Literally, what moves the dead.

Mushrooms, man. This made me glad I'm not more of a fan. They're weird, weird things.

I didn't realize going in that this was an homage to a Poe work (The Fall of the House of Usher), but it made so much sense when I read that. I wonder how Poe would feel about this type of horror - from what I know of him, he'd be thrilled. It's the sort that makes your throat tighten a little with both fear and nausea - but it's so well-written and engaging that even when the words on the page (or screen) are telling you things that make you queasy you can't help but admire the craft.

I continue to bless the day I discovered T. Kingfisher - even though she has now made me look askance at something so mundane as a mushroom pizza.

I've never read the story this is based on. But I will say T. Kingfisher has done an amazing job with this story. I'm I shocked? No. Kingfisher's writing is awesome. Always greepy, but with interesting and well fleshed out characters. This was yet another hit for me from this author. A quick, creepy read.

WMtDReview
Before diving into T. Kingfisher's What Moves the Dead, I had only heard the term 'sporror' in passing, never quite sure exactly what it was. Even knowing the 'definition' it wasn't something that really clicked in my mind.
Not until I started reading, anyway.
The book really takes its time in the beginning, setting the scene and describing the ambiance that the reader will need for the rest of the book. Our narrator, Easton, is heading to the House of Usher to visit some old friends who have taken ill. It was here I had a sort of lightbulb moment and realized this for what it was: it's a retelling of the Fall Of the House of Usher.
The mystery set forth once Easton arrives at the house is immediately intriguing: what is wrong with the Ushers? What happened to the house that it has fallen into such disarray? And hat is the strange illness that has afflicted Madeline Usher? The questions being pressed upon me, along with the dark, atmospheric, gothic writing, heightened the tension. Eason wandered the halls looking for the source of a strange town, and my feet were as cold as Easton's on the cold stone floors of the crumbling house.
The description is that good.
The plot thickens when the hares come into play. They look like any other hare, but they act strange, bravely watching closely any larger animal that comes near them, never scurrying, never running away. Just staring. Stuff of nightmares, honestly. Nothing good ever comes from an animal that doesn’t act like it should.
I devoured this book in almost a single sitting, unable to put it down. As a retelling, it's absolutely brilliant, and even without knowing or caring about the 'source material' it's a phenomenal book. It's atmospheric and chilling, with characters that are interesting and real. the book had a couple of really chilling twists and turns in it that I didn't expect. It might not be a super 'scary' horror book, but if you're looking for great writing and chilling imagery and atmosphere, this is the book for you.
I received a copy of this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

This was a spellbinding retelling of a Poe classic. I was sucked in from the first paragraph and couldn't put it down. This was a single sitting read for me! Kingfisher's handling of a nonbinary character was elegant and excellent. It made the book even stronger. Plus there were creepy mushrooms.

This book helped me understand how prose can be visceral. I highly enjoyed this haunting tale and loved the way that Kingfisher threads the narrative between exploration and horror. This is my new go to recommendation for people who don't like horror stories or anyone who wants to read a fresh retelling. Kingfisher continues to never disappoint me even as she pulls me along into genres I'm not as familiar with. Five stars.

Fans of Edgar Allan Poe will enjoy this homage to his work and it had wonderful gothic vibes. I loved the descriptions of the plants and the eerie life the spores took on.

At times, the plot was a little repetitive, but overall it was a good story.

THIS BOOK WAS EVERYTHING. Kingfisher is so unbelievably skilled at creating a gothic and creepy atmosphere that draws you in and gives you chills down your spine. The focus on mushrooms' and the decay of life, the eloquent writing, the enjoyable characters - everything about this book made it top tier for me. Now, I will say I've never read Mexican Gothic, which I've seen numerous people compare it to, but if I loved this one this much, I can't wait to experience another gothic horror, so I can't give the comparison that many reviews online have, but I can say, I was enthralled and I loved this book so much. It was perfectly creepy, and gave me the dose of horror I was looking for. Five well deserved stars.

This was haunting, eerie and just so good. Kingfisher has such a fantastic writing style that just makes you want to consume the story,

Better late than never!

Here is my review of What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher.

Holy. F*ck.

I don’t read horror often so maybe that’s why I was so creeped out BUT let’s say I wouldn’t read this at nighttime. It’s very vivid, fast paced, sinister. There’s something about the way the story unfolds that makes you feel afraid.

I would say add this to your spooky TBR if you haven’t read it, and put attention to all the details!

Special thanks to Netgalley for the digital copy, I ended up getting a physical one from the publisher as well which made the reading a lot more comfortable ;)

An absolutely gripping retelling of "The House of Usher"! Given, I'm a sucker for a good fungus centered horror story, but this was so unexpectedly good: I understood and felt for the characters, the period language was fun, the story was perfectly paced, with the increasing, creeping dread and understanding. I really enjoyed this and look forward to trying more by Kingfisher.

3.5/5 stars. This was great! I'm a huge Edgar Allan Poe fan, so I loved the reimagining. The writing was great, and the story definitely got my heart racing and gave me goosebumps.

This cover definitely intrigued me to read this book. I was surprised by how short it was but it was the perfect length for this story. This story held many combined genres, was inclusive, and really sucked the reader in. I didn't love the scenes with the hares, but I'm ultra sensitive to animals.

This book was unique, interesting, and fun to read. While I enjoyed reading it for personal reading, I will not be adopting it for my classroom. Thank you to the publisher!

T. Kingfisher could write an encyclopedia that I'd want to read, so when I saw that What Moves The Dead was a revamping of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher", I was giddy with excitement. Yes, giddy. I said what I said. Instead of a regurgitated version, Kingfisher has added her own reconception to Poe's short story and it's a doozy.

As with Poe, Kingfisher begins her tale with a first-person narrative. However, unlike Poe and his exceptionally vague male protagonist, Lieutenant Alex Easton is a genderqueer retired soldier friend of the female Usher—a deviation from Poe's who is a friend of the male sibling. Kingfisher has also made the addition of a female mycologist, an American doctor, as well as various townspeople, to complete the cast. Though I have to admit Angus, the Scottish personal assistant of Lt. Easton, was a personal favorite.

Kingfisher always crafts her stories with creeping dread and from the beginning pages, she molds (pun not intended but in this case, highly appropriate) this inspired tale with care. The Usher property is blooming with nasty, foul-smelling mushrooms, the manor house is crumbling and filled with mildew and decay, and the Ushers themselves are pallid skeletal things. None of that is anything new. Oh, but the hares. If nothing else will give you the heebie-jeebies in this story, the hares will. You know that feeling you get while watching horror movies, where a person skitters around on all fours or jerkily ambulates—familiar but thoroughly alien? Kingfisher must dream of that feeling because she excels at writing the wrongness of things.

It's like Kingfisher took a look at Poe's narrative and decided to complete all of the gaps, mapping out the dark corners and watery lake depths. She scaffolded onto the original with a light touch, melding some gratifying humor and wit with the expected gothic conventions. However, if you were a fan of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic and Jeff Vandermeer’s Annihilation, you'll be over the moon to know that this is also a fungal horror. Undeniably, Kingfisher gives us the answers to the questions that plagued us after finishing the original. Poe's version left the reader with so many interpretations and very little solid evidence. Kingfisher doesn't wait for the House of Usher to break atwain; She lights it on fire and watches it burn.

WHAT MOVES THE DEAD is a completely dark read. This retelling both pulled me in and freaked me out at the same time.

What: dark, gothic, alternate-history
Features: a fungal nightmare, a dark foreboding body of water, disease, mystery
Assets: a brief novel packing in rich details of an alternate history/world, thick atmosphere, creeping dread
Obstacles: readers may feel like they're lost in the same fog permeating the setting
Who it’s for: fans of dark fantasy, gothic fiction

8:30 at night and ugh, I don't wanna read anything or watch anything or play anything and it's (almost) too early for bed, so I start flipping through ARCs and oh yeah, I wanted to read this one! Two hours later, and I'm wonderfully creeped out. I definitely prefer this to her other horror novels.
Thank you very much to Tor and NetGalley for the ARC!

T. Kingfisher is officially my favorite author discovery of 2022! I love her writing style and the way she remakes and reshapes classic fairytales

4.5 stars. I read both this and it's inspiration (The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allen Poe) this year. I read this first, though I think my rating would've been the same either way. This is a short read with some seriously creepy vibes and the atmosphere is really what sells the story. I do wish that there would have been more exploration of the plot and that Kingfisher had taken things much further than the original novel, but this reimagining was still quite vibrant. There is definitely a gross out factor to the tale, so be forewarned. The representation is really well handled and I think the Gothic style comes through brilliantly. I'm just a big fan of T. Kingfisher all around.

This is a short quick read, and is a retelling of a classic Poe. It was creepy, and amazing, and I wanted more. Kingfisher is now on my radar