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Sworn Soldier #3
What Stalks the Deep
The next novella in the New York Times bestselling Sworn Soldier series, featuring Alex Easton investigating the dark, mysterious depths of a coal mine in America
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...
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...
6 pages, Audiobook
First published September 30, 2025
712 people are currently reading
25012 people want to read
About the author
T. Kingfisher
57 books24.5k followersT. Kingfisher is the vaguely absurd pen-name of Ursula Vernon. In another life, she writes children's books and weird comics, and has won the Hugo, Sequoyah, and Ursa Major awards, as well as a half-dozen Junior Library Guild selections.
This is the name she uses when writing things for grown-ups.
When she is not writing, she is probably out in the garden, trying to make eye contact with butterflies.
This is the name she uses when writing things for grown-ups.
When she is not writing, she is probably out in the garden, trying to make eye contact with butterflies.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,828 reviews
October 9, 2025
i would get lost in a haunted coal mine if it meant alex easton rescues me.
September 23, 2025
Not to be dramatic but I prayed to see the day that this is announced. Alex Easton deserves to retire from the spooky supernatural adventures that they are somehow always part of, but I still hope for more installments in this series. This time Alex comes to America and because that isn't horrifying enough already, they also have to crawl through the narrow tunnels of a possibly haunted coal mine. It made me feel claustrophobic and it didn't help that all the characters constantly talked about the possibility of the mine exploding. Then there were also impossible lights and unnatural noises underground and it really was a bad time for everyone involved. But I have to admit that the monster was kinda gross, but also kinda wholesome this time. I loved it.
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Personal ranking of the covers so far:
1 Mushroom rabbit
2 Impaled bear head
3 Half a flayed horse
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Personal ranking of the covers so far:
1 Mushroom rabbit
2 Impaled bear head
3 Half a flayed horse
Read
October 15, 2025T Kingfisher does super comforting horror like nobody else, possibly because nobody else could. Alex Easton, gender: soldier, protagonist of Terrifying Mushroom Thing and Terrifying Ghost Thing, gets involved in Terrifying Mine Thing, along with Denton from the first book. It is dark and claustrophobic and scary and alien, and entirely lit up by the possibility of connection and courage and kindness in the teeth of nightmares. Lovely.
October 26, 2025
I figured I’d rip the bandage off right now and take the plunge, since Kingfisher’s fans are dedicated, and this novella will undoubtedly get nominated for SFF awards come next year, and that means I’ll end up reading it anyway, so why not now? (I generally quite like Kingfisher, it’s just that this series so far has been lukewarm for me).
What Stalks the Deep is trying to be a soft humorous horror piece, and ends up sweetly wholesome (and here I feel obliged to specify that “wholesome” here refers to a plot point referring to that abovementioned “horror”, and the story itself has more coziness than actual wholesomeness). An abandoned coal mine in the late XIX century America where a cousin of Alex Easton’s friend goes missing and something glowing red may be lurking in the deaths of abandoned mine shafts — and it’s still soft and sweet and silly and a bit trying-too-hard funny at the expense of anything genuinely eerie.
If a horror story could hug you (non-tenticulalry, that is), then this would be it.
It’s an easy way to pass a few hours in October sunshine, reading “horror” that is basically a mug of sweet hot chocolate that mostly gently bypasses that would be creepy or disturbing in favor of a few claustrophobia chuckles. The only time there was anything genuinely creepy in this series was when the plot framework was borrowed from Edgar Allan Poe, and we are past that, so settle in for the marshmallow roasting sweet campfire story, but don’t expect anything lasting once those cozily digest.
2.5 stars.
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Also posted on my blog.
“That is horrifying and I want to go home,” I said, although I pronounced it, “Ah. I see.”
What Stalks the Deep is trying to be a soft humorous horror piece, and ends up sweetly wholesome (and here I feel obliged to specify that “wholesome” here refers to a plot point referring to that abovementioned “horror”, and the story itself has more coziness than actual wholesomeness). An abandoned coal mine in the late XIX century America where a cousin of Alex Easton’s friend goes missing and something glowing red may be lurking in the deaths of abandoned mine shafts — and it’s still soft and sweet and silly and a bit trying-too-hard funny at the expense of anything genuinely eerie.
If a horror story could hug you (non-tenticulalry, that is), then this would be it.
“Denton had never struck me as a formalwear type. Someone who would help you finish off a fungal abomination that had taken over your childhood friend, yes. Someone who wore a tuxedo with tails to dinner, not so much.”
—————
This was the second time that something inhuman and terrible had wanted to have a language lesson, and I can’t say that I had particularly good memories of the first time.”
It’s an easy way to pass a few hours in October sunshine, reading “horror” that is basically a mug of sweet hot chocolate that mostly gently bypasses that would be creepy or disturbing in favor of a few claustrophobia chuckles. The only time there was anything genuinely creepy in this series was when the plot framework was borrowed from Edgar Allan Poe, and we are past that, so settle in for the marshmallow roasting sweet campfire story, but don’t expect anything lasting once those cozily digest.
2.5 stars.
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Also posted on my blog.
July 7, 2025
Alex Easton is back, and this time creepy things are going down in a coal mine in West Virginia. I am obsessed with both books set in Appalachia and this series, so getting my hands on a new Sworn Soldier novella that takes place in my second favorite literary setting (derelict English manor houses > Appalachia) was basically a mini Christmas in July.
Like the previous novellas in this series, What Stalks the Deep is creepy and humorous and suspenseful and and full of talk about pronouns. Easton is as amusing and witty as ever (and is absolutely, positively not claustrophobic). There's a missing person and a murder and some odd-looking creature roaming about the mine, and it's all quite entertaining and fun. And, as an added bonus, I've learned that I never ever want to explore an abandoned coal mine because they're scary and have tight spaces and can potentially blow up and/or suffocate you. Uh, no thanks.
I did find this one to be somewhat less horror-y than the previous installments. There are some ever-so-slightly scary bits, but nothing nearly as terrifying as the events of What Moves the Dead. In fact, the main creature in this one is kind of … cute? Well, okay, maybe not exactly cute, but I kept imagining it as sort of a mini Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man even though I'm sure that's not at all what Kingfisher had in mind. Also, the plot isn't particularly deep, but it's a sub-200 page novella so I'll give it a pass there.
Anyway, if you've enjoyed the previous two Sworn Soldier novellas, there's a pretty good chance you'll enjoy this one too. And great news — the ending of this book very strongly hints that it won't be the last in the series. Yay!
3.95 stars, rounded up.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is September 30, 2025.
Like the previous novellas in this series, What Stalks the Deep is creepy and humorous and suspenseful and and full of talk about pronouns. Easton is as amusing and witty as ever (and is absolutely, positively not claustrophobic). There's a missing person and a murder and some odd-looking creature roaming about the mine, and it's all quite entertaining and fun. And, as an added bonus, I've learned that I never ever want to explore an abandoned coal mine because they're scary and have tight spaces and can potentially blow up and/or suffocate you. Uh, no thanks.
I did find this one to be somewhat less horror-y than the previous installments. There are some ever-so-slightly scary bits, but nothing nearly as terrifying as the events of What Moves the Dead. In fact, the main creature in this one is kind of … cute? Well, okay, maybe not exactly cute, but I kept imagining it as sort of a mini Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man even though I'm sure that's not at all what Kingfisher had in mind. Also, the plot isn't particularly deep, but it's a sub-200 page novella so I'll give it a pass there.
Anyway, if you've enjoyed the previous two Sworn Soldier novellas, there's a pretty good chance you'll enjoy this one too. And great news — the ending of this book very strongly hints that it won't be the last in the series. Yay!
3.95 stars, rounded up.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is September 30, 2025.
October 17, 2025
Do you like mild horror mixed with a little sci-fi? Do you like Lovecraftian-inspired stories or the subgenre of speculative fiction called ‘weird fiction’? Will you adore anything that comes out of the immensely imaginative mind of T. Kingfisher? Are you claustrophobic? (I’ll explain that one in a minute) I’m just going to front-load all those questions now, because your answers to those will probably tell you if you’ll enjoy this third novella in Kingfisher’s Sworn Soldier series.
Gallacian Lieutenant Alex Easton has been summoned by their American friend Dr. James Denton to an abandoned coal mine in West Virginia where his cousin Oscar was last seen. Along with Easton’s assistant Angus and Denton’s Bostonian friend John Ingold, the group is told tales of a glowing red light emanating from the pitch-dark depths of the mine. Furthermore, when they go to explore, Easton hears wet squelching sounds that seem to be following them.
(Just a small aside here, but my vote at this point would be to turn and run and wish Oscar the best, but alas … I’m not a book character and no one asked me.)
Where are these mysterious red lights and odd noises coming from? All I can say is that when the answer was revealed it was kind of cool, really weird, but overall just a little … meh. I’ve read and enjoyed a number of books by Kingfisher, and I usually adore her quirky humor and brilliantly bizarre stories, but I’m wondering if I’ve seen the bag of tricks too much at this point so nothing is surprising me anymore?
The story is creepy for sure and the abandoned mine setting will make even the most confident reader likely feel like those dark walls are closing in on them, but overall, for me the story lacked the punch I was expecting. After the reveal, things just got too weird for my personal tastes. I can’t say much without going into spoilers, but I’ll just say that the interactions between the group and any revealed characters and the ending went a little eye-rolly for me.
Where Kingfisher always shines for me and where I’ll give her props all the time every time is in that beautifully fun, bizarre imagination of hers and her quirky sense of humor. I don’t know any other author who can touch her in that respect! It’s a well written story and her creativity is on full display once again, it just wasn’t the best story for this particular reader.
One other minor gripe: Easton uses the phrase "Christ's blood!” as their expression of surprise or emotion very repetitively to the point of annoyance … twenty times in this novella. It’s not for any religious reasons that it annoys me, but if I kept shouting “BOOGERS!” every time I got upset, those around me might tell me to knock it off already. (Sorry for the gross analogy.)
I’m not sure if I’ll continue on with this particular series, but I’ll definitely keep Kingfisher’s books in my cue to read. She really is so much fun! This was an immersion read, and the audio narrated by Avi Roque bumped this up to a three star read for me. If I have to be stuck in a pitch black mine in Appalachia for a few hours, at least he provided a little “light”!
Gallacian Lieutenant Alex Easton has been summoned by their American friend Dr. James Denton to an abandoned coal mine in West Virginia where his cousin Oscar was last seen. Along with Easton’s assistant Angus and Denton’s Bostonian friend John Ingold, the group is told tales of a glowing red light emanating from the pitch-dark depths of the mine. Furthermore, when they go to explore, Easton hears wet squelching sounds that seem to be following them.
(Just a small aside here, but my vote at this point would be to turn and run and wish Oscar the best, but alas … I’m not a book character and no one asked me.)
Where are these mysterious red lights and odd noises coming from? All I can say is that when the answer was revealed it was kind of cool, really weird, but overall just a little … meh. I’ve read and enjoyed a number of books by Kingfisher, and I usually adore her quirky humor and brilliantly bizarre stories, but I’m wondering if I’ve seen the bag of tricks too much at this point so nothing is surprising me anymore?
The story is creepy for sure and the abandoned mine setting will make even the most confident reader likely feel like those dark walls are closing in on them, but overall, for me the story lacked the punch I was expecting. After the reveal, things just got too weird for my personal tastes. I can’t say much without going into spoilers, but I’ll just say that the interactions between the group and any revealed characters and the ending went a little eye-rolly for me.
Where Kingfisher always shines for me and where I’ll give her props all the time every time is in that beautifully fun, bizarre imagination of hers and her quirky sense of humor. I don’t know any other author who can touch her in that respect! It’s a well written story and her creativity is on full display once again, it just wasn’t the best story for this particular reader.
One other minor gripe: Easton uses the phrase "Christ's blood!” as their expression of surprise or emotion very repetitively to the point of annoyance … twenty times in this novella. It’s not for any religious reasons that it annoys me, but if I kept shouting “BOOGERS!” every time I got upset, those around me might tell me to knock it off already. (Sorry for the gross analogy.)
I’m not sure if I’ll continue on with this particular series, but I’ll definitely keep Kingfisher’s books in my cue to read. She really is so much fun! This was an immersion read, and the audio narrated by Avi Roque bumped this up to a three star read for me. If I have to be stuck in a pitch black mine in Appalachia for a few hours, at least he provided a little “light”!
October 19, 2025
4 stars. Containing the exact combination of foreboding dread and charming narration I've come to expect from this novella series, What Stalks the Deep is another Sworn Soldier adventure that was compelling from start to finish.
December 6, 2025
I never thought I’d see the day where a T. Kingfisher book gets two stars from me, but here we are.
I absolutely adored the first novella in this series. I loved that it was a retelling of the House of Usher; it did nature horror so well, and it was genuinely funny. The second novella was good, but not as good as the first. While a different concept, the plot followed the same line so I knew what was coming.
This one was SO bland. I was so bored I was skimming often. It read like going into the mine, heard a wet sound, saw a red light, repeat. I found the antagonist of this story not scary and boring. The jokes weren’t funny. It all felt tired. Honestly I just didn’t care about any of this?
I’m so sad to feel this way about a T. Kingfisher book.
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pre-read: not to be dramatic or anything but i thank God every day for t. kingfisher
I absolutely adored the first novella in this series. I loved that it was a retelling of the House of Usher; it did nature horror so well, and it was genuinely funny. The second novella was good, but not as good as the first. While a different concept, the plot followed the same line so I knew what was coming.
This one was SO bland. I was so bored I was skimming often. It read like going into the mine, heard a wet sound, saw a red light, repeat. I found the antagonist of this story not scary and boring. The jokes weren’t funny. It all felt tired. Honestly I just didn’t care about any of this?
I’m so sad to feel this way about a T. Kingfisher book.
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pre-read: not to be dramatic or anything but i thank God every day for t. kingfisher
September 20, 2025
Oh, how I adore Alex Easton! I was beyond excited to see that there was another book in the 'Sworn Soldier' series. I highly recommend reading the first two books in the series, What Moves the Dead and What Feasts at Night, prior to reading this book. They are both wonderful, creepy, and brilliantly written. If you have not read a book by T. Kingfisher, what are you waiting for?????? Seriously, T. Kingfisher writes deliciously and wonderfully creepy books! Plus, the vivid descriptions, don't get me started on them! I always feel as if I am right there amid the action along with the characters. Characters that I adore. I mean, who doesn't love Alex Easton?????
Alex Easton is a former soldier who is often called upon when things that are a little off the beaten path go haywire. Alex is brave, funny, a true friend, a soldier to the core, always willing to help a friend in need, and no stranger to the things that go bump in the night. In What Stalks the Deep, they are called upon by Dr. Denton to assist in finding his cousin, Oscar, who went missing in a mine in West Virginia. You know nothing good every comes from someone going missing in mine, just saying.
This book is more horrific than horror. Once Alex arrives in America and gets looking for Oscar the eerie and creep factor begins to seep from the pages. You know that the cave is dark, deep and creepy not only because you read it, but T. Kingfisher's vivid storytelling and descriptions have you feeling the damp, deep, coolness of the cave. The feeling that something isn't quite right jumps from the pages. Oh Alex, what have you gotten into this time?
Woohoo! What Stalks the Deep is another thrilling and chilling horror mystery that had the hairs on the back of my neck sticking up. I enjoyed how this book was dripping with dread, tension, and danger. Plus, I loved being back in Alex Easton's head once again. They have some interesting thoughts that often bring a smile to my face.
Wonderfully written, well thought out, dark, and chilling.
*I had both the book and the audiobook and thought the narration of the audiobook was wonderful!
Thank you to Tor Nightfire, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖
Alex Easton is a former soldier who is often called upon when things that are a little off the beaten path go haywire. Alex is brave, funny, a true friend, a soldier to the core, always willing to help a friend in need, and no stranger to the things that go bump in the night. In What Stalks the Deep, they are called upon by Dr. Denton to assist in finding his cousin, Oscar, who went missing in a mine in West Virginia. You know nothing good every comes from someone going missing in mine, just saying.
This book is more horrific than horror. Once Alex arrives in America and gets looking for Oscar the eerie and creep factor begins to seep from the pages. You know that the cave is dark, deep and creepy not only because you read it, but T. Kingfisher's vivid storytelling and descriptions have you feeling the damp, deep, coolness of the cave. The feeling that something isn't quite right jumps from the pages. Oh Alex, what have you gotten into this time?
Woohoo! What Stalks the Deep is another thrilling and chilling horror mystery that had the hairs on the back of my neck sticking up. I enjoyed how this book was dripping with dread, tension, and danger. Plus, I loved being back in Alex Easton's head once again. They have some interesting thoughts that often bring a smile to my face.
Wonderfully written, well thought out, dark, and chilling.
*I had both the book and the audiobook and thought the narration of the audiobook was wonderful!
Thank you to Tor Nightfire, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖
November 2, 2025
1.) What Moves the Dead ★★★
2.) What Feasts at Night ★★★
alex easton is traveling to an abandoned coal mine in west virginia in this third installment of this series. each novella really does have its own standalone mystery that you are solving alongside alex, but i still recommend reading these in order. alex is a nonbinary retired soldier, who comes to the states to help a good friend, whose family is in possession of this abandoned mine… and whose cousin is the most recent person to go missing inside its deepness.
i think that’s all i want to say, because i really would have never guessed in a million years where this story went. but i really enjoyed this - i very much felt the scary atmosphere, i respected the themes of the horrors of industrialization, i loved the talk of gender and toxic masculinity, i got emotional with the themes of connection and belonging, i always adore t kingfisher’s writing, and i just love alex so very much. i do think that maybe once the reveal is revealed the tension and momentum kind of stalls out, but i still really recommend this novella, and this entire series. truly a treat for me to read every fall season.
trigger + content warnings: talk of war, drinking, talk of pregnancy, misgendering (with mc’s consent), insects, gore, dead animals, talk of ptsd, talk of the horrors of industrialization, hurt animal (horse, is okay), claustrophobic vibes
blog | instagram | youtube | wishlist | spotify | substack
♡ Nettle & Bone ★★★★★
♡ A House with Good Bones ★★
♡ Thornhedge ★★
2.) What Feasts at Night ★★★
“There was something desperately frightening about seeing a light underground where no light should be.”
alex easton is traveling to an abandoned coal mine in west virginia in this third installment of this series. each novella really does have its own standalone mystery that you are solving alongside alex, but i still recommend reading these in order. alex is a nonbinary retired soldier, who comes to the states to help a good friend, whose family is in possession of this abandoned mine… and whose cousin is the most recent person to go missing inside its deepness.
i think that’s all i want to say, because i really would have never guessed in a million years where this story went. but i really enjoyed this - i very much felt the scary atmosphere, i respected the themes of the horrors of industrialization, i loved the talk of gender and toxic masculinity, i got emotional with the themes of connection and belonging, i always adore t kingfisher’s writing, and i just love alex so very much. i do think that maybe once the reveal is revealed the tension and momentum kind of stalls out, but i still really recommend this novella, and this entire series. truly a treat for me to read every fall season.
trigger + content warnings: talk of war, drinking, talk of pregnancy, misgendering (with mc’s consent), insects, gore, dead animals, talk of ptsd, talk of the horrors of industrialization, hurt animal (horse, is okay), claustrophobic vibes
blog | instagram | youtube | wishlist | spotify | substack
♡ Nettle & Bone ★★★★★
♡ A House with Good Bones ★★
♡ Thornhedge ★★
July 1, 2025
This is the 3rd book in the Sworn Soldier series and as soon as I got access, you bet I was reading it. This series of novellas is basically about old friends who constantly stumble into bizarre, slightly terrifying situations and somehow make it weirdly heartwarming. Nancy Drew but make it gorey. In this case, squelchy..
We have a creepy old mine shaft that turns into deep cave exploring (something I’ve always been fascinated by) but someone’s gone missing. Not everything is what it seems. I love these books!
Subscribe to my YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@hollyheartsbooks...
We have a creepy old mine shaft that turns into deep cave exploring (something I’ve always been fascinated by) but someone’s gone missing. Not everything is what it seems. I love these books!
Subscribe to my YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@hollyheartsbooks...
October 20, 2025
Actual rating: 4.86597521335994 stars
If a story is slightly horrific and gleefully funny and wonderfully weird and weirdly cozy, then you know you're reading a T.Kingfisher book.
If a story features quirky as fish and endearing as shrimp characters, then you know you're reading a T.Kingfisher book.
If a story features some of the wittiest, most priceless inner dialogues ever, then you know you're reading a T.Kingfisher book.
If a story features some of the most original creatures/things/creeps ever, then you know you're reading a T.Kingfisher book.
And if a story leaves you screaming I WANT MORE! GIVE ME MORE! GIVE ME ANYTHING! I'LL EVEN READ CEREAL BOX BLURBS IF YOU WRITE THEM! at the top of your puny little lungs, then you know you are most definitely reading a T. Kingfisher book.
In other words:
You are most welcome.
P.S. I think Fragment might be Indy's second cousin thrice removed.
P.P.S. Just so you know, being dead itches.
· Book 1: What Moves the Dead ★★★★★
· Book 2: What Feasts at Night ★★★★★
[Pre-review nonsense]
T. Kingfisher and/or Alex Easton, will you marry me?
➽ Review to come and stuff.
If a story is slightly horrific and gleefully funny and wonderfully weird and weirdly cozy, then you know you're reading a T.Kingfisher book.
If a story features quirky as fish and endearing as shrimp characters, then you know you're reading a T.Kingfisher book.
If a story features some of the wittiest, most priceless inner dialogues ever, then you know you're reading a T.Kingfisher book.
If a story features some of the most original creatures/things/creeps ever, then you know you're reading a T.Kingfisher book.
And if a story leaves you screaming I WANT MORE! GIVE ME MORE! GIVE ME ANYTHING! I'LL EVEN READ CEREAL BOX BLURBS IF YOU WRITE THEM! at the top of your puny little lungs, then you know you are most definitely reading a T. Kingfisher book.
In other words:
You are most welcome.
P.S. I think Fragment might be Indy's second cousin thrice removed.
P.P.S. Just so you know, being dead itches.
· Book 1: What Moves the Dead ★★★★★
· Book 2: What Feasts at Night ★★★★★
[Pre-review nonsense]
T. Kingfisher and/or Alex Easton, will you marry me?
➽ Review to come and stuff.
October 6, 2025
I'm glad I enjoyed this more than the previous book, but I think someone who's a bigger fan of cosmic horror would give this 5 stars. T Kingfisher's humor never misses, however. I loved the little digs on Americans 'cause yeah we kinda suck over here✌🏼😂
September 17, 2025
A solid addition to the series! Alex Easton visits America for the first time and is tasked with investigating a disappearance in a strange abandoned mine. Also people think there is a bear on the loose killing people, but does a bear kill in this particular way?
A spooky novella with a weird but satisfying conclusion. If you've been liking the series you will probably enjoy this one as well! The audio narration is great and fits the vibe of the book. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
A spooky novella with a weird but satisfying conclusion. If you've been liking the series you will probably enjoy this one as well! The audio narration is great and fits the vibe of the book. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
September 21, 2025
🪦 Bookish Thoughts
This was such a good read! I will always love T. Kingfisher’s writing and characters, and this story did not disappoint. The atmosphere was eerie and unsettling in the best way, making it a perfect pick for spooky season.
I enjoyed the audiobook overall, though I didn’t completely connect with the narrator.
_ _ _
📖 Final Score: 4 ⭐️
🎧 Audio Score: 3.5 ⭐️
🎙️ Narration Style: Solo
📅 Pub Date: September 30, 2025
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy. All thoughts are my own.
This was such a good read! I will always love T. Kingfisher’s writing and characters, and this story did not disappoint. The atmosphere was eerie and unsettling in the best way, making it a perfect pick for spooky season.
I enjoyed the audiobook overall, though I didn’t completely connect with the narrator.
_ _ _
📖 Final Score: 4 ⭐️
🎧 Audio Score: 3.5 ⭐️
🎙️ Narration Style: Solo
📅 Pub Date: September 30, 2025
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy. All thoughts are my own.
October 13, 2025
Wow. I thought this was head and shoulders above the last book in the series. I love the character of Easton, and hearing about Gallacia. The last book, What Feasts at Night just went on and on with not enough explanation for me. I also didn't really love the ending. What Stalks the Deep though gives us even more development of Easton, we get to follow up with Dr. Denton and the adventure now moves to America, specifically an old mine in West Virginia. I found the overall plot to be quite good, I loved the explanation behind the "mysterious things" and I absolutely loved the ending. Mostly because it seems we are going to get another go at Easton in America with Angus.
What Stalks the Deep follows Alex Easton and Angus after the former is asked to come to America by their old friend Dr. Denton. Alex arrives and is told that Dr. Denton's cousin Oscar has gone missing after going exploring an old mine in West Virginia that is owned by their family. Denton believes that based on the letters that Oscar has written back to him that Oscar could have found something just as dark as what he and Easton found in Ruravia, at the home of Madeline and Roderick Usher. Easton, Angus, Denton, and a friend of Denton's, Ingold, and Denton's assistant, Kent.
I do think as I said above, there was way more development of Easton in this one. And I don't know, more heart I think. I loved the one scene between them and Denton and of course Easton wanting to run away after because talking about "feelings" is not something they want to do. I loved the introduction of Ingold the most. I think Kingfisher was just wanting to give us a Ms. Potter stand-in.
The plot was really good, what's this mysterious light, mysterious substance, and who or what sent a telegram that no one believes Oscar sent. I loved the explanation to all of these questions and more. The flow was pitch perfect throughout I thought.
The setting of West Virginia post-Spanish American war was interesting too. In the afterword Kingfisher lets readers know they went to a friend who was able to provide details to them on the region and area.
The ending as I said above was really well done and again, it's setting us up for a fourth book in this series.
I read this for Halloween Bingo 2025, "Weird Fiction" square. It would also work for several other ones, but "Mysterious Mountain" is the top one that people may still need since I think all of us would prefer to skip Lovecraft it we can.
What Stalks the Deep follows Alex Easton and Angus after the former is asked to come to America by their old friend Dr. Denton. Alex arrives and is told that Dr. Denton's cousin Oscar has gone missing after going exploring an old mine in West Virginia that is owned by their family. Denton believes that based on the letters that Oscar has written back to him that Oscar could have found something just as dark as what he and Easton found in Ruravia, at the home of Madeline and Roderick Usher. Easton, Angus, Denton, and a friend of Denton's, Ingold, and Denton's assistant, Kent.
I do think as I said above, there was way more development of Easton in this one. And I don't know, more heart I think. I loved the one scene between them and Denton and of course Easton wanting to run away after because talking about "feelings" is not something they want to do. I loved the introduction of Ingold the most. I think Kingfisher was just wanting to give us a Ms. Potter stand-in.
The plot was really good, what's this mysterious light, mysterious substance, and who or what sent a telegram that no one believes Oscar sent. I loved the explanation to all of these questions and more. The flow was pitch perfect throughout I thought.
The setting of West Virginia post-Spanish American war was interesting too. In the afterword Kingfisher lets readers know they went to a friend who was able to provide details to them on the region and area.
The ending as I said above was really well done and again, it's setting us up for a fourth book in this series.
I read this for Halloween Bingo 2025, "Weird Fiction" square. It would also work for several other ones, but "Mysterious Mountain" is the top one that people may still need since I think all of us would prefer to skip Lovecraft it we can.
November 9, 2025
I need more of this series . Please T. Kingfisher never stop writing!
October 12, 2025
‘I have been hearing sounds in the mine. Not the creaks or knocks that are common to mines, but peculiar sounds, as of something moving around within it.’Unforgettable! I am defeated when it comes to trying to describe the exceptional voice and style of T. Kingfisher’s Horror. Naturally, this goes straight to the five-stars shelf.
If you’re a Sworn Soldier fan and have read the previous two tales of Alex Easton, you’ll maybe find (as I did) that Alex’s character is more lucid and vital in this third book than it was in the second.
Kingfisher’s voice reads as amazingly immediate in this instalment (love the recollection of Frodo in this quote from Alex):
‘[Gallacia] is a very small country made of very large mountains. We grow turnips and sheep, but our primary export is people who want to get the hell away from it. I was farther away now than I’d ever been.’I managed to read this back-to-back with ‘Hemlock and Silver’, and it just served to spotlight how marvellously versatile Kingfisher’s narration can be. It’s familiar; it’s recognisable, but it’s also tailored precisely to fit each character cast, plot, situation, and theme.
The monster this time is particularly peculiar, but – hey – if those superextraordinary covers with artwork by Chris Mrozik didn’t give you pause, then on your own head be it!
(Side note: since I found out you can purchase permission from her to tattoo yourself with one of her designs, I now want my whole body as a Mrozik canvas).
I can’t say big enough thanks to Titan Books for the terrific thrill of reading an eARC via NetGalley.
‘Gallacian is possibly the most complicated language in Europe. Among its many quirks are different pronouns for men, women, children, soldiers, priests, rocks, and God. The ones for rocks – sha and shan – don’t come up much, but thinking of Hollow Elk Mine, I had a grim feeling that I might have a use for them sooner rather than later.’
October 12, 2025
Reading this I was struck that this is becoming a franchise, kind of, and it's a very solid one. T. Kingfisher is doing a lot of things she does really well (voicy narration, humor, touches of horror) and while it is not particularly inspired and feels a bit forced (America, but more on that later...) it is still solid and fun, and I will likely keep reading the series which is hinted strongly continues..
(Incidentally, I am a sucker and could not resist the whole creepy read for October thing, even if this year my October weather is consistently unmoody and sunny... I will complain enough when it starts raining again...)
Alex this time goes to America and there are mysterious things happening in a mine... The American setting is a lot more realistic than the ruritanian european fantasy of a country but weirdly it was weird how american centred the supposedly european (no, I mean seriously, be able to ID Boston accents and make all kinds of jokes and so on) perspective was...That was not believable, but the whole setup never was, and at least T. Kingfisher goes Ruritania-ize some other place... The narration sometimes gets lost in the humor and cadence and it gets over the top but that is just preference...
Plot wise, well that was never the point, not really but it was nice enough. Usually in her horror stories there are mentions of classic horror stories which inspired her, here it was mentioned in acknowledgments Lovecraft's "At the Mountains of Madness" (which I need to reread because I do not remember enough of it clearly...) but what this really really reminded me of a Star Trek (original) plot and dynamics. (Maybe it's just my mind being a weird place....)
In all really good, and solid. 3.5 stars, not sure which side the sliding rate will fall. Maybe lower because she can and has done better and this feels a bit like a filler franchise book. Good solid fun but not essential...
(Incidentally, I am a sucker and could not resist the whole creepy read for October thing, even if this year my October weather is consistently unmoody and sunny... I will complain enough when it starts raining again...)
Alex this time goes to America and there are mysterious things happening in a mine... The American setting is a lot more realistic than the ruritanian european fantasy of a country but weirdly it was weird how american centred the supposedly european (no, I mean seriously, be able to ID Boston accents and make all kinds of jokes and so on) perspective was...That was not believable, but the whole setup never was, and at least T. Kingfisher goes Ruritania-ize some other place... The narration sometimes gets lost in the humor and cadence and it gets over the top but that is just preference...
Plot wise, well that was never the point, not really but it was nice enough. Usually in her horror stories there are mentions of classic horror stories which inspired her, here it was mentioned in acknowledgments Lovecraft's "At the Mountains of Madness" (which I need to reread because I do not remember enough of it clearly...) but what this really really reminded me of a Star Trek (original) plot and dynamics. (Maybe it's just my mind being a weird place....)
In all really good, and solid. 3.5 stars, not sure which side the sliding rate will fall. Maybe lower because she can and has done better and this feels a bit like a filler franchise book. Good solid fun but not essential...
October 13, 2025
Ok, this was not a clunker, but it was just fine... The narrative voice is fun, but I felt like I needed more um... meat to the bones of this? (pun sort of intended?) The pacing was a bit slow until the reveal of the... weird thing. And that weird thing was just really fun, but I wasn't all that invested at that point. Maybe Easton in America felt a bit more generic than the other two books, which I really liked.
I don't feel like I have a lot of commentary! So not going to prolong this. This was fine and somehow it took me a week to read, because I wasn't engaged.
I don't feel like I have a lot of commentary! So not going to prolong this. This was fine and somehow it took me a week to read, because I wasn't engaged.
October 13, 2025
This was an enjoyable return to Alex Easton’s ever-expanding world. I had a lot of fun with this story, I think the characters continue to be colorful and exciting, but ultimately the story felt a little slight. I appreciate the change of scenery, visiting an old friend in the US, but that didn’t really factor into the story. The story was so self-contained, really only following our small group of characters as they explore this mine, that it didn’t really much matter where that mine was located or the culture of the people outside of the mine, because we barely interacted with any of them. Similarly, there is not a whole lot of mystery to this story, and subsequently no real investigation. They are ostensibly searching for a missing person, but the mysteries and secrets of this mine literally reveal themselves. None of our characters have to really do much more than go into the mine and look around a bit, and everything becomes clear. It is just really easy, and I was missing a sense of adventure or peril; I didn’t really experience any sort of tension anywhere in the story. I liked how fast-paced it was, but I would rather it had slowed down so our characters could actually do something instead of just be at the right place when the mystery solves itself. Of course, any time spent with these characters, including a new addition, is always fun. We do get a little bit of internal journey for Alex, and for Denton too, but not a whole lot. I think the first two stories have a greater sense of depth as well as they give the characters more to actually do. Still, the story is creepy and fun. I didn’t want to put it down once I picked it up, and it left me excited to see what Alex (and Angus) get up to next.
September 29, 2025
4⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley, TOR Publishing, and Macmillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
What a delight to join Alex Easton once again on their next adventure! This time we are headed across the Atlantic to visit an abandoned haunted coal mine in West Virginia. Alex Easton does not want to visit America, and quite frankly, can you blame them?
In this third installment, the vibes are more eerie and creepy than they are horror. It still has that chill factor without being outright nightmare-inducing (at least if you get scared easily like me). It held its own with a fresh new mystery and maintained all of its classic T. Kingfisher charm!
The audio narration was perfectly befitting to the unsettling atmosphere (but I do wonder why they kept pronouncing tinnitus differently throughout the series), and I would highly recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley, TOR Publishing, and Macmillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
What a delight to join Alex Easton once again on their next adventure! This time we are headed across the Atlantic to visit an abandoned haunted coal mine in West Virginia. Alex Easton does not want to visit America, and quite frankly, can you blame them?
In this third installment, the vibes are more eerie and creepy than they are horror. It still has that chill factor without being outright nightmare-inducing (at least if you get scared easily like me). It held its own with a fresh new mystery and maintained all of its classic T. Kingfisher charm!
The audio narration was perfectly befitting to the unsettling atmosphere (but I do wonder why they kept pronouncing tinnitus differently throughout the series), and I would highly recommend!
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November 14, 2025੭﹕ ̊ ̟ 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝:
i have a feeling that this will be the scariest one of the series. it’s a good thing i get to buddy read it with my beloved zoë!!
𑣲 ⊹ ࣪ ˖
not sure if i could‘ve handled this on my own tbh
i have a feeling that this will be the scariest one of the series. it’s a good thing i get to buddy read it with my beloved zoë!!
𑣲 ⊹ ࣪ ˖
💌: dear zoë.this series means so much to me. we bonded over what moves the dead (i was in desperate need to talk to someone about my first horror reading experience). what a good thing it was that i could blame you for inspiring me to start reading this series, just because i saw your gorgeous review on it and i was soo intrigued. look where that’s got us. ilysm zozo, thank you for br & sharing this experience with me <3
not sure if i could‘ve handled this on my own tbh
Want to read
March 28, 2025Update: The cover is stunning! 😍 I love it
OMMMMMGGGGGG 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 My prayers have been answered!!! 😍😍😍😍😍😍
OMMMMMGGGGGG 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 My prayers have been answered!!! 😍😍😍😍😍😍
Want to read
March 25, 2025foaming at the mouth (please no more horses)
September 19, 2025
Audiobook Stats:
⏰: 5 hours 52 minutes
🎤: Avi Roque
Publisher: McMillan Audio
Format: Singular POV
I have liked the narrator in the previous installments and it continued into this one as well. I'm glad they're sticking with the same narrator through the series.
Representation:
🪓 : Queer Characters
🪓: Non Binary Pronouns
Tropes:
💗: Found family
🥵: Spice: 🚫
Potential Triggers: domestic violence **check authors page/socials for full list.
General Thoughts:
Novella number 3 and we're in America!! Alex Easton is back investigating the mysterious disappearance of Denton's cousin and it's in an abandoned coal mine with sinister happenings. I'm so here for it. I have loved all of the sworn soldier books thus far. This was another fantastic installment.
Alex Easton is a highly underrated character. The dry yet witty humor is fantastic and I love their ability to constantly annoy Angus. Their banter is a great balance to the dark undertone of the setting and story.
The plot is thick and mysterious. Perfect for a fall read and on par with the previous two installments. The gothic feel and the air of dread sets the scene perfectly. The setting descriptions are so vivid. Kingfisher really draws you into this setting. This was a very fun plot line and it's definitely going to be a fave! The cosmic horror and body gore was perfect.
Disclaimer: I read this audiobook via free ALC through NetGalley and PRH Audio. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.
⏰: 5 hours 52 minutes
🎤: Avi Roque
Publisher: McMillan Audio
Format: Singular POV
I have liked the narrator in the previous installments and it continued into this one as well. I'm glad they're sticking with the same narrator through the series.
Representation:
🪓 : Queer Characters
🪓: Non Binary Pronouns
Tropes:
💗: Found family
🥵: Spice: 🚫
Potential Triggers: domestic violence **check authors page/socials for full list.
General Thoughts:
Novella number 3 and we're in America!! Alex Easton is back investigating the mysterious disappearance of Denton's cousin and it's in an abandoned coal mine with sinister happenings. I'm so here for it. I have loved all of the sworn soldier books thus far. This was another fantastic installment.
Alex Easton is a highly underrated character. The dry yet witty humor is fantastic and I love their ability to constantly annoy Angus. Their banter is a great balance to the dark undertone of the setting and story.
The plot is thick and mysterious. Perfect for a fall read and on par with the previous two installments. The gothic feel and the air of dread sets the scene perfectly. The setting descriptions are so vivid. Kingfisher really draws you into this setting. This was a very fun plot line and it's definitely going to be a fave! The cosmic horror and body gore was perfect.
Disclaimer: I read this audiobook via free ALC through NetGalley and PRH Audio. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.
September 29, 2025
It was ahead of us now. Between us and the exit . . . Was it waiting to attack or trying to get away from us in hopes of remaining unseen?
This was a fraught read for someone as claustrophobic as I. As soon as the action moved underground, I felt every muscle in my body (and, yes - especially that one) tighten.
The author offers up both a slow creeping terror, and the nerve-wracking experience of trying to decide what is evil and what is harmless. Like all of T. Kingfisher's books, it is also filled with her sly brand of humor. I was particularly fond of this set of rules to live by - "Be true to your friends, don't cheat at cards, don't piss on the less fortunate, and don't steal other people's skeletons."
That's my new motto, fer sure.
Many thanks to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for sharing this. All quotations were taken directly from the hardback copy.
This was a fraught read for someone as claustrophobic as I. As soon as the action moved underground, I felt every muscle in my body (and, yes - especially that one) tighten.
The author offers up both a slow creeping terror, and the nerve-wracking experience of trying to decide what is evil and what is harmless. Like all of T. Kingfisher's books, it is also filled with her sly brand of humor. I was particularly fond of this set of rules to live by - "Be true to your friends, don't cheat at cards, don't piss on the less fortunate, and don't steal other people's skeletons."
That's my new motto, fer sure.
Many thanks to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for sharing this. All quotations were taken directly from the hardback copy.
September 19, 2025
Alex is back in this third novella in the Sworn Soldier series. I absolutely love these books. They are the right amount of creepy mixed with some great humor and wonderful characters. Alex has gone to Virginia to help her friend Denton who believes he has found something strange in the coal mine where his uncle went missing from. Alex doesn’t love the idea of going deep underground in title squeezes, but that is why they must go. This book was excellent and took a twist I did not see coming at all. I think one of the best things about T. Kingfisher is that while I never would have thought of the ideas, they seem like they could just maybe be plausible which is delightfully creepy. A perfect book for the fall season. I listened to the audiobook and I really liked the narrator for this one a lot. They really brought the story to life in the best and only slightly disturbing way.
October 10, 2025
✰ 3.25 stars ✰
I realized this time around how useless Easton actually is! 😅 I mean, trouble always seems to find Alex, and it somehow falls upon others to find a way out of it! 💁🏻♀️I know the only reason Easton's even at a place as dismal and abandoned as Hollow Elk was to answer Denton's plea for help, for the two were bonded by their shared nightmarish experience at Usher House, but I did feel that Alex was more a bystander throughout, till eventually malice signals them out as the unwitting target. So that made me chuckle a bit. 😏
“We are drowning in ignorance at the moment. And the only place with possible answers seems to be deeper in the mine.”
Horrified and mortified but still intrigued, who can't look away from the strange and unexplained - Ingold is me. 😌 Like, seriously, it's the morbid curiosity that drives me more, and it's Ingold's scientific analysis of the subject matter at hand that makes the phenomenon all the more fascinating and intriguing. His desire to explain the unsolvable gave me that extra oomph. And ofc, his friendship with Denton, who I thought were really adorable and a nice inclusion to their endeavors. 🥹
Not so sweet was Easton constantly drawing attention to it; which was interesting, and also none of my business. 😒 Nor was I a fan of Christ's blood repeatedly declared as a mark of shock value; that was unnerving, and also unnecessary, imo, cuz I don't recall it in the earlier books... 🙎🏻♀️ I found it amusing how the author did not shy away from his critical observations of his first time impressions of American ways and customs that a sworn soldier like Easton felt far inferior than that of Gallacia. 😆
“The world was an endless source of fascination and wonder.”
I did not know it was Lovecraft-inspired, so I wanted What Stalks the Deep to have been scarier, rather than this cozy, wholesome (iykyk) vibe to it, considering how scary the build-up was. 🥴 Which, to be fair, was well done - nicely paced and revealed well. The confined claustrophobic feel of being trapped beneath the mine unsafe for humans, Denton's frantic desperation to find his missing cousin, Oscar, the grotesque killings that had raised the shackles of everyone present, and the mysterious creepy unknown that haunted the passageways. 😥
I felt every chill of the vivid and graphic details of creeping malignancy, and my favorite scene was definitely when Easton stumbled upon the monster. it felt oddly familiar, but just imagining it through Easton's eyes would petrify me, too. 😵 I do think this was also the first time where the monster was a representation of something deeper than just being an element of horror. Something that wished to address how those who feel like they're missing the sense of belonging, to be a part of a whole and not disregarded.
“Sometimes when people hurt for a long time, they start to think that hurting is part of who they are. And then anything that helps the hurt, even healing, feels like it’s trying to strip part of them away.”
I know it's a long stretch, but the subtlety in Roger's final conversation, where even a fragment of a shard was searching for something/someone to connect to, does have some hidden layers of context to it, don't you think? 🥺 The cover may also be the least relatable to the storyline, itself, but I've enjoyed my time with these interesting cast of characters, heck I wouldn't mind even a spin-off of the adventures of Easton and Ingold, because their friendship was unique and fun to watch their minds at work.
And I'm still waiting for that Angus backstory. The epitome of a cool cucumber with his dry wit and humor, his presence just made the trilogy (unless Kingfisher decides to change that) would make the interactions and banter a lot more refreshing and enjoyable. ✨
“There was something desperately frightening about seeing a light underground where no light should be.”
I realized this time around how useless Easton actually is! 😅 I mean, trouble always seems to find Alex, and it somehow falls upon others to find a way out of it! 💁🏻♀️I know the only reason Easton's even at a place as dismal and abandoned as Hollow Elk was to answer Denton's plea for help, for the two were bonded by their shared nightmarish experience at Usher House, but I did feel that Alex was more a bystander throughout, till eventually malice signals them out as the unwitting target. So that made me chuckle a bit. 😏
“We are drowning in ignorance at the moment. And the only place with possible answers seems to be deeper in the mine.”
Horrified and mortified but still intrigued, who can't look away from the strange and unexplained - Ingold is me. 😌 Like, seriously, it's the morbid curiosity that drives me more, and it's Ingold's scientific analysis of the subject matter at hand that makes the phenomenon all the more fascinating and intriguing. His desire to explain the unsolvable gave me that extra oomph. And ofc, his friendship with Denton, who I thought were really adorable and a nice inclusion to their endeavors. 🥹
Not so sweet was Easton constantly drawing attention to it; which was interesting, and also none of my business. 😒 Nor was I a fan of Christ's blood repeatedly declared as a mark of shock value; that was unnerving, and also unnecessary, imo, cuz I don't recall it in the earlier books... 🙎🏻♀️ I found it amusing how the author did not shy away from his critical observations of his first time impressions of American ways and customs that a sworn soldier like Easton felt far inferior than that of Gallacia. 😆
“The world was an endless source of fascination and wonder.”
I did not know it was Lovecraft-inspired, so I wanted What Stalks the Deep to have been scarier, rather than this cozy, wholesome (iykyk) vibe to it, considering how scary the build-up was. 🥴 Which, to be fair, was well done - nicely paced and revealed well. The confined claustrophobic feel of being trapped beneath the mine unsafe for humans, Denton's frantic desperation to find his missing cousin, Oscar, the grotesque killings that had raised the shackles of everyone present, and the mysterious creepy unknown that haunted the passageways. 😥
I felt every chill of the vivid and graphic details of creeping malignancy, and my favorite scene was definitely when Easton stumbled upon the monster. it felt oddly familiar, but just imagining it through Easton's eyes would petrify me, too. 😵 I do think this was also the first time where the monster was a representation of something deeper than just being an element of horror. Something that wished to address how those who feel like they're missing the sense of belonging, to be a part of a whole and not disregarded.
“Sometimes when people hurt for a long time, they start to think that hurting is part of who they are. And then anything that helps the hurt, even healing, feels like it’s trying to strip part of them away.”
I know it's a long stretch, but the subtlety in Roger's final conversation, where even a fragment of a shard was searching for something/someone to connect to, does have some hidden layers of context to it, don't you think? 🥺 The cover may also be the least relatable to the storyline, itself, but I've enjoyed my time with these interesting cast of characters, heck I wouldn't mind even a spin-off of the adventures of Easton and Ingold, because their friendship was unique and fun to watch their minds at work.
And I'm still waiting for that Angus backstory. The epitome of a cool cucumber with his dry wit and humor, his presence just made the trilogy (unless Kingfisher decides to change that) would make the interactions and banter a lot more refreshing and enjoyable. ✨
September 22, 2025
3.5-3.75 stars rounded up! I went into this one without having read any of the previous Sworn Soldier novels, and I never felt lost—so it seems safe to say each story can stand on its own, even though they’re connected.
This time, Easton and his right-hand man, Angus, journey to America to help an old friend investigate an abandoned mine after the friend’s cousin mysteriously disappears. I really enjoyed the eerie atmosphere of Appalachian coal country—it gave the horror a fresh backdrop while keeping that unsettling, creeping tension.
Before vanishing, the cousin had sent a string of strange letters about the mine, capped off with a telegram urging others to stay away. Naturally, Easton and Angus dig deeper, only to find dangers that clearly go beyond something as simple as a cave-in, bad air, or a wandering bear.
Oddly, the tone still carried a lightness to it—almost edging toward mystery territory, despite the grim subject matter.
Many thanks to the publisher for the audio ARC, provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This time, Easton and his right-hand man, Angus, journey to America to help an old friend investigate an abandoned mine after the friend’s cousin mysteriously disappears. I really enjoyed the eerie atmosphere of Appalachian coal country—it gave the horror a fresh backdrop while keeping that unsettling, creeping tension.
Before vanishing, the cousin had sent a string of strange letters about the mine, capped off with a telegram urging others to stay away. Naturally, Easton and Angus dig deeper, only to find dangers that clearly go beyond something as simple as a cave-in, bad air, or a wandering bear.
Oddly, the tone still carried a lightness to it—almost edging toward mystery territory, despite the grim subject matter.
Many thanks to the publisher for the audio ARC, provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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