This was good!

The plot was very unique and interesting. I enjoyed the characters as well. I really liked the writing style!

This book is dark, mysterious and adventurous!

I also really liked the narrator.

This book unfortunately fell a bit flat for me. It was still a good book, but I felt like it was missing something. The atmosphere and the characters were great. The plot was good, but the end left me a bit disappointed. It’s hard to go into detail without spoilers, but it just felt like it didn’t end the way I had hoped. I didn’t like Aster’s character arc in the end.

Alas, I was not as big of a fan as I would have hoped, but obviously other people loved this book, hopefully I am the odd man out.

3.75 ⭐️ rounded up
This was hauntingly beautiful. Also, haunting. I loved the imagery and the lore but it felt like I never stopped getting new information, like I was constantly learning about the lore and world building. Even with all the info dumping, I still found myself confused 3/4 of the way in.

That being said, the character building was very special and I loved the found family journey the FMC and even the MMC went on. I listened via audiobook, which was very well done. I wonder if reading the book rather than listening to it would have made it easier or harder to follow all the information.

I think it was a story well told overall and I’m thankful to NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult for the audio-ARC for the opportunity to listen.

I started listening to this book, but eventually, near the end, I read it, and I think it's better enjoyed that way. The printed book has beautiful illustrations along its pages that are worth checking out.

House of the Beast was an emotional, intense, dark gothic fantasy with gods, monsters, divine rituals, intense combat, twisted romance, and a vicious heroine hell-bent on revenge. It was atmospheric, whimsical, and totally devastating. I absolutely adored it.

Alma was born out of wedlock and is shunned by everyone except for her mother, and Aster, the boy who is really a monster that only she can see. When her mother dies, she becomes obsessed with vengeance against her estranged father and the noble class that took everything from her. Alma and Aster have the most codependent relationship ever. They’re both lonely and in dire need of a friend. They’re obsessed with each other and desperately want to be loved, but terrified of rejection. Aster is a chaotic, mischievous, flirty, and vicious god. He has dangerous secrets that threaten the fabric of the world, but he’d give it all up for Alma. Their story was heartbreaking and tragic and I’m still recovering. If you want to read the gripping tale of a stabby queen and toxic king who weaponize forbidden magic to dismantle an oppressive hierarchy from within, this is the book for you. The audiobook is narrated by Jeanne Syquia, and she does a phenomenal job embodying Alma and bringing this blood-soaked tragedy to life. I loved listening and highly recommend it.

Thank you Harper Voyager, Harper Audio, Harper Collins, Michelle Wong, and NetGalley for the ARC, ALC, and PR package with the absolutely stunning finished copy of House of the Beast. It’s one of the prettiest books I’ve ever owned, and I love the illustrations, endpapers, fully designed case, reversible dust jacket, and stunning stenciled edges!

📔House of the Beast
✏️ Michelle Wong
📆 August 5, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

READ IF YOU LIKE:
👁️ vengeful heroine
👁️ chaotic evil trickster god
👁️ morally grey characters
👁️ toxic, codependent relationships
👁️ family rivalries
👁️ court intrigue
👁️ deadly trials
👁️ nightmare realm of monsters

this book was so freaking good. i am obsessed and loved every single minute of it. there was a lot happening but it was well written and i was able to keep up with it. alma was literally so amazing and i loved how much growth she had throughout the book. she literally overcame so much and came out so much stronger in the end. the twists were completely unexpected and i still cannot get over the whole ending. highly recommend, this book was fantastic! super grateful for the early copy i was given!

House of the Beast

I truly enjoyed this read…honestly it reminds me of a horror fantasy game.

A mother trying to protect her daughter from a villainous estranged father and his world of evil…
It’s hard that Alma feels soo lonely … when all her mother wanted was to keep her safe… never wanted her to learn of this horrible man’s world
Alma in her loneliness creates an imaginary friend.. or is he…
It’s interesting how the mind works…the vulnerability of a child can create a wondrous sometimes scary world. Her mother saw it immediately… but in Alma’s naiveness as time goes she reaches out to villainous father for help…
Little did she know what lay ahead for her… through resiliency, revenge, and perseverance, Alma came of age…
The gore was perfect… the aristocratic families the worst and yet… all to learn a lesson to be humbled by the very “bastard” who saved them…


Therefore, I’d be happy to read more from author Michelle Wong!!

Thank you @NetGalley and @ HarperAudio Adult for making this read possible!!

Jeanne Syquia did a fantastic job narrating this story. I can't believe this is Wong's debut. This story and world were so fascinating. I wasn't expecting it to be so dark.

This is one of those books that will leave you staring into space trying to process everything. It is a dark, whimsical, gory, and weirdly beautiful story about how the darkness within oneself can actually be something redeeming. I was sucked in by the unique story. I couldn’t put the book (or in my case, headphones) down.

Alma is a bastard child, hated by all except her nearly perfect mother. She is taken in by her once estranged father, initiated into the House of the Beast, and never left alone by her beautiful but childish god that only she can see. Alma only wants revenge on her father- after all, he is responsible for all the hardships in her life. Her plot for his downfall quickly spirals into a journey of fate filled with blood, deception, found family, and trickster gods.

Seriously, the plot is unlike any I’ve read in a long time. Something is just off the entire time. It kept me interested to see how it would play out! And it was worth all the constant questioning. I adore Alma’s grit and determination. Aster was quirky and eerie and oh so surprising. The ending simultaneously broke me and brought me hope. It is an excellent fantasy standalone that is worth the hype!!

The narrator truly brought the book to life. She voiced both 11 year old Alma and 19 year old Alma perfectly. The emotion in her narration was KILLER! I got chills when she read a certain part where a normally chill character was viscerally angry. She was the perfect narrator for this book!!

THANK YOU HarperVoyager for the ALC!!

This was an interesting story. It did not go the way that I thought it was going to but it was a good story if someone is looking for a complex story.

This book was tragically beautiful in its construction and imagery. Reads like an anime film, with a whimsical world and different planes of the universe, as well as combat and battle scenes.
I think it has some really great ideas, but I’m not sure it came together exactly how I was hoping. Lots of borrow and gore here that I wasn’t exactly excited about.

Impressive for a debut fantasy novel! The premise and world are original and I would have like to learn more about the gods etc. The characters come off a bit flat... I wish the FMC had really leaned into the feminine rage/revenge aspect of the story. I think that could have leveled up the story for me.
And FYI, this is NOT a romance.. in case anyone is wondering. 🤷🏻‍♀️ But I like that about it all the more. 😀
Overall I enjoyed the read and look forward to what the author writes next.

3.5* (rounded to 4 for GR)

Thank you to Net Galley and Harper Audio Adult for an advanced audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t have anything to compare this book to—fantasy wise, but if you loved the Alchemist or Count of Monte Cristo, you’ll love this story. It’s so good in terms of the revenge plot and the main character is very likable.

DNF @ 25%

I’m actually so flippin’ bored. I feel like nothing is really happening. I’m also sick of hearing about her arm tbh. It kind of pissed me off that she made a deal with her dad about her mom’s health, and then she loses an arm, and her mom dies anyways. Like it just happened so fast and didn’t leave enough time for build up, tension, etc. This whole imaginary friend thing is kind of weird too. I feel like there is just entirely too much info dumping, even now, at 20%. Just get on with the good stuff… I found myself starting to really skim over the parts that didn’t have dialogue. I don’t think this book is for me.

**Thank you to NetGalley & Publisher for the ALC; all opinions are my own.**

4.25 ⭐️
🎧

The narrator really helps to bring this story to life. This is a gritty tale about a girl- a very lonely one- who is taken by her Father to train in the ways of their House. Alma can see the god her family worships & together they formulate a plan to take over her family as First Hand. This was a solid read for me, and I enjoyed every bit! The first part was a little slow, but everything really starts to pick up around 35%. This gave me old school anime vibes, which I really like.

If you like:
☆ a god obsessed
☆ revenge & trials
☆ standalones
☆ gods & monsters
☆ metal arms
☆ dual realms
☆ forbidden love
CHECK THIS ONE OUT!

I was rather disappointed in this book; I rounded up to 3 as this is a debut and I was being kind.

This book is being marketed as a dark adult fantasy, but the tone and style of writing was more YA. Upper YA but still YA.

I found the plot to be rather repetitive and all around meh. I found that the author had thinly altered items from other works of fantasy, most obviously the statue that can’t move when you’re looking at it and then attacks when you blink.

The FMC was not memorable, and the MMC is just a lukewarm typical controlling fantasy love interest. It’s giving toxic high school drama.

House of the Beast had me hooked from the very beginning! I finished this in two days, a fantasy that kept me interested from tragic beginning until the very end. I loved our vengeful protagonist and her monster so much, from her learning to open to others and finding a family to even when she was alone with Aster.

The pacing was perfect, keeping you wanting to read more and never feeling too slow. The end did feel a little bit rushed, but it also felt like it could have been a cliffhanger and more to happen. I was really getting myself ready for an absolute shocker of a cliffhanger but it did seem to wrap a lot of things up instead.

The audiobook narrator Jeanne Syquia did an amazing job, once I really fell into the rhythm of the book and was able to distinguish the nuance between the characters. They weren’t made to have very obvious tone differences but I think it worked for the book itself. The emotion behind it was well done and had my complete attention.

Thank you so much for the ALC and for letting me enjoy this story! I absolutely will be keeping my eyes open for more from Michelle Wong in the future.

⚡️ Tropes:
Gods
Big twist
Revenge
Reluctant allies
Codependency
Beautiful world building

ALC review:
I loved this narrator. Her voice was beautiful. Her intonations and emotions made me feel like I was in the story. Her male voices were not cringy, and it was easy to differentiate characters from each other!

Book review:
⚡️ Um. Wow. Wow. I had NO idea what to expect going into this book but my expectations were greatly exceeded. I loved it. Warning: This is NOT a Romantasy book by any means. This is more of a dark and powerful book of revenge, pain, and redemption.

Alma is the bastard child of Zander Avera, one of the heads of the household that serves the Dread Beast- the god of death. In an attempt to save her mother, Alma agrees to be serve her father’s house, unknowing of the pain and misery her agreement would bring her. But when a mysterious god (that only she can see), latches onto her, her plans of servitude for her father morph into plans of revenge, as she starts to gain power unmatched by many serving the dread beast. Will she succeed in her plans? Or will her ambitions be her downfall?

Alma is incredibly tough, and smart. She encounters adversity at every turn, and is hated by many due to her parentage, but she takes it in stride, and essentially strives to make them all pay for what they’ve done to her. She goes on an insane journey filled with power, fighting, death, guilt, and healing.

This book has some very intense world building (similar to RF Kuang). It’s beautiful, descriptive, but may be a bit overwhelming at times. The lore of this book is SINCERELY UNIQUE. I have never read anything like this book, and I really loved that fact. It is very hard to summarize this book because THAT is how unique it is! There are also side characters that are so lovable in the midst of a very dark story. There are beautiful illustrations done by the author throughout the book that add a TON to the story telling

⚡️ This is not an easy, simple pool read. No. This is a cozy chair, gothic ambience music on, glass of red wine in your hand, thinking kind of book. It’s a lot to read, but you won’t regret it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Michelle Wong for this ALC!

✨️ Adult Dark, Gothic, Horror Fantasy
🗡 Obsessed MMC
✨️ Resilient FMC
🗡 Feminine Rage
✨️ Revenge Plot
🗡 Family Rivalry
✨️ Court Politics
🗡 Political Intrigue
✨️ Eldritch Gods & Monsters
🗡 Twisted Romance
✨️ Yearning & Tension
🗡 Slow Burn
✨️ Black Cat/Doberman

Call me toxic, but I'm literally broken over that ending. I don't read many Romantic Tragedies but this book was so beautiful! I loved it so much! Michelle has a forever fan in me, especially if she puts out more books like this. Call me a masochist, but I would gladly read every book she ever publishes even if it breaks me.

This book was so good, I was able to listen to the ALC while reading the ARC, and that made it so much better. Who would have thought that seeking her father's help to heal her mother's illness would thrust Alma into such dangerous situations where her only ally would turn out to have ulterior motives. I had not expected that final battle to reveal all those secrets, but it was so good!! Now that I have listened to the audiobook while reading the story, I'm eager to buy the actual book because the artwork is beautiful.

Thank you to the NerdFam and HarperCollins for the eARC and ALC!