What Feasts at Night (Sworn Soldier #2)
by T. Kingfisher
What is it about:
The follow-up to T. Kingfisher’s bestselling gothic novella, What Moves the Dead .
Retired soldier Alex Easton returns in a horrifying new adventure.
After their terrifying ordeal at the Usher manor, Alex Easton feels as if they just survived another war. All they crave is rest, routine, and sunshine, but instead, as a favor to Angus and Miss Potter, they find themself heading to their family hunting lodge, deep in the cold, damp forests of their home country, Gallacia.
In theory, one can find relaxation in even the coldest and dampest of Gallacian autumns, but when Easton arrives, they find the caretaker dead, the lodge in disarray, and the grounds troubled by a strange, uncanny silence. The villagers whisper that a breath-stealing monster from folklore has taken up residence in Easton’s home. Easton knows better than to put too much stock in local superstitions, but they can tell that something is not quite right in their home. . . or in their dreams.
What did I think of it:
After rereading What Moves the Dead I picked up the second book starring Alex Easton.
And this was yet another awesome read.
What I love about Kingfisher's horror is that it's not jump scares or gory slaughter.
Don't get me wrong: I love a good zombie gore fest, or other high octane slaughter story, but atmospheric horror, where you slowly start to realize how bad things are... Perfection!
I really love Alex, they're easy to root for and to me very relatable. Even after the events in the first book Alex hangs on to their logic, unwilling to give in to superstitious beliefs. Being familiar with a lot of folklore and superstitions I could easily see what might be going on. But surprise isn't what makes this story work, instead it's atmosphere and storytelling that carries this book, so I was glued to the pages even knowing what they would discover.
I read this book in one sitting, drawn into it and unwilling to let it go until I reached the end.
You bet I'll get my greedy trotters on the third book once released as well! In the meantime I plan to pick up other books by T. Kingfisher as well. There are two in my TBR pile already.
Why should you read it:
It's a wonderful, atmospheric Horror read.