A strange and addictive read..
Welcome!
When I found out this was a retelling of Edgar Allen Poe’s ‘The House of Usher,’ my curiosity was piqued.. but when I realized it was by Kingfisher.. Oh. I had to have it. I had to. And I don’t regret it at all.
If you like weird and unusual, unique and intriguing, if you want to lose yourself between the pages of a darkly fascinating and utterly consuming book.. you’re going to want to grab this one.
Happy Reading!
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What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
Publication date: July 12, 2022
Pages: 159
Genre: Occult Horror, Gothic Fiction, Supernatural Fiction, Retelling, Short Story
Standalone
First line: The mushroom’s gills were the deep-red color of severed muscle, the almost-violet shade that contrasts so dreadfully with the pale pink of viscera.
Characters: Interesting.
Storyline: Strange. Unsettling. Compelling.
Pace: Perfect in all the right places.
Writing: Intelligent. Darkly captivating.
Cover: 5/5
POVS
One: Alex Easton
Four and a Half Stars!
When Lieutenant Alex Easton receives word that a dear friend, Madeline Usher, has fallen ill, there’s only one thing to do.. But Alex arrives only to find the circumstances far more dire than imagined.
Something is very wrong in this place.
Madeline is dying. She haunts the halls at night, sleep walking, delirious.
Her brother, Roderick, who served in the military with Alex before he inherited the family home, shows signs of deterioration as well.
And what of the rabbits?
There’s something deeply unnerving about the creatures.
Alex doesn’t know exactly what is going on here but enlists the help of a quirky British woman who’s obsessed with mushrooms and an American doctor who knows more than he’s let on.
But when they finally discover the horrifying truth about The House of Usher.. it may already be too late.
My thoughts:
This dark, strange story was as fascinating as it is unique.
It wasn’t until recently that I learned this is a retelling inspired by Edgar Allen Poe’s short story ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’. One I’ve never read—but now must. I’ve found a copy of it online here and will be reading it, if anything, to see how much this story shares with it.
The characters are done so well but what’s really interesting is.. they’re not what drove this story for me. The writing, the atmosphere, the mystery of it all ensnares you from page one. It pulls you in, the land and house stir your curiosity, and the weird happenings hold you captive.
This book had my complete attention to the very end.
Now, this will be an appallingly short review—much will be left out and little will be explained—but, I assure you, it’s for the best.
This is the kind of read you want to go into blind. Like a flower blossoming.. each layer slowly unfurls until, eventually, all is exposed and you’re left with this incredible sense of satisfaction.
There’s a beauty in the way Kingfisher tells a story.
I’ve loved everything I’ve picked up by this author, all peculiar but brilliant, and I genuinely look forward to reading more.
Would I recommend this? A thousand times Yes—and anything else you can get your hands on.
Quotes that stayed with me:
“I did not wamt to go into that tired house dripping with fungi and architectural eyes. But Madeline had summoned me and here I was.”
“It must be terribly galling to be barred from an organization merely because on lacked the proper genitals.”
“People get hung up on happiness and joy, but fun will take you at least as far and it’s generally cheaper to obtain.”
“Part of me said that blowing up the house was not actually a solution to Madeline’s problems, but another part was already calculating how much dynamite would be required.”
“There were three veterans at that table, battle-scarred soldiers who had served their countries honorably in more than one war … and all three of us screamed like small children and recoiled in horror.”
That’s all folks!
Thank you for stopping by and checking out my review, I hope it’s persuaded you to check out this book.. it really is worth it.
Have you read this or any of Kingfisher’s books?
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Sounds good, a new one to me.
You’re going to love it, Rosie.
The book sounds great, I’m glad you had fun reading it. Not exactly my type though haha.
How are you doing? It’s been so long.
Thank you! Shame it’s not your kind of read.. it’s one of those books you want everyone to love as much as you did. 🤭
It really has been too long. I’m exhausted but doing alright, you?
I also haven’t read Poe’s The House of Usher, Sheri, but I guess that doesn’t matter. I love great characters, but your line: “The writing, the atmosphere, the mystery of it all ensnares you from page one.” is what hooked me. And the cover is so bizarre, I can’t look away. Thanks for the review!
Oh, you’re going to love this one. If anyone was going to take Poe’s work and turn it into such a killer read.. I’m not at all surprised it was Kingfisher. Her writing has this way of sucking you in and holding you captive until the very end.
You’re very welcome and, hopefully, happy reading!
I’m going to pick it up, not that my kindle has any space for another book!
There’s always more room for books. 😆
I was first thinking how weird and creepy the cover looks and then I hit that it’s a Poe retelling and it made perfect sense. It sounds very compelling and unique. Excellent review!
Thank you! And right? I thought the cover was just part of Kingfisher’s peculiar style at first but finding out it was inspired by Poe made so much sense. I think you’ll really enjoy this one, Tessa.
Have a great weekend!
Not fitting this into my reading schedule last year is one of my 2022 reading regrets! Really hope to be rectifying it this year, and maybe sneak it in between some 2023 reads. It sounds amazing and I do love her work!
It’s a pretty short read.. so you’ll probably be able to consume it in one sitting, maybe two, but you’re definitely going to want to squeeze it in if you get a chance. It’s worth it.
Enjoy!