House of Pain by Karoline Wilde is a gripping story that follows the lives of witches who attend the Venefica Academy. More specifically, the witches dwell in the House of Snakes as one of the five houses in this story. This tale centers around the Games and how everyone involved, including the House of Snakes, includes Val, Blaze, Alessandro, Jolene, and Alecto, who are the inner circle of the house.

This imaginative story is rich in the intensity of human interaction, with lots of love, conflict, and familiar connections. Morals and loyalty all come into question, and the notion of things being black or white is muddled to gray. During the Games, the inner circle accidentally summons a demon to help do their bidding in an attempt to take down the House of Tigers. Their aim becomes complex, impacting their house and creating a darkness that the characters must ultimately face. Actions have consequences.

This action-filled book offers an excellent but dark and complex story that I found interesting. The author creates a unique storyline with lively characters and an exciting plot that’s not too overpowering or complicated. There is just enough complexity within the characters and their dilemmas to give the reader enough action to keep them engaged from the beginning.

House of Pain is an exhilarating dark fantasy romance novel. Readers are taken on a wild ride that kept me turning one page after the next, and I highly recommend this book for its creative, exciting plot and rich character development. Karolina Wilde does a great job setting each scene and adding multiple twists throughout the book. As this is the start of a trilogy, I can not wait to see where things head in book two.

Pages: 476 | ASIN : B0B85KDWKB