Dark academic ✔️
Magic ✔️
Enemies to lovers ✔️
Forbidden love ✔️

The House of Marionne had it all! I always says I don’t read fantasy, but I enjoy it every time I read it 😅

This book was SO tense. I caught myself having to cover the rest of each page so I couldn’t read ahead.

Impatiently waiting for the next book in the series because that ending?! How dare! Twists and a cliffhanger and I was just not prepared!!

Can’t wait to read more!

For as long as she can remember, Quell Marionne and her mother have been on the run from a past that threatens to hunt them down. A poison lurks in Quell’s veins, and even as she accepts the need to change schools and homes frequently—often at a moment’s notice—she desperately wishes for some consistency. A few weeks before her high school graduation, the two must depart again, but this time the enemy is more visible than it has ever been before. And when Quell invokes the power of a necklace she wears and finds herself on the doorstep of her estranged grandmother, she finds herself walking into exactly the world they have been trying to escape.

This intriguing young adult adventure is a good fit for fans of Harry Potter who are ready for similar, yet more mature, storytelling. Quell’s grandmother runs a school for those with magical abilities, and the students there are all equipped with varying skills. Memorable descriptions, unique characters, and ample levels of mystery and danger enhance the forward momentum of the plot, while moments of romance and distrust add layers of intensity to the narrative. Though there are occasions where the narrative advances slowly, the overall story is intriguing enough to continue to the end. The book is told primarily through Quell’s perspective, but another character occasionally makes an appearance that gives readers a sneak peek into the true danger surrounding Quell.

Interestingly, very little time is spent in the real world as this book begins. The narrative shifts quickly to the House of Marionne which, while not providing a lot of time for the foundation to be built, gets readers settled into the meat of the story fairly early on. Since Quell guides the majority of the novel, readers are fully engaged in discovering the truth of the supposed poison in her blood and exactly why there are people out to capture her. And as Quell comes out of her shell and learns more about her magical heritage, readers are more deeply connected to her plight. This is an enjoyable novel for young adult readers, and it is a positive series starter, as well.

Really really basic to the point where I'm not really sure if I enjoyed it. Think a Harry Potter but the main character is even more spaced out than Harry somehow. It just dragged by the end of it and I wanted it to be done. The cover is pretty but that's about all that I can root for.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

House of Marionne has a beautiful cover and I was excited to dive into a YA fantasy world that promised dark academia vibes, debutante balls, and forbidden magic. The writing felt a lot more YA than I generally prefer but if I was like 14 years old, I probably would’ve really enjoyed this. The pacing was also an issue. The beginning was very fast paced, the entire middle really slow, and the end was chaotic. I’m not sure how I felt about the love interest but it wasn’t the worst romance I’ve read.

I think the biggest opportunity was that this book was just trying to do too much. It felt like a huge mash-up of successful YA fantasy reads from the 2010s. I wish there had been some fine-tuning on the plot because it had so much potential. I was also surprised that this is actually urban fantasy, and wished it hadn’t been. It didn’t add to the story and I think I would’ve enjoyed a more high fantasy setting given the stakes. I might feel differently with a stronger emphasis on worldbuilding in following books.

Overall, I think this will greatly appeal to the right demographic. I’m curious to see what happens next and if the synopsis sounds promising, I’m definitely willing to continue this story.

Magic powers, assassins and lots of adventure. Not my favorite story, but it was decent. The main character felt like she took too long to piece things together and figure out the motivations of others. I would have liked a stronger lead to make the story more believable and someone I could root for.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin group for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

~ forbidden dark magic
~ magical boarding school
~ ballgowns, high society and assassins

The blurb for the book really pushed the trope of morally gray characters, enemies to lovers, romance, and dark academia. While I think the introduction to these tropes occurred none were entirely flushed out enough to hook me and keep me reading. Being book one in a duology it felt very unfinished but I am hoping to read the next book in the series when it comes

Quell has been on the run with her mother since she was little. Not from the law or an abusive family member, but rather from a secretive magical world. Quell has a dark power that is outlawed with death as the sentence. She knows little of the magical world that she has left behind, only that if anyone finds out her secret, she is doomed. Only weeks before graduating from high school and hopefully escaping to a warm place with few people, Quell is discovered by those who would kill her. This causes her to unintentionally flee to her grandmother who is headmistress at a magical school. There, without her mom to guide her, she is pulled into a world where she is trying to fit in while keeping her darkest secret buried. Will she fool them all or be caught and face the consequences?

This was a pretty good novel. At times I found the pacing a little rough or the storyline a little weak but overall an engaging novel with an underlining good story. The premise of how magic works, is taught and is regulated is interesting and can totally be expanded on. It definitely was an enjoyable read and I am looking forward to see where it goes next. A good slow burn love interest is always a nice treat. A fun twist at the end too. 3 stars.

Review based on a digital Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by Penguin Young Readers Group/Razorbill and NetGalley. Thank you!

When I started this book i was sucked into the world and the high stakes life of Quell. Someone who has magic that cannot be trusted according to the magic welders, however Quell is the granddaughter of one of the major magic houses. She was whisked away from the world of magic when she was just a toddler and than risking dying or entering into a new world of magic and ceremony and tradition.

However, while the concept was intriguing the execution was not there. The book had pacing issues, but may be because this is an unedited proof. I feel like the characters were not fleshed out in a way that differentiated them from each other so I kept mixing up Teachers and some side characters.

I think this book also read on the younger side of YA than what i was hoping.

Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin Group for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.

2/5 ⭐️
I was initially intrigued by the premise of this story and some of the early reviews, unfortunately, I ended up DNFing this book around the 15% mark. While this book sadly ended up not being for me, I definitely think it will be enjoyed by others, for instance, if you enjoyed The Selection series.
From what I read, I would describe this book as being similar to The Selection with its whole debutante season, but with magic and secret societies. But also like with The Selection, it felt on the younger side and a tad cheesy at times. The style of writing feels very similar to The Selection and the books popular during that time.
For me, I couldn’t get past the over-the-top characters, they felt almost caricature-like. Like a caricature you would get drawn on vacation, there’s a few traits that are over-inflated, but there lacks a depth, even with the main character. If I was beta reading or editing this story, I probably would’ve also recommended altering the beginning. I would’ve cut the prologue since it’s not our narrator and honestly was not necessary. And I liked this idea that she and her mom have been on the run, but like she seemed to be way too much in the dark? I don’t know. I just know I kept putting this arc down to read other ones and would have to force myself to go back. But again, I would definitely recommend this to others, it just wasn’t for me.
Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin Group for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy! All opinions and thoughts are my own.

The first 20% had me immediately hooked and I could barely put it down because of all the action occurring. The story then starts to slow down once Quell relocates and slowly ramps up about 80% in. After that ending, I'd give this title a solid 3.5 stars.

I really enjoyed the characters (esp. Jordan and his powers) and Quells quick thinking when it came to controlling her magic and keeping her secret. But, I needed more world building and characterization. I could tell you what Jordan looks like with my eyes closed, but I couldn't tell you what Quell looks like outside of her hair length and (spoiler alert) her diadem. I did enjoy how nuanced and complex her relationship with her mom is and how that shapes her every action but I also wanted to know more about the two of them. It felt like the mom she knew was this 2-dimensional being.

I really enjoyed the book and am excited to read the next one but I do hope it brings more in terms of world building and characterization.

House of Marionne by J. Elle is YA dark fantasy, following Quell, who’s been on the run for as long as she can remember because of her magic. She has toushana, a dark, chaotic magic that people have been hunted throughout history because of. The book opens with her running from her life, again, because of that toushanna.

The novel is billed as “a must-read for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Sarah J. Maas, and Bridgerton.” None of which I’d agree with. Bardugo’s Ninth House is a somewhat similar aesthetic with a dark, gritty aesthetic, but Marionne doesn’t have the same subtlety of darkness. The opening scene punched me in the face with it and it did eventually let up, to be lost entirely in a world of sparkling magic and Cotillion. I appreciate what Elle was attempting to accomplish, but those comparable books did not help my expectations.

I thought the world building was interesting–I really liked that it takes place in the debutante world of the U.S. south. It was ambiguous enough that it could have taken place anywhere, so I got to put my own location on it. It felt like our world Cotillion where there’s an undercurrent of cutthroatedness and attributing that to magic. There was no peer antagonist and that might have helped bring out that aspect of the Chateau Soleil moer.

As for characters: Quell was okay. She did act like an unpredictable teenager at times, but she picked up the magic and the world VERY quickly for having been on the run from it her whole life. I found the main love interest, Jordan, to be pretty dull. He had little personality beyond dark and brooding, and I didn’t find their chemistry that great. The most interesting character to me is Yagrin and I’m actually curious to know where his arc goes.

Overall, it was a good idea but with middling execution. It’s a decent read and while I would read the next in the series to find out what happens, I’m in no rush.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for allowing me to read this book as an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Pros:
- Fantasy that takes place in the Southern US. I love it!
- Strong authorial voice.
- Around the halfway point starts to get good and harder to put down.
- I liked how the story came full circle, even if it felt a little unfinished.

Cons:
- Drops the reader right into the world with high-impact action when I don’t yet know who Quell is or care about her.
- General pacing issues, though that might have been because I read an uncorrected proof.
- Heavy handed with the world building. It was fine since Quell was new to the world too, but at times a certain thing would happen and within a few pages a history lesson would be delivered, so it was easy to see what is going to be relevant later in the story.
- Some character issues. For example, there was no true antagonist Quell’s age. It felt…off that she would walk into school and be universally loved, especially given her high status. Particularly because there is a potential antagonist that is just glossed over and mentioned at the end. Also, there was a character early on (Rose) that felt like wasted potential as she was there for just a short time. Instead of getting us invested in her, I would have loved to see an antagonist or one of the other named characters mention that Rose didn’t emerge after X amount of time (I read an uncorrected proof so the amount differed) before we saw her expelled for it.
- I also don’t get the 2nd POV yet (though I find the character the most interesting). It opens with that person’s POV and closes with it, but the person is not the main love interest, so I still don’t know why we get snippets every so often.

V GOOD. she picked up the magic so fast it made no sense. also i feel like the entire book happened in the span of like a month. buttttt. i loved jordan (past tense) and Quell. I liked the magic of this world so much. I was so engaged in the book the entire time. Great ending, I need the next one

House of Marionne by J. Elle is a young adult fantasy with an emphasis on young. The story begins with a young woman, Quell who has been hiding out her entire life, attempting to conceal her dark magic called toushana, that she knows nothing about except that it's bad. She is forced to seek sanctuary with her estranged Grandmom who just so happens to be a head mistress of a magical school for debutantes. After learning about her elite status amongst the other debutantes and learning to wield her magic, she struggles with which side of her to feed into...the proper magic she is being taught or the dark toushana in her that refuses to stay quiet.

I really wanted to love this story, but it really fell flat. The character development is lacking as well as the world building and explanation of the magic system. There was also some weird almost sexual innuendos when the FMC was using her magic, specifically when Jordan was around. Awkward. I don't feel like I know or understand the story or characters any better after reading the book. The premise of the book was awesome, but the execution failed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Quell Marionne, her entire life all she has known is being on the run with her mother until one day she stumbles on hunters “Dragun”. They are searching for magic user with Toushana (dark magic), and that’s exactly what Quell must hide about herself. On the run she must split up from her mother and the only place she can think of going is to her grandmom, at House of Marionne. She decides she must learn to use her magic in order to be reunited with her mother, so she must hide her Toushana and play by the rules. Jordan, a Dragun in training, is her partner but can she trust him? Or her feelings for him? Will her newfound friends be able to help her? Why did her mother leave this place of such luxury to be on the run anyways? She needs to search for the answers and navigate the world of the wealthy magic elite, but will she be strong enough?

“House of Marionne” by J. Elle is one of the greatest book I’ve ever read. I’m still reeling from the last half of the book. The characters are so perfect, and the world sucked me in right away. I want to live in this universe she wrote and cannot wait for the second book. I gave it a 5 out of 5 stars but I wished I could give it more. This will be forever one of my favorite books. It’s YA so there’s not any spice but the slow burn is so good. Quell was relatable and I support her decisions one hundred percent. I just could not get enough of the book and everything in it. Every single thing was absolutely perfect.

follow J. Elle on Instagram and whenever she was drafting this book, I knew I had to check it out. It’s about Quell who had to hide her magic and must negotiate her path. I love a good fantasy book and this one didn’t disappoint. It was well-written when it came to terms with the plot and pacing. The setting was also well developed but the world-building could have been better. There were pieces missing of the world that didn’t clear up for me and I’m not sure if it will be in the future book. I liked the YA feel of this book and the way that the story kept on making me want more.

This book follows Quell and I really enjoyed her character. She has certain powers that no one can know about until someone does but I enjoyed reading her story. She was very well developed and I can tell so much more is in store for her. I have to say that for a fantasy book, not many side characters stuck to me except Jordan as he was the love interest. The romance was okay as it was more instant love enemies to lovers. I love enemies to lovers but not when it happens so quickly in the story that chemistry is not developed.

The ending was well done though and the book does make me want to know what happens next. I did have some minor issues but overall the book was very well written. It’s a long book and I do wish the world-building was better but I hope to see more in the next book.

*this arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

This is a sad DNF @35% mark, I really had high hopes for this book but this isn’t doing it for me. I believe the massive problem I had with this one is that it is a mishmash of too many well loved books that I felt like it lacked originality to the plot, in the hopes of making it mysterious with secret societies and magical school the author only complicated the book by not developing the magic system or the world fully. At almost 40% I was way beyond confused about the works of the world the book is set against, it sounded like urban fantasy with hidden magical societies but there were times magic happens in the wide open. The world itself ended up being ambiguous as if a lot of information is being withheld on purpose to create intrigue but unfortunately it only led me to lose interest in it. At almost 40% I'd expect a villain and a motive to be established but other than a random POV (that is easily forgettable) from a character who appears to be assassin who simply states has orders from someone to kill the MC , I did not feel like there is a good antagonist

The writing was also not consistent for me, at times it is too middle grade for me (especially where they grow magical tiara's on their head after the first trial) and at times it had qualities of YA fantasy, I am not sure if I'd shelve it as high fantasy either. The sessions at this magical school include etiquette classes and transfiguration which is just a big no for me, even the characters didn't help keep the plot engaging.They are equally confusing and lacks depth, I believe this book still appeals to certain set of audience but unfortunately I am not the right one. Thanks to penguin teen for me ARC!

I will be doing a blog post and Instagram post on Pub day!

This novel is told from Quell’s perspective as well as a character named Yargin.I enjoyed Quells character and how she decided to embrace her magic and the darkness inside of her instead of conforming to the society that she was in. She made big choices that went against the grain and grew throughout the novel. Yargin was a confusing character to me and I started to become annoyed with his perspective. I felt like his purpose in the novel felt unnecessary at first but was glad that I kept reading.

Normally when I read fantasies I am able to escape into the book. For some reason I had a really hard time picturing myself in this novel for a majority of it. Some parts of the world building were very well done and explained while others felt out of place and confusing.

I didn't feel the spark between Jordan and Quell as much as I was hoping. While Jordan did have this dark shadow thing going for him he was a little bland. I did however enjoy Abby and Quells friendship as it developed. Abby was her roommate who was in her second rite about to pass her third.

The ending really threw me for a loop and was probably my favorite part of the book. About halfway through this book I thought that I probably wouldn't read the second one if there was one, but that cliffhanger had me immediately going to the author's Instagram to see if there was any update on when book two would be out.

I have also found myself rooting for a different character to end up with Quell. There are so many directions the author can take book two and I can’t wait to see what happens.

3.5

I was really excited by this book and absolutely could not wait to read it. Unfortunately it fell a bit short for me in a couple different areas.
Firstly it felt way too long. It drug a lot of different sections out that really didn't need it. There was a lot of inconsequential stuff in between all the substance.
The magic system was really confusing. There was so much going on with it that it was really hard to keep track of but at the same time felt too much like Hogwarts.
Lastly it felt really young young adult. Much more than I was expecting.
The last 70% things really picked up and it brought most of the story together in a way that I can easily give it three stars.

House of Marionne, mining from enduring YA tropes and conventions, had so much potential that could have been focused into some thoughtful genre innovation, but alas, this book just felt confused about what it should be. A Bridgerton-esque romantic social drama? A Game of Thrones-style political fight? A classic girl-has-magic-must-save-the-world YA fantasy in the vein of Shadow and Bone? An atmospheric fantasy reminiscent of Stephanie Garber’s books? With the sheer amount of marketing, hype, and comps thrown out there about this book, I expected it to deliver on at least one aspect, and somehow it fell flat with all of them.

The beginning started off strong, with just the right amount of accessible worldbuilding and mystery to keep me intrigued as the main character, Quell, fell into the magical, polite societal world of the Order. J.Elle handled the urban fantasy genre well, blending modern-day with an interesting undercurrent of magic. But once Quell arrived at her grandmother’s chateau/magic school, it all fell downhill. The magic school felt oddly like Hogwarts, the explanations for the sociocultural structure of the Order were flimsy at best, and the characters were all bland. All aspects had thematic potential but were all glossed over in favor of stuffing as many familiar/marketable elements as possible. In particular, I wish the implications of the debut culture were explored more, either as a way of reclaiming power or commenting on the exclusive and discriminatory nature of such traditions.

Unfortunately, every element of the book, from plot to characters to atmosphere, suffers from this inability to commit to an idea or trope. It lurched indecisively between romance, magic school, politcking, and self-discovery, and couldn’t even decide if it wanted to be plot-driven (stakes arising from magic) or character-driven (stakes arising from Quell’s need to belong). Quell herself was a cookie-cutter protagonist that I couldn’t bring myself to invest in because she felt like an amalgamation of every other popular YA FMC. I mean, even her name kind of evokes “not-like-other-girls” (it’s short for Raquell and pronounced “kel” but that’s only revealed at 50% so I spent the entire book calling her “quell,” verb-style). Her evolving romantic relationship with Jordan (MMC) is limited to physical proximity until halfway through they start spending time together because the book is marketed as having a swoony romance; their love confessions felt unearned and for the sake of delivering on the pitch. The side characters were all forgettable because they only served to help Quell and had no clear motivations of their own. And just when I thought House was going to commit to a pure character-driven plot, a villain pops up with little foreshadowing.

Another thing that really bothered me was what an absolute slog it was to get through this. It’s nearly 100 pages too long and full of dialogue that should have been cut, including entire transition scenes that could be handled in a few sentences. The dialogue almost reminded me of a transcription--it was as if Elle was merely transcribing the characters speaking. The writing skewed younger YA or upper middle grade, which felt like a strange choice given the somewhat more mature and nuanced talk about privilege and nepotism in the last 25%.

Ultimately, this book wasn’t for me and I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re in the mood for a familiar hodge-podge of YA tropes. I can see why this book is getting marketed so heavily as it contains every up-market, high-concept YA element that sells good enough to get on the NYT bestseller list. Unfortunately, in an ever-competitive YA fantasy field that demands new takes or refreshing spins on familiar elements, House of Marionne reads more like a teen Netflix series: all vibes and little substance.

2/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Razorbill (Penguin Young Readers) for the e-ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC and Penguin Teen and Penguin Random House Audio for the complimentary audiobook and hardcover copy. All opinions are my own.

House of Marionne by J. Elle is a book full of deadly secrets, magical boarding schools, debutantes, and forbidden romance.

This is the first book in a new trilogy by the author of The Wings of Ebony duology. This story follows Quell (pronounced kell), a girl with a deadly secret that takes refuge at her grandma’s magical school. While most chapters are told from Quell’s point of view, some chapters are told from a mystery character named Yagrin.

I loved the atmosphere of this book and the world the author created. The private magical schools are very elite and full of etiquette. They have to present themselves in a certain way and follow rules in order to become members.

The magic system is interesting, and I’m curious to learn more about it in the next books since the author left some parts a mystery.

The romance was so cute, and I loved Quell’s roommate. I hope to see more of them in the rest of the series.

My least favorite part of the story was Quell’s grandmother because she was so awful and controlling.

The only major critique I have is that this book leaves a lot of things unanswered, and so many parts of this world are still a bit confusing. I imagine that the rest of the series will help with these aspects though.

I definitely recommend you give this book a try if you love romantasy, danger, and magical schools.