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What Moves the Dead (Sworn Soldier, 1)

An Instant USA Today & Indie Bestseller
A Barnes & Noble Book of the Year Finalist
A Goodreads Best Horror Choice Award Nominee

A gripping and atmospheric reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” from Hugo, Locus, & Nebula award-winning author T. Kingfisher

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.

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Published Dec 26, 2023

176 pages

Average rating: 7.41

258 RATINGS

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Readers say *What Moves the Dead* by T. Kingfisher offers well-written, atmospheric gothic horror with compelling, fully developed characters—especial...

Denise Lauron

May 19, 2024

8/10 stars

I picked this up for bookclub. This story started off slowly, but became an enjoyable book by the end. I rated it a little lower than I normally would because of the slow start.

Merged review:

I picked this up for bookclub. This story started off slowly, but became an enjoyable book by the end. I rated it a little lower than I normally would because of the slow start.

Sonia

Dec 01, 2025

7/10 stars

There was very little benefit of including the elements from Poe’s original story. It would have been stronger as a stand alone story. The writing is good and the story is interesting, but I think we need to question whether an adaptation of a classic work is really needed. In this case, I don’t think the story added much to the original Fall of the House of Usher. It told its own story— which was fine. There were eerie elements and beautiful gothic imagery that made the read enthralling.

JWalter

Aug 16, 2025

8/10 stars

Really good adaptation of the Fall of the House of Usher. The sworn soldier is such a captivating character. Pulled me in from the very beginning

Gabriel Crisp

Jun 23, 2025

6/10 stars

A shorter novel that follows the a twist on the Edgar Allen Poe classic "The Fall of House Usher", it hold a modern adaptation on styles of the horror genre. While the book holds many interesting plot points throughout, I struggled to maintain interest throughout. Although I didn't necessarily find it to be my favorite, I still do believe that it was a decent book.

horrified_hanman

Jun 10, 2025

10/10 stars

HOLY SHIT!!! This book was AMAZING! I don’t know why i’m shocked though, T. Kingfisher never misses. There is a lot that I could touch on in this book, but what I really want to discuss is Easton. They truly were so fun to read as. I honestly don’t know how they were able to keep it together. I mean their friend from childhood was essentially a shroom zombie. What moves the dead? Hallucinogenics apparently. I can’t wait to read as Easton again when the paperback of What Feasts at Night drops.