Early Review – What Stalks the Deep (Sworn Soldier, Book 3) by T. Kingfisher (5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Historical Fantasy/Horror
Length: 171 pages
Publisher: Tor Nightfire
Release Date: September 30, 2025
ASIN: B0DQJ6Z93X
Stand Alone or Series: 3rd book in the Sworn Soldier series
Source: eBook from NetGalley for Review
Rating: 5/5 stars
“Alex Easton does not want to visit America.
They particularly do not want to visit an abandoned coal mine in West Virginia with a reputation for being haunted.
But when their old friend Dr. Denton summons them to help find his lost cousin—who went missing in that very mine—well, sometimes a sworn soldier has to do what a sworn soldier has to do…”
Series Info/Source: This is the 3rd book in the Sworn Soldier series. I got this on ebook to review through NetGalley.
Thoughts: I really enjoyed this a lot; it is creepy, involves spelunking through caves, and has heavy Lovecraft influences. It has a bit of a western historical fantasy flare to it, as well as being blended with horror. I enjoy the ironic and darkly humorous tone throughout and continue to enjoy the characters as well.
Our favorite Sworn Solider Alex has to travel to America to help out their friend, Dr. Denton. They just wish that things weren’t…well…so American there. It doesn’t help that the trip involves spelunking into an incredibly creepy and unstable mine after a strange glowing red light. Alex definitely is not claustrophobic, so this isn’t awful at all…
This is a darkly entertaining and eerie read that is well written and engaging. I breezed right through it in a couple of sittings and it really kept my attention.
Alex is an entertaining character that keeps getting thrust into these strange, fantastical, and horrific circumstances. They deal with this with fairly good humor (and some horror).
If you at all enjoy spelunking (which I do) this is a fun read; I loved that most of the adventure takes place in a mine/cave system. I also loved that there are some twists and turns to the story both around the missing man and around some mysterious attacks that have taken place in the area. Additionally, it was fun that one of the horrific creatures was more sympathetic (if not less alien) than expected.
My Summary (5/5): Overall I continue to really enjoy this novella series about the Sworn Solider Alex Easton who gets thrust into oddly fantastical and horrific situations. The story is mysterious, creepy, darkly humorous, easy to read, and entertaining. I look forward to more stories featuring Alex and the creepy phenomena of this world.
