Review: WHAT FEASTS AT NIGHT by T. Kingfisher

 

Rating: 3.25/5 stars 

I absolutely loved What Moves the Dead, and it was the book that got me hooked on both T. Kingfisher and horror novels last year. I was so excited to see that she was releasing a sequel to that beloved book. 

What Feasts at Night sees the return of our intrepid solider, Alex Easton, on a new adventure with our favorite mycologist, Miss Potter. They both journey this time to a hunting lodge, where they find the caretaker dead and a strange silence permeating the area. As rumors of a breath-stealing monster swirl through the air, Alex must keep their guard up in the lodge—and in their dreams. 

I enjoyed this story, but it was not as good as What Moves the Dead. That book had a sort of magic to it, plus a strong gothic atmosphere and sentient mushrooms, and this book was missing all of that. 

I love T. Kingfisher’s writing and I will continue to read every book she writes. I would definitely recommend reading What Moves the Dead, which can be treated as a standalone, but I’m hesitant to recommend What Feasts at Night since it’s subpar to the first book, unless you’re a huge T. Kingfisher fan like me. 

Top 5 Books I Read in 2023

1. The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young 

I didn't expect to love this book so much, especially not to have it be my top book of the year, but Adrienne Young blew me out of the water with this literary magical realism tale that was at times historical and at other times romantic. I don't know how to properly describe it without giving away some of the reveals that made it so magical for me, but I will say that there are magical doors and beautiful friendships and second chances. The writing is stunning. Don't look up anything more before reading; just jump straight in. 

2. Starling House by Alix E. Harrow 

This is my favorite Alix Harrow novel. This book is ethereal and transportive, perfect for anyone interested in reading about the dark secrets of a cursed town, a generational history that gets twisted through time, a pair of protagonists fighting for survival, a sibling relationship to envy and found family bonds stronger than steel, an unexpected yet swoony romance, and a house brimming with monsters. A creepy, old, gothic, sentient, house that may or may not be the real main character. This story captivated me from the beginning. 

3. Swordheart by T. Kingfisher 

This year I discovered T. Kingfisher, and she has become one of my favorite authors now. Swordheart was my favorite book from her this year. It's about a woman who has suddenly inherited an estate, and the man who is trapped in the enchanted sword that she finds within the house. It's a romantic novel, an adventure, and a comedy. It was such a fun and wholesome reading experience for me. Highly recommend to fantasy and romance fans. 

4. Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson 

An Asian-inspired romantic fantasy written by my all-time favorite author? Sign me up! This book pays homage to the movie Your Name, one of my favorite movies. The protagonists wake up in each other's bodies and basically have to watch the other person live out their life while they watch from spirit form. There's a magical noodle shop, magical energy lines, and magical stone stacking that can summon spirits. Very magical and fun and feel good. 

5. Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth 

This book helped me to realize that I do in fact enjoy horror novels. I loved everything about this. A trio of women in the past experiencing terrors at school, and a trio of women in the present day making a film about the historical trio but while experiencing their own terrors on the film set. There are wasps. There is romance. There is drama. There are drawings and poems throughout. I really enjoyed this novel and look forward to more from this author. 

2023 Reading Goals Review + Yearly Stats

 Reading Goals Review

My first goal was to read 100 books. I managed to read 148 books this year!! 

View my Goodreads Year in Books here to see all the specific titles I read in 2023!

My second goal was to read my TBR pile. I had 532 books on my physical TBR list on January 1, 2023. I wanted to reduce that number as much as possible. The ultimate goal was to read more from my TBR than I added to it. Unfortunately, I did not accomplish this goal as my TBR at the end of the year was at 606. *crying emoji* 

Yearly Statistics

Number of books I read in 2023: 148
Number of those books that I listened to on audio: 87
Number of books I read from my TBR: 75
Number of ARCs I read before the publication date: 24
Number of series I started: 23
Number of series I completed: 15
Number of books I DNFed: 14
Number of books I reread: 3
Number of books I acquired this year: 167
Number of those books acquired that were TBR books: 149
Amount of money spent on books this year: $1,519.11
Number of books I unhauled this year: 28
Number of books on my TBR at the beginning of 2023: 532
Number of books on my TBR at the end of 2023: 606

Books I read that were . . .
Middle Grade: 5
Young Adult: 31
Adult: 111
Nonfiction: 8 

*Note that I categorize anything not specifically labeled as middle grade or young adult as an adult title, such as nonfiction, humor, graphic novels, or religious books that could be enjoyed by any age group. 

Star Ratings:
1 star: 18 books
2 stars: 29 books
3 stars: 30 books
4 stars: 39 books 
5 stars: 31 books 

Reading Survey

Favorite book of the year: The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young
Least favorite book of the year: Pop Kids by Davey Havok 
Most surprising book of the year: What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher 
Most disappointing book of the year: The Frugal Wizard's Handbook for Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson 
Longest book of the year: Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes 
Shortest book of the year: The Long Way Up by Alix E. Harrow 
Book that was on my TBR the longest that I read: Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira 
Biggest accomplishment: The Freelance Editor's Handbook by Suzy Bills 
Most read genre: Fantasy (48%) 

Reading Reflections

This year was a good year. I managed to read all of Brandon Sanderson's secret projects plus his other new releases. I read a book by almost all of my favorite authors. I finished up a lot of series and started even more. I committed to DNFing more books, especially early on in the year. I went through a period of romance books and discovered I love clean romance novels. I read some great fantasy, but I also read some great non-fantasy. I discovered horror this year with T. Kingfisher and Eric LaRocca and found love in Plain Bad Heroines. I read a good amount of nonfiction, including memoirs, reference, and religion books. Overall, I'm really pleased with my reading year in 2023.