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A review by crloken
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
2.0
It's the year 1850 and Alex Easton, an Oathsworn from Galatia, has received a missive from Madeline Usher to come visit her at the house of Usher at once before her death. There, Alex is dismayed at how the Ushers have aged and seem a shadow of themselves.
About halfway through this modern retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher I decided I was in good hands. The simultaneous explorations of gender, duty, responsibily, and decay felt confident and well reasoned. I was excited to see this author expertly weave them all together.
And then she didn't. It gets lost in its own climax and, despite some appropriately creepy imagery, never manages to really live up to the early promise. Most frustrating for me was a trope in the climax that has never worked for me.
In the end is it kind of reminded me of Prometheus, it's not that it can't live up to its own hype, it's that it can love up to the promise that the early parts of the story evoke. I want to love this. I wish it was better.
About halfway through this modern retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher I decided I was in good hands. The simultaneous explorations of gender, duty, responsibily, and decay felt confident and well reasoned. I was excited to see this author expertly weave them all together.
And then she didn't. It gets lost in its own climax and, despite some appropriately creepy imagery, never manages to really live up to the early promise. Most frustrating for me was a trope in the climax that has never worked for me.
Spoiler
The antagonistic fungus uses Madeline's body to declare its evil plans, similarly to the ending of Prey and The TroopIn the end is it kind of reminded me of Prometheus, it's not that it can't live up to its own hype, it's that it can love up to the promise that the early parts of the story evoke. I want to love this. I wish it was better.