BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Where The Dead Brides Gather' by Nuzo Onoh.

CLEAR YOUR SCHEDULES AND GRAB THIS HAUNTING PAGE TURNER TODAY!! I CAN GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!!

This may be the first book I have read by this absolutely incredible author but it most definitely will not be my last!!

OMG!!! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE, LOVE, LOVED THIS BOOK, AN ABSOLUTELY AMAZING, HAUNTING, HORRIFIC AND PAGE TURNING EXPLOSIVE MUST READ!!!

This book is extremely well written with vivid and evocative descriptions that really put you in the storyline, feeling the hair on your arms raise and putting you on the edge of your seat!!! The storyline is just as stunning as the cover!!!

The first thing I have got to say is an absolutely HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to the amazing author Nuzo Onoh! I absolutely loved this addictive, explosive, creepy, horrific page turner!!! It had the perfect amount of horror, occult, suspense and everything else that you could ask for!! It is a very fast paced and gripping read and I devoured it in one sittings in the space of a few hours!!! This really is the perfect book to read for any horror fan!! I mean, the cover alone is absolutely epic and made me want to sink my teeth into the book and that is before I end read the synopsis!!! In this gripping novel we meet 10 year old Bata who suffers with nightmares and sleepwalking. She wakes up one night to discover that she is standing outside her cousin Kezia's bedroom door. Kezia is due to be married the next morning but is attacked by a ghost bride. Bata defeats the ghost bride but becomes possessed herself. Her family takes her to get her exorcised by local witch doctor Dibia. However, a spirit intervenes and takes her to Ibaja-La which is the realm of dead brides instead. Bata gets a new role as Bride Sentinel and is to protect brides from the ghost brides. When she returns to her world she is ostracised by many of her relatives whom she is meant to protect. How can she protect the people that shun her? Grab your copy of this captivating book today to discover the answer to this and find out much more and I promise that you will not regret it! With a storyline ram packed with traditions, horror, occult, bravery, fantasy, folklore and much more what are you waiting for?? I absolutely love how unique this storyline is having never come across anything like it before!! It is such a fascinating read and I was completely absorbed throughout. Nuzo's absolutely terrific and vivid writing skills and descriptions ensure the reader really feels and sees everything that Bata is seeing and feeling through the pages. I was absolutely intrigued by the Nigerian beliefs and traditions having never read a book based on Nigerians before. Ibaja-La was an absolutely amazing and fascinating place to visit with Bata and it really did come to life. I had no idea what to expect as I was turning the pages and I was surprised by how much of an emotional punch Nuzo brings with her imagery from terror to heartache. I absolutely adored Bata and my heart went out to her especially considering her cruel and horrid father and how much worse he made everything for her on her return. It wasn't just Bata that was treated awfully but also the women by the males who have too much power. Considering Bata's young age she is such a strong, determined character and I was completely invested in and rooting for her throughout!! I was absolutely intrigued and fascinated with the folklore and mythical aspects of the book as well as the horror so if you like any of those genres this book is definitely for you! This truly is an absolutely addictive, action packed page turner with a unique storyline that will grip you from the moment you open the pages until the very end, and longer!! A huge well done to Nuzo on the absolutely uniqueness of this book!! I have read hundreds and hundreds of books so it is getting harder and harder to find books with a truly unique storyline but Nuzo has smashed it out of the ballpark. I loved getting to meet all the different characters and Nuzo has done an absolutely brilliant job of weaving the storyline together perfectly ensuring the reader gets the bigger picture. The setting and creepy atmosphere is perfect for the storyline and Nuzo's fantastic emotive and evocative writing skills really suck the reader into the story ensuring they can see the horror all around them and feel the chill up their spine. You have truly got to grab a copy of this fantastic horror today!!! I absolutely LOVE horrors and for me the creepier the better but, although I have found some great horror books out there, I struggle to find many filled with enough to creep me out!! That was up until I read this book and Stephen King eat your heart out because this is absolutely packed with a storyline and horror that I have never come across and as I have read hundreds of horrors and seen hundreds of horror movies THAT is truly hard to come across but Nuzo absolutely slam dunks it!! A MASSIVE CONGRATULATIONS Nuzo Onoh!! Along with a creepy and horrific atmosphere and storyline Nuzo also creates an absolutely fantastic group of characters each with their own unique personalities. They were all very strong characters, realistic and sturdy with their own unique personalities, flaws, quirks, strengths and weaknesses. I enjoyed seeing the friendships and relationships between the characters change and develop and really enjoyed their interactions between them all. There is a wide range of characters and we get to meet loads of different characters which I absolutely loved!! I remarkably became very quickly attached and invested in the Bata and some other characters and loved seeing the dynamics and interactions between them all. Nuzo has created them so well that I really did feel like I was with Bata and the dynamics between the characters worked perfectly. Well done Nuzo on creating such a memorable, unique, diverse and multi layered group of characters that will stay with me for a long time!! This is one of those books that I picked up and within a quarter of the book I realised I was wasting time lying to myself saying just one more chapter and I will do X, Y or Z as there was no way I could put it down!! Each and every chapter ended in a way that I had to know what was going to happen next so I ended up walking around with my book glued to my hands and unable to take my eyes of the screen until I had completely devoured the book within a few short hours. This book has definitely shot to my top horror book of the year and I would be absolutely shocked if anything managed to knock it off this spot as it just had absolutely everything a horror fan could want or ask for!! I honestly loved absolutely everything about it from the characters to the settings and it was just one heck of an amazing read!!! If you love horrors, gothic stories, supernatural books, thrillers, suspense, well do you know what if you love reading then grab a copy of this book today and you will not regret it!!! It has got to be one of, if not the best horror book that I have ever read!!! I absolutely love, love, LOVED the unique storyline!! I've just genuinely never come across a book anything like this one and I doubt I will again!!!! I just genuinely love, love, LOVED IT!!! This book will suck you in and keep you gripped in the pages until your thrown out at the end with a racing heart!! A truly unforgettable one in a million page turner!!!!

Clear your schedules before turning a single page as this book is truly unputdownable!!! However, I recommend you read this in the day with company although I still couldn't guarantee you wouldn't have nightmares!!

This book is one the BEST horror books I have ever read !!! This book really is a truly unique page turner that I picked up and had devoured within a couple of hours!!! It had absolutely everything you could ask for and more!!!

Well done Nuzo Onoh on an absolutely addictive and explosive page turner and I would definitely like to welcome you on to my top 5 favourite horror author list!!! Congratulations on an absolutely fantastic success and here is to what is guaranteed to be many more 🥂

Overall an absolutely addictive, action and supernatural packed suspense filled and chilling horror that will keep you turning the pages until you've devoured the book in hours!!

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A wonderful example of African fantasy. you could never accuse this books of being set in America or Europe. For fans of NNedi Okorafor.
It is the matter-of-fact that the supernatural world exists within this book, and no one disbelieves our 11 year old hero as she gets possessed by a vengeful spirit. Full of gothic imagery, Where the Dead Brides Gather is at times quite gruesome, but always narrated by the (mostly) positive young Bata.

A fascinating horror novel set in Nigeria, Where the Dead Brides Gather is absolutely worth the read. Follow Bata through this story of nightmares and ghosts.

DNF. The blurb calls this powerful, but I found it kind of cartoonish more than anything else. (Nor that animated shows/movies can’t be powerful, but you know what I mean.) Complete with the ghosts blasting each other with lasers from their hands and eyes. Also, I got to 22% and am not sure if the Horror just comes later, or if this book is really more Fantasy than Horror (which is what it felt like).

I really like it when we get Adult stories narrated by younger characters, but that wasn’t really what was happening here; we weren’t limited by or informed by the 10yo’s knowledge of the world, so this wasn’t really what I was expecting it to be!

I don’t think there’s really much wrong with the writing itself, so if you like the blurb, you could give it a shot. I’m not really recommending it? But I’m not urging you away, either.

I bought a copy for my home library as soon as it was released. I was so engaged that I wanted to know more of the folklore and did some background reading. Will be flagging this author for the future.

This really felt like a book of two halves for me. The first half was gripping and stunning and had me in the edge of my seat. It felt like the horror story that I was expecting. And then Bata returned to the normal world and it kind of lost its way with me. The story then felt slow and meandering and it was hard to know where it was leading to.

I liked that the ending was conclusive, but it also felt a bit rushed to me.

I enjoyed this book and the setting and the richness of the world that was built within it, but it also fell a bit short of my expectations.

Where the Dead Brides Gather is a perfect book for those who enjoy horror elements without the intense scary moments. This book truly explores the complexities of the horror genre in relation to the concept of marriage.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the plot and characters of the novel, finding their complexities allowed for well rounded and fleshed out characters and the plot unique and intriguing, at times I found it felt longer than possibly necessary. However, this did not deter my enjoyment of the story.

Overall, this African folklore based horror novel was highly enjoyable and unique addition to the horror genre.

Thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Bata is a bright and ambitious child, longing for both a proper education and her family's love and approval. However, she soon learns she’s destined to be a Bride Sentinel, a role that requires her to protect engaged women from vengeful ghost brides. The story provides interesting insights into cultural traditions and community dynamics within Nigerian village life. The early chapters emphasise Bata’s awakening to her mystical powers and her experiences in a spirit world, while the latter half shifts to family drama upon her return to the physical world. I appreciated the author’s effort to create a horror novel inspired by African folklore, complete with a conclusive ending. While I didn’t find it particularly scary, and to caveat it is YA, readers who enjoy crossover fantasy will certainly enjoy.

I’m honestly not sure how to put into words how this book made me feel, so I’ll just be honest.

It made me cry.

Nuzo Onoh has managed to describe both the experience of being a child on the verge of womanhood, and also as a traveller between worlds. The deep honesty of Bata’s story is touching on a human level (even if I, as a mid-40s white British woman, cannot relate specifically to her experiences!), because death is the one guarantee in life that we all must face. Western culture has largely forgotten this, so when it comes, we find it difficult to process. This tiny Nigerian girl shows not only how we can face that final mystery, but also how it affects us as part of female life experience.

For yes, this is women’s story. Be it little girl, bride-to-be, bride-who-never-was or wife and mother (including those brides who are male), these are shown to be experiences that transcend borders, be they geographical or spiritual. From the crazy, often nonsensical familial and social politics of the ‘real world’, to then seeing truths and trying to understand after experiencing the sisterhood (and its warped alternative) in the Otherworld, Bata’s story struck a chord with me as I remembered walking similar paths myself as a youngster, and then as a wife, divorced and then married again.

This is a beautiful morality tale and true heroine’s journey as Bata battles to find her power. I learnt enough of Nigerian legend to inspire me to seek out more, and I love that a quick-witted girl can take on the power of a great goddess… and then return to her (rather hapless but very realistic!) family.

‘Where the Dead Brides Gather’ is an experience, marvellously told and which I shall absolutely be returning to again. I’m beyond grateful to the author for sharing such an adventure, reminding us to see the common ground between womanfolk and those who’ve gone before.

In <i>Where the Dead Brides Gather,</i> Nuzo Onoh presents a dark fantasy through the eyes and thoughts of a young girl, caught between a world of miraculous powers where Powerful deities work to protect Earth brides, and a patriarchal family ruled with an iron hand by her father. Fighting for the approval of her mother, step-mother, and father, stricken by violent dreams, Bata is plunged into a world where she must fight for the lives and marriages of the women of her village, while alternately being praised, and avoided by friends and family, while fighting against powers no one but she can see.

Very entertaining, and highly recommended.

There is a big battle near the beginning and I wasn't sure what was going to happen next. I didn't expect to have such a uniquely populated fantasy world to experience. This book was a new experience. I didn't know what I was getting into, but I enjoyed the experience. If you like a unique fantasy world and people battling for what is right, you will like this one.

Where the Dead Brides Gather is a beautifully written horror with deep Nigerian roots. I have to say I was intrigued by the blurb but more so by the mention of Suzuki, one of my favourite authors, and I was not disappointed. The story is complex and rich, as readers we are instantly brought into tale and never let go. I don’t like spoilers but I did enjoy how ‘possession’ was not used as it normally is but rather allowed Bata to help the malevolent ghost-brides. It was an unique accept that I adored.

The other thing is that while at times this is a terrifying read there are moments that a heartwarming, there are elements of family drama and how that is deal with and most importantly interesting explorations of death and the afterlife. Bata is a wonderful protagonist to follow. I adored how she came into her power.

While this was my first novel by Onoh I will most certainly be reading their other work.

As always thank you to the Titan Books and Netgalley for my copy. My review is always honest, truthful and freely given.

I don't usually gravitate towards YA books but I was intrigued by the premise of this fantasy/horror centered on an eleven year old girl named Bata in Nigeria. Bata is a young, intelligent child who desires an education as well as her family's acceptance and affection more than anything. However, she soon discovers that she is a Bride Sentinel and must fulfill her duties to save betrothed women from vengeful ghost brides.

While I understand Bata is relatively young, she is primarily portrayed as a fearful girl who makes silly mistakes and self deprecating monologues that are rather repetitive and trite. There were times I sympathized with Bata, especially with all the scrutiny she faced once she took on her new role. However, I found Bata's character one dimensional for a majority of the story and would have loved to witness more of her growth.

The story itself was informative regarding some of the cultural aspects and community practices in Nigerian villages but it did not always flow seamlessly. The beginning portion focused more on Bata’s discovery of her supernatural powers and time in a spirit realm while the latter half showcased the melodrama surrounding her family following her return to world of the living. Given this, the sequence of events felt random and disjointed at times. The story ultimately dragged during the latter half before somewhat connecting back to the Bride Sentinel piece. 

Overall, I appreciated the author’s attempt at crafting an African folklore based horror novel with a neatly wrapped up ending. While a true scare factor was missing for me, perhaps others who enjoy middle grade stories with supernatural elements may find this more enjoyable.

Thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This story was a whirlwind. It was a little hard for me to keep up with the characters, because there were several of them within the family, not even taking into consideration the characters outside the family. I liked Bata, but did not love her character. I was intrigued by the idea of the Bride-Sentinel though, and the setting was rich and broody. All in all, enjoyable read for horror lovers, especially those looking for non-white authors and stories!

Where the Dead Brides Gather is a fascinating tale about ghosts, possession and the afterlife. I love stories that delve into different folklore and beliefs about the great beyond and this was such a brilliant exploration of these themes.

This Nigeria-set tale focuses on Bata and starts with her battling a ghost. But it is really when she dies (this isn’t a spoiler I swear, it is in the blurb) that things really start to happen. She is taken to the realm of dead brides which is such a specific and fascinating section of the afterlife. I have only read about ghost brides in one other book (‘The Ghost Bride’ by Yangsze Choo) and was completely taken by the idea. These young women are both tragic figures and aggressors. They can be sympathised with but also feared which is a great combination for a horror story.

Whilst I’m not sure I understood all of the references in this book and was, at times, confused by the world building, I was more than happy to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the setting. There are ghosts and ghouls but also some insightful looks at human nature. With Halloween coming up, it is the perfect time to read this unique book about possession and spirits.

Nuzo Onoh, the acclaimed “Queen of African Horror,” delivers a powerful and chilling supernatural tale in Where the Dead Brides Gather, blending West African folklore, family drama, and ghostly vengeance into a compelling narrative. Set in Nigeria, the novel masterfully intertwines horror with cultural richness, exploring the intersection of the spirit world and human emotions, all while presenting a heroine caught between both realms.

The story follows Bata, a young girl plagued by ominous nightmares who suddenly finds herself thrust into a battle between the living and the dead. Her cousin’s wedding day is overshadowed by the terrifying presence of a vengeful ghost-bride, a former fiancée of the groom, who seeks murderous revenge. Onoh crafts this opening with expert tension and atmosphere, drawing readers into the heart of a family haunted by more than just secrets—by spirits with unfinished business and deadly intent.

Onoh’s use of possession as a tool for empowerment, rather than a purely terrifying ordeal, is an intriguing twist on the trope. Bata, through a supernatural possession, finds herself uniquely equipped to confront the vengeful ghost-bride. Her journey to the eerie Ibaja-La, the realm of dead brides, takes the novel into more surreal, nightmarish territory, where Onoh’s talent for atmospheric horror truly shines. This otherworldly realm is as vivid as it is terrifying, populated by restless spirits with tragic, unresolved stories.

Bata’s visit to Ibaja-La is more than just a test of her survival; it’s a transformative experience. There, she is granted secret powers and knowledge to combat the malevolent ghost-brides that haunt the living. Onoh balances the supernatural with themes of coming-of-age and self-discovery, as Bata must learn to wield her newfound abilities while grappling with the dangers that await her in both the spirit and human worlds.

What makes Where the Dead Brides Gather stand out is its rich thematic depth. Onoh doesn’t just give us a ghost story; she explores the weight of familial obligations, long-buried secrets, and the generational trauma that ties the living to the dead. Bata’s journey mirrors the tension between tradition and modernity, between individual freedom and familial duty, all while maintaining an emotional core that is as touching as it is terrifying.

The novel’s horror is both visceral and psychological. Onoh’s depiction of the ghost-brides, especially the vengeful spirit hunting Bata’s cousin, evokes genuine fear, but it is the emotional stakes—the love, loss, betrayal, and guilt—that elevate the horror. The dead in this novel are not faceless monsters; they are tragic figures whose unresolved lives spill into the present, making their presence all the more harrowing.

Onoh’s writing is evocative, seamlessly blending the supernatural with the everyday life of her Nigerian setting. The cultural context adds a layer of richness to the narrative, as Onoh delves into West African beliefs surrounding death, spirits, and exorcism. Readers unfamiliar with these traditions will find themselves immersed in a world where the boundary between the living and the dead is porous, and where spiritual battles are as real as any physical conflict.

Where the Dead Brides Gather is a story of survival and resilience, not only in the face of supernatural threats but also in the face of personal loss and familial obligations. Onoh weaves these elements into a deeply human tale, where the bonds between family members are tested by forces beyond their control, and where a young girl must navigate the horrors of both her inner and outer worlds.

For fans of supernatural horror, especially those who appreciate folklore-infused storytelling, this novel is a must-read. Onoh’s unique voice and her ability to blend terrifying ghost stories with profound emotional and cultural resonance make Where the Dead Brides Gather a standout in the genre. Readers will find themselves both touched and haunted by Bata’s journey, and by the lingering presence of the dead brides she must face.

In conclusion, Where the Dead Brides Gather is an evocative and terrifying journey into the realms of the living and the dead, filled with richly drawn characters, emotional depth, and a uniquely African perspective on horror. Nuzo Onoh has once again proven why she is regarded as a master of the genre.

This Nigerian-set fantasy-horror started full-throttle and (almost) did not stop. Eleven-year-old Bata is horrified to discover that, after a possession earlier in her childhood, she has become the Bride-Sentinel: her job is to stop evil ghost-brides attacking women on the eve of their weddings. But when her powers overwhelm her, the local medicine man sends her spirit on a sojourn to the realm of dead brides, Ibaja-La, where Mmuọ-Ka-Mmuọ, who collects the ghosts of ghosts, will help her to fight the ghost-brides.

I hoped Nuzo Onoh's Where The Dead Brides Gather might be a little like Zen Cho's brilliant 'The Terra-Cotta Bride', and it does have that same edge of absurd humour, in places, as it deliberately embraces melodrama. I especially enjoyed a manifestation of fiery, flying geladas [a type of baboon] to which the villagers react in chorus: 'People gathered outside, staring with horror at the band of gurgling, glowing baboons whirling over our house in their diabolical flight... "How in God's heaven can baboons fly? This is evil sorcery beyond human powers. Oh, Jesus!'. The voice, however, often did not land for me; Bata is written as very young for her age, and her internal monologue can be grating. The baboon scene would have been even funnier if Bata was able to regard the villagers with a level head, but she's always in the same register ('Oh, my cursed luck! I know this foul smell!')

The weakest section of the novel ended up being the one I was most looking forward to: Ibaja-La. Unlike Cho's brilliant tongue-in-cheek portrait of the Chinese afterlife, Ibaja-La just seemed silly to me, full of frothy fake weddings and dumb brides, and it's where the book veers into feeling most like children's fiction (though it's definitely not). I didn't feel truly engaged by Where The Dead Brides Gather until Bata returns from Ibaja-La and is drawn into the centre of a family conflict when she realises, to her dismay, that she can now read minds. But this new power - which ends up being the key driver of the book - feels only very tenuously linked to the ghost-bride material. Having said all this, though, I'd rather read an exuberant mess than yet another bland soulless cookie-cutter novel, and this definitely delivers. 3.5 stars.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-arc of this upcoming release!

My favorite kind of horror is nestled in the cozy corner of own voices and different cultures. It is something we are seeing more and more but it still is not where it could be nor should be for the times. 'Where The Dead Bride Gather' is a beautifully written tale that blends culturally rich elements and gothic atmosphere. It blends fantasy and horror and does so with finesse.
This was wonderful, however, it just missed the mark.

This is a highly original story. I really enjoyed the narrative of the child, in this book! It has just about the right elements to keep you interested and on the edge of your seat. I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait to see what the author thinks of next.

I enjoyed reading Where the Dead Brides Gather, but it wasn't what I was expecting. Nor was it what I wanted--I had expected a more gothic horror story, but this felt more like a middle grade horror than anything else. I like Onoh's writing, I'm just not sure that I see this as adult level horror.