𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭

This book is such a powerful journey about Alma confronting her inner demons and learning to stand on her own. A wonderful gothic atmosphere, an epic need for revenge, a beast and a girl that could ruin it all, but will she?

also the physical copy is full of literally the most stunning illustrations, and the audio is perfection!

This is a lovely, heart wrenching stand alone fantasy, with a bit of romance. It’s a very character driven story with solid worldbuilding.

Our main character is a lonely but pure hearted young girl who develops a relationship with what seems to be a god and develops a thirst for revenge.

I listened to the audiobook, and I liked the narration. Although the voices of the main characters were not extremely different from one another, the delivery and rhythm of the lines were distinct. I really liked the way the narrator portrayed the MMC, I found it worked very well. I was defiantly hooked by this one, and I would recommend the audiobook.

That ending though!!

born out of wedlock and shunned by society, alma has only ever relied on her mother. when she grows ill, then, alma is determined to do anything to keep her alive…including striking a dangerous bargain with her estranged, noble father. with the promise of her mother receiving life-saving medication, she feeds her left arm to the beast in a ceremony that forever binds her to the house and its deity. her mother soon passes, though, leaving her to the mercy of her father’s family’s grand estate, where she is despised by all. well, all except her god, a monster appearing as a prince who only she can see. with his help, alma sets out to destroy the house that stole everything from her.

this book had me hooked from the moment i read its description, so i was very grateful to receive copies of it from the publisher! the promise of power-hungry noble houses, vengeful gods, and toxic family dynamics appealed to me, and these were all executed very well, in my opinion. this book was such an emotional rollercoaster, from the start with alma sacrificing herself for her mom’s health all the way throughout the rest of the book when she continues having to make sacrifices or other tough decisions.

i read this via audiobook, narrated by jeanne syquia. i’m sad to see that she hasn’t narrated many other audiobooks as her performance was absolutely incredible, with so much emotion imbued. however, this means i didn’t get to see the lovely illustrations as i read. luckily, i had the hardcover handy so i could just skim through it to see these illustrations! i highly recommend this book on any format.

I was so hoping I would love this. I dove right into the audiobook expecting this grand adventure... unfortunately I really didn't enjoy it. It's been very hard for me to stay interested. I'm not sure if it's the narrator or the story but I am going to have to DNF.

Wong’s fantasy debut begins with an 11-year-old Alma and her sick mom. Desperate for medical help, Alma reaches out to her biological dad, a highly respected and influential man in their world of houses. Her dad, a callous man, is the leader of one of the four families. Trading aid for her mom, Alma consents to losing her arm so that she can officially join House Avera and serve their house’s gods.

The story jumps ahead 8 years: When Alma learns that her mom died, perhaps without receiving the promised help, her singular goal while training in combat in House Avera is to avenge her mom. She gives her life to besting her dad and assuming the role of the next First Hand of the Beast. To her advantage, the Beast, whom she names Aster, the handsome boy from the stars, guides her moves and co-exists within her. Although the world knows him as a harbinger of death, the most terrifying elder god feared by the people, Alma’s shadow has always been her intimate companion.

Joining the other competitors, including her dad, to make the pilgrimage, the gods will grant the most worthy candidate the privilege of becoming the god’s chosen vessel. This person will experience their god’s beckoning and successfully wield the gift of the beast.

House of the Beast has family secrets, arena fighting, a quest to test one’s worth and become the chosen, honored vessel. There’s action and journeying, forged relationships and secret motives—all promising elements. However, the most unsettling part of the story is Alma’s relationship with Aster, which sounds a lot like grooming. It gives Eros and Psyche minus the fact that the human subject is grown. I wasn’t able to believe the end: When Aster shares his plan to wipe out the people who have wrongly used his power, Alma ends Aster’s existence. Furthermore, I realize the conventionality of having lengthier fantasy novels, but House of the Beast would be strengthened if Wong shortened it by about 150 pp. I sped through at least half of it. I’m at about 1.5 stars.

My thanks to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for an ARC. I shared this review on GoodReads on August 4, 2025 (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7801559105).

I couldn’t believe this was a debut novel, it is so rich and lyrical and full of magical elements. The House of the Beast is a dark fantasy filled with revenge and an amazing magic system. I’ve heard the physical copy has a lot of phenomenal illustrations, but the audiobook was absolutely phenomenal.

We don’t waste time getting to know our protagonist Alma. She is such a tragic and strong character, once you start learning her backstory, you’ll understand why she makes a deal with a god in order to take revenge on her aristocratic father. Alma’s mother tried to provide for her as much as she can, unfortunately when she falls sick, everyone in her life as she knows it will come crumbling down. Her estranged father promises to send the best doctors to her mother, all she has to do is leave her old life behind. That meant giving her left arm as an offering to start her savage training. This story was so unique and full of unbelievable twist and turns, so well done. I feel like a lot of people will be talking about this one for a while.

Characters: 3⭐️
Setting: 3⭐️
Plot: 3⭐️
Themes: 3⭐️
Personal enjoyment: 3⭐️
Emotional Impact: 2⭐️
Overall rating: 3/5⭐️

Deadly competition. Metal arm.
I feel like this reads more YA than adult fantasy. I also felt like it lacked world building. I needed more details to picture the setting.
I really enjoyed all of the battle scenes & felt like these were the best parts in the book.

I felt like this book had a lot of potential but fell flat for me. The overall concept is there but lacked execution. The old god named the Dread Beast being obsessed with the FMC was a little unrealistic for me. He had no real motivation for being obsessed and binding to Alma other than mutual hatred for her father.

The narration.. I felt like the voice chosen was very juvenile overall which added to the overall feeling of a YA narrative. Especially in the beginning when Alma is 11. I almost had to DNF because of the narration.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVoyager for providing me with a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperAudio for the ALC! House of the Beast follows Alma, a young girl born out of wedlock and raised by her mother. When her mother falls ill, Alma is approached by her father, but unlike her mother, her father's family is devout and pledges itself to the Dread Beast. Alma sacrifices her idyllic life with her mother and her left arm to the beast in order to save her mother, not realizes that that would be the last time she saw her. From then on, Alma lives with her father and his family, mistreated and unwanted. But Alma has one friend who no one else can see, but who's always been there for her. Alma has one very important plan, to take down her father's house and gain her independance. The audiobook matched the eeire atmosphere of the book with a fantastic performance by Jeanne Syquia.

This book was a pleasant surprise. I went in totally blind and liked the unique premise a lot. There's a lot of great world-building as far as the setting goes, and the customs and traditions felt consistent and believable. The relationship between Alma and her father was really interesting, and I feel like it was well explored.

The pacing was a bit of a struggle for me, especially the middle after the time jump, and some of the character relationships felt a little flat.

I saw this marketed as having a romance element, and I don't really think I'd call what's happening here a romance. There's definitely a twisted relationship, and I think the point is that you see the elements of manipulation, but I didn't love it. You have a Peter Pan type character with bloodlust and a little girl, who grows up to be an adult woman, but still...this all started when she was eleven, so that was a negative for me. And even with what should be grounds for at least an interesting relationship on page, the whole thing lacked spark. I just didn't get it.

4.25/5⭐️ This is an AMAZING addition to the gothic fantasy genre! The world was so dark and atmospheric. The magic system and trials were so unique! I was lucky enough to be able to do an immersive read of this (Kindle + audiobook) and I was incredibly engrossed in the story. The illustrations in this book were beautiful and really added to the story. The audiobook was very well done!

This is not a romantasy. Do not come into this looking for a love story. This is a gothic fantasy, a revenge story, and the story of what someone is willing to sacrifice to accomplish their goals. Really beautifully done.

Thank you to NetGalley, Michelle Wong, and Avon and Harper Voyager for this eARC and audibook ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was briefly shown in my recent TikTok video on @alireadsanywhere! A formal review will be posted after the release date.

I listened to the ALC for House of the Beast by Michelle Wong and narrated by Jeanne Syquia. I need to thank Net Galley and Harper Audio for my advance listener copy. The narrator, Jeanne Syquia does a good job and kept me in this story. I may have DNF'd the book if I wasn't listening to it. So, thank you to Jeanne.

What did not work for me: the plot - I thought it was nonsensical. Their god, if they are chosen, rips off their arm. Like, why?

The writing. There is a time skip of a number of years and that is where our FMC develops all of her skills. So we don't actually see her hardwork or her growth - at all. Why would you take that away from us? The dread beast sounds like a teenage boy that has a crush on our FMC. There is an ewok. Okay, no. Not an actual ewok, but if you object to the cutesy ewoks in Return of the Jedi, you will object to Six. He is cute.

This book comes out on Tuesday, August 5, 2025 and it was not for me. Thank you again to Net Galley and Harper Audio for advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

House of the Beast is a dark YA fantasy about elder gods, revenge, power and toxic co-dependent relationships!

House of the Beast tells the story of Alma, a lonely young girl who is bullied and ostracized by the people in the village where her and her mother live. Alma’s mother is unwed, and it is rumored that Alma’s mother had an affair with a married man of prominence and Alma is the child of this affair. Her only friend is an imaginary magical young boy she makes up to keep her company and names Aster.

One day, her mother becomes very ill and Alma desperate to fund her mother’s treatment, uncovers the truth of who her father is and contacts him to beg for his help. Her father is a power-hungry lord and vessel of the Beast (one of the four elder gods) and agrees to pay for Alma’s mother’s treatment if Alma agrees become his heir, train and help him become the next first hand of the Beast. After Alma completes a brutal ceremony by sacrificing her arm to the House of the Beast her connection to the elder god grows and she realizes that her imaginary friend Aster was actually the elder god all along.

Unfortunately, despite her strong connection to the god, the other members of the House of the Beast are wary and distrustful of Alma, particularly her older cousin Kaim who is competing with Alma’s father for the title of first hand. Alma further ostracizes herself when in a fit of rage after discovering that her mother died and her father broke his promise to take care of her, Alma attacks a guard and brutally kills him as the Beast takes over her body and gives her immense power and rage. Once again lonely and friendless, Alma’s relationship with Aster grows stronger and together they make a plan to get revenge on her father and make Alma the next leader of the House of the Beast.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and the world created by Michelle Wong. I loved how complex the characters are and how despite their flaws you can’t help but route for them (Aster is one giant walking red flag and yet my heart breaks for him!) I would have liked to have explored the world a bit more especially in regards to the houses of the other three elder gods. I also think this story would have benefitted from having multiple POVs. A few chapters from Kaim’s perspective would have added a lot to the story and I also would have enjoyed a chapter or two from Sevelie. Overall, this was a solid 4 star read for me and I think there is more in this world to explore and would happily read future books set in this universe.

Thank you to Harper Collins/HarperAudio Adult and Netgalley for the advanced listener copy!

After reading the book's summary, I was drawn to its intriguing premise and decided to venture into fantasy. The book provided a satisfying read, and I liked that it was a standalone novel, since I’m not a big series reader.

This is a Gothic romantasy book featuring the FMC, Alma, and the MMC, the Dread Beast, Aster. It's dark at times, especially for a New Adult book.

Alma is strong, having sworn to get revenge on her father and his house after her mother dies. I do wish she'd been a bit more fierce at times. She is granted dark powers through Aster, who is an imaginary monster only she can see at this point, and it becomes very much their duo against the world.

Unfortunately, despite the premise seeming promising, I felt like the partnership between Alma and Aster could have been better developed - this is supposed to be a romance, but the relationship feels a bit underbaked. I would have liked to see more character growth for both MCs and more development in their relationship.

I listened to this on audio and the narrator did a great job. Definitely an enjoyable listen!

I really enjoyed House of the Beast. I could hardly put it down. Alma is a flawed MC and I loved how she interacted with the other characters, particularly Aster, of course. I never knew where this story was going next, it surprised me multiple times.

I also enjoyed Wong's worldbuilding. I would honestly love to see more books set in this world.

The narrator did a great job conveying Alma and keeping the voices of the other characters different enough to easily follow the story.

When I saw this book, I knew I was going to love it, but not this much. I can't stop thinking about it! The characters, the world, the story, the ending! It all spoke to me. Also the illustrations just added to the storytelling. Highly highly recommend, especially the audiobook. The narrator did an excellent job telling the story. If fact, a tandeum read is probably best.

A quick note: this is a book to take your time with. It seems like a simple revenge story, but the world, characters, gods, magic, and mythos is complex and needs to be savored.

Thank you to the publishers for a copy of the ebook and the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This book was unexpected in so so many ways!

Michelle Wong’s debut definitely hit the dark, gothic, fantasy, slightly steam-punk vibe. The plot and the twists definitely had my mouth agape towards the end while the action had me at the edge of my seat.

Alma and Aster’s interweaved lives was told so well and the entire story was written with grit, detail and all the mechanisms that a first person narration can give you.

As stubborn as they both were, it was interesting to see the events unfold only through Alma’s eyes because the pain that she had to go through was uniquely her own but also closely reflected that of Aster’s. She wasn’t your independent, blood-thirsty, clueless or perfect heroine. Her self-doubt and need for revenge blinded her and created so many “what could have beens.” But all of it built her up to make the ultimate sacrifice, in the end.

A riveting coming-of-age read!

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.

2 Stars, unfortunately, I could not get into this. I was so hopeful in the beginning, and was waiting on the edge of my seat to connect to this, but it didn't happen.
The pacing felt off, the story didn't seem eerie to me, and most of the time, I kept thinking about other books I've read that had similar elements.

Thanks to HarperAudio, Harper Voyager, & Netgalley for the arc!

I was so impressed by this dark standalone ✨debut✨ and was hooked the whole way through! The pacing was great, the atmosphere was eerie, and I’m all about some good old-fashioned revenge 😈 There were definitely some elements of horror…I actually got pretty anxious during one scene (and of course was listening at night 👀).

If you enjoy morally grey characters, lots of action, and a realm full of monsters, then you should pick this one up!

A special thanks to HarperAudio, Harper Voyager, & Netgalley for an early copy of this audiobook to review.