My Five Word TL:DR Review: Soft horror with Unexpected Outcome

I am enjoying the Sworn Soldier series by T Kingfisher although the first book still remains my favourite.

In this story Alex Easton travels to America to help out an old friend whose cousin has gone missing, last known destination – an abandoned coal mine in West Virginia.

The story is a mystery that takes our MC into a supposedly haunted mine where the threat of rock falls or suffocation is the least of the problems.  Disturbing lights can be seen where there shouldn’t be any light and strange things go bump in the night.

What I really enjoyed about this.

First and foremost the writing.  I love reading Kingfisher, she manages to write compelling characters who find themselves in the strangest places and she infuses her stories with her own brand of humour and darkness.

I like the character that she’s come up with for this series and that’s also what I find myself returning for.  Alex Easton is a good friend and a strong person who doesn’t flinch from danger or discomfort.  In the past stories Alex has dealt with strange mushrooms and ghosts and in this edition, well, I don’t want to give away any spoilers but this went in a direction that I really didn’t see coming.  Really quite creepy – and I must mention the dog!  I realise I’m being very cryptic but you have to discover these things for yourself.

I liked the setting although at the same time this was also the issue that brought the story down a little for me.  It started off very dark, creepy and claustrophobic.  Alex isn’t a lover of small spaces and so caving and crawling through tight spaces into the unknown really brought out the fear factor.  I did feel that after the reveal the tension and atmosphere seemed to dissipate.  I still enjoyed the story and this is a very quick read but I didn’t feel the sense of dread that I had felt during the first half when the unknown occupant of the mine was creeping around.

Overall, a good instalment in the Sworn Soldier series.  I can’t wait to see what dilema Alex gets into next and I hope for many more weird and wonderful adventures.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks.  The above is my own opinion.

My rating 3.5 of 5 stars rounded to 4