What Moves the Dead is a brilliant retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher. T. Kingfisher expands on the story and makes it more relatable to more people by including female characters, and she does so seamlessly. Instead of the pure horror of the original short story by Edgar Allan Poe, Kingfisher brings the story to life, inviting the reader to get to know the rider who comes to Usher after receiving a letter from Madeline, the dying sister, but who has also served in the wars with the master of the House of Usher. We get to witness and work out what is happening to corrupt the household with the help of rumors from the local village and a lady mycologist who has made a study of the local fungi. I'd say more, but I don't want to spoil anything for future readers.

I loved that there are active female characters in this story and that they're portrayed as capable and at the same time not out-of-place for the time period. There are more feelings involved than terror or fear, because life is more complicated than that. But throughout, the descriptions of the grounds, the house, and events keep the story dark, disturbing, and terrible.

I purchased this book on the day it was released and finished it the same day. I've long loved T. Kingfisher's writing, whether fantasy, horror, or fairy tale retelling. She's always impressed me with her imagination and ability to write a story that is incredible while keeping her characters relatable and real. In this story she demonstrates how much she's grown as a writer and as a master storyteller.

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Created Jul 13, 2022 at 8:46pm • Submit your own review...