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The Library of Amorlin: Deluxe Limited Edition (The Age of Beasts)
Kalyn Josephson
4.4
House of the Beast (Deluxe Limited Edition): An Epic Dark Fantasy of Revenge, Forbidden Magic, and a Twisted Romance with a Mysterious God
by Michelle Wong
Published Aug 5, 2025
Categories
About this book
Born into the shadows as an illegitimate daughter, Alma lives a life of isolation until her mother’s sudden illness forces her to seek out the father she never knew. She discovers a harrowing truth: she is a bastard of House Avera, a noble family bound to the service of ancient, terrifying gods. In a desperate attempt to save her mother, Alma enters into a blood-soaked ritual that chains her to the Dread Beast, a harbinger of death.
Left trapped within a hostile, gothic estate, she becomes a pawn in her father's cruel political games. Driven by a hunger for vengeance, Alma finds an unlikely ally in the god who haunts her periphery. He is a beautiful, monstrous prince who whispers promises of power and world-shaping destruction.
As their bond intensifies and his dark magic flows through her, Alma navigates a precarious path of court intrigue, forbidden rituals, and growing madness. She must reconcile her thirst for retribution with the reality of her divine companion, questioning whether his honeyed words are a path to her liberation or the catalyst for the mortal world’s total ruin. In this dark, atmospheric tale, Alma discovers that the most dangerous monsters are often the ones we invite into our hearts.
Available Formats
Audiobook: $0.00 Hardcover: $17.00
What readers are saying
RaikeehimeREAD IT
"This book completely caught me off guard. I went in blind, expecting a straightforward fantasy, and instead got a twisty story that broke me. The story follows Alma, born out of wedlock and shunned by society. When her mother falls gravely ill, Alma discovers her estranged father is from House Avera, one of the four noble families bound to the terrifying god known as the Dread Beast. At just eleven years old, desperate and with no other choice, Alma sacrifices her arm to the Beast and becomes its vessel. She is taken to live with her father, only to be despised as the bastard child. Her only companion is Aster, the Dread Beast itself, who appears only to her as a starlit-haired prince. Once thought to be an imaginary friend from her childhood, Aster becomes Alma’s closest ally. After her mother’s death (which she blames on her father) and years of cruelty, Alma swears vengeance. Eight years later, Alma is ready to take her revenge from her father in the Pilgrimage, a deadly religious trial that will not only determine the future of House Avera but also test the bond between Alma and the god who chose her. I honestly don’t know why this is categorized as romance. While Alma and Aster share a deep, twisted connection, it’s not love in the traditional sense, it’s forged from shared anger, betrayal, and the desire for revenge. If anything, this is more of a dark coming-of-age fantasy. Alma believes Aster is helping her achieve vengeance against her father, but in truth, Aster has his own hidden motives. The reveal of Aster’s true nature floored me. Looking back, the signs were there, but I never pieced them together until the devastating reveal. The ending shattered me. Part of me longed for a happier ending for Alma and Aster, but deep down, I knew it was the only ending that made sense. ["
November 27, 2025 Verified Purchase
carol seymourGreat book!
"The characters, the places and descriptions were all really good. The writing was well done too. I hope you write another one. ["
April 11, 2026 Verified Purchase
Koalaski77Beautiful illustrations and Problematic Shipping
"The story is what i expected it to be given the reviews I read before but the person who shipped the book crimped the inside cover for the book and didn’t lay it flat so it damaged the paper covering which is a big issue for me. ["
January 15, 2026 Verified Purchase
Heather RoseI wanted more horror but really good debut!
"3.75⭐️ Not a fantasy romance!!! I liked the ideas and overall bones of the book but it felt like a lot was thrown in to solve random plot points and wasn’t addressed again and I also wanted to get to know the characters more. I would REALLY love for this author to dive deeper in the fantasy horror (hauntasy) space because the creatures and the terrors were my favorite part! ["
March 9, 2026 Verified Purchase