Excerpt: FIND ME WHERE IT ENDS by Cassandra Khaw (Tor Nightfire)

Next week, Tor Nightfire will publish the latest horror novella from the always-excellent Cassandra Khaw: Find Me Where it Ends! Every new book by Khaw is something to celebrate, so we’re very happy to be able to share an advance excerpt with our readers. Before we get to the excerpt, here’s the synopsis:

A woman wakes up to find the black hound of Death at her front door in this hauntingly beautiful tale…

Antigone is no stranger to death.

For the women of her family, death always comes in the form of a black dog.

When Antigone’s own black dog arrives, she isn’t afraid. She invites it inside, where it soon becomes a daily source of companionship and comfort. It also forces her to reflect on the life she’s led — the parts of herself she’s hollowed out for the sake of others, and the bone-deep exhaustion that’s hounded her every step.

Her Death’s arrival must be a sign, permission to finally let go. To rest. Because while mortality is inevitable, living is a choice.

But a good death comes at a price.

And now, on with the excerpt…!

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New Books (May-June 2023)

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Featuring: Stacey Abrams, Harvey Araton, Nicole Baart, Josiah Bancroft, I. S. Berry, Tobias S. Buckell, Martin Clark, Tom Hanks, Richard Kadrey, Cassandra Khaw, Jonathan Lethem, Max Marshall, Martha Wells

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Upcoming: THE DEAD TAKE THE A TRAIN by Cassandra Khaw & Richard Kadrey (Tor Nightfire)

KhawKadrey-DeadTakeTheATrainUSHCThe cover and details for The Dead Take the A Train, the new novel by Cassandra Khaw and Richard Kadrey has been unveiled! An eye-catching, twisted cover pairs nicely with the synopsis, and places the book firmly on my must-read list:

Julie Crews is a coked-up, burnt-out thirty-something who packs a lot of magic into her small body. She’s been trying to establish herself in the NYC magic scene, and she’ll work the most gruesome gigs to claw her way to the top.

Julie is desperate for a quick career boost to break the dead-end grind, but her pleas draw the attention of an eldritch god who is hungry for revenge. Her power grab sets off a deadly chain of events that puts her closest friends – and the entire world – directly in the path of annihilation.

The first explosive adventure in the Carrion City Duology, The Dead Take the A Train fuses Khaw’s cosmic horror and Kadrey’s gritty fantasy into a full-throttle thrill ride straight into New York’s magical underbelly.

The cover is by James Jirat Patradoon.

The Dead Take the A Train is due to be published by Tor Nightfire in North America and in the UK, on October 3rd, 2023.

Also on CR: Interview with Cassandra Khaw (2016); Guest Post by Khaw, “Everything is Exhausting”; Review of Walk Among Us; Reviews of Sandman Slim, Kill the Dead, Aloha From Hell, Devil in the Dollhouse, Devil Said Bang, and Kill City Blues

Follow the Author (Khaw): Website, Goodreads, Instagram, Twitter
Follow the Author (Kadrey): Website, Goodreads, Instagram, Twitter

New Books (January-February 2023)

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Nicely varied selection, from thrillers to history. In an unusual twist, I’ve already read a few of them, too. Any of these upcoming titles catch your eye?

Featuring: David Baldacci, Sarah Clegg, Gareth Hanrahan, Nash Jenkins, Cassandra Khaw, Hannah Kaner, Ian McDonald, Aimee Ogden, Megan E. O’Keefe, Adrian Tchaikovsky, David Wellington

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New Books (April-June)

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Featuring: David Annandale, Kyle Beachy, Chris Bosh, Peter V. Brett, Bill Clinton, Megan Collins, Denny Flowers, Emma Goldberg, Lee Goldberg, Walter Goodwater, Genevieve Gornichec, John Green, Daryl Gregory, Darius Hinks, Ada Hoffman, Cassandra Khaw, Brian Klingborg, Tom Lin, Kimberly McCreight, Haruki Murakami, Megan O’Keefe, James Patterson, Cat Rambo, Ben Rhodes, Zin E. Rocklyn, Anthony Ryan, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Clint Smith, Caitlin Starling, Michael J. Sullivan, Lisa Taddeo, Kathy Wang Continue reading →

Very Quick Review: WALK AMONG US by Genevieve Gornichec, Cassandra Khaw & Caitlin Starling (Voyager)

KhawC-VM-WalkAmongUSAn interesting and varied collection of novellas

One of the most popular role-playing properties in the world gets new life with this trio of horror novellas set in Vampire: The Masquerade’s World of Darkness by three brilliant talents: Genevieve Gornichec, Cassandra Khaw, and Caitlin Starling

The subtle horror and infernal politics of the World of Darkness are shown in a new light in Vampire: The Masquerade: Walk Among Us, a collection of three novellas that show the terror, hunger, and power of the Kindred as you’ve never seen them before.

I’ve been interested in the Vampire: The Masquerade setting for years. However, I’ve never played a game of the pen-and-paper RPG. In fact, despite buying some of the 1990s-early 2000s novels (which I haven’t had a chance to read, yet), I have quite limited experience with the setting. I played and loved the Redemption video game (I really want them to update it for newer platforms!), and also the first Bloodlines game. Aside from that, before 2021, I had no other experience with it. When Walk Among Us was first announced, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. I’m happy to report that it is a very good, varied collection. Continue reading →

New Books (March-April)

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Featuring: Stacey Abrams, Mike Brooks, Choi Jin-young, Mikaella Clements, Onjuli Datta, Alex de Campi, Amanda Foody, John French, Peter F. Hamilton, Gareth Hanrahan, Peter Heller, Christine Lynn Herman, Kotaro Isaka, Jadie Jang, Cassandra Khaw, Joe R. Landsdale, Richard Lange, Mike Lawson, S. Qiouyi Lu, Lee Mandelo, Elaine Murphy, Craig Nova, Megan E. O’Keefe, Gareth L. Powell, Tom Rosenstiel, Neil Sharpson, Brian Staveley, Gav Thorpe, C.L. Werner, David Wragg

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Upcoming: NOTHING BUT BLACKENED TEETH by Cassandra Khaw (Tor Nightfire)

Nothing But Blackened 4c.inddCassandra Khaw is going to have a pretty busy 2021, it seems. In addition to the print/eBook edition of Walk Among Us, and The All-Consuming World, the author’s creepy-looking Nothing But Blackened Teeth will also arrive just in time for Halloween. The awesome cover was unveiled earlier today, and it certainly looks like the perfect novel to read (with the lights on):

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 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.

Cassandra Khaw’s Nothing But Blackened Teeth is due to be published by Tor Nightfire in North America and in the UK, on October 19th, 2021.

Follow the Author: Website, Goodreads, Twitter

Upcoming: THE ALL-CONSUMING WORLD by Cassandra Khaw (Erewhon)

KhawC-AllConsumingWorldUSTor.com has described the protagonist in Cassandra Khaw‘s newest novel as having “heavy Furiosa vibes” (if you don’t know the reference, please go and watch Mad Max: Fury Road before you do anything else). I’ve enjoyed the other work by Khaw that I’ve read, and am looking forward to reading The All-Consuming World, a science fiction novel about a group of cyborg ex-cons who want to rescue a missing teammate:

A diverse team of broken, diminished former criminals get back together to solve the mystery of their last, disastrous mission and to rescue a missing and much-changed comrade… but they’re not the only ones in pursuit of the secret at the heart of the planet Dimmuborgir.

The highly-evolved AI of the universe have their own agenda and will do whatever it takes to keep humans from ever controlling the universe again. This band of dangerous women, half-clone and half-machine, must battle their own traumas and a universe of sapient ageships who want them dead, in order to settle their affairs once and for all. 

“Dimmuborgir”… I wonder if it’s named after the band?

Cassandra Khaw’s The All-Consuming World is due to be published by Erewhon in North America and in the UK, on June 22nd, 2021.

Follow the Author: Website, Goodreads, Twitter