House Immortal (A House Immortal Novel Book 1)

HOUSE IMMORTAL is a dystopian/urban fantasy book like you’ve never seen before. It mixes science and politics wonderfully, and this futuristic world is so original, I have nothing to compare it to. The world is now separated in groups called Houses that govern things like water, agriculture, medical, technology, etc. Countries have ceased to exist and the world is led by eleven House leaders. I admit, the breakdown into groups like these is definitely something we’ve seen before. One can simply think of the Hunger Games or Divergent and think that it might have some similarities, but the concept is completely different. However, what truly makes this a novel original is the galvanized, a group of people from a failed experiment that have been turned into stitched up humans that are in essence, impossible to kill. They live forever because the experiment that was trying to manipulate time somehow offered them an unlimited amount of time to live out their lives, and turned them into immortals.

Immortality isn’t a new concept and because as human beings, we’re always trying to extend our lives, this book will appeal to many people even if they aren’t fans of science fiction. Freedom is another powerful theme that people will be able to understand. The idea of being contracted out to someone or in this case a House, unable to choose what you will do with your life, is definitely a scary thought. I think the author did a wonderful job in showing us how this dystopian world is full of flaws, and how power and politics can turn your life upside down.

HOUSE IMMORTAL without a doubt pleases the science fiction nerd in me, but it also appeals to me for more simple reasons. For example, I sympathise with some of the characters, although they might not be human. Matilda, the newest galvanized, has been hiding out on her parent’s farm her whole life, afraid to announce to the world that she’s someone that’s alive, only because she’s literally been stitched back together with a special kind of thread. Although she want to see herself as a human, she describes herself as a monster, time and time again.

When she meets Abraham, a galvanized that has been alive for more than 300 years, her life is completely altered and for once in her life, she fears what the future might bring. She understands she cannot trust Abraham because he represents House Grey, the house that governs humans, but they form a bond that might just become something more than just friendship. It’s this bond that convinces her to leave her farm and venture into the world in order to find out if her missing brother is safe and unable to contact her or if he’s being held captive by a House leader. Neds is another wonderful character that might not be considered human because he’s a mutant with two heads. Right Ned and Left Ned don’t always see eye to eye, so their presence offers comic relief when they don’t agree with what to do with their body.

Amazing and brilliant are words that comes to mind in order to describe this novel. HOUSE IMMORTAL might just end up being one of my favorite novels of 2014. The first in a series, I can only hope Devon Monk stays on top of her game and brings us an awesome sequel, and hopefully many more books after that. Honestly, this is the first book I’ve read from this author and if her other series are as wonderful as this one, I’m definitely going to check them out.

Disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

Wow. Just wow. House Immortal is the first installment in a brand new series by Devon Monk, and I am completely blown away by how incredible this book is. This is the first book I’ve read by Monk, and if this is anything to go by as to how her writing style, characters and world-building is…I’m sold for life *puts author on auto-buy and go read all her other work*.

House Immortal immediately captivated me from page one with the introduction of Matilda Case and Neds Harris. Matilda is a stitched together 26-year-old ‘Immortal Galvanized’ girl (think Frankenstein) and Neds, her farm-hand, is a two-headed mutant guy. The world-building is rich, meticulous and complex. Monk described everything in perfect clarity, painting vivid images in my mind. And just the overall concept is so unique, fresh and well crafted that I am still in awe of it. Like any first in the series, there was a lot of information required for the foundation of this new world. Some readers felt there was too much info-dumping, but I never had a problem with it. The information was incorporated in a way that it didn’t feel overwhelming and the short journal entry at the start of each chapter helped in the explanation. I love learning about the background/history of the Immortal Galvanized and The Houses. The governing system is comprised of 11 houses (House Brown not acknowledge) each specializing in a certain area and a different color: white is medical, yellow is technology, black is defense, green is agriculture, grey is humanity, silver is vices, etc. The interworking of each House like the characters were well developed that in my opinion created a believable society. I am extremely impressed by what I see so far and can’t wait to learn more; since the first book I’m sure barely touches the surface of this multifaceted world.

Right from the get-go I knew I was going to like Matilda (Tilly). She is exactly the type of heroine I enjoy reading about; she’s intelligent, independent, compassionate, and totally kick-@ss. All of the secondary characters were just as great. While many of the house leaders and Galvanizes didn’t get much page time as other characters (Abraham, Neds, Oscar, Slater), in their brief appearances you can still glean a lot of their personality because each character is fleshed out and memorable. Of all the side characters, there were two that stood out the most to me and had me laughing out loud the entire time…Neds and Welton. Since Neds has two heads, one called Right Ned and the other Left Ned. I was a bit confused with Neds’ dialogue at first, unable to differentiate who (Left or Right) was speaking but after a couple chapters, I got the hang of it. Neds had completely different, somewhat polar opposite personalities which made for hilarious dialogue. And there was Welton Yellow, leader of House Yellow. He is what I’d call the black sheep of the Houses, he does and says whatever he want, He’s eccentric, and awkward at times yet still likable. Another plus with Welton was he was the only one not really out to get Matilda. He of course tried and wanted Matilda, but is more friend than foe.

There is a blossoming romance between Matilda and Galvanized Abraham. I thought their chemistry really worked and loved their back and forth repartee. They really complement each other, both strong equal characters. However, I thought the romance was a bit rushed. Matilda been hiding her entire life, so I know she didn’t have much of a male connection other than her brother and Neds. But I don’t recall them exchanging more than a few words, and they barely know anything about one another. This isn’t a big deal, and I still enjoyed the book…I just had a moment where I thought it was funny how quickly they decided to be BF/GF (and I think this is the first book, where I heard a leading couple ask each other if they wanted a title lol, interesting).

House Immortal is definitely one of my favorite reads this year. The world building is amazing, the characters unconventional and fully realized, and the plot fast-paced. From the moment readers open the book and to the very end, expect nothing short of a roller coaster ride full of action and twists that will have you completely floored. I was so shocked by the ending that I swear my heart stopped for a moment, and when I flipped that last page I couldn’t believe it was the end (I literally flipped back and forth and went ‘WHAT? THIS IS THE LAST PAGE? D@MNIT!’)…it was THAT crazy. I loved this book, and highly recommend it to everyone; it’s a fantasy, science-fiction and dystopian all rolled up into one. The sequel, Infinity Bell comes out next spring and I can’t wait for more Matilda and Co.

**Review courtesy of All Thigns Urban Fantasy**

Original and intriguing, HOUSE IMMORTAL falls closer to the science-fiction spectrum of books than urban fantasy. However, with the awesome heroine, powerful, near immortal beings, fun sidekicks, and original world, HOUSE IMMORTAL will definitely appeal to the standard urban fantasy reader.

The world of HOUSE IMMORTAL is complex and fascinating. Though lacking magic or vampires, there’s still plenty of oddness to be found here – like a scarf that stops time, and a two-headed man. A lot of thought clearly went into building the world around the heroine, Matilda. Matilda herself is refreshing, a young “immortal” character, which we don’t often see in urban fantasy. She’s plucky, and impulsive, and not jaded about the world around her and though she’s different, she just is who she is, she doesn’t dwell on her specialness excessively. Plus, the other characters around her weren’t cookie cutter or stereotypes. There was at least some depth to all of them, which added to my enjoyment.

The mystery of HOUSE IMMORTAL was multi-faceted and kept me reading eagerly. I can’t wait to see where Monk takes it next, since there were so many aspects twisting and turning together which resulted in the best reveal at the end. It also wasn’t predictable – I’m pretty sure I actually gasped out loud, I was so surprised.

My one complaint was with the very abbreviated romance plot line. It seemed to me like it was only put there to make the following events more shocking to the reader, and that isn’t a reason for two characters to get together. I would have either appreciated more, or less, but it felt like an afterthought, not something that was being built toward.

With an ending that truly caught me by surprise (hard to do these days!) and a remarkably likable main character, I’m definitely on board for the next book in the House Immortal series, INFINITY BELL, which comes out next year.

This book was AMAZING! I loved it. Great alternate future. Loved the main character, Tilly. Liked the mystery surrounding the Stitched. Enjoyed the quotes from the Journal at the beginning of each chapter. The characters were interesting and likable. The creatures were innovative. I could see the book playing as a movie in my mind. I really enjoyed the Allie Beckstrom series, and Devon's foray into steampunk. This book trumped them all. I am anxiously awaiting the next installment. I also thought the 1 star rating given by the person who didn't even want to read the book was ridiculous.

I like it, but there were things that just couldn't hold my attention. I like this author, and her writing is lovely. It's more the subject matter that failed for me, and that's just preference; but I couldn't give it 5 stars anyhow. I like magic, I like a lot of the intrigue, and politics, but there was just a bit that lost me.

I checked House Immortal out from my local library. It's been awhile since I've read anything by Monk, but the synopsis for her new series caught my attention. This was an excellent start to a fresh, interesting series with unique paranormal ideas. Very cool world-building and plot twists made this story unpredictable (in most cases; some threads in the story were train wrecks you could see approaching a mile away, but you couldn't stop watching). Really fun read!

** A 4.9 Review as posted on KindleObsessed blog **

I posted an article on my Facebook page the other day titled “10 Things That Happen When You Can’t Put A Good Book Down.” The article listed things such as: being late to work, becoming a recluse, neglecting housework and loved ones, all very spot on symptoms of getting wrapped up in something awesome. But it was number one that I quite literally laugh out loud at. Number one was…

Losing track of time.

Why was it so funny?

I’m so glad you asked.

See, Thursday morning (the day before I posted that article) I woke up bored. Honestly, that doesn’t happen very often, but on this particular Thursday morning I woke up with the need to be entertained. Laundry, yard work, even crafting was NOT going to tide me over. So…I picked up my Kindle and started to shuffle through my library. Realizing that I had promised to publish a review for “House Immortal” on the following Tuesday I decided I could kill two birds with one stone. Be entertained while simultaneously knocking an obligation off of my calendar.

As per usual, I sat down in my comfy reading chair (aka: I rolled over in my bed) and set to work. I would read 3-4 chapters, and then carry on with my day.

Seven hours later I looked up.

Having finished the book.

Not once in that seven hours did I get up to pee, eat or even put on actual clothing. I lay..book in hand, for seven straight hours DEVOURING “House Immortal” and now…I am stuck here trying to explain why exactly that was.

Here’s to hoping I can avoid using words like “awesome-sauce” and “fan-freaking-tastic.”

"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.…"

First things first (so you know what it is you are actually signing up to read) “House Immortal” is a well executed mix of Science-Fiction sensibilities (aka: gadgets, abilities….) with a Dystopian kick (“Houses” ie: power, water, agriculture…) Neither genre overpowers the other, and each are spectacularly detailed (when it comes to their specific world-building input.) If you are a fan of both genres listed, you might as well stop reading and just freaking buy the book. You’ll love it.

For those of you that need more convincing? Ok. How about we start with the story and go from there, or more specifically the first sentence. For those of you that are dedicated readers you KNOW that a first sentence can ultimatly make or break your first impression of a book. It usually doesn’t stop you from reading it, but it can spark an interest so overpowering that you just can’t help but keep reading. House Immortal’s first sentance falls into the latter catagory.

“The way I saw it, a girl needed three things to start a day right: a hot cup of tea, a sturdy pair of boots, and for the feral beast to die the first time she stabbed it in the brain.”
I all but dare you to stop reading after that sentence.

But that sentence isn’t where the awesome stops. (Oh crap, I almost said awesomesauce.) Instead, like any good first sentence it just catapults you into a world where (for instance) if you are immortal (due to a crazy experiment 300 years ago) you are a superstar. To bad you are also a slave. A story in which a girl has to choose between saving herself or, you know…saving everyone else.

To be blunt…Tilly (the lead protagonist and only 1 of the narrators in this story) isn’t your average girl. As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t even go so far as to call her a girl at all, despite her age. Instead she is a stitched together blast from the past that lives with a lizard the size of a house, octopus that climb trees and eat apples, and a two headed ranch-hand named Neds. (Yeah, so not kidding about any of what I just said.) Her main purpose in life (up until one kinda handsome bleeding immortal named Abraham shows up on her doorstep) is to live off the grid. Pretend she is someone else when going to town, and help House Brown (the red-headed stepchild house) not disappear into thin air. Everything that happens AFTER Abraham shows up is the bulk of the book, and I don’t want to give it away (that would spoil all the fun) but I will say this… it is action packed and significantly twisty. Everything you think you know going in gets flipped in the last few pages, and up until that point…you don’t even really realize how amazingly plotted and rollercoaster-esq the book actually is. Each line of the story is smooth, and well developed. They overlap each other, coerce each other, and make each other this beautiful bounty of “who should I trust and why?” All (of course) wrapped up in the blanket of total impossibility that feel 100% possible.

Part of that possibility stems from the rather impressive characters.

And since I have stumbled upon the wall of in-eloquence and have no idea how to word this any differently…I’m just going to share exactly what I have in my notes.

But first… a quote so you can get my frame of reference.

“Everything in the room was cleaned, dusted, and rearranged. “So I see you changed the sheets. And the room,” I said. “I got bored.” “You prefer the bed on the opposite wall?” “I prefer the bookshelf in the lower left corner of the room, and the ceiling fan not to be hanging over my head while I sleep.” “OCD?” “Feng shui.” “Is it contagious?” “Hardly anyone gets it.” “All right.” I glance out the window. I’d lost little time down in the basement; the evening light was just starting to fall. “Is there a problem?” he asked. “Not a problem. Night’s coning on soon. Since my farmhand is—” “In the basement burying bodies?” “—busy, I wondered if you’d give me a hand with the beasts.” :You keep farm animals?” “Something like that,” I said “You don’t mind getting a little dirty with me, do you?” The corner of his mouth quirked up. Heat flashed across my cheeks again. Why did I keep saying things like that? “Looking forward to it.” he murmured. “It’s been too long since I got dirty.”

My note: I love the banter that was quickly established between Tilly and Abraham. The same could be said for the Neds. I was instantly drawn to the uniqueness of their character. 1 body, 2 heads, drastically different personalities.

Sounds kind of dry, I know, but you get my point. The characters inside Monk’s story jump from the page. Good or evil you can’t help but be drawn to them, want to know them, their history, their hopes/dreams/fears… especially when a group of them (who have been unable to experience sensation for over 300 years) can suddenly feel EVERYTHING. (It makes for some pretty intense scenes.)

For example, imagine how THIS scene went:

” *** had almost kissed me. And I’d kicked him in the crotch. That was a promising beginning to a ten-year work relationship.”

So, why the 4.9 and not a 5?

Because I’m apparently a total “B.”

There was a scene in the book (well, 2 scenes actually) where 12 of the characters are being introduced to a crowd. And while the introductions were interesting and informative, I couldn’t help but think of several similar scenes in “The Hunger Games.” This is obviously not a huge deal, but it did make me roll my eyes. Hince…the 4.9

At the end of the day though, this book was great, tremendous, formidable, wondrous, ah hell, it was AWESOMESAUCE. (*runs and hides in shame*)

I highly recommend you add this to your TBR. It’s a fun read that is worth every penny.

Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: People are always as they appear.

I love everything Devon Monk has ever written, and this book didn't disappoint. If anything, I was pleasantly surprised! I didn't really think it was "my kind of thing" from the description, but got it because I love Devon's writing. And as usual, she pulled me in from the very first paragraph. In fact, I had a hard time putting this book down long enough to work on my own writing. Can't wait for the next one in the series.

House Immortal is fantastic. I love this authors work but this is her best book yet in my opinion. The blurb isn't great but I don't want to give too much away as it will spoil the story being revealed. I will say that this book is Urban Fantasy but also features time travel. The characters are fab, I really like them. The world building is very original too. Can't recommend it highly enough.

This book was recommended by the store as I read the Devon Monk Broken Magic series, also excellent. This book has a new concept; there is a reference to the original Frankenstein books' writer. Strong woman character, action, some funny stuff that makes me laugh out loud. I enjoyed this book so much I can't wait for more!!!!

Captivating new series, with an awesome kick-ass heroine and beyond original world building. I had a hard time concentrating on work today, knowing House Immortal was waiting to be finished, and can't wait for book 2, which luckily is coming out in 2 weeks.

I will spare you a summary of the book; If you enjoy a great story, an original phantasy world, a strog female character and like it all sprinkled with a bit of romance, this book is for you.
I always wonder why Devon Monk's book have so few reviews - maybe she is a hidden gem among urban fantasy writers.