Set in 1980s Leyte in Eastern Visayas, Philippines towards the end of the dictatorship of President Ferdinand Marcos, the story is told in the perspective of Josephine del Rosario. Years after the upheaval of the lives of the del Rosario siblings after the slaughtering of their family (parents, cousins, aunts and uncles, even journalists), they are still forced to cope with their loss.
This part of the story eerily echoes the Ampatuan massacre in Maguindanao, where a rival family of the incumbent political dynasty, including some journalists who went to cover the events, were massacred, their bodies thrown in mass graves. I am unsure how to feel about fictionalizing this piece of real history that is so horrible, even though it sheds some light in the incident. I think it would have been better if the author acknowledged the real tragedy that inspired the backstory of the del Rosario's to educate people better on Philippine politics and history.
The author was able to show how even though the characters are not in the country's center in Manila, they are still influenced by what goes on in the country, though in smaller, slower waves. I think it goes to show how even though a lot of people in parts outside of Manila might think that things did not affect them, there were still dissidents and believers alike throughout the country.
I liked the author's use of terminologies specific to the location--like, "mananambal", which is the Visayan equivalent of the Tagalog "albularyo", and the research that went into their practices. I love folklore, especially Filipino folklore and it was wonderful to finally get to read a story on my culture.
I'm a big proponent of a "show, don't tell" type of story telling, and I wasn't a big fan of the big walls of text for dialogues exchanged between characters when a lot of the information can already be deduced from their behavior and the main character's internal monologues. It honestly felt repetitive.
I am a big fan, however, of the way the house of the Ranocos was portrayed, as well as the towns of Carigara and Biliran. The house was creepy, unsettling, but also somehow beautiful in its own twisted way, rooted in hundreds of years of tradition. It reminded me a lot of old rural places in the Philippines, and how we must always strive to do better for the people who will come after us, even if that means sacrificing a future that we would have wanted.
At its heart, this story talks a lot about sacrifices and hope, and how we don't always have to adhere to tradition if it doesn't feel right to us.

In 1986 Philippines under the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, Josephine lives alone, maintaining her family home after her parents were murdered and her brother and friends have all left their hometown, Carigara for one reason or another. After several lonely years, Josephine receives a letter that will change everything. It's an invitation from her childhood best friend, Hiraya, inviting her to visit and play games as they did as children. Josephine's brother, Alejandro, as well as friend Gabriella will be there as well.

But upon arrival to the Ranoco house, Josephine quickly realizes as she traverses the labyrinthine hallways that this isn't the same game from their childhood. The winner will receive the future they long for, but what sacrifice must be made to earn that victory? And what does it mean to lose...?

***

4.5 stars round up!

Woweeeee, this is exactly the kind of gothic novel I've been craving. I believe this is a debut by Fama and I found myself constantly in awe of her stunning, lush prose. Truly, her writing is so atmospheric and descriptive I may as well have been there in that massive, insect-filled house.

The pace was also perfect! More than half of the book is slow and steady to really set the scene and let the reader get to know the characters a little and understand their motivations. And then after that all bets are completely off and everything becomes super unhinged in the best and weirdest ways. Even the chapters were shorter throughout the final third and I found myself entirely unable to put it down until the end. I was really rooting for some of these characters and loved that I never truly knew who could or couldn't be trusted until the conclusion.

Additionally, the parallels to the actual historical events of the time was really great and provided extra context for character motivations. The way Fama managed to weave in elements of the revolution within this story was so creative and I feel like it was really well done.

I'd like to note that this book is also very GROSS. Definitely some body horror and so, so many things related to bugs and insects throughout. You've been warned!

But beyond being uncomfortably descriptive at times (I mean all of this in a good way btw), it's actually just genuinely creepy sometimes. There's a sequence that happens in the first half that creeped me out so much and I thought about it for the duration of the book. Even after finishing, I'm still a little haunted and I love that for me.

I literally keep flashing back to a part where Josephine wants to LAUGH at something absolutely horrific she's witnessing because of how absurd it is and honestly, she's so real for that.

So if you're in the market for a unique, unhinged, claustrophobic, atmospheric gothic horror...this is probably a great pick for you! House of Monstrous Women is out August 12, 2025 for anyone interested!

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Dark, gothic and haunting tale. Definitely not one for the squeamish especially about bugs. We follow for friends that grew apart and have been brought together by a deadly life changing game on a haunted island. This was spectacular. The details of the island and house were exquisite. The body gore and insect horror was so wonderfully horrifying. There’s a ton of generational witchcraft and sacrifice. A truly wonderful scary good time!!

I had a hard time with this review because I still don't know how I feel about this book, and I couldn't decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing. After giving it some more thought, I decided it's a good thing, because isn't that what you want from a book? To stick with you and have you thinking about it days later?

This story combines a lot of my loves - mythology (Filipino, which is a treat), horror, gothic historical fiction, and a really unique premise - and I was excited to see where it was going to take me. Well, it definitely took me places! It started out slow, which I didn't mind because we got a lot of good backstory that way, and when it did pick up the pace, it didn't slow down. There were a lot of mystery, supernatural, and suspense elements to it, and it grabbed you and kept you reading until the end. My problem definitely wasn't with the writing, it was with the characters. I just didn't connect with any of them. I didn't find them to be very likeable, and that made it hard to root for anybody. When the story got really freaky, it was interesting, but I would like to have felt a pull towards one or two characters, which I think would have made it even better. The descriptions of the setting were phenomenally done, and the use of the Filipino mythology was, as I mentioned above, a real treat.

All in all, I didn't really connect with this story as much as I would have liked, but it was well written, with a unique premise, and I can see how people would, so I'm giving it a 3.5 out of 5 rating, rounded up to 4 out of 5.

4/5 stars.

*** I would like to thank NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and Daphne Fama for the opportunity to read and review House of Monstrous Women.

Disclosure Statement: I received an e-galley of this novel from the author. My thoughts and opinions of it are entirely my own and have not been influenced by the author or the publisher in any way.

Sometimes, a book just fucking nails it. House of Monstrous Women is such a book.

What I go to literature for is often to explore big, dramatic ideas, ideas that can only be handled and digested through art, through metaphor. House of Monstrous Women gets that, and as such bristles with all kinds of nuance and meaning, coupling very real historic, political strife with a metaphor for what it means then to fight, to resist, to overcome. It's the story of a girl playing a game, sure, but which game? Is it a game of politics? A game of power? A game for self-determination, for agency? And at what scale? The book is about the deeply personal struggle and sacrifice for a life that is lived better, but it's also a story about that same struggle but at a national scale, a generational scale.

It's about women, and it's about a nation. It's about a woman, but also about her family's whole legacy. It's about being infested, it's about being corrupted, it's about fighting for empathy and also about fighting for dignity. It's about a whole lot of things, any one of them worthy of exploration and every one of them shoring each other idea up into a delicate, deliberate fabric. It has beautifully constructed prose, but it also has dramatic pacing and terrifying horrors.

In short, this is a strong contender for debut book of the year, a standout literary bombshell that showcases a powerful new voice in horror and literature. If House of Monstrous Women is any indication of what Daphne Fama is capable of doing, she's going to be a singular powerhouse in the horror genre for our modern age.

This may have just become one of my favorite horror books of the year, if not of all times.

House of Monstrous Women follows Josephine as she is called to her childhood's friends home, along with her brother and his partner, for a reunion and to play tagu-tagu, a hide and seek game from their childhood. Set in the 80's in the Philippines under the dictatorship of President Marcos, Daphne Fama uses the political climate to mirror the horrors and obligations of the Ranoco family's house of horrrors.

First and foremost, even as a Filipino American who has never been back to the homeland, so much of this story resonated with me from the family dynamics to the stories of the Aswang, to the mention of the bisayan dialect. I grew up with stories of not going to certain areas unless you wanted the aswang and the moomoos to get you. To say please and thank you when walking through nature to respect the spirits that live there. And to see those practices in a book made me feel SO seen. But even more so, the disconnect between your family obligations and your sense of self was what really tugged at me. How a horror book flayed me open and made me evaluate what I consider my self worth, I have no idea.

The mix between horror and the lore of the Philippines was so immersive you felt like you were in the house with Josephine. If you aren't a fan of bugs, this is your warning that this book is crawling with them (pun intended). The description of the setting is so well done, I had to look over my shoulder or close my book a couple of times to remind myself this game wasn't happening to me.

Thank you so much to netgalley, Berkley Publishing and Ace Books Publishing for an eARC. All thoughts are honest and my own.

I really liked this! I like the different threads of political turmoil, witchcraft and sorcery, family drama, and interpersonal relationships. My only complaint is that it took too long to get to the game and once it started the pacing was all over the place.

Extremely atmospheric and haunting, I was sucked into this house.
This book has everything you I want in an amazing haunted house story. A well-written vibe for the setting of the Philippines in ‘86 during The People Power Revolution, traditional folklore and sorcery, tons of gruesome and heart pounding scenes, with incredible and a strong message of hope and coming together. I absolutely loved this gothic-horror with a beautiful historical twist! I read the second half in one sitting.
Absolutely a new must-read author for me.
Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing and Daphne Fama for the advanced copy for review :)
4.25 ⭐️

I don’t even know where to begin in describing this book. It’s part thriller/horror, part fantasy-lore, but all amazing.

When Josephine receives a letter from her childhood best friend, calling her to her family’s home estate on an isolated island, Josephine is excited not only to reunite with her friend, but to see her brother and try to convince him to come home and settle down. But once at the estate, the rumors that her friend’s family is involved in witchcraft don’t seem so far fetched. Asked to play a game to cement her friend, Hiyara’s, place in her family, Josephine quickly learns there’s more than just a title on the line.

This book was atmospheric and delightfully detailed from the very beginning. Taking place in the Philippines in 1986, during the turmoil of the end of the Marcos reign, I loved not only the story itself, but this glimpse into Filipino culture and history. The also story incorporates different Filipino legends and myths that were super interesting. Add to that the creepy house and family lore, and you’ve got yourself a great book.

And really: buckle up, because this book is one wild ride from beginning to end. I did not at all see where this was going, but I just went along with it, and I’m so glad I did! Because it was a great story, full of twists and turns.

Just make sure you have a solid stomach for some of this stuff. That’s all I’ll say.

This is one of the most unique and interesting stories I’ve read all this year so far. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good thriller with some depth and intensity.

To set the scene: It's 1986, the Philippines is in the midst of political upheaval. Desperate to escape her oppressive life, to make amends with her distant brother, and to reconnect with her first love, Josephine is lured to a maze-like mansion on a remote island to play a dangerous game of tagu-tagu (a game similar to hide and seek).

This is Filipino gothic folk horror and the setting is deliciously atmospheric. Beware of creepy bugs, a haunted mansion that feels like it's alive, and silent and ever-present house servants that are always watching you.

It's a story of desperation and I found myself surprisingly sympathetic to every character, which is a tell-tale sign of good writing because each character at some point falls victim to their worst instincts. And at the heart of all the horror is a tender sapphic love story.

I was hooked from the first page. At first by the informative history, then by the unraveling of the complex relationship dynamics, and finally by the chaos and suspense of the hunt.

This book was definitely monstrous. If you're squeamish about bugs, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. I struggled to get into the story and put the book down twice to read others. It has a really dark and oppressive atmosphere. Once the "game" began though, I flew through it. I think the author did a great job of weaving the political happenings of the time into the story and the character's lives.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for access to this arc.

Sometimes I read a book outside of my comfort zone and find something I didn't know I liked. Other times, it's full of things I don't like and I'm reminded why I don't try things outside of my comfort zone more often.

This is absolutely not the fault of the book. The book was well written, creepy and I enjoyed the setting of the horrors of the main story against the horrors of the Philippines in the mid 80s. I just don't do gore and bugs well and I didn't know going in that there would be that many of them.

I would definitely recommend it, I still gave it 3 stars and enjoyed a lot of it, just not the last like third.

I really enjoyed my time reading this one.
The house is was the perfect backdrop for this story. It created the ultimate spooky vibe for this story, There were a lot of eerie moments throughout. The author wrote some gruesome moments that added to the vibe as well.
I also really enjoyed the hide and seek type game they played. It added an extra layer of tension during the climax of the plot. I’ll say the story started off a little slow, building up for a crescendo at about 60% and it didn’t let up after that. There were also some moments that caught me by surprise.
The characters were interesting. There were some interesting dynamics between all of the characters. I liked how it all ended up shaking out between all of them in the end. I felt like they were strong characters and they showed determination to survive.
I would recommend this book. It was my first from this author and I’ll definitely check out some more from
Them in the future.

✨ Review ✨ House of Monstrous Women

Thanks to Berkley and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

This brought the locked-room style fantasy/horror of Phantasma and the creepy gothic horror Bochica together in a Filipino gothic horror!

This gothic horror features aswang, Filipino shifter monsters. Josephine, her brother Alejandro, and childhood best friend Gabriella, join their other best friend Hiraya at her family's grotesque island for a high stakes game of hide and seek. The Ranoco family mansion and the surrounding island is full of creepiness - a labyrinthine never-ending series of rooms, crawly insects, hovering veiled servants, weird honey, spooky family members, and more.

It's slow-paced like a lot of gothic horror but it had lots of rich character and world building. The book has:
⭕️ family drama (Josephine and Alejandro's parents were assassinated years before; something weird's going on with Hiraya's sister)
⭕️ political complexity (it's set during the 1986 People Power Revolution)
⭕️ friend drama (bitterness and disagreements between the childhood friends)
⭕️ potential love? (Josephine has long suspected she might love Hiraya)
⭕️ endless spooky spaces to navigate -- from caves to creepy rooms to the island's giant looming trees

I really enjoyed this one, even with it's slow build, it really flew in the second half as things got wild. I actually wished for a little more development in places -- the connection to Josephine's parents felt a little flat and I would have loved a bit more back story. I thought the People Power Revolution was really interesting, and I wished for a bit more elaboration or connection there too. I loved how it juxtaposed these things but I wanted to know more.

Overall this was a GREAT debut, and I loved the setting for a gothic horror. I can't wait for what comes next!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Genre: gothic horror
Setting: Carigara, Phillipines, and a remote island a few hours away
Reminds me of: Bochica meets Phantasma
Pub Date: August 12, 2025

Read this if you like:
⭕️ gothic horror set outside of the US
⭕️ "locked-room" style house games
⭕️ bugs and trees
⭕️ learning about new fantastical creatures

House of Monstrous Women captivated me from the first page. I felt transported to the Philippines, experiencing the places in detail, and learning about the lore, culture and family histories as the story unfolds. I felt for the restricted lives of the women, the grief, the fractures in community, the fears of violence under corrupt men in power. Fama packs so much richness in the details that the tension and dread build beautifully.
The underlying secrets and the tension lines between generations, between family members, and between friends increased the suspense. The isolated, creepy house that feels like a character in its own right, the trees, the weird decorations, the food, smells, sounds, and the games with their connections to rumors and warnings built a strong sense of dread.
Josephine's isolated, burdened life and her poweful attraction to her girlhood friend drew me even deeper into the novel's world and increased the stakes.
I liked the ways that Fama reveals hypocrisy by showing it. There are many chilling moments and disturbing things as Josephine experiences the house and faces her hopes, desires, and fears.
The horror imagery and many unsettling details are outstanding. I empathised with Josephine and loved her standing up for herself.
There's a lot of heart and talent in this book as well as wonderfully original horror. I've enjoyed Gothics since childhood and it's exciting to discover a fresh, powerfully voice. I'm looking forward to more books from Daphne Fama.
Highly recommended for non-squeamish readers who enjoy Gothics, Horror, Own Voices, Sapphic--or any reader open to branching out with a suspenseful and rewarding book. This is a great Diversify Your Bookshelf pick.

This is a real slow burn, but the payoff is incredibly satisfying!

With an eerie-ness that you feel scuttling across your skin, the setting of this book completely hooked me. A labyrinthine house, a game of cat and mouse, and so many secrets. Josephine is a strong and compassionate protagonist. The rest of the characters have drifted out of her life for various reasons, so an opportunity to see her brother, and her childhood friends and play a game they all used to play, Josephine jumps at the chance.

The Ranoco house is a massive place, precariously by the ocean, with strange servants, and a dark history at every winding hall. The atmosphere is impeccable. The complete feeling of wrongness takes hold. You know something is off, Josephine knows something is off... what to do?

The game of tagu tagu isn't the same game they used to play, though. There is a sinister twist to the game this time and the deck is stacked against Josephine from the start. Aside from the terror inside the house, you get the back story between the characters. There is a political dictatorship causing turmoil and you see how left behind Josephine feels by her brother who isn't there to help her pick up the pieces. There is lore in here that I loved learning about and the writing is just really freaking good. I loved this one!

This gothic tale had all the right ingredients things, crumbling house, buried secrets, and the legacy of “monstrous” women,but didn’t always deliver the emotional depth I was hoping for. The writing is atmospheric and lyrical, but the pacing dragged in places and some characters felt more symbolic than fully developed.

Still, Fama’s commentary on inherited trauma and the way women are demonized through history was compelling. It’s a story about reclaiming power, even when it’s messy, haunted, and hard to look at.

Creepy, thought-provoking, and a little uneven, worth reading if you love feminist horror with big gothic vibes.

"The House of Monstrous Women" dragged me back to childhood nights when my lola's (grandmother) whispered aswang tales had me checking dark corners before going to sleep. Those Philippine monsters that both terrified and fascinated me came horrifically alive in this novel, their familiar shapes somehow more menacing when filtered through Fama's unflinching prose.

Fama transforms conventional horror by anchoring supernatural dread within the very real terror of 1980s authoritarian Philippines. The People Power movement simmers in the background, creating a world where political oppression proves as dangerous as mythological monsters. This historical authenticity transforms what could have been mere ghost stories into something with genuine emotional weight.

Josephine emerges as a protagonist navigating the crushing weight of familial expectations while desperately seeking her own path. Her quiet rebellion against prescribed roles resonates beyond cultural specifics, making her struggle universal even as it remains distinctly Filipino.

Fama's brilliance shines brightest in her handling of the aswang—creating creatures that simultaneously embody ancient horrors and modern metaphors. These monsters reflect how communities create outcasts through whispers and judgment, often transforming the innocent into the very monsters they fear.

The decrepit Ranoco house deserves special mention—a labyrinthine nightmare where sickly-sweet scents and hidden eyes create suffocating dread. I found myself holding my breath during scenes where Josephine navigates its endless connecting rooms, each corner promising new horrors.

This novel speaks to anyone who's felt torn between tradition and self-determination, while delivering genuinely terrifying supernatural encounters. For those unfamiliar with Philippine folklore, it offers a blood-soaked introduction to aswang—shape-shifting creatures that may share distant cousins with Western vampires and witches but possess distinctly Filipino characteristics and cultural significance. These monsters disturb so deeply because they're woven into authentic cultural contexts and psychological landscapes rather than simply appearing as generic threats.

Special thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for the advance copies. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

this book was pretty out of my comfort zone, as i'm not really a horror girly, but i really did find this entertaining and very scary! i found the folklore to be very entertaining and this book actually made me want to do further research on the culture of this folklore and politics in the philippines. i really liked the main character, josephine, and found her story of navigating life after her fathers political campaign ended in tragedy to be very impactful. this was honestly so creepy, i couldn't read it at night time. this is so much more than your average horror story though and tells a story of our own personal monsters as well as the ones that lurk in the ranoco house. i highly recommend this to horror lovers or anyone wanting to try out the genre. the only thing that kept this from being a five star for me was that it did start out very slow as there's a lot of backstory to learn about josephine, but once it really got going, it went fast.

Thank you to Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Daphne Fama’s House of Monstrous Women is a gothic, feminist reimagining that blends horror, mystery, and literary homage in a richly atmospheric tale. From the very beginning this book was super ominous & full of Filipino mythology. This book was slow to start. Josephine accepts an invitation to her friend’s house, unaware that it’s a death sentence. Her friend, Hiraya, whose house she has been invited to has been rumored to be a witch and aswang (a shapeshifting creature). Hiraya's house is a huge maze-like mansion with creepy servants. Josephine assumes the invitation to go to Hiraya's house to play tagu-tagu with her childhood friends. The games turns out to be much more sinister than she remembers.

If you are a fan of gothic horror, this book is it for you!