Novella Review – What Feasts at Night (Sworn Soldier, Book 2) by T. Kingfisher (4/5 stars)
Reading Level:Adult
Genre: Horror/Historical Fantasy
Length: 145 pages
Publisher: Tor Nightfire
Release Date: February 13, 2024
ASIN: B0C1X7WRLF
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in the Sworn Soldier series
Source: Borrowed ebook from library
Rating: 4/5 stars
“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.”
Series Info/Source: This is second book in the Sworn Soldier series. I borrowed this on ebook from my library.
Thoughts: I enjoyed this but not quite as much as the first book in the series. This finds Alex journeying to the family hunting lodge, when they get there they find the caretaker dead and the lodge very unkeep. There are rumors that something is taken up residence in the lodge that may not quite be human.
I continue to enjoy the charaters in this series and the light humorous tone they take (despite the strange supernatural horrors doing on around them). This was a fun and quick read that delves into night hag mythos.
I don’t really have much to say about this one. Kingfisher has a very distinct writing style that comes off as a bit simple and unadorned to me. I find it refreshing to read between other books. I always enjoy the characters in Kingfisher’s books. I also enjoy the humor and irony in the story and how that is offset by the horror elements in the story.
My Summary (4/5): Overall I like this. It was a fun little horror novella that digs into the night hag mythology. I liked the characters and the light, ironic tone to the story. If you are a Kingfisher fan and if you enjoyed “What Moves the Dead”, I think you will enjoy this book as well.
