Ratings272
Average rating3.9
An Instant USA Today & Indie Bestseller A Barnes & Noble Book of the Year Finalist A Goodreads Best Horror Choice Award Nominee A gripping and atmospheric reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” from Hugo, Locus, & Nebula award-winning author T. Kingfisher When Alex Easton, a retired soldier, receives word that their childhood friend Madeline Usher is dying, they race to the ancestral home of the Ushers in the remote countryside of Ruritania. What they find there is a nightmare of fungal growths and possessed wildlife, surrounding a dark, pulsing lake. Madeline sleepwalks and speaks in strange voices at night, and her brother Roderick is consumed with a mysterious malady of the nerves. Aided by a redoubtable British mycologist and a baffled American doctor, Alex must unravel the secret of the House of Usher before it consumes them all.
Featured Series
2 primary booksSworn Soldier is a 2-book series with 2 primary works first released in 2022 with contributions by T. Kingfisher. The next book is scheduled for release on 9/30/2025.
Reviews with the most likes.
I liked this, but it didn't quite pull me in. I felt like it was presented as a mystery, but also made it immediately obvious what the “secret” was. Like, if you look at the cover, you know exactly what's going on.
I liked the idea of a social group that gets their own pronouns, but I felt like there was a lot of tell-don't-show surrounding it that took up too much of this short tale.
I loved the characters of Alex, Miss Potter, Angus, and Denton, so that carried me along, and I like the idea of fleshing out The Fall of the House of Usher. It certainly had atmosphere, and there were some very creepy moments.
What a fucking excellent horror novel. I both enjoyed the story as well as the writing style and dialogue. I was looking for a good horror book since being disappointed by several other ‘horrors' in the past couple of months and fuck did I find it.
The characters were excellent and the story was great. It really unnerved me, which is exactly what I wanted. Miss Potter was definitely my favourite. I am definitely going to read more by Kingfisher, might be one of my new favourite authors if this keeps up.
I love a gothic horror story but I love a gothic horror story that includes fungi! This was my first time reading T. Kingfisher and this story felt like a wonderful introduction into her work. What Moves the Dead is creepy, funny, and an all-around beautiful. I love the way the author uses language to describe the manor, nature, and characters. My only criticism with the novella is that the ending felt a little bit rushed, given how short it is. Overall, I highly enjoyed this quick read and if you like anything gothic, I recommend it!
I honestly can't remember if I've read Fall of the House of Usher, but I'm totally going to add it to my list.
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3,286 booksWhen you think back on every book you've ever read, what are some of your favorites? These can be from any time of your life – books that resonated with you as a kid, ones that shaped your personal...