INSTANT INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

"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." --Ava Reid, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning

Step into the House of the Beast in this dark epic 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 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.