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

dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

there was a lot of this that i really liked and some that i didn't. mostly im just very picky about my prose and the protagonist's narrative voice really didn't appeal to me personally (the need for some kind of quirky quip or anecdote at least every other page, if not more frequently, started off endearing but rapidly oversaturated the narration, considering its such a small book). i LOVED the concept and the attention to detail that was clearly put into crafting it, and i think the execution was largely very fun, if a little simplistic (though that vibe again i think just comes down to my personal distaste for the protagonist's narrative/thought process). i also really really liked the way the textual language is used to show the characters mindsets and trains of thought, especially towards the end (the way they address each other reverting to their soldiers' ranks. the constant push-pull towards childlikeness. aughhh <3), including the established cultural context for the neopronouns (though i dont think the overall execution of the pronoun/culture lore was as strongly integrated as it could have been. like. why were the pronouns also being used as nouns to refer to the people who used them). there were a smattering of lines that really really hit hard where they needed to, and im always here for the weird and gross and gothic !! i liked the surrounding characters, and they were all fairly well developed, given the short scope of the book. the mushrooms are the highlight here and i think thats just fine
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