I couldn’t get into this book as much as I wanted to but I did enjoy reading about these characters. The authors has a beautiful way of making words flow and I would definitely try another book by the author.

Gothic perfection with an undercoat of freaky fungal mayhem. Honestly just perfection. I'll never look at a Hare the same way again.

Was not a fan of the writing style and it was also a short book but slow at the same time. I may go back and finish it one day but I didn't really love this book as much as other books I have rear by this author.

When I heard that T. Kingfisher had a new book coming out, I was so excited. When I saw the cover, I was intrigued. Finally when I heard it was a retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allen Poe, I knew I had to read it.
For being a small book, this book is filled with gothic horror, mystery and thriller aspects and some creepy parts that I loved.
Fans of Poe will enjoy this retelling as much as people who have never read the Poe story.
I loved it and gave it 5 stars. Thank you NetGalley for my early copy.

-This a dark retelling of Poe with a spin
-Definitely a fast read you will not want to put down
-I liked the aspect of the fungi creating body possession

This is Kingfisher's latest remix of a classic horror tale; here, The Fall of the House of Usher sees Alex rush to an ailing friend. But the friend's ailment is unsettling at the least, and the friend's brother is sick as well; also, the ancestral home and its surrounding landscape harbor disturbing flora and fauna. Alex, with the help of a scientist and a doctor, must figure out what's happening before all is lost.

The fluid writing and deft characterizations prevalent in Kingfisher's remixes are present here. This is a very fast read, and it works pretty much perfectly. There are some horrifying images. There are crypts, and decay. It's all a very enjoyable read spiked with terror. The extra sauce in this one is the drop-in addition of a new pronoun system, which was done pretty much seamlessly. (Alex is from a fictional country that uses a whole bunch of different sets of pronouns for things like different stages of life--and soldiers renounce their gender pronouns altogether, using a nonbinary set.) Other highlights include Alex's servant Easton, and the scientist Eugenia Potter (separately, and together). Because it's lovely when a mycologist shows up just when you need one!

This is a delightfully disgusting read and a great addition to Kingfisher's remix oeuvre. Ten stars for the hare alone. Stay away from the tarn.

Before reading this book, I read the short story it was derived from- The Fall Of The House Of Usher by Edgar Allen Poe, so that I would have a better understanding of this story. I did not understand the short story, so I went into this book not hopeful. I almost DNF’d it at 20% because I was not understanding anything that was happening- however I was ONLY listening to the audio at that point (It has great narration). I decided to switch to reading it both physically and with audio, and THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING. It went from being a DNF to being a 4 star! I really enjoyed the story, and I love the way T. Kingfisher writes- they are very lyrical with their descriptions, and each character’s personality shone across the page as I was reading. I thought they did an excellent job with this retelling, and it definitely gave me creepy vibes while I was reading- I’ll for sure never look the same way at Fungi ever again! I enjoyed my reading experience overall, and highly recommend you have the physical book with you. That will allow for a deeper understanding of all of the different aspects of the story going on simultaneously. Definitely be sure to check out this short horror story!

Thank you to Tor Nightfire for providing me with an e-ARC of What Moves the Dead in exchange for an honest review!

This is my first T. Kingfisher & it definitely won't be my last. Right away, I was enchanted by the writing & honestly? Taking on an Edgar Allan Poe story can't be an easy task, but T. Kingfisher nails it in What Moves the Dead. This short little novella is very atmospheric, as can be expected in an EAP retelling, and at times very creepy. And with about a quarter of the story left, things get a little wild.

Admittedly, there were parts that lost me & my mind ended up wandering a bit. This could very well be a Becca issue & not an issue with the story.

A very creepy and unique take on the classic story, The Fall of the House of Usher. The atmosphere continuously carries a sense of lingering dread. It's a short story with solid world building around Easton and their country of Gallacia. The characters were fully realized and the mystery of what was actually going on was haunting. Overall, a chilling and delightful read.

A reimagining of Edgar Allen Poe? This book was great! If you're a fan of gothic literature go buy this book right now! It's a short story inspired by The Fall of the House of Usher. T. Kingfisher does a great job of creating a creepy atmosphere and really bringing these characters and the story to life. I only wish this book was longer!

It took me a little bit to get into this book, but once I was in it wouldn't let go. The creepy atmosphere kept me on the edge of my seat.

*I received an advanced copy of this title from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. *

I'll start by saying- I've never read the original The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe. I know, I know, I'm handing in my horror buff card right now as I type this. The problem is he's just a little hard to follow, I get lost in the wording. Somehow though T. Kingfisher crafted this hauntingly beautiful retelling, so I could officially join the club! Yes, it was a slow burn that lost my interest at some points yet managed to pull me back with the imagery. Here for the gothic ambience-

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

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this arc.

Thank you to T. Kingfisher, Tor Nightfire, and Netgalley for an advance copy of What Moves the Dead.

Alex Easton returns home to see to the death of their childhood friend. When they arrive, things are much stranger than anticipated. Madeline Usher is sleepwalking, talking in strange voices, and looks well past dead. Things seem off around the property as well – animals acting strange and unusual fungus growing rampant. They meet a mycologist studying the fungus as well as a doctor sent to care for Madeline and together the group work to figure out what has happened to Madeline, and how to stop it before it takes everyone out.

Ashamed as I am to say this, I have to be honest – I’ve never read The Fall of the House of Usher. I live in Baltimore and I have not read all of Poe’s most famous work. I know, it’s awful. However, I have read some Poe and I know that reimagining his stories is a difficult task to achieve. T. Kingfisher is successful as far as I can tell. Just as atmospheric and creepy as any Poe I’ve ever read, we are transported to a very unsettling environment trying to figure out which way is up.

The main character is non-binary as far as the readers can tell, and there are also a ton of pronouns for certain people and even objects and animals, I believe? This part confused me and I didn’t feel as though it brought anything to the story outside of the confusion, but it’s possible that I just missed the thought process behind it. While this story is definitely plot driven, we get enough info about the main character and supporting cast to have me invested in them and concerned about what could happen to them, they were unique and fun, if not slightly frustrating at times.

The atmosphere was just INSANE. I felt like I was in a dark foggy humid location the entire time that I was reading this. While this is a novella, I walked away feeling like I ingested a full book, a concise and hearty beginning, middle, and end. I will definitely be reading more T. Kingfisher in the future.

What Moves the Dead
By: T. Kingfisher
Pub Date: 07/12/22
Publisher: Tor Nightfire - MacMillian
Audio Narrator: Avi Roque

Summary
In this retelling of "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allen Poe, T. Kingfisher tells the story of Alex Easton; a retired soldier who receives word that his childhood friend, Madeline Usher has taken ill. He travels to visit her and finds something far more sinister and terrifying than he thought possible.

Review
As a first-time reader of T. Kingfisher's work, I enjoyed the style through which this story was retold. It has this steampunk-Esque quality that I thought was an interesting stylistic choice. I also really appreciated how unexpected the antagonist of the story was. It was something I had never seen before.
On the other hand, as someone who has never read the original source material, I feel I missed the connections and cannot adequately compare the two pieces. This has certainly inspired me to check out the original story.

Based purely on what I thought of this current iteration without taking the original source material into consideration, I decided to rate this novel 3.5 stars. Although it was a retelling it was unlike anything I had read before and the mystery of the antagonist was exceptionally well done. I highly recommend this to Edgar Allen Poe fans and those who like an odd horror with a mystery element.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited about this one, as it was a retelling of Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher, but sadly I did not love it as much as I wanted. The pacing was decent and I would definitely classify it as weirdly creepy. The atmosphere was also well done and added to the creep factor. In the end, this just wasn’t for me. I’m sure others will love it though!

Well this was a creepy trip. While I've never read the story that this was based off of, this was a great horror novella. Quick-paced, as to be expected, but Kingfisher also does a good job of introducing the characters and explaining Gallacia and their customs for the reader. Loved the creepy aspect of the fungi....and the hares CREEPED ME OUT!

I think this would be incredibly cool to listen to in audio!

This novella is a retelling of Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher, and let’s just say that the author blew it out of the park. Everything that made the original creepy is expounded on and one can’t help but like the protagonist, Easton who finds themselves at the house because an old childhood friend wrote them about this sister’s slow demise. The book is moody and dark, and you’re quickly wrapped up in the mystery and eeriness. However, there are moments of comedy when Eugenia Potter, a British mycologist is in the scene. She was by far my favourite character, and couldn’t wait for her to show up. If you love Poe and love dark gothic mysteries, then do yourself a favour and read this now!

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Alex Easton, a non-binary career soldier from the country of Gallacia, heeds the call of childhood friends, Roderick Usher and his gravely ill sister Madeline. When Easton arrives at their Gothic mansion in Ruravia, the retired soldier is not sure what is more distressing: the pale, emaciated, and unhinged siblings, the decaying estate, or the estate's weirdly glowing lake. I enjoyed this extended-dance-version retelling of Edgar Allen Poe's classic The Fall of the House of Usher. The book belongs on a list of recent horror lit featuring creepy rabbits and mushrooms (Mexican Gothic and Mona Awad's Bunny hop to mind ;)

[Thanks to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy of this book.]

I loved this queer retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher. The tone of the narration felt true to Poe's original and all of the highlights of Roderick and Madeline's story are included yet Kingfisher adds a depth to the story while stretching it to novel length and puts a spin on it designed to chill modern readers.

I thought Kingfisher did a great job of queering the story in that the main character was nonbinary and that the world was described in a way where nonbinary people could simply exist without question and have common, socially acceptable pronouns.

I got an ARC of this book.

It wasn't bad, but I don't know why this book exists. The inspiration was considered an amazingly written piece where every detail was perfectly placed and needed. This just felt like trying to take something that everyone praises as amazing and add to it. It is hard to take your own spin on something like that. I like Kingfisher, but I didn't even finish this one. I thought I had and then I would open the app and oops, it was still being read. So maybe try it? It didn't really do anything for me.