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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
I was drawn to this book by the beautiful art I’ve seen leading up to its release. Good character art will get me every time. It led me to such a good book! This fantasy book was set in a world with a very unique religious system. In sacrifice to whichever god, the devotee offers a part of themselves. Literally. That in itself was so gruesome and interesting. These “vessels” are high-ranking individuals from noble families. With the brutal nature of what it took to be revered, it’s no wonder that the court politics were just as brutal.
Our main character, Alma, was not raised among the nobles. She lived far from them with her mother. When her mother fell ill, she took matters into her own hands. This led to her own sacrifice to a god. Through all of her trials in her new life, reminders of her mother carried her through. There were so many examples of the enduring power of love in this book. Alma and her mother were just one of them.
Alma often found herself on the outside of society. In her loneliest moment is where she discovered Aster, the prince of the stars. They were each other’s guiding light and closest friend. He encouraged Alma when she felt weak and supported her ambitions. He even loved her monstrous parts. Without spoiling anything, I love how the conflict was resolved. It truly was the only way it could have been! No matter how much it hurt.
The audiobook was a great way to experience this book. The production was high quality and easy to follow. Even with the different terms and places mentioned, I did not find myself confused. I highly recommend this book!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
House of the Beast is written by Michelle Wong, acclaimed graphic artist of the Legends of Korra graphic novels (which I know well, because my daughter is obsessed and made me buy them all for her). Michelle’s art is breathtaking but so is her debut novel and as excited as I was to receive this ALC, I was equally nervous that it would be a train wreck, and I have never been so happy to be completely wrong! This book is a work of art all its own. (Full Disclosure: After I finished listening to this I subscribed to Goldstone’s GSFF book sub just to get the gorgeous special edition because this book is a keeper!)
The audiobook is published by HarperAudio and will be available on August 5, 2025. It is narrated by Jeanne Syquia, and while I am not familiar with her other work, I love what she did with this and will happily listen to more. She brought these characters to life and did their unique voices justice in a way I don’t think many others could have because these characters are so varied in their mannerisms, many are men, some are gods…and it’s absolutely perfect. She is not just narrating the story, it’s almost like she’s living the characters like an excellent actor would. You hear the compassion, the anger, the rage, the sorrow; every emotional sentence of this book is dripping with the authentic emotion you read on the page and its breathtaking.
You all know by now that I am picky about narration and distinct voices, and now there is a new bar for narrators to meet – can they make the emotions and characters as authentic as real people the way Jeanne Syquia did? Can I feel what they feel while I’m listening? As much as I love other books and certain narrators, even that full cast narration stuff, this was so much better.
In our story we follow Alma who lives in poverty with her mother. Because her parents are not married, Alma and her mother are generally shunned by society. This is typical mistreatment of people who are different and whose families are non-traditional. You see this going all the way back to ancient plays and historical writings right through today, because sadly it’s still an issue. It is done well here, because it portrays the harshness of it when Alma’s mother becomes deathly ill and no one can cure her. They suggest she goes to the some elite healers, but that doesn’t pan out. Then magically, her father shows up. She begs him, literally begs him, to save her mother. She’ll do whatever he wants if he will promise to do this. He wants her to come with him and become a part of his house, who worships “The Beast,” make a sacrifice and become part of his world. She agrees only because he promises to save her mother. This is a tragic dark fantasy, so how do you think that went?
Alma’s father takes her to their temple and severs her arm as an offering to their god, the beast. He takes her into his home and sends her to classes, but again she is “the bastard daughter of Xander.” She is treated badly by family, staff, guards, and every time she seems to do well, she is cut off from whomever was helping her get there. Eventually she is basically left to her own devices for education and training. Her father “trains” her, but she feigns ineptitude to a certain degree so that he does not realize how powerful she has become. This is due to the fact that her imaginary friend, Astor, who she thought she made up for herself when she was a child, as appeared. No one else can see him or hear him but her, but now she can feel him. She can interact with him in ways that break all the invisible friend rules. Astor reveals that he is the beast and has been with her all her life. That he chooses her and is here to help her become the hand to the beast which is what her father is after, though, her father wants to be a god.
I feel like I have already given away too much and I didn’t even get tot the cousin or his “girlfriend” or the stepmother yet. Eventually, Alma is betrayed in pretty much every way you possibly can be and she endures. This story is fast paced. Beautiful, tragic and the makings of a classic book I think people will be recommending for a very long time. This is not a romantacy, though there is romance here, the fantasy, the journey of the tragic hero, the fight against evil, these are all things that are far more important. The romance is a nice diversion now and then. It adds confusion, tension, longing, fear and so much more, but it is not the focus of our story. Really, its about a corrupt father and his daughter who is capable of so much more than he ever imagined. This is Alma’s story and I beg you to read it (after you check trigger warnings of course).
This is a standalone, so there’s no need to worry about a cliffhanger and having to wait forever for the next book. I am anxiously waiting for Michelle Wong’s next book though because writers usually get better as time goes on, and starting at this level means we should be in for some amazing story telling in the future.
I would like to thank HarperAudio for trusting me with another one of their audiobooks though NetGalley. I truly appreciate the opportunity to review amazing books like this. All opinions are my own, and as usual, if I don’t like a book you will definitely know it.
Overall Rating 6 Stars (a first for me).
The audiobook is published by HarperAudio and will be available on August 5, 2025. It is narrated by Jeanne Syquia, and while I am not familiar with her other work, I love what she did with this and will happily listen to more. She brought these characters to life and did their unique voices justice in a way I don’t think many others could have because these characters are so varied in their mannerisms, many are men, some are gods…and it’s absolutely perfect. She is not just narrating the story, it’s almost like she’s living the characters like an excellent actor would. You hear the compassion, the anger, the rage, the sorrow; every emotional sentence of this book is dripping with the authentic emotion you read on the page and its breathtaking.
You all know by now that I am picky about narration and distinct voices, and now there is a new bar for narrators to meet – can they make the emotions and characters as authentic as real people the way Jeanne Syquia did? Can I feel what they feel while I’m listening? As much as I love other books and certain narrators, even that full cast narration stuff, this was so much better.
In our story we follow Alma who lives in poverty with her mother. Because her parents are not married, Alma and her mother are generally shunned by society. This is typical mistreatment of people who are different and whose families are non-traditional. You see this going all the way back to ancient plays and historical writings right through today, because sadly it’s still an issue. It is done well here, because it portrays the harshness of it when Alma’s mother becomes deathly ill and no one can cure her. They suggest she goes to the some elite healers, but that doesn’t pan out. Then magically, her father shows up. She begs him, literally begs him, to save her mother. She’ll do whatever he wants if he will promise to do this. He wants her to come with him and become a part of his house, who worships “The Beast,” make a sacrifice and become part of his world. She agrees only because he promises to save her mother. This is a tragic dark fantasy, so how do you think that went?
Alma’s father takes her to their temple and severs her arm as an offering to their god, the beast. He takes her into his home and sends her to classes, but again she is “the bastard daughter of Xander.” She is treated badly by family, staff, guards, and every time she seems to do well, she is cut off from whomever was helping her get there. Eventually she is basically left to her own devices for education and training. Her father “trains” her, but she feigns ineptitude to a certain degree so that he does not realize how powerful she has become. This is due to the fact that her imaginary friend, Astor, who she thought she made up for herself when she was a child, as appeared. No one else can see him or hear him but her, but now she can feel him. She can interact with him in ways that break all the invisible friend rules. Astor reveals that he is the beast and has been with her all her life. That he chooses her and is here to help her become the hand to the beast which is what her father is after, though, her father wants to be a god.
I feel like I have already given away too much and I didn’t even get tot the cousin or his “girlfriend” or the stepmother yet. Eventually, Alma is betrayed in pretty much every way you possibly can be and she endures. This story is fast paced. Beautiful, tragic and the makings of a classic book I think people will be recommending for a very long time. This is not a romantacy, though there is romance here, the fantasy, the journey of the tragic hero, the fight against evil, these are all things that are far more important. The romance is a nice diversion now and then. It adds confusion, tension, longing, fear and so much more, but it is not the focus of our story. Really, its about a corrupt father and his daughter who is capable of so much more than he ever imagined. This is Alma’s story and I beg you to read it (after you check trigger warnings of course).
This is a standalone, so there’s no need to worry about a cliffhanger and having to wait forever for the next book. I am anxiously waiting for Michelle Wong’s next book though because writers usually get better as time goes on, and starting at this level means we should be in for some amazing story telling in the future.
I would like to thank HarperAudio for trusting me with another one of their audiobooks though NetGalley. I truly appreciate the opportunity to review amazing books like this. All opinions are my own, and as usual, if I don’t like a book you will definitely know it.
Overall Rating 6 Stars (a first for me).
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is such an intriguing debut, the synopsis had me intrigued and I was so curious to see what would happen, however I didn’t find myself particularly engaged with this book, and I found myself avoiding reading it.
I did enjoy the setting and the world building, a world where the four gods are able to bless and imbue their chosen followers with powers suited to their domain, I found the sacrifice element of this to be really intriguing especially when they are willing to cut a child’s arm off in service to their god. However I feel like it was lacking some of the backstory for the gods, especially the ones that weren’t the Dread Beast.
The idea of this anti-hero, morally grey FMC was really intriguing to me especially when that role is usually reserved for the MMC, but I was slightly disappointed by how it was executed. Alma is a very reluctant character, she talks a big talk about her vengeance and how she will make everyone pay for what happened to her mother and what they turned her into, but when it came down to enacting any of it she just kept saying that it was going too far. She didn’t want to hurt anyone and it almost felt like her version of ‘vengeance’ was just being slightly impolite to people.
The pacing of this book is also why I feel like books need to stop being divided into ‘parts’ if they aren’t actually changing a location, tone or anything significant, because part 1 of this book was 2/3 of the book, and for me at least was the least enjoyable section. We spent a lot of time both being shown her childhood, then skipping 8 years to have flashbacks to just after she arrived, it would have almost been better to just time skip between significant moments in those 8 years instead of skipping forward only to jump back.
I’ve got really mixed feelings about Aster, because while I love the idea of him, and I love those tender moments between him and Alma, I don’t think he was particularly well executed so to speak. For me it was also both too obvious about his identity mainly because we didn’t actually know enough, but also too subtle for the reader to figure it out. It was kind of like several slaps to the face over trusting him and then having something revealed, I just would have appreciated more nuance to his character.
Thank you Harper Voyager UK for sending me a proof copy, all thoughts are my own.
I did enjoy the setting and the world building, a world where the four gods are able to bless and imbue their chosen followers with powers suited to their domain, I found the sacrifice element of this to be really intriguing especially when they are willing to cut a child’s arm off in service to their god. However I feel like it was lacking some of the backstory for the gods, especially the ones that weren’t the Dread Beast.
The idea of this anti-hero, morally grey FMC was really intriguing to me especially when that role is usually reserved for the MMC, but I was slightly disappointed by how it was executed. Alma is a very reluctant character, she talks a big talk about her vengeance and how she will make everyone pay for what happened to her mother and what they turned her into, but when it came down to enacting any of it she just kept saying that it was going too far. She didn’t want to hurt anyone and it almost felt like her version of ‘vengeance’ was just being slightly impolite to people.
The pacing of this book is also why I feel like books need to stop being divided into ‘parts’ if they aren’t actually changing a location, tone or anything significant, because part 1 of this book was 2/3 of the book, and for me at least was the least enjoyable section. We spent a lot of time both being shown her childhood, then skipping 8 years to have flashbacks to just after she arrived, it would have almost been better to just time skip between significant moments in those 8 years instead of skipping forward only to jump back.
I’ve got really mixed feelings about Aster, because while I love the idea of him, and I love those tender moments between him and Alma, I don’t think he was particularly well executed so to speak. For me it was also both too obvious about his identity mainly because we didn’t actually know enough, but also too subtle for the reader to figure it out. It was kind of like several slaps to the face over trusting him and then having something revealed, I just would have appreciated more nuance to his character.
Thank you Harper Voyager UK for sending me a proof copy, all thoughts are my own.
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
House of the Beast is a story steeped in revenge. It's a story that asks us whether there's a place for mercy in revenge. Whether we can be soft and kind, in a world that wants to turn us into a weapon. Can kindness survive? Alma hones herself for years into being a weapon to avenge her mother. She trains herself to the bone and continually lets those around her undermine her. But as she is on the cusp of enacting her plan, she begins to wonder if she's lost sight of who her mother loved, who her mother wanted her to be. I enjoyed how House of the Beast examines the consuming nature of revenge.
House of the Beast is a story steeped in revenge. It's a story that asks us whether there's a place for mercy in revenge. Whether we can be soft and kind, in a world that wants to turn us into a weapon. Can kindness survive? Alma hones herself for years into being a weapon to avenge her mother. She trains herself to the bone and continually lets those around her undermine her. But as she is on the cusp of enacting her plan, she begins to wonder if she's lost sight of who her mother loved, who her mother wanted her to be. I enjoyed how House of the Beast examines the consuming nature of revenge.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Dragged through blood, gods, and poisoned love - this will be your next obsession.
Alma, born out of wedlock and shunned by society, discovers she's the daughter of House Avera and a vessel of the Dread Beast, a terrifying god of death. After sacrificing her arm to save her dying mother, Alma is trapped within her father's cruel family. With vengeance in her heart and a mysterious bond to the Beast - who appears as a beautiful prince - she plots to destroy the family that betrayed her. House of the Beast is a dark fantasy of revenge, divine power, and twisted romance.
This book is a deliciously violent blend of unique gods, bone-deep magic, and twisted, forbidden love. We learn everything - history, godly myths, the eerie Umbra Plane - through Alma’s unreliable, small-world eyes. She’s no scholar or socialite. She’s a girl grasping for power in the dark, and we get to grasp with her.
Alma and Aster? Utter chaos in the best way. He’s a god no one else can see, which makes him her only friend, confidant, tormentor, and maybe more, if the world (and their wills) would allow it. Watching Alma swing between craving his control and craving her own freedom is intoxicating. Their love is a knot of manipulation, devotion, and sharp edges that never lets you relax.
What really made me feral, though, is Alma’s rage. Her cold, careful revenge plot against her father is a highlight - step by brutal step, each small victory is a punch to the gut. Yet, she doubts herself constantly, leans too heavily on Aster when she’s so clearly powerful on her own, and that tension is everything.
And the creatures. The Tinkerer’s Things and Terrors are pure nightmare fuel - gory, monstrous, and perfectly placed to shred the calm whenever it threatens to settle. Every scene with them brings about destruction, battle, and well described gore. It adds an even darker undertone to the story.
The ending brings about the ultimate battle - filled with power, rage, destruction, and a surprise twist. I couldn’t close the book until every last secret was gutted open. If you love your fantasy dark, your magic feral, and your romance doomed, House of the Beast will ruin you in the best way.
Alma, born out of wedlock and shunned by society, discovers she's the daughter of House Avera and a vessel of the Dread Beast, a terrifying god of death. After sacrificing her arm to save her dying mother, Alma is trapped within her father's cruel family. With vengeance in her heart and a mysterious bond to the Beast - who appears as a beautiful prince - she plots to destroy the family that betrayed her. House of the Beast is a dark fantasy of revenge, divine power, and twisted romance.
This book is a deliciously violent blend of unique gods, bone-deep magic, and twisted, forbidden love. We learn everything - history, godly myths, the eerie Umbra Plane - through Alma’s unreliable, small-world eyes. She’s no scholar or socialite. She’s a girl grasping for power in the dark, and we get to grasp with her.
Alma and Aster? Utter chaos in the best way. He’s a god no one else can see, which makes him her only friend, confidant, tormentor, and maybe more, if the world (and their wills) would allow it. Watching Alma swing between craving his control and craving her own freedom is intoxicating. Their love is a knot of manipulation, devotion, and sharp edges that never lets you relax.
What really made me feral, though, is Alma’s rage. Her cold, careful revenge plot against her father is a highlight - step by brutal step, each small victory is a punch to the gut. Yet, she doubts herself constantly, leans too heavily on Aster when she’s so clearly powerful on her own, and that tension is everything.
And the creatures. The Tinkerer’s Things and Terrors are pure nightmare fuel - gory, monstrous, and perfectly placed to shred the calm whenever it threatens to settle. Every scene with them brings about destruction, battle, and well described gore. It adds an even darker undertone to the story.
The ending brings about the ultimate battle - filled with power, rage, destruction, and a surprise twist. I couldn’t close the book until every last secret was gutted open. If you love your fantasy dark, your magic feral, and your romance doomed, House of the Beast will ruin you in the best way.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was given am audiobook copy of this book by the author. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel! The characters were complex and relatable and I cared about them, which I have been struggling to find in my recent reads. The world was interesting and the side-character interactions added a lot of depth and variety and gave some lightness to the dark gothic tone of the main story. It's a good book that I think most people will enjoy, I highly recommend it.
Notes on the audiobook: the narrator did an excellent job voicing the characters, giving them emotional depth, and really made me feel their struggles and joys.
Notes on the audiobook: the narrator did an excellent job voicing the characters, giving them emotional depth, and really made me feel their struggles and joys.
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
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:
Yes
I loved this book! It was refreshingly different from anything I’ve read in a long time. I definitely did not see the twist at the end of this either which is rare. The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because I was greatly wounded by the ending!! I wish it would have ended differently. But overall a wonderful book I definitely recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early arc of this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early arc of this book.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
5⭐️
This just rocketed to my 2025 favourites.
Big thanks to Harper Audio and NetGalley for the ALC!
House of the Beast is one of those books that completely pulls you under — dark, eerie, emotionally charged, and so beautifully written. Michelle Wong’s debut reads like a gothic fairy tale told in candlelight, full of gods, monsters, grief, and impossible choices. And her illustrations scattered throughout? Stunning. They add such a rich, moody layer to the story that made it even harder to put down.
Alma is such a strong, complex lead — not perfect, but deeply human in how she carries her pain and anger. And the Beast? He’s as fascinating as he is unsettling. I really appreciated how the story never romanticizes their relationship. It’s toxic, controlling, and rooted in desperation — and the book makes that clear. This isn’t a “beauty and the beast” love story. It’s about surviving the things that try to claim you, and figuring out who you are once the dust settles.
It’s dark, yes, but it’s also weirdly tender and full of heart. And it absolutely stuck with me.
Michelle Wong is an author I’ll be watching closely from now on — I can’t believe this is her debut. Highly, highly recommend for fans of twisted fairy tales, eldritch magic, and emotionally layered storytelling.
This just rocketed to my 2025 favourites.
Big thanks to Harper Audio and NetGalley for the ALC!
House of the Beast is one of those books that completely pulls you under — dark, eerie, emotionally charged, and so beautifully written. Michelle Wong’s debut reads like a gothic fairy tale told in candlelight, full of gods, monsters, grief, and impossible choices. And her illustrations scattered throughout? Stunning. They add such a rich, moody layer to the story that made it even harder to put down.
Alma is such a strong, complex lead — not perfect, but deeply human in how she carries her pain and anger. And the Beast? He’s as fascinating as he is unsettling. I really appreciated how the story never romanticizes their relationship. It’s toxic, controlling, and rooted in desperation — and the book makes that clear. This isn’t a “beauty and the beast” love story. It’s about surviving the things that try to claim you, and figuring out who you are once the dust settles.
It’s dark, yes, but it’s also weirdly tender and full of heart. And it absolutely stuck with me.
Michelle Wong is an author I’ll be watching closely from now on — I can’t believe this is her debut. Highly, highly recommend for fans of twisted fairy tales, eldritch magic, and emotionally layered storytelling.
A steampunky fantasy with epic battles, trials, and intricate family politics. Nothing was bad, but nothing was phenomenal either resulting in an enjoyable but unmemorable read. My only gripe is the characterization of Aster, who is supposed to be an insanely old and powerful god but acts like a cocky 15 year old complete with questionable flirting and relationship skills.
Listened to the audio, but I heard the book has sick illustrations that would’ve probably bumped my rating to a 4.
Thanks NetGalley for the audiobook arc!
Listened to the audio, but I heard the book has sick illustrations that would’ve probably bumped my rating to a 4.
Thanks NetGalley for the audiobook arc!