A review by not_another_ana
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Every sense I had honed over years on the battlefield was screaming that something was not as it appeared. I could feel it. The dead don't walk.

When retired officer Alex Easton receives a letter from their friend Madeline Usher claiming that she's dying they don't hesitate and immediately head for the Usher estate in Ruravia. Upon arriving Alex notices that both Usher siblings are worse for wear, as is the house and its surroundings, and something odd is going on with the hares around the property. As the days pass and Madeline's condition worsens and becomes stranger, Alex must uncover the secret behind this disease unless they want to become the next victim of this illness.

A retelling of Edgar Allan Poe's well known "The Fall of the House of Usher" with a twist, I really enjoyed this. It expands on themes of the original one, and its longer, while not being a carbon copy. T. Kingfisher adds her on brand of horror to this tale and you can feel her style leaping out of the page. The standouts in this book were the characters, they are all fleshed out and meticulously constructed. I specially like Alex, their narration was funny but didn't downplay the horrors. The answer to the mystery was quite good too and creepy enough to compete with Edgar Allan Poe. I do wish that the pacing had been a bit tighter. For a novella it felt like the introduction dragged on and the action entered the frame quite late.
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