As I suspected when I read The All-Consuming World earlier this year, Khaw’s vivid, intricate, and descriptive style of prose works incredibly well in their horror novella Nothing But Blackened Teeth. Following five friends who reconnect for an elopement in a haunted Japanese mansion, the night quickly turns from thrilling to terrifying when a ghost bride makes her presence known.

There’s a great balance of human-initiated versus supernatural-initiated horror in this novella. The mix of tension, the usage of an unreliable narrator, and the plethora of graphic depictions of squelchy, gory stuff made for a gripping read. Fans of Japanese folklore will find a lot to love in Khaw’s descriptions of both environment and supernatural phenomenon, and lovers of haunted house stories will find a lot to be creeped out about in this novel. Some uneven pacing and a lack of character depth affected my enjoyment overall.

If you want a quick, gothic, terrifying, and disturbing read in a Japanese setting, complete with a bi protagonist, Nothing But Blackened Teeth is one to add to your TBR. This was a great spooky season read for me that worked exactly as intended.

Thank you to Nightfire and NetGalley for an advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Unfortunately, this is a novella that falls into the category of "should have been a novel." This is most obvious in the relationships between the characters. While they clearly are all supposed to have a history, there's little more explanation given than "some of these characters used to date." Because there's no time to develop the dynamics or show their history, this falls flat. The remarks that they make to each other seem unnecessarily cruel - I believe they're supposed to reveal a complexity and depth of relationship that just falls flat in such a short book.

Similarly, the horror of this story never really develops. There's just not enough text here to build any sort of tension, and it's not sharp or fast paced enough to propel it forward as quickly as a novella needs to in order to work.

This is a horror story, and there are several clever nods to the genre, including a side character (the "comic relief") who worries that he and the bisexual character are disposable because of the tropes of horror. That moment did make me smile, and was an excellent example of Khaw's talent in writing. It's a shame they didn't develop this one fully.

For such a highly praised and blurbed book, this one left me disappointed.

Parts of the plot are predictable based on many "ghost" or horror stories, but the Japanese mythology was the only thing that felt "new".

This is such a fantastic novella, even for someone who doesn't normally dip into the horror genre. The writing is just beautiful, with every description carrying on that feeling of something that just isn't right. I would have gladly read this as a full novel. It stays on top of the action, so you don't get as much filled in about the characters' relationships and the history of the space, but it's not necessary to enjoy the ride either. It is a thrill!

Nothing But Blackened Teeth, a novella, is the first work I've read by Cassandra Khaw. It is a surreal haunted house story and has elements of spooky Japanese folklore. It was...different. If you love creepy and gory, you'll feel right at home. Me? Not so much. I used to love reading horror, but got away from it, as it seems it's no longer to my taste. Although this wasn't my cup of tea, I did enjoy Ms. Khaw's skill in evoking dread, and some of the language was almost poetic; that is, when the almost constant "f" bombs weren't being dropped.

A Heian-era (794 to 1185 A.D.) mansion sits abandoned in Japan. It is rumored that the foundation was built on the bones of a bride whose intended died before he reached the wedding. She was buried alive at her request and would remain there until her groom could make his way back to her. The bones of girls who were sacrificed to keep her company are thought to be interred in the walls. An odd group of friends head there for a wedding, as the bride-to-be always wanted to get married in a haunted house. The friends eat, get drunk and play, but things take a wrong turn. The ghost bride (ohaguro-bettari) joins them, and she is hungry and lonely...

This was really an extremely odd and spooky idea for a story. I loved the premise of the ohaguro-bettari; the problem was I liked her more than the living people there! It was hard to feel compassion for that horrible lot of "friends". The story was narrated by Cat, a young woman who attempted to commit suicide in the past and was sort of an outsider. She once dated the groom Faiz, and his bride Nadia didn't like Cat. Phillip and Lin round out the group. When things first began to go awry, the story had a dreamlike quality to it. Then the horror and gore arrived and things got extremely messy. It did have a spooky vibe, perfect for Halloween. Just avoid this if you have a weak stomach. I will be interested in seeing future work by this author. Special kudos to the artist who created this disturbingly beautiful cover art!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

ook review: Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw

Nothing But Blackened Teeth is a paranormal horror about a group of twenty-somethings that rent a Japanese mansion to stage a wedding but the house harbors an angry ghost who thirsts for blood and destruction.

Five twenty-somethings that love haunted houses and decide to hold a wedding for two of their members inside an ancient mansion in a secluded part of Japan. Cat, the main character, is fresh out of a stint in the hospital and six months of work on her mental health. When she emerges her best friend Lin got married and another pair, Faiz and Nadia are engaged. Phillip, the wealthy golden boy of the group, treats the group to an all expense paid trip to a ruined mansion to hold a wedding for Faiz and Nadia. But the building is filled with the images of Japanese folklore and haunted by the story of an abandoned bride entombed in the walls as she waits for her runaway groom. The intensity ratchets up as the friends turn on each other and the ghost bride is hungering for a sacrifice.

This is a dark and twisted story that packs a lot of punch for being under 130 pages. Cassandra Khaw uses vivid descriptions and can truly turn a phrase and there is also a youthful energy to her writing and characters she creates. The story also had unexpected turns as she took what the reader was expecting and purposely pivoted.

I recommend this one for horror lovers looking for a fresh haunted house story
4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Superstition was a compass: it steered your attention through thin alleys, led your eyes to crosswalks filthy with makeshift shrines, offerings and appeasements scattered by traffic."

A group of friends reunite for a wedding in a Heian-era mansion that just so happens to be haunted by the ghost of a dead bride, if the stories are to be believed. What starts as a night of celebration, awkward tensions, and social dysfunction/drama between the group quickly turns into a nightmare as they come face-to-face with the ghost.

The story definitely has a spooky vibe -- creepy haunted house, ghostly possession, blood and death, darkness, and some creepy dolls there to watch it all -- which is perfect for Halloween. It's also short, so it can be read in an afternoon. It wasn't as scary as I expected it to be, but what do I know, I'm a desensitized millennial.

I will say: the author's writing style definitely takes your full concentration, as the prose is very smart whilst also packing a punch. They have a very distinct writing style that can hit deep.

"Bitch is the kind of word that reads like a gunshot, rings like a punch."

I also really liked the author's inclusion of breaking the fourth wall (several times) to interject about common horror tropes; for example:

"After all, isn't that the foremost commandment in the scripture of horror? They who are queer, deviant, tattooed, tongue-pierced Other must always die first."

"This is the problem with horror movies: Everyone knows what's coming next but actions have momentum, every decision an equal and justified reaction. Just because you know you should, doesn't mean that you can, stop."

All-in-all, I enjoyed this novella...and I will be staying far away from haunted houses with lonely ghost brides that want me to join them, thank you very much.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own. Quotes are from the eARC and might not reflect the text in the final published version.

3.5 stars, rounded up

Nothing But Blackened Teeth is a fast-paced novella, a tale of a haunted house, using Japanese folklore as a backdrop for a tragic wedding.

I’ve seen some truly stellar reviews for Nothing But Blackened Teeth, there are a lot of unsettled readers out there after reading this one. So if you are a fan of haunted houses, you might fall into that group that loved this story, finding a book that makes you skin crawl.

Unfortunately for me, I didn’t find it a eerie or unsettling as a I had hoped. While the folklore was fascinating, it didn’t ever hit me hard enough to creep me out. Maybe it was because it’s a novella, so the pace is so fast, I never had a chance to settle into this haunted house and let it get under my skin. Maybe I’m just not bothered by haunted houses. Who knows? Either way, it wasn’t the scary story I was searching for.

Khaw has a really beautiful way of writing though. Despite it not being a hard hitting scare fest for me, it was a lovely book to read through. Her descriptions made you feel the house, made you see what the characters were seeing.
Although, because it is a novella, there isn’t enough time to really get on with the characters - you don’t get a chance to become attached to them, or understand them. Khaw’s writing moved more towards feeling the house rather than establishing the characters, so if you’re a character driven reader, this probably isn’t the book for you.

All in all, I can see this being a book many people will love, but unfortunately for me, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I would love to see a novel of a similar setting by Khaw though, as I think that would be the thing to unsettle me.

Honestly, I'm kinda disappointed. I think that horror novellas just aren't my thing because I need more time to actually be invested in the story to feel creeped out or anything, so it's more of a me thing rather than the book's fault.

I really enjoyed the Japanese mythology element that this book had and I loved the setting, but again, there wasn't much time for me to get invested in the characters so I kinda just ended up not caring what happened to any of them, which kinda takes away from the spooky element.

But other people seem to be really enjoying this one, so I would still give it a try if you're interested!

Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

To be honest, I expected this to be much longer and much scarier. But when I finished I still felt it on me -- the cloying smell of the violence, the stink of fear, the insanity that comes with unimaginable terror. So I guess it worked.

3 stars.

I devoured Nothing But Blackened Teeth in 24 hours. Granted, it’s only 128 pages—but it’s a tight 128 pages. Cassandra Khaw somehow manages to keep moving things along at a brisk pace while also taking her time building the story. She dedicates plenty of the novella to fleshing out the characters and establishing their tangled, strenuous history before the terror is fully unleashed.

Nothing But Blackened Teeth is an unsettling story. Cassandra Khaw has a vice-like grip on the psychological aspects of horror—how mental illness and fractured relationships can fuel or exacerbate our most deep-seated fears. Writing this tale as a novella, as opposed to a full-on novel, was the correct way to go. The controlled page-count offers the author ample space to solidify the character dynamics before ratcheting up the scares—because once the gore kicks into gear, it doesn’t let up until the stark conclusion.

Full review to be published online soon!

A Heian-era mansion stands abandoned, its foundation 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 wedding venue for a group of thrill-seeking friends. A night of food, drinks, and games quickly spirals into a nightmare. Lurking in the shadows is the ghost bride with a black smile and a hungry heart.

I absolutely adore horror stories steeped in real-life folklore. Cassandra Shaw has managed to take Japanese folklore, combine it with one of the most atmospheric stories I’ve recently read, and deliver something unique to readers in just over 100 pages. Pure magic! First off, there’s not a chance you would find me in this abandoned, haunted mansion. Nope. This group of friends just set up camp like it’s nothing and I couldn’t look away from the pages while I was anticipating the horrors coming for them. I loved how the drama of this friend group propelled the story and the actions of our characters forward, but I did feel at times the creep factor was lost because I was distracted by a dialogue between characters. Overall, this is a solid novella that deserves all the attention! I look forward to reading more of Shaw’s work in the future.

"...this is literally the part where the supporting cast dies horribly. You’re bisexual. I’m the comic relief. It’s going to be one of us.”

Have you heard about Hitobashira? It's a cultural practice of burying people alive in the foundations of buildings as a sacrifice to the gods. Protecting that building from natural disasters and such. 😳 And people wonder why they get haunted.

Nothing But Blackened Teeth has a mixture of good and not so grand reviews. Honestly, I can see why but I'm leaning towards the positive side of this chaotic little number because it's haunting the grey matter.

A group of friends meet up for a wedding at a haunted house because the bride has always wanted one in such a setting. Cue the typical character tropes, the obvious "don't do thats" and let the haunting begin. I did a bang up job giving myself skin crawlies reading at night. Snuffling dogs can eerily sound like demons in the throws or a horror book.

The novel is lovingly short and eclipsed with cultural lore and ritualistic beliefs. I stopped at every word I didn't know making Wikipedia my bff. There is a dark humor underscoring the dialogue and inner monologues that I really liked (Lin and Cat fans over here). The writing style will be the hardest part for readers. Overly descriptive and choppy in its execution but I also found myself highlighting numerous catchy (and dark) passages. Is it for everyone? No. Did it throw me off my reading pace more than I want to admit? Yes. However, Khaw caught me in all her vivid imagery folks. I can't help what I like.

"the ohaguro -bettari sat and laughed like someone’d told her the joke that killed God."

The horror aspect has moments of absolute creepiness. Then moments where less could've been more and things get a smidge hard to follow. I think I just need this to be a movie because my mind could not do it the justice it probably deserved.

Overall, NBBT is a book I easily sunk into. This isn't for everyone and does contain mentions of suicide and other possible triggers. I thank Tor Nightfire for the ability to snag this from Netgalley's Read Now section. All thoughts are my own.

I was able to pull out this book and read it just in time for spooky season. The premise sounded very promising and a good Japanese ghost story seemed like the perfect way to get into the Halloween mood. Unfortunately, I didn't find this book to be scary at all. All of the ghosts in the story are merely set decorations. They seem to all just stand along the walls and watch the action rather than cause it which means that the actual situation that takes place could be in any setting (a camping trip, a birthday party, etc.) where the characters get drunk and start arguing with each other. So while it was a quick and fairly enjoyable read, I wouldn't say it was a good ghost story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this book based on the fact that I (a) love horror, and (b) absolutely LOVE Asian horror. There's something about their legends, and myths, that allow for some fantastic ghost stories.

Unfortunately, I feel this one fell short on both accounts. I found it neither scary, nor fantastic.

First off, the troupe of friends "breaking into" a house has been done, time an time again. And while this isn't a reason to pass on the book (I mean, if it didn't work, it wouldn't be over used), it's certainly not a reason to pick it up either; I personally felt like I've read this before, in much better context.

Second, and this is the biggest reason I didn't enjoy the story as much as I wanted to, there were a LOT os terms for the ghosts that weren't explained, so I had to keep jumping to Google to see what Cassandra was referencing. Had there been a quick footnote at the first mention (for example: Kitsune - intelligent foxes that possess paranormal abilities that increase as they get older and wiser), or even a glossary at the beginning of the book, it would have made the reading more enjoyable.

I thought the character development was lacking and disjointed, and while I like a slow burn in a story, I didn't find the "bang" and the end to be satisfying enough to compensate for the 8 of the 9 slow burn chapters.

It’s October, and the month that I spend in celebration of Hallowe’en is one of my favorite times of the year. Nearly five weeks of spooky stories, movies, games, all building up to a night spent in costume asking strangers and friends alike for candy? I’m 100% in.

This year, one of the best scary stories that I had the pleasure of reading was Cassandra Khaw’s new novella, Nothing But Blackened Teeth. I’m a big fan of horror novellas, as I love seeing how an author can build suspense over shorter texts, and Khaw absolutely shines here. They skillfully blend Japanese myths and history with a modern setting, leaving me wanting so much more.

Nothing But Blackened Teeth is the story of a group of friends, horror fans all, who have overcome their intertwining pasts to gather at an ancient Heian-era mansion so that two of them can get married. Why not have a destination wedding in a haunted house? After learning about one of the spirits that is said to occupy the grounds, the friends soon find that their planned night of drinking and telling ghost stories may have gone a step too far. An ohaguro-bettari, the ghost of a bride-to-be, has claimed one of them as a replacement for the man who died before he could become her husband a thousand years ago.

Khaw presents us with a group of protagonists who are clearly genre-savvy, but their own interpersonal connections have grown strained, and may prove to be their undoing. “This is the problem with horror movies: Everyone knows what’s coming next but actions have momentum, every decision an equal and justified reaction. Just because you know you should, doesn’t mean you can, stop.”

I loved Nothing But Blackened Teeth, and devoured the novella in a couple of hours. It’s available for you to buy today!

My sincere thanks to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for a fair review.

Nope not for me. This story just didn't work in novella form. It was minimally creepy only in flashes. There wasn't enough for me to care at all what happened to the characters (they mostly just bickered anyway), and the lore wasn't explained at all and therefore I lost interest.

I had never read Khaw’s work before but her dark prose really grabbed me from the beginning.

This is a short but twisted story. The atmosphere is really palpable, thus why it felt so real.

The story is unsettling and kept me at the edge of my seat, also I enjoyed the representation.

Just beware of TW’s in case you’re sensitive but overall it was a good story.

When Cat is invited to a Heian-era mansion in Japan for the elopement of two of her friends. The bride, Nadia has dreamed for years of getting married in a haunted house and her fiancé Faiz is willing to accommodate. The house that they've chosen has a ghost story attached to it - many years ago, as wedding was panned there, but the groom died before arriving. The bride was so struck with grief that she asked the wedding guests to bury her alive in the foundation of the house. The bride would keep the house standing until the groom's ghost came home to her. Every year, a new girl would be buried in the walls so that the bride's ghost wouldn't grow lonely. As the story unfolds, we learn bit-by-bit about the past drama that exists in the group of friends that has gathered for this wedding, and the old wounds that may have never healed.

This novella was is atmospheric, creepy and chilling. It combines Japanese folklore with haunted houses and relationship drama. The author doesn't skimp on the gory horror imagery and her prose is really lovely and lyrical, while at the same time brutal and gruesome. In places, the story was a bit confusing to me - I did a lot of googling to keep up with the Japanese terminology, and I wish I understood more about the relationships in this friend group that brought everyone to this point. The cover is absolutely terrifying.

Thank you to @Netgalley, @TorNightfire and @macmillian.audio for providing me with an ARC/ALC of this book.

Ahoy there me mateys!  I was excited to read this novella around Halloween time.  The pros for this book were the concept and cover.  The cons were the execution and characters.  I didn't love the writing style as it was a bit purple prosy.  However, the major issue is that I actively disliked all the characters and thought they were selfish and immature.  I have no idea why they were friends at all.  There was too much focus on character backstory and not enough focus on the ghost bride.  I finished this one cause it was short but was bored.  So this one walks the plank!  Arrr!