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A review by sweekune
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
5/5
One of my current new interests is mushrooms and when I read the blurb I knew I had to read this book. Based on a Poe classic, What Moves the Dead follows Alex, a retired soldier who goes to help their friends who are suffering from mysterious maladies in a gaunt and gothic landscape. As events begin to unfold, Alex discovers the horrible truth about what is happening to their companions.
- This book is wonderfully creepy and atmospheric. From the first page, where mushrooms are compared to sliced muscle, to the last lines, there is a pervasive dread and sense of wrongness that adds so much. Kingfisher has done an amazing job creating such a strong sense of the setting and story in such a short book.
- Although this book is under 200 pages long, the world building is too notch. The reader is introduced to the history of the fictional country of Gallacia and it's language (complete with neopronouns for different ages and vocations), mycology and the physiology of fungi around this world, the history of fictional wars and their effects, a short insert of the virtues and pitfalls of sheep breeding and so much more. The world is so nuanced and feels so well rounded and real in a way that many longer books fail to achieve.
- As a connoisseur of queer literature, especially those exploring gender outside the binary, this book delighted me. I loved the concepts of the neopronouns used and, despite it taking me a bit to get used to them, enjoyed their use and execution. I also like how the characters view and accept these as part of life and society, even if some consider it a little eccentric.
Creepy, gothic and just perfect for a haunting and thought-provoking read. I would recommend this book to anyone who would enjoy dread, creepy but theoretically plausible body horror and compelling yet mildly terrifying stories.
One of my current new interests is mushrooms and when I read the blurb I knew I had to read this book. Based on a Poe classic, What Moves the Dead follows Alex, a retired soldier who goes to help their friends who are suffering from mysterious maladies in a gaunt and gothic landscape. As events begin to unfold, Alex discovers the horrible truth about what is happening to their companions.
- This book is wonderfully creepy and atmospheric. From the first page, where mushrooms are compared to sliced muscle, to the last lines, there is a pervasive dread and sense of wrongness that adds so much. Kingfisher has done an amazing job creating such a strong sense of the setting and story in such a short book.
- Although this book is under 200 pages long, the world building is too notch. The reader is introduced to the history of the fictional country of Gallacia and it's language (complete with neopronouns for different ages and vocations), mycology and the physiology of fungi around this world, the history of fictional wars and their effects, a short insert of the virtues and pitfalls of sheep breeding and so much more. The world is so nuanced and feels so well rounded and real in a way that many longer books fail to achieve.
- As a connoisseur of queer literature, especially those exploring gender outside the binary, this book delighted me. I loved the concepts of the neopronouns used and, despite it taking me a bit to get used to them, enjoyed their use and execution. I also like how the characters view and accept these as part of life and society, even if some consider it a little eccentric.
Creepy, gothic and just perfect for a haunting and thought-provoking read. I would recommend this book to anyone who would enjoy dread, creepy but theoretically plausible body horror and compelling yet mildly terrifying stories.