Published: October 6, 2026
Publisher: Tor Nightfire
Series:
Genre: Horror
Pages: 144 (Kindle)
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis:
A young woman wakes up to find the black hound of Death at her front door in this hauntingly beautiful tale from USA Today bestselling author Cassandra Khaw.
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.
I was intrigued by this book mostly because of the cover. The dog is such a spooky lil guy, with his facial features askew. I also had just finished reading The Salt Grows Heavy, which I was entranced by. It was such a strange book and Khaw’s writing was beautiful, so I had to see what else she had in store.
Reader, I was emotionally devastated. I cried at least three times and had to put the book down to remind myself that I was not in a quagmire of depression, but rather enjoying a beautiful sunny fall day. This book is dark and potent, so please be aware of that before you pick it up! That being said, it was an excellent book exploring depression and thoughts of suicide through the lense of a character who at first seems to have it all together. As the book progresses those illusions are shattered.
When our main character, Antigone, is first visited by the black dog that represents her death I thought the book would follow her as she deals with the repercussions of a terminal illness or perhaps even an impending accident. No, Antigone first tries some attempts at ditching her death, but then she accepts it and welcomes it into her home. It is dear to her and it IS hers. Hers to choose when and where and how. How long she can ignore its howls, its call. Her friends try to help once Antigone makes her plans known, but sometimes they do things rashly or wrongly despite only wanting to help.
It’s just so well written and emotionally wrung me dry. The author notes at the end this book was the result of her own mental health challenges and I’m glad she was able to share this story with the world.
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