This book was really great! The complex and horrific female characters and the competition. It is a gothic work so it starts off with a slow burn but about halfway through the book really gets going and there is a lot to read and take in. I thought the competition device was really interesting and this book gave a new spin to the competition trending books we have seen over the past decade.

The book is steeped in Filipino culture and I loved that the setting was nostalgic but not far historical fiction. This book has really apparent horror elements and historical elements. You don't need to know much about Filipino history but if you do a couple quick googles, I think it can really deepen the reading experience.

An incredible story - the characters were so well developed, the scenery alive and wriggling, with threads of history, mythology and queerness. It is a glowing piece of fruit in a stretched and broken rib case.

This book had me in a chokehold the whole time … full of suspense!!! A mix of hunger games set in a creepy house and some other horror movie. It threw so much at you throughout the whole story. It was intense!! Such a crazy concept of being invited to an old friends house to play a game that may not be what it seems….
All I know is that if I get invited to a creepy witchy paranormal mansion… I will not be attending… EVER …

Very interesting intense read…
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this amazingly creepy Filipino gothic horror story.

Daphne Fama’s House of Monstrous Women is a haunting gothic horror set against the political turmoil of 1986 Philippines. When Josephine, still reeling from her father’s tragic death, receives an invitation from her childhood friend Hiraya, she is drawn into a deadly game where winning means survival. The eerie Ranoco house, with its maze-like corridors and unsettling atmosphere, is as much a character as the people who inhabit it, creating an immersive sense of dread.

Fama’s lush prose and masterful tension-building make this a gripping read. Fans of Mexican Gothic and House of Hollow will be enthralled by its blend of supernatural horror, psychological suspense, and rich historical backdrop.

So … wow. That was intense. This book is a slow burn right until right around the 60% mark, and then it throws everything at you all at once and doesn't let up until the final pages. It took me four days to read the first half and one all-night reading marathon to finish the second. It's dark and creepy and unsettling in the best sort of way, and I've decided that I definitely need more Filipino Gothic horror in my life.

When Josephine is invited to an old friend's house (along with her brother Alejandro and best friend Gabriella) to play a game of tagu-tagu, it turns out that things might not be as innocent as they initially seem. I mean, her friend Hiraya is rumored to be a witch and aswang (shapeshifter) and lives in a labyrinthine mansion filled with creepy servants, so this should have been a surprise to absolutely no one, but apparently Josephine doesn't read the same horror novels that I do. This game of tagu-tagu winds up being much more sinister than the version Josephine and her friends played as children, and once it begins everything gets kind of crazy … and not a normal crazy, but like “insect-people and and murderous insanity” crazy.

I adored all of the characters in this book, from Josephine to all of the very, very strange individuals who live in the Ranoco house. Well, except Hiraya. I think she's supposed to be a sympathetic character, but all I could think of was how pissed I'd be if one of my friends invited me to their supernaturally-fueled murder house to probably die without warning me beforehand. Hiraya can suck it. Josephine is perhaps loyal to a fault (because, girl, there is no way that she's worth it), but she's also brave and headstrong and clever.

The setting, too, is excellent. Not just the witch mansion surrounded by a unsettling forest on a remote island (seriously, how did Josephine not see this coming??), but the backdrop of 1986 Philippines. I know very little about the history of the Philippines or dictator Ferdinand Marcos, so all of the historical tidbits were quite eye-opening and informative.

There's not a ton of gore in this novel, but there is one chapter that's kind of 🤮. Other trigger warnings include suicide and murder and insects … so, so many insects. Like, all of the insects.

Overall, House of Monstrous Women is a creepy and atmospheric tale featuring a heavy dose of Filipino folklore. If you enjoy well-written Gothic novels set in exotic locales with fascinating characters, definitely consider giving this one a read. 4.4 stars, rounded down.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is August 12, 2025.

Well this was an unexpected pleasure!

First of all, the world needs more Filipino Gothic novels. This is lush, violent, atmospheric and I was fascinated by it all.

There are so many choice bits of culture and history and I wanted so very much for one particular character to lose the game!

Definitely a sapphic touch, set against a culture and historical context making it all the more rare and dangerous.

Note to the author: You had me absolutely craving Filipino food...until you didn't. I didn't want to eat anything anywhere after reading this!

Great book. Hope the author brings us more from her unique perspective!

Wow. This book is a roller coaster ride of horror. I didn’t know what to expect when I requested this ARC on NetGalley, but this book delivered and more. It’s as if Mexican Gothic met something like the Hunger Games? But even darker somehow. It asks: what would you do to escape the destiny laid out by society and your family?

The story follows Josephine, a young woman who was orphaned when her parents were killed by political enemies. When she gets an invitation to play a game at the house of one of her oldest friend’s - along with her brother and his partner - she quickly accepts, eager to escape her life caring for her family’s crumbling estate. But from the moment she steps foot in the house, something seems off and she feels like people are watching her at every turn. When the rules of the game are finally revealed, she realizes she must fight to survive.

The story is set in the Philippines in the 1980s during the beginning of the People Power Revolution. I didn’t know anything about the history of the Philippines, but this book hints at the extreme violence happening during that time, as well as the hope of the nation as the people’s movement fought back against its dictator. The terror and violence within the main story mirrors the terror and violence that was occurring during that time, and I appreciated the insight into that history.

I know this book will stick with me for a long time - for its feminist messages, its twisted game, and yes, the images that may creep into my nightmares. Please read trigger warnings, and if you have a deep fear of insects… know that this book is full of them.

I have so many feelings about House of Monstrous Women. The book’s description had already drawn me in, and within the first few pages I was entirely hooked. Daphne Fama’s writing is captivating and immersive, inspiring a voracious need to find out the truth behind the Ranoco women and their twisted game.

This gothic horror is a vivid and consuming tribute to the Philippines and its folklore, and to the tenacity of Filipinas. And while set against the People Power Revolution of 1986, this dark story of hope and fighting for one’s future in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds feels incredibly timely amid present headlines.

In its wake, House of Monstrous Women has left me both deliciously unsettled and with a deep sense of heartache over sacrifices made and sacrifices yet to come. What would you give for your heart’s desire? For a chance at your wildest dreams?