the first installment.

4.5

This is the follow up to [book:What Moves the Dead|58724626] that I didn’t know I needed. Where that story is focused on a creepy house and some fungal horror, this sequel sees us go to Easton’s home country and tackles superstitions and ghosts.

I really enjoy the way Kingfisher builds tension and atmosphere but keeps her trademark witty humorous writing. I love how aspects of this world are recognizably some version of actual history and I adore the way she plays with gender in this world. Thematically, I think this is a great take on science vs superstition. This is almost a cozy horror and I am so here for it. I desperately hope there is more one in this series.

As for the audiobook, it’s hard to believe that What Moves the Dead was my first experience with Avi Roque as a narrator but they quickly became a favorite and their performance in What Feasts at Night was immaculate as always.

3.5

This was gothic, dark, imaginative and creative. I loved this more than the first one. Kingfisher is a favorite of mine. I finished this in one sitting. What Feasts at Night is fast paced and hard to put down. Not so sure I won't have a nightmare more than sure it's worth it.

I am so happy I got a chance to read this early! I loved it from the beginning to the end and thought the story was unique. It gave me all the creepy, crawly, unsettling feelings that I was needing. This Author is forever someone who I will always want to read more from.

4 stars

I can't get enough of T. Kingfisher, and I feel the same about everyone's favorite sworn soldier, Alex Easton. Alex survived the Ushers and probably wants to be home by the fire watching _Phantom Thread_, but instead, they are OF COURSE now going to interface with a new creep show in good ol' Gallacia.

Because this series is comprised of novellas, there's not as much time to develop characters or plot. I had read (and really enjoyed) the first installment, and I'd recommend that approach to prospective readers, too. Part of what makes Alex's experiences here extra horrifying and impactful is the memory of what they have just experienced. You need to experience that with them for maximum outcomes.

I can't recommend the audio version - when and where accessible - enough. The narrator really brings Alex and the zaniness of these characters and situations to life.

I'm very much looking forward to future additions to this series (and to whatever T. Kingfisher will produce next in general).

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC! I was a fan of T Kingfisher’s first book and I throughly enjoyed book two. The narrator did a fantastic job!

My only complaint was I felt like not a lot happened and it wasn’t as creepy as book one.