Enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the adventure to find out the truth and how good triumphs over evil.
I hope there is a series to these characters.

Readers are sure to be spellbound by the magic fizzing from the pages in this latest offering from Ross MacKenzie; The Feast of the Evernight is a totally gripping novel, full of twists and tension.

It is a year since the defeat of the Evernight - an ancient, evil darkness - and we are reunited with Lara and Joe in Westerly Witch, whilst Double Eight is away studying in Lake End. However, we soon learn that there is something sinister lurking in the Veil near Lake End... there have been mysterious murders and Double Eight has disappeared. Lara is charged with investigating and Joe has been set a secret task of his own. Can they succeed in their dangerous missions and what will become of Double Eight?

The Feast of the Evernight was one of my most highly anticipated books of the year and it didn't disappoint. It is perfect for those who like stories with a dark edge and packed full of adventure. Whilst this could definitely stand alone, I recommend reading Evernight first to fully appreciate the magical world and characters that Ross has conjured.

I received and ARC if this book from NetGalley and Anderson Press in exchange for an honest review.

I've been anticipating this sequel ever since I finished Evernight last year. The worldbuilding and characters set up in book 1 were so detailed and intriguing that I was eager to find out what happened next.

This book begins almost a year after the final events in the first book. With the Evernight defeated and the souls of witches that Mrs Hester stole returned to their rightful owners, Lara, Joe and Double Eight are free to move on with their lives. However, far to the south, in the Veil Forest, an evil presence lurks and it has committed some gruesome murders. All the evidence points to Double Eight being the suspect! Lara travels south to try and uncover the truth. Meanwhile, in King's Haven, the secret police are ruthlessly hunting down fleeing witches and anyone they perceive as a threat to their authority. Once again, Lara and Joe find themselves surrounded by danger and unsure who they can trust.

This book had me captivated from start to finish. Characters, atmosphere and plot all worked perfectly together. It was great to see Lara grow into her new life in this book, but still show the same fierce independence and no-nonsense attitude, I love her for. Joe continues to be a loyal friend, but I liked the fact that the story covered the emotional toll events in the previous book had taken on him. I also appreciated Joe having his own mission and m0tiviations. Ivy is a great addition. Just as brave and determined as Lara, but with a more thoughtful aspect to her personality, giving more variety to this trio.

The tension in the atmosphere is brilliantly crafted: from the creepy beginning; to the relentless pursuit by the secret police; to the reveal at the end. There are also great moments of humour and some poignant scenes.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed Evernight. For those who haven't read Evernight, if you like fantasy worlds with a historical feel, magical battles, secrets and mysteries, this is a series for you.

Quite a complicated plot with an awful lot of characters to follow and remember. I’d suggest a bit too much for the average year 5/6 reader.

This was another hit in this series, I loved the first one and this one didn't disappoint. I loved that we see the main character develop into herself and the witch she was always meant to become. I didn't like some of the story and felt it could've done without some of the description but I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to Percy Jackson fans.

Feast of the Evernight is the deliciously dark sequel to Evernight, one of the creepiest children’s books I have read in the last few years. Within this sequel, Ross Mackenzie once again proves his prowess in writing thrilling books, which are packed full of menace, unexpected twists and stunning storytelling.

The second book in the Evernight series picks up a year after the first story. After the defeat of the Evernight, a new threat has emerged, catapulting Lara and her friends into mortal danger. Can they work together to defeat the unknown or will their friendship - and their lives - be torn apart by this merciless evil?

Feast of the Evernight is a genuinely gruesome book, which will be loved by young readers who enjoy the thriller or horror genres. It’s menacing and sinister in a way many children’s books fail to accomplish. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and I know my class will love scaring themselves silly whilst reading it! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I have really enjoyed reading both Evernight books especially The Feast of the Evernight. Out. I was really drawn into the excitement of the book and how the author made me think about what he had written down, he has really painted a good picture of what Westerly Witch looked like and all the characters. I liked how this book linked to the first one too, it was nice to have the same characters but further in the future.

I thought that the characters in this book were very well described so that I could make a good picture of what they looked like and were like and understand what they were thinking. I also liked the relationship between Lara and all of her friends, I felt like I knew them well.

This is a brilliant book, but I think that it is much better to read the first book before you read this one so that you can fully understand all of the places and characters more. I would definitely recommend this book to anybody who enjoys reading an exciting and brilliant fantasy fiction book. I have enjoyed this book lots and hope that lots of others will too.

Reviewed by my 10 year old granddaughter.

Feast of the Evernight is the sequel to Ross MacKenzie’s Evernight, which came out in 2020, and which I read at the time. The sequel picks up a year after the events of Evernight; Lara has been in Westerly Witch, studying to become a witch herself, and as the story starts, she graduates. However, her friend Joe has become restless, and wants to return home to King’s Haven. The capital is still full of unrest; since the Evernight was defeated, the White Witches who were previously under the control of the evil Mrs Hester have regained their souls – some have run away, wanting to discover their new power, while others have remained to serve the king, and become part of a secret police intent on rounding up and killing all wild witches (who they call Hags) and the slum folk who were marked by the Evernight.

I say it picks up there, but the first two chapters are actually from the point of view of Sam Hushby, a ranger in the city of Lake End. On his first night on the job, Sam witnesses the murder of his partner Annalise in the forest of the Veil. Her throat is cut and Sam sees the killer draining her of blood. This was quite a shocking opening for a middle grade book, and the rest of the story doesn’t pull its punches either. These characters, even in the first book, are living in a harsh world where they are the underdogs.

This murder, and the report of others in the area, leads to Lara being sent to investigate with Ginny, an older witch, and Joe being sent on a secret mission with Rob Nielsen, one of the characters from the first book. And though Lara is keen to go out into the field as a fully fledged witch, there is a problem; her friend Double Eight, previously a white witch under Mrs Hester’s control, is the main suspect of the murders. From here the story launches into action, shifting between quite a few different characters: Lara, Joe, the head of the secret police Karl Younger, and Ivy, a former white witch with incredible powers who is on the run from Younger.

When reading the first book, I felt swept away by the magic of the words, and by the newness of everything, but with this sequel there was something lacking, though I can’t quite put my finger on what. The plot was still compelling, and the twist – thought predictable to me – came at the perfect moment of tension buildup. I think younger audiences will find it shocking and chilling (the good kind). However I don’t feel that the characters were developed as much; Ivy, the new character, does go from being afraid of her powers to embracing them and gaining confidence, but otherwise I feel that things were quite static. And when I first encountered Karl Younger, I was reminded of Shadow Jack, and the way he was such a chilling villain, but ultimately a complex one, and was disappointed to find that the head of the secret police had no moral dynamism.

All in all, though, those are picky things. I did really enjoy seeing more of the world -though I do wish Lake End had been as developed as King’s Haven, since it felt like it was written as a colonial-style city- and I did appreciate the fact that not everything went back to being perfect after the events of the first book, and the way in which Feast of the Evernight deals with the aftermath of its previous conflict, and the tension between the king and the people he left to die. I’m sure children will love this and I look forward to reading more by the author.

What an exciting adventure! Full of magic, mystery and intrigue. Once I started reading I couldn’t stop, I was on the edge of my seat and just had to know what happens next!!

We fall back into the Silver Kingdom with Larabelle Fox and Joe Littlefoot as if we’ve never been away. The evernight has been destroyed and now Lara and Joe are growing up and moving on with their lives. But there’s something deadly in the Silver Kingdom which threatens the Silver King’s Evernight Feast and Lara has to find out who or what is causing these atrocious acts.
Along Lara and Joe’s journey we find ourselves in the company of familiar faces and also find some new friends. There are many twists, turns, ups and downs in Feast of the Evernight which will keep you reading long into the night!

A brilliant follow up to the superb 'Evernight'. The characters are strong and empathetic. There are truly hideous villains and lots of surprises. I absolutely loved this and so will the many fans of the first book and all the others by Ross McKenzie.

Ross Mackenzie does it again! Deep, dark & delicious, this sequel to Evernight reserrects our favourite characters including Lara, Joe and Double Eight for another adventure escaping the Evernight.
Beautifully written, with rich descriptions and plenty of twists and turns along the way, this is perfect for older MG readers from age 10 upwards as it is pretty sinister at times.

Thank you so much for this ARC copy. I absolutely loved Evernight, so was really excited to get the chance to read this sequel. I was not disappointed at all.
Lara is back and the action starts immediately, as there is a gruesome murder and those at Westerly Witch think Double Eight might be involved.
It was great to be back with Lara and Joe and I enjoyed the introduction of new characters too.
I could not put this book down, the attention to detail, character development and descriptions are wonderful. I absolutely loved it. I hope there is more to come in this series.

Feast of the Evernight takes place 1 year after the prequel. It continues the story of Lara, Joe and Double Eight but one of them is under suspicion of being a murderer. The 1 year anniversary of the king’s alleged defeat of Mrs Hester and the Evernight is due to be celebrated by throwing an almighty feast but the gang have other plans. Especially when they cross paths with Ivy, an exceptionally powerful witch.

This book is Mackenzie at his best. He keeps getting better and every book surpasses his previous. The Feast of the Evernight is just wonderfully written with twists and turns at every juncture. Simply stunning storytelling and I can’t wait for his next offering. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

To the bemusement of my family and friends, I spend much of my time on Twitter chatting about books and jotting down titles to add to my TBB list, keeping an eye out for upcoming titles from my favourite authors which are usually announced several months in advance of publication. Every so often though, I seem to miss a title and so it was with this book – the sequel to Evernight published last year – which I only became aware of when I very enviously saw proofs landing on fellow bloggers’ doormats a few weeks ago ahead of it being launched early in May.

Having asked the publisher whether it would be available through Net Galley, I was delighted when I was told it would be and even more delighted when it was added and I was approved very swiftly after that. I have a few fans of the first title in my current year 5 class – and also in year 6 – and was hoping that this book would be just as action-packed as the first, with the same attention to detail and scary content that has had us all hooked. I need not have worried because from the off, this continuation of the story ticked all of those boxes and more, keeping me on the edge of my seat over the course of last weekend.

We are plunged straight in to the storyline with a gruesome murder – one that leaves the reader with a great many questions but no answers before we are transported to a much more peaceful scene – Westerly Witch, the great city of the Witches where we find Witch-in-training Lara, who was responsible for defeating the monstrously evil Evernight in the original title. Terribly nervous, Lara is about to undergo assessment of her abilities – something that non-magical friend Joe assures her she will pass with flying colours.

When she does, she is puzzled that Joe does not seem to be as excited as she is, but his thoughts are elsewhere as he reveals to his friend that he is planning on leaving to return to his former home of King’s Haven. Lara is horrified at the thought and asks him to reconsider as she believes he won’t be safe with the streets filled with White Witches, who possibly cannot be trusted after the events of Book 1, and the secret police – who most definitely can’t be trusted. Joe tells Lara that he needs to go back to help his people and that it has already been decided, which comes as a shock to her.

Shortly afterwards, Lara is summoned to visit the High Witch who tells her that another friend – Double Eight, who has been sent to Lake End – has vanished following several murders involving dark magic, including that of his mentor, and she is not only greatly concerned for his wellbeing but is considering seriously the possibility that he is the murderer. Lara is to be sent to work alongside Witch Ginny Adder to try to find out just what has been happening ahead of a huge celebration the king is planning to hold there to mark the anniversary of the defeat of the Evernight.

And so Lara finds herself travelling with Joe to King’s Haven with the intention of meeting up with fellow Witch Rob before they all head to Lake End. Along the way they will meet up with friends old and new, need to avoid being caught by the secret police and be forced to keep their wits about them if they are to discover what has been happening at Lake End and who is behind it all. Is Double Eight responsible for the murders that have been carried out, and if not, then who is?

Since my class returned to school a couple of weeks ago, I have been asked time and time again for scary books – a marked difference from before Christmas when we were last all together when it seemed they all wanted adventures. This read, like the first, has some very scary parts indeed – not least of all the murder at the start of the story – and is quite graphic in its descriptions, making it most suitable for those with a strong stomach in Year 5 and above. This is not to say that it is scary all of the way through – most of the story revolves around magic and fast-paced adventure – but I think that for more sensitive readers, some of the more violent sections might be a little too much.

While there are several new key players introduced here, fans of Evernight will already be familiar with Lara and Joe and will really enjoy seeing what happens to them next. Both characters have grown since our first encounter with them and now that Lara is a Witch-proper, with permission to practise her magic around the world, she has more responsibilities to fulfil, rather than being the free agent that she was when we first met her. When she is sent to find out what has happened to Double Eight, she is placed under the supervision of a more experienced Witch and although keen to learn, is very reluctant to believe that her friend could be the murderer that they are seeking. Joe – with his lack of magic, on the other hand – although keen to support his friend is starting to see that he needs to find his own way and it will be very interesting to see how their relationship develops if there is a third book, which I am very much hoping will be the case.

As is usually the way, it is probably best to enjoy this after reading the first title – and I really recommend that you do – but if you haven’t as yet had the pleasure of reading that book, it is not essential. Throughout the story there are enough references and explanations of what happened in Book 1 to bring you up to speed, but the author has created a world with so much incredible detail in it that you are going to miss out on a little of the backstory if you launch straight into this one.

I absolutely adored this book. The term page-turner is one often over-used, but in this case it scarcely does the book justice. As with the author’s other titles, the writing is such that you cannot help but feel immersed in the story from the first page onwards and thereafter are held spellbound until the very last page. It’s possibly not one that I would use as a class read in Year 5 – unless I had a very mature group of children – but it would make a great one in Year 6 or in KS3.

The most enormous thanks must go to Andersen Press and Net Galley for allowing me to read this ahead of publication on May 6th. A bewitching 5 out of 5 stars.