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adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Cast out by the town and neglected by her father, Lord Avera, Alma and her mother have learned to survive. Until her mother falls ill and Alma must resort to her absent father for help. He agrees on the condition she becomes a vessel for his Elder God - The Dread Beast, the strongest of the four Elder Gods, and a ruthless butcher. So begins Alma's new, even lonelier life with a family who despise her and a life purpose she doesn't want. Until a familiar voice in her head grows into a trustful friend, Aster.
As Alma bears the weight of grief and guilt over the years, she feels the power of The Beast open to her with great and terrible power. Her path is clear, her resolve for vengeance guiding her, along with the charming and cunning Aster close at her side. Can she control The Beast's gift of power and achieve her purpose, or will those around her destroy her for their own gains?
👏GET👏THIS👏RIGHT👏NOW👏
The Eldritch terrors, the inclusivity, the diverse cast and characters, THE REDEMPTION ARCS 🤌 if you're a fan of horror, fantasy, or 90s anime (Akira fans represent), House of the Beast gives all that and more. The world building is elegant but easy to follow; the lore behind the Elder Gods and their worshippers is fascinating; the imagery Wong weaves is incredible in itself, but this also has illustrations to really give depth to the characters.
Wong has perfectly captured the complexity of people, none more so than in our reluctant, vengeful heroine, Alma. She traverses through grief, guilt, and rage, and shows everyone what they should have seen from the beginning - she is formidable and a force to be reckoned with, even without The Beast's power. Love a slow burn? Hoo boy, are you going to love this! While Aster yearns for Alma, she believes herself unworthy and won't give into her true feelings - why won't she listen to him when he tells her it's the world that's not worthy of her 💀
Outstanding debut novel from Michelle Wong - now I need the sequel, the comic, the anime, and the film!
House of the Beast is out now!
Thanks to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for access!
As Alma bears the weight of grief and guilt over the years, she feels the power of The Beast open to her with great and terrible power. Her path is clear, her resolve for vengeance guiding her, along with the charming and cunning Aster close at her side. Can she control The Beast's gift of power and achieve her purpose, or will those around her destroy her for their own gains?
👏GET👏THIS👏RIGHT👏NOW👏
The Eldritch terrors, the inclusivity, the diverse cast and characters, THE REDEMPTION ARCS 🤌 if you're a fan of horror, fantasy, or 90s anime (Akira fans represent), House of the Beast gives all that and more. The world building is elegant but easy to follow; the lore behind the Elder Gods and their worshippers is fascinating; the imagery Wong weaves is incredible in itself, but this also has illustrations to really give depth to the characters.
Wong has perfectly captured the complexity of people, none more so than in our reluctant, vengeful heroine, Alma. She traverses through grief, guilt, and rage, and shows everyone what they should have seen from the beginning - she is formidable and a force to be reckoned with, even without The Beast's power. Love a slow burn? Hoo boy, are you going to love this! While Aster yearns for Alma, she believes herself unworthy and won't give into her true feelings - why won't she listen to him when he tells her it's the world that's not worthy of her 💀
Outstanding debut novel from Michelle Wong - now I need the sequel, the comic, the anime, and the film!
House of the Beast is out now!
Thanks to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for access!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
If you start this book, it will be your experience, your world will be consumed by it.
Prepare in advance with water, something good to drink and a hydration drink.
Snacks are good. Preferably a premade meal or sandwich you can grab without putting the book down. I was not prepared! I went into this blind. I didn't want anyone else's experience to sway mine. Heed my warning or don't, free will. (More? Ok)
I don't even know what to say. This world is insane! Morally gray characters? Try black as sin. Monsters inside and out. The only difference is, it's harder to tell on this side of the gate.
I don't even know what to say. This world is insane! Morally gray characters? Try black as sin. Monsters inside and out. The only difference is, it's harder to tell on this side of the gate.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Blood, Abandonment
Minor: Child death, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Religious bigotry, Classism
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Alma is no stranger to solitude. She was born out of wedlock and her father’s identity has remained a secret. Other members of their village believe this is reason enough to ostracize the two. As long as the two of them have each other, it’s enough.
However, that small comfort is too fragile to endure the tribulations fate has in store for them. When Alma’s mother grows ill and her condition rapidly worsens, Alma becomes desperate. Digging and grasping for any possible solution, she uncovers the identity of her father. He’s a noble lord of House Avera, sworn to the elder god The Dread Beast. He has the resources to provide for the treatment that Alma’s mother will die without. So she writes him a letter begging for his help. He agrees, but now that he knows of his daughter’s existence, he demands that in exchange she come live in the Avera palace and adopt their surname. For her mother’s sake, she agrees, but it’s not enough to save her.
Once there, she must offer herself as a vessel for the Beast through the sacrifice of her arm. If he accepts her offering, she will be able to make use of a prosthetic. By devoting her life and herself to him fully, she may even be lucky enough to hear his voice and instruction. At least, that’s what her father tells her. That’s why it surprises her when she hears him almost immediately, and can even see him in the room. She’s even more surprised to recognize him as her imaginary friend from childhood. He promises to guide her to her revenge.
I knew I was going to love this book before I’d even read halfway through the synopsis. At the very end of the blurb was where I saw the author’s credentials. Although this is a debut novel, Michelle Wong has been telling amazing stories for a while now. Prior projects she’s been a part of include Goosebumps and The Legend of Korra. Both series are near and dear to my heart.
It’s very easy to see the influence of anime on this story. I’m the type of reader who will get a very vivid visual experience when reading a well-written story. This time, those visuals even appeared animated. From the choreography of battle scenes to facial expressions on characters, it’s astoundingly easy to picture the way an animators would portray the narrative. I believe this would have been true even without the included illustrations, which were absolutely lovely. I’m not certain whether those are in both the deluxe and standard editions or only the deluxe. If the latter, the illustrations alone are more than worth upgrading your purchase for.
The worldbuilding is both rich and unique. I found it utterly fascinating, and the characters even more so. Those familiar with my book reviews already know how much I appreciate complicated characters. This story had an abundance of them. Much like the real world, nothing and no one felt truly clear-cut or overly neat. If it ever appeared so, there was always another layer of complexity to uncover. The pacing felt flawless as well. I felt neither bored nor inundated at any point, and each section flowed very naturally to the next.
House of the Beast was another five-star read. I absolutely devoured it, and I’m hungry for more. I will be anxiously awaiting any and all future titles from Michelle Wong.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I thought this book was amazing. It's more fantasy with a little romance. The setting is dark with light horror elements towards the end. The world building was incredible. The main characters were both awesome and showed great character development. The side characters were well written, too. I loved the ending; it was beautiful and had a bigger emotional impact on me than I expected.
🎧 I listened to the story via audiobook and I thought the narration was great.
A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the wonderful audiobook.
All opinions are my own.
🎧 I listened to the story via audiobook and I thought the narration was great.
A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the wonderful audiobook.
All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Violence
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i received this as an e-arc on netgalley. thank you to harper voyager us and michelle wong.
when i first started to read this book, i did not expect for it to suck me in as much as it did. the fantasy aspect intrigued me, but i can be very hit or miss on romantasy. as it turned out, i got very attached to the romance by the end, far more than i think i even knew while reading it.
the tone of this book is honestly quite young. the prose is written descriptive but blunt first person, with the protagonist consistently making declarative statements about her emotions and thought process, a writing style more common to YA fiction rather than the adult novel this is being marketed as. combining with the age and relative immaturity of the protagonist, i think this novel would be better marketed as YA, or even with the NA tag that is on netgalley. the book is very dark, so i understand why it was aged up, but i don't think it's too much for older YA/NA to handle.
the set up of the romance pretty much intrigued me immediately, and i think michelle wong very keenly understood her characters, and what drew them to each other. it's not hard to understand why alma is so dependent on aster and vice versa. i also really loved how wong explored the actual ramifications of having your lover be an ancient powerful creature who can spurn you or empower you at his own whims. alma's story of falling in love with someone who you never quite stop being wary of was excellently done. aster and alma were just so devastating and so in love. i would not recommend going into this book looking for cookie cutter romantasy of brooding old man x spunky little girl, because that is not their dynamic at all.
i loved the plot far more than i assumed i would. michelle wong's talent truly shines in fight scenes or in times of high tension and dramatics. the pilgrimage itself, was especially excellent and on par with the first hundred pages for my favorite parts of the book. the middle was a tad more muddied, as it had to do the work of closing the opening act and setting up the final act in a very quick and abrupt manner due to the time jump. you could maybe trim some of the fat there, but it also contained some of my favorite scenes in the whole book, so i'd say just leave it be. i will say that later plot points and themes probably could have begun their set ups a tad earlier, especially parts of alma's character and the main romance.
the world building was very unique, especially in the construction of the gods. i can definitely see the elden ring comps, but for some reason i was reminded a lot of coraline (the movie specifically) in terms of the aesthetics and dark whimsical tone, most strongly in the first 100 or so pages. wong definitely has a strong aesthetic vision, and i felt that through her illustrations.
this is definitely a slower paced book, and michelle wong does an excellent job of edging you for more while still giving you enough to stay engaged. this was around a 450ish page book and i tore through it in two days. objectively, this probably sits at a 4.5 for me, but subjectively i'm giving it 5 stars. i'm really looking forward to what she puts out next.
when i first started to read this book, i did not expect for it to suck me in as much as it did. the fantasy aspect intrigued me, but i can be very hit or miss on romantasy. as it turned out, i got very attached to the romance by the end, far more than i think i even knew while reading it.
the tone of this book is honestly quite young. the prose is written descriptive but blunt first person, with the protagonist consistently making declarative statements about her emotions and thought process, a writing style more common to YA fiction rather than the adult novel this is being marketed as. combining with the age and relative immaturity of the protagonist, i think this novel would be better marketed as YA, or even with the NA tag that is on netgalley. the book is very dark, so i understand why it was aged up, but i don't think it's too much for older YA/NA to handle.
the set up of the romance pretty much intrigued me immediately, and i think michelle wong very keenly understood her characters, and what drew them to each other. it's not hard to understand why alma is so dependent on aster and vice versa. i also really loved how wong explored the actual ramifications of having your lover be an ancient powerful creature who can spurn you or empower you at his own whims. alma's story of falling in love with someone who you never quite stop being wary of was excellently done. aster and alma were just so devastating and so in love. i would not recommend going into this book looking for cookie cutter romantasy of brooding old man x spunky little girl, because that is not their dynamic at all.
i loved the plot far more than i assumed i would. michelle wong's talent truly shines in fight scenes or in times of high tension and dramatics. the pilgrimage itself, was especially excellent and on par with the first hundred pages for my favorite parts of the book. the middle was a tad more muddied, as it had to do the work of closing the opening act and setting up the final act in a very quick and abrupt manner due to the time jump. you could maybe trim some of the fat there, but it also contained some of my favorite scenes in the whole book, so i'd say just leave it be. i will say that later plot points and themes probably could have begun their set ups a tad earlier, especially parts of alma's character and the main romance.
the world building was very unique, especially in the construction of the gods. i can definitely see the elden ring comps, but for some reason i was reminded a lot of coraline (the movie specifically) in terms of the aesthetics and dark whimsical tone, most strongly in the first 100 or so pages. wong definitely has a strong aesthetic vision, and i felt that through her illustrations.
this is definitely a slower paced book, and michelle wong does an excellent job of edging you for more while still giving you enough to stay engaged. this was around a 450ish page book and i tore through it in two days. objectively, this probably sits at a 4.5 for me, but subjectively i'm giving it 5 stars. i'm really looking forward to what she puts out next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Misogyny, Sexism
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
"He'd followed me all my life. He had seen for himself all the most terrible parts of me. And yet here he was, looking at me like I was something precious -- like there was some worth in me despite it. Or maybe because of it." (pg 57)
New adult sci-fi fantasy, horror w/touch of romance, supernatural/paranormal.
Alma was an outcast. She had her mother but always felt alone. She harbored within her dark, violent feelings and thoughts that she struggled to suppress. When her mother takes ill, she contacts her estranged father for help. He is an aloof stranger who gives her no choice. He would take care of her mother and Alma would be initiated into House Avera - House of the Beast as his illegitimate daughter. It would come with a violent sacrifice... her arm.
Then she finds that her mother has passed away. Now Alma is further isolated, her new family despises her, and her father just wants to use her in his quest for power. Through her dispair and the ghosts lurking in the shadows, an old friend resurfaces. The ethereal imaginary friend from her childhood -- a steadfast companion and incorrigible trickster, but he's more than that now. Aster has manifested into something real and tangible... at least to her, as no one else can see him.
They go on to grow and train together, their connection and awareness of each other deepening. Until it's time to exact revenge. But there are things unseen, and her world is about to explode and be filled with nightmarish otherworldly monsters, political agendas, vengeful deities, diabolical and malicious plots and twists. Will Alma have strength enough to survive? Can her world withstand it?
This is a macabre fantasy world deftly filled with terrifying beasts and monsters, boundless cruelties, and chilling horrors. Written masterfully with deep, well-crafted characters. I wanted to both love and hate Aster. In reading this, felt just as trapped and incapacitated as Alma, but there is a level of understanding and a silent outcry for all the injustices. I did not end the book without feeling a little shattered.
4.5🌟 NetGalley eARCreview.
New adult sci-fi fantasy, horror w/touch of romance, supernatural/paranormal.
Alma was an outcast. She had her mother but always felt alone. She harbored within her dark, violent feelings and thoughts that she struggled to suppress. When her mother takes ill, she contacts her estranged father for help. He is an aloof stranger who gives her no choice. He would take care of her mother and Alma would be initiated into House Avera - House of the Beast as his illegitimate daughter. It would come with a violent sacrifice... her arm.
Then she finds that her mother has passed away. Now Alma is further isolated, her new family despises her, and her father just wants to use her in his quest for power. Through her dispair and the ghosts lurking in the shadows, an old friend resurfaces. The ethereal imaginary friend from her childhood -- a steadfast companion and incorrigible trickster, but he's more than that now. Aster has manifested into something real and tangible... at least to her, as no one else can see him.
They go on to grow and train together, their connection and awareness of each other deepening. Until it's time to exact revenge. But there are things unseen, and her world is about to explode and be filled with nightmarish otherworldly monsters, political agendas, vengeful deities, diabolical and malicious plots and twists. Will Alma have strength enough to survive? Can her world withstand it?
This is a macabre fantasy world deftly filled with terrifying beasts and monsters, boundless cruelties, and chilling horrors. Written masterfully with deep, well-crafted characters. I wanted to both love and hate Aster. In reading this, felt just as trapped and incapacitated as Alma, but there is a level of understanding and a silent outcry for all the injustices. I did not end the book without feeling a little shattered.
4.5🌟 NetGalley eARCreview.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, War
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship