I had not heard of this author, despite the fact she is apparently well known, winner of the Bram Stoker award for Lifetime Achievement and known as the “Queen of African Horror.” This wonderful book is set in Nigeria and gives an interesting mix of Catholicism/folk traditions and supernatural horrors particular to women, as well as small looks at both traditional and worldly aspects of village life (for example, Bata’s father has a television, but there is seldom any electricity in the village to run it.).

Bata, who is ten, has terrible nightmares, and she wanders in her sleep. One morning she wakes up apparently standing guard in front of her cousin Keziah’s bedroom door; Keziah is to be married to a rich man in the morning, but first she has to escape an attack by a ghost-bride who used to be engaged to Bongo, her groom.

Bata becomes possessed and manages to defeat the ghost-bride. Her family attempts an exorcism at the hands of Dibia, the local witch doctor, but a powerful spirit intervenes and she is sent to Ibaja-La, the realm of the ghost-brides where she resides for a time and where she re wives secret powers to defeat them. She is then sent back to the human world to defend her family.

I wasn’t sure I would like this book; it seemed to skew hard into fantasy which is not a genre that is usually for me, but I loved it. The author showed how Nigeria is changing, even for women (how lucky that Dibia intervened so quickly and saw exactly what Bata’s powers were/could be. Otherwise she might have been sent away and in earlier days would likely have suffered a worse fate.).

Even still, Bata’s road is not an easy one. When she is not in the wonderful Ibaja-La she is generally being ostracized by her family. The chief’s daughter will be shamed for what has befallen her even though it was not of her doing. The hose who commit infidelity suffer greatly. But overall I loved the book and would like to read more from this author. Highly recommended.

My thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for a free e-ARC of "Where Dead Brides Gather" by Nuzo Onoh.
A Horrific Folk tale of spirits and possesions, crimes and family drama.
I loved the Nigerian cultural elements.
What I struggled with was that there was not enough build up to the Horror elements. They felt so brisk, so sudden, that it almost felt disjointed from the inital tone of the narration.
Otherwise the author had a lush writing style.

This book is fascinating. I loved learning all about the Nigerian culture in this book and it is used in service to a frightening, sad, and really suspenseful story. The idea of the ghost brides and bride sentinels are both really interesting and horrifying and this books takes you on a true journey as Bata learns firsthand what all of this means and experiences the land of the ghost brides herself. A beautifully written book with unforgettable characters, this one is a must read.

I love African folklore and this story was told beautifully and with gorgeous prose. A very good novel..I only wish it had been a bit longer, maybe delved into the characters a little more.

This was an absolutely captivating dark fantasy story with a lot of African folklore. Honestly, this book made me want to research this kind of stuff in depth and get an even better understanding of the culture. I enjoyed the spirits and Bata's character immensely.

I absolutely adore dark fantasy and this story with its roots in African folklore was unlike anything I've ever read before. I love those books that spur you to research- to better understand the roots of the story. "Where the Dead Brides Gather" follows Bata an eleven year-old girl from a small village. We watch as she discovers she has the powers of a 'bride sentinel' which is essentially a protector to brides from the vengeful spirits of 'ghost brides.' The story was ride with haunting imagery and a truly fascinating progression.
I would recommend this to readers who enjoy dark folklore such as Juniper and Thorn by Ava Reid.

Reading more horror books with BIPOC characters and BIPOC authors is important for me. So, when I saw the chance to jump on this book, I took it. And I do not regret it.

I really really enjoyed this book as a whole. The whole concept of a ghost collector and the dark fantasy aspects were top tier.

Onoh's work is a gorgeous dark fantasy that draws on African folklore and life. The descriptions throughout the book are vivid, and the overall plot solid and well-woven. I was always eager to see what came next.

The struggle I had with the novel was with Bata, our first person narrator. I never felt any connection to her for various reasons. One, admittedly minor, reason was uses repetitive descriptions and proclamations that I just got tired of seeing, The larger issue for me, though, was her lack of agency. Everything comes across as "happening to Bata" rather than "Bata participating" or "Bata initiating." She truly makes few choices that have any real impact on the story, and both her joys and her traumas seem... not earned, in a way. The ending also left me beyond puzzled. Bata is implied to be something special, but then her status and powers are transferred to another VERY easily.

Now, one could argue that's one of the overarching themes of the book, that Bata wants to obtain agency and live her life as she wishes, free of Bride Sentinel duties, family and village politics, and free to pursue education and her interests. The desire for agency, and lack of it, is also not uncommon in an 11 year old, which Bata is for the majority of the novel. That the taking away of her powers, like the giving of her powers, was completely beyond her control and, if anything, a corrective action from her family and the universe. That traumas and joys are like that, experienced without necessarily being earned. I can see that view. I just didn't find it made for a very exciting read.

If you enjoy dark fantasy with a folkloric vibe, particularly an African folkloric vibe, then I would highly recommend this book. All of what I loved about this book was its use of folklore, both in its horror and its beauty. Plus, my problems can really be chalked down to taste and not necessarily real weaknesses with the novel itself.