This read was an interesting mix of ominous and tedious. A reimagining of Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher, this novella had a very interesting premise, but ultimately fell short in execution. While some of the horror elements were both intriguing and legitimately very unsettling, I felt like the actual horror story took a backseat to some of the lore and exposition. While the author has crafted a very interesting world, the story gets bogged down in expository "lore dumps" and interjections every now and then - which, in a 160 page book, take up a lot of prime storytelling real estate. While set in 1890, some of the narrative flare felt distinctively modern, almost like it was trying to sound old-timey, despite maintaining modern quips and phrasing. When it's not narratively dragging its own heels, it moves at a breakneck pace, allowing us to get swept up in the truly disquieting whirlwind of the Ushers and their dreary mansion.

Ultimately, I can really see and appreciate what T. Kingfisher was going for here, even if it was a swing and a miss at times. That being said, I probably won't be going for the sequel.