I loved What Moves the Dead since it was inspired by The Fall of the House of Usher and of course there was the added element of fungi. So when I learned there was a new Sworn Soldier novella I was very excited. This most definitely can be read as a standalone but I do recommend reading the first one to fully appreciate Alex Easton.


In What Feasts at Night we are back with Alex and Angus who journey to an old hunting lodge now owned by Alex. Soon they are joined by Miss Potter (who I adore as a character and because she is a Mycologist). Slowly we begin to learn that things are not right. The locals are of no help and it is only due to someone being in dire straights they get an housekeeper. Safe to say it has a lot of elements of the Victorian gothic tales.


As you can expect from Kingfisher the prose is beautiful and haunting. I particularly liked the pacing, but I am a fan of Victorian ghost and horror stories which share a similar slow reveal and pace. it may not be for everyone but I personally liked it. I also adored the use of old folklore, no spoilers on what though.
The other thing I loved are the characters. Of course my love of Miss Potter is already know but I liked seeing Alex and particularly their ‘Soldier’s Heart’ or PTSD and how they deal with that alongside the mystery they find themselves a part of.


This is a brilliant sequel and will be perfect for fans of Kingfisher but also old style gothic horror and of course fungi! There is a good mix here, yes the pace is slower but I think it works for the plot and genre.

Strengths -
• Writing
• Atmosphere

Weaknesses -
• Plot
• Pacing

My thoughts -

🍄 I loved What Moves the Dead, so you can only imagine how happy I was to receive a Netgalley ARC of the second in the Sworn Soldier series.

🌚 T. Kingfisher does creepy really well, and I loved learning about some folklore in this book, but unfortunately, this story wasn't as exciting or as addictive as the first. For as short as it was, I struggled to get through it. It would keep picking up for a couple of pages, and then it would drop and get boring again rather quickly.

❤️ What Moves the Dead is definitely worth the read, but I think it could have been left there. I actually think this story could have been done better if it wasn't a part of this series, and we followed a different cast of characters.

✍️ With all that said, I'm a big fan of Kingfisher’s writing, and I'm looking forward to reading more by her.

https://lynns-books.com/2024/02/13/what-moves-the-dead-what-feasts-at-night-sworn-soldier-books-1-and-2-by-t-kingfisher/
3.5 of 5 stars
I was actually very pleasantly surprised to discover that the author had a sequel planned bringing back to us the character Alex Easton and his companion Angus.

This time the two are journeying to an old hunting lodge, once part of the larger family estate but now owned by Alex. They have invited Ms Potter from the first story who is keen to continue her study of fungi and explore the surrounding woods.

When the two arrive at the hunting lodge something is immediately not right. The woods are spookily quiet, no natural noises of critters and birds, the lodge is unattended and has clearly been empty for some weeks, the place in disarray. Upon investigation it seems that the old caretaker has passed away in unusual circumstances. The nearby villagers are all acting cagey and close lipped and the two barely manage to secure a housekeeper to help them cook and clean – a woman who only agrees out of desperation.

This is a story based in old folklore and in particular involving a Moroi. A type of ghost that leaves the grave to feed off the dead – in this case by stealing the breath from its victims.

Okay, I liked this story – but – and you knew there was a but coming. It feels a little as though it lacks direction. It almost feels like it wants to go in two directions. Firstly, we take a much stronger look at Alex and the PTSD caused by warfare and then we have the story of the Moroi. I think what surprised me was Alex’s resistance to the Moroi – given the previous experiences I think a bit more open mindedness could have been expected. And, although I enjoyed the deeper character study I felt like it give the story a much slower pacing. That being said I like Alex’s no nonsense style, I love the sense of humour, I enjoyed the return of Ms Potter although she doesn’t really get a chance to shine here – the new housekeeper instead seems to take that role this time and is a perfect foil for Alex, constantly chatting to herself in pretend whispers – addressing the ceiling and muttering about ‘wastrels in general.

As you can see, I enjoyed much about this story, but at the same time it left me feeling a little perplexed. The writing is good. I enjoyed returning to this world and although this might not be my favourite instalment of the Sworn Soldier series I heartily hope that we return to this world and these characters – I think there is so much scope here.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

My rating 3.5 of 5 stars

Also – I have to give a shout out to both of the covers – they are absolutely superb.

"What Feasts at Night" is a gripping continuation of T. Kingfisher's enthralling gothic novella series, following the harrowing events of "What Moves the Dead." This time, we reunite with retired soldier Alex Easton, who finds themselves plunged into another terrifying ordeal, reminiscent of their wartime experiences.
The narrative unfolds as Easton, seeking respite after the horrors at Usher Manor, agrees to assist Angus and Miss Potter by visiting their family hunting lodge nestled in the eerie forests of Gallacia. However, what awaits them is far from tranquility. The caretaker's death, the lodge's disarray, and an unsettling silence enveloping the grounds hint at a malevolent presence lurking in the shadows. As whispers of a breath-stealing monster from local folklore grow louder, Easton confronts the unnerving truth that something sinister has taken root in their home, infiltrating both reality and dreams.
T. Kingfisher excels once again in crafting a spellbinding tale that captivates from the first page. The characterization of Alex Easton is masterfully done, offering readers a complex and relatable protagonist whose resilience is tested against the darkness lurking within and without. The author's attention to detail, especially in the use of language and the portrayal of the community's dynamics, adds depth to the narrative, immersing readers in the chilling atmosphere of Gallacian folklore.
One of the novel's greatest strengths lies in its vivid depiction of setting. From the cold, damp forests to the eerie silence shrouding the lodge, every detail is meticulously described, evoking a sense of foreboding that permeates the story. The suspenseful pacing keeps readers on the edge of their seats, with moments of tension that leave them holding their breath in anticipation.
In conclusion, "What Feasts at Night" is a must-read for horror enthusiasts and fans of atmospheric storytelling. T. Kingfisher delivers yet another hauntingly beautiful tale that will linger in the mind long after the final page is turned. Highly recommended.

I’m a huge fan of the author. I really enjoyed the first book, What Moves The Dead so couldn’t wait to read What Feasts At Night. I liked this book a lot. I love horror fiction and the author is one of the best. You don’t need to have read the first book to enjoy this. The events in the first book are mentioned briefly but this doesn’t spoil the enjoyment of this book. I liked Alex Easton, he’s a great character, strong-willed and practical despite what he witnessed in the first book. This is dark, creepy horror at it’s best. I’d recommend this.

Horror excels at changing at is realising the world is a far stranger and creepier place than we like to think it is. That can be simply down to horrible people but it also says reality isn’t quite what we were taught at school. A great horror story can be weirder and stranger than we expect and I’m pleased to say T Kingfisher’s latest Sworn Soldier novella What Feasts At Night is a brilliant combination of weird, scary and funny horror making it a delight to read.

Alex Easton a retired soldier is making their way back from Paris to the family hunting lodge in the small little known European country of Gallacia - with their faithful soldier colleague Angus in tow and on their way Eugenie Potter the acclaimed naturalist and expert in all things fungi. But Alex finds the loyal servant left to mind the lodge is unexpectedly dead, the villagers are suspicious and over the coming days the new servants and Alex find their nights unpleasant and their strength diminishing. Are monsters or something else at work?

Kingfisher has a tradition of engaging narrators and what made this tale work so well for me is Easton’s character that comes across in their narration. They’re a smart pragmatic soldier with a kind heart but also an excellent sense of sarcasm and humour be it explaining why turnips are painted on winters to the testy but funny exchanges with their new servant (but clearly in charge) The Widow Botezatu who is eternally grumpy, very superstitious and loyal to her beloved grandson Bors. Who doesn’t love someone putting sharp knives to ward off evil where you least expect them?

The other key approach is this story is a mystery. What is going on is it natural or supernatural? We get mysterious troubling dreams, folk tales, strange diseases and the views of doctors, priests and locals. Easton has to try and navigate this in particular the legend of the Moroi a spirit who saps strength in dreams and crushes victims to death. Kingfisher makes these encounters both vividly terrifying and slightly ambiguous to help confuse us as to what is going on. I’m not going to tell you fear not…but there is some excellent gruesome body horror to enjoy here in the final sections of the book.

What Feasts In The Night is an excellent horror story that takes the classic feel of a haunted building and gives it a fine revamp with humour, warmth and a central trio to unpick things you really love - but this is very Easton’s story. I think it opens up the world of the Sworn Soldier a lot and allows many different types of stories to be told. Strongly recommended!

In this second instalment of the Sworn Soldier series that was begun with the Poe retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher, What Moves the Dead, T. Kingfisher brings us another slice of gothic creepiness in What Feasts At Night.

This time, our non - binary Sworn Soldier, Alex Easton, moves location to their homeland of Gallacia.

Holed up in Paris, taking a much needed rest following the events of What Moves The Night, Alex and their ever faithful companion Angus are due to meet Ms Potter at Alex’s family hunting lodge.

In preparation, Alex has sent correspondence to the caretaker of the hunting lodge they own whilst they make their way across Europe to meet Ms Potter.

Unbeknownst to Alex, a terrible affliction has befallen the caretaker, and the only way that they find out is when they actually get to the lodge and find that the previous caretaker has mysteriously died.

As a member of the Gallacian Upper Classes, Easton needs some help to get their house in order and subsequently employs the formidable Widow Botezatu and her Grandson Bors to help around the house. Mainly because they are the only ones that will work up at the cursed hunting lodge and are desperate enough to ignore whatever it was that killed the former caretaker.

Similarly to the first book, T. Kingfisher deftly weaves elements of horror and folklore with sardonic humour and highly realised characters. In addition to this, she also discusses the trauma that soldiers experience, labelling the thinly disguised post traumatic stress disorder as ‘soldier’s heart’. In addition to the fantastical, she also interjects elements of history, slavic folklore and mycology into the story.

Whilst the beating heart of the story does take a while to pulse, it is the companionable domesticity that initially drives the story with the characters of Easton and Angus taking centre stage, and whilst there are plenty of comic sequences initially, it is not while the inimitable Ms Potter joins the fray with her ‘unintentional’ Gallacian phrasebook that the humour moves to full throttle.

Whilst not exactly filled with brooding creepiness, it is T. Kingfisher’s skill in writing characters that you want to spend time with that takes centre stage in What Feasts at Night. However, don’t think that there is not the mystery and dread that characterised the first book, it’s just that they are not as centre stage as the previous book as this time the focus seems to be more on the characters and the world building of the idiosyncratic country of Gallacia.

What Feasts At Night is a great addition to the Sworn Soldier Series, expanding both the characters and the world around Alex Easton and it will be interesting to see if T. Kingfisher will call upon Alex, Angus and Ms Potter for more adventures.

This was an excellent sequel. I didn’t expect a sequel as ‘What Moves the Dead’ stood remarkably on its down, but I was glad to hear of a sequel regardless.

This is another atmospheric romp into a dark and oppressive setting in the world of Gallacia with the charismatic sworn soldier, Alex Easton. Another mystery to be solved amidst a horrific backdrop with a some new characters and familiar ones, too.

I don’t want to give too much away; just know that it’s a short but delightful experience and I hope there’s another book in this series to come.

I liked this a bit more than What Moves the Dead. It was more atmospheric and creepy to me, so I enjoyed it more. I also liked the humor of our narrator, that resonated well with me. Overall, a solid gothic novella.

This is a 'standalone sequel' to What Moves the Dead. Which basically means the story is self contained but the main characters are introduced to us in the first book, so you can read this in isolation, but you'll know everyone better if you read both

This time, we return home with Alex, and a strange emptiness has taken over the once family home. The locals are keeping quiet and tragedy has struck the caretaker

Local superstition blames a creature from folklore that visits dreams, but how much is this and how much is just a creepy old property.... you can find out next week when this releases!

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan for the review copy of this book, and to T Kingfisher as well.. I would definitely read more stories in this series!

I think that I have managed to read almost all of Kingfisher in about a year? I’m missing one short story collection, and I just got The Hollow Places in the mail. These ones were the ones that scared me the most. I honesty felt sick with the tension while reading What Moves the Dead. It didn’t help that I’d just eaten mushrooms for dinner

Book two more than lives up to the first one, with some super impressive ways of has utilising pronouns and gender. It almost feels like that hold my beer meme. Someone has whinged about they/ them pronouns, so she’s all “Hold my beer while I create a society with seven sets of pronouns, including genderless soldiers, and one just for god”. The MC is one of those sworn soldiers and uses ka/ kan throughout. Masterfully done, wonderfully clever, and inspired by rather than constrained by classic gothic horror.

T. Kingfisher proceeds to be a new favourite author of mine. I enjoyed this just as much as I did the first part. Horror with mushrooms in a historical setting. Can't wait for more of her!

The book is creepy, suspenseful and unsettling. This is a great follow up of the sworn soldier series. The books are based on Fall of the house of Usher classic story.

The characters are mysterious. The setting is creepy, dreadful and unsettling. The author has described every detail so well. There is a mystery consuming Alex, Angus and Bors. Alex and Angus arrive at the old eastern hunting lodge and find out that the one of the person is gone and there is an unknown spirit that is killing people. Bors takes the place of Codrin but soon strange things starts happening. Alex and Bors, they both get tangled in strange occurrences, unsettling dreams and myths. What if the myths are true and there is a creature who is actually stealing people’s breath? Will Alex be able to save Bors? Also the mystery of Codrin’s death seems to have some connection with the spirit. I liked the story behind the Wolf’s Ear. The ending was shocking. This book was so creepy and dreadful. I also liked the character of Miss Potter.

I am grateful to the Author and Publisher. Many Thanks to Netgalley.

What Feasts at Night is my fifth T. Kingfisher title and it only added to her auto-buy status - there's no title she writes that won't pass through my Kindle at one point or the other, and I'll need to seriously start working through the backlog.
The writing is top notch as always, Gallacia's ambience and mix of real and fictional history so well done that I had to google if it had been a real country at any point. I might have done it while reading What Moves The Dead but who knows, maybe my search skills were rusty?
I'm only sorry that this title was so short. Easton, Angus and Ms. Potter are interesting characters and Gallacia's lore seems expansive and ripe for exploring.
As a side note, I love what the author has done with pronouns and gender - both gender identity and gender expression are explored in the figure of the Gallacian sworn soldier as a completely different thing than we're used to in gothic horror.

This is a standalone sequel to the bestselling and award-winning novella What Moves the Dead.

Once again, we meet Alex Easton, a retired Soldier who returns to their home country of Gallacia with their trusty steed, Hob, and their friend, valet and righthand man, Angus.

They return to an old hunting lodge owned by Alex's family only to find it in disrepair and the caretaker missing. What follows is a grim and creepy tale of a mysterious creature from Gallacian folklore interwoven with flashbacks of the war from the perspective of someone clearly suffering from PTSD. This makes the narrator somewhat unreliable which only adds to the tension and sense of uneasiness throughout.

I adore Kingfisher's signature creepy atmospheric writing style although I would love delve into Alex's past a little more. Our protagonist lacks the depth I personally required to become emotionally involved in the outcome of this twisted fairytale. It was a fast-paced, eerie and gripping short story nonetheless.

Many thanks to NetGalley and TitanBooks for the free e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the fourth book I’ve read from T. Kingfisher and it’s the one I enjoyed the most. Maybe because I read it on my kindle and I did not listen to it. But this is not the only reason I liked it.

“What feasts at night” is the second book in the ”Sworn Soldier” duology so far and it was a very entertaining and quick read. While it could be read as a standalone (if you want) my opinion is you should read the first book just to be meet the characters and the backstory.

”If this was a fairytale, it was the kind where everyone gets eaten as a cautionary tale about straying into the woods.”

Like in the first book, the main characters are Alex Easton, a retired soldier, the intelligent Miss Potter, a mushroom scientist and Angus who is Easton’s personal servant. And Alex’s horse, Hob. Throughout the whole story, we can see Alex’s PTSD because of the war. But he is very kind and brave.

Alex, Easton and Hob are going back to Easton’s family house to find out that the caretaker of the house died. While the two men are searching for another person to take care of the house, they meet Widow Botezatu and his nephew, Bors. And from here, the story takes a different direction.

”…but places don’t stop existing just because you aren’t looking at them.”

”What feasts at night” is a spooky read, perfect for October. The atmosphere is creepy, with rainy, cold and dark days, with a soundless forest and a great manor house that makes the perfect setting, being isolated from the village.
The plot is engaging and suspenseful, with gothic elements, and I liked it more than the first one. It’s in the horror genre, but it lets you sleep at night, having no gory scenes. I loved the direction it took, with the moroi (a ghost in the form of a woman who sucks your breath away while you sleep) being the supernatural element.
It has funny moments as well, I liked to see how Alex respected Widow Botezatu, even if he doesn’t agree with her beliefs. And I love how Kingfisher wrote this duology, like the narrator is speaking with us. I feel like I was next to Easton throughout the whole book.

”What the dying say it’s between them and God.”

All in all, I enjoyed it a lot. It was exactly what I needed, a short story (170 pages on my kindle) and it put me in a great mood. I loved how uneasy it made me, and I loved the pace at which the horror started to appear. It was a well written novel, captivating and atmospheric. I recommend it to everyone.

disclaimer: I received this free from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review

content warning: gore, horror, body horror

I didn't realise when I requested What Feasts at Night that it was a sequel of sorts - can be read as a standalone but benefits from having prior knowledge of the characters and stories from the first novella. A super quick read, with some interesting folklore and an eerie atmosphere.

I loved this! This is the sequel to What Moves The Dead, and while I think you could probably read it as a stand alone if you really wanted to, you'd miss all the creepy backstory from the first book so I wouldn't recommend it.

In What Feasts at Night, we pick up the story of Easton and Angus, as they return to Gallacia, only to find Easton's family home deserted, the caretaker deceased, and no one in town willing to talk about what happened. This series blends fantasy and horror in a way that I ordinarily wouldn't be a fan of (I'm more of a straight up horror girl) but T. Kingfisher really makes it work. She packs so much fascinating world building into what are essentially two short stories, she's got me hooked on this universe. Much like the first book, this went much darker and more gory than you would expect from the premise. It was gripping at all times. I really hope we get another Easton novella.

I received this arc for free on netgalley.

I loved the writing and the story and the overall way that T Kingfisher writes her fairytale-type tales (i.e. with a bucketload of empathy and forgiveness for the Big Bad). What Feasts At Night has the same style of quirky creepiness as What Moves The Dead and I loved learning more about Alex and the worldbuilding of Gallacia.

There was some really intense imagery and as someone who recently received a visit from a sleep paralysis demon, which was a terrifying experience, I thought it was done really well and was excellently woven into the story and Alex's experiences of war PTSD.

The thing I'm really sad about is that the repeat characters from WMTD felt completely unnecessary to the story (Miss Potter, Angus, and largely Hob). Aside from Angus' knowledge of the local area, the story would remain unchanged if they were simply not there. I didn't want them to be removed, I wanted them to meaningfully contribute!

Overall though, I did really like this and if you loved WMTD, this definitely won't disappoint you!

T. Kingfisher’s newest release sees us back following Alex Easton as they travel to their old family hunting lodge in Gallacia. When they arrive they find the house abandoned and the caretaker nowhere to be found. The caretaker has passed away and no one in the village will set foot on the grounds or tell them what really happened to him. As their friend Miss Potter arrives, strange things begin happening in the house and Easton begins to have disturbing dreams, will they be able to uncover what lurks in the remote hunting lodge, and will they be able to stop it from claiming another victim?

I really enjoyed T. Kingfisher’s What Moves the Dead so I was really excited to pick up What Feasts at Night. It was lovely to be back with the characters we met in book one and I enjoyed seeing the relationships between Easton and their companions continue to develop. Much like book one, What Feasts at Night is gripping, well crafted, and full of suspense. The book is just under 200 pages but it definitely packs a punch, will plenty of creepy, unsettling moments that will send a shiver down your spine. There are also some humorous moments too which worked really well in the story.

What Feasts at Night is a quick read and one that keeps the reader gripped throughout. The story is well paced and I completely fell in love with Kingfisher’s vivid and atmospheric writing style. The moroi was such a fascinating concept and I loved learning about the folklore in this world. This is a brilliant, unforgettable sequel and if you’re looking for some haunting novellas you won’t want to look away from, I would absolutely recommend this series.