She Waits Where Shadows Gather

by Michelle Tang

Parents should pass down stories, not spirits…

Avery and Carlos Tam have built their lives on logic, not legends. Carlos, the host of a hit reality show that exposes paranormal hoaxes, has made a name disproving the supernatural.

But when they travel to his ancestral home in the Philippines, darkness clings to every corner. The mirrors are shrouded. The housekeeper won't stay in the house alone. And no one will speak of the tragedies the family has seen.

Then a brutal car crash leaves Carlos trapped in his own body—silent, helpless, and utterly vulnerable. As Avery tends to him, the house begins to stir. It watches. It listens. And it speaks—in a voice only Carlos can hear—offering a twisted kind of comfort.

And as the lies buried by Carlos and his family begin to surface, Avery must confront the if the past won't rest, their future may never begin.

Some inherit memories. Others inherit monsters.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Mystery, Paranormal, Gothic, Adult, Thriller

304 pages, Paperback

First published May 5, 2026

Reviews

[Liana Gold · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars!

Filipino folklore mixed in with a haunted house and a resonant immigrant story, I think this book will really surprise me.

THE HOUSE IS ALIVE AND ITS HUNGRY!

Full review to follow! :)




Many thanks to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and the author, Michelle Tang for the early eARC!

Publication date: May 5, 2026

[Brandy Leigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Carlos returns home when his relatives request his help with haunting in their family home. He decides to bring his wife with him in hopes of also repairing their relationship.

This story focuses mostly on their toxic marriage. Avery’s desire for a baby and Carlos’s contempt for her feelings which ends up exposing how incompatible they truly are.

Shortly after moving to the house, Carlos is injured in an accident and left to sulk in his bitterness. While Avery is forced to deal with the haunting presence alone.

While the premise is strong, the ghost lore feels very underdeveloped, turning the story into more of a strange marital drama with paranormal elements. With a larger focus on the family history, it could have been a truly effective gothic horror but as it stands, the result is just okay.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Ginger · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/3.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Paperback format 📚

I had to sit with this review/rating for a bit and enjoyed discussing it with my bookclub.

The atmosphere and supernatural elements in She Waits Where Shadows Gather is fantastic.

I think where I struggled with was the anticlimactic ending, some of the characters decisions, and a major plot point that I couldn't wrap my head around.

This was still an eerie book that shines new Philippine mythology to the classic paranormal/gothic genre and I loved that. We need more folklore like this in horror!

[Tracey Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love it when I read a book that has very little fanfare, and it blows me away. This was definitely the case with Michelle Tang’s debut novel, She Waits Where Shadows Gather.

Avery and Carlos’s marriage is on the rocks. Avery badly wants a child, whereas narcissistic Carlos cannot deal with having to share his wife’s affections with anyone else. The couple moves to Carlos’s childhood home in the Philippines. Carlos, a TV paranormal investigator, has some dark secrets he wants to investigate in his family home.

Understandably, Avery isn’t too keen on the house. The house staff won’t go there alone, and several mirrors are dramatically covered. But things get infinitely worse when Carlos is involved in a life-changing accident.

One of my favorite tropes is “paranormal investigator gets more than they bargained for”, and this book checked that box. But that was just a minor part of my enjoyment of this novel. Avery is an incredibly relatable character; desperate for happiness, incredibly isolated, but strong. On the opposite side, Carlos is so repulsive, he is strangely engaging.

There are some genuinely scary moments in this novel. The house at the center of the novel has shadows lurking in every corner, but when Avery ventures up to the attic, I had to switch a few lights on. I also enjoyed learning a little about Philippine mythology and folklore.

A great combo of a compelling human narrative and supernatural tension.

[HeatherAnnReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for providing me an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

#SheWaitsWhereShadowsGather #NetGalley #ePub #ARC #ARCReview #horror #folklore #MichelleTang #hauntedhouse

💠RELEASE DATE: 5 May 2026

💠VIBES: Mike Flanigan's The Haunting of Hill House series, but with Filipino folklore.

💠QUOTE(S):

The house transformed light. Whether it was the hue of the paint or the type of old glass in the windows, even the tropical sunlight beaming full blast into a room diluted into a wan yellow. It was the color of sickness, of urine-soaked sheets or jaundiced skin, and [Avery] could understand why the gullible might believe this place was haunted.

💠OVERALL THOUGHTS:
• Tang took her time to flesh out the characters into believable, complex people who felt real - enough to ellicit physiological reactions. As I read through Carlos' manipulative & arrogant perspective, I realized my jaw was clenched and my eyes were narrowed. I was seething. I hated Carlos with a passion, as if he had wronged a close friend of mine in real life.
• Beautiful imagery and incredible world-building. I've never been to the Philippines - not yet, anyways - but reading the descriptions made me feel like I temporarily transported there. And the atmosphere house? Creepy as fuck. We can all picture a dilapidated house whose creaks and groans may be from its age and state of disrepair; but, the way the darkness looms in neglected corners feels too watchful to not be something supernatural. Experiencing the house through Avery's eyes, and even through Carlos' eyes, was a slow-burn of dread. I knew something terrible was going to happen, but I didn't know when and I didn't know what.
• I... didn't really understand the climax. (No spoilers here; I'll be careful what I say.) It was sort of explained - why things happened the way they did - but the mechanics of it just didn't make sense to me. It didn't feel... warranted? Like, how could this happen narratively? It is possible I missed something, but it felt completely out of left field for me.

💠REVIEW SUMMARY: She Waits Where Shadows Gather is a haunted house horror novel that poignantly depicts unhealed grief and the deep roots of familial trauma. Although I did not understand the ending, I still enjoyed the book overall.

💠RECOMMEND?: Yes.

💠OVERALL RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
(4.5 out of 5 stars, rounded up)

[Becky Spratford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review in the April 2026 issue of Library Journal

Three Words That Describe This Book: Spotlight on International horror lore, intense unease, dual points of view

Also-- troubled marriage, family secrets, haunted house, souls

Draft Review: Canadian spouses Avery and Carlos, both of Chinese-Filipino descent, arrive in Manila for an indefinite stay. Carlos is moving his popular show, disproving the supernatural, back to his family’s haunted manor house. Told from both Carlos and Avery’s perspectives, readers are aware from the start that there is unease about the move and the status of their relationship, but the house– its covered mirrors, phantom knockings in the night, and history of restless souls– makes itself heard immediately. After a home cleansing ceremony, Carlos is left bedridden by a car accident, triggering the release of generations of secrets, ghosts, and mortal danger forcing Carlos and Avery to fight for both their relationship and their lives. Filled with terrifying Filipino horror folklore, readers will enjoy uncovering a different culture of chills while being consumed by the drama unfolding in front of their eyes.

Verdict: A twisty and immersive haunted house story featuring sinister ghosts, who will use whatever fractures they can find in human relationships to gain a foothold in the mortal world like in The Villa, Once Beloved by Victor Manibo** and We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough.

This is a solid haunted house story where the danger is real, the ghosts are active, and the problems they bring to the humans are tangible.

The story focuses on the Canadian Chinese-Filipino couple Avery and Carlos as they are arriving in Manila. It is intensely uneasy from the start. Avery is on the POV and is talking about souls separating from their bodies when they travel long distances. Clearly she is nervous about moving to the Philippines. She has never lived there and her and her husband are also having some issues-- readers can tell but don't know.

Carlos has moved his popular internet show where he disproves supernatural happening back to his home where he hasn't lived for decades. His family is uneasy about the two of them living in the haunted family home.

The POV moves between the two as family secrets are slowly revealed. As Carlos is seriously injured (it's in the publisher description) and Avery must live in the house and work against the ghosts and Carlos' injuries.

The fact that Avery and Carlos love each other but there is something in their relationship that is causing problems. Readers think at first that it is Avery's struggles with infertility, but they both know it is deeper than that. When the very real world truth is revealed-- that allows for the horror aspects to also be fully exposed.

Readers will learn about some very cool monsters and ghosts from Filipino folklore. Also learn about the Chinese-Filipino community. And like all good haunted house stories set in a family villa-- watch the secrets and ghosts reveal themselves. And there are many restless souls in this house.

This is a great example of a satisfying horror story that shines a light on new (to western readers) horror traditions. It adds an extra layer of originality and enjoyment. Allowing the novel to be both familiar and new.

This is also a story where the 2 points of view telling are KEY. It is not just a narrative device, it adds to the story in key ways, ways that keep the readers as unsteady as the characters.

For fans of the growing body of Filipino Horror for fans of The Villa, Once Beloved by Manibo more so than The House of Monstrous Women by Fama (which is excellent but not a readalike beyond being Filipino-- do not fall for that but the way, not all white horror is the same so why would all Filipino horror be the same).

Also a haunted house story very much for fans of We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough. Like the Manibo-- all three of these haunted house stories have a troubled relationship at their core and very sinister, patient, long waiting ghosts trying to use the fractures in their relationships to get themselves a foothold in the real world.

[Richard Bankey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Goodreads and the author for sending a review copy in exchange for a fair review. This book is a horror novel but it isn't gory. It builds slowly and is a fairly quick read. It is very well written and I found the story to be very entertaining. I am looking forward to more from this author. 4.25 🌟

[⁺˚*༓☾ ness ☽༓*˚⁺ · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 ★ — She Waits Where Shadows Gather blends Filipino folklore with the traditional haunted house setting popularized by Shirley Jackson's Haunting of Hill House, but instead it spends a lot of time creating a domestic melodrama surrounding a married couple, Avery and Carlos, who, turns out, are quite unhappy together.

From its very beginning, the book relies on uninspired and repetitive metaphors. Avery's jet lag is described as a "gremlin" hanging onto her shoulders. In the span of just a few pages, this imagery keeps coming back:

Fatigue was a gremlin waiting in every plane cabin, latching onto her as soon as she sat down and holding on for days.

...the gremlin gripping Avery's shoulders could not be shaken off.

...and the fatigue gremlin that had attached to her on the plane could be playing tricks on her senses.

This is where the gothic atmosphere dissipated for me. You could even say this whole metaphor was a gremlin I couldn't shake off as I kept reading. Even so, the book reminded me that "the house's energy was still heavy as hell, though", at which point I had to laugh and give up on the promise of a Hill House vibe.

Unfortunately, the gremlin is hardly an isolated example. Throughout the novel, emotions and realizations are constantly transformed into physical sensations — "icy fingers of disbelief" crawl between shoulder blades, apprehension is described as "squatting behind her sternum" — which I found distracting as I kept on reading.

For a horror novel, the story is incredibly slow and lacking tension. We spend so much time focused on Carlos and Avery's failed marriage, his rather insignificant ghost hunting show, and her desperate, at times obsessive, desire to have children. These are both elements which have driven the two characters to hate each other. Carlos only gets more exhausting as the narrative moves forward: whether he's sizing up a priest based on how well he might perform on camera compared to him, or internally congratulating himself for manipulating and berating his wife, he remains relentlessly self-absorbed.

Even while trapped in a state of paralysis, his internal monologues are driven by bitter resentment toward Avery:

He would behave himself, use her love for him, until he didn't need her anymore . . . To pretend he didn't despise her. That he still loved her, even. . . . Carlos took a deep breath and reached toward the newspaper again, using the impotent rage he held for his wife to fuel him.

The supernatural elements are diluted by the overwhelming focus on Avery's fertility struggles. Roughly half the narrative is consumed by exhaustive, repetitive discussions and internal monologues about her intense desire to conceive. We spend page after page reading about ovulation windows and emotional cycles,

Technically, she had a seventy-two hour window in which she could be fertile, but already her left ovary was spasming... Once the egg had left the ovary, they only had a day to fertilize it before it became nonviable.

or about Avery's shame for not being a mother,

Avery leaned forward to address the young woman perched on the chair. “Fatima, what is your experience with children?”

Carlos fought to keep his annoyance off his face.

“Oh, I love children.” The young woman’s eyes lit up. “How many do you have?”

Avery recoiled. She placed a protective hand against her stomach and hunched over, as if to hide its flatness. Carlos turned away from Avery’s rapid blinking; he fought the overwhelming urge to comfort her.

The problem isn't that Avery's fertility struggles are present in the novel; in theory, they should complement its themes of family and legacy. Rather, the issue is that the narrative returns to them so frequently that they overshadow everything else, including the horror.

Neither the domestic drama nor the tentative supernatural plot were compelling enough to carry the novel for me. While readers primarily interested in family conflicts and marriage troubles may find more to appreciate here, those hoping for a tense haunted house novel may be left disappointed.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an ARC of this book! All opinions are my own.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique, and at times creepy, ghosts/haunting story. It was interesting reading some of the Filipino folklore and superstitions, which helped the overall setting and mood. Not one of the best, but readable.

As always this is just my opinion.
You may have a different experience/point of view, with any book I review. Please judge for yourself.

*I gratefully received this book from the publisher and author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

[AgoraphoBook Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

She Waits Where Shadows Gather
Michelle Tang
Publication Date: May 5th

4.5 / 5

Ok, so....

I'd been in a bit of a reading slump over the past two weeks.
This book got me together, with quickness.

I love eerie horror. Something that makes me feel uneasy and (safely) nervous. Not many horror novels do this for me anymore, due to my desensitization.

(The few that easily come to mind are We Used To Live Here by Marcus Kliewer, Incidents Around The House by Josh Malerman, Mean-Spirited by Nick Roberts, The Deep by Nick Cutter, A Child Alone with Strangers by Philip Fracassi and House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski)

This book had me feeling uneasy from the end of chapter one. By the end of chapter three, I was nervous, jumpy and loving it. "She who creeps between" really unnerved me.

4.5
(Full Review to come)

Highly Recommend
If horror is your jam, and you love scaring yourself senseless, give this one a try. May it rattle you the same way it did me.

[Heathers_readss · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my absolute favourite book plots is paranormal investigators. I genuinely find it more exciting / suspenseful to read about than when on tv 😅

In this book Carlos is the paranormal investigator, he moves himself and Avery to his creepy family home. You know things are suss when all of the locals act weird around the house.

Carlos himself is a very dislikable character, so when he is injured in an accident it’s easy not to feel a lot of empathy for him. Except now they’re stuck in this house and things kick up a notch and get very unsettling very fast.

I enjoy a potentially haunted / possessed home.. safe to say I enjoyed this book!

[Ai Jiang]

A big thank you to the publisher for an ARC of the book!!

SHE WAITS WHERE SHADOWS GATHER is a gothic novel reminiscent of Stephen King’s THE SHINING. Tang creates a haunted house lingering with generational ghosts in every corner, lies and unspoken secrets hidden in its threadbare walls, toxic and fragile bonds that rattle the floorboards, regret and revenge ravaging each room, with characters who desire to return to the past and who must learn how to grab hold of the courage to move forward.

[paula a · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5

First of all, thanks to netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this e-ARC!

This book is scary. Take it seriously. But as much as it is about ghosts, it touches so many topics. It shows humanity, masculinity specifically, religion, culture and entire belief systems. It also shows love and grief. I loved every second of it, so if you like horror, ghosts stories and familial trauma, this one is for you!

[Sam A · Rating 3 out of 5]

A compelling haunted house story that delivered a claustrophobic and comforting setting while weaving in Filipino lore and customs.


Carlos and Avery Tan return to Carlos’ daunting childhood home at his parents' request. Their already strained marriage is put to the test when an accident leaves Carlos bedridden and slow to recover. Avery is left to pick up the pieces of her new life and navigate the growing unexplainable incidents in her new home. Aided by Carlos' family and childhood maid, Avery's own belief system is tested as she is plunged into a world of ghosts and witches, supernatural and superstition. 


This book oozed with vibes. The locations and settings were beautifully described and at times you could feel the sticky heat of Manila through the pages. I loved the different monsters and lore that was explored and was super interested in these southeastern ghouls. Unfortunately I don't know if the ghosts were developed as well as they could have been. I felt like there were some supernatural elements that weren't explored as much as I would have hoped. I'd say the same for a couple characters, specifically Carlos' parents (his father could have been removed without effect ) and Dolores could have had a lot more development.


I think the plot would have felt more flushed out if more time had been spent on these characters and plot points and less time focusing on the flaws of Avery and Carlos' toxic dynamic. It felt like maybe too many elements were added causing them to not be fully followed. Unfortunately this did cause some of the story threads to feel a bit muddled or twisted at points.


I thought overall it was an interesting story that kept me hooked, but I wish I got more from the characters, both alive and dead.


3.5/5

[⛧ cal ⛧ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda cheesy and I liked it. The last chapters sealed my rating.

[Ren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautiful, tragic, and at times terrifying ghost story. I specifically took my time with this one to relish in the atmosphere. Manila was a fantastic setting and I loved learning about some Filipino folklore. I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Good lord. I have never in my life been so let down by a work of fiction. The premise was so promising- a haunted family home, unsettled spirits, skepticism meeting ancestral beliefs, etc, etc- but the writing was genuinely insufferable, the pacing was off, and the characterization was annoying as all get-out. I appreciate books about complicated and unlikeable characters, but they need to be actually complicated and actually well-written for it to work, and this was not that. Carlos was cartoonishly petty and self-absorbed and insufferable and the casual mentions of his childhood to explain why he was the way he was could make it remotely tolerable. Yes, I know it was because [spoiler]. Unfortunately, by the time that reveal comes around, I’ve spent so long hating his guts that I don’t give a single fuck. Audrey was also annoying and whiny, and though her motivations made more sense, they were not handled with the balance that would have made them believable or sympathetic. The writing was so painfully explanatory that I felt my brain cells dying as I read. Have you ever wanted to know exactly what the characters are thinking, narrated in the most elementary prose possible? Do you like writing that is so unsubtle you may as well be bashed over the head with a mallet? Me neither.

[Kurryreads (Kerry) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTBFLVq7J/

[TheNovelNomad · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book crept up on me, in the best way.

She Waits Where Shadows Gather is the kind of horror that doesn’t rely on cheap shocks but instead seeps under your skin and settles there. The haunted house isn’t just a setting; it’s a presence. From the covered mirrors to the silence around family tragedies, the atmosphere is thick with unease long before the supernatural fully reveals itself.

What really worked for me was the balance between human tension and horror. Avery and Carlos’s fractured marriage adds emotional weight, especially after Carlos’s devastating accident, which becomes a chilling turning point rather than a plot gimmick. Watching the power dynamics shift, while the house quite literally begins to speak, I was unsettling in a way that felt earned. The Filipino cultural elements and folklore elevate the story even further, grounding the terror in history, inheritance, and unspoken truths.

This is slow-burn, culturally rich horror that rewards patience. Creepy, emotionally layered, and quietly haunting,especially for readers who love when paranormal stories are about more than just ghosts.

[Cody Selby · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know when you judge a book by its cover?
Yeah I know, we’re not supposed to do that.. but I did, I was intrigued after reading the description, then even more so after the first chapter.. then I struggled to put it down.
It gave me the spooky ghost story I crave with an added element of sorrow and shock, especially close to the end.
It definitely didn’t go the way I thought it would, and that’s a good thing..
Highly recommend.
I thank the author, their publisher and NetGalley for this ARC..

[Sookie · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this slow burning horror, Michelle Tang brings folk horror from Philippines explored through family drama, and ideological clashes. Carlos returns to his familial home along with his partner Avery, that's famous among the locals for being haunted. Tension exists from the get go; familiar and undertaking.

A car crash leaves Carlos trapped in his own body, unable to move and his mind-a prison of his own making. Avery investigates the stories buried behind mirrors (that are covered!) and the eeriness that she's brushed off at the start of her visit. The people, the stories, the family - all compound to stifling feeling that's exacerbated by Manila's heat.

The character themselves offer nothing great - Carlos and Avery's relationship is anything but stable and each have their own agenda for coming to Manila. While Carlos as a character gets exploration post car crash, his initial character is unscrupulous. Avery's growth as a person is fascinating as her ideas and identity itself gets challenged. Of course it all works out neatly and cleanly (feels rushed), making the gaps between their change seem deeper.

She waits where the shadows gather is an enjoyable eerie paranormal horror with south east Asian folklore, and characters from diaspora adjusting to a city and family that's rooted in centuries of tradition and culture.

Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with a free copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.

[Wyatt Flett · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC via NetGalley. Thank you to Posion Pen Press for this copy.

She Waits Where Shadows Gather draws echoes of a dark past as Avery and her reality TV star husband, Carlos, travel back to Carlos’s ancestral home in the Philippines. The consequences of these secrets intensify the couple’s relationship after Carlos’s “accident” leaves him trapped inside his own body, along with some that are kept hidden in the present. As they dig into the secrets buried within Carlos’s family lineage, the rot beneath his bloodline begins to surface.

Told through dual perspectives, we gain a more intimate look into Avery and Carlos’s interpretations of their suffering and how they resent the other as the “selfish one.” Avery’s suffering is based on her infertility and her need for more of a family beyond just her husband, while Carlos’s suffering is based on his belief that his wife isn’t sacrificing enough for their marriage. These complicated, antagonistic feelings simmer and threaten to boil over once Carlos is bedridden after his accident. This makes the superstitions he tried to disprove in his show, too hard to ignore. Hidden in the darkness of the old home, these superstitions create a clear unease in the eerie atmosphere crafted by Michelle Tang’s writing style.

There’s an interesting weaving of Filipino spirituality, primarily the effects of witchcraft and the presence of spirits, which ties directly to the grief Carlos and Avery feel as they face severe tension that culminates in a twist you could never see coming. Other characters, such as Tessa and Dolores, also bring different perspectives on the past beyond the couple’s marital troubles. Nevertheless, I did find the squabbling at the opening grating, even though their motivations and grief were fleshed out to serve the essential stakes after Carlos is hospitalized, and I definitely sympathized more with Avery than with her husband.

It’s an interesting, haunted psychological thriller whose depiction of marital strain refuses to be overshadowed.

[Raquel · Rating 3 out of 5]

She Waits Where Shadows Gather and I had a very complicated relationship from the start. I spent 70% of this book fully convinced I was going to give it a 2 star rating. And then the end saved the whole thing at the last possible second.

It is a bit frustrating because the actual premise is SO good. The atmosphere surrounding the Philippines was probably my favorite part of the whole book.
The author writes beautifully but the horror elements just didn’t do the book justice. There were ghosts, haunting, a creeping dread, but they felt super underwhelming.

We also need to discuss the characters because oh my god these people tested my patience. Carlos annoyed me. Avery annoyed me. Carlo’s family annoyed me. The priest, however? Icon. Chefs kiss.

But. And that’s a big but(t). Around the 70% mark the book started to get a lot better. The pacing picked up and the ending twist got me gooood. I didn’t see that one coming at all and it made me enjoy the ending a lot better.

A thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

[Aleena · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have never had a book piss me off so much that I immediately posted an Instagram story about it and started reading excerpts out loud to my husband.

Boy. Where do I even begin.

I almost DNF’d this at 40%, but then I remembered I paid almost CA$30 for the physical copy, so unfortunately I persevered.

I was genuinely excited for a Chinese Southeast Asian story steeped in superstition and folklore. What I didn’t sign up for was being dragged back into the exact kind of Southeast Asian family dynamics that are ruled entirely by superstition and religion instead of common sense. As a Chinese Southeast Asian who shipped myself to Canada because of that very reason, this book unlocked a level of PTSD I was absolutely not prepared for, so… thanks for that.

The Filipino folklore and paranormal elements also felt painfully underexplained. For a horror novel, it somehow kept forgetting to actually be horrifying. It read more like a family telenovela with occasional ghosts lurking in the background.

And CARLOS.

What an absolute manchild. Narcissistic, misogynistic, useless beyond belief. Every single one of his chapters made me roll my eyes so hard I could feel a migraine coming on. He is the final boss of the stereotypical Asian mama’s boy whose entire existence depends on being adored and served because without that, he brings literally nothing to the table.

And that twist near the end? Come on now. At some point I genuinely had to ask myself whether this book was trying to cleanse a haunted house or cleanse a failing marriage?

I’ve never been this angry at a book before. Angry at the money I spent, the time I lost, and the trauma it managed to resurrect.

At this point, “generational trauma” deserves its own horror subgenre.

Not for me, fam.

[Brett Mitchell Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to read this prior to release & it has stuck with me in a big way. Tang’s prose is so beautiful and concise- she is such a master of wordplay. The story she weaves is truly heart-wrenching while simultaneously coiling around you with a creeping dread. Far from home and trying to exist within a space where she is both too foreign and not-foreign-enough with her only slice of home locked into his own hidden torment, Avery must rely on the part of herself she always pushed back in favor of logic and reason. Despite Michelle expertly laying the pieces out before you, this incredible take on the haunted house story will leave you guessing until the bitter end. Absolutely a must-read.

[domsbookden · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a domestic, supernatural thriller, She Waits Where Shadows Gather excels. The full details of a strained marriage between two emotionally stunted people—lies, deception, resentment, placation—are put on full display as family secrets slowly rise to the surface, facilitated by spooky moments and familial, ghostly presences. Under this subgenre umbrella, the novel does everything right, but as a horror novel, it unfortunately leaves a lot to be desired.

The vast majority of the novel is focused on Avery and Carlos’ marriage, leaving very little room for further development of the other elements. There was so much untapped potential in Carlos’ paranormal reality show; there are quick references to it here and there, but it really could have bolstered the mystery aspects, where maybe a couple of flashback chapters of cases featured on the show are used to give Carlos more character development and provide more credence to the supernatural skepticism thread that’s present throughout the story. The Filipino folklore and Carlos’ family dynamics were also criminally underserved. Expanding on the seemingly extensive history of his family and their deep-rooted belief in the local folklore potentially could have made the story darker and more gothic in tone and execution, and provided additional, weighted counterpoints to Carlos’ profession and Avery’s lack of belief.

I understand why this novel is marketed as horror, but with that comes a significant amount of unmet expectations that hurts its overall reception. I think it was a misstep to not emphasize how integral marriage would be in the synopsis. The synopsis of The Body by Bethany C. Marrow, for example, is more up-front in how much marriage plays a part in the story; had She Waits Where Shadows Gather implemented that same level of transparency, it would been in a better position to reach audiences who are more receptive to prominent domestic plot threads. As someone who isn’t interested in stories that center on romantic relationship dynamics, having to completely shift what I was expecting to get from this read took away from my engagement with it.

While this didn’t quite deliver on what I was hoping for, I think Tang has a great handle on crafting the story she wants to tell, and I’m cautiously optimistic about what she’ll come out with next.

She Waits Where Shadows Gather is a great read to check out if you enjoy the works of Darcy Coates, specifically Voices in the Snow and The Carrow Haunt.

[Jethpage · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Nostalgic, atmospheric, and creepy.
A couple whose marriage is troubled moves back to the Philippines. Will this move fix or break them?


The Salcedo Drive house reminded me a bit of my childhood when I lived with my grandparents, minus the malevolent spirit, She Who Creeps Between. The dark upstairs hallway, dark wooden floors etc. It felt like I was in the house itself, feeling the cold spots and gaze.

Carlos and Avery were unlikeable people but interesting characters whose POVs I enjoyed reading. Carlos is a selfish, lying, man-child a-hole. Avery was tolerable; she had her faults, but did not deserve to be mistreated. She was so Westernized, she reads like a White woman in a horror movie 😂. By design, they were portrayed as Filipinos who have stayed abroad or migrated, come home, and think they are better than everyone else. I think the only likeable character is Achi Tessa and Father Michael 🤷🏻‍♀️

The story was good; it had me writing my theories. The ending for me was a bit anticlimactic but satisfying. (As I write this, I realized most Asian horror movies I’ve watched have an open ending)
Tessa’s belief in Feng Shui (Bagua, red strings, etc.) reminded me of the Filipino horror movie Feng Shui (2004). I think it would be a good movie if you wanted a bit more insight into Filipinos, feng shui, and some horror.

Anyway, I recommend this if you like Haunted houses, the troubled-marriage-moves-to-start-anew trope

Thank you, Netgalley and publisher, for giving me access so I could read and review

[Stormie Barton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to @netgalley and @poisonedpenpress for the e-arc!

She Waits Where Shadows Gather is a Filipino gothic horror tale depicting the events surrounding a couple who are experiencing marital troubles while having returned to the husband’s family home amidst paranormal occurrences.

Carlos has been called back to his family home in the Philippines after having spent his life in Canada. In his career, he hosts a paranormal show wherein he debunks familiar paranormal activities. Yet returning home has Carlos on edge, remembering events from his childhood that cannot be easily explained.

Then Carlos is involved in a tragic car accident leaving him with great recovery needs. As Carlos heals within the house, he begins hearing similar voices from his childhood.

Avery doesn’t understand why Carlos has had a change of character. He went from a narcissistic man who doesn’t think twice about his wife’s emotions or actions to a devoted, doting husband. She feels as if their love has reignited stronger than ever.

There are so many great elements to this book yet they are also incredibly triggering. Avery and Carlos struggle with infertility which remains a resounding theme throughout the book. The paranormal horror is eerie, realistic, not over the top, and completely immersive.

There are a couple plot lines which I can’t fully get behind yet this book is still incredibly interesting and worth a read if you enjoy gothic horror tales!

[Tiffany Schulz · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC review
Such a wonderful way to learn about Filipino lore and superstition! This story delves deep into society superstition and a haunted house in Manila. We have Carlos, a paranormal investigator, who grew up in a house that had spirits both good and evil occupying it. He gets called home to investigate why his dead grandfather’s spirit is showing itself again in the house.
What Carlos doesn’t do is tell his wife that’s why they are moving to Manila.
Once the doors to Salcedo Drive open for Carlos and Avery strange and unusual things begin. From creaking floors and ceilings to covered haunted mirrors the suspense of what might be lurking around the dark corners is everywhere.
Once an accident occurs, our hauntings amp up to a degree that pulls the reader in, exposes decades old trapped spirits, tests family faith and the strength it takes to fully love and forgive someone and brings you in a spiritual as well as paranormal journey that leaves you believing maybe just a bit more than you did before, in all this things unseen
Reading this book you are never comfortable. It keeps you on edge, while also teaching you fascinating lore you may never have heard of. So well done I’m honored to be reading an advanced copy.

[Nathalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love when a story infuses culture into the narrative, to both provide context and to inform the reader. She Waits Where Shadows Gather was absolutely full of Filipino cultural influence. Spanning from food and family dynamics, to views on the supernatural and faith.

The horror aspect of this story comes from a family home that is infested with spirits. Avery and her husband, Carlos, move to Manila to help his family with their ghost problem. But it’s not your typical haunted house: there is a fraught history attached to these spirits.

I struggled with the pacing of this story, mainly because I felt like the emphasis was placed on marital and infertility issues for a significant portion of the book. The horror/ suspense aspect came into play as the book progressed, and I really enjoyed how the author executed the events towards the end. Overall, I enjoyed how everything played out!

She Waits Where Shadows Gather releases on May 5, 2026.

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press (via Netgalley), for gifting me with an eARC. All thoughts expressed are my own.