House of Monstrous Women 🏚️

By Daphne Fama.

Set in the politically charged atmosphere of 1986 Philippines, House of Monstrous Women is a rich and atmospheric gothic horror that burrows under your skin and lingers long after the final page.

Daphne Fama invites us into a house alive with secrets, rot and menace, a house that dares its guests to survive until dawn.

Josephine del Rosario is the town’s outcast, a young woman left impoverished by tragedy and bound to a future she never chose. When an invitation arrives from her enigmatic childhood friend Hiraya Ranoco, Josephine grasps at the chance to change her fate. The offer seems simple: spend one night in the Ranoco manor, play a game of hide and seek, and win the future of her dreams.

But nothing about the Ranoco house is simple.

Crawling with insects, soaked in decay and thick with folklore, the house is a creature of its own. The silent servants, the strange family customs and the rumoured presence of aswang, a figure from Filipino folklore that encompasses witches, shapeshifters and vampires, create a haunting and surreal atmosphere.

What begins as a game soon turns into a fight for survival. The house itself feels like a character, full of malevolence and mystery, and the pacing builds gradually until it spirals into something wild and disturbing. If you have a phobia of bugs or an aversion to meat, consider yourself warned.

I was drawn in by the title and the striking cover, and ended up completely captivated. The slow burning dread, the exploration of gender roles and the clever weaving of folklore and fear were all incredibly well done. It is not overtly political, yet it echoes the historical unrest of the time with unsettling precision.

There is something deeply feminine and feral at the heart of this book. It speaks to the quiet ways women are made to play roles in society and the terrifying consequences when they choose not to. The Afterword adds another layer of meaning, making the whole reading experience feel even more powerful.

If you are after a chilling, beautifully written story full of folklore, twisted games and haunting imagery, this is one not to miss.

Thank you to the team at Transworld Books for sending me an early copy of the book! The book is out today and available to purchase now!

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