What Stalks the Deep by T. Kingfisher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
**3.5-stars rounded up**
What Stalks the Deep is the 3rd-installment in the Sworn Soldier series by one of my favorite authors, T. Kingfisher.
I adore this series and have a soft spot in my heart for its protagonist, Alex Easton.
Kingfisher has yet again infused Alex Easton with the perfect amount of humor and frankness. Getting a story from Alex’s perspective, is like sitting with a friend while they tell you horrifying tales from their most recent vacation.
In this book, we follow along with Alex as they travel to the United States, and to West Virginia specifically, to visit a coal mine with a little something extra going on.
Alex has zero desire to make this trip to a purportedly haunted coal mine, but they feel compelled after they’ve been asked by their old friend Dr. James Denton. Denton’s cousin, Oscar, went missing while exploring the abandoned mine and he’s desperate to find him.
This was another very fun installment for this series. It really switched it up as far as the setting, and the type of mystery we were investigating.
I loved that it was set in West Virginia and that Kingfisher even included the journey there, because that journey helped pull me in even more to the story and got me fully invested.
The abandoned coal mine was definitely creepy for me, as caves or mines are one of my personal fears. They simultaneously fascinate me and terrify me.
I’m a bit claustrophobic, so even reading of these types of situations can get my pulse racing. Exploring it along with Alex though did make it feel a bit more safe, and fun.
Unfortunately, the way the truth of what was happening was delivered is sort of a pet peevey thing for me. I didn’t like it. I can’t really describe what I mean without spoilers, but it’s a kind of trope I just don’t care for, and I was a bit disappointed to find it here.
However, with this being said, this is 100% personal taste, and there were many other aspects of this story for me to enjoy. While the explanation and concluding bits weren’t my favorite as far as this series goes, it’s still a great read and I would recommend it to Horror Readers.
I’d also recommend the audiobooks for the entire series, should you have them available to you. They’re all narrated by Avi Roque, who has become Alex Easton to me. I love, love, love the way they deliver these stories, it’s just the perfect cadence and tone to bring them to life.
I’m still not sure how many books are planned for this series. This might even have been the last one, but I certainly hope it wasn’t. With this type of story, the possibilities are absolutely endless for the things that Alex could explore, and I’d be down for every one.
Thank you to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. These punchy Horror Novellas are not to be missed!