This was an unsettling, creepy read, though it lacked some of the whimsical charm characteristic of Kingfisher's other horror books.

5 gothic stars

Oh YES. I had such a horrifically good time. This is the mirror-twin counter melody to Mexican Gothic, the Fall of the House of Usher done grotesque.

Concept: ★★★★
Pacing: ★★★★★
Enjoyment: ★★★★★

Well, it's happened again: I have fallen in love with yet another bizarre and lingering horror story with a special focus on mushrooms. ("Again," yes, because this niche apparently has multiple books in it.)

Join me and the spores...

Alex Easton has heard word that their childhood friends, the Ushers, are struggling. Madeline is gravely ill, Roderick is not faring much better, and something is amiss.

Alex arrives, and they quickly realize that Roderick's understated things. There is something very, very wrong with this scene.

Madeline looks like she's already dead, Roderick doesn't look much better. The Usher estate is damp, moldy, and near-death itself. There's a visiting American doctor who has no idea what is going on, and a wandering older British woman on the grounds with a passion for mushroom study and a daughter named Beatrix Potter.

As Alex stays in the home, a creeping sense of foreboding and inevitability starts to sink in. The longer they stay at Usher, the worse it seems to get...

And that's IT. I won't say any more.

What Moves the Dead looks like—and sounds like—a repeat of concepts to those of us who have already read and loved Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic. In fact, T Kingfisher themselves writes in the Author's Note that they'd been chewing on this idea already, and then Mexican Gothic came out and What Moves the Dead disappeared into a drawer, almost for forever, as Kingfisher went "gah, I can't do it better than THAT!"

Well I, personally, am thrilled that someone got T Kingfisher to revisit and finish this tale. This is something akin to a cousin, a neighbor, someone with the same facial features as Mexican Gothic but with an entirely different set of personality traits. These two novels are NOT the same, and—as a Moreno-Garcia superfan I can't believe I'm saying this—What Moves the Dead did it... better.

This was grotesque, truly horrifying, and went somewhere that even I didn't full expect. I thought I knew the steps, and I was having a good time, but then... yeah. This seasoned reader was still surprised in an interesting way. A very, very good horror novella that I recommend to anyone with the stomach to handle it.

Thank you to TOR/Nightfire for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

A very good retelling of Edgar Allan Poe's classic "The Fall of the House of Usher." When his childhood friend Madiline turns terminally I'll he rushes back to her childhood home to see her. But was it more than he bargained for?

This was a take on Poe's The House of Usher. I love Poe. However, I've never read the House of Usher. What Moves the Dead was delightfully creepy and engaging. I wanted to read it during a storm or on a dark fall night. The descriptions are detailed and you feel transported to the dreary area and falling down house. The characters, especially Ms. Potter, are very alive on the page. If you enjoy a good gothic horror mixed with some fantasy this is the book for you. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

WHAT MOVES THE DEAD is an atmospheric, quick, gothic read that was just the right amount of creepy and intrigue and mystery. The characters were very well developed and even without having read the source material, this was still so damn enjoyable.

I don’t read a lot of horror but I think I need to look into more horror novellas. I loved how this book just kept getting more and more intense page by page in the best of ways. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time!

My favorite part was having a non-binary MC and the interesting discussion and use of pronouns throughout. Highly recommend this one!! I’m so excited to read more from this author.

I really enjoyed Nettle and Bone, this author's previous book, as well as The Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking, so I was excited to receive an ARC of What Moves the Dead. After trying several times to get carried away by the story, I just...wasn't. I'll avoid posting this review publicly as I do not want to finish the book.

While I liked the idea of a story based on Poe’s Fall of the House of Usher I didn’t particularly like this execution of it. I think perhaps this author’s writing style and interests are not for me.

I was a little scared to pick this book up, first because I am a fan of Poe and as this is a retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher I had certain expectations, but also because I don't typically read horror since I don't like to be grossed out. I didn't need to be worried though, this is a great retelling that really captures the same atmosphere of the original while taking it in a slightly different direction which I loved! Also, while there were some things that were kind of gross (just look at the cover, fungus is gross!) I never wanted to put this book down.

As with all of T. Kingfisher's works that I have read the characters really make this story sing. Not only do we have Alex Easton, the soldier who has come to visit the House of Usher, and Roderick Usher, who are both from the original story, but we get much more of Madeline, Roderick's sister who is not very present in the original, as well as some new characters of Kingfisher's own creation.

The atmosphere is also spot on for a Poe retelling. The original story is mostly just atmosphere, with a sense of unease being the central feeling of the story, and Kingfisher has matched this beautifully. I felt very unsettled right from the start, and got more and more uneasy as the story progressed which is exactly what I wanted.

Finally, I loved how Kingfisher made the main character non-binary, and the way that Alex handles other characters asking ignorant questions was phenomenal! Also the inclusion of a fantasy country that uses its own set of pronouns not connected to sex or gender was so much fun and very well done.

One of the best novellas I have ever read and one of my favorite books of the year. I highly recommend to people who like gothic horror and Poe.

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Nightfire for providing me a free eARC in exchange for my honest review.

More detailed review on my youtube channel https://youtu.be/83TtG_xYuhw

If you really love Poe's short stories, this book will be the one for you! Gothic, creepy, and full of intensity, What Moves the Dead is a heart-pounding adaptation of Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher" that gripped me until the very end. Kingfisher's atmospheric writing paints such a vivid picture of the novel's setting, and the text really highlights so many of the important motifs present in Poe's original story. That being said, Kingfisher's writing makes this as original as possible. Although its a short read, it's a good one. While I sometimes wished the writing was a little clearer and tighter, I really did enjoy this one.

I honestly don't think T. Kingfisher's writing style is particularly my cup of tea. I thought the reimagining of House of Usher was interesting, but overall I thought it was too short to really induce any feelings of "horror."

The dead don't walk...

Alex, a retired soldier, receives a letter informing them that their good friend, Madeline Usher, is mortally ill. They set off right away to visit Madeline and her brother, Roderick, in Ruritania. When Alex arrives at the strange house of Usher, they immediately notice it covered in weird mushrooms. During their visit, increasingly strange things begin to happen, leaving Alex questioning their sanity. Alex is disturbed by Madeline's sleepwalking and speaking in eerie voices at night. Roderick is overcome with anxiety and refuses to leave the house. The Usher house is surrounded by a lake with unsettling movement under the water and bizarrely behaving animals. With help from a doctor and a mycologist, can Alex figure out what is causing the Ushers' afflictions before it's too late?
I took a chance on this novella, and I'm so glad I did! I loved the gradual build of suspense and creepy happenings throughout the story. I actually felt a chill in my spine at one point, and even jumped in the shower when my sister interrupted an intense scene in the audiobook! The narrator was able to perfectly pull me into each moment until I was completely absorbed into the story. I would recommend this novella to anyone looking for a quick, creepy read!

When I heard there was going to be a retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher I was excited. When I heard T. Kingfisher was doing it, I was giddy.
This book was amazing, capturing all the terror and atmosphere of Poe while also bringing in its own unique take on the material. The character of Easton had such an interesting back story and was definitely well written. I loved the inclusion of Miss Potter as an expert.

Just thinking about the headless rabbit scritching across the table still gives me chills.

A memorable, creepy and innovative read I would recommend to all horror lovers.

What a creepy, strange book this is. Based on Poe's Fall of the House of Usher, this tells the story of retired soldier Alex Easton, who finds out that a beloved childhood friend is dying. Easton arrives to find the situation much worse than imagined, and becomes embroiled in the mystery of what is happening at the House of Usher.

This book feels very different in tone than Kingfisher's other books - by which I think I just mean it's creepier. I had to put it down most nights because I didn't want the very strange story influencing my dreams. I also haven't read the original story (although I did look up a summary), so I'm not sure how closely this book follows the original. It seems most of the main plot points are there.

So if you like creepy, sort-of-classic-influenced, weird fiction, this will definitely be a book for you.

I would like to thank the publisher for the eARC I received.

This one was such a beautifully sad reimagining of one of my favorite stories. Kingfishers imagination ran wild with this and I think it came up perfectly. I was a little confused trying to follow the language that was created for the characters but found it to be a key factor for the world building.

I don’t typically go for these kinds of books despite being an Edgar Allen Poe fan, so I might be rather biased here. I was, however, intrigued to read this BECAUSE it is based on The Fall of the House of Usher by Poe.
Back in 2020 in the midst of lockdown, I borrowed my best friend’s copy of the Complete Works of Edgar Allen Poe. (To say it was a beast of a book is an understatement. I think it took me over a month to read in full.) A few things I want to start with that I promise coincide with my review:
Poe wrote poems and stories from approximately 1827-1846 during a time when publishing was incredibly difficult. He’s also the first author to have published works of horror and surprisingly enough, mystery! To create essentially two new genres of writing during a time when all odds are against you given the difficulties the publishing world was having really shows you his talent, drive, and dedication to what he was passionate about.
The reason I bring this up is that anyone who wants to write fan fiction or a spin-off of Edgar Allen Poe’s works clearly has HUGE shoes to fill.
I think Kingfisher is very talented. She has such a way of describing the simplest things and describing them in such a graphic and gruesome way. Who knew rabbits and mushrooms could appear so gross! 🤷‍♀️
I also had a big appreciation for her Author’s Note at the end which says that she likes asking the ‘why’ and wants to explain ‘why’. I thought she really did her homework when it came to explaining about different mushrooms and things in nature and how they react to the world around them. She clearly did a lot of research on that topic.
There were times I did feel things got a bit redundant. I felt like I had read certain lines 4-5 times in different parts of the book. When I would think we’re going to move on from a topic, it would come back a few more times before something else happened. It got a bit repetitive in my opinion. Maybe the reason The Fall of the House of Usher is a short story is that there isn’t as much to be said and the imagination can take hold instead of everything being spelled out. Sometimes classics are best left untouched for this reason, in my opinion.
I would definitely read more of Kingfisher’s works although if you’re a big Poe fan, this might not be the best place to start. However, I have seen some glowing reviews for this one so be sure to check it out for yourself!
A huge thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.
3.25⭐️

I think I would read T Kingfisher describe paint drying.

One thing is certain, I'm always captured by the words they write. Sometimes atmospheric and others thrilling, I haven't been disappointed yet. The setting is eerie with a sense of dread just around every corner!

I think Poe would be proud of this retelling!

The summary really says it best; When Easton receives word that childhood friend, Madeline, is dying - the only option is to head to the isolated estate. What they find is dark, mysterious and all together a bit spooky. Possessed wildlife, a glowing pulsing lake, sleepwalking and an interesting fungal growth. Unraveling the secrets of the house becomes pressing...

i received a digital ARC of this novel from netgalley and i am so beyond thrilled that i did.

t. kingfisher sat down one day and thought “hey what if i take a story that’s already great and add a bunch of new characters, lore, and answers to make it 100x better?” and then did it. and it was fantastic.

“what moves the dead” is a retelling of the classic, “the fall of the house of usher” by EAP. but when i say retelling i mean it very loosely. if you’ve read the original story you’ll know most of what’s going to happen, but all of the new additions make this books so damn charming!

the new characters outside of the original cast of 3 brought so much to the table in terms of storytelling. alex easton, our new narrator, was fantastically charming and shared so much of ka’s clever nature with the reader that it often felt like i was reading ka’s journal.

notice the last paragraph. kingfisher, in all of her amazing brilliance, modernized this story in such a unique way by implementing sets of alternative pronouns (ka/kan and va/van) and subgroups of society existing outside of gender, each with their own history and linguistic specifications. these details, as well as all of the other bits of culture hidden in this otherwise daunting story, prove just how much passion kingfisher has for this world she‘s inhabiting. and i love her for it!!

ok i’m done now. this was amazing. fantastic. perfection. i am obsessed and will never stop talking about this.

I was hooked by the very first paragraph of this retelling of the classic Poe tale "The Fall of the House of Usher. As T. Kingfisher points out in her Author's Note, the original "The Fall of the House of Usher" is really a short story, albeit one that has been made larger than life by the cinema. I took a short pause while reading WHAT MOVES THE DEAD to re-read Poe's original, and I found it more difficult to read than I remembered. While WHAT MOVES THE DEAD captures some of the language of gothic romanticism, for which Poe is known, it reads more in line with what modern readers have come to expect.

Where Poe leaves us with many questions, Kingfisher provides answers. Who is the narrator? That's easy… Alex Easton. We learn just who the Usher's visitor is and his relationship to both Roderick and Madeline. I would add a point of personal privilege here… Easton refers to Madeline Usher, throughout the book, as Maddy. Although my own first name is spelled differently, I too am Maddy, though many insist I am Maddie. It was refreshing to see my nickname spelled the way I spell it. But I digress. Then there is the fungus. In WHAT MOVES THE DEAD, we meet Eugenia Potter, amateur British mycologist, thus unrecognized by the Mycology Society for being of the fair sex. I have to say, the unflappable Miss Potter is my favorite character. With Madeline so ill, and Roderick not doing much better, we meet the American doctor, James Denton. Finally, there is the memorable Hob, Easton's horse.

T. Kingfisher has put meat on the bone of Poe's original short story without depriving it of the atmospheric horror with which we are all familiar. The House of Usher, the tarn, and the pervading gloom surrounding them remain as chilling as ever.

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher was one of my most highly anticipated reads and I can't believe I got lucky enough to be approved for it on NetGalley. Before this, I had never read anything from T. Kingfisher but I was totally sold as soon as I heard that this was a reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher. I love that story and this did a fantastic job of putting an awesomely disturbing and unsettling new spin on the story. I enjoyed getting to know Alex, but my favorite aspect was easily the setting and the gothic atmosphere. The atmosphere is so thick you can almost taste it. I know that sounds weird, but I definitely mean it as a good thing. After finishing this story, I know that I'll absolutely need to read everything that T. Kingfisher has ever written and will write.

I am really sad about this one. I felt like this book, while so short, dragged so much. I know there were parts in here that were meant to scare me or be really creepy, but I just didn't care about what was going on in the story unfortunately. I was really looking forward to it because of the retelling aspect, but it just wasn't for me I guess.