The House of the Beast is a masterfully woven story of trauma, transformation, and the fragile line between human and monster. Alma chooses to sacrifice herself in hopes that her father will ensure her mother receives the medical attention she needs to survive. She just doesn't know what lies ahead. She will face torture from her father and be rejected by his family, as they see her as a disgrace for being born out of wedlock.

She believes she created an imaginary friend to cope with her loneliness, but in truth, it's a beast trapped inside her, using her for its own needs. She doesn't realize this yet. She falls for the beast even though the things he makes her do go against everything she believes. She endures years of training in hopes of seeking revenge on her father and saving their kingdom. When the time comes, she fights to take back control of her body, no longer wanting to be the vessel for the beast, but she can't imagine life without him.

Id first like thank @netgalley & @harperaudio for an Audio ARC of this book. I am forever thankful for the opportunity to listen to this book before its August Release date.
My review is a honest reflection of my feelings towards this book. ♥️
What would you do when the only person you loved in this life was taken away?
And now you are in a house where you are despised for just existing and for things you couldn’t control?
Where revenge is the only thing keeping you going and you strike a deal with a mysterious and alluring god to seek revenge on your aristocratic family..
We meet Alma, a young girl who has her mother ripped away from her by a father who promised to heal her in exchange for her servitude but when her mother ends up dying alone, Alma is soaked in rage.
With the help of a god, she vows to rip away everything her absentee selfish dad holds dear…
This book was a total trip of a book that swept me along on a raging river and didn’t let me go. Alma’s rage against her father was 100% justified and I was rooting for her to put that man in his place. My heart broke her and raged with her. The world was so unique in its telling and the narrator, Jeanne Syquia, was an absolute icon of a choice to bring Alma’s story to life.
This book jumped into my top 5 books of this year. Captivating, emotional and one hell of a ride. 👏🏻
100% recommend, especially in audio form ♥️
I hope you check it when it comes out in August ❤️

House of the Beast is a striking, spellbinding debut that sinks its teeth into you from the first chapter and never lets go. Michelle Wong crafts a richly imagined world brimming with political intrigue, ancient magic, and characters so layered they practically breathe. But what truly elevates this book is its exploration of what it means to be monstrous—and what it takes to reclaim your power in a world that fears you for it.

At the heart of the novel is Alma, a feared and infamous figure whose reputation precedes her—but the real story lies in what simmers beneath that myth. Alma’s internal battle is as fierce as the external one she’s waging. The “beast” she carries within her—sometimes literal, sometimes metaphorical—is as much a reflection of her trauma as it is of her potential. Watching her wrestle with vengeance, vulnerability, and guilt is what makes this book so emotionally resonant.

Her dynamic with Aster is a compelling axis for the story. Their relationship isn’t perfect—and that’s what makes it so believable. They challenge, frustrate, and care for each other in ways that feel earned, never rushed. And then there’s Six—pure, golden-hearted Six—whose presence adds warmth and softness to a world often dark and brutal. He might just be the soul of the book.

The magic and politics of the Houses are intricately woven, each faction distinct and vividly sketched. The world feels vast, old, and lived-in. Every choice has weight. Every alliance, consequence. Wong doesn’t simplify things—she trusts the reader to follow the complexity and rewards them for it with depth and nuance. The last few chapters, especially, deliver twists that were both jaw-dropping and emotionally satisfying.

For readers who like:
-Dark fantasy
-Found family
-Political scheming and moral ambiguity
-Immersive worldbuilding

Final Verdict
Michelle Wong’s House of the Beast is a triumph—unflinching, poetic, and full of heart. It’s a story about rage, love, and learning to stop running from yourself. Fantasy lovers who crave intricate worlds and flawed, unforgettable characters will find something special here. I can’t wait to see what Wong writes next.

Review available on Blurb It Down (www.blurbitdown.wordpress.com)

Grateful to NetGalley, HarperAudio Adult and Michelle Wong for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

Michelle Wong… Sleep w/ one eye open.
I did not expect the emotional distraught, but it was soooo good. I love when authors ruin me.

This gave very much Full Metal Alchemist. Sacrificing limbs to serve their Gods, Dad was on Shou Tucker time, I was HOOKED.
*To be fair, FMA is one of my fave anime’s, BUT even if I wasn’t, this premise was too good.

Even though the reveal for me, personally, wasn’t as surprising— Emotions were too high at that point, I was locked in fr and there wasn’t any going back. Esp ‘cause it just UP ever since they entered the gates. Whilst the reveal wasn’t surprising, the twists had me in its damn clutches. Every time a sword went through, my face was 🙀

And that ending?! THAT ENDING?! I did not agree w/ it, nope, no way. LAY WASTE TO THE WORLD FOR ME— Forever screaming, but was it good? Yes, I was sobbing 😭😭😭

YOU WERE THE WORST OF THE WORST!!
*Screaminggg into my pillow, omfg.

Jeanne Syquia did an AMAZING job narrating— The different voices? 💋 I absolutely love Six, such a cutie!! Omg. This was a dark, twisted, injustice that will forever plague me lmfao.

This one had a very strong start with a forced amputation and an 11 year old girl accidentally mauling people to death when in a rage. But the intrigue faded very quickly when our very vanilla mediocre mischievous white boy villain becomes the only other relevant character and drives the plot simply because only our MC can see him.

I wanted a lot more intrigue and darkness. We saw tiny hints of it, but each hairy circumstance is quickly resolved with Alma raging out and merging with her pretty boy villain god. Frankly I found him exhausting. And that’s a shame because I think the world and the circumstances were very interesting but were told in a bland “generic romantasy” way