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A review by melaniereadsbooks
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
5.0
Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for an e-arc and alc of this one!
When Alex gets a message from kan childhood friend Madeline Usher that she is dying, kan heads to the decaying Usher estate to do what kan can. But there is a lot more going on at the estate than Alex realizes, and with the help of Denton--Roderick Usher's American Doctor friend--and a local mycologist, Alex is able to solve the secrets of Usher--but not without casualties.
This is a fantasy "Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe retelling. When I read that, and that the protagonist was nonbinary--I instantly knew I had to read this book. I was not disappointed! Alex is such an interesting character and I loved the descriptions of Gallacian pronouns and what it meant to be a sworn soldier as well as the work kan goes through to find out what is happening at the estate. I also really love that there wasn't any romance at all in this story!
I love the atmospheric and creepy gothic mode that Kingfisher was able to establish throughout this book and how well it matches with the source material, while at the same time bringing something entirely new to the story. The discussions of mushrooms and descriptions of unnatural hares and everything else that went along with it made this book delightfully creepy and everything I was looking for!
When Alex gets a message from kan childhood friend Madeline Usher that she is dying, kan heads to the decaying Usher estate to do what kan can. But there is a lot more going on at the estate than Alex realizes, and with the help of Denton--Roderick Usher's American Doctor friend--and a local mycologist, Alex is able to solve the secrets of Usher--but not without casualties.
This is a fantasy "Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe retelling. When I read that, and that the protagonist was nonbinary--I instantly knew I had to read this book. I was not disappointed! Alex is such an interesting character and I loved the descriptions of Gallacian pronouns and what it meant to be a sworn soldier as well as the work kan goes through to find out what is happening at the estate. I also really love that there wasn't any romance at all in this story!
I love the atmospheric and creepy gothic mode that Kingfisher was able to establish throughout this book and how well it matches with the source material, while at the same time bringing something entirely new to the story. The discussions of mushrooms and descriptions of unnatural hares and everything else that went along with it made this book delightfully creepy and everything I was looking for!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Terminal illness, and Death
Minor: Transphobia, Suicide, and Misogyny