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.

I am not usually into retellings, but I am very into Poe, so I thought I might like this and I really did! I also often don't like novellas but this was perfect. As an expansion on an already short story the novella was a perfect way to do it, it also made it hard to put down.

I loved the main character Alex, they were immediately likable. I loved the relationship they had with their horse, it reminded me of having conversations with my animals. I loved the interesting take on pronouns as a bit of worldbuilding. The humor throughout the book was so great, some wit and sarcasm mixed in throughout a horror story had me chuckling more than I expected to. The horror was also great, nice and creepy. I love a nature-based horror story and this was a clever take on the original story with just enough interesting science mixed in. It's got some good scary parts, but very in line with the tension of Poe, plus some gore on the side.

I definitely recommend this to fans of Edgar Allan Poe, or horror in general, and fans of Jeff VanderMeer, as well as Silvia Moreno-Garcia- the author references Mexican Gothic at the end in the author's note so definitely don't skip that part.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for an advance e-copy of this book.

Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire, and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC.
Actual rating: 3.5 stars, but rounded up to 4

What Moves the Dead is a retelling of one of my favorite Edgar Allan Poe works, The Fall of the House of Usher. I really wasn’t sure what to expect from What Moves the Dead, as this was my first time reading both a Poe retelling and anything by T. Kingfisher. At first, I was really perplexed by what the heck I was reading, as What Moves the Dead spends a lot of time dedicated to the history of a fake country and its sworn soldiers, with our narrator counting themselves amongst the number of sworn soldiers, and interspersing it with a strange, meandering sense of humor that feels almost like a stream of consciousness.

“Ah. American. That explained the clothes and the way he stood with his legs wide and his elbows out, as if he had a great deal more space than was actually available. (I am never sure what to think of Americans. Their brashness can be charming, but just when I decide that I rather like them, I meet one that I wish would go back to America, and then perhaps keep going off the far edge, into the sea.”


I was really not a fan of this rambling sense of humor, which felt more like a digression or diatribe, and wished the novel would get on with the good stuff, which is ultimately the truly creepy setting of the Usher house. T. Kingfisher excels at creating a spine-chilling atmosphere, which effortlessly allows me to picture every little terrifying detail that our narrator Alex Easton encounters while visiting his ailing friends, Roderick and Madeline Usher at their ancestral home. I must say that I found T. Kingfisher’s descriptions just as unsettling as Poe’s if not even more so.

"‘This place…’ I gestured vaguely with my free hand, but it was the tarn I was thinking of, the dark water, and the stinking fungus. ‘I think it might be enough to make anyone ill.'”


Though it had been years since I read the original work, I did pick up the short story after T. Kingfisher’s and I must say that I prefer What Moves the Dead. Sacrilege, I know, but the build up of tension and unquiet throughout this novella is simply masterful, and I adore the expounding on the original story. Readers see more than a glimpse of the ailing Madeline Usher, witness Alex Easton speaking at length with the doctor and hearing the local superstitions surrounding the house and the local wildlife. It all paints a very creepy and more realistic picture, which doesn’t hurtle towards an abrupt and somewhat ridiculous ending.

“The dead don’t walk. Except sometimes, when they do.”


What Moves the Dead takes its time, lulling readers into a false sense of security that even though things aren’t quite right, there is no inherent and pressing danger. In fact, I could only wish What Moves the Dead had been a bit longer, with even more build up, as not only am I a glutton for punishment, aka suspense, and thought that it was a little too obvious that Alex’s meeting with the mycologist, Beatrix Potter, was more important than some chance encounter with the wacky neighborhood mushroom lady. Plus, I wanted more time wondering what was going on with the creepy bunnies and how it related to Madeline.

I also was much more invested in the characters and the deadly mystery ensnaring them. Perhaps because The Fall of the House of Usher is so short, and hurtles towards its deadly and inexplicable conclusion, I never quite got too attached to Roderick and Madeline. It was more that I was committed to seeing what horrific fate would inevitably fall onto the characters, rather than the characters themselves. What Moves the Dead by far renders the characters more fleshed out and sympathetic, and in turn, makes me more care more about what is happening to them.

“‘Roderick,’ said Denton, leaning against the stone railing. ‘He complains of nightmares. Says the walls breathe them out.'”


Though I did struggle to get into What Moves the Dead at first, I’m so glad I stuck out my initial reservations about extra pronouns, sworn soldiers, and an entirely fictional country. I am still not the biggest fan of the whole made up pronoun thing, such as “ka” and “kan,” but it does play a bit of a role in the twist at the end, so I suppose I can’t complain too much. With that being said, I do think this twist could’ve been carried out without the whole pronoun thing, which honestly made me zone out quite a bit when reading the original explanations of these pronouns.

But it was interesting seeing a non-binary person as our narrator and how they fit into the time period. The pronouns they used were both gender neutral and indicative of their career as a sworn soldier. It’s always good to see some diversity and glimpses of a more accepting world. But again, I found myself disappointed whenever the novella wasn’t focusing on the mystery and horror of the Usher House.

Though I bordered on inattentiveness during the descriptions of the pronouns and the fictional country, and it took me quite a while to get accustomed to the narrator’s humor, I highly recommend What Moves the Dead to not only fans of Poe, but also to those who simply like horror stories. This would definitely be a great choice for those who loved Mexican Gothic , a work that the author even mentions in the acknowledgements. I could also easily see myself rereading this retelling in future spooky seasons, as it is just such a fun read. I also plan on checking out more of T. Kingfisher’s works in the future.

The story is fine but I’d rather go back to Edgar Allen Poe instead. The core issue I had with this story is that it acted like The Fall of the House of Usher needed a resolution.

For a quick comparison - this feels similar to Star Wars introducing midichlorians. No one really wanted to hear the science behind The Force - it cheapens the magic.

I’ll give credit for the thought experiment - there’s a perplexing section (to me) where Roderick tries to explain why he is ill-fated that this novella picks up on and plays out further. But I still struggle with this one because I feel like it missed what made Poe’s original so good.

To explain this further: Poe’s Romantic (capital R) writing was a reaction against the neoclassic, enlightened style, where stories would contain lectures about morality and lessons learned. Romantic literature was all about depicting the emotion of the moment and the mystery of the sublime, rather than a rationalist approach to break down things to make sense of it.

This is the core of the original story, and in my opinion it’s’ most valuable thing - the mood it imparts on the reader from the outset. As the narrator rides up to the House of Usher, we are hit over the head with the gloomy setting that builds with every sentence. While EAP’s story might contain themes of isolation, guilt and facing the arcane, it’s hard to delve deep and immediately grasp a message. And that’s the point.

The best mysteries are those that do not have an answer. Providing a technical solution for why the House of Usher is so cursed strips away the evocative world EAP created, and yet we are not rewarded for the changes with any deeper impact or lesson here.

This little story is one that I will not soon forget! I devoured it page after page and I am so glad I took a chance on it. The characters and plot are so unexpected that once you start you won't be able to put it down either.

What Moves The Dead is a retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher. Set in the year 1890 in a rural English town, the story centers around a former soldier named Alex Easton. Easton who just learned that his childhood friend Madeline Usher is dying immediately goes to the Usher family home. As soon as Alex arrives he notices bizarre fungal growths on the Usher family’s property. Alex then meets an eclectic group of characters: Miss Porter who is a proper British lady that studies fungal growths, Denton an American doctor, and Madeline’s brother Rodrick who is afflicted with a bizarre nervous condition.

At less than 200 pages, What Moves The Dead is more of a novella but the shorter length didn’t deter me from loving this story any less. First off I loved the LGBTQA+ representation in this book and Kingfisher crafted a perfect version of Poe’s original unnamed Soldier in Alex Easton. It’s hard for an author to do a retelling for various reasons, especially on a widely loved tale as The Fall of the House of Usher but T Kingfisher did an amazing job here! Not only did she stay true to Poe’s original masterpiece but she actually enhanced the story.

What Moves The Dead is not only spine-tingling, atmospheric, and full of white-knuckled suspense, but at the heart of the story is mystery surrounded by a dilapidated gothic house.

Without spoiling anything for anyone, I will say that I will forever be scared of mushrooms after reading this one. I am a huge fan of the T Kingfisher’s prior novels The Hollow Places and The Twisted One's but What Moves The Dead solidified my admiration for the author's extraordinary writing.

I highly recommend this book for fans of Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher and horror readers looking for an entirely unique and perfectly creepy story.