Where the Dead Brides Gather

A powerful Nigeria-set horror tale of possession, malevolent ghosts, family tensions, secrets and murder from the recipient of the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement and ‘Queen of African Horror’. For readers of Octavia Butler, Ben Okri and Koji Suzuki.

Bata, an 11-year-old girl tormented by nightmares, wakes up one night to find herself standing sentinel before her cousin’s door. Her cousin is to get married the next morning, but only if she can escape the murderous attack of a ghost-bride, who used to be engaged to her groom.

A supernatural possession helps Bata battle and vanquish the vengeful ghost bride, and following a botched exorcism, she is transported to Ibaja-La, the realm of dead brides. There, she receives secret powers to fight malevolent ghost-brides before being sent back to the human realm, where she must learn to harness her new abilities as she strives to protect those whom she loves.

By turns touching and terrifying, this is vivid supernatural horror story of family drama, long-held secrets, possession, death - and what lies beyond.

"Nuzo Onoh is a wordsmith who has earned the moniker The Queen of African Horror. Where the Dead Brides Gather is a creepy, well-crafted thrill ride powered by Nigerian mythology, haunting imagery and an unforgettable protagonist's otherworldly nightmares inextricably woven with her deeply human heart." ―Tananarive Due, winner of the Bram Stoker Award and Los Angeles Times Book Prize for The Reformatory

"Onoh does an electrifying job of conjuring the inner life of a child thrust into impossible circumstances, and the novel's many twists are by turns terrifying, hilarious, and heartbreaking. The mythology at the center of the story is fascinating and rewarding to watch unfold. Supernatural horror fans owe it to themselves to check this out." ―Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"Nuzo Onoh never disappoints, and Where the Dead Brides Gather might be her best yet - both moving and shocking, it's a great work of imagination rich with supernatural terrors that will haunt you long past the final page." ―Tim Lebbon, award-winning author of Netflix's The Silence and Among the Living

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