For me, Christopher Moore is back. I was a huge fan of Moore's older books, Lamb being my favorite. Somewhere around Sacre Bleu & Shakespeare for Squirrels, I began to lose interest. The books became too convoluted. This one is convoluted too. I had a little trouble with the letters from the Arctuc at the beginning, but once the action moved to early 20th century Vienna, I was all in. I loved the interspersing of actual historical figures into a fanatical storyline. I appreciated the historical detail & Moore's notes afterward. If you enjoy art history, sarcasm, and fantasy, you will love this book.

*Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the advance reader copy of this book.*

I adore Christopher Moore. I really do. His new releases mark the high point of my year. I first read his Pine Cove Books back in middle school. Since then, each of his new releases immediately appear in my hands on their release dates, shooting straight past the aghast looks of the hundreds of other books on my to-be-read list.

Anima Rising is one of his best books in years. I think it might even rival my absolute favorite, "Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal."

I know I know. That seems unimaginable, I'm sure. But trust me here.

From the opening pages of "Anima Rising," Moore wholly captures his reader with a fictional scene in which Gustav Klimt, the real-life Austrian symbolist painter, notices a woman, presumably dead, floating in the Danube canal.

And does he call for help?

Of course not! He starts sketching her instead. While he draws, a newsboy notices him and calmly asks if Klimt killed her. While panic slowly sets in, Klimt and the boy hear the apparently-not-dead girl cough.

In Anima Rising, Christopher Moore shows off his research into the Vienna Secession art movement, amongst others, and he delightfully fuses his story with the classic tale of Victor Frankenstein.

Go ahead and pre-order this one now, so you can read this one the moment it hits the shelf. .

So off the wall you may feel you are walking sideways after this one. Artists, immodist models, infatuated males, a reanimated giant trying to steal a bride while killing off his creator's loved ones, his reanimated bride dealing with being alive and trying to find food that isn't breathing, and Sigmund Freud is lingering about with Jung showing up for the fun. Creative and genuinely funny, in a weird way.

I'm a massive Christopher Moore fan, and have read everything he's written (sometimes more than once). I really enjoyed his first foray into art history, "Sacre Bleu", and was really interested in this new venture. Unfortunately, it fell flat to me -- everything was a bit more shallow, lacking the deep love and reverence that some of his other satirical work is known for. The characters were fun and interesting but I really wanted more depth.

Christopher moore is hilarious, and Anima Rising might be his best yet! He tucks you right into his world with silly banter, engaging characters and an exciting plot.

It has been a long time since I've read a Christopher Moore novel, and even longer since I enjoyed one this much.. While I enjoy the Shakespeare forays, the art world is of more interest to me. At first glance, I thought well it's entirely unnecessary to include the Bride of Frankenstein in this story (that's not a spoiler, it's on the cover) but for me she was absolutely the best part. It was pretty genius actually and it allowed to the story to go so many interesting places.

I didn't laugh as much as I typically do in a Moore novel, and I'm not sure if I've changed as a reader of if the voice of this book was different. I did laugh out loud 3 times during the afterward, and the voice I know and love was there. The story was so good it made up for the missing laughs.

This book was creative and fun and had some amazing characters, including another great Moore "hell hound." The way Moore wove together Jung, Freud, the artists, the bride of Frankenstein and Inuit lore was remarkable!

Let's get this out of the way right at the top: pay attention to the included trigger warnings. While the SA depicted is not especially graphic, it is frequent and referenced almost continually. That said, if you are in a place where you can read a story with that as a facet, this book is worth your time although you will have to deal with the tonal whiplash from that to a typical goof-around good-time Christopher Moore book. His author note at the end is very thoughtful.

Thanks to NetGalley for the early copy. I always enjoy a Christopher Moore book. Whether its vampires, Shakespeare, Jesus, or famous painters, I know I'm always in for a funny ride, full of sex and gratuitous cursing. This book was no different, gave me exactly what I expected. Plus I learned a little about the real lives of some of early 20th Century Vienna's most famous residents. Oh yeah, it also had the Bride of Frankenstein. I'm not sure this would be the book I'd recommend to a Christopher Moore newbie, but anyone who has enjoyed any of his earlier books will surely like this as well.

Mr Moore has written an interesting book that blends the life of Gustav Klimpt and several other artists from Vienna in the early 1900s with the story of Frankenstein. In the process, he adds psychoanalysis with Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. It is a wild mix and he plays it well.

I have enjoyed Moore's writing since reading one of his early books that I found in my local public library. I think that book was "Island of the Sequined Love Nun." I then read every one of his books that they had on the shelf. This book has a few more portions that are disturbing, perhaps due to the current political situations in the US, as some of the issues seem to relate to this. But then it could simply be that history seems to be repeating itself.
The characters in the book were well crafted. I particularly loved Geoff the Malamute (dog.) His antics and "mistakes" were usually funny although sometimes deadly.
If you are triggered by violence and/or crude (but hilarious) language, then this book probably isn't for you. However, if you have the ability to laugh at the absurd and realize that "it is a book" then you may find it quite enjoyable. I read this in a matter of 2 or 3 days while still maintaining my usual responsibilities.

I've loved Christopher's Moore's books in the past but this one just absolutely can not hold my attention. I've gotten about 25% of the way in and can't make myself care enough to finish it. I only made it this far out of love for the author's previous work.

I want to thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I have been a big a Christopher Moore fan since I was a teenager, the first book I ever read was Practical Demonkeeping, and I have subsuquently read every book he's ever written.
This book reminded me a lot of Coyote Blue, and Fool. Which are two of my least favorite of his, with that being said, there's a lot of things in this book that if you're not use to his writing, or you're not forewarned about what you might read, it won't be for you. I was struggling to get through this book, and honestly I feel like the ending where Moore explains himself on some of these things, should be at the beginning not the end.
I still enjoyed this book. I will enjoy every book he writes because I get it. I wouldn't give this book to my sister or my niece. I had to pretend some of the characters were older than they were written to be because the age of consent made me ill, but I get it.

Anyways, it's very on par for Moore, and I will purchase it for my shelf.
Thank you again

I was intrigued by the inclusion of Klimt, having read about his life. Plus being a fan of Frankenstein, this seemed like a book I could get into. While I did find parts of the book funny, I had a hard time with the preoccupation with sex and found this to be derivative of Poor Things. I also have a problem with killing of animals. From other reviews, it seems like this is a bit darker than Christopher Moore's other works so I might try something else by him.

3 stars.

"Dr. Freud thinks I have penis envy."

Yeah, that’s how you sum up this book, chaotic and quirky, as usual for Moore’s work. In this one, you’ve got Frankenstein's bride, Gustav Klimt, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and even Hitler making a cameo. I went into it without reading the blurb, so imagine my surprise when Freud popped out of nowhere and then Hitler got roasted. Not complaining, though.

This is your typical quirky Moore book. Yes, it’s quirky, but I didn’t find myself snorting and laughing as much as I did with Lamb. (Granted, I’ve only read two of his books: Lamb and this one.) I loved Lamb, but this one? Not so much.
I enjoyed it, sure, but there were parts where I found myself getting sleepy. And the nude women? Too many of them. Were all painters like that back then? Yikes. But hey, I’ll take it as a new perspective on art.

One highlight for me was the afterword, where Moore delves into the history and explains the inspiration behind the book. It added depth to the chaos and tied everything together nicely.

Note: Thank you to William Morrow and Christopher Moore for the ARC! My opinion is, of course, my own.

Christopher Moore wrote this perfectly, it had that element that I was looking for from the description. I was invested in what was going on and thought the self-discovery worked well overall. The characters had that feel that I was looking for and I enjoyed the humor in this book. I thought the concept worked well overall and enjoyed getting to know the characters in this world.

If you have read the author in the past then you know to expect a crazy plot, plenty of absurd twists and a wild (and funny) ride that make up his stories. It is certainly not for everyone but if you have enjoyed the past works, you are in for a treat.

I really enjoyed the tone of the book and the bluntness of the characters. Didn't care for the rape/sex and implied incest mentions, but the added context by the author at the end of the book helped me understand it had its purpose and wasn't just there for shock value or anything gross like that. I quite liked the weaving of the historical accuracy with the fantasy plots. Judith is truly a gem.

put frankenstein on a cover or blurb and i will read it with no questions asked. moore’s anima rising is an interesting and compelling mix of the dark and the humorous— but i appreciate that moore wrote a bride of frankenstein retelling that digs into themes of sexual assault, consent, and the treatment of women’s bodies. bc what does it mean to be given life with the sole intent of being a bride? OUUU i love it. this one might be a little too quirky, though, if you’re looking for frankenstein fiction that is as grounded in misery as the original. but it’s fun enough to make you want to follow the characters on their little romp, and i could never fault a frankenstein retelling that ACTUALLY INCLUDES THE CAPTAIN AND HIS LETTERS.

I first encountered Christopher Moore's work when I was a teenager and his first novel, Practical Demonkeeping, came out. I was a big fan for years and Lamb remains a favorite. Some of the more recent works (especially the Pocket the Fool books) were not for me. But Anima Rising is an interesting addition. It reminds me a lot of Coyote Blue with the caveat that it is even stranger and has a lot more references to sexual violence. If you've liked Moore's novels over the years, you will like this one too.

It is Vienna, 1911. Gustav Klimt, a famous painter discovers a woman’s nude body in the Danube canal. He pauses to sketch her when he hears a cough. She is alive! He takes her back to his studio where he and his muse Wally tend to her as he plans to sketch her. She has no memory of who she is, but with the help of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, she begins to recall her history that starts with a memory of being stranded in the Arctic and locked in a crate by a man by the name of Victor Frankenstein. As we go we get answers to the question of why she is there and why so many people are looking for her.

I was very excited to get this book. Christopher Moore is one of my favorite authors. I was a little worried at the beginning that I would not be able to give it a rave review. I was interested in the story of Klimt, Wall, and Judithm but when it switched over to the letters from a ship captain to his sister detailing his account of Frankenstein on the ship my interest waned a little. Luckily, the letters ended and we got deeper into the story of Judith and her origins. Also, we discover that the letters a more than just a recap of events on the ship.

It was chock full of what you expect from Moore. Interesting characters, Moore’s signature humor, and a well-researched book that is more intelligent than you would expect given how funny it is.

I would highly recommend it to fans of historical fiction and humor.

Christopher Moore has written a lot of strange stuff, but Anima Rising definitely takes it to a whole new level. Imagine a novel that mixes Victor Frankenstein and his monstrous creation Adam, Gustav Klimt, Carl Jung, Sigmund Freud, a croissant-loving demon dog, a few gods from the Underworld, a drowned zombie girl fished out of a Viennese canal, and, well … you have this book. There are also some intriguing characters that I had no idea were actual real-life women until after I finished this novel – Moore has included a super interesting afterword that gives some biographical information about each, as well as the more famous individuals mentioned above.

This book contains all of the humor and wit that you'd expect from a Moore novel, but it's also much darker than most (all?) of his other works. If you're squeamish about rape/sexual assault, this probably isn't the book for you. There's a lot of sexual violence in this novel and a lot of mistreatment of women. There are also a decent amount of animal deaths, including dogs, in one section of the story but nothing graphic. If you have a thing for Malamutes, though, a bunch of them get eaten and occasionally even made into broth, so … yeah.

Other than the above-mentioned trigger warnings, however, this book really is delightful and quirky. It took several chapters for the characters to grow on me and there are a few instances where the storyline drags a bit, but is it actually possible to dislike a book that includes a croissant-obsessed Malamute? I think not. I loved Judith, Wally, and Gus as characters, and it was entertaining (and also a little sad) watching Judith slowly discover who she was before her drowning in the canal. And, like most Moore books, the humor is really top notch (although not particularly high brow) and the dialogue is witty. It's a chaotic and outlandish story, and it's entertaining in the most ridiculous way possible.

My overall rating: 3.7 stars, rounded up. If you've enjoyed Moore's previous novels and appreciate his deranged sense of humor, you should definitely consider giving Anima Rising a read. It's a wild and pastry-laden ride.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is May 13, 2025.