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Breakable Things
Cassandra Khaw's dynamic and vibrant debut collection, Breakable Things, explores the fragile and nebulous bonds that weave love and grief into our existence. This exquisite and cutting collection of stories showcases a bloody fusion of horrors from cosmic to psychological to body traumas.
250 pages, Paperback
First published November 8, 2022
62 people are currently reading
941 people want to read
About the author
Cassandra Khaw
126 books2,930 followersCassandra Khaw is an award-winning game writer.
Their recent novella Nothing but Blackened Teeth was a British
Fantasy, World Fantasy, Shirley Jackson, and Bram Stoker
Award finalist. Their debut collection Breakable Things is now
out.
Their recent novella Nothing but Blackened Teeth was a British
Fantasy, World Fantasy, Shirley Jackson, and Bram Stoker
Award finalist. Their debut collection Breakable Things is now
out.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
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November 15, 2023DNF @ p80
I hate to do it, but I've gotta put this one down. I love CK's writing so much typically, but something about these stories... for the most part, they haven't worked for me at all so far. I rarely DNF a short story collection since I like to give each story a chance, so I may give this one another try in the future.
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I hate to do it, but I've gotta put this one down. I love CK's writing so much typically, but something about these stories... for the most part, they haven't worked for me at all so far. I rarely DNF a short story collection since I like to give each story a chance, so I may give this one another try in the future.
———
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Read
September 7, 2022Nice range of genre, style, and tone. Urban legends, fables, dark speculative tales. More to say later
January 18, 2023
Zbiór opowiadań i książka, która już dawno tak bardzo nie odbiegła od moich oczekiwań. Z opisów spodziewałam się ekstremy, czegoś cielesnego, brutalnego (na to liczyłam), a w zamian?
Ten zbiór to jak wejście do świata makabrycznych baśni, współczesnych, dzikich i nieujarzmionych. Tutaj ludzie mają zwierzęcą naturę krwiożerczych bestii - to drapieżniki o błękitnych oczach, ukryte w cieniu, przyczajone. Mieszają się baśnie, legendy, podania... Lisy, wilki, syreny, wilkołaki...
Khaw sięga do korzeni opowieści i robi to naprawdę dobrze. Ma dar wciągania nas w historię od pierwszego zdania. Operuje piękną, poetycką, baśniową frazą, jej zdania mają gawędziarski rytm, jakby snuła opowieść przy ognisku w sercu lasu. I nie wiesz, czy sama narratorka nie jest przypadkiem ukrytą bestią.
Ale. Łatwo można się zmęczyć - dobrze, że to krótka forma, że Khaw wie, kiedy skończyć. Każda z historii jest sycąca i trudno iść dalej. Nie dałabym rady na jeden chaps, padłabym z przeżarcia formą. Potrzebny jest oddech, kropka, noc na trawienie.
Jestem usatysfakcjonowana, chociaż nie tego szukałam. Wiem jednak, że sięgnę po więcej Cassandry Khaw, spróbuję w pełnym formacie powieści.
I jestem ciekawa, czy ktoś pokusi się na polskie tłumaczenie.
Ten zbiór to jak wejście do świata makabrycznych baśni, współczesnych, dzikich i nieujarzmionych. Tutaj ludzie mają zwierzęcą naturę krwiożerczych bestii - to drapieżniki o błękitnych oczach, ukryte w cieniu, przyczajone. Mieszają się baśnie, legendy, podania... Lisy, wilki, syreny, wilkołaki...
Khaw sięga do korzeni opowieści i robi to naprawdę dobrze. Ma dar wciągania nas w historię od pierwszego zdania. Operuje piękną, poetycką, baśniową frazą, jej zdania mają gawędziarski rytm, jakby snuła opowieść przy ognisku w sercu lasu. I nie wiesz, czy sama narratorka nie jest przypadkiem ukrytą bestią.
Ale. Łatwo można się zmęczyć - dobrze, że to krótka forma, że Khaw wie, kiedy skończyć. Każda z historii jest sycąca i trudno iść dalej. Nie dałabym rady na jeden chaps, padłabym z przeżarcia formą. Potrzebny jest oddech, kropka, noc na trawienie.
Jestem usatysfakcjonowana, chociaż nie tego szukałam. Wiem jednak, że sięgnę po więcej Cassandry Khaw, spróbuję w pełnym formacie powieści.
I jestem ciekawa, czy ktoś pokusi się na polskie tłumaczenie.
November 9, 2022
A stunning short story collection. The use of language and characters is spellbinding - old folk tales with sharper edges; myths now in the modern world and tales of love and loss. A wonderful collection that reminds us horror is great unpeelling us
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
January 4, 2023
This is a kind of magic too, you know? The Bard told me this. Resurrection by way of oration, every retelling a species of necromancy, and if some of it fails to be beautiful, if some of it crooks from the truth, that doesn't matter. Stories are meant to adapt. I used to wonder what was the Bard's purpose, if she had a purpose, if there was any meaning to putting music to our massacre, if it's be better just to forget. Easier, safer to bury our dead in decay and pretend it was always like this.
She asked me one night what then would be the point. If we were just going to forsake what we loved, forget why we fought, forswear that chance we might make it, although the sky is unmade into fractals, why not just let the gods win? Without stories, there is no memory, no trajectory to illuminate what came before and what might come after. Without stories, there can be no hope.
I saw a Tumblr post the other day that complained that people who tell stories love to tell stories about how important stories are. It's true; we do! But in this moment of plastic truth and memetastic news, you'll forgive me if I quietly sit here on Goodreads and insist that stories are important, actually, and thinking about how and why they work is important, and thinking about how they slanted or silenced, even more so.
And here, as it happens, is a whole collection of stories in just that vein. Khaw paints several entire worlds as background, just to throw just enough light on one particular pain. (And what is truth if not pain writ large?) Surprisingly, she reminds me a lot of Amy Hempel in the sparse, just-enough-details-to-deliver-the-anguish way many of these tales land. (Unlike Hempel, I usually find I have exactly enough narrative to make out the whole picture in the fading light. Almost every story is entire, leaving the reader wanting nothing more. Quite a feat in short fiction.) And as with Nothing But Blackened Teeth , Khaw's language is gorgeous and lush, even while wrapped around the bloodiest and most awful tales. (And these are bloody, awful tales.) Truly one of my favorite writers for sheer use of the written word.
On a personal note, I read this at a time I am having trouble reading anything, and every story was a treat. I never hit that point where picking up the book was an internal fight, and I so delight in that. Five stars.
----------------------------------------------------------
As ever, reviewing as I go, 'cause collections don't get reviewed if I don't:
don't turn on the lights ★★★☆☆ I love retellings of urban legends, but this one didn't strike me as particularly needful. At the same time, it very nicely delivers the thesis of the collection: truth is in the telling, or the not telling, as the case may be. (And there will be so very much dismemberment in this book.)
a leash of foxes, their stories like barter ★★★★★ A gorgeous, sumptuously told fairy tale, until it just kind of stops? But that too is a comment on the nature of story. I have a Mountain Goats lyric in my head: "The scene ends badly, as you might imagine." I can easily see how this story might piss a reader off really thoroughly. Almost pissed me off. I'm calling it a five, though.
radio werewolf ★★★☆☆ Some of this is nearly flash fiction, but then nearly not. I think I would like this more if I were more into werewolves. Or WWII. Or alternate history fantasy. Or any combination of those things.
recite her the names of pain ★★★★☆ A siren hosts a dinner party as part of a tourist gig? Really enjoyed this one, even as I remain mildly confused.
kiss, don't tell ★★★★★ Exquisite. A taste of "The Lady or the Tiger?" but past tense. The Demon or the Lover? Perhaps.
an ocean of eyes ★★★★★ Magnificent. A whole world spun out of "The Cats of Ulthar."
the truth that lies under skin and meat ★★★★★ The sense of WTF is part of the charm. I've said elsewhere that I usually don't enjoy it when the story doesn't disclose enough, but I don't feel this one did and I still loved it, so maybe it's just the skill, eh? (Also, a lot of people get eaten in this book.)
mothers, we dream ★★★★★ I honestly thought this one was reaching for way too much right up until the final lines. Sometimes you really can cram a whole fantasy society into one slowly unspooling short story. Thought it was just kind of wonderful at first, but I can tell this one is going to stick with me for a while; I keep thinking about it. (Is this cosmic horror? Kind of. So kudos for making cosmic horror fascinating.)
how selkies are made ★★★☆☆ Very eh for me, but I'm aroace and I do not understand this sort of thing. Anyway, if you're going to live with "all promises matter, or none of them do," you should probably try not to be a fool in love.
a secret of devils ★★★★★ And now for some Charlie Daniels inspired folk telling. Damn, girl.
goddess, worm ★★★★☆ I'm a bit jury out on this, but silk worm theophany is cool. (A 'yes, all men' story on a heavenly courts level.)
a priest of vast and distant places ★★★★★ More theophany. (There is a lot of theophany in this book.) Airplanes. Loved it.
the games we play ★★★★★ By this point, I've learned to relax and just let Ms. Khaw throw entire universes down at will. Of sisters and empires, and sometimes what you see is what you get. Possession is not love.
for the things we never said ★★★★★ I should have expected this one from the title, but I DID NOT and it caught me totally off guard.
she who hungers, she who waits ★★★★★ Another whole world in a story. Of sisters and life and death. Love is love.
monologue by an unnamed mage, recorded at the brink of the end ★★★★☆ A meditation on an impending end, or a beginning. I'm not wild about lover's meditations (aroace again), but the quality of this one raises it up in my esteem.
you do nothing but freefall (With A. Maus) ★★★★★ It's possible I'm a sucker for fox stories, but also this is a gorgeous meandering, a story wrapped around a story, and I live for these liminal things. Fantastic. (And there is a cat.)
the ghost stories we tell around photon fires ★★★★☆ Possession is not love, and if you make that mistake it will cost so very much. Would have liked just a little more build out here.
the quiet like a homecoming ★★★★★ I am absolutely a sucker for cat stories, and this is a great one. "I leave pawprints on the stairs, even though I am wearing shoes. It amuses me to do so. The front desk says nothing." I could never fail to love a story after a line like that. And the WTF in the ending is again part of the joy of the thing. (Oh, and: Possession is not love!)
and in our daughters, we find a voice ★★★★☆ Possession. Is. Not. Love. The themes of this collection, they do not disappoint! Anyway, (Have I mentioned that there is so very much devouring in this book?)
in the rustle of pages ★★★★☆ Love is love. A peculiar pestilence makes possible a partnership in death. The portrait of what age and death does to families (and love) is top notch. The desperation of being spoken over is exquisitely painful.
bargains by the slant-light ★★★★★ Cassandra Khaw should write a lot more stories and a lot of them should be about bargains with devils, because damn, girl.
some breakable things ★★★★☆ The last and hardest story, for me personally at least. The absolute horror of being haunted in this utterly unfair way just really slapped me. Possession is not love, and children do not belong to their parents. I did not enjoy this story. At all. But it is a tremendously good story. A true story, if you like.
She asked me one night what then would be the point. If we were just going to forsake what we loved, forget why we fought, forswear that chance we might make it, although the sky is unmade into fractals, why not just let the gods win? Without stories, there is no memory, no trajectory to illuminate what came before and what might come after. Without stories, there can be no hope.
I saw a Tumblr post the other day that complained that people who tell stories love to tell stories about how important stories are. It's true; we do! But in this moment of plastic truth and memetastic news, you'll forgive me if I quietly sit here on Goodreads and insist that stories are important, actually, and thinking about how and why they work is important, and thinking about how they slanted or silenced, even more so.
And here, as it happens, is a whole collection of stories in just that vein. Khaw paints several entire worlds as background, just to throw just enough light on one particular pain. (And what is truth if not pain writ large?) Surprisingly, she reminds me a lot of Amy Hempel in the sparse, just-enough-details-to-deliver-the-anguish way many of these tales land. (Unlike Hempel, I usually find I have exactly enough narrative to make out the whole picture in the fading light. Almost every story is entire, leaving the reader wanting nothing more. Quite a feat in short fiction.) And as with Nothing But Blackened Teeth , Khaw's language is gorgeous and lush, even while wrapped around the bloodiest and most awful tales. (And these are bloody, awful tales.) Truly one of my favorite writers for sheer use of the written word.
On a personal note, I read this at a time I am having trouble reading anything, and every story was a treat. I never hit that point where picking up the book was an internal fight, and I so delight in that. Five stars.
----------------------------------------------------------
As ever, reviewing as I go, 'cause collections don't get reviewed if I don't:
don't turn on the lights ★★★☆☆ I love retellings of urban legends, but this one didn't strike me as particularly needful. At the same time, it very nicely delivers the thesis of the collection: truth is in the telling, or the not telling, as the case may be. (And there will be so very much dismemberment in this book.)
a leash of foxes, their stories like barter ★★★★★ A gorgeous, sumptuously told fairy tale, until it just kind of stops? But that too is a comment on the nature of story. I have a Mountain Goats lyric in my head: "The scene ends badly, as you might imagine." I can easily see how this story might piss a reader off really thoroughly. Almost pissed me off. I'm calling it a five, though.
radio werewolf ★★★☆☆ Some of this is nearly flash fiction, but then nearly not. I think I would like this more if I were more into werewolves. Or WWII. Or alternate history fantasy. Or any combination of those things.
recite her the names of pain ★★★★☆ A siren hosts a dinner party as part of a tourist gig? Really enjoyed this one, even as I remain mildly confused.
kiss, don't tell ★★★★★ Exquisite. A taste of "The Lady or the Tiger?" but past tense. The Demon or the Lover? Perhaps.
an ocean of eyes ★★★★★ Magnificent. A whole world spun out of "The Cats of Ulthar."
the truth that lies under skin and meat ★★★★★ The sense of WTF is part of the charm. I've said elsewhere that I usually don't enjoy it when the story doesn't disclose enough, but I don't feel this one did and I still loved it, so maybe it's just the skill, eh? (Also, a lot of people get eaten in this book.)
mothers, we dream ★★★★★ I honestly thought this one was reaching for way too much right up until the final lines. Sometimes you really can cram a whole fantasy society into one slowly unspooling short story. Thought it was just kind of wonderful at first, but I can tell this one is going to stick with me for a while; I keep thinking about it. (Is this cosmic horror? Kind of. So kudos for making cosmic horror fascinating.)
how selkies are made ★★★☆☆ Very eh for me, but I'm aroace and I do not understand this sort of thing. Anyway, if you're going to live with "all promises matter, or none of them do," you should probably try not to be a fool in love.
a secret of devils ★★★★★ And now for some Charlie Daniels inspired folk telling. Damn, girl.
goddess, worm ★★★★☆ I'm a bit jury out on this, but silk worm theophany is cool. (A 'yes, all men' story on a heavenly courts level.)
a priest of vast and distant places ★★★★★ More theophany. (There is a lot of theophany in this book.) Airplanes. Loved it.
the games we play ★★★★★ By this point, I've learned to relax and just let Ms. Khaw throw entire universes down at will. Of sisters and empires, and sometimes what you see is what you get. Possession is not love.
for the things we never said ★★★★★ I should have expected this one from the title, but I DID NOT and it caught me totally off guard.
she who hungers, she who waits ★★★★★ Another whole world in a story. Of sisters and life and death. Love is love.
monologue by an unnamed mage, recorded at the brink of the end ★★★★☆ A meditation on an impending end, or a beginning. I'm not wild about lover's meditations (aroace again), but the quality of this one raises it up in my esteem.
you do nothing but freefall (With A. Maus) ★★★★★ It's possible I'm a sucker for fox stories, but also this is a gorgeous meandering, a story wrapped around a story, and I live for these liminal things. Fantastic. (And there is a cat.)
the ghost stories we tell around photon fires ★★★★☆ Possession is not love, and if you make that mistake it will cost so very much. Would have liked just a little more build out here.
the quiet like a homecoming ★★★★★ I am absolutely a sucker for cat stories, and this is a great one. "I leave pawprints on the stairs, even though I am wearing shoes. It amuses me to do so. The front desk says nothing." I could never fail to love a story after a line like that. And the WTF in the ending is again part of the joy of the thing. (Oh, and: Possession is not love!)
and in our daughters, we find a voice ★★★★☆ Possession. Is. Not. Love. The themes of this collection, they do not disappoint! Anyway, (Have I mentioned that there is so very much devouring in this book?)
in the rustle of pages ★★★★☆ Love is love. A peculiar pestilence makes possible a partnership in death. The portrait of what age and death does to families (and love) is top notch. The desperation of being spoken over is exquisitely painful.
bargains by the slant-light ★★★★★ Cassandra Khaw should write a lot more stories and a lot of them should be about bargains with devils, because damn, girl.
some breakable things ★★★★☆ The last and hardest story, for me personally at least. The absolute horror of being haunted in this utterly unfair way just really slapped me. Possession is not love, and children do not belong to their parents. I did not enjoy this story. At all. But it is a tremendously good story. A true story, if you like.
October 11, 2022
Star review in the October 2022 Issue of Library Journal and on the blog: https://raforall.blogspot.com/2022/10... [link live 10/12/22]
Three Words That Describe This Book: intensely unsettling, thought provoking, immersive
This collection was a terrifying joy to read. More in the review.
Draft Review:
With their collection of 23 stories, previously published across the genre fiction landscape and one original to this volume, Khaw presents a book that is a terrifying joy to read. Many of the stories are about stories or invoke fairy tales and/or mythologies from all over the world. They are lyrical, brutal, immersive, and intensely unsettling, most often centering women, but not ever as shining examples of perfection, and quite often as the monster. None of the stories themselves are very long, but they are immersive, with lush and detailed settings, intriguing characters, and lines so beguiling and beautiful that readers will want to return to them. The original tale, “How Selkies are Made,” and “And in Or Daughters, We Find a Voice” are two water infused, stellar examples, but every story will dig into the reader, threatening to never let go, especially because each ends perfectly, hanging for a beat, begging the reader to think about what they just experienced. With that pause, the fear intensifies, but because this is the feeling Horror fans crave, they will happily take a breath and dive back in for just one more.
Verdict: Khaw’s critical acclaim and popularity are skyrocketing and this collection showcases exactly why. It allows readers a chance to swim around in their unique brand of intensely unsettling tales, submerging themselves in a larger pool of their beautiful but horrific waters.* For fans of dark, speculative stories as told by Angela Slatter, Nadia Bulkin, and Samanta Schweblin.
Three Words That Describe This Book: intensely unsettling, thought provoking, immersive
This collection was a terrifying joy to read. More in the review.
Draft Review:
With their collection of 23 stories, previously published across the genre fiction landscape and one original to this volume, Khaw presents a book that is a terrifying joy to read. Many of the stories are about stories or invoke fairy tales and/or mythologies from all over the world. They are lyrical, brutal, immersive, and intensely unsettling, most often centering women, but not ever as shining examples of perfection, and quite often as the monster. None of the stories themselves are very long, but they are immersive, with lush and detailed settings, intriguing characters, and lines so beguiling and beautiful that readers will want to return to them. The original tale, “How Selkies are Made,” and “And in Or Daughters, We Find a Voice” are two water infused, stellar examples, but every story will dig into the reader, threatening to never let go, especially because each ends perfectly, hanging for a beat, begging the reader to think about what they just experienced. With that pause, the fear intensifies, but because this is the feeling Horror fans crave, they will happily take a breath and dive back in for just one more.
Verdict: Khaw’s critical acclaim and popularity are skyrocketing and this collection showcases exactly why. It allows readers a chance to swim around in their unique brand of intensely unsettling tales, submerging themselves in a larger pool of their beautiful but horrific waters.* For fans of dark, speculative stories as told by Angela Slatter, Nadia Bulkin, and Samanta Schweblin.
April 14, 2023
I could read Khaw's prose forever.
May 31, 2023
My favorites from this collection:
• Don't Turn on The Lights
• A Leash of Foxes, Their Stories Like Barter
• A Priest of Vast and Distant Places
• Monologue by an unnamed mage, recorded at the brink of the end
• And in Our Daughters, We Find a Voice
• Some Breakable Things
• Don't Turn on The Lights
• A Leash of Foxes, Their Stories Like Barter
• A Priest of Vast and Distant Places
• Monologue by an unnamed mage, recorded at the brink of the end
• And in Our Daughters, We Find a Voice
• Some Breakable Things
January 23, 2024
Apparently if Cassandra Khaw writes anything I am going to love it. Great collection of stories.
August 15, 2022
The stories in Breakable Things are not for the casual readers; Cassandra Khaw’s elaborate, thoughtful language commands your concentration and attention. There are several of these stories I had to read more than once to fully consume their beauty.
The collection opens with Don’t Turn on the Lights, which is a unique take on a very well known urban legend, and somehow makes it even creepier.
All of these stories are great, but some are really breathtaking. In Mothers, We Dream a man survives a shipwreck at a tremendous cost. In Recite Her the Names of Pain, a woman seeks answers from a siren, not really wanting to know the truth. And A Priest of Vast and Distant Places is a superbly weird story of a priest who can communicate with airplanes.
As well as longer stories, Khaw’s short blasts are incredibly effective; my favorites in the collection are A Secret of Devils, and Bargains by the Slant-Light, both involving deals with the devil, as well as the incredible and heart-breaking Things We Never Said.
Khaw is such an exciting writer, and this collection is full of bold storytelling.
The collection opens with Don’t Turn on the Lights, which is a unique take on a very well known urban legend, and somehow makes it even creepier.
All of these stories are great, but some are really breathtaking. In Mothers, We Dream a man survives a shipwreck at a tremendous cost. In Recite Her the Names of Pain, a woman seeks answers from a siren, not really wanting to know the truth. And A Priest of Vast and Distant Places is a superbly weird story of a priest who can communicate with airplanes.
As well as longer stories, Khaw’s short blasts are incredibly effective; my favorites in the collection are A Secret of Devils, and Bargains by the Slant-Light, both involving deals with the devil, as well as the incredible and heart-breaking Things We Never Said.
Khaw is such an exciting writer, and this collection is full of bold storytelling.
November 13, 2023
I've only read one other book by this author and I really enjoyed it so when Destiny listed this as one of the books she wanted to get through this year I jumped at the chance to read it with her because I was interested in reading more by this author. I didn't realize this was a collection of stories at first and unfortunately this one didn't work for me at all.
I don't even know how to review this book. Honestly reading this made me feel like I was stupid because I just wasn't getting all the metaphors. Literally all but 4 of the stories went over my head completely and I can't even begin to tell you what I read because I have no freaking clue. Like I said I've read one other book by this author and that was Nothing But Blackened Teeth and I loved that one. Reading this book felt like I was reading a completely different author. I seem to be in the minority on this one so if you've been interested in this I do suggest you still give it a try.
I don't even know how to review this book. Honestly reading this made me feel like I was stupid because I just wasn't getting all the metaphors. Literally all but 4 of the stories went over my head completely and I can't even begin to tell you what I read because I have no freaking clue. Like I said I've read one other book by this author and that was Nothing But Blackened Teeth and I loved that one. Reading this book felt like I was reading a completely different author. I seem to be in the minority on this one so if you've been interested in this I do suggest you still give it a try.
December 27, 2022
Khaw's writing is always fantastic, and this collection of their short stories is no exception. The book opens violent and bloody with monsters in the dark and fairy tales with teeth. But as the book continues, new layers unfold across these stories of rage and grief, horror and beauty. With trademark lyricism and flowing descriptions, Khaw delivers quieter turns as well--moments of love, of power, of quiet tenderness and glimmering shards of hope. It's a bold collection, varying from fantasy to horror, from grand and primal to modern and strange. With fantastic imagination and delightful delivery, these may be stories of breakable things--but a broken thing comes with sharp edges, and what was once fragmented may become whole once more.
September 23, 2022
There are a few favorites like the first story about a college student who is advised not to turn on the lights. It deftly blends immersive fairy tale vibes into horror-filled scenarios with very interesting characters with prose that sounds like poetry. Magically scary and memorable.
Thanks to the publisher for the advance reading access.
Thanks to the publisher for the advance reading access.
October 17, 2024
I am a sucker for a collection of short stories.
April 8, 2023
Breakable Things by Cassandra Khaw is a fantastic collection of stories, ranging from horror to dark fantasy, fairy tales, folk lore, and beyond. Many of these stories explore the nature of stories themselves. As the opening story, "Don't Turn On the Lights," begins, "Stories are mongrels... no story in the world has a pedigree. They've all been told and retold so many times that not God himself could tell you which one came first."
The ensuing story then proceeds to share alternative versions of an urban legend, spinning the viewpoint through the socially acceptable versions and the mean versions, exploring the guilt or innocence of the protagonists, the playfulness of the killer until it's hard to tell what is real and what is not — and it's a powerful opening to this fantastic collection, which has a wealth of fantastic stories to enjoy.
The ensuing story then proceeds to share alternative versions of an urban legend, spinning the viewpoint through the socially acceptable versions and the mean versions, exploring the guilt or innocence of the protagonists, the playfulness of the killer until it's hard to tell what is real and what is not — and it's a powerful opening to this fantastic collection, which has a wealth of fantastic stories to enjoy.
Read
August 26, 2023Silence descends like the teeth of a jaguar, snapping the thread of conversation, a sudden execution that leaves Frederic staggered.
Sorry.
Read
October 11, 2023There are some beautiful stories in this collection, but it’s just not what I’ve been in the mood for lately, so I’m setting it aside until I’m more in the mood for its participar kind of magic.
January 28, 2023
Cassandra Khaw is one of the best horror writers out there, and one of the best writers full stop. This is an excellent collection of Cassandra Khaw's short stories, each one brimming with darkness and some good twists. Cassandra has a very unique style of prose, describing scenes and actions in amazingly gory detail.
Each story felt like a greatest hit of Cassandra's previous works. Their ability to make cannibalism sound delicious from the 'Rubert Wong' series. The handling of Lovecraft's mythos from the 'Person Non Grata' series. My highlights were the twist's on familiar stories 'Aren't You Glad You Didn't Turn On The Lights,' and 'The Little Mermaid.'
I am eagerly awaiting the next book from Cassandra Khaw, and I know full well I'll read anything she puts out. If you're a fan of horror, then you owe it to yourself to read this book.
Each story felt like a greatest hit of Cassandra's previous works. Their ability to make cannibalism sound delicious from the 'Rubert Wong' series. The handling of Lovecraft's mythos from the 'Person Non Grata' series. My highlights were the twist's on familiar stories 'Aren't You Glad You Didn't Turn On The Lights,' and 'The Little Mermaid.'
I am eagerly awaiting the next book from Cassandra Khaw, and I know full well I'll read anything she puts out. If you're a fan of horror, then you owe it to yourself to read this book.
July 8, 2023
I loved the WRITING: the imagery is precise and evocative. But sometimes I lost the STORY for the details. I generally didn’t care for re-worked fairytales, but that’s on me.
January 13, 2023
definitely forgot to keep track of cws throughout - there's a lot of gore and pain here. these are the ones I remember:
the ghost stories we tell around photon fires - suicide
the quiet like a homecoming - self harm
some breakable things - suicide
I don't always click with khaw's work, but there are some truly beautiful glittering gems here. I loved the themes they explore throughout - folklore and fairy tales, the meaning of being animal and human, grief, abuse, and loss. some of these are going to stick with me for a long time, and they prove that khaw is always an author worth reading - even when an individual story doesn't work for me, their prose is always beautiful.
favorites:
don't turn off the lights
a leash of foxes, their stories like barter
the truth that lies under skin and meat
how selkies are made
and in our daughters, we find a voice
in the rustle of pages
the ghost stories we tell around photon fires - suicide
the quiet like a homecoming - self harm
some breakable things - suicide
I don't always click with khaw's work, but there are some truly beautiful glittering gems here. I loved the themes they explore throughout - folklore and fairy tales, the meaning of being animal and human, grief, abuse, and loss. some of these are going to stick with me for a long time, and they prove that khaw is always an author worth reading - even when an individual story doesn't work for me, their prose is always beautiful.
favorites:
don't turn off the lights
a leash of foxes, their stories like barter
the truth that lies under skin and meat
how selkies are made
and in our daughters, we find a voice
in the rustle of pages
August 23, 2022
This was my first reading of Cassandra Khaw, and big oofff.
Their command of language is astounding, beautiful and unsettling.
These stories where perfectly creepy and held you in that unsettled atmosphere the entire time.
I love horror, for the way it can move your bodily emotion around, all while using strong connected emotions to heighten that fear. Khaw does this in spades!
Terrifying
I have another of hers on myself and I can not wait to fall into it!
Their command of language is astounding, beautiful and unsettling.
These stories where perfectly creepy and held you in that unsettled atmosphere the entire time.
I love horror, for the way it can move your bodily emotion around, all while using strong connected emotions to heighten that fear. Khaw does this in spades!
Terrifying
I have another of hers on myself and I can not wait to fall into it!
August 23, 2024
Cassandra Khaw waves together an assortment of hauntingly engaging tales in the collection Breakable Things. Subtly mixing Eastern mythology with modern genres, Khaw invites readers to sift through the worlds of fantasy for stories that linger in the mind after the final page. The opening salvo, Don't Turn on The Lights, remixes the urban legend of coed murder with multiple nuances that turn the innocent roommate into a complicit part of the dark deed. A Leash of Foxes, Their Stories like Barter sees a trickster fox abscond with his willing bride; when a jealous suitor uncovers their abattoir, the couple display the strength of their commitments. The three-page Radio Werewolf hints that the second World War was plagued by things much worse than German soldiers, while Recite Her the Names of Pain sees a contemporary siren give a fortune of truths to a customer who wishes she never heard them. Kiss, Don't Tell comes from the monster's perspective, musing over the possibility of human connection versus animal gluttony. A lothario sidles up to a beautiful foreigner during An Ocean of Eyes, not knowing that his physical desire will lead to his undoing at the claws of her immortal feline companions. The Truth That Lies Under Skin and Meat is an itemized balance sheet of a carnivore giving in to her hunger - and the price she pays for her freedom from societal conventions. Sole survivor of a shipwreck, the husband of a shape-changing sea creature is tortured for his knowledge during Mothers, We Dream; a proud woman seeks to escape the marital bonds that lnk her to an abusive husband through olden magic as How Selkies are Made unfolds. Goddess, Worm highlights a deity demanding retribution for being forced into godhood, yet instead settles for the opportunity to watch over the lost and forgotten. Airplanes try to entice their cleric to leave her world behind in the oddly-captivating A Priest of Vast and Distant Places. An avian champion seeks an audience with the Dog-King to rescue a lost soul during The Games We Play, only to discover her cleverness has been subsumed by an even greater scheme at play. For the Things We Never Said is a brief tale, wherein a daughter attempts to reanimate her father and finally give voice to her hidden emotions. She Who Hungers, She Who Waits tells of a flesh-weaver who must call upon darker entities when her crude attempts to curtail fate go awry. The longest title goes to Monologue by an unnamed mage, recorded at the brink of the end - which succinctly shares a magician's petition of love to her partner as the apocalypse begins. You Do Nothing but Freefall pens the account of a sly fox and his porcelain cat figure, as they both opt to give up immortality for the opportunity to live out a human existence. The Ghost Stories We Tell Around Photon Fires highlights a spaceship captain wracked by the loss of his love, desperately trying to cling onto her in some form instead of being able to let her go. Forced into the role of human spouse, The Quiet Like a Homecoming tells of an animal wife reclaiming a new coat to replace her burned skin - finally able to leave her human captor behind. And in Our Daughters, We Find a Voice recounts a mermaid forced into a royal marriage and denied access to her ocean home; her subsequent pregnancy births a series of ravenous children that carve a bloody path to liberty. An elderly couple faces death as In the Rustle of Pages unfurls, building an afterlife together rather than be separated by greedy family members, and a spurned lover makes a deal with the devil to never feel again in Bargains by the Slant-Light. The final piece, Some Breakable Things, follows a daughter haunted by her deceased father and her efforts to rid herself of his presence. Cassandra Khaw displays great range with the myriad of stories offered here; leaping from noir to horror to mystery to science-fiction is as easy as turning a page. Though there are some tales that could have used further fleshing out to help finalize their endings, Khaw spins a complete yarn of entertaining fiction that whispers to readers long after the cover is closed. Breakable Things is a fragile array of tiny threads gilded with gold to become stronger than the sum of their parts.
October 7, 2024
With a collection of short stories centring on the nature of stories themselves, blending gruesome horror with beautiful romance, Cassandra Khaw presents possibly the best example of their signature writing style - stunning monologues and introspective prose poetry that moves and inspires me at every line written and every story told.
This is a collection best enjoyed slowly - don't rush to finish off every piece of writing here. Instead, dip in and out over a longer period of time. Doing so this way I constantly reminded myself of why I'm so enamoured with this writer every time.
I do think this could have done with a bit more variety - particularly, I'd like to have seen this extremely talented writer play with a few different writing styles as I know they're capable of versatility and I want to see that. It also could have used more editing - there were a lot more errors here than there should be. But these are very small issues when Khaw is so very good at what they do, and this is definitely a Khaw creation.
If you're a fan of this writer, as I am, this collection is easily worth your time. They are one of those writers I keep wanting more from, and a short story collection is perfect for fulfilling that need.
This is a collection best enjoyed slowly - don't rush to finish off every piece of writing here. Instead, dip in and out over a longer period of time. Doing so this way I constantly reminded myself of why I'm so enamoured with this writer every time.
I do think this could have done with a bit more variety - particularly, I'd like to have seen this extremely talented writer play with a few different writing styles as I know they're capable of versatility and I want to see that. It also could have used more editing - there were a lot more errors here than there should be. But these are very small issues when Khaw is so very good at what they do, and this is definitely a Khaw creation.
If you're a fan of this writer, as I am, this collection is easily worth your time. They are one of those writers I keep wanting more from, and a short story collection is perfect for fulfilling that need.
November 25, 2024
Wonderful, and many stories were actually disturbing, which is not something I feel often. This was a rare slow read for me, I could only handle reading one or two stories in a sitting, most were dense and rich with meaning that necessitated sitting with them for a bit and allowing them to digest. There were a few (very few) duds, but the gold far outweighed the copper. And, as always, Khaw's prose is a pleasure.
My very favorites were:
A leash of foxes, their stories like barter
Recite her the names of pain ("The worst thing you can do to a coward is make sure they live forever." Ah, gold.)
An ocean of eyes
Goddess, worm
A priest of vast and distant planes
For the things we never said
She who hungers, she who waits
You do nothing but freefall
The ghost stories we tell around photon fires
And in our daughters we find a voice (prequel to The Salt Grows Heavy)
In the rustle of pages
Some breakable things (hated it, but loved it)
The stories that didn't work for me:
Don't turn on the lights (first story in the collection, I was worried after reading that one, it just bored me)
Radio werewolf (silly)
The truth that lies under skin and meat (disjointed)
The rest not mentioned were somewhere in the middle.
My very favorites were:
A leash of foxes, their stories like barter
Recite her the names of pain ("The worst thing you can do to a coward is make sure they live forever." Ah, gold.)
An ocean of eyes
Goddess, worm
A priest of vast and distant planes
For the things we never said
She who hungers, she who waits
You do nothing but freefall
The ghost stories we tell around photon fires
And in our daughters we find a voice (prequel to The Salt Grows Heavy)
In the rustle of pages
Some breakable things (hated it, but loved it)
The stories that didn't work for me:
Don't turn on the lights (first story in the collection, I was worried after reading that one, it just bored me)
Radio werewolf (silly)
The truth that lies under skin and meat (disjointed)
The rest not mentioned were somewhere in the middle.
June 19, 2024
I don't normally write reviews but I disliked this book enough to put in the effort. This may work for other readers but it didn’t work for me. Most of the stories in Breakable Things are written in an outlandish literary way with complicated metaphors that makes it difficult to understand. This is a huge disappointment as a first read from this author. Maybe I'm a fan of a more colloquial style of prose such as Stephen King and Joyce Carol Oates, straightforward and easy to visualize. Khaw writes in a more poetic and colourful way that distracts me from what is actually happening. I find myself lost and frustrated once the story ends and I didn't understand what the monster/evil force really was. Luckily I didn't purchase the book and will return it to the library without finishing it. Perhaps this the writing new-age style the author is going for - strange, different, controversial. It's just not for me. I've been an avid horror reader my whole life and this have the first book that I refuse to finish.
April 7, 2023
What an enjoyable collection of short stories! I really liked how Khaw managed to take folklore, myths and more, and create what felt like completely original stories.
This is definitely a collection worth reading when you enjoy folktales but what a new take on them. It has murder, betrayal, grief, regrets — it has it all. There’s tales from the world of humans, but also perspectives from mermaids and animals which proved to be the most exciting of them all.
I’ve not read a lot by Khaw yet, but what I’ve read by them always surprises me. They work with words and languages in a way I think very few authors are able to do, without making you as a reader feel intellectually lesser than the author. It’s always a delight entering the worlds that they create and I can’t wait to explore more of their works.
// Review copy received by the publisher through Edelweiss.
This is definitely a collection worth reading when you enjoy folktales but what a new take on them. It has murder, betrayal, grief, regrets — it has it all. There’s tales from the world of humans, but also perspectives from mermaids and animals which proved to be the most exciting of them all.
I’ve not read a lot by Khaw yet, but what I’ve read by them always surprises me. They work with words and languages in a way I think very few authors are able to do, without making you as a reader feel intellectually lesser than the author. It’s always a delight entering the worlds that they create and I can’t wait to explore more of their works.
// Review copy received by the publisher through Edelweiss.
September 4, 2022
This collection does everything that I want a single-author collection of short stories to do. It puts Khaw's range on full display, lets us microdose worlds both fantastical and horrific, and delivers unexpected but satisfying twists.
I won't go into a full review of each story, but I'll say that the first story, Don't Turn On The Lights sets the tone very well. It lets the reader know that while we may be delving into aspects of horror, fantasy, fairy tales, and urban legends that we may have seen before, Cassandra Khaw is going to tread those waters in their dark, lyrical, and dreamlike style.
I won't go into a full review of each story, but I'll say that the first story, Don't Turn On The Lights sets the tone very well. It lets the reader know that while we may be delving into aspects of horror, fantasy, fairy tales, and urban legends that we may have seen before, Cassandra Khaw is going to tread those waters in their dark, lyrical, and dreamlike style.
December 18, 2022
3.5 stars. the writing as always was incandescent. cassandra khaw sure has a way with words. the stories were short morsels that didn’t always hit that sweet, soft spot for me, but they never overstayed their welcome, which i appreciated. a fantastical blend of beautifully lyrical writing with dark, foreboding atmospheres.
favourite stories include don’t turn on the lights, recite her the names of pain, an ocean of eyes, mothers we dream, for the things we never said, the ghost stories we tell around photon fires, monologue by unnamed mage, and in our daughters we find a voice & some breakable things.
favourite stories include don’t turn on the lights, recite her the names of pain, an ocean of eyes, mothers we dream, for the things we never said, the ghost stories we tell around photon fires, monologue by unnamed mage, and in our daughters we find a voice & some breakable things.
February 2, 2023
A really solid collection of stories. Some hit, some miss - but the one thing I really, really love about Cassandra Khaw's writing is she is not afraid to swing for the indescribable. Again, some of these swings miss... but when they hit, it's like an all over shiver. You know your brain processed something that it couldn't have any other way.
The collection has a steady rhythm and is never dull. A nice mixture of horror, fantasy, sci-fi and more - often all at once. Standouts here are 'Mothers, We Dream', 'And In Our Daughters, We Find a Voice', & 'You Do Nothing but Freefall'... though each story has some unique shine to it.
The collection has a steady rhythm and is never dull. A nice mixture of horror, fantasy, sci-fi and more - often all at once. Standouts here are 'Mothers, We Dream', 'And In Our Daughters, We Find a Voice', & 'You Do Nothing but Freefall'... though each story has some unique shine to it.
Want to read
July 20, 2022Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews