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Your next favorite book
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Step into the House of the Beast in this stunning 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—featuring gorgeous black-and-white illustrations throughout by the author.
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 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.
"Intricately plotted with luxuriant worldbuilding, the dark fantasy debut from illustrator Wong announces her as an exciting new voice...Wong masterfully constructs a gothic coming-of-age tale replete with love, politics, and betrayal, helmed by a wonderfully earnest heroine. Elegant illustrations peppered throughout enhance the experience. Fans of manga and heroic fantasy will be thrilled." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"This page-turning epic continually exposes the monster within each character, pushing them to confront it head-on and fight relentlessly for the good they possess deep within. An impassioned story about rage, revenge, and how love can lay it to rest." —Kirkus Reviews
"As darkly whimsical as the most beloved fairy tales and soaked in gothic atmosphere. The gorgeous and evocative illustrations bring to life an unforgettably lush and hypnotically romantic story, framed in shadows and sharp edges." —Ava Reid, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning
"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
This information about House of the Beast was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Michelle Wong is a writer and artist from Hong Kong. She illustrated The Legend of Korra and Goosebumps graphic novels, and is the creator of the upcoming graphic novel, Terminal Hope. This is her debut novel.
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