Cassandra Khaw's Nothing But Blackened Teeth is a gorgeously creepy haunted house tale, steeped in Japanese folklore and full of devastating twists.
A Heian-era mansion stands abandoned, its foundations resting on the bones of a bride and its walls packed with the remains of the girls sacrificed to keep her company.
It’s the perfect venue for a group of thrill-seeking friends, brought back together to celebrate a wedding.
A night of food, drinks, and games quickly spirals into a nightmare as secrets get dragged out and relationships are tested.
But the house has secrets too. Lurking in the shadows is the ghost bride with a black smile and a hungry heart.
And she gets lonely down there in the dirt.
Effortlessly turning the classic haunted house story on its head, Nothing but Blackened Teeth is a sharp and devastating exploration of grief, the parasitic nature of relationships, and the consequences of our actions.
A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Nightfire
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"What with poisonous relationships, parasite houses, and ghost brides, Nothing But Blackened Teeth is a really bad idea for a wedding, and a really great idea for a nightmare-on-the-page. This book is so magnificently rotten it writhes with literary maggots, and deserves a place of honor among its peers in horror."
— C. S. E. Cooney, World Fantasy Award-winning author of Bone Swans: Stories
An Indie Next Pick!An October LibraryReads Pick!A Most Anticipated Read on Goodreads, Tor.com, Crime Reads, BookRiot, and The Nerd Daily
Brutally delicious! Khaw is a master of teasing your senses, and then terrorizing them!
— N.K. Jemisin, New York Times bestselling author of The Fifth SeasonThis is a glorious poem, a slow-motion collapse leading to the inevitable haunting. It is beautiful and it is brutal and it is heartbroken. Absolutely recommended.
— Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author of Every Heart a DoorwayImagine chucking House on Haunted Hill, Japanese folklore, Clive Barker, and Kathy Acker into a literary blender. Nothing But Blackened Teeth reads like the ghost-punk noir you never knew you needed. It's sharp, playful, and nasty as hell.
— Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghosts and Survivor SongKhaw’s prose oozes dread....Horror readers and folklore fans will find this tale of terror to be brutally satisfying.
— Publishers WeeklyKhaw’s tale seems to come at you straight, setting up your story expectations, but then twists the knife at the last minute, leaving you reeling, but wanting more.
— Richard Kadrey, New York Times bestselling author of the Sandman Slim seriesKhaw's got a sterling premise, enduring lore, and the fresh talent to voice it.
— Josh Malerman, New York Times bestselling author of Bird BoxDelicate and disgusting...Each page holds an image more finely drawn and disturbing than the last.
— T. Kingfisher, author of The Twisted OnesThis book burns and crackles and slithers, its prose as beautiful and deadly as its horror. Cassandra Khaw is a master of the terrifying tale.
— Sam J. Miller, Nebula-Award-winning author of Blackfish CityReading Cassandra Khaw is akin to watching a nightmare ballet, full of beauty and elegance, pain and fragility, and breathless terror. Nothing but Blackened Teeth is mesmerizing. Don’t miss it!
— Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author of Ararat and Red HandsKhaw is a prose wizard who has quickly become an auto-buy for me. This story of a wedding at a malevolent manor is as unexpected and delightful as their poetic approach to horror, and I loved every sharp, delicious twist of it.
— Kevin Hearne, New York Times bestselling author of the Iron Druid ChroniclesThis is Hill House for this century, this is Belasco House with people we’ve known since third grade, and it’s got a smile so wicked you might just have to grin along with it. I know I did.
— Stephen Graham Jones, New York Times bestselling author of The Only Good IndiansKhaw is always compulsively readable. This was a wonderful haunted-house story, modern characterizations in compelling tension with a lyrically beautiful ancient Japanese residence.
— Kij Johnson, winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy AwardsReaders looking for bite-size horror on a stormy night will appreciate Khaw’s twisted tale.
— BookPageA deft and creepy haunted house story, written in a lyrical style that heightens the disorienting, phantasmagoric nature of the tale. Nothing But Blackened Teeth is the kind of story you lose sleep over.
— Brian Evenson, author of Song for the Unraveling of the WorldIf Guillermo del Toro directed The Ring, it might play out something like this engaging thriller. Japanese mythological creatures come to life in this dynamic, unique tale that will satisfy horror readers eager for fresh blood.
— BooklistA feast for the senses. Deeply enriching, twisted, and deliciously dark, the upcoming novella is a definite must-read.
— The Nerd DailyBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Cassandra Khaw writes horror, press releases, video games, and articles about video games and tabletop RPGs. These are not necessarily unrelated items. Her work can be found in professional short story magazines such as Tor.com, Clarkesworld, Fireside Fiction, Uncanny, and the scientific journal Nature. Cassandra’s first original novella Hammers on Bone came out in October 2016. To her mild surprise, people seem to enjoy it.
Suehyla El-Attar Young is an actress and writer based in Atlanta, Georgia. She dabbled in radio for a bit, working with several well-known stations as a morning news personality and DJ. Eventually, she returned to acting, on stage and in film. She has nurtured both crafts of acting and writing, working with local companies such as Theatre du Reve, Synchronicity Theatre, the Alliance Theatre Company, and Horizon Theatre Company as dramaturge, actress, and playwright on several projects.
Suehyla El-Attar Young is an actress and writer based in Atlanta, Georgia. She dabbled in radio for a bit, working with several well-known stations as a morning news personality and DJ. Eventually, she returned to acting, on stage and in film. She has nurtured both crafts of acting and writing, working with local companies such as Theatre du Reve, Synchronicity Theatre, the Alliance Theatre Company, and Horizon Theatre Company as dramaturge, actress, and playwright on several projects.