House of the Beast

A Novel

By: Michelle Wong

Narrated by: Jeanne Syquia

“As darkly whimsical as the most beloved fairy tales and soaked in gothic atmosphere.” —Ava Reid, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning

Step into the House of the Beast in this dark fantasy debut from The Legend of Korra graphic novel illustrator Michelle Wong, about a young woman who strikes a deal with a mysterious and alluring god to seek revenge on her aristocratic family.

Born out of wedlock and shunned by society, Alma learned to make her peace with solitude, so long as she had her mother by her side. When her mother becomes gravely ill, Alma discovers a clue about her estranged father and writes a message begging for help. Little does she know that she is a bastard of House Avera, one of the four noble families that serve the gods and are imbued with their powers—and her father is a vessel of the Dread Beast, the most frightening god of all, a harbinger of death.

In a desperate exchange for her mother’s medicine, Alma agrees to sacrifice her left arm to the Beast in a ceremony that will bind her forever to the House and its deity. Regardless, her mother soon passes, leaving Alma trapped inside the Avera’s grand estate, despised by her relatives and nothing but a pawn in her father’s schemes.

Now vengeance is the only thing that keeps Alma going. That, and the strange connection she has with her god—a monster who is constantly by her side, an eldritch being taking the form of a beautiful prince with starlit hair that only she can see. He tells Alma that she has been chosen to bring change upon their world, and with his help, Alma plots a perilous journey to destroy the House that stole everything from her.

A gripping coming-of-age fantasy novel marked by divine rituals, intense combat, and twisted romance, House of the Beast is a tale of revenge, resilience, and the power of love to see us through the darkness.

“A beguiling tale of strange gods, cosmic horrors, and ruinous revenge, House of the Beast dazzled me. With compelling characters and masterful world building, Wong’s debut is sure to become a celebrated classic.”— Erin A. Craig, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Thirteenth Child

If you enter the House of the Beast, prepare to find:

• Morally grey characters
• Toxic, codependent relationships (M/F, M/M)
• Vengeful female main character
• Chaotic evil trickster god
• Family rivalries
• Court intrigue
• Deadly trials
• Nightmare realm full of monsters
• Violence!

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

amazing

I really enjoyed this story. Great storyline and world building! I hope Michelle Wong continues to write novels.

Must Read

This book was absolutely amazing. I picked it up without really reading anything about it and honestly, I am so glad I did.

I loved the dark, gritty nature of the lore and the way the story explored the relationship between Gods and their vessels. The portrayals of Alma and The Beast were phenomenal; their dynamic had so much depth and emotion.

The author did a fantastic job making the reader feel truly connected to Alma and The Beast, though I would have liked to see a bit more from the others.

The ending? Immaculate. I genuinely never saw it coming which made the read all the more worth it.

It’s haunting, beautiful and is such a perfectly written novel. 10/10 recommend.

Perfect Example of "I Can Fix Him"

A good friend of mine suggested this book to me after he read it and when I told him I had pulled it as my next book, he told me that it would destroy me. I hate to admit that he was indeed correct. This book destroyed me in the best possible way and I absolutely cried.

I really enjoy reading fiction where the main character is not a good person. It is refreshing to have morally gray characters more often now. Alma is a character who knows that she is a bad person and yet she tries so hard to be good. Her companion is a god and if I have learned anything from the books I have read and the media I have consumed, never trust a god. The monster pushes Alma to give herself over completely to him to allow him to murder through her body to exact his own revenge. Also, when the book describes romance as toxic, they do not hold back any punches. In ways both Alma and Aster are incredibly possessive of each other and Aster hates when he feels like Alma is making other friends because she is slipping from his grasp, likewise Alma hates feeling like Aster is showing favor for anyone else or that he was once as close to her uncle as he is too her. It is an absolute red flag of a relationship and yet, in a perfect example of an ‘I can fix him’ girlie, I still had moments where I rooted for them and hoped to see them happy.

One of my favorite things is just how atrocious the family is. There is no shortage of hatred and backstabbing between the members of the house. Alma’s father hates his brother for taking the firsthand position from him, a position that he did not try for himself to mind you, and he intends on using his daughter to usurp the position from Maximus and his son. Alma’s stepmother hates her for the circumstances of her birth and holds it against her, and quite frankly, no one else wants Alma there or likes her either. Each member has their own plans for the future, and they don’t care who they hurt to achieve those goals.

My only complaint about the book is that it felt slow to start. I reached the halfway point and questioned why nothing had really happened yet. They used all that time building up to the conflict and once it got going, it steamed rolled over everything. Now, normally the rule is that I cannot have any complaints for a book to get a 5-star review, but as this is just a difference in preference for faster paced books, I felt it was unfair to let that lower the rating.

Perfect Standalone

Unique plot, gripping story, yearning for what we all seek at some point, or always. Well done.

Wow

In three words…
Dark, Gritty, Mind-blowing

Great fantasy read that is chocked full of gods and also has one heroine who has a plenty of flaws and foibles.