Review: House Immortal by Devon Monk

House Immortal
Author: Devon Monk
Reviewer: Gikany & Una
Rating: B+

What We’re Talking About:

House Immortal is the first book in the new House Immortal series by Devon Monk.  As fans of her Allie Beckstrom and Broken Magic series, we eagerly awaited this new science fiction series.  Gikany and Una liked it and hope to see more in the next novel.

First, we liked this new world.  It has an altered history from our own and takes place in the future.  The world is an interesting mixture of technology coupled with complications from a meteor strike, giving it some fascinating quirks.  The most noticeable are the Galvanized.  Twelve indestructible people who are not considered human and are therefore property owned, traded, and bartered between the eleven ruling Houses.  There are no countries, just the Houses and what territory they claim.  There is also an unofficial twelfth House that was founded by people who rebelled against the other eleven Houses.  It is the weakest of the Houses and struggles to maintain its independence.

For the most part we really liked the characters.  Matilda (Tilly) is an enchanting woman.  She is her own person and will do anything to protect her family’s farm and especially her grandmother, even if it means sacrificing herself by joining House Gray.  Although she can be brash, she is also loyal and steadfast.  Sadly, she is not quite cut out for the political machinations that seem to be the standard operating procedures of the Houses.

The supporting characters are just as interesting.  We loved Tilly’s grandmother and wonder if her dementia isn’t partly faked. Neds, the farm hand with two heads, is another complex supporting character.  We found it odd that though he has two heads (each with his own distinct personality) both are named Ned.  Why didn’t each head get his own name?  We wonder if there is more to Neds’ story and if we will know more as the series progresses.

Then there is Abraham, the seventh Galvanized.  He is breathtaking.  At first he comes across as a typical alpha male, but there is much more hiding behind his intimidating facade.  It is hard to not have a crush on this fictional character.  By the end of the novel, we were caught up in his plight.  In fact, as the novel ended, it is obvious that the Galvanized are feared as much as they are loved.  They are in a unique and precarious position made worse by the events at the end of House Immortal.  We can only wonder what happens to them next.

One drawback we did find was the nature of the antagonist.  He felt almost a little one-dimensional.  He is selfish, extremely arrogant, and yet dumb.  We suspect it was pure viciousness, not intelligence, that got him to his elevated position.  Part of our dislike of his point of view is that Ms. Monk wrote him too well: we really hate him.  We felt grimy after reading his perspective and in a desperate need of a shower.  We had to force ourselves to put up with him to glean the information needed before we returned to Matilda’s point of view, which is the main viewpoint.  The antagonist’s point of view was a good and yet an uncomfortable thing.

While Una felt the ending was a cliffhanger and Gikany thought of it more as a pause in the action, we are both eager for the next novel in the House Immortal series.  This is a fascinating world with intriguing characters and a compelling overarching plot.  We recommend House Immortal, pick it up and try it out.

Our Rating:  B+ Liked It A Lot

About the Book:

One hundred years ago, eleven powerful ruling Houses consolidated all of the world’s resources and authority into their own grasping hands. Only one power wasn’t placed under the command of a single House: the control over the immortal galvanized….

Matilda Case isn’t like most folk. In fact, she’s unique in the world, the crowning achievement of her father’s experiments, a girl pieced together from bits. Or so she believes, until Abraham Seventh shows up at her door, stitched with life thread just like her and insisting that enemies are coming to kill them all.

Tilly is one of thirteen incredible creations known as the galvanized, stitched together beings immortal and unfathomably strong. For a century, each House has fought for control over the galvanized. Now the Houses are also tangled in a deadly struggle for dominion over death—and Tilly and her kind hold the key to unlocking eternity

The secrets that Tilly must fight to protect are hidden within the very seams of her being. And to get the secrets, her enemies are willing to tear her apart piece by piece.…

Release Date: September 2, 2014
Publisher: Roc
Series:  House Immortal #1
ISBN: # 978-0451467362
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Format(s): Paperback (368 pages), e-book, audio
Book Source: Publisher/NetGalley

Purchase Info:
House Immortal (House Immortal #1)