Daphne Fama – författare

A young woman is drawn into a dangerous game after being invited to the mazelike home of her childhood friend, a rumored witch, in this gothic horror set in 1986 Philippines. In this game, there’s one rule: survive.Orphaned after her father’s political campaign ended in tragedy, Josephine is alone taking care of the family home while her older brother is off in Manila, where revolution brews. But an unexpected invitation from her childhood friend Hiraya to her house offers an escape. . . .Why don’t you come visit, and we can play games like we used to?If Josephine wins, she’ll get whatever her heart desires. Her brother is invited, too, and it’s time they had a talk. Josephine’s heard the dark whispers: Hiraya is a witch and her family spits curses. But still, she’s just desperate enough to seize this chance to change her destiny.Except the Ranoco house is strange, labyrinthine, and dangerously close to a treacherous sea. A sickly-sweet smell clings to the dimly lit walls, and veiled eyes follow Josephine through endless connecting rooms. The air is tense with secrets, and as the game continues it’s clear Josephine doesn’t have the whole truth.To save herself, she will have to play to win. But in this house, victory is earned with blood.A lush new voice in horror arises in this riveting gothic set against the upheaval of 1986 Philippines and the People Power Revolution.

A young woman is drawn into a dangerous game after being invited to the mazelike home of her childhood friend, a rumoured witch, in this gothic horror set in 1986 Philippines.'One of the best horror books of the year.' Darcy Coates, bestselling author of The Haunting of Ashburn House'A stunning gothic and an exceptional debut.' Rachel Harrison, bestselling author of So Thirsty'(A) brilliantly evocative (and gory) gothic confection of a novel.' SFX MagazineCarigara, 1986. Josephine del Rosario is the town pariah, left destitute after her parents were assassinated, and destined to marry a man twice her age.So when Hiraya Ranoco, an old friend, offers Josephine an escape, she can't say no. All she needs to do is spend one night in the Ranoco’s home and play a children’s game of hide and seek. If she wins, she can have anything she wants. Even, perhaps, Hiraya’s heart.But the manor is sprawling and nightmarish, crawling with insects and rotting from the inside out. The servants stand silently in corners and won't meet her eye. Worst of all, the house itself seems to want to trap Josephine.She must stay hidden until morning, but can she make it through the night?Praise for House of Monstrous Women:'This spectacular story will hold you captive until dawn.' Kylie Lee Baker, Sunday Times bestselling author of Bat Eater'A pulse-pounding tale of family trauma, frayed friendship, and political oppression.' Nick Medina, author of Sisters of the Lost Nation ***Readers Love House of Monstrous Women!***'I loved this book, I loved the afterword, I loved the characters, I loved the tension and the gothic atmosphere.' FIVE-STAR Review'A dark, thrilling gothic...This was easily one of my most enjoyable reads this year.' FIVE-STAR Review'Perfect for fans of Guillermo Del Toro or Silvia Moreno Garcia, this feminist fable is by turns unsettling, thrilling and darkly haunting.' FIVE-STAR Review'This needs to be a movie!' FIVE-STAR Review

They've been waiting for you... And now you're finally home.Maria hasn't returned to her birthplace since her mother, the town’s spiritual medium, cast her out. Now, she can no longer remember anything about the town of Talalora, or about her childhood. But when her mother dies suddenly, Maria is summoned back to claim her inheritance.Yet Talalora seems a strange and rotten place. Outsiders refuse to enter its walls, the rice fields have turned barren and the flower trees have wilted. The town is devoted to a lone priest, Father Benito, who declares that Maria’s inheritance must be earned. To stake her claim, she must brave a series of trials pitting her against relatives she’s never known.Silently watching over all is a huge effigy, bursting with santan flowers, which towers over the town square. And Maria slowly begins to remember. The Diwata, a forest spirit, blesses and curses Talalora in equal measure. Where she casts her gaze, the land grows lush and fertile. But now the crops are failing, and the goddess has become cruel. The townspeople whisper that she must be pacified by a new medium, a new bride. And, too late, Maria realises that the inheritance she is fighting to claim, may be the very thing her mother tried to save her from.Something sickly is growing in Talalora, and Maria should have stayed far away…

'One of the best horror books of the year.' Darcy Coates'A stunning gothic and an exceptional debut.' Rachel HarrisonA young woman is drawn into a dangerous game after being invited to the mazelike home of her childhood friend, a rumoured witch, in this gothic horror set in 1986 Philippines.Carigara, 1986. Josephine del Rosario is the town pariah, left destitute after her parents were assassinated, and destined to marry a man twice her age.So when Hiraya Ranoco, an old friend, offers Josephine an escape, she can't say no. All she needs to do is spend one night in the Ranoco’s home and play a children’s game of hide and seek. If she wins, she can have anything she wants. Even, perhaps, Hiraya’s heart.But the manor is sprawling and nightmarish, crawling with insects and rotting from the inside out. The servants stand silently in corners and won't meet her eye. Worst of all, the house itself seems to want to trap Josephine. She must stay hidden until morning, but can she make it through the night?'This spectacular story will hold you captive until dawn.' Kylie Lee Baker'A pulse-pounding tale of family trauma, frayed friendship, and political oppression.' Nick Medina

'One of the best horror books of the year.' Darcy Coates'A stunning gothic and an exceptional debut.' Rachel HarrisonA young woman is drawn into a dangerous game after being invited to the mazelike home of her childhood friend, a rumoured witch, in this gothic horror set in 1986 Philippines.Carigara, 1986. Josephine del Rosario is the town pariah, left destitute after her parents were assassinated, and destined to marry a man twice her age.So when Hiraya Ranoco, an old friend, offers Josephine an escape, she can't say no. All she needs to do is spend one night in the Ranoco’s home and play a children’s game of hide and seek. If she wins, she can have anything she wants. Even, perhaps, Hiraya’s heart.But the manor is sprawling and nightmarish, crawling with insects and rotting from the inside out. The servants stand silently in corners and won't meet her eye. Worst of all, the house itself seems to want to trap Josephine. She must stay hidden until morning, but can she make it through the night?'This spectacular story will hold you captive until dawn.' Kylie Lee Baker'A pulse-pounding tale of family trauma, frayed friendship, and political oppression.' Nick Medina