What Moves the Dead is Kingfisher’s retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic “The Fall of the House of Usher.” I’m continually amazed at how much Kingfisher can pack into her smaller word count stories. The last horror I read from her left me more unnerved than scared but this one hit the mark with utmost precision. I relished everything about this book. The sticky atmosphere and cloying Usher House left me with goose bumps at several points. I loved the narrator, Alex Easton, and retired soldier. It was interesting to watch his no-nonsense demeanor be completely rewritten between these pages as he encounters various aspects up the unknown. I feel like this was a great tribute to Poe without trying to become him. Since trying House of Hunger last year, I have discovered I enjoy gothic storylines and added many to my TBR last year. I recommend this to anyone on the fence about giving it a try. (4/5 rating)
Tag: Gothic
Book Review – House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson
After a childhood of growing up in the slums, Marion Shaw is drawn to an advertisement in the paper for a blood maiden position. Within the confines of her southern city Prane, all she knows is blood maidens work in the north and make elite levels of money after their bleeding tenure. Days after her blood is tested, she finds herself in service to the infamous Countess Lisavet who rules the House of Hunger. This was my first by Alexis Henderson. This was the epitome of a gothic tale set with a dark foreboding atmosphere, lies, betrayal, and murder. I loved Marion in her quest for truth that forces her to become Lisavet’s direct target. The ending was a twisted mess. It would appear I need to give Henderson’s, Year of the Witching a try sometime soon. (3/5 rating)
Book Review – The Wife Before by Shanora Williams
This was my first novel by Shanora Williams. I received this book free from the author for an honest review. This story begins with our female MC Samira Wilder. Samira has always struggled to keep jobs and pay the rent because she refuses to waste her life away the same way their mother did. In a bind for money, she takes a one-night celebrity serving event where she meets pro golfer, Roland Graham. They fall up for each hard, celebrate a quick engagement, before she moves into his Colorado mansion. Soon, she discovers an abandoned shed of his deceased wife that Roland hasn’t entered since her death. Samira offers to clean it out and repurpose it, but the secrets she uncovers could undo her new happy life.
Alert: Spoilers below.
I struggled with my rating for this book. While the ending was nothing I could have predicted, I struggled to get there with Samira as the main character. While I can sympathize that the American work system is broken, Samira seemed to have unrealistic expectations of when her brother should be helping her out. She had no problems asking for money while at the same time complaining that he worked too much and would follow their mother’s footsteps. I could not connect with her as a character and Melanie and Dylan were truly monstrous. Roland was the only redeeming part of this story. I’m glad other people were able to enjoy this, but unfortunately, I wasn’t one of them. (2/5 rating)
