This was a wonderfully atmospheric read and very much put me in the mind set of Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Reading the Author's Note definitely let me know I was in the right mind.

This is a retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic short story “The Fall of the House of Usher”, which I’ve never read (and I think that’s an advantage, that way I don’t consciously or unconsciously compare this book to that one).

When Tor graciously reached out to me with an offer to review this book, I was hesitant. I don’t read horror very often. Well, apparently they know me better than I know me, because I loved this book!! The description of the atmosphere and setting is top notch! The whole time I was reading about the gloom and dusty and swampy and funky I desperately wanted to take a hot shower and then stand in the sun for a while 😁 The characters are well described and I could clearly picture them in my head, and the different use of personal pronouns was really interesting. But I think the one aspect of the book I was most impressed with was the overall writing style. For anyone who’s read books that were written in the 1800s, they definitely have a particular cadence to them, in the way that the narrative flows, and the author does such a good job in mirroring that style, and yet making it just a bit more modern for today’s audience. Very well done! Now if you’ll excuse me I need to go to scrub my skin some more 😉

Thank you to NetGalley & Tor Nightfire for this advanced reader copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Kingfisher delivers a brilliant retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher. The prose is beautiful and emotional with a tone of doom and a creepy, dark atmosphere that will get under your skin. This novella is an original gothic horror with gore, spooks, and nasty mushrooms. Yet, through all the eerie and creepy, the characters are dimensional and interesting. What Moves The Dead is a well-written and captivating tale.

4/5 stars – highly recommend for fans of Edgar Allan Poe and gothic horror literature

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, and T. Kingfisher for the electronic ARC.
Expected Pub Date: July 12, 2022
#NetGalley #WhatMovesTheDead

This is a retelling of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher." I've not read the original and can't comment on how much this retelling strays, but I enjoyed it either way. This is excellent gothic horror with a creepy mansion, a naturalist who specializes in fungi, creepy wandering beings, animals who act possessed, and more. A+ for gothic creepiness.

I quite liked the characters too, especially the main character and the fungi naturalist. I'm guessing that the author put a lot of herself into these characters and it is delightful. Anyone who watched T. Kingfisher give her acceptance speeches at the 2020 Hugo Awards will recognize her here again. No doubt she learned so much about slime mold while researching this book!

I recommend this book for sure! This isn't a full five stars because I found it to be a bit slow paced for my taste. I wasn't thoroughly riveted and feel that the creepy mysteriousness could have been played up more. That said, I still enjoyed this a lot.

Sexual violence? No. Other content warnings? Some animal gore, suicide.

Couldn’t sleep because I’m congested and sniffly, so I finished reading What Moves the Dead by T Kingfisher and now I can’t sleep because I’m congested, sniffly, and afraid of evil sentient fungus monsters slowly consuming me while I sleep and then puppeting my dead body for months on end.

I should maybe not read horror stories at 2am.

But if you’re looking for a book that will give you the creepy crawlies, then this weird retelling of Poe’s Fall of the House of Usher is a fascinating one. The aesthetics are off the charts when it comes to decay and gloom and the philosophical asides are as poignant as they come.

It took me a few days to finish reading it, since I felt compelled to take a break and reread Fall of the House of Usher first, but really the novella stands alone without it. Much like The Hollow Places revitalized and expanded upon Blackwood’s The Willows, this novella takes the House of Usher and staggers off into the distance with a new and frightening gait.

5/5 stars
Recommended for people who like: speculative fiction, sci-fi, Edgar Allen Poe, atmospheric reads, creepy, mushrooms, The Southern Reach Trilogy, The Fall of the House of Usher

This review has been posted to Goodreads as of 3/10, and will be posted to Instagram on 3/16 and my book review blog on 3/29.

It's really a mycologist/mushroom-lover's dream. While there's a lot in here about the mushrooms and fungus of the Usher manor, it's all added in such a way that doesn't feel too overbearing. I liked that there was a character who was a mycologist who could explain some of the things on the land and provide that background information.

I've never read the Poe story this is based on, but this was so good. I did get a brief summary of the OG story from my sister, who has read Poe's story, and I was a bit worried about some of the subplots in the original, but luckily this one bypasses those and sticks much more closely to the creepiness, speculative fiction, and atmospheric-ness of Poe. After this, Kingfisher is definitely someone I want to read more of.

The stuff with the hares (and hairs) was 100% creepy. It started off as just weird, but as the book goes on and more things get revealed, it does get very nicely into that creep factor. Kingfisher utilizes the idea of watching quite well throughout the book to different effects. Also the uncanny valley phenomenon, though I didn't quite pick up on this one until close to the end of the book.

Easton is an interesting character to have as the narrator. They're a friend of the family, and while they seem closer to the sister, they served in the army for a bit with the brother, so there's a relationship there with both siblings. Easton is understandably concerned by Madeline's letter, and their concern only mounts when they arrive at the House of Usher to discover the terrible condition both siblings are in. They really stick to their battle-hardened grit and their compassion as things play out in the book, and I liked seeing some of the transitions as things started to become weirder.

The two Usher siblings obviously play a big role in the story. Madeline isn't in it too much since she's obviously very ill, but the parts that she is in you get the sense of someone who has sort of accepted their fate. At the same time, there's something clearly off about Madeline's behavior. Roderick is also clearly suffering from some kind of affliction, though it's not immediately clear whether it's from the same thing as Madeline or something different. He's definitely a nervous character, but I found myself liking him despite his weird tics. In the moments where he was more coherent, he seems to be a decent and interesting guy.

Angus traveled with Easton to the manor and is an older, retired soldier who saw combat with Easton's father and has since taken them under his wing. Angus is very no-nonsense about stuff while also being extremely superstitious. I think it made for a good combo, especially in this situation, and I also really liked Angus' character.

Denton is a doctor that Roderick called for Madeline. He was a bit harder to get a read on than some of the other characters and I wasn't entirely sure how I felt about him until closer to the end. There are moments when he's interesting and I liked him, and then there were moments where I questioned his motives and his presence at the House of Usher.

Miss Potter may well be my favorite character aside from Easton. She's the mycologist (read: mushroom expert) that I mentioned above and is a fictional aunt to Beatrix Potter. I liked her additions to the story and the landscape where the book takes place. She also has a bit of no-nonsense to her, though in a different way than Angus does, and I was glad to see her continually reappearing throughout the story.

The suspension definitely ramps up throughout the entire book. It starts off as someone visiting their sick friends, and then turns into one weird thing after another. The world around the characters, and the other characters themselves as well as their own senses, are called into question as things progress. I enjoyed the way Kingfisher used tension in the book and how there was a good balance between the various aspects of the novel.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and thought it had a good dose of weirdness and mushrooms. The characters were actually all enjoyable to read about as well, even if not all the things they do are.

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

Retired Lieutenant Alex Easton learns that their childhood friend, Madeline Usher, is dying and sets out for Ruritania. But when they arrive, they find an over-abundance of fungi, possessed hares, and a dark, pulsating lake. They also meet learned mycologist Eugenia Potter who sketches the local fungi.

Madeline, on the verge of death, sleepwalks and speaks in an unfamiliar voice; Roderick jitters verge on neurasthenia. A visiting doctor, James Denton from America appears to be caring for them.

As Madeline’s condition worsens, Alex discovers her sleepwalking; it isn’t long before Roderick announces that she has died.

Stunned by what they find in the crypt, Alex must find the truth behind Madeline’s death and the dark secrets held by the house.

=========

Set in 1890, this novella, a retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher,” is sublimely creepy. Both Denton and mycologist Potter are additional characters as are the disturbingly eerie hares in the telling of this tale. In keeping with Poe’s tale, Madeline and Roderick remain identified as twins. But Poe’s unnamed narrator becomes non-binary Alex; however, this characteristic seems to hold no particular importance for the telling of the tale, leaving readers to speculate on its true purpose.

Readers familiar with the original story will find plot points and ideas to appreciate here; readers new to the tale are sure to find the horrific story both macabre and disturbing.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire and NetGalley
#WhatMovestheDead #NetGalley

First off, I am a fan big of Edgar Allen Poe. Did he marry his teenage cousin? yes! But he wrote bomb ass stories, so can i really judge him? no. also he’s dead so it doesn’t really matter. I also think this was a super cool way to retell The Fall of the House of Usher. Kingfisher not only retells the story, keeping all the Poe-ness with it, but offers an explanation for the…. events. Its always fun to read someone’s interpretation, or creation based off of an old story by a dead person, and thats probably my favorite thing here.

Anyway, Beautiful writing! While it was initially reminiscent of a style I tend to loathe, Kingfisher’s particular prose and the way she uses figurative and descriptive language is just delectable. even the two opening paragraphs were killer: the choice to begin with a description of a mushroom thats gills were “the deep-red color of severed muscle” that reminds the narrator of dying soldiers was a huge tone setter right off the bat, but the way she maneuvers language to paint a picture throughout definitely puts this novel together.

On the other hand: the climax/“reveal” felt very stunted. Yeah, a part of me was surprised and eating up the logistics of it, but most of me was bored. I think the story would have benefitted from more emotional payoff, by the end it felt like I was reading an outline for the plan and explanation told through mostly dialogue that wasn’t as engaging as Kingfisher’s descriptions had proved themselves to be earlier in the book. (I also found the existence of certain characters to be confusing, such as ms Potter, who only seemed to be there to spew facts about mushrooms the whole way through, and then continue to share facts about mushrooms. It makes more sense in the end, yes, but her placement still felt odd to me.)

So to sum it all up: I did enjoy the What Moves the Dead, but I was mostly just disappointed by the time i put it down.

"I felt that I breathed an atmosphere of sorrow." (Edgar Allen Poe: The Fall of the House of Usher (1839) )

T. Kingfisher presents a most curious novella based on Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher. This is her atmospheric trek into a time of long ago where the unexplainable took root in the minds of readers then who had very little experiential background into the real and the unreal. It was through visuals that individuals based their truth upon. What my eyes see must register truth........

1890 brings dedicated soldiers back from the front. Lieutenant Alex Easton, retired military, rides upon his favorite horse, Hob, who knows him better than most men. Easton has received a letter from his childhood friend, Madeline Usher, who reports that she is ill and requests a visit from her dear friend.

Just beyond the fringes of the boundaries of the Usher property, Easton comes upon Eugenia Potter, a mycologist, sketching examples of fungus sprouting in the grass. She pokes one redgill mushroom with a stick as it gives off the wafting air of an old grave. Easton is appalled by its odor. But he's taken with the older woman's limitless knowledge. Remember Eugenia. She'll play quite the role here.

As Easton nears the Gothic manor, he is shocked by its rundown appearance. He's even more shocked by the appearance of both Madeline and her brother, Roderick. Both are deadly pale and listless, especially Maddy. This is far worse than what Easton envisioned. We'll meet Dr. James Denton, an American surgeon during the Civil War, who is perplexed himself at a diagnosis. Maddy seems to be dying, but she refuses to leave the manor. And Easton refuses to leave the pair.

Let's just say that Kingfisher has outdone herself in What Moves the Dead. The storyline is wrapped in a brief 131 pages. It's a mini masterpiece of gripping horror and lights-on-all-night surround sound. She's done Poe proud here with suggestive measures of creepy thought filaments that tangle themselves inside your head. A fast read that packs a wallop. Highly recommended for those who lean into the dark webby corners......me for sure.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Tor/Forge Publishers and to the talented T. Kingfisher for the opportunity.

I was immediately sold when I saw "Edgar Allan Poe retelling" and what a brilliant one it is!

Not only is this a creative take on The Fall of the House of Usher, it's also a creepy and atmospheric one. I really enjoyed how we get a solid level of detail in terms of the story, characters and world-building despite being a novella. I love the entire concept; what's terrifying is that it made total sense to me and I can see it actually happening in real life!

The ending felt slightly anti-climactic to me as I wanted to be more spooked, but overall this was a fun and engaging read. It's my first book by the author but definitely not my last!

Apparently we need to establish a new genre called “Fungal Gothic” (to encompass books like Mexican Gothic and What Moves the Dead) and I would be its biggest fan. This retelling does an excellent job of following the main beats of Poe’s original story, yet adding new dimensions. If anything, though, I was surprised by how much it reminded me of the original. That being said, the new elements (like a fascinating use of pronouns which reminded me of Ursula K. LeGuin’s The Left Hand of Darkness, and a delightfully intelligent and opinionated horse which reminded me of Maximus—the horse in Disney’s film Tangled), as well as the clever turns of phrase throughout, made this quite the enjoyable (and unique!) read. I would highly recommend to anyone interested in Poe, dark retellings, or the horror genre.

“They say mushrooms spring up where the Devil walks.”

T. Kingfisher has another masterpiece to add to her growing works. If you liked her previous stuff you’ll love this.
A musty and damp retelling of The Fall of The House of Usher by Edgar Allen Poe, definitively deserving of high praise.
Wonderful characters, more fully fleshed as a novelization, with the same madness elicited by Poe’s writing.
The creeping dread that Kingfisher somehow manages to put on the page is as evident as ever in her new novel. Highly recommend if you like gothic fiction, are familiar with the original short story, or are a fan of Kingfisher already.

T. Kingfisher's reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher" adds in a creepy new twist and a sharp sense of humor. Despite its period setting, there's a delightful modern spin, particularly in narrator and lead Alex Easton. Easton and her old chum Angus instantly imbue rooting interest, providing a perfect entry point into the tale and the dilapidated Gothic home falling into catastrophe. It's Kingfisher's character work and that new story twist- including very ominous and skin-crawling hares- that transforms a familiar, classic horror short into compulsive reading. But the author doesn't deviate too much; the Ushers' tale plays out exactly as Poe intended, which diminishes some of the effectiveness just a slight tick.

Another very atmospherically creepy book from T. Kingfisher! I really liked the 19th century setting for this one, and the riff on the Edgar Allen Poe story "The Fall of the House of Usher." Delightfully spooky! I appreciated the well-deserved acknowledgement of its spiritual cousin, Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic.

What Moves the Dead is a reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe's tale The Fall of the House of Usher. Strange things are afoot at the crumbling gothic mansion, most notably, with the odd fungal growth that has taken hold of the land. As someone who has read the book Mexican Gothic, it was hard not to draw comparisons. The author notes this in her author's note at the ending of the book. I actually found myself enjoying What Moves the Dead more. T. Kingfisher adequately set the dark mood, and I could tell she did her research by consulting with a mycologist. Overall, this one was a fun read that fans of gothic literature will enjoy.

Inspired by Poe, creepy, atmospheric, perfect horror genre retelling. I honestly can't say it better than that.

Alex Easton's childhood friend is dying.
~
The walls of Madeline Usher's ancestral home, deep in the Ruritania countryside, might be the last things she ever sees. They stand, waiting to soak up her final, shaky breaths. They stand, enclosing her like an enormous, wooden tomb.
~
Alex races to their friend's side, and the secrets of the great mansion collect around them like shadows; secrets with teeth, secrets with claws. Hidden things buried deep within the House of Usher.
~
I haven't read the particular Edgar Allan Poe short story that this retelling is based on ("The Fall of the House of Usher"), but I want to after reading this novella.
~
T. Kingfisher's WHAT MOVES THE DEAD, is everything a classic horror story should be. The atmosphere is dusty & choked with moth balls, filling your eyes, ears, & mouth. The way it reads, the way it moves is old fashioned, it's patient; it takes its time unraveling the black yarn. The darkness here is one that any horror fan will find comfortable.
~
However classic this story feels, the heart of the prose is not without a modern twinge. Any similarities to Poe's style (& I assume the original story) are more homage than imiatation. That's an important distinction. This novella is a retelling that manages to remain its own malicious entity.
~
WHAT MOVES THE DEAD is a firecracker throwing shadows down the walk, a rollercoaster in the dark. The ride is brief but chilling. It doesn't overstay its welcome but also doesn't feel underdeveloped, falling into the sweet spot of a great, sinister novella.
~
Thank you to Tor Nightfire & NetGalley for sending my an ARC copy of this book! Look for it when it hits shelves on July 12th!

Atmospheric. Macabre. We revisit the troubled house of Usher in this uniquely textured tale . . . a hair-raising blend of gloom and madness. A clever homage to a classic.

If you are a beloved fan of Edgar Allan Poe, gothic horror, or have ever been fascinated by the real-life fungal parasite Cordyceps that can essentially turn unwitting insects into walking zombies . . . this is a must-read for you!

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for an advanced copy of What Moves the Dead for my unbiased evaluation. 3.5 stars

Wow, this was awesome in it's plausible gruesomeness. A brilliant take on expanding the House of Usher story, which looms large in the literary-scape that is horror. A non-binary protagonist, who hails from a culture with 5 genders and their accompanying pronouns.

"The dead don't walk. Except, sometimes, when they do."

In need of a satisfying gothic tale? This is it! What Moves the Dead is a retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe. We follow a veteran, Alex Easton as he receives a letter from his childhood friend, Madeline Usher stating that she is unwell. He decides to take his horse, Hob, to the dilapidated Usher estate to find out what is happening to Madeline. When Alex arrives, he notices right away that something isn't right with Madeline and begins to notice something is off with her brother, Roderick Usher and the doctor, Denton, who was hired to diagnose Madeline.

What is causing the decline and illness of the Usher family and anyone who comes in contact?
Why are the rabbits acting strange?
Is the mere condition of the estate causing Alex to hallucinate?

What I love most is the author was in need of answers to these very questions from the original story by Poe and so they wrote a book as personal closure. I am honored that my first T. Kingfisher read is what Moves the Dead. It won't be my last!

The writing style is great and T. Kingfisher is fantastic at invoking the feeling of dread and horror. It was a quick read, and is a bit of a slow burn, but I feel it was done right.
The scenes were perfectly grotesque. The decriptions of the mycological nature, the tarn, the estate, and the condition of characters was immaculate and immersive. The dialogue was good too and I loved the bit of humor throughout as well. This story was atmospheric. I felt like I had traveled back in time with Lieutenant Easton to find out what is causing the Fall of the House of Usher.

Thank you NetGalley, Tor Nightfire, and T. Kingfisher for the eARC.
All opinions are my own.