Synopsis
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 wedding venue for a group of thrill-seeking friends.
But a night of food, drinks, and games quickly spirals into a nightmare. For 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.
Review
Nothing But Blackened Teeth is Cassandra Khaw’s latest release. It is a horror novella about a group of friends who spend the night in a haunted mansion. They are down for some shenanigans, but how will they react when things go sideways?
While this book left me wanting a little bit, I really enjoyed some of the spooky scenes. A big, empty mansion, scary stories, and creepy ghosts set the tone for the eeriness of the narrative. With the whole set up, Khaw captures many tried and true elements of a good horror story. I had goosebumps during much of my time reading, and that is what I look forward to in a book like this.
That being said, I thought there was too much drama amongst the character set. Interpersonal issues are a staple of friend-group-based thrillers, but I thought the amount of infighting and provoking, while designed to add suspense to the story, took away from it in this instance. There was too much focus on the history in the group, and I felt as though that pulled me out of my spooky mood too often.
You wanna talk about goosebumps? That ending, though…
Overall, Nothing But Blackened Teeth is a decent horror read. Lots of eerie scenes and a setting that contributes to the overall inflection of the story. I was not a huge fan of the characters and their relationship issues, though. If that sounds like something you might enjoy, then I would recommend reading this if you are looking for a good ghost story.
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