m g a a s w a n g 🪾
Thank you so much @berkleypub for the free copy of House of Monstrous Women by @daphnefamawrites!

I’m someone who typically avoids anything that has to do with horror, but I couldn’t put this book down!!! I was hooked from the very beginning, where we first find Josephine making the journey from her home in Carigara to her childhood friend’s home in Biliran, to play and win a game in which the prize is any future that her heart desires—and her heart desperately yearns for a life completely different from her current one that’s full of loneliness and heavy with responsibilities after political corruption strikes her family.

It was fascinating to read a story laced with the folklore I learned growing up! Aswang are known to be cannibalistic monsters that can shape-shift, some having characteristics of vampires or witches. It’s an umbrella term that varies depending on who’s sharing the myths and where they’re from in the Philippines, but I was absolutely enthralled by Daphne’s take on aswang and how they incorporated them into this frighteningly amazing book!

This dark, disturbing story was told so beautifully. So much so that I, a natural scaredy-cat, was often more awe-struck by the writing than terrified by the creepy house LOL! I was definitely still turning on every single light while I read this book, but Daphne crafts their sentences in a poetic way that makes this terrifying novel enjoyable even for those who don’t normally reach for this genre (aka me 🤭).

I especially appreciated how Josephine was written to be both fierce and compassionate; she knows what she wants and she recognizes the fact that she deserves happiness, while also thinking of her loved ones, their happiness, and how she’s willing to sacrifice hers for theirs. This dichotomy is such a driving force for how she makes her decisions throughout the book, and it makes for an intense journey as we follow her throughout the story.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced, gothic horror novel with themes of Filipino culture, political turmoil, family, and sacrifice, then House of Monstrous Women is out now! 🤗

Yours in Yellow,
T 💛

House of Monstrous Women is a slow burn, atmospheric gothic novel. Josephine joins her brother and childhood friends (one who is rumored to be a witch) for a game of tagu-tagu on a remote island.

In this game, the winner will have their heart's desire, but there’s one rule: survive.

The novel is dark and creepy. At times, it is overly descriptive. To be honest, I skimmed some of the longer passages, but it does set the scene for the horror and apprehension of the narrative. I enjoyed the Filipino folklore basis for the story. Well written, exploring class and gender roles in society. If gothic horror with creepy house vibes and eerie tales are your thing, then this novel is meant for you.

I would say this is more of a slow-burning horror at least in the first half. We really get to know Josephine and the other players of the upcoming game, and what they will want if they win. The setting is atmospheric, with the eerie tension and the creepy house adding the perfect vibes for what's coming.

Now, once the game begins, the story changes; no longer slow-burning, it takes off and runs non-stop until we reach the end. I never had any idea where the story was going to go, or what any of the characters would do next. It took me on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, and the game held me in its grip.

Josephine is a much stronger woman than I am, I will say that right now.  I'm not sure I could have accepted that invitation knowing the stories and rumors about the Ranoco family.  However, for the love of an old friend, I might have been persuaded.  The way she pushed through her fears and worries to see the game through to the end was impressive.  No matter what was thrown at her, she managed to get through it.   

The same can be said for Gabriella.  If it weren't for her love of Alejandro, I can't see her accepting that invite either.  She didn't seem to have the same drive as Josephine in the beginning.  Alejandro, on the other hand, makes perfect sense.  His desperation and penchant for digging a deeper and deeper hole for himself made him the perfect target for this game.  

I felt the worst for Sidapa, however.  Even in the scenes from the younger years, she seemed like she wanted out - of what, I had no idea, but now I know.  Not to mention how awful her sister and aunt were to her and everyone around them.  That's something else - how Josephine could care so much for Hiraya, even after knowing what kind of crazy her friend had invited her to experience - is beyond my ken.  

It's been a while since I'd read anything close to horror and I probably should have been more prepared.  While there isn't an overwhelming amount of gore in this novel, there are so many bugs.  However, considering this was set in the Philippines, bugs were to be expected.  

The setting of this novel was perhaps the most interesting part.  Ranoco House is in itself a fascinating character.  Winding passageways and multiple rooms full of unexpected things with an ancient and creepy forest surrounding it.  It's the perfect host for such a story.  With it being set in 1986 during the rein of Ferdinand Marcos, it took the tension of political unrest and transformed it into another kind of tension.  

House of Monstrous Women is an atmospheric, intense gothic horror novel that embraces Filipino folklore in a terrifying and engaging way.  This novel has made me want to seek out other similar novels set in the Philippines.  I've recently discovered gothic horror set in Mexico, so this is the next obvious step for me.  I'm anxious to read more by the author in the future.

Synopsis: 1986 Philippines. A group of childhood friends is invited to the home of a rumored witch deep in the forest to play a game of tagu-tagu. But they soon find the game is anything but innocent, and they may not all make it out alive.

Thoughts: Well this was intense! I’ve been trying to gather my thoughts about this book - on one hand I loved the gorgeous writing and lush, atmospheric setting. With the backdrop of an eerie, haunting, maze-like mansion deep in the forest, how could it not be gloriously creepy?! The Filipino folklore was fascinating, and I also really appreciated the parallels drawn with actual historical events. It was a real page turner from about halfway, but the lead up was a bit slow. I wouldn’t say this was a super gory horror (those are not my thing) but there were so. many. bugs. So just be aware of that if you have any inset phobias!

Read this if you like:
🏚️ gothic horror
🏚️ haunted houses
🏚️ atmospheric settings
🏚️ Filipino folklore
🏚️ historical fiction

Josephine's safe world has imploded, leaving her feeling lost and alone while searching for the next step in her future. When her friend invites her to visit and promises to play the games they used to play when they were young, Josephine delays the hard decisions to feel connected again. What she doesn't know is Hiraya has set her friends to play a game with no winners. The eerie house with the creepy tunnels keeps the next deadly surprise just around the corner. Daphne Fama has given readers the chance to experience the game along with the players, who soon learn there are no rules, and this game has become a bloody fight to the finish.

The plotline is filled with surprises that keep the tension building until I expected to have nightmares once I finished. Fama built the mansion into a 3D carnival horror house and populated it with characters sure to connect with readers and take us along for the ride. Her library of titles may not be deep, but HOUSE OF MONSTROUS WOMEN earns her a place in my "must-read" recommendations.

I really enjoyed the fact that this was both historical (I know the 1980s was objectively pretty recent, but I don't know another way to describe this) and set in the Philippines. What an absolutely cool setting and idea for a book---and it's something you don't read often. The different historical facts woven in did a great service to the reader, especially ones like me who don't know anything about the Philippines, and the narrative itself. It was richly detailed and described. Overall, this was creepy and atmospheric and just great. I'm absolutely looking forward to more from this author eventually.

I love anything where there is Filipino representation so I looked forward to reading this book. While it has a lot to do with both Filipino history and folklore, this book failed to hold my interest. True, it’s supposed to be about a game that is played at night and alludes to horror and gothic vibes but it took forever to get to the game. Do they ever play it? I have no idea. I got over halfway through and they were still just talking about it. This was beyond a slow burn. I loved the mentions of life in the Philippines and Marcos’ reign of terror but even those weren’t enough to keep me invested. This one wasn’t for me.

Unfortunately this book was just too slow and a bit repetitive for me. I really wanted it to move a bit quicker because the setting and atmosphere were excellent! As well as the scenes with the Ranocos.

A book I’ve been anticipating for months is finally here: House of Monstrous Women by Daphne Fama. This horror debut, set in the Philippines, is a feast of creepy atmosphere, an unnatural mansion on a secluded island, and evil passed down between generations. When Josephine, her brother Alejandro, and his longtime girlfriend Gabriella get invited to their childhood friend Hiraya’s home, they are all ready for an awkward but necessary reunion. When Hiraya asks them to play a game they once played as children, this time with higher stakes, how can the friends refuse? But they don’t yet know that playing this game of hide-and-seek actually means life or death.

What I Liked:
- A disturbing game of cat and mouse. Josephine, Alejandro, and Gabriella have all been invited to their childhood friend Hiraya’s remote island home for a game of hide-and-seek, like they used to play. But the stakes are higher than ever before, and the true nature of the game only comes out in fragments as the hours pass. Things become deadly as the game turns into an all-out hunt.
- House as a living organism. That isn’t just any house the friends are playing in. This mansion has dozens, maybe hundreds of rooms, and good luck ever understanding its layout. There are rooms within rooms, bizarre corridors, secret passageways, and an endless number of crevices to hide within. The house is often compared to a human body, made up of arteries and rooms akin to cancerous growths, with a garden like a womb shoved inside a corpse. Then there are the masks and dolls, and the silent servants lurking the shadows. The effect is something terrifying, alive, and deeply unnatural.
- Creepy, disgusting themes of insects, fruit, and meat. If you’re a little squeamish, watch out! But the use of pungent foods and parasitic bugs really added to the scary and icky vibes of the book.
- Political backdrop running in parallel with the story. The Philippines’ dictatorship has directly affected Josephine and Alejandro’s family for years, and it’s a major factor in the choices they make now. However, the political upheaval continues to play a role as the plot progresses. There always seems to be a radio on somewhere in the distance, with radio hosts narrating what’s happening with their country’s dictator, protestors, and new politicians vying for change. It ultimately mirrors the arc the characters are going through as their game hurtles towards dawn.
- Filipino monsters and culture. From aswang to mentions of sigbin, kapre, tiyanak, from the balete trees to an older character communicating in Baybayin, there are a lot of cultural references rooting this novel in the Philippines and its history.

What Didn’t Work for Me:
- Overuse of ellipses in dialogue, especially in the first half. I’m usually not too bothered by grammatical choices, but the excessive ellipses started to become distracting for me and took me out of the story. Thankfully that stopped being an issue around halfway through.

Final Thoughts
House of Monstrous Women gets off to a slow start, but by the time the game is underway, it’s a mad dash of terror. Its themes of bodies and insects, a bizarre and meandering house, and the hallucinatory atmosphere create for a hypnotizing sort of horror. The aswang and ghostly themes add to it all, making this feel like a terrifying fever dream in all the best ways. It took its time, but it eventually got its teeth into me. This is the scariest book I’ve read in a while; I absolutely loved it and look forward to reading more from Daphne Fama.

HOUSE OF MONSTROUS WOMEN is the first book I've read by this author. I very much enjoyed her writing style which is very descriptive.

Set in 1986, this is classified as a "Gothic Horror Novel" set in the Philippines and I'm ashamed to admit that the only thing I knew about this era was that Imelda Marcos had a lot of shoes. I will definitely be correcting this as the story talks about The Revolution which seems so familiar in today's political environment. The author wove in political unrest with paranormal happenings in such a way that was a cool way to read.

There are characters that are in human form and structural form. The house - well if I ever have a friend who invites me to play a game in a dark mansion on an island, I will be busy that weekend. Ha-ha The character development is well thought out from the very beginning. Meeting Josephine as she is being shunned was an interesting way to open.

If you pick this up and think... "Ummm, what is this?" push through. It starts out one way and ends another. It is definitely a ride for sure. While I'm not a big one for trigger warnings, if you are squeamish about bugs feel free to speed read through those scenes.

I received this NetGalley ARC a while ago and I picked it up and put it down a few times before become immersed in it. I am a mood reader and I'm thinking I was in a more lighthearted reading mood earlier this summer. I'm glad I was finally pushed to read by it because of the impending review deadline. I think it would have sat on my shelf for much longer than it did.

This is a book I would absolutely recommend and will be doing a reread in the future as I now know what to expect.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to Berkley Pub and NetGalley for the e-ARC!

I wanted to like this much more than I did. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, because I love a good horror book featuring weird houses and women, but I kept getting hung up on all the "muttering", "mumbling", and "murmuring" everyone was doing when they spoke. Like dude. There are other ways to describe soft dialogue!

This aside, it's a good book for spooky season! I also learned a bit about Philippine culture/folklore, which is something I'm not particularly familiar with. The creepiest part for me was the description of the room with the masks (I'm not generally easily spooked, but the image of this in my brain was like NO THANKS). I do recommend if you're looking for something thrilling for Halloween/fall, but be warned that it is a SLOW. BURN. Worth it by the end, but it does take time!

Thank you Berkley Pub for the free book! #BerkleyBookstagram #BerkleyIG #berkley #berkleypub #DaphneFama #HouseofMonstrousWomen

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐃𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐧𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐚
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟏𝟐, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

This book was incredible! I was so drawn to it, as it was unlike anything I’ve read before. It was not only atmospheric, but filled with so much tension. As I continued to read along, I found the political parallels in this book to be so interesting and I appreciated how the author combined real historical events with fictional ones to write this book. There was a lot of generational trauma, creepy bugs, and other haunted moments that make this book a little difficult to read, but well worth it. I am not a big horror reader, so this one was out of my comfort zone, but I appreciated the Filipino culture and lore side and really liked learning more about the history. I think this one is definitely worth the read, especially if you’re looking for something that will take you out of your comfort zone.

🪲Atmospheric
🪲Slow Burn
🪲Filipino Culture, history, and Legends
🪲Gothic Horror

Posted on Goodreads on August 12, 2025: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around August 12, 2025: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on August 12, 2025
**-will post on designated date

HOUSE OF MONSTROUS WOMEN is a rare gem of gothic fiction. Don’t get too comfortable with this story’s engaging but mellow beginning. The intensity quickly ramps up. Seriously, I had to put this book down because, well, I can’t tell you why, but holy anxiety! I didn’t want to read that final quarter before bed. I also couldn’t stay away. Sleep wasn’t happening.

I’m intentionally not giving any details. This is a story you need to experience. But tread carefully. The horror will catch you off guard and seep under your skin.

*Thanks to Berkley Publishing for the free eARC, provided via NetGalley!*

I just finished House of Monstrous Women by Daphne Fama and here are my musings.

Josephine is feeling chaffed under the care of her brother after the death of her father so when her childhood friend, Hiraya invites her to her home, she jump on the chance to escape her brother's watchful eye… The idea of going to visit and playing games like they used to when they were young is too tempting.

If she wins, she will get whatever her little heart desires… There have been rumors. That Hiraya is a witch but Josephine does not care.. She must play to win but the house only allows victory with blood…

It was so eerie and incredibly intense!! The writing was phenomenal with its slow burn start and the olympic sprint in the last half of the book, I was hooked from the start. Imagine being invited by a friend to a house that thrives on murdering people.. I would be hella angry haha but Josephine really took it in her stride, maybe a touch too loyal. I actually felt a little bad for Hiraya. I don’t think I was supposed to sympathize but I really did.

I didn’t know much about Filipino folklore but I am hella intrigued now. There were so many threads weaved together to create this underlying thrum of unease… I loved the dynamic between the characters and the power struggles that emanate off the pages, it created a really unique story and I am a massive fan of gothic horror so this is high praise. You need to push through the slow burn if you aren’t a fan of it because the book really picks up and that’s where all the magic is.

I will warn you.. The insects… BLEH!!!!!!

I was thoroughly entertained!

4.5 stars!! I think had the pace of the first half been a bit faster, it would have been the best read of the year.

Thank you @netgalley and @berkleypub for my gifted arc!

Out today!

This book was wayyyyy more than 6 stars!! Everything that I went through is absolutely the reason why I read!

Josephine’s journey was nothing short of revelatory and the writing is a feast for the senses!!

Daphne Fama sets the scene for the political strife, cultural depredation and individual distress that accompanied the late 1980s in The Philippines during the end of Marcos’s dictatorship. Everything was so vividly outlined and perfectly told from the eyes of a woman suffering from the anxiety of upholding societal mores and familial obligations not to mention the uneasiness one might feel from unwanted attention of any kind (from political rivals, predatory eyes and just plain gossips).

With an entire nation and its people suffering but fighting (long live the People Power Revolution of 1986) as the backdrop, we see that Josephine has her own rebellion to lead. Reuniting with her brother and their childhood friends, she has to fight the loneliness, fear and naïveté that her life experience has left her to grapple with. Not only that, but she has to physically fight for her life during a game of tagu-tagu (hide and seek).

During her entire journey I was in constant awe of how brave Josephine is despite the fear and anxiety that is absolutely palpable from the way Daphne Fama writes! Everything is so beautifully detailed I can almost feel, see, hear, smell and taste it all! I also love the way she interweaved Filipino folklore within the book! I never thought it was easy to describe the manananggal, aswang and the Engkanto to others but Fama made it digestible and easy to understand.

Overall this gothic horror-atmospheric-tropical island-haunted house-deadly games vibe is such a triumph!

And I highly recommend!

4.5 stars

Thanks so much to Berkley Publishing for the free book!

Sapphic, Filipino gothic horror? Yes please!!! This book perfectly blended Filipino folklore in a gripping horror book. It was creepy and wonderfully creative. Every page got better and better. By the end, I couldn’t even set the book down.

Something I loved about this book was how the author combined real historical moments alongside fictional scenes in the main storyline. It explored the political climate of the Philippines during that time period, as well as strong themes of womanhood and generational trauma. There were just enough moments to tie everything together perfectly.

I highly recommend this to anyone looking to pick up a new horror book! It definitely had a bit of gore and lots of bugs (lol,) but it’s definitely worth giving a read!

Slow burn gothic horror set in the 1986 fall of the Marcos regime in the Philippines and a survival game in a house with a witchy insect entrapment vibe. This was a good debut novel that took about 60% in to pick up the pace. Thanks to Berkley for an advanced copy for an honest review.

In House of Monstrous Women, Daphne Fama has leaned on her heritage to create a haunting and visceral narrative full of dark and gothic horrors. She combines the horror of the dictatorship in the Philippines under Marcos with the dark mythos of the culture to keep the reader engaged and enthralled in Josephine’s story.
What I love best about this story is that it is about the darkness in people’s hearts but also about the choices that we make, the sacrifices that we are willing to make but also those we are unwilling to sacrifice for success. Even at the darkest moments, Josephine’s love for her family and her friends shines through as the story sweeps you along in this mysterious and haunting tale. The intrigue and visceral quality of the story as Josephine slowly discovers the truth of the house and of the Ranoco’s is powerful and the ending is emotional.
If you like dark, gothic tales that are haunting and visceral, this is an amazingly powerful story about the choices women can make even in the darkest of times, to help their families and save themselves. The story will sweep you up and keep you thoroughly engaged with an ending that will haunt you long past the time you finish.

4.5⭐ A truly excellent gothic horror read with thought-provoking themes. Set in the mid-1980s against the backdrop of the People Power Revolution in the Philippines, Josephine is a young woman who lives an isolated life after her political activist father and mother were murdered and her brother moved away to make his own name.

When her choices are to marry a man twice her age or run away to the creepy house of her childhood friend whose family is rumoured to be witches, she picks the latter. However, as soon as Josephine arrives at the home of her old friend, she immediately knows something more sinister is going on.

This is probably one of the more horror-y horror books that I have read. It was incredibly atmospheric in terms of immersing the reader in its grotesque milieu, represented by both the physical rotting decay of the house and the spiritual rot passed through these generations of witches. Layered is a thread of Filipino folklore, richly drawn and adding a sense of supernatural magic and history. It was also an intense read that just kept going from begging to end.

I love a novel with a deeper theme and its heart, this is a story about women bound by invisible chains, tethered to their husbands and futures they have no say in. It explores the quiet tragedy of those who dare to dream beyond their circumstances, only to be yanked back by lives they can't escape. It’s about the damage done when ambition or longing turns cruel and comes at the expense of others. But it’s also a story of resistance. Of women who see the cycle and refuse to be swallowed by it. Of daughters who begin to imagine a different inheritance. Of women who have long given up and accepted the same fates for their daughters. It will leave you thinking about it long after you are done.

What a fantastic debut! I highly recommend it.