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Another Kingdom #2
The Nightmare Feast
“As screenwriter Austin Lively plunges back and forth between two dark, strange places―the fantasy kingdom of Galiana and the weirdness of contemporary Los Angeles―I turned the pages faster, faster, with growing delight. Scary, suspenseful, funny, wonderfully imaginative, Another Kingdom is pure, unadulterated fun.”― Dean Koontz, #1 New York Times Bestselling author
"This is a journey you won't want to miss." Gregg Hurwitz, New York Times Bestselling author of the Orphan X series
Austin Lively, once just an out-of-luck Hollywood screenwriter, is now a chosen hero caught between two worlds and dual quests in both Los Angeles, California, and the magical medieval world of Galiana. Tasked with taking a talisman across the Eleven Lands to restore the rightful queen to her throne, Austin must evade a murderous, vengeance-seeking wizard who seems to have the Eleven Lands under his control. But just how far does his influence reach, and how can Austin defeat him if the wizard also has access to his darkest memories?
Austin’s only hope is to find a missing manuscript by the title, Another Kingdom, but his sister Riley, the one person who may hold the key has gone missing too. With a deranged billionaire set on creating a “utopia” of anarchy and death also on the hunt for the manuscript, Austin must get to Riley before the billionaire’s assassins.
Trapped in a house of horrors in one world and a game of cat and mouse in the other, time is running out in both of Austin’s realities as he struggles to piece together the clues and find Another Kingdom. With higher stakes, darker secrets, and bigger monsters, there is no going back for Austin Lively and no guarantee he will escape the nightmare feast.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published March 3, 2020
40 people are currently reading
398 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Klavan
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
March 9, 2020
I awoke this morning and put 10 items on my Saturday to-do list. First, though, just a chapter or two of The Nightmare Feast with my coffee. Four hours later there are still 10 unchecked items on my to-do list, but I have devoured the Feast. As the Beautifull Cassandra once smiled and whispered to herself, "This is a day well spent."
Much like C.S. Lewis's space trilogy, the Another Kingdom series seems to be getting better, fuller, richer with each book. That is, the story grows deeper, the connections are more complex, and the hero expands to meet his quest. I could not be more glad or grateful to continue this trilogy.
The story of Austin Lively continues in its genre-bending way. Is he in a mystery-thriller—on the lam from cops and henchmen, up and down the Pacific coast? Is he in a medieval fantasy—led by a magic talisman across various kingdoms to thwart a wizard and restore a throne? Is he in a political drama—a former pawn turning wise to the societal machinations pulling invisible strings? Is he in a horror story—battling monsters and supernatural powers of evil? The answer, of course, is YES.
Though he is none too happy about it, Hollywood hanger-on and general millennial schlub Austin Lively is settling into his role of hero—the one chosen by Queen Elinda to journey into the Eleven Lands to seek the help of the Emperor Anastasius in overthrowing the usurpation of the evil wizard Curtin who has taken control of her queendom, Galiana. As if this were not enough, Austin also is running for his life in modern day USA—the only one who can lead evil billionaire Serge Orosgo to the manuscript copy of Another Kingdom, which is the portal that connects the two worlds and mysteriously holds the key to Curtin's power. This manuscript is with Austin's kooky younger sister Riley who has stumbled upon the nefarious web that connects all hubs of power back to Orosgo and is also on the run. In the course of his desperate adventures and life-threatening battles, any door Austin opens or threshold he crosses can potentially take him directly in medias res of the other kingdom. Getting dragged to the cellar for torture and death by two assassins in Bend, Oregon? Open a door and fling yourself inside to be walking down a gargoyle-lined corridor toward a sacrificial altar in Edgimond (neighboring Galiana). This is the sort of thing that happens to Austin with disturbing regularity.
Does this all sound terribly complicated? It kind of is, but Klavan's masterful way with the narrative leads the reader with far more clarity than this purposefully abbreviated synopsis can do. Trust me. To read is to understand. And to understand is to marvel.
Sadly missing from this book was Austin's erstwhile sidekick Maud, whose badgering banter was the source of many of the first novel's more comedic elements. There were still, though, plenty of laugh-out-loud moments—primarily because of Austin's dry, snarky wit and Klavan's hilarious turns of phrase. Also, the romantic side of Austin is largely submerged beneath his "man-on-a-mission" determination, though we do get a delightful passage of musings upon his future plans with Jane Janeway.
Some killjoys quibble with the way that Klavan writes women characters and they throw around dumb words like "sexist" or "misogynistic" about his stories. This is ridiculous. Klavan understands that men and women are sublimely and wonderfully different and what makes a true woman is different than what makes a true man. I, for one, simply love the ways he writes of women—with deep appreciation for our beauty, our womanliness, our warmth, our valor, and our feminine genius. More of this, please.
Another Kingdom is quickly becoming one of my all-time favorite trilogies. I want Book 3 NOW. But, I'll probably have to wait another flipping year. Darn it, Klavan.
Much like C.S. Lewis's space trilogy, the Another Kingdom series seems to be getting better, fuller, richer with each book. That is, the story grows deeper, the connections are more complex, and the hero expands to meet his quest. I could not be more glad or grateful to continue this trilogy.
The story of Austin Lively continues in its genre-bending way. Is he in a mystery-thriller—on the lam from cops and henchmen, up and down the Pacific coast? Is he in a medieval fantasy—led by a magic talisman across various kingdoms to thwart a wizard and restore a throne? Is he in a political drama—a former pawn turning wise to the societal machinations pulling invisible strings? Is he in a horror story—battling monsters and supernatural powers of evil? The answer, of course, is YES.
Though he is none too happy about it, Hollywood hanger-on and general millennial schlub Austin Lively is settling into his role of hero—the one chosen by Queen Elinda to journey into the Eleven Lands to seek the help of the Emperor Anastasius in overthrowing the usurpation of the evil wizard Curtin who has taken control of her queendom, Galiana. As if this were not enough, Austin also is running for his life in modern day USA—the only one who can lead evil billionaire Serge Orosgo to the manuscript copy of Another Kingdom, which is the portal that connects the two worlds and mysteriously holds the key to Curtin's power. This manuscript is with Austin's kooky younger sister Riley who has stumbled upon the nefarious web that connects all hubs of power back to Orosgo and is also on the run. In the course of his desperate adventures and life-threatening battles, any door Austin opens or threshold he crosses can potentially take him directly in medias res of the other kingdom. Getting dragged to the cellar for torture and death by two assassins in Bend, Oregon? Open a door and fling yourself inside to be walking down a gargoyle-lined corridor toward a sacrificial altar in Edgimond (neighboring Galiana). This is the sort of thing that happens to Austin with disturbing regularity.
Does this all sound terribly complicated? It kind of is, but Klavan's masterful way with the narrative leads the reader with far more clarity than this purposefully abbreviated synopsis can do. Trust me. To read is to understand. And to understand is to marvel.
Sadly missing from this book was Austin's erstwhile sidekick Maud, whose badgering banter was the source of many of the first novel's more comedic elements. There were still, though, plenty of laugh-out-loud moments—primarily because of Austin's dry, snarky wit and Klavan's hilarious turns of phrase. Also, the romantic side of Austin is largely submerged beneath his "man-on-a-mission" determination, though we do get a delightful passage of musings upon his future plans with Jane Janeway.
Some killjoys quibble with the way that Klavan writes women characters and they throw around dumb words like "sexist" or "misogynistic" about his stories. This is ridiculous. Klavan understands that men and women are sublimely and wonderfully different and what makes a true woman is different than what makes a true man. I, for one, simply love the ways he writes of women—with deep appreciation for our beauty, our womanliness, our warmth, our valor, and our feminine genius. More of this, please.
Another Kingdom is quickly becoming one of my all-time favorite trilogies. I want Book 3 NOW. But, I'll probably have to wait another flipping year. Darn it, Klavan.
November 25, 2019
I didn't write a review for the first one, so this is a combination:
It's super exciting narrative - constantly moving and not (particularly) predictable. The main character was NOT a nice person in the first book. I think that was the author's point, though, as the character is constantly changing and improving himself, which couldn't have happened if he'd started out as a good man. I also didn't appreciate the weird orgy-fairy-sex scene (which wasn't explicit but still... ew).
It took a little for me to get into the weirdness of the world Galiana. Some of it was just too weird for me, but I guess I've gotten into it.
Klavan prides himself on not being PC, and I'm pretty anti-PC myself, but I did get tired of how many times "feminine" was used to describe women. They were also emotionally strong, brave, wise, and other good characteristics, but always, unerringly, feminine and beautiful or lovely.
Still, an exciting story that feels very original.
It's super exciting narrative - constantly moving and not (particularly) predictable. The main character was NOT a nice person in the first book. I think that was the author's point, though, as the character is constantly changing and improving himself, which couldn't have happened if he'd started out as a good man. I also didn't appreciate the weird orgy-fairy-sex scene (which wasn't explicit but still... ew).
It took a little for me to get into the weirdness of the world Galiana. Some of it was just too weird for me, but I guess I've gotten into it.
Klavan prides himself on not being PC, and I'm pretty anti-PC myself, but I did get tired of how many times "feminine" was used to describe women. They were also emotionally strong, brave, wise, and other good characteristics, but always, unerringly, feminine and beautiful or lovely.
Still, an exciting story that feels very original.
July 27, 2022
I would definitely go ahead and say this kinda suffers from that middle book syndrome that Trilogies tend to have. Lots of cool elements in here, and as before, the real-world storyline was generally more exciting than the fantasy-world storyline, but a lot of the developments I feel are going to mean more come the final book.
March 11, 2020
A thrilling adventure
I adore Andrew Klavan’s writings, and this second book of the another kingdom is brilliant. I could not put it down! I’m actually bummed that I finished the whole book so quickly. I can’t wait for the next one.
I adore Andrew Klavan’s writings, and this second book of the another kingdom is brilliant. I could not put it down! I’m actually bummed that I finished the whole book so quickly. I can’t wait for the next one.
December 27, 2021
Enjoyed more than the first. My biggest complaint is that . I enjoyed the mention of Christianity/heaven and hope that comes back.
Be warned: this book is not for younger teens. (At all.) And it's very scary, to the point where I'm not sure I ever want to reread it, and definitely not at night. (Content: .)
Be warned: this book is not for younger teens. (At all.) And it's very scary, to the point where I'm not sure I ever want to reread it, and definitely not at night. (Content: .)
September 16, 2022
Well, this was kind of a nightmare... I'll be back later to review. 👍
January 19, 2020
This was a really enjoyable sequel to The first book. I enjoyed the mythic feel to the fantasy world and the mystery of the search for Riley in the "real world."
November 27, 2021
Klavan delivers another spectacular read in The Nightmare Feast. Delivering an immersive experience without being overly descriptive, Austin Lively continues on his quest straddling two equally messed up worlds. Lively’s growth through the first and second book is a subtle one that is deeply relatable to what true growth feels like as we are forced to confront hard things with burdensome responsibilities.
A gaping hole in book 2 was Maude’s absence. I’m hoping she shows up in book 3, as the dialogue between Maude and Lively was clever and laugh out loud funny, a dynamic I sorely missed in Nightmare Feast.
Audio version was terrific. Great job, Knowles.
A gaping hole in book 2 was Maude’s absence. I’m hoping she shows up in book 3, as the dialogue between Maude and Lively was clever and laugh out loud funny, a dynamic I sorely missed in Nightmare Feast.
Audio version was terrific. Great job, Knowles.
November 22, 2022
This was possibly the best of the trilogy. Which is to say, you can burn it last if you have it. It had an interesting theme--that of gluttony as sin, and sin giving birth to death, which then consumes you. This is exemplified by two meals and two monsters. But that theme can't and doesn't carry the entire book, and the rest of it is filled with gory fight scenes, more lack of character development, and shoddy writing. It's also the only book of the trilogy without any sexually explicit (congratulations to the Christian author for this bare minimum).
May 25, 2020
I enjoyed this book more than the first one. Another Kingdom was good, but the minor characters were a bit flat and the villains a little cartoonish. In The Nightmare Feast, the monsters and villains were genuinely disturbing, even terrifying at times, and the conflicts were compelling on both a plot and a thematic level. I'm very interested to see how Klavan wraps this trilogy up.
July 6, 2024
A follow-up, or should I say second chapter rather than sequel, which blows a pretty much stellar first installment out of the water. Wonderful as an audiobook.
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August 12, 2020LOVE! I was immediately drawn in, consumed the book in two days....I miss the characters!!
March 12, 2024
One of those books that just moves and moves. Every chapter is pretty short and engaging, so it's easy to pick up and put down. I'm kind of a sucker for a fun story of a contemporary character being pulled into a fantasy setting. This book takes the concept setup in the first book and doubles down on it, where every chapter seems to jump back and forth between the real world and the fantasy setting.
April 23, 2021
I hate Austin Lively, not because of character decisions, but because he is boring and still thinks this is all a brain tumor, even though the events of the real world are beginning to rely on the fantasy world! This is my new least favorite main character, he refuses to embrace the journey he is on, it often feels like he is just being carried from place to place on a horse and journey he has utterly no desire to be on. Also, the whole scene in the mansion dragged on far too long, though the concept wasn't bad. Also, the love interest in the first book is just dropped for a new love interest, they both just love Austin uncontrollably.... but why. What has he done to earn the love of these women, nothing. I went into these liking Klavan and loving fantasy, I wanted to like them. But I just don't.
May 11, 2022
Well done Mr. Klavan, well done.
This books reads like it should and leaves you wanting more. This books is like the "Empire Strikes Back" of the Another Kingdom trilogy.
It feels like I'm reading the second half of the first book, minus the few sections were he recaps a few things that happen in the first book.
I'm glad I'm reading this trilogy all at once too. That would've been awful to wait a year or so between releases.
Plenty of suspense, more transitions between the two realms, and more cat and mouse chase. I love it. Can't wait to see how it ends!
This books reads like it should and leaves you wanting more. This books is like the "Empire Strikes Back" of the Another Kingdom trilogy.
It feels like I'm reading the second half of the first book, minus the few sections were he recaps a few things that happen in the first book.
I'm glad I'm reading this trilogy all at once too. That would've been awful to wait a year or so between releases.
Plenty of suspense, more transitions between the two realms, and more cat and mouse chase. I love it. Can't wait to see how it ends!
August 4, 2020
Fun and Original
Andrew Klavan’s ability to author wholly original work really shines in this fantasy novel. Nightmare Feast was a Lively adventure. I’m not usually in love with stories told in the first person, however, the story and pace of this book made it so that I could not put it down! I highly recommend and I’m looking forward for the release of the final book of the series!
Andrew Klavan’s ability to author wholly original work really shines in this fantasy novel. Nightmare Feast was a Lively adventure. I’m not usually in love with stories told in the first person, however, the story and pace of this book made it so that I could not put it down! I highly recommend and I’m looking forward for the release of the final book of the series!
March 15, 2021
Klavan's books hold you. You want to find out what happens. There is suspense, there is peril, there is self-deprecating wit, and there is the unanticipated, all in great quantities.
This is not YA, but it seems to me to read like YA. Is it the somewhat flippant tone about serious and weighty issues? Is it that one never feels we are getting under the surfaces of this fast-paced story? Anyway, judge it by the finale.
This is not YA, but it seems to me to read like YA. Is it the somewhat flippant tone about serious and weighty issues? Is it that one never feels we are getting under the surfaces of this fast-paced story? Anyway, judge it by the finale.
March 18, 2022
Klavan does such a good job writing the inner monologues of his protagonists you can really see their development. This story, just like the first in the series does not disappoint with how serious he takes the story and making the characters complex and as real as possible. The action is gritty and down to Earth as well
June 30, 2024
I had a feeling the lead character was a little problematic (especially toward women) when I read the first book, but it was really confirmed in this book, so even though I found the plot/premise interesting, it was hard to get past this. I don't feel compelled to read any more of the story when I don't even like the lead character or can't relate to him.
March 17, 2021
Fabulous Ride!
The Another Kingdom series by Kravan is like reading a combination of Lord of the Rings, Lion Witch and the Wardrobe, and Hunger Games all rolled into one exciting, witty and suspenseful story! Can’t wait to read book three!
The Another Kingdom series by Kravan is like reading a combination of Lord of the Rings, Lion Witch and the Wardrobe, and Hunger Games all rolled into one exciting, witty and suspenseful story! Can’t wait to read book three!
April 15, 2021
This whole story was like being in a nightmare. Labyrinths with monsters, beautiful women who have bugs crawl out their nose, and human sacrifice. This was a very exciting book. I love every word of it because, though the trials are terrible, there is always hope.
May 24, 2021
A very interesting read, I have started to really like the jumps from one realm to the other. 😆
Some of the most interesting timing. Great addition to the series and I will definitely read the next.
Some of the most interesting timing. Great addition to the series and I will definitely read the next.
June 26, 2021
The second book definitely stands up to the first book. I'm just loving the present time switch to the medieval times. The dragon is so well descripted and so horrifying that I've found it in my dreams. Austin is one lucky S.O.B. I can't wait to find out what happens in the next book.
January 29, 2022
Really 4.5 out of 5 stars.
First learned of Klavan via his short satirical videos made over a decade ago and have been consuming his podcasts ever since. Began reading him recently and wish I had begun much earlier. Underlying traditional messages in thriller type stories. Good stuff
First learned of Klavan via his short satirical videos made over a decade ago and have been consuming his podcasts ever since. Began reading him recently and wish I had begun much earlier. Underlying traditional messages in thriller type stories. Good stuff
September 12, 2022
I listened to the majority of the second book on Audible, because the audiobooks for this series are fantastic. 11/10
This one is without a doubt my favorite out of the trilogy.
The unexpected twists and turns may give you whiplash. You have been warned. :)
09-??-2021
This one is without a doubt my favorite out of the trilogy.
The unexpected twists and turns may give you whiplash. You have been warned. :)
09-??-2021
April 14, 2020
Awesome book! Loved it front cover to back.
August 13, 2020
Great story; hard to put down. Klavan certainly has a way with words and an amazing ability to blend genres. Looking forward to the final book in the trilogy.
June 28, 2021
I liked the first in this series a lot better. The second installment felt like an exhausting fevre dream.
October 26, 2024
I listened to Matt Fradd’s interview with Klavan last week & heard Klavan mentioned this audio book of one of his series he had Michael Knowles do for him. The voice of Michael to one of Klavan’s cleverly written stories - you’d be an idiot to pass this up. I spent the whole week listening to this audiobook almost non stop. It brought me back to my early days of reading Klavan’s YA books. If you like the Percy Jackson series, Klavan’s books are similar but deeper and morally focused. This series is a fun mix of fiction & fantasy, and the characters are personable; there is nothing utterly unique or individual about each character, so the reader feels that he or she could easily hop into this story and this quest. The theme throughout this series seems to be seeking wisdom; what is that, and what does it mean for the world? What the good? How do we find it? We feel just as perplexed yet hopeful as Austin in wrestling with this. This is created by the several sections of internal dialogue Austin has throughout the story, which natural for humans as we mentally and emotionally work through our own opinions or explore a moral that challenges us. I’m looking forward to reading book 3, and then going back and reading the first book! I couldn’t find the first book on audio so, yes, I made the cringe bookworm’s move & jumped into book 2, lol.
April 19, 2024
Dang, I finished this book too fast, and now I’m already missing following Austin Lively’s escapades as he bounces between two dangerous worlds. In “The Nightmare Feast”, Andrew Klavan’s second novel in his “Another Kingdom” series, you never know where you’ll find yourself next: inside an enchanted forest, a haunted house, or a rambling castle in a sinister medieval world; or hiding in a neon-lit roadside motel, an eccentric billionaire’s compound, or a seedy amusement park in modern day California? But wherever the chase takes our reluctant hero, rest assured, someone will surely be there trying to shoot, stab, or feed him to some hideous monster. Will Austin find his younger sister and the magic book she is keeping safe before time runs out for both her and our hero? Can he stop an evil wizard from destroying both the worlds he is tasked to save? Is it possible he might become a famous Hollywood screenwriter instead of just a nebbish loser? Only time and perhaps another kingdom will tell. Wise advice: don’t jump into this second novel before reading the first in the series—you’ll be missing out on too much fun.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews