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naomi_k's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Mental illness, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: War and Transphobia
wireblight's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, and Body horror
Moderate: Mental illness, Gore, Animal death, Child death, and Death
Minor: Suicide, War, and Fire/Fire injury
on content related to child death, in increasing level of spoilers: *sunbirdbooks's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
A cloying, sickly-sweet gothic with a nasty aftertaste. The perfect book to keep you up at night.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Terminal illness
Moderate: Animal death and Mental illness
Minor: Suicide
aardwyrm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Remember the Fall of the House of Usher? I mean, in broad strokes, maybe. There's not terribly much to it. Mostly a brief burst of atmosphere and a muddled bunch of gothic moaning. Now instead there's a cranky, sensible, middle-aged person around to tell people what to do. You can turn anything into a T Kingfisher book that way. Good times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Suicide, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Violence, Vomit, and War
thehutonfowlslegs's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
[Read as an ARC through Edelweiss]
This novella included two of my obsessions: Edgar Allan Poe and fungi; thus, I am biased in my automatic love for it. The horror was phenomenally written, and I greatly enjoyed the unique retelling of a classic horror story. Kingfisher wove so many elements and details from the original story into her own version, expanding on questions left unanswered and adding her own explanations for the Ushers’ madness. With the inclusion of some mild body horror and gore, I found myself loving this version even more. The writing was good, the pacing kept me intrigued--I couldn’t put this book down. T. Kingfisher has become a new favorite/must-read author of mine.
This novella included two of my obsessions: Edgar Allan Poe and fungi; thus, I am biased in my automatic love for it. The horror was phenomenally written, and I greatly enjoyed the unique retelling of a classic horror story. Kingfisher wove so many elements and details from the original story into her own version, expanding on questions left unanswered and adding her own explanations for the Ushers’ madness. With the inclusion of some mild body horror and gore, I found myself loving this version even more. The writing was good, the pacing kept me intrigued--I couldn’t put this book down. T. Kingfisher has become a new favorite/must-read author of mine.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Body horror, Animal death, Gore, and Mental illness
Moderate: Murder
enchantressreads's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
“This place breeds nightmares.”
What Moves the Dead is definitely in my top 10 (or even 5) books of 2022. There’s still a few months left in the year, and some amazing looking books on my TBR, but as soon as I finished this book, I already wanted to reread it. As someone who doesn’t really reread books, that tells how much I enjoyed it.
“The dead carry lanterns down in the deep.”
The Fall of the House of Usher is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe released in 1840. More than 150 years later, T. Kingfisher weaves it into a modern day story, while still retaining a lot of the classic elements that I enjoyed in the Poe story. What Moves the Dead takes the original gothic story and makes it queer, with a touch of fungus. My favorite.
As mentioned in Kingfisher’s author’s note, this novel is reminiscent of Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Mexican Gothic is another one of my favorite novels, and while WMTD is similar, it definitely works on its own. File it under “a fungus comes in and makes everyone slightly crazy” and I will read it. And most likely love it.
I was lucky enough to receive an advanced review copy from Tor Nightfire, and my opinions are my own. Go buy this book if you haven’t already. I highly recommend.
CW for animal death, gore, suicide, war, and mental illness
What Moves the Dead is definitely in my top 10 (or even 5) books of 2022. There’s still a few months left in the year, and some amazing looking books on my TBR, but as soon as I finished this book, I already wanted to reread it. As someone who doesn’t really reread books, that tells how much I enjoyed it.
“The dead carry lanterns down in the deep.”
The Fall of the House of Usher is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe released in 1840. More than 150 years later, T. Kingfisher weaves it into a modern day story, while still retaining a lot of the classic elements that I enjoyed in the Poe story. What Moves the Dead takes the original gothic story and makes it queer, with a touch of fungus. My favorite.
As mentioned in Kingfisher’s author’s note, this novel is reminiscent of Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Mexican Gothic is another one of my favorite novels, and while WMTD is similar, it definitely works on its own. File it under “a fungus comes in and makes everyone slightly crazy” and I will read it. And most likely love it.
I was lucky enough to receive an advanced review copy from Tor Nightfire, and my opinions are my own. Go buy this book if you haven’t already. I highly recommend.
CW for animal death, gore, suicide, war, and mental illness
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Gore
Moderate: Mental illness, War, and Suicide
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