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A really enjoyable Gothic horror

Loved this novella. Gothic mushroom based horror? Yes please. Plus the queer element is excellent.

T. Kingfisher's riff on Poe's iconic story begins with Alex Easton receiving a letter from Madeline Usher that she is sick. Easton travels to the dilapidated sprawling house, surrounded by a strange lake & animals who are acting unusual, that she shares with her brother Roderick. There were parts of this that I really loved, but I found Kingfisher's character work a bit off putting at times. It felt like a mashup between YA & adult, still a (CONT)

One of the best horror stories I've ever read. It easily surpasses Poe's “The Fall of the House of Usher“ and does something very unique with the parts that are based on that story. Truly creepy and horrible but also a pleasant, smooth read with wit and humour. And it even has a non-binary character. How marvellous!
Hob is also an extremely charming character.
What an incredible book!

#serieslove2024

I absolutely loved this Fall of the House of Usher retelling! Our narrator Easton had such an amazing voice I found myself literally laughing out loud at his descriptions. I‘m hoping he‘s back in the next installment! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"But he used to put festive hats on his skulls depending on the season, and they all looked rather jolly."

?

"(...) if you don't make a fool of yourself over animals, at least in private, you aren't to be trusted. That was my one of my father's maxims, and it's never failed me yet."

Couldn't agree more!

"Hob, my horse, was grateful for the rest, but seemed annoyed by the surroundings. He looked at the grass and then up at me, indicating that this was not the quality to which he was accustomed."

Can't really blame him. If you have to carry a heavy monkey on your back through all sorts of rough terrain, the very least they can do is pay you back with a decent meal...

That is the creepiest book I have read in some time. T. Kingfisher is a genius.

I‘m so glad I read A Haunting on the Hill before reading this, so I can listen to “Hares on the Mountain” (I wasn‘t previously familiar with the song), in particular Fern Maddie‘s version, which Hand references in her author‘s note. I was already super into the song and Fern Maddie‘s music, and it‘s a perfect creepy accompaniment to this delightfully creepy book!

I loved this story. It was the perfect combination of creeping horror, dark humor, & suspense. I loved the characters & the atmosphere in equal measure, and the story managed to be believable in the end.

The creeping horror of the hares & the atmosphere created by the crumbling manor house surrounded by the pitting man against nature made for the best setting for a horror story. The characters' personalities shone through.

Book 61/100.

I think I found a new series. I really enjoyed this one. Creepiest book I've read in awhile.

This was great! Sheba was excited to have done couch time with Mom!

Of course Kingfisher writes an unputdownable retelling of Poe‘s The Fall of the House of Usher…one that will have you looking over your shoulder and maybe even leaving the lights on as the creepiness and horror is ratcheted up page after page after page in a story that is told with just the right amount of dry wit. A decrepit house with even more decrepit residents, intrepid visitors, and a rotten core make for a fabulous read. Loved it.

#ReadAway2024 #SeriesLove2024

I don‘t know why it took me so long to read this retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher, but it was worth the wait. Quick, creepy & atmospheric-an enthusiastic pick Along with Mexican Gothic (which the author speaks to in the acknowledgements) it‘s made me rethink how frightening fungi can be!🍄😱 I‘m happy there‘s a follow up in this Sworn Soldier series/duology but I‘m sad it‘s a 14-week hold time on Libby.

A brilliant and eerie novella with an unnerving atmosphere. Beautifully written and impossible to put down.

This sequel of What Moves the Dead, T. Kingfisher's novella retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher, goes in a slightly different direction, but brings back a great cast of characters and maintains the same mystical gothic overtones. I really enjoy this creepy little series & this author's books overall. I listened to the audio and what a treat this was during all of my little tasks. Y'all are going to love this one.

PSA: My local B & N is selling paperback copies of Kingfisher's “What Moves the Dead“ for $5 with the purchase of any item from the café. I don't know if this is a nationwide offer, or specific to this location, but just wanted to put this info out there!

1. Absolutely! Taking breaks with graphic novels (I realize GN's aren't a genre) and poetry helps me a lot.
2. I love Neil Gaiman and Matt Haig
3. I really enjoy T. Kingfisher (Ursula Vernon)
#WondrousWednesday @eggs

The tagged book, and I highly recommend it for anyone that needs a quick read, and likes horror, retellings of Poe, and rotting Gothic manors.

#SundayFunday Have a great day, and don‘t forget to tag me in your posts!

Easton travels to visit some old friends, only to discover that both of them are becoming ill & the house is rotting around them.

Such an excellent retelling of Poe‘s Usher! Atmospheric & spooky, with an insidious creeping horror as Easton learns more and more what‘s going on. The descriptions of the fungus gave me goosebumps. With fun characters & lots of twists, Kingfisher really knocked it out of the park. Can‘t wait for the sequel! 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗

This was a little slow at first, but then the pace took a 180, and I couldn‘t put it down.

A gothic sporror novella retelling of Edgar Allen Poe‘s THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER. A slow burn that turned out to be a pretty great read!

What is sporror = spore-horror - a subgenre where mycelia and mosscaps become a driving force of terror, death, and destruction. 🍄😱 I learned about that on TikTok! 😂

#Scarathlon Photo Challenge Day 18 prompt: zombie

Very unique take on walking dead.
#HHC

@bookmarktavern @dabbe @liatrek @jessclark78 @chrissyreadit @thedaysgoby @vonnie862 @ladyCait84 @sresendez12 @kelli7990 @JessieKB

Absolutely loved this novella retelling of Poe‘s Fall of the House of Usher! So delightfully creepy…. Excellent on audio. #scarathlon #spookyghostclub

I listened to this book and it was wonderful! I‘m a sucker for a retelling- especially an Edgar Allen Poe one. Truly a gothic horror with some deliciously gruesome imagery. 5/5! #scarathlon #creepinitreal #cir

T Kingfisher/Ursula Vernon is one of my favorite authors, hands down. Her books are always a delight, even as they are often (at least the horror novels) creepy and disturbing. What Moves the Dead, a re-envisioning of the Fall of the House of Usher, is no exception. I'll never look at hares the same way again. Loved Easton and ka manservant, Angus, and the inestimable mycologist, Miss Potter. There's a sequel coming next year and I can't wait!

This was an interesting book to read immediately after Bunny. I know that hares and bunnies (or rabbits) are different creatures, but both are lagomorphs, and they're near enough for the connection to feel thrillingly odd. I wonder if the similarity between the name of the liquor (livrit) and the name of a young hare (leveret) is intentional? Overall I enjoyed the book, but it's a tad light. It has the feel of a short story rather than a novel.

So. Many. Pumpkins.

#Audiocrafting

1: My favorite from last year was What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

2: Cooler weather & seasonal coffee drinks

3: This is basically the one time every year I read horror, but I also like reading some paranormal romances to keep it from being too scary

4: I've been in a reading slump and scarathlon always motivates me to read more

5: Dress my toddler up in his costume, take some pictures, and eat some candy

#mischiefandmayhem #scarathlon

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this book, how any author could have the temerity to take on a retelling of a Poe classic.

It turns out, not only can it be done well, it can be done so spectacularly that I had to sit in silence for a bit after finishing the book just to let it all settle in my mind.

If you are looking for something spooky and atmospheric, but also witty and engaging, to read this autumn, look no further!

I have no idea what took me so long to read this book, but I absolutely loved it. The book is a retelling of one of Poe‘s most famous short stories. The author created something that I have never read before. The main antagonist of the story was refreshing and very imaginative. I recommend this book 100%. It‘s not too long either! A good suspenseful and thrilling read for the fall season coming up soon.

Cool interpretation of what could have (in a sci-fi way) cause the reanimation of this old tale. The House of Usher comes alive in this story, and all the characters seem well fleshed out. Creepy and enjoyable

Reading during my construction wait. I live at the end of a 17 mile road, and we are currently enjoying construction season to repair. I loved Swordheart and am excited for this slim beauty.

#roadconstruction #mushrooms

🍄 Borrowed my sons bookmark for this one. Does anyone else like the bookmark to match the theme of the book? 🍄

I really enjoyed this gothic horror, a retelling of Poe‘s “The Fall of the House of Usher”. It‘s always the 🍄 🍄🍄🍄 Love this cover too!!

Creepy, short and wonderful!! 🍄🐰

Thoroughly disturbing, this is a great horror read! T. Kingfisher does a great job of infusing Poe‘s classic, “The House of Usher,” with new life and perspective. This gothic horror was a fantastic short read that will stay with me.

This was a retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher by Poe. Loved this Gothic horror novel. So unsettling and creepy. This author has an incredible way of making horror whimsical somehow. Hard to explain, but it works.

Very atmospheric and and very well written. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

A creepy and compelling retelling of Poe's “Fall of the House of Usher“. T. Kingfisher (a.k.a. Ursula Vernon) is an excellent storyteller and captures the gothic feel really well.

#AwesomeApril @Andrew65
#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

Absolutely terrifying. 10/10

Weird and creepy, but with a sense of humor… pretty much my favorite kind of book! I like that fungus horror is such a thing these days, and T. Kingfisher has become and auto-buy author for me.

Kingfisher is beginning to look like an auto-buy for me. This novella was creepy and fun in equal measure. Loved the retelling of the house of usher and the surprise at the ending of who the villain of the story is.

A retelling of Poe's classic "The Fall of the House of Usher." My impression throughout was that I would be rating it 4-stars at best. But, after I read the author‘s note at the end, it became a 5-star read. All of the questions I had and all of the concepts that bothered me were cleared up by those notes. Please, people, when you read a book, DO NOT skip the prologue, epilogue, or author notes. If you do, you may be missing more than you think.

At $2.99 and $1.99 respectively, it was impossible to resist these Kindle deals. A Kingfisher book I haven‘t read and a blend of “dark romance and Korean Mythology?” Yes please!

I am not cut out for gothic horror. I hated it.

Objectively, it‘s very well written, the characters are well rounded, and it‘s a great example of its genre.

Just sooooo not for me. 💀

“An old French woman told me I had no poetry in my soul. I recited a dirty limerick at her and she threw a lemon at my head.”
🤣💀

“Sometimes it‘s hard to tell if someone is insulting or just American”
🤣🤣