Early Review – What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher (4/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Fantasy/Horror
Length: 176 pages
Publisher: Tor Nightfire
Release Date: July 12, 2022
ISBN-13 : 978-1250830753
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: eGalley from NetGalley
Rating: 4/5 stars
“When Alex Easton, a retired soldier, receives word that their childhood friend Madeline Usher is dying, they race to the ancestral home of the Ushers in the remote countryside of Ruritania.
What they find there is a nightmare of fungal growths and possessed wildlife, surrounding a dark, pulsing lake. Madeline sleepwalks and speaks in strange voices at night, and her brother Roderick is consumed with a mysterious malady of the nerves.
Aided by a redoubtable British mycologist and a baffled American doctor, Alex must unravel the secret of the House of Usher before it consumes them all.”
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone novella. I got an eGalley of this through NetGalley to review.
Thoughts: This is a retelling of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher”. I really enjoyed it. It is creepy, odd, and just well done. The premise is that Alex Easton has retired from soldiering and is going to visit their childhood friend. What they find at the Usher estate is Madeline and her brother, Roderick, in horrible health. Animals around the estate are acting odd and Madeline herself has started speaking in strange voices and wandering aimlessly in the night. Alex must work with a British mycologist and an American doctor to figure out what is going on.
I love the world that Kingfisher builds surrounding the Usher estate and really enjoyed the quirky characters as well. This is a quick and eerie story that touches a bit on Lovecraftian elements. It is a fairly simple story but I enjoyed the atmosphere and how it was written. The way the mystery of the Usher estate rolls out is delectable.
My Summary (4/5): Overall I really enjoyed this. It is creepy, strange, engaging and generates some major Lovecraft vibes. It is a quick, well done read with fun characters, some subtle intriguing world-building, and a well done mystery. I would definitely recommend this if you enjoy Poe retellings or if you like Lovecraft-themed reads. Kingfisher is a go-to author for me and this little novella did not disappoint.
