What Feasts at Night

T Kingfisher
Completed 6/7/2025, Reviewed 6/9/2025
4 stars

Another fast read.  This time however, while I loved the book, I loved it a little less than the first, What Moves the Dead.  I probably shouldn’t have read it immediately after What Moves.  Besides, I won’t be able to finish my next read for tomorrow’s book club ☹ .  Oh well, I still love Kingfisher, and this was another wonderfully creepy experience.  While it’s not my top choice for the Hugo Novella category, I have to say that it ranks pretty high anyway.  I’m glad I read the first book though, as the characters of Easton, Angus, and Miss Potter all reappear.  There are references to the events of the first book as well.  The prose was terrific, as always, and there was a good amount of comic relief to give you a break from the creepiness.  

Easton returns to the lodge in Gallacia which he inherited, accompanied by Angus.  They are there to rest after the crazy events at the House of Usher, and to host Miss Potter as well.  When Easton and Angus arrive, they find that their housekeeper has died from an unknown “lung infection.”  They go about trying to hire a new caretaker, but no one wants the job, believing the place is haunted by the moroi, a breath-stealing ghost of folklore.  However, a desperate, cranky widow takes the job and moves in with her loner grandson.  Soon the grandson begins to have nightmares of a woman sitting on his chest, preventing him from breathing.  Easton, Angus, and Miss Potter begin another series of paranormal investigations to figure out why he appears to be dying of the same thing the old caretaker died from.  

The widow housekeeper is the center of the humor this time, for the most part, until she becomes obsessed with superstitious methods for keeping the moroi away from her grandson.  The grandson, whose name I can’t remember, was really sweet.  He may have had a learning disability growing up, but now pitches in around the lodge, giving 110% to help his grandmother and his employer.  When moroi began preying on him, I was aghast.  Why not Easton or Angus?  But Easton does get involved pretty deeply, risking his own life to save the grandson.  

Miss Potter doesn’t feature as much in this book, besides occasional references to the mushrooms of the area.  Instead, we meet the town’s priest.  He appears to be a skeptic, but clearly is worried that they really are being haunted by a moroi.  Some of the best scenes are when Easton, Angus, Miss Potter, and the priest drink the horrible national alcohol, much to the dismay of the prudish widow.  She always has excuses for the others, but condemns Easton for their drunken behavior.

I give this book 4 stars out of five.  While very good, it just didn’t take me to the same place that What Moves did.  Still, it’s a creepy tale based on actual folklore, Kingfisher’s bread and butter.  I still look forward to the third novella, which I’ll probably read later this year.