Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw

 

A set of friends has gone on a trip to Japan.  The group loves bizarre events and locations and the group's leader has arranged for them to have access to an old castle in Japan with stories attached to it.  Supposedly a dead bride haunts the castle along with the women who were sacrificed to live in death with her.  Two of the group are getting married and have decided that this would be the perfect location.

But one plays with the dead at a cost.  There is already tension within the group.  Many of them have had past relationships with others in the group and that has left scars.  The two women, Cat and Talia, despise each other, Talia believing that Cat wants her fiancee for herself.  When a Yokai, an otherworldly figure, appears and Talia disappears, the group turns inward on itself and fights about how to get Talia back and defeat the Yokai.  It all ends horribly with the group now bound with a secret they must share forever.

This book generated a lot of buzz, being a finalist for awards such as the World Fantasy, the Bram Stoker and the Shirley Jackson horror awards.  The author writes with lush and lyrical descriptions which creates an otherworldly feel and readers will be exposed to Japanese horror history and characters.  The author is a game designer and writer and that background is obvious in the writing and action.  I listened to this novel and the narrator was accurate in evoking the feel of coming horror.  This book is recommended for horror readers.