Prodigal wastrel Easton is returning to Gallacia with Hob, kan horse, and Mr Angus, kan long time friend, whose grunt vocabulary is impressive.

All things being equal, Easton would prefer to be in Paris but Miss Potter is coming to visit the fungus and practice her Gallacian.

“What trash has the wind blown in, then?”

It’s all very grim and grey, but that’s as Gallacian as carved turnip shutters. It’s not usually this quiet, though.

It seems that trouble follows whenever this trio are together. The current trouble involves the very real complications that result from a superstition coming for you. What feasts at night, besides me? It’s best if you find out yourself but it’ll take your breath away.

I loved the descriptions that reminded me early on that I wasn’t invited along for a simple catch up amongst the friends who survived the first book: “a tangle of vines draped over a bare tree like spilled entrails.”

Speaking of the first book, you really should read it before this one. This could be read as a standalone in a pinch but you’ll want to read What Moves the Dead once you’ve finished this one anyway. Plus, there’s spoilers for the first book here and you really don’t want anyone ruining the fun for you.

I’m aware that this is a cop out but I can’t choose a favourite in this series. I felt more dread in the first book but I enjoyed the interaction between the characters more in this one.

The depiction of PTSD (called soldier’s heart here) is authentic. PTSD invades every aspect of your life, regardless of the shape of the ‘war’ you survived. The impacts Easton experiences in this series are realistic.

I love catch-all phrases and I found one here that I’m going to have fun irritating people with, particularly when someone asks how I am when it’s a throwaway line, not a genuine inquiry.

“I’m keeping”

Make sure you save some mushrooms for Miss Potter and see if you can get the Widow to smile.

“Hmmph!”

It might be a good idea to check under your pillow before you go to bed tonight.

I now have a more pressing need for a book that gives Miss Potter centre stage. I see this taking place in England. Easton and Angus visit her, perhaps for a wedding. There’s a mycological emergency of sorts, possibly involving fairies…

“Until next we meet, young sinner!”

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Titan Books for the opportunity to read this novella.

A part of my loved this and a part of me found it entirely grinding to read. I love the fact we were back with Alex Easton and their travels and that everything was linking back up to the previous book. However, I did find the repetition of war (flashbacks, experiences and their tinnitus) rather annoying. As per Kingfisher’s stories there was spooky happenings and strange goings on.

Kingfisher is a master at words and creating a vivid atmosphere that is creepy and realistic. I loved this book. I loved how Alex is still unnerved from the events of the second book and is desperate not to have a repeat. All while coping with their PTSD from the war. I enjoyed the relationship between Angus and Miss Potter. I loved the phrasebook scenes and the fun little bits of humour that it inspired. For a fictional country, Kingfisher brought Gallicia alive with dangers and sarcastic truths about their culture. I hope we see more from this amazing series and more of Bors.

This was a short but wonderfully eerie read and in fact, I liked it a lot better than the first book in the series. Kingfisher is simply the master conjurer of perfectly creepy atmospheres. Easton will never be my favourite protagonist but that’s alright because they are still perfect for the story (and doesn’t it make for an interesting twist in your reading experience when you have an ambivalent opinion on the main character? :)).

I absolutely loved What Moves the Dead, so I was very happy to get to spend more time with Alex Easton, Angus, and Eugenia Potter in What Feasts at Night. While I didn’t like it quite as much as the first novella, it’s still a great follow-up.

Set at Alex’s hunting lodge, this time we’re dealing with a creature from Gallacian folklore. I thought the descriptions of the lodge and the surrounding woodland were excellent. It felt so cozy compared to the chilliness of the House of Usher. I also really enjoyed the creature itself, but personally could have done with the horror elements being pushed just a little farther.

I hope we get another Sworn Soldier book!

This was so good I read it in one sitting. The story is totally engrossing with great eerie atmosphere and setting. Liked this even more than the first book

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc

The follow-up to What Moves The Dead (a loose retelling of the Fall of the House of Usher) T Kingfisher brings us another creepy adventure for Alex Eason, Arthur & poor old Hob (the true hero of. These books). I love the dense world that has been created through these two novellas, the history & mythology feels real & complex.

While I did enjoy What Moves the Dead more, this isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy this, Bors is an excellent new character & it is lovely to see Miss Potter again. A great “gentle” horror novel & addition to the Sworn Solider world.