House of the Beast by Michelle Wong

Book Review

Elloise Hopkins

It was only two days ago that Alma met her father, Lord Zander Avera, vessel of a god. An illegitimate child, Alma grew up in her mother’s care in the slums of Merey, only now her mother is sick, and her father seems to be the only chance she has of getting the care she needs. However, Alma is only just starting to realise the sacrifice that will mean on her part.

She is to give herself over to House Avera, or the House of the Dread Beast, one of the four elder gods. It is the first time Alma has been in her family’s home, one of the four High Houses of Kugara. Even as she realises what they will take from her, to find out whether the beast will accept her, Alma cannot back down. She made this deal to save her mother, and so she offered up her hand in exchange.

As soon as her sacrifice is accepted, Lord Avera begins Alma’s ruthless preparation for a pilgrimage that will take them to the umbral gate, where her father intends to succeed his brother and become First Hand. She must study, learn to fight, and catch up on years of missed tutoring, which for heirs of noble houses is usually a given. Unfortunately for Alma, her cousin sees her only as a rival, and along with her father’s wife, ensures Alma’s tuition and her time at House Avera will be as challenging, and as unwelcoming as possible.

House of the Beast has all the classic elements of the young hero having to take on the burdens of their family and find inner strength through turmoil. Alma is incredibly likeable, though her kindness, her vulnerability, and her absolute determination to stop evil where she can. The book is full of obstacles, magic, and of course some twists and turns along the way, and it is certainly one for the must-read pile.

As an aside, it must be noted how aesthetically pleasing this hardback version is. Gloriously presented, it is peppered with illustrations – presumably a nod to Wong’s background in illustration and graphic novels – snapshotting key moments in Alma’s journey, which help the reader to see and feel her struggles and desires, and the ethereal beauty that threads throughout this narrative.

Also threaded through the narrative is the complex relationship between Alma and Aster, a being she believed to be an imaginary friend, evoked at a time in her young life when she was lonely and in dire need of kindness and company of her own age. Now she is older, Alma is aware that Aster is far from imaginary, though others cannot see or hear him, and she is forced to protect her heart and rely on her head, even as her playful companion promises her everything she may want. Beautifully crafted epic fantasy, and pleasingly heavier on the magic and the journey than on the romance.