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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
House of the Beast is an intriguing gothic fantasy featuring twisted romance, revenge AND eldritch horrors, accented with beautiful art throughout! This is the story of bastard Alma, forced to live with her father after the illness and death of her mother, and how she finds refuge and partnership in the form of an apparition of her Beast God whom her fathers house has pledged allegiance and devotion. Teamed up with the “prince” Aster that only she can see, she formulates a plan of revenge on the House that has estranged and tormented her.
Although the plot was extremely intriguing, this book was slightly off the mark. That being said, so incredibly impressive for a debut!! Mood was appropriately dark and literarily gloomy, and the characters are rich in background and varying motivations that unfold as the story grows - and I loved getting to know the side characters! Of big note, author truly shines when invoking their graphic novel background! The art was one of my most favorite things, and is almost alone a good enough reason to preorder the Deluxe Edition. I always looked forward to how the author would sketch a scene, or I’d be pleasantly surprised to see a small feature of a chapter given a drawing between paragraph breaks. Beginning pacing of the story oscillates from fast to medium, and then after about the halfway mark really picks up! I found my mind unfortunately wandering in the beginning, but developments and plot progression would pull me back in over and over! Overall a very fun read, and do recommend checking this out on August 5, 2025! Thank you to Michelle Wong and HarperVoyager for allowing me to receive an advanced reader copy!
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A really great debut!
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
House of the Beast is a remarkable debut. This is a book that will stay with me for years to come. Even after two days since finishing it, I am still struggling to find the words that convey how uniquely beautiful this story is.
What had immediately captured my attention was the writing. It is stunningly detailed and has a perfect balance of a dark and whimsical tone while still having an underlying feeling of dread or unease. I was wholly invested in this book because of how much I loved the writing style and world-building. Wong does an amazing job with explaining the intricacies of the world without being overly confusing or overwhelming for the reader.
The relationship between Alma and Aster is very much the focal point of the story. This story depicts an unhealthy codependent relationship so realistically. From the beginning of the book, you get the underlying sense of sorrow and doom that leaves you both compelled to continue and dreading the end. The ending was bittersweet and left me staring blankly at a wall to process, but I couldn’t have loved this book more.
Overall, this was a well developed and perfectly executed story. Thank you NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyager for the arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
What had immediately captured my attention was the writing. It is stunningly detailed and has a perfect balance of a dark and whimsical tone while still having an underlying feeling of dread or unease. I was wholly invested in this book because of how much I loved the writing style and world-building. Wong does an amazing job with explaining the intricacies of the world without being overly confusing or overwhelming for the reader.
The relationship between Alma and Aster is very much the focal point of the story. This story depicts an unhealthy codependent relationship so realistically. From the beginning of the book, you get the underlying sense of sorrow and doom that leaves you both compelled to continue and dreading the end. The ending was bittersweet and left me staring blankly at a wall to process, but I couldn’t have loved this book more.
Overall, this was a well developed and perfectly executed story. Thank you NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyager for the arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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
5/5. Thanks to Ms. Wong, the publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC.
What a stunning debut. This is the sort of fantasy novel I was craving without knowing about it. I may have gotten this as an ARC, but I'll be buying it as soon as it comes out to read again one day.
Alma Ven is a girl born out of wedlock, living in the slums of Mersey, in the land of Kugara. She has no friends and no family beside her mother, who unfortunately becomes gravely ill. To make friends, she dreams up her own - a prince from the stars she's named Aster. By chance, she finds a note from her father that contains an address which she writes to -- and starts her down the path to becoming a vessel of the Dread Beast.
The story spans from when Alma is a very young girl until she is a late teen, growing up in the House of Avera, whose every member hates her the moment she's brought back by her father. The Avera who are vessels can commune with the Beast, marked by the sacrifice of their flesh arm (replaced with a metal arm). Alma has her own monster she communes with: Aster. Their connection is intertwined, fated to bring revenge onto those who have wronged Alma in the past and bring change Kugara.
The worldbuilding is one of the strongest parts of this novel. The land is separated into houses, tied to the four gods that they're devoted to. Their roles are well defined and tied into the lore that Ms. Wong created for her land. The plot is seamlessly tied into this world, each piece feeding into the other to make the novel that much stronger.
The characters of Alma and Aster are another strong point. Though many of the characters in the novel are fierce and violent, there's a growth in Alma's character that brings a lot of her past back to her present. The development of some side characters also goes from dislike to devotion quite quickly. And there's a natural development to this.
Overall, I absolutely loved this one. I can't wait to see what else Ms. Wong writes over the course of her career.
What a stunning debut. This is the sort of fantasy novel I was craving without knowing about it. I may have gotten this as an ARC, but I'll be buying it as soon as it comes out to read again one day.
Alma Ven is a girl born out of wedlock, living in the slums of Mersey, in the land of Kugara. She has no friends and no family beside her mother, who unfortunately becomes gravely ill. To make friends, she dreams up her own - a prince from the stars she's named Aster. By chance, she finds a note from her father that contains an address which she writes to -- and starts her down the path to becoming a vessel of the Dread Beast.
The story spans from when Alma is a very young girl until she is a late teen, growing up in the House of Avera, whose every member hates her the moment she's brought back by her father. The Avera who are vessels can commune with the Beast, marked by the sacrifice of their flesh arm (replaced with a metal arm). Alma has her own monster she communes with: Aster. Their connection is intertwined, fated to bring revenge onto those who have wronged Alma in the past and bring change Kugara.
The worldbuilding is one of the strongest parts of this novel. The land is separated into houses, tied to the four gods that they're devoted to. Their roles are well defined and tied into the lore that Ms. Wong created for her land. The plot is seamlessly tied into this world, each piece feeding into the other to make the novel that much stronger.
The characters of Alma and Aster are another strong point. Though many of the characters in the novel are fierce and violent, there's a growth in Alma's character that brings a lot of her past back to her present. The development of some side characters also goes from dislike to devotion quite quickly. And there's a natural development to this.
Overall, I absolutely loved this one. I can't wait to see what else Ms. Wong writes over the course of her career.
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am sadly DNFing at around 60%. This one is heartbreaking for me. I'm not sure what happened. Why my reading experience differs so much from the majority. But I am just not immersed or invested in anything about the story.
I was just so bored and constantly was losing focus. My eyes were literally crossing on several occasions because my attention kept drifting even as i was reading. It took 250 pages for anything to happen. And ecen once the plot picked up - halfway through - I still couldn't get immersed in the story. I also didn't feel a thing for any of the characters. There were no relationship dynamics that I felt were good/interesting, EXCEPT for the friendship betwee. Alma and the other girl (can't recall how to spell her name right now), and that relationship didn't even start until halfway through the book as well.
I'm still giving it three stars because the writing style was legitimately good - nice prose - if pretty long-winded, and I didn't actively dislike anything in the book. I just didn't find anything to get attached to.
I might try this again at a later date to give it another go, but I'm not 100% sure.
I was just so bored and constantly was losing focus. My eyes were literally crossing on several occasions because my attention kept drifting even as i was reading. It took 250 pages for anything to happen. And ecen once the plot picked up - halfway through - I still couldn't get immersed in the story. I also didn't feel a thing for any of the characters. There were no relationship dynamics that I felt were good/interesting, EXCEPT for the friendship betwee. Alma and the other girl (can't recall how to spell her name right now), and that relationship didn't even start until halfway through the book as well.
I'm still giving it three stars because the writing style was legitimately good - nice prose - if pretty long-winded, and I didn't actively dislike anything in the book. I just didn't find anything to get attached to.
I might try this again at a later date to give it another go, but I'm not 100% sure.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
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:
Complicated
Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the digital galley in exchange for my honest review!
The story follows Alma & her eldritch god companion Aster on a bloody path for revenge and retribution...will Alma lose herself in the process or will she remain?
I was not expecting this book to pack as much punch as it did. I was pleasantly surprised. I thought the setting and overall world-building was very strong. I didn't feel bombarded with information or confused at any point to how the world worked. I really appreciated the "peeks" into the bigger world outside of the area controlled by the Elder Gods. It felt fully fleshed out. You are given breadcrumb hints throughout the story that unlocked the bigger plot points/twists as you continue. The plot twists aren't necessarily "a ha!" moments but rather you, as the reader, sit with the dread of having been correct.
The character dynamics in this book were raw and complex. I often find many MC's (especially in some fantasy) motivations to be rather shallow or unrealistic to their character as developed from the start of the story. That was not the case with Alma. Her journey starts at childhood and we are able to see it develop through the beginning part of the story. She is a flawed character that is motivated by grief, anger, sadness and revenge. You can completely understand how she reaches each moment in the story with Aster at her side. Without revealing any major plot points, I appreciated how Aster was the dark reflection of Alma. His motivations were essentially one and the same, despite being horrifically more bloodthirsty.
The subtle romance subplot was very well woven into the rest of the plot. You can see how Alma would fall in love with Aster, her companion from childhood, while also having her remain skeptical of his affections because he is a God. It was very well executed. And the ending was so much more impactful because of this.
Additionally the illustrations were especially beautiful and added to a fantastical cinematic aspect to the novel!
The story follows Alma & her eldritch god companion Aster on a bloody path for revenge and retribution...will Alma lose herself in the process or will she remain?
I was not expecting this book to pack as much punch as it did. I was pleasantly surprised. I thought the setting and overall world-building was very strong. I didn't feel bombarded with information or confused at any point to how the world worked. I really appreciated the "peeks" into the bigger world outside of the area controlled by the Elder Gods. It felt fully fleshed out. You are given breadcrumb hints throughout the story that unlocked the bigger plot points/twists as you continue. The plot twists aren't necessarily "a ha!" moments but rather you, as the reader, sit with the dread of having been correct.
The character dynamics in this book were raw and complex. I often find many MC's (especially in some fantasy) motivations to be rather shallow or unrealistic to their character as developed from the start of the story. That was not the case with Alma. Her journey starts at childhood and we are able to see it develop through the beginning part of the story. She is a flawed character that is motivated by grief, anger, sadness and revenge. You can completely understand how she reaches each moment in the story with Aster at her side. Without revealing any major plot points, I appreciated how Aster was the dark reflection of Alma. His motivations were essentially one and the same, despite being horrifically more bloodthirsty.
The subtle romance subplot was very well woven into the rest of the plot. You can see how Alma would fall in love with Aster, her companion from childhood, while also having her remain skeptical of his affections because he is a God. It was very well executed. And the ending was so much more impactful because of this.
Additionally the illustrations were especially beautiful and added to a fantastical cinematic aspect to the novel!
challenging
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:
Yes
I absolutely enjoyed this book. At first, yes it was a bit slow for me but once it kickstarted with the 8 year time jump, I was really into it. I think reading about Alma and her journey as a eleven year old was definitely necessary, even if for me it felt slow, because later in the book you understand why she seeks revenge. At the same time time, she tries really hard to stay true to herself and not lose her humanity by letting Aster decide who lives or who dies.
I was very intrigued by this strange relationship between Alma, a bastard daughter, and Aster, a god with a lot of power. You could tell he was definitely enamored with Alma. But Alma is smart enough to not cave to his affections since he is a god. I really liked this friendship even if it turns into a very dark truth in the end.
As for the setting of this story, to me it was one hundred percent unique. How four divine being give their divine powers to a specific family and from there choose the most worthy ones. The history based on the umbral gate, the treasonous queen and the religion this world is based on was very engaging and entertaining. I was very glad our time in the umbral gate wasn’t long, it was the perfect length so we can see everything else leading to that. Now that plot twist and that ending, I loved it. Equal parts surprised and sad as it’s definitely tragic. You definitely had me like Aster even if he is bad. Overall amazing ending
I was very intrigued by this strange relationship between Alma, a bastard daughter, and Aster, a god with a lot of power. You could tell he was definitely enamored with Alma. But Alma is smart enough to not cave to his affections since he is a god. I really liked this friendship even if it turns into a very dark truth in the end.
As for the setting of this story, to me it was one hundred percent unique. How four divine being give their divine powers to a specific family and from there choose the most worthy ones. The history based on the umbral gate, the treasonous queen and the religion this world is based on was very engaging and entertaining. I was very glad our time in the umbral gate wasn’t long, it was the perfect length so we can see everything else leading to that. Now that plot twist and that ending, I loved it. Equal parts surprised and sad as it’s definitely tragic. You definitely had me like Aster even if he is bad. Overall amazing ending
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
emotional
funny
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:
Yes
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley for a fair and honest review. Thank you to both Michelle Wong and NetGalley for this opportunity.
This book was enthralling from start to finish. This will probably end up being my favorite book of the year. The entire world was beautifully sculpted from start to finish. One off books often struggle with doing a fully fleshed out story with enough world building, however that was not the case with this book.
From beginning the end the rage and grief Alma has to come to terms with feels so believable and relatable. Seeing her growth as a character throughout the story felt perfectly paced. Even the few side characters throughout feel very developed. The illustrations added intermittently within also a wonderful touch.
I just absolutely loved this book and cannot stop praising it and recommending it enough
This book was enthralling from start to finish. This will probably end up being my favorite book of the year. The entire world was beautifully sculpted from start to finish. One off books often struggle with doing a fully fleshed out story with enough world building, however that was not the case with this book.
From beginning the end the rage and grief Alma has to come to terms with feels so believable and relatable. Seeing her growth as a character throughout the story felt perfectly paced. Even the few side characters throughout feel very developed. The illustrations added intermittently within also a wonderful touch.
I just absolutely loved this book and cannot stop praising it and recommending it enough