I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
What Feasts At Night by T. Kingfisher Series: Sworn Soldier #2
Published by Tor Nightfire on February 13 2024
Genres: Adult, Horror
Pages: 147
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: I wanted the gothic creepiness of What Moves the Dead, but instead this sequel lacked the elements that made the first book so good.
“This isn’t just a dream, though. It’s the war.”
I absolutely loved What Moves the Dead last year, and I was honestly surprised to see Kingfisher had written a sequel. The story felt complete to me, but nevertheless I was excited to read What Feasts at Night. Unfortunately, this one didn’t really work for me, as it was missing some of the key ingredients I’ve come to expect from a Kingfisher book. The story was downright boring for the first half, and it only became interesting once the moroi made an appearance. Yes, there are some sweet, feel good moments between the characters, and I did like the way the author explored the themes of PTSD and trauma, but overall this was a lackluster, disappointing story.
We meet up with Alex and Angus from the last book, as they are traveling home to Gallacia after spending time in Paris. Alex is a sworn soldier, dedicated to dropping everything to go to battle if necessary, but they are grateful to be on leave and able to go home, if only for a brief time. Once they arrive at Alex’s hunting lodge, they are unsettled to find it abandoned. Codrin, the caretaker, is missing, and by the looks of it has been gone for weeks. After asking around in the village, they discover that poor Codrin has died, but the villagers are reluctant to reveal any details about his death.
It isn’t until Bors, the grandson of the village woman they hire to take Codrin’s place, falls ill and complains of strange dreams and a horrible weight sitting on his chest that Alex begins to dig into some of the local rumors and mythologies. A creature called a moroi has made an appearance in the village, a creature taking the form of a moth or a beautiful woman (or both) who comes at night and steals people’s breath. Could Codrin have been killed by the moroi? And how will they help Bors? When Alex starts to dream of moths and women, they realize they might be next.
And that’s the story, pretty much. A lot of time is spent in Alex’s head, reflecting on their experiences as a soldier and the horrors they’ve lived through on the battlefield. Alex suffers from “soldier’s heart,” or PTSD as we would call it, and they see the world through these experiences—although the reader is only left to imagine what they might be. Once Alex starts having weird dreams about the moroi, they are sure the dreams are a result of their affliction and not an actual malevolent creature. But that’s the funny thing about dreams. It’s hard to tell what’s real and what isn’t, which is one reason I don’t get along very well with stories that use dreams as a story device. The moroi here felt insubstantial and, yes, dreamlike, and it just didn’t scare me at all.
And while Kingfisher’s writing is as sparkling and humorous as ever, those passages that made me chuckle were few and far between. The whole story has a ponderous, heavy feel to it, much different from the author’s usual lighter tone. I also missed the Eugenia Potter who was such a delight in the first book. Here she’s really just a side character, obsessed with mushrooms and other fungi but not very interesting at all.
My favorite character by far was a surprise to me: the acerbic Widow Botezatu, who takes over care of the lodge after Codrin dies. She’s a firm believer in the supernatural, especially the moroi, and is convinced it’s the creature who is causing her grandson Bors’ illness. She follows the superstitions of old, like putting knives under your pillow at night to ward off evil. She also clashed horribly with Alex in the beginning, adding some much needed conflict to the story.
And oddly enough, my favorite part of the book was an offhand tale about how the nearby town of Wolf’s Ear got its name. This was the sort of classic Kingfisher I was expecting, and I wanted more of it.
Not my favorite T. Kingfisher story, obviously. But as she’s a favorite author, I will always look forward to whatever she writes next.
With thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
I would never thought it possible to see a lukewarm reaction to a Kingfisher book, but it’s very true that there is a first time for everything, so it stand to reason that one of my favorite authors might roll out a less than engaging book…. That said, I will certainly read this, but with lowered expectations…
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Maddalena@spaceandsorcery recently posted…EVOCATION (The Summoner’s Circle #1), by S.T. Gibson
Oh no, it’s a shame this wasn’t as good as What Moves the Dead. I was really looking forward to it based on how much I loved the first book. Perhaps I should try another of Kingfisher’s books rather than making this one my top priority.
Pages and Tea recently posted…Book Review: Persuasion by Jane Austen
Ahhh this is too bad! But I was worried this sequel wouldn’t be the best since, like you said, the story seemed finished. I don’t think I’m gonna be in a hurry to read this one and maybe dig into one of the author’s other books first. There’s still many I need to read.
Stephanie @ Bookfever recently posted…Cover Reveal: Hills of Shivers and Shadows by Pam Godwin
I still need to read the first one but I do like the author’s writing. Maybe I’ll stop after that one.
Oh, that’s a shame! It won’t stop me from reading – I love Kingfisher – but thank you for setting my expectations a bit.
Your final line is exactly how I feel — not my favorite Kingfisher (by a long shot!), but I will absolutely read whatever she writes next. We’re very much aligned on this book, sadly.
I loved What Moves the Dead but this one doesn’t sound like it’s for me. I may give it a try if I can find a library copy. Thanks for your honest review!
Laurie | Bark recently posted…Book Review: A Woman Built by Man edited by S.H. Cooper & Elle Turpitt
Downright boring, eh? Not a good way to start a book. Ah well. Even the greatest can sometimes strike out.
I have heard this sequel was not very good, bummer.
Stormi recently posted…Week in Review #69
Too bad!
Emma @ Words And Peace recently posted…Throwback Thursday: October 2013
I hate it when sequels don’t live up to expectations
Sorry you didn’t enjoy this one as much! I just started this last night, so I’m extra curious now to see how I feel about it. I have a feeling I may end up feeling similarly, but we’ll see. I really liked What Moves the Dead, but didn’t love it as much as her other work so am going into this with an open mind.
Great review! The Widow was definitely the most interesting of the bunch and I honestly couldn’t believe how long it took to get to the moroi confrontation. I just expected a bit more from this to be honest.
Rebecca @ Powder & Page recently posted…The Frame-Up by Gwenda Bond – Review
Well, darn. I’m glad I know what to expect, though 🙂
Oof, sorry to see you didn’t enjoy this nearly as much as the first one! I’m currently listening to WHAT MOVES THE DEAD and am not quite sure yet what to think. I picked it up because fungus has an element to it…I’m 67% in and still waiting for the shoe to drop.
Hmm, I think I’ll skip this one and focus on Kingfisher’s fantasy novellas. I thought the first book was a solid read but I wasn’t totally enamoured with it, so to hear this one isn’t as strong, I think I’ll be content to pass it by.
“I also missed the Eugenia Potter who was such a delight in the first book. Here she’s really just a side character, obsessed with mushrooms and other fungi but not very interesting at all.”
Bummer. Why ruin a perfectly good character?
A friend gifted me a copy of Book 1, and I didn’t “love” it, since I’m hardly a fan of historical and fantasy novels, but I thought it was good. That been said, I was slightly bored, so I guess Book 2 would make me yawn LOL.
Oh no, I am so sad you did not like this one very much! I liked it more than you definitely (though also definitely not as much as the first book), but I also definitely agree with some of your problems. You make a VERY good point about the dreams, and I also agree that the writing felt heavier (I could not put my finger on that, but you nailed it!) Hopefully the next one (if there is such a thing?) will be better for you! Great review!
Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight recently posted…Reviews in a Minute: February Fun
i did like this but it definitely wasn’t as good as the first. I hope she does more from this world and characters.
Lynn 😀
Oh no, what a bummer to see that this one only got three stars from you! I haven’t had a chance to get my hands on it yet (soon . . . very soon), so I thought I’d peek here at what you thought. From your review, I can see why this maybe didn’t live up to the marvel that was the first book. Being that Kingfisher is easily one of my favorite authors, I still plan on reading this, but at least I’ll know to temper my expectations going in!
Sammie @ The Bookwyrm’s Den recently posted…Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson || Mystery Thriller With A Reliable, Funny Narrator
That cover is so attention grabbing! Sorry this one didn’t work. I still need to read something by this author, but maybe I won’t start with this series? Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
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