She Waits Where Shadows Gather - by Michelle Tang (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

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 truth: if the past won't rest, their future may never begin.

Some inherit memories. Others inherit monsters.

Review Quotes

"She Waits Where Shadows Gather takes horror to new heights with this fresh take on ghosts, witchcraft, and possession with Filipino folklore. This should be on the top of everyone's 2026 most anticipated list. It is outstanding storytelling." -- V. Castro, two-time Bram Stoker Award nominated author

"With glittering prose and a tale that explores how the ghosts of the past bleed into the future, She Waits Where Shadows Gather marks a startling horror debut from author Michelle Tang. A gorgeously horrifying achievement." -- Gwendolyn Kiste, four-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Haunting of Velkwood and Reluctant Immortals

"Page for page, ounce for ounce, She Waits Where Shadows Gather may be one of the most haunted novels I've ever read. There's a part of me that doesn't want to pick up the book after finishing it, ever again, it feels so soaked in the supernatural. What did Michelle Tang summon to possess her stunning horror debut novel and how do I exorcise it?" -- Clay McLeod Chapman, author of Wake Up and Open Your Eyes

"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." -- Ai Jiang, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Linghun

"This novel is a beautiful and haunted tapestry of culture, secrets, and the importance of family. It demonstrates how generational trauma can reach beyond time, countries, even death, and how dragging secrets out from the shadows and into the light can heal. As gorgeous and richly layered as a sans rival cake, it's a 2026 debut you shouldn't miss." --Ann Dávila Cardinal, author of Hear The Dead and We Need No Wings