What are you afraid of? As October comes to an end, we celebrate the one night a year where ghouls and goblins are actually welcomed. As I set out to celebrate Halloween this year, I decided to listen to one more horror audiobook. Knowing my love for all things horror, the fine folks at Macmillan Audio sent me a review copy of Cassandra Khaw's new ghost story Nothing But Blackened Teeth. I was happy to accept it and listen to one final spooky book for the year. With a gothic setting in a faraway land, a group of characters with a multitude of secrets, and a chilling legend of a ghost, it was easy to fall under the spell of Khaw's work.
A group of five young people has gathered in the most unlikely place imaginable to celebrate the pending nuptials of a couple in their midst. The thrill-seeking quintet has forgone the usual wedding venues in favor of an ancient Japanese mansion, long abandoned to the past. As if the setting isn't creepy enough, the legend of its history certainly takes things over the top. Years ago, a bride-to-be was buried beneath the home left to eternally lay in waiting for her missing husband. She's said to have haunted the building ever since. Throughout history, multiple women have been sacrificed to keep the bride company. As the group begins their stay in the mansion, their own personal histories begin to come to light, waking the sleeping bride. Her pale face has no features beyond the dark black teeth that peek out from her mask. A haunted smile welcoming the newest guests.
In Nothing But Blackened Teeth Cassandra Khaw weaves a traditional haunted house story through the lives of five friends grappling with their personal love and loss. I loved the way that Khaw's legend of a lonely bride mirrored the hope and heartbreak of the present-day characters, both coming together into a new kind of nightmare. The audiobook is narrated by Suehyla El-Attar whose voice perfectly captures both the quiet intensity of the character dynamics and the more propulsive horror elements that drive the plot. Oddly though, I found myself more invested in the plight of the book's monster than the people living through the terror. Khaw doesn't delve much into their past, electing to have much of their motivations remain hidden. The monster, however, is given a full back story that reads like something out of a tragic historical legend. With the brief length of this work, all of that amounts to a story that promises something more impactful than it actually delivers. Still, the unconventional setting and truly scary monster are more than worth the price of admission.
For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2021, 43)
I have been seeing this book around. The cover is terrifying! Sounds like the author did a great job blending the then-and-now, and I am intrigued by the monster's backstory.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly wins on the creepy status!
DeleteThat cover is absolutely horrifying and I am definitely going to see if my library has this one. Probably on my Kindle though, so Eleanor doesn't see it and get the bejeezus scared out of her.
ReplyDeleteYeah I don't think she'd be ready for that one!
Delete*Sigh* Still waiting. I am up to #14 on 3 copies, so it will still be a while.
DeleteGood thing there are so many other books to be read in the meantime!
DeleteThat cover is creepy as all get out.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely terrifying!
DeleteThat legend of the buried bride is both creepy and sad. I'm sorry I didn't have time to read this one this October; maybe next year. :)
ReplyDeleteIt is the perfect mix of tragic and terrifying!
DeleteThe cover alone could give me nightmares! It's interesting that the monster's backstory was more compelling than the rest of the characters. I sometimes feel bad for the villain when their backstory is revealed.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly made me like (not root for exactly) the monster more than I cared for the human characters. I honestly found the lack of development on their part to be the thing that lacked the most. Still, that cover will haunt my dreams forever!
DeleteThis is the second review I've read for this today. To be honest, I'd rather know more about the monster lol
ReplyDeleteKaren @For What It's Worth
Monsters are more interesting anyway haha
DeleteI liked this one but didn't love it. I did want some more backstory to the key characters. It sounds like the audio was very well done.
ReplyDeleteI'm right there with you. This one is just okay.
DeleteThis one sounds terrifying all around. I can't even stand to look at that cover. Yikes!
ReplyDeleteIt will certainly creep you out!
DeleteWhy the hell would anyone pick this venue to celebrate an upcoming wedding? Horror novel/movie 101, I mean really ;)
ReplyDeleteThey always make the dumbest decisions in stories like this one haha
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