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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
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 don’t write out my reviews on StoryGraph, but I feel so strongly that this is one of the best books I’ve ever read I’m putting this here. I am blown away.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Child death
Ok wow, THIS BOOK!! Everything about this book worked for me. I had other books I was *supposed* to read before this one, but the comps (Full Metal Alchemist and The Poppy War) pushed me to pick it up and I was not disappointed. House of the Beast had me gripped from the very beginning and I was finding any excuse to sneak a few minutes of listening or a few pages of reading when I could.
For my fellow emotional damage lovers, this book is for YOU. Also, if you're in the mood for dark fantasy, political intrigue, communing with gods, dysfunctional family dynamics (to put it VERY lightly lol), in love with your imaginary (?) best friend, REVENGE vibes -- READ THIS! I loved all of the relationships in this book, even though we didn't spend a ton of time with some of these characters I ended up caring about them so much. I especially loved Alma and Aster, and I will be thinking about their dynamic for a while.
I combo read this and the narrator did a great job, Jeanne Syquia's voice was perfect for Alma. I loved the emotions she brought and also the sass and attitude she gave to some of my favorite side characters! Such a fun listen!
This world was so cool, and I'm begging for more stories in it! I'd love to a sequel, a prequel, ANYTHING.
Also?? There's illustrations in the book too! I can't wait to rifle through the finished copy and look at all of them in their final form!
Thank you Harper Voyager for the advanced copies (audio + e-ARC) and finished copy!!!
For my fellow emotional damage lovers, this book is for YOU. Also, if you're in the mood for dark fantasy, political intrigue, communing with gods, dysfunctional family dynamics (to put it VERY lightly lol), in love with your imaginary (?) best friend, REVENGE vibes -- READ THIS! I loved all of the relationships in this book, even though we didn't spend a ton of time with some of these characters I ended up caring about them so much. I especially loved Alma and Aster, and I will be thinking about their dynamic for a while.
I combo read this and the narrator did a great job, Jeanne Syquia's voice was perfect for Alma. I loved the emotions she brought and also the sass and attitude she gave to some of my favorite side characters! Such a fun listen!
This world was so cool, and I'm begging for more stories in it! I'd love to a sequel, a prequel, ANYTHING.
Also?? There's illustrations in the book too! I can't wait to rifle through the finished copy and look at all of them in their final form!
Thank you Harper Voyager for the advanced copies (audio + e-ARC) and finished copy!!!
adventurous
dark
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
woah this was not what i was expecting at all. i thought this would be a more romance-heavy story, but want to note that is not what this is. while there are slight romantic undertones, that’s the extent of it as the story is centered around alma’s quest for revenge against her father. though since that is the main plot, i felt conflicted toward alma and her feelings on what she was and wasn’t willing to do to get her revenge if that makes sense — like she was fine with killing in some scenarios but then was completely against it in others, or she hated her cousin for most of the book but then wanted to check on him in the middle of the final test even though it was the opposite way of where she was going. i guess a couple things like that kind of messed with the continuity of the story — alma would say she wanted something but then would be against doing the things necessary to get it. i do enjoy a revenge story though and this is a really intriguing concept, so i had a decent time.
there are also lovely illustrations throughout the book — which i found out were actually done by the author (so cool!) — that just added such a nice touch to the reading experience!
thank you to netgalley, avon, and harper voyager for the arc!
there are also lovely illustrations throughout the book — which i found out were actually done by the author (so cool!) — that just added such a nice touch to the reading experience!
thank you to netgalley, avon, and harper voyager for the arc!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Infidelity, Medical content, Death of parent
Minor: Misogyny, Sexism, Grief
challenging
dark
emotional
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:
Yes
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ BEASTS, REVENGE, AND RAGE
I really loved this! From the very beginning, the story pulled me in with its dark tension and emotional depth. The FMC absolutely stole the show—her strength, resilience, and internal conflict made her feel real and grounded. I was especially impressed with her character development. Even while driven by revenge, she never lost sight of her morals, and that balance made her journey so compelling to watch unfold.
The pacing was solid, and the plot had just enough twists to keep me guessing without feeling overwhelming. And that ending—I did not see it coming! It was bold and satisfying in a way that wrapped up the story while still lingering in my thoughts long after I closed the book.
An intense, emotional, and morally complex read that I’ll definitely be recommending.
I really loved this! From the very beginning, the story pulled me in with its dark tension and emotional depth. The FMC absolutely stole the show—her strength, resilience, and internal conflict made her feel real and grounded. I was especially impressed with her character development. Even while driven by revenge, she never lost sight of her morals, and that balance made her journey so compelling to watch unfold.
The pacing was solid, and the plot had just enough twists to keep me guessing without feeling overwhelming. And that ending—I did not see it coming! It was bold and satisfying in a way that wrapped up the story while still lingering in my thoughts long after I closed the book.
An intense, emotional, and morally complex read that I’ll definitely be recommending.
A girl with an elder god as an imaginary best friend seeks revenge by entering the trials to become the First Hand of the Beast.
I really enjoyed this fantasy and its D+D elements. I felt the world, lore, and characters were well developed, but the writing way was more YA than I would’ve liked.
The physical/digital copy has really cool illustrations throughout the chapters. I found the audiobook narrator great, but they made the writing feel even more YA.
Thank you Harper Voyage and NetGalley for the eARC and audio ARC!
I really enjoyed this fantasy and its D+D elements. I felt the world, lore, and characters were well developed, but the writing way was more YA than I would’ve liked.
The physical/digital copy has really cool illustrations throughout the chapters. I found the audiobook narrator great, but they made the writing feel even more YA.
Thank you Harper Voyage and NetGalley for the eARC and audio ARC!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
This book was interesting especially in the beginning, i liked how we met the fmc as she went with her estranged dad to save her ill mother. After her father doesn't keep her promise she is devastated and bargains with a prince to get revenge on her father. I liked the art throughout the book and how it added to the story. I also liked how we saw the fmc train especially after that happened in the first part of the book. This book was unique because almost everything was unpredictable and the forbidden romance and morally grey characters added a touch to the book. I also liked the diversity in the plot and characters. Overall a good read. Thanks to Harper Voyager for this arc.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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 knew from the first blade-drop that House of the Beast would burrow under my skin and refuse to leave. It’s the kind of dark, myth-drenched fantasy that drags you to an altar, demands your flesh, and leaves you trembling for more.
“My father’s sword of cold black steel, the finest in all of Kugara, hovered over the tender flesh of my left elbow.”
From that first line alone, I was all in, equal parts horrified and hooked. Alma’s journey from a fatherless nobody in Merey to a trembling, unwilling vessel of the Dread Beast is the kind of coming-of-age nightmare that hits like a blade to the bone. If you’ve read The Wolf and the Woodsman or The Bone Shard Daughter, you know exactly the feral magic I’m talking about, folklore that cuts, family bargains soaked in blood, and a heroine who refuses to bow to the monster that would devour her whole.
Kugara is a land ruled by the Four elder gods: the Heavenseer, the Weeping Lady, the Odious Tinkerer, and the Beast. Wong makes this ancient faith feel so real you can taste the iron on your tongue. When Alma kneels before the monstrous sculpture and offers her flesh to save her mother, you feel every shiver echo on that temple’s cold stone.
“Inside the sculpture’s maw was a shallow basin that held water. My left arm had been placed inside of it, a cuff locking my wrist into place at the bottom. My submerged skin prickled from the cold. The water was pitch-black, like the abyss itself was lapping at my fingers.”
What I love most is how House of the Beast traps its characters in shadows and sharp-edged choices. Lord Zander is chilling, all cold ambition and metal hand, a father who’ll carve up his daughter’s future to feed the family god. Cousin Kaim is pure venom; rivalry etched into every glare. Even the shadows have teeth here, watching, whispering, waiting to pounce.
Alma isn’t some breakable heroine. She’s raw, angry, and just monstrous enough that you root for her and fear her in equal measure. Wong’s prose is all blade and silk; one moment it cuts deep, the next it’s beautiful enough to make you pause and reread lines just to taste their edge.
“There was a flash of sensation, and then nothing. My father’s sword was so sharp that I wondered vaguely if that was why it didn’t hurt.”
This isn’t a book that holds your hand. The lore is deep, the family knives twist slowly, and the dread lingers long after you close the page. Some might find the opening a touch slow or the gloom relentless, but for me, that’s exactly what makes House of the Beast so sharp and unforgettable.
If you crave your fantasy brimming with old gods, family knives hidden in silk sleeves, and a heroine who bleeds for the scraps she has left, this is it. Michelle Wong has carved out something devouring here. I’ll be first in line, blade in hand, for whatever offering she demands next
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated