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throwback682's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
It sort of provides a logical scientific explanation for the downfall of the Usher siblings and their ancestral home, but while at the same time making it even MORE creepy.
What the author did to fill out the character of the narrator was really interesting, I liked kan a lot.
Graphic: Medical content, Body horror, Alcohol, Chronic illness, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Gun violence, Sexism, Misogyny, War, and Murder
Minor: Suicide, Vomit, and Confinement
There’s hunting as well as other harm done to animals.elinor999's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Suicide, Animal death, and Terminal illness
Moderate: War and Body horror
tiny_tree's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Death, Animal death, Medical content, Body horror, and Violence
Moderate: Gun violence, War, Terminal illness, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Vomit, Sexism, and Suicide
mybookishdelights's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I enjoyed the writing and it was gross and spooky. I’ve never read the original so I can’t compare it. I liked the main character enough yo want to read the next one.
Graphic: Terminal illness, Animal death, and Body horror
cranshrooms's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Eating disorder, Gore, Chronic illness, Animal death, Body horror, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, and Self harm
Minor: Terminal illness and Suicide
soggycedar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Terminal illness
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Suicide
purplepenning's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
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.).
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Self harm, Sexism, Alcohol, Grief, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, and Terminal illness
Minor: Animal death and Vomit
Body horror:karthnemesis's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Animal death, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Dementia
Minor: Grief, Dysphoria, Gore, and Murder
wardenred's review against another edition
- 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.
Graphic: Gun violence, Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Terminal illness, and Animal death
Moderate: Murder and War
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
hellsjerome's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Terminal illness and Body horror
Moderate: War
Minor: Murder