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The dead don’t walk. Except, sometimes, when they do.
When I saw that this book was a reimagining of an Edgar Allen Poe tale I knew I wanted to read it. I’m a sucker for creepy gothic tales and this book did not disappoint on that front. What Moves the Dead is Kingfisher’s take on Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” and parallels the original story fairly well, beginning with the narrator, Easton, traveling to the House of Usher on the request of a letter stating that one of the Usher twins has fallen ill.
I liked the differences that Kingfisher added to the original. The addition of new characters help to fill in the gaps of Poe’s original tale, and the novel veered into a different direction that was sufficiently creepy and shocking. Definitely got some Mexican Gothic vibes, which the author does mention in the author’s note at the end of the book (I suggest reading it!). I also found the pronouns from the land of Gallacia interesting, the use of va/van and ka/kan. It was a bit confusing at first, but I caught on. I also liked that this book had some closure at the end, compared to Poe’s open-ended tale.
What Moves the Dead definitely delivers in the creepiness factor. The zombie-like nature of the twins, the eeriness of the house, and the hares. The hares! They totally creeped me out.
This was fast paced and a fairly easy read, which I appreciated. If you like creepy gothic tales and retellings, I would recommend it.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Set to be Published on July 12, 2022. Preorder Here
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