I have a friend who's been urging me to read T. Kingfisher for years, and now that I've read this, I'm very sorry I waited so long. Not for the faint of heart or stomach, this is a truly terrifying novella inspired by Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher -- but with all of the extra details and new characters I didn't know I wanted. I loved it and will be recommending it widely.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

"Mold crept up the pale boards, tiny spots of black that joined together like constellations." -From What Moves the Dead

5 stars

Hares, fungus, and decaying houses oh my! Kingfisher really took some of the standard horror characters Poe used in "The Fall of the House of Usher" and elevates and adds to them, creating a dynamic cast. The prose changes somewhat from Kingfisher's other works, to a more antiquated one that fits perfectly in the 1890's timeframe the book is placed in. I loved the nonbinary protagonist (though even a close friend uses 'sir' to address them), and the seven different pronouns their language had in general. It tied in well having the fungus using the child pronoun. I love how you get more explanation and closure in this retelling. This version makes me like the original more. Creepy horrific perfection.

Thank you endlessly to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

What Moves the Dead is written in the first person narrative from the perspective of Alex Easton and set in the late 1800s.. Easton, a retired soldier, receives word that their childhood friend Madeline Usher is dying. Rushing to the Usher’s ancestral home in the remote countryside, Easton is shocked to find fungal growth, possessed wildlife, and a pulsing lake. Easton is even more shocked when he finds both Usher siblings looking like the living dead and many strange occurrences in the manor. With the help of an American doctor and a British mycologist, Easton is determined to unravel the secrets of the manor before it consumes them all.

Thoughts: As an Edgar Allen Poe fan, I was a little wary about this retelling of his short story “The Fall of the House of Usher.” Kingfisher seriously nailed it. He took the bones of the story and added so much meat to it! In Poe’s classic, the story is chilling but rather straightforward with not much explanation on who the characters truly are and what exactly is happening. But that is no issue at all in Kingfisher’s retelling. One of the most satisfying novellas I’ve read in a while. Chilling, atmospheric, and with just enough humanity in all of the characters to make you care about what happens to them (usually a huge miss in novellas, I find). Not one full moment and it was very well-paced rather having than a super slow build. I also really loved Potter’s character and her abundance of scientific insight on fungi. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a horror novella, enjoy horror retellings, or love a good haunted house story.

I’ve yet to read Mexican Gothic but it seems that the consensus is that if you enjoyed that one, you’ll enjoy this. Definitely adding Mexican Gothic to my TBR now!

4.5 Stars!

WHAT MOVES THE DEAD, by T. Kingfisher tackles Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher", and goes into the storyline, furthering it, and fleshing it out in a way that felt both natural, and yet keeping with her own unique style.

The dreary setting is set, and Alex Easton--a woman who served in the army with Roderick Usher--comes to visit after receiving a letter from her friend, Maddie Usher. There is also an American doctor present there, although his character was unable to really do anything at this stage to help the obviously dying Madeline.

Despite being a take on a classic, Kingfisher makes this tale completely unique. Her trademark "dark humor" is present, although in smaller doses than in previous stories, due to the Victorian period, I assume. However, it does shine out, reminding you that this book--no matter how many times you've read the tale by Poe--is her own.

". . . (Look, if you don't make a fool of yourself over animals, at least in private, you aren't to be trusted. . . .")

". . . Sometimes it's hard to know if someone is insulting or just an American."

The atmosphere here is crucial to the story, and Kingfisher takes it to where your own imagination might have furthered the events leading to "The Fall of the House of Usher". The tale is complete, while still leaving room to have your own questions swirling about.

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

The only thing I really didn't care for was that the author went into various pronouns used in a village--seven of them--over, and over again. I could see if it were pertinent to the storyline, but it seemed to be something brought up often, that didn't do anything to forward the tale.

Other than that, I felt that this was a fantastic take on a well-known classic, with the author's personal style.

Recommended.

Novella retelling of Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher", this story is creepy, lyrical and humorous at the same time. The main character is Easton, a non-binary soldier who has received a letter from an old friend Madeline Usher, inviting them for a visit. Easton arrives on their horse Hob and finds the Usher home is a bad state. Not only is their large, castle like home in shambles, but the very town they live in seems to filled with dank water, terrible looking mushrooms and hares which seem like other-worldly creatures. Easton meets the great character Miss Potter, fictional aunt to Beatrix, and she tells hime the history of the poisonous mushrooms that she enjoys sketching and studying.

Madeline and her brother Roderick are in a terrible state. They have both gone bone thin with hair that is turned white and a deathly pallor to their skin. They are in the company of an American doctor named Denton who is unable to determine what is causing their decline. Easton becomes very concerned about their friends and also a bit scared when Madeline is found roaming around the castle at night as if in a trance. As Easton, Denton, Miss Potter and Roderick try to figure out what is causing such a terrible illness, a sense of something coming for the group is felt in every description of the dank lake which glows at night, the creepy animals that don't die when they are shot, and in Roderick and Madeline themselves who grow more skeleton like by the day. Easton's attempts t0 solve the mystery and help their friends is interesting and smart. I liked the warm relationship between the characters and felt the creepy cold as it crept through the Usher estate. Would love to see Easton and Miss Potter in another novella or novel. Thank You to NetGalley and the publisher for a free book in exchange for an honest review.

It has been a very long time since I’ve read Fall of the House of Usher by Poe, but I must say, this book wonderfully captures that uneasy “something is amiss” atmosphere you find in classic horror tales. Right from the start, the protagonist is charming, the narrative compelling and curious. The writing itself is brilliant, expertly capturing the plot and pulling you, the reader, along for a frightening ride.

The mushrooms, the tarn, the house itself, the Usher siblings - this is a perfectly crafted retelling of a very frightening story. Really, the MUSHROOMS. I also found the narrator very refreshing and highly entertaining, easily keeping me engaged the entire way. I also truly appreciated the way the author kept true to the original story while also changing just enough to keep this tale unique and special.

Books like this are rare to come across, and I am so glad I gave it a chance. Keep an open mind and you will enjoy this book, too.

Thanks to @netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this bold new novel from T. Kingfisher.

An imaginative retelling of Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher, What Moves the Dead tells of Alex Easton, a former soldier, visiting old friends Madeleine and Roderick Usher in their decaying manor house in the fictional Ruravia (which I believe is very near Genovia). Receiving word that Madeleine is dying, Easton arrives at the estate only to quickly discover that something dark lurks in the house of Usher.

I know you should never judge a book by its cover, but look at that striking cover! And any book that features the word “viscera,” in the first sentence you know is going to take you on a wild ride. This book initially gave me Mexican Gothic vibes what with the mushrooms and fungi all around, which made great sense when the author raved about it in the author’s note.

There was a lovely non-binary main character and beautiful usage of myriad pronouns when talking about different characters. There were deeply unsettling tableaus of death and decay that gave me chills. And there was even a very amusing blink-and-you’ll-miss-it mention of the mycologist Mrs. Potter’s niece, Beatrix.

Ultimately, this book was an enjoyably horrific ride. I am not usually drawn to the horror genre, but this novel had the most uncanny mix of horror, suspense, and absurdist humor that I flew through it. I found myself laughing out loud at the narrator’s dry wit one moment and being shocked by the gruesome happenings in the house of Usher the next. Honestly, this book is quite original and unlike anything else I’ve ever read—which is quite a feat when it is literally an adaptation of an extant work.

I read The Fall of The House of Usher in school and vaguely remember the main point of the story so I was very excited to see that T. Kingfisher was releasing a retelling of sorts.

This story follows very similar beats to the original while remaining unique in its own way. In the original story, you have a brother and sister living in a decrepit house which the reader explores through the eyes of a visiting guest.

What Moves the Dead expands upon the original by adding more side characters and creating more reasons why the eerie house exists as it does. The author does a wonderful job of subverting the readers expectations in this novella.

If you enjoyed Mexican Gothic or any other gothic literature, you would enjoy this. I feel like this novella really encapsulates the same level of slightly grotesque imagery that gothic literature is known for invoking and I can see fans of the genre really enjoying this.

As a huge fan of Edgar Allan Poe, I was thrilled to be able to read this retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher. T. Kingfisher does an incredible job immediately immersing the reader in the gothic backwater world in which we encounter Madeline and Roderick Usher, brother and sister who refuse to leave their ancestral home despite rot and decay all around them.

Where Poe told us the what in his short story, Kingfisher fills us in on the why and does it in an utterly believable and beautifully horrific manner. I was unable to put this one down, despite knowing the inevitable ending because the gaps that Poe had left us with, were finally being filled in.

The character of Easton and the addition of a culture with multiple pronouns adds an element of modernity and inclusion to this classic tale.

For fans of Mexican Gothic and Edgar Allan Poe, this is definitely a retelling that you do not want to miss.

Thank you to Netgalley, Tor Nightfire, and T. Kingfisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Crumbling estates, creepy wildlife, and insidious fungi — T. Kingfisher expands on Poe’s classic tale. The first half of the book was slow going, but it picked it halfway through and I didn’t want to put it down! I found Kingfisher’s descriptions of the hares living around the House of Usher deeply unsettling. There were bits that were quite reminiscent of Silvia Moreno Garcia’s Mexican Gothic, which the author acknowledges. Overall, it’s a quick, unsettling read that fans of the Gothic and Horror genres will enjoy.

Everything T. Kingfisher touches turns to immaculate horror story gold, and this book is no exception. It hits that sweet spot between just a genuinely fun retelling of Edgar Allen Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher (as well as a fantastic addition to the gothic horror genre), and something so so much more. Kingfisher has a talent for really setting the scene and atmospheric dread that really gets you into the book. Despite the fact that it was so short, I absolutely LOVED the characters and was impressed by how well-fleshed out they were. Kingfisher falls back on familiar gothic horror character tropes (the American, the Nervous Gentleman, the Sickly, Waifish Lady, and the Soldier) but gives them such a great history and spin that it takes everything I already love about the genre and makes it even BETTER. I'm trying not to give away any spoilers, but I will say that this book will keep you up at night and you won't look at *redacted* the same way ever again.

For those who liked Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic (which Kingfisher pays homage to in the Author's Note), you are going to LOVE this book.

Did I download this book and proceed to read the whole thing in one sitting? Perhaps. It’s been a long, long time since I read Fall of the House of Usher, so I went into this story blind. I absolutely loved it! Kingfisher created such a vivid and atmospheric setting that I truly felt unsettled while reading this book. She gave such life to the crumbling Usher manor and the eerie countryside that I truly felt like I was there along with Easton. And the horror! There were some truly horrific scenes, especially when it comes to body horror. I would have noped right out of there well before the crypt scenes.

I loved all of Kingfisher’s characters, especially Easton. Always here for the inclusion of nonbinary main characters! Even in the face of the dangerous unknown they still managed to keep things humorous and moving. We saw brief glimpses into Easton’s backstory, but they never took away from the storyline or slowed the pace. Mrs. Potter was also a particular delight and so easy to imagine. All of the characters felt truly fleshed out and interesting. My heart hurt for the Ushers.

This was my first T. Kingfisher and it definitely won’t be my last. I cannot wait to check out her backlog books, but I will also be revisiting Poe in the meantime.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for this ARC!

the fall of the house of usher is my favourite Poe story, so when Nightfire reached out to me to offer an advanced review copy of this retelling, I was elated. I had high expectations going in, and “What Moves The Dead” did not disappoint. I read it in one sitting.

The pacing was perfect. There is a lot of descriptive writing and attention to detail, which is imperative for any Poe retelling. For example, Kingfisher emphasizes the importance of the setting by describing it in depth. The prose doesn’t take away from the story’s progression; instead, it coexists with the plot and contributes to the creepiness.

As for the story itself, it was more unsettling than outright scary, and the ending was predictable, but I loved the explanation for Madeline’s death. The characters were more fleshed out than their original counterparts, and the nonbinary representation was refreshing.

Thanks to T. Kingfisher, I’m now terrified of hares. What Moves the Dead is such a wonderful little surprise. It’s a novella that mixes dread and humour perfectly, and managed to make me care about the characters and scare the pants off me in under 200 pages.

What Moves the Dead is an expansion of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher, adding in body horror, the history of a fake country, and a witty nonbinary hero.

Alex Easton is a retired soldier who receives a letter from their old friend Madeline Usher, who is dying from a mysterious ailment. Alex (and their wonderful horse, Hob) travels to the home of Madeline and her brother Roderick to try to help.

There, Alex meets a British woman studying fungi, a very American doctor, and several hares that seem to watch Alex. And there’s something wrong with the way they move.

(I finished this one after midnight and then unfortunately my dog wanted out in the backyard to chase rabbits. No thank you.)

Kingfisher captures so much of what I loved in Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic and Jeff Vandermeer’s Annihilation, but with a completely different tone (much funnier), a late-19th century gothic setting, and a warm cast of characters. I loved this weird little novella.

Thanks to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for the review copy of What Moves the Dead.

I went in blind and loved this so much. It so scary because you realize that it’s not so far from the realm of possibility.

This is a retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher and it was as creepy as you can expect from T. Kingfisher novel. Kingfisher’s use of atmosphere and eerie quiet made this book sneak up on me.

Alex Easton finds out their childhood friend is dying and they immediately head for her estate in Ruritania. Alex wasn’t at all expecting what they find upon arrival. Something about the landscape is strange. The vegetation, mainly the grotesque fungal growth around the dark and insidious lake is cause for concern. And when they arrive inside their friends’ ancestral home, they find their old friends, the ailing Madeline and her brother Roderick, who looks ill himself.

She is deteriorating fast, but at night they find her sleepwalking and muttering strange words in an eerie voice. What is Alex to do? Especially when they cannot make heads or tales of what could be causing Madeline to fade the way she has.

Kingfisher has added new characters and has gone into more detail about certain aspects of the original story and it was transcendent! So many details that Poe didn’t address are entertained in this book, resulting in a horrific and rapidly building story of nature and possession. Amazing!

I loved this book.

I've been a fan of T. Kingfisher's work for a few years. 2019's The Twisted Ones is one of my favorite horror stories of all time. 2020's The Hollow Places was one of those "perfect book at the right time" books for me. I was just going through a divorce and The Hollow Places made me feel seen and made sense of some of the feelings I was struggling to voice. I will always be thankful to Kingfisher for writing that book. Both of those books were adaptations/homages/inspired by horror short stories from the past. The Twisted Ones was an homage to Machen's The White People and The Hollow Places was an homage/spiritual sequel to Blackwood's The Willows. What Moves the Dead is a similar homage to Poe's Fall of the House of Usher and just like its predecessors is a fantasic read that will be added to my list of favorite horror stories.

The general premise of What Moves the Dead is that Easton, the main character has been summoned by their friend Madeline Usher to the Usher ancestral home. When they arrive, Easton finds their friend and their friend's brother apparently deathly ill. However, other strange things are occurring as well. Both Ushers are behaving strangely, there are bizarre and exotic fungus everywhere and...well...there's some really weird hares. Over the course of the novella, these elements blend together to result in climax that is just as riveting as both of the aforementioned earlier books from Kingfisher and might even surpass them in terms of quality.

Beyond characterization (which continues to be one of the areas in which T. Kingfisher far surpasses most writers) the setting for this book was astounding and was incredibly vivid. As I read this book, I felt the decay that was described in the Usher home and I felt the eerieness and outlandishness of the strange happenings around that home. Also Kingfisher is one of the best at writing animals. Alongside the dog in The Twisted Ones and the stuffed otter in The Hollow Places, Easton's horse is now one of my favorite fictional animals. Also the hares were fascinating and are image that is going to rattle in my head for a long time to come.

I'm super excited for others to get the chance to read this book and I think this book continues to prove that Kingfisher is at the top of the pack for writers of horror stories with a lot of heart.

"I did not know how to deal with this sort of death, the one that comes slow and inevitable and does not let go. I am a solider, I deal in cannonballs and rifle shots. I understand how a wound can fester and kill a soldier, but there is still the initial wound, something that can be avoided with a little skill and a great deal of luck. Death that simply comes and settles is not a thing I had any experience with."

This novella retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher - an Edgar Allan Poe Short Story starts off pretty closely to the original story, but deviates along the way to give the tale its own flair by way of Mexican Gothic. (This is discussed in the author's note at the end of the book.)

I like to think that this particular version gives more clarity and closure to EAP's open-ended original, and it makes for quite the satisfying read if you can stomach a few lightly grotesque moments. Obviously horror and disgust are reactions that vary with each reader, but as a casual consumer of horror and a regular consumer of graphic violence in the crime fiction I read, I found this to have a few yuck moments, but nothing inducing sleep deprivation or my gag reflex.

Easton is our narrator, and one of the creative and unique inclusions in this tale is Easton's pronouns. Kingfisher has chosen to create and entire new vocabulary of pronouns for the land that this character was born into, but for the sake of this review and the ease of the reader, I'll be simplifying to using our equivalent of they/them, instead of ka/kan, va/van, etc.

The year is 1890, and Easton served in the war alongside Roderick Usher, while also being close friends with Roderick's sister, Madeline Usher. One day, they receive a letter from Maddy urging them to visit in haste, as something is very wrong. What Easton finds when they arrive is a rundown Usher estate covered in tarn, mushrooms, and various other forms of fungi. We also meet an English mycologist and an American doctor who play roles in the progression of the story, but Easton remains our sole POV.

I don't want to give anything away, but while the story is fairly predictable and straightforward, it was wholly enjoyable and the perfect length to get me reading again after setting aside several novels I had recently started. The addition of the hares was a wonderfully creepy insertion, and the fact that we receive full closure at the end of the book was incredibly satisfying. If you're looking for a mildly creepy read that is fast paced and thought provoking, please give this one a try!

This is a quick fun retelling of Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher." I loved Kingfisher's unique take on the story that will appeal to fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Jeff VanderMeer. I recommend this to both teen and adult readers who want a creepy book that will live under your skin for a long while.

Despite my mega-queasiness, my high school self begged me to pick up this Edgar Allan Poe retelling of Fall of the House of Usher. It was pretty horrifying, but my GOD this book was fantastic. The main character was incredible, I loved the acknowledgments section, the whole story was wild, I flew through it.

I gave this horror novella a 3/5 star rating. I’ve never read such a short horror story before and the premise was fascinating! The descriptions of how the fungi were disturbing the forest animals and humans alike was chilling and made this story feel infinitely more real somehow. This book releases on July 12, 2022 and I would highly recommend this to anyone, especially those of you who want to dabble in the horror genre but are too intimidated to pick up a 400-page book!