What Moves the Dead

For more of my reviews, check out my blog.

I would like to preface this review by letting you all know that I am a giant baby who does not like to be scared. At all. Preferably, I would never have be scared ever, as I do not enjoy it. I don't like jump scares, I don't like gore, I don't like bloody body horror, none of it.

Despite that, I couldn't resist the call of a new T. Kingfisher book. I've read a great many of her books, but never one of her horror titles, because, well, I just told you why. But Tor posted the first two chapters of this short little novella for free, and I was curious. Just how scary were Kingfisher's horror books? And it's a retelling of a classic Poe story — one I haven't read — and he's more psychological thriller than a jump scare kinda guy. ANYWAY, I read the first two chapters and immediately wanted to read more. I was hooked.

What Moves the Dead is spooky as all get out, my friends. It's not particularly terrifying, instead, it's more like watching a train derailment right in front you. You can see what's happening, you can guess what's going to occur and you don't like it. You don't like it one bit, but there's not a gosh darn thing you can do to stop it from happening.

I, as I always do, loved Kingfisher's characters. Alex Easton is a nonbinary sworn soldier, who repeatedly describes themselves as someone with no imagination. They're just not fanciful. So they have a very hard time believing what's happening right in front of them. Denton, an American doctor, was distinctly American compared to the other characters, and I loved the way the narrator, Easton, described him. The Ushers themselves were terrifying in drastically different ways.

As I mentioned before, you can see where the story is going very clearly as you read. It does not stop the end being absolutely horrifying. I'm not a horror kind of gal, but I really enjoyed this one. Four and a half stars.

Merged review:

For more of my reviews, check out my blog.

I would like to preface this review by letting you all know that I am a giant baby who does not like to be scared. At all. Preferably, I would never have be scared ever, as I do not enjoy it. I don't like jump scares, I don't like gore, I don't like bloody body horror, none of it.

Despite that, I couldn't resist the call of a new T. Kingfisher book. I've read a great many of her books, but never one of her horror titles, because, well, I just told you why. But Tor posted the first two chapters of this short little novella for free, and I was curious. Just how scary were Kingfisher's horror books? And it's a retelling of a classic Poe story — one I haven't read — and he's more psychological thriller than a jump scare kinda guy. ANYWAY, I read the first two chapters and immediately wanted to read more. I was hooked.

What Moves the Dead is spooky as all get out, my friends. It's not particularly terrifying, instead, it's more like watching a train derailment right in front you. You can see what's happening, you can guess what's going to occur and you don't like it. You don't like it one bit, but there's not a gosh darn thing you can do to stop it from happening.

I, as I always do, loved Kingfisher's characters. Alex Easton is a nonbinary sworn soldier, who repeatedly describes themselves as someone with no imagination. They're just not fanciful. So they have a very hard time believing what's happening right in front of them. Denton, an American doctor, was distinctly American compared to the other characters, and I loved the way the narrator, Easton, described him. The Ushers themselves were terrifying in drastically different ways.

As I mentioned before, you can see where the story is going very clearly as you read. It does not stop the end being absolutely horrifying. I'm not a horror kind of gal, but I really enjoyed this one. Four and a half stars.