What Moves the Dead

 Tell me a story... about a sickness shrouded in mystery

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

Publication date: July 12, 2022

Date read: March 8, 2023

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. 

This book is a retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s “Fall of the House of Usher”.

I first want to note that I have not (yet) read “Fall of the House of Usher”, so I cannot comment on its success as a retelling. 

This book is less than 200 pages, but it is able to pack quite a punch into its short length. It is more creepy and unsettling than pure horror, but the atmosphere and creepiness are established so well so quickly. This book is my first by Kingfisher, but if she is able to set a stage this well in her other books, then I can’t wait for the next one. 

The book has a slightly confusing bit near the beginning where Gallacian pronouns are explained (Alex’s character is from this region, and the pronouns are quite complicated). It is confusing, but don’t be worried if it never completely sinks in - it helps to develop Alex’s character, but isn’t really necessary to the plot. I do like the way that the complicated pronouns are just stated as a normal thing and not made a big deal of, past the short explanation. I can see how this might be off-putting to some readers, though. 

I really enjoyed just how creepy this book was. Without giving anything away, the shooting of the hare was so wonderfully disturbing that I knew this book was going to be good, and it didn’t disappoint. Anyone with serious triggers for animal death should not read this book, but for anyone who isn’t sure, there is a fair amount of animal death, but the animals aren’t “right”, and the killing is necessary to the plot. 

The characters are well done and enjoyable to read, but really the star here is the atmosphere. No complaints about the characters at all, though. 

I also recommend reading Kingfisher’s author’s note, because while I was reading this book I did get serious Mexican Gothic vibes (although I actually liked this one a bit more), and she actually talks about that in her author’s note. (She was actually in the process of writing What Moves the Dead when Mexican Gothic came out, and noticed the similarities herself - and actually recommends that book as well). 

Overall, this is a wonderfully creepy short horror novel that I highly recommend to all horror readers. It’s one of the better atmospheric horror books I’ve read, and one of my favorites of the year so far.

Content warning: gore, body horror, war (mentioned), surgical amputation (mentioned), graphic animal death.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

Immortality

 Tell me a story… about the quest to live forever

Immortality: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz

Publication date: February 28, 2023

Date read: February 24, 3023

Audiobook narrated by Mhairi Morrison and Tim Campbell

When Hazel Sinnett saves a life that leads to her arrest, she seems doomed to rot in prison until a message intervenes: Hazel has been specifically requested to be the personal physician of Princess Charlotte, the sickly granddaughter of King George III. Soon Hazel is dragged into the glamor and romance of a court where everyone has something to hide, especially the enigmatic, brilliant members of a social club known as the Companions to the Death.

This book is the sequel to Anatomy: A Love Story. 

I loved Anatomy when I read it last year, and while I don’t believe this book is quite as good, it still holds up and makes for an interesting story. 

The first book was more setting the scene, and exploring the difficulties for a woman to become a physician - a book that was much more focused on the people than the somewhat fantastical plot points. This book, as the title implies, focuses more on the effects and complications of the Immortality potion. 

I did love the way that this book brought in a lot of real historical people and events, especially how it dealt with the “madness” of King George. While I missed the personal relationships of Anatomy, I did like (for the most part) the direction that Immortality took. 

Without giving away any plot, I didn’t love the conclusion of the Charlotte storyline, which did make me rate the book a little lower than I might have otherwise, but it was still a strong story and one that I really enjoyed. Hazel was still wonderful, and I liked her interactions with the other characters in the story. She’s one of the most believable strong women that I’ve read in historical fiction in a while (even if some of the plot points are fantastical), and I would definitely read more from this series if the author decides to continue. 

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, with the caveat that there are fantasy elements involved with the potion of immortality. It is necessary to read Anatomy before this one, however, because while this is more or less a standalone story, the backstory of the potion and Hazel’s relationship with Jack are necessary to really enjoy this one. But they’re both great reads, so don’t let that hold you back. 

I also highly recommend the audiobook - Mhairi Morrison narrates both and does a wonderful job. 

Content warning: gore, execution, misogyny, classism, detailed medical descriptions, miscarriage/abortion. 

Rating: 4/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.