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seawarrior's review against another edition
4.0
What Moves the Dead is a well-paced, spinetingling retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher, with just the right amount of original worldbuilding. Easton immediately endeared themself to me, and I was interested in the supporting characters as well. Yet the greatest strength of this novel is its descriptions of nature and its mastery of suspense. I would definitely recommend the book to other readers, especially those who are interested in gothic works but struggle to stay interested in their slow pacing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Terminal illness
Minor: Transphobia
dustghosts's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Body horror, and Animal death
Moderate: Confinement, Medical content, Terminal illness, Death, and Vomit
Minor: Transphobia and War
obscurepages's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Okay? I loved this?? Fall of the House Usher retelling, fungal horror, and trans/nonbinary MC??? Perfection.
CW: body horror, graphic violence, fatal injuries, injuries due to war, PTSD, amputation, animal death, mild transphobia
Find me elsewhere: Instagram | Twitter | Blog
Marking this book as part of reading challenge: #ReadQueerly2023.
CW: body horror, graphic violence, fatal injuries, injuries due to war, PTSD, amputation, animal death, mild transphobia
Find me elsewhere: Instagram | Twitter | Blog
Marking this book as part of reading challenge: #ReadQueerly2023.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, War, Violence, Body horror, Death, Gore, Animal death, and Murder
Minor: Transphobia and Homophobia
crownoflaurel's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Murder, Suicide, and Transphobia
wrestleacademic's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Body horror
Moderate: Terminal illness, Transphobia, and War
lizgriffinwords's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
“House of Usher”, but with “The Last of Us” energy.
I read this in about 4 hours (audiobook at 1.5 speed). Highly recommend the audiobook. The trans rep and non-binary pronouns feel both clever and natural. And the supporting characters are so charming.
TW: brief transphobia (more ignorant than malicious, IMHO), horror elements including body horror, animal death
I read this in about 4 hours (audiobook at 1.5 speed). Highly recommend the audiobook. The trans rep and non-binary pronouns feel both clever and natural. And the supporting characters are so charming.
TW: brief transphobia (more ignorant than malicious, IMHO), horror elements including body horror, animal death
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror and Animal death
Minor: War and Transphobia
storyorc's review against another edition
dark
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
What Moves the Dead slots in neatly between Mexican Gothic and Dracula in the Something in This Spooky House is Fucking With My Friend genre. Would LOVE to see it get the limited series treatment in a few years.
The characters are the stars of this show, with Easton and Ms. Potter shining brightest. They aren't even new concepts - ka is a roughish ex-soldier and she is a chronically underestimated spinster respectively - but they feel fresh, immediate, and funny. I'd love to hang out with them. Angus was a bit too reliant on stereotypes but I was pleased how the resident American, Denton, both embodied and rose above his.
The setting carries enough hinted-at depth to sustain a whole series. It overshadowed the plot a few times, but rightfully so. The late 1800s of this world are just different enough to spark curiosity while still being able to leverage the very real weariness of war needed to sell the veteran characters. I at times felt like I was reading War & Peace through the narrator of Slaughterhouse 5. Gallacia was my favourite invented nation of course, conjuring up a ridiculous amount of charm for a people that seemed so stubbornly hopeless, and I am distraught that I can't visit and stumble over their idiosyncratic pronouns for myself.
My issues with the plot are:
The characters are the stars of this show, with Easton and Ms. Potter shining brightest. They aren't even new concepts - ka is a roughish ex-soldier and she is a chronically underestimated spinster respectively - but they feel fresh, immediate, and funny. I'd love to hang out with them. Angus was a bit too reliant on stereotypes but I was pleased how the resident American, Denton, both embodied and rose above his.
The setting carries enough hinted-at depth to sustain a whole series. It overshadowed the plot a few times, but rightfully so. The late 1800s of this world are just different enough to spark curiosity while still being able to leverage the very real weariness of war needed to sell the veteran characters. I at times felt like I was reading War & Peace through the narrator of Slaughterhouse 5. Gallacia was my favourite invented nation of course, conjuring up a ridiculous amount of charm for a people that seemed so stubbornly hopeless, and I am distraught that I can't visit and stumble over their idiosyncratic pronouns for myself.
My issues with the plot are:
- Too much dramatic irony between what the reader immediately gathers and what Easton believes for most of the book.
- We miss out on seeing Easton at kan full strength because others withhold information from kan too long for tenuous reasons.
- The end was slightly too easy for my tastes. There was a beautiful piece of suspense but then it was over while I was still expecting the dramatic final confrontation.
Finally, I congratulate Kingfisher on keeping the book no longer than it needed to be for the shape of its plot. I stand a good chance of re-reading this one.
(PS - Enjoyers of this novel should also check out Annihilation, though it takes place in a swamp rather than a house.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Body horror
Moderate: War
Minor: Misogyny and Transphobia
nyssa_jo's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness and Death
Moderate: Animal death and Transphobia
Minor: War, Murder, Vomit, Body horror, Grief, Alcohol, and Suicide
sarah984's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This novella is a retelling of Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher and follows the same broad strokes of that story's plot. This is a horror story and does have some creepy parts, but there's an overall cheerful tone to most of it that makes it a quick easy read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Animal death
Moderate: Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Mental illness, Gore, Alcohol, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, and Medical content
Minor: Transphobia, Drug use, Misogyny, War, Vomit, Violence, and Suicide
butterymax's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This book was a really great, fun read (and quick!) in the week leading up to Halloween. Just spooky and grotesque enough without being distressing (and I’m fairly weak-stomached). I guess it delves into body horror but it wasn’t super intense for me. I wasn’t expecting humor, even, but it was funny, too! I would definitely read again and will be looking into this author’s other works.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Animal death and Vomit
Minor: War, Suicide, and Transphobia
With regards to the transphobia: the characters themselves don’t identify as transgender, but are from a fictional country in which multiple genders exist. The character in question is on the receiving end of some uncomfortable questions, but handles it well, and it is not a major source of conflict.