Reviews with content warning for Terminal illness - A Queda da Casa Morta

Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

A Queda da Casa Morta by T. Kingfisher

173 reviews

cranshrooms's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

I DEVOURED this book on a rare day off. Like an animal. And I [censored] loved it. I have loved EAP since I was 8, and this scratched an itch I didn't realize I still had. I loved how the author brought in a discussion of new pronouns, gave them valuable and compelling cultural context, and then also made it relevant to the horror!! Wow. Wow. Loved it. The writing style was very Poe meets Doyle meets 2015 Tumblr user and it was absolutely perfect. The science and horror melded perfectly. I'm going to be a freak about this book for some time.

Content Warnings

soggycedar's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Content Warnings

purplepenning's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

Ahh, T Kingfisher, inspiring me to read out of my comfort zone and into the world of classic haunted houses, creeping dread, and

zombifying fungi

.

This *just* passes my personal Doctor Who/Star Trek measuring stick of tolerable horror (i.e., I can tolerate science fantasy stories that are as unsettling as the scariest episodes of those shows as long as they're also creative, interesting, thoughtful, contain endearing characters, etc.).

Content Warnings

karthnemesis's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Content Warnings

wardenred's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense fast-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? Yes

4.75

It is very unpleasant to sit down to a meal when you are trying to determine which one of your breakfast companions is a murderer.

There’s always something so cozy about T. Kingfisher’s books, even when it’s a horror story. I really loved the protagonist here and the culture ka comes from. The whole deal with sworn soldiers who have their own pronouns is so different, but at the same time baked seamlessly into the fabric of 19th century Europe by including references to actual historical events and places. It was refreshing and interesting for me to see a protagonist who struggles with tinnitus (oh that bane of my existence, what would I give to hear silence again… ahem, sorry). I liked Easton’s observations about war and how people deal with its aftermath, and I liked seeing the bond ka developed with Denton over their wartime and post-wartime experiences. Also, Easton’s horse Kob was a character of his own, and what a lovely, opinionated character he makes.

The fungi-based horror escalated gradually throughout the novella, and I really enjoyed this build-up. Early on, the weird hares and the spooky lake and the creepy mushrooms were already firmly established as parts of the narrative, and Easton was already disturbed by the state ka found the Usher siblings in, and yet all of it was like a weird eldritch frame for a cozier, more human story: people bonding, and finding ways to have fun even while they’re anxious and worried, and opening up to each other. But the further the plot moved along, the thicker that frame became, creating moments of genuine horror. I loved how T. Kingfisher alternated between focusing on the horrors themselves and the characters’ reactions to them to deepen the effect.

My one small complaint is that the ending / resolution felt a little too rushed and abrupt. I think I would have enjoyed lingering there for another short chapter to see the characters start to process, maybe. That aside, this story is definitely going to end up on my list of 2024 favorites.

Content Warnings