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A review by snowwhitehatesapples
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Also on Snow White Hates Apples.
Creepy home, creepy hares, creepy fungi and creepy atmosphere basically sums up what What Moves the Dead is.
As someone who has never read Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher , I didn’t know what to expect. So, I went into this novella, hoping for a lush, gothic atmosphere and for it to be hair-raisingly unsettling — and it delivered in spades, plus touches of sci-fi that’s even more unexpected but nonetheless welcomed.
Our protagonist here is Easton, a non-binary retired soldier who visits their dying childhood friends in a rural countryside where their estate is a dilapidated, severely decaying mansion. What’s more shocking is the state of their childhood friends who appear to be just shades of who they were during their healthiest and happiest. The events that follow are equally disturbing and intriguing. Though I felt more and more unnerved as I read, I couldn’t stop either. I felt the same as Easton as the mycologist poked at one of those ghastly fungi that released incredibly foul odours; as the doctor who opened up one of the hares and found something both explainable and inexplainable by science.
Even so, there were parts of the narrative that felt too long-winded. While I do understand that they were important for context and worldbuilding purposes, I wished it was spread out a little more so it felt less like an information dump. Still, What Moves the Dead remains a fascinating, disquieting read that I think many fans of gothic horror would enjoy.
Creepy home, creepy hares, creepy fungi and creepy atmosphere basically sums up what What Moves the Dead is.
As someone who has never read Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher , I didn’t know what to expect. So, I went into this novella, hoping for a lush, gothic atmosphere and for it to be hair-raisingly unsettling — and it delivered in spades, plus touches of sci-fi that’s even more unexpected but nonetheless welcomed.
Our protagonist here is Easton, a non-binary retired soldier who visits their dying childhood friends in a rural countryside where their estate is a dilapidated, severely decaying mansion. What’s more shocking is the state of their childhood friends who appear to be just shades of who they were during their healthiest and happiest. The events that follow are equally disturbing and intriguing. Though I felt more and more unnerved as I read, I couldn’t stop either. I felt the same as Easton as the mycologist poked at one of those ghastly fungi that released incredibly foul odours; as the doctor who opened up one of the hares and found something both explainable and inexplainable by science.
Even so, there were parts of the narrative that felt too long-winded. While I do understand that they were important for context and worldbuilding purposes, I wished it was spread out a little more so it felt less like an information dump. Still, What Moves the Dead remains a fascinating, disquieting read that I think many fans of gothic horror would enjoy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Body horror, and Death
Minor: Animal death, Gore, Murder, and War