I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review.
This is compelling, creepy modern rendering of a classic. While I don’t have intimate familiarity with the Poe original, it’s not necessary, especially as this story takes on a life of its own…including making a surprising Beatrix Potter connection. The inclusion of the narrator, Easton’s non-binary identity is also a welcome addition, along with the incorporation of neopronouns, and I enjoy how they’re incorporated into the story as it goes on. The other characters are also given their due, such as Madeline, with Kingfisher even critiquing Poe for his focus on the fungal-based horrors over personifying her in particular.

There are not many books that scare, but this one came close! I had a few bizarre dreams the night I finished this one. Inspired by The Fall of the House of Usher with a touch of 19th century Mexican Gothic, horror enthusiasts everywhere will want to add this to their TBR!

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for a copy.

A reimagining that I didn't know I needed. The gothic vibes in here were well done and I loved everything about this story. It's short and sweet (not really but I think you get what I'm trying to say here)

3.75 rounding up

Having never read the Edgar Allen Poe story, this tale was fresh and new to me and was written in the Victorian writing style. My brain takes a while to adapt to this, but the description and use of setting the tone at the beginning of the book were utterly captivating!
This gothic retelling/reimagining is a spooky delight and makes me think of a movie (which I cannot name, or it'll be spoilers). However, I believe this tale will leave you ready for Halloween and hunger for darker stories like this!

Definitely has the creep factor! Great great read.
Never read anything from this author before and this won't be the last can Definitely tell a good tale

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

3.5 stars

I'm not familiar with the original short story, nor am I that well versed in horror, but I enjoyed this book a lot! I found the first half to be a bit boring if I'm going to be totally honest, and thought about DNFing a few times, but once I hit the 60% mark I was hooked. It's definitely creepy and has that ick factor, and I slightly regret reading the last few chapters while eating dinner, but I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who likes creepy nature stuff and fungi in particular.

What Moves the Dead is the first book by T. Kingfisher that I've read, and what a doozy is was! The book is a retelling of one of Edgar Allan Poe's most famous stories, The Fall of the House of Usher. The first thing that grabs your attention is the artwork on the cover. It's extremely frightening, but oddly beautiful in a deeply disturbing way. This retelling is riveting, and really drew me in. You'll never look at hares the same again. There's one thing that drove me crazy, though, that hindered my enjoyment a bit....but more on that later.

In 1890, Alex Easton, a retired soldier, gets word that their childhood friend Madeline Usher is close to death. Alex rushes to the Usher home in the countryside of Ruritania, and what they find is quite disturbing. Madeline sleepwalks throughout the night and speaks in strange voices, and her appearance is almost too difficult to look upon. Her brother Roderick, who served with Alex in the war, doesn't seem to be much better. He seems to be suffering from severe nerves, and when Madeline dies, he seems to hear her voice in the night. The house is in a shambles, and there's a tarn (lake) that seems to oddly glow and pulse at times. There are strange fungal growths around. And just what the heck is wrong with the hares in the area?! Alex, with the help of Miss Potter the mycologist and James Denton the American doctor, must find out what's going on in the House of Usher, lest they are also destined to suffer the same fate.

I may have read The Fall of the House of Usher while I was in school, but I really don't remember. I did a bit of research about it so I could relate more to this book. Like Edgar Allan Poe, T. Kingfisher has a way of setting the mood and invoking the feelings of dread and fear. Some of the descriptions of the malady were quite disgusting, actually, but the words describing some of the scenes were almost poetic and drew one in, giving the hint that something really odd was going on in and around the Usher home. Alex was a great character, a "sworn soldier" that saw the horror of the death in battle, but they were shocked at the discoveries they made upon their arrival at the Usher home. I felt kinship with Alex that they had the same reaction to the horror that I did, and I'm just a lowly civilian. Alex was the narrator of the story. Supporting characters were all finely drawn, but I especially liked Angus, who was Alex's batman during the war, and Miss Potter, who studied fungus and liked to paint mushrooms. Now let's address the thing that drove me nuts. Apparently Alex is a non-binary person. There's nothing wrong with that. But do you know how many times I read the description of the story and went batty trying to figure out who "they" were? Did the author mean Alex and their horse Hob? (Who I also adored; he was quite a character.) So I finally caught on that Alex was non-binary. But no, I had to be confused even more! There was a section about Alex concerning pronouns used where Alex grew up. With words like ka, kan, ka'd, va, van, va'd, etc., I got totally confused, especially when multiples were used in one paragraph. It really threw off my comprehension and diminished the impact of the story. However, despite my confusion, this was some great storytelling and I'm looking forward to reading more books by this talented author.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

4.5/5!

Has anyone else been wanting more mushrooms in their horror since reading Mexican Gothic?? Well if you loved the vibes of that book, I think this novella might just be the horror read you need!

I had never read The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe, so when I found out this novella was based on it, I quickly picked up the short story to prepare. While I don’t think it’s required to read the source material because of how unique Kingfisher’s take is on the story, I do recommend at least checking it out after if you don’t have time before.

Now on to my thoughts of What Moves the Dead…it’s brilliant! This is easily one of my favorite gothic, atmospheric, and creepy horror novellas I’ve read to date. I loved all of the characters and the narrator, Easton, is fantastic. I was intrigued from the start to know more about the Ushers and their strange estate. I adored Kingfisher’s writing style and will definitely be pulling The Hollow Places off my shelf to read soon!

A huge thank you to Tor Nightfire for my gifted copy!

The nitty-gritty: A creepy and atmospheric retelling that pays homage to the original story while adding many unique elements, What Moves the Dead induces both laughter and horror, often in the same paragraph.

T. Kingfisher proves once more what a consistently good writer and storyteller she is. Not only does she have complete command over the 176 pages of her latest novella, a retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher, but she’s managed to successfully combine horror and humor in the most remarkable way, which doesn’t really surprise me because she did the same thing with The Hollow Places and The Twisted Ones. Creepy, atmospheric and extremely unsettling, What Moves the Dead is another winner for Kingfisher fans, and a great place to start if you’ve yet to try this brilliant author.

Retired Lieutenant Alex Easton receives a disturbing letter one day from an old friend, Madeline Usher, who says she is dying and asks Easton to come and visit her. Easton arrives at the Usher mansion and is shocked to see the house and grounds in a terrible state of decay. Even worse is the condition of Madeline and her twin brother Roderick, who both appear emaciated and ill. Roderick’s American friend Denton has also arrived at the mansion and is trying to determine the cause of Madeline’s decline. 

With the help of Eugenia Potter, an eccentric mycologist, and Easton’s servant Angus, Easton and Denton are determined to help their friends. But strangeness abounds in the house of Usher and the nearby lake, as the visitors begin to feel trapped by the odd events surrounding Madeline's illness.

Savvy readers may recognize some of the Gothic details from another popular novel (I won’t mention the name of the book because it’s fun to figure it out on your own). After the first sentence I knew what Kingfisher was paying tribute to, and I thought she did a brilliant job of utilizing some of the same elements but putting her own unique spin on them. She also explains in her Author's Note why she did this, and by the way, the Author's Note is definitely worth reading!

There are so many wonderfully bizarre elements in What Moves the Dead, and I don’t want to spoil anything for you so I’ll try to be vague. First of all, fungi and mushrooms play a big part in the story, and I have to say I’ve never seen them used in quite this way, even though I’ve read lots of horror stories involving fungi. And I will never look at hares the same way again ever, lol. If you think of rabbits and hares as sweet, fluffy creatures, then you might want to stay away from this book, as your image of them might be crushed forever. The author uses some well-tread Gothic elements that you’ll be familiar with, like the crumbling house of Usher with its peeling wallpaper, damp rooms and creaky floors. But she also adds some twists, like the nearby tarn (lake) that glows at night. And did I mention the hares?

The story is set in a fictional European country with its own traditions, like the use of seven different sets of pronouns. Children and inanimate objects have their own pronouns (as does God!), and when you join the Gallacian army you become “sworn” and give up your gender and thereafter use different pronouns. Easton, although retired from the military, continues to use the non-binary “ka” and “kan” pronouns.

And it wouldn’t be a T. Kingfisher story without engaging characters. Luckily we get a bunch of good ones in this story, including Easton’s servant Angus, who is simply delightful. Eugenia Potter is wonderful as well (and is the fictional aunt of someone you might recognize!) I loved the playful banter between the characters, especially with an American in the mix, which leads to lots of wryly funny jokes. Kingfisher’s prose is polished and elegant and perfectly suited for a Gothic mystery like this.

Some of the descriptions of the fungi and the hares are gross and disturbing, so do beware if you have a weak stomach. I personally loved every disgusting detail! What Moves the Dead is fairly short and can be read in one sitting. In fact, you probably won’t be able to stop once Kingfisher hooks you with her mesmerizing storytelling skills and atmospheric prose. Highly recommended.

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.

This book has massive creep factor - did not disappoint. Though I haven't read Poe's story in ages - I did look up the synopsis.
Kingfisher does an amazing retelling - so much so I had to put this book down many times. The suspense was so well done. Imagery. Just brutal.
Alex Easton receives a letter from his childhood friend - Madeline is dying. Her brother, Roderick, does not fare much better. Add an American doctor infamous for amputation in the Civil War and a woman determined to earn a place in the mycology annual regardless of her gender - and of course let's not forget Angus, Easton's valet. Loved these characters, again imagery.
There is some spent on Easton's home country - lots of emphasis on their use of pronouns, changes as one grows, chooses a career. Very well done.
Well earned place of one of the most anticipated releases for 2022.

A different take on “The Fall Of The House Of Usher”, this is sure to be a new gothic classic. This is dark and brooding, and gives one a sense of despair.

Summoned by an old friend, Alex goes to visit their crumbling estate. They encounter a mysterious old woman, who proves to be an expert in fungi. Alex senses something is very wrong when they arrive, their old friends are very ill. There are strange happenings all around the manor, creatures that seem of witches, and other natural occurrences that aren’t so natural and cannot be explained.

This was an excellent read, and I loved how the author made the protagonist to be inclusive, which is something that we need more of in horror novels. This book was truly spooky and brooding. The cover art is gorgeous and sets the tone for what’s to come.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you @tornightfire and @netgalley for #gifted eARC of WHAT MOVES THE DEAD.

Holy hell this tiny book is SO creepy!

Also what is it with horror authors and fungus?! I love how in the author’s note T. Kingfisher talks about how she started writing this book and then read Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and was like “she wrote a creepy fungus book way better than mine!”

Both of these books are so creepy and disturbing. The tension slowly ratchets up as you figure out what is going on with the MC. I frantically tore through the last 50 pages.

I actually have never read Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” but after reading this retelling, I don’t feel the need to. I think T. Kingfisher’s version is perfection in the most deliciously creepy way.

WHAT MOVES THE DEAD is out July 12, 2022.

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What an entertaining retelling of Edgar Allan Poe's classic "The Fall of the House of Usher." You do not need to have read the source material in order to enjoy What Moves the Dead. I loved the MC Easton, a non-binary retired lieutenant who goes to visit their old friend Madeline Usher. Upon arrival the grounds, tarn (local lake) and house are all in disarray and its' inhabitants aren't fairing much better.


So many thoughts: This cover is creepy yall. I loved all of the snark. Easton doesn't hold Americans in high regard, just go with it. Thank goodness for Mrs. Potter and her vast knowledge of fungi (you'll likely get Mexican Gothic vibes, but this is it's own story). Overall, it was an imaginative fast paced and creepy read. This was my first T. Kingfisher book and I really enjoyed her writing style despite my not being the biggest horror/paranormal fan. I'll definitely check out her backlist titles.

Rating 4 stars
Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor /Forge for providing me with an ARC for review purposes. All thoughts are my own.

Once this found it's pace, it was rather good. Freaky body horror and a fun mystery that will make you wonder, what does move the dead? It did take some time for me to get into this though - I was nearly half way in before I thought it really got engaging.

Thank you Netgalley and TorNightfire for my gifted e-arc. After reading Nettle and Bone, I wanted to read more by T. Kingfisher since I fell in love with their writing style. I was also intrigued that it was based on Edgar Allan Poe's "House of Usher" which I'll be honest that I read such a long time ago that I really don't remember much about it. I love Gothic Horror and this novel did not disappoint. I loved the atmosphere. It was so dark and broody. I loved how it started like your typical gothic tale and then turned into straight horror.

The last half of the book, I read it with my mouth open. The hares in this story are super scary! I was totally freaked out about them! I won't say much about the plot because its such a short book but its so worth it!!! I can't wait to get a physical book. The cover is perfect!

A deliciously dark and creepy retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher, with fascinating characters and very disturbing vibes. A wonderful short read.

Wow. This remix of the Fall of the House of Usher is incredible. It's like Wyndham's Trouble With Lichen was stirred into the Poe classic. The cover should give you a hint that this isn't going to be twee or precious - It's so, so creepy!

Buy now!

4.3/5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor for the ARC of this!

This was so creepy! It’s been forever since I read Poe, so I couldn’t remember exactly what to expect but there was lots of creepy fungus, the walking dead, and some complex pronoun/gender identity. Very short and easy to read in one sitting, I was worried I’d be too scared, but was more just creeped. If you liked Mexican Gothic or The Initial Insult, I would recommend this.

What Moves the Dead is a skillful and engaging retelling of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher," and I can't think of better hands to have put this in than T. Kingfisher's. This story follows retired solider Alex Easton as they venture out into the rural area of Ruritania to visit their dying friend. Once there, they discover that the nature and fauna of the area is a bit odd, and the cause of her dying friend's illness seems more suspicious than they initially thought.

What I liked: Alex Easton had a fantastic narrative voice that was deadpan in delivery and full of a dry wit that kept me fully engaged throughout the entire story. I loved the combination of creepy, witty, and general oddness that existed in this story, as it made for a reading experience that kept me entertained while also created an atmosphere that left me feeling a bit tense and unsure what was going to happen. A lot of the creepiness isn't right in your face, but there's always this unsettling feeling that permeates the atmosphere and keeps you hooked as a result of Kingfisher's careful, persuasive, and captivating prose. Of course, there were also some disturbing elements that were in your face, and T. Kingfisher handled those perfectly (and truly I'd expect nothing less). I loved the sinister quality of the house itself, its inhabitants, and the lands surrounding the house. And speaking of its inhabitants, I loved the somewhat eccentric cast of characters that were a part of this story and I continue to think this is one area where Kingfisher truly excels.

What I didn't like: Things felt a little slow-moving at times and I felt most plot points were mostly pretty obvious. Since it's a retelling I don't really think that's a huge problem because I already knew the plot in the first place, but I could see someone picking this up without knowing the retelling aspect finding some things a bit lackluster. I appreciated the slower pace and willingness to move throw the story at a reasonable pace that really allowed for Alex to get to the House of Usher, connect with the people there, and slowly realize some things are very, very off. I didn't liked this one quite as much as I've loved The Twisted Ones and The Hollow Places, but it's not really due to any major fault of the story and therefore I have very little to add to this "what I didn't like" section.

If you're in need of something a bit creepy and a very disturbing with just a touch of dry, witty humor, then look no further because What Moves the Dead is the answer!

How do you feel about retellings? Do you prefer when they stick to the script or become something of their own?
I feel like each has validity and intrigue in their own right, but I tend to lean towards retellings that become something of their own.
Here we have a gothic retelling of Poe’s ‘The Fall of House Usher.’ It starts off strong with its roots, then goes into new, riveting territory. T. Kingfisher is becoming one my favorite authors when it comes to short, horrific or disturbing stories. She’s the kind of person who can pack a punch within 176 pages, keeping the reader on the edge of their seats and more than willing to read within one sitting. While this wasn’t anything extraordinarily new, it gave what it promised.
There are some bits of writing that can take some getting used to and some people aren’t going to like it. There is a bit of animal abuse (hares), which is important to note if you can’t handle that. The story can also be compared to another book, which is addressed in the author’s note.