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A review by dragoninwinterfell
House of the Beast by Michelle Wong
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
2.5
House of the Beast is a fascinatingly intricate debut that weaves gritty themes, complex magic systems, and divine politics into a slow-burning tale of revenge. The worldbuilding is layered and immersive, centering on Alma, the illegitimate daughter of a destitute woman and a wealthy man whose family is magically bound to one of the four gods. When Alma’s mother falls ill, she reaches out to her estranged father and is drawn into a world of privilege, divine power, and manipulation. But when her mother dies despite these efforts, and Alma realizes she’s a pawn in her father’s ambitions, she and her newly bonded god begin to plot vengeance.
While the premise is compelling and the magic system is thoughtful, the execution suffers from a few major flaws. The most noticeable is the repetitive and overexplained narrative. Key events are often rehashed immediately after they occur, and character motivations are spelled out multiple times without adding new insight. This heavy-handedness detracts from the immersion and significantly slows the pacing. The book feels unnecessarily long; with tighter editing, it could have been far more effective at half the length.
Alma, unfortunately, comes across as a rather flat protagonist. She reads like a character the author intentionally left empty in the hopes that readers would project onto her, but the result is a character that’s difficult to connect with. Without enough depth or internal conflict, Alma lacks the emotional weight needed to carry such an intense plot.
That said, readers who appreciate intricately plotted stories with dark, divine undertones and don’t mind a slower pace may still find value in this novel. With stronger character development and substantial trimming of repetitive exposition, House of the Beast could have been a standout. As it is, it’s an ambitious debut that just doesn’t quite live up to its potential.
Audio ARC provided by NetGalley and Harper Voyager in exchange for an honest review.
While the premise is compelling and the magic system is thoughtful, the execution suffers from a few major flaws. The most noticeable is the repetitive and overexplained narrative. Key events are often rehashed immediately after they occur, and character motivations are spelled out multiple times without adding new insight. This heavy-handedness detracts from the immersion and significantly slows the pacing. The book feels unnecessarily long; with tighter editing, it could have been far more effective at half the length.
Alma, unfortunately, comes across as a rather flat protagonist. She reads like a character the author intentionally left empty in the hopes that readers would project onto her, but the result is a character that’s difficult to connect with. Without enough depth or internal conflict, Alma lacks the emotional weight needed to carry such an intense plot.
That said, readers who appreciate intricately plotted stories with dark, divine undertones and don’t mind a slower pace may still find value in this novel. With stronger character development and substantial trimming of repetitive exposition, House of the Beast could have been a standout. As it is, it’s an ambitious debut that just doesn’t quite live up to its potential.
Audio ARC provided by NetGalley and Harper Voyager in exchange for an honest review.