This was a fun and decently-paced read. It starts off fast and then slows down once Quell is out of danger for a while. I liked the chemistry between the leads, Quell and Jordan, and especially liked the development of their friendship first.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!
A beautifully written dark academia tale full of magic, secrets, a forbidden love, and at its heart, finding your place in the world that would feel like home.
Quell has been on the run with her mother for as long as she can remember due to the forbidden magic she has thrumming in her veins called Toushana. She doesn't know what it feel like to be safe, or to have a sense of home even as her and mother bounce from hotel room to hotel room. She dreams of one day finding a place on the beach to live with her mother in peace, and away from the cursed magic that does not want.
One day, in the Marketplace, she is found and pursued by a group called the Draguns. The try to kill her, and she successfully gets away from them back to her mother. Her mother packs up overnight, and decides then that the only place she can be safe at all would be with her Grandmother in the House of Marionne, where she had run away from in the first place. But there's a caveat. She can only be safe there as long as she hides her Toushana. To reveal it would mean certain death for her.
Upon her arrival, she meets Jordan on accident, as he tried to stop her from entering the house, mistaking her for an intruder. Right away, he finds that there's something different about her, and right away, she does not like him. She meets her Grandmother, who is excited to see that her rightful heir as returned. From then on, Quell enters a secretive boarding school of magic, learning the tricks of her trade, and what the people she has run away from is all about. She feel comfortable and confident here. However, the one problem is that they only know her as she wants them to see her. They do no know of her Toushana, and thus brings the conflict.
House of Marrionne introuduces us to a world of a secretive magical society, one that his further shrouded by scandal and mystery. There is a sphere that controls all magic in the world, and for an unknown reason, there is a crack to it which means its weakening. The threat of this sphere means a threat to all magic in the world, which would be wiped out for fifty years.
So why four stars? I love that I'm introduced to such a wonderul, magical world with a polished, beautiful facade, but I feel like this could have been explained a little more. I feel like I don't have a good grasp on the Houses and what they're for as well as a few scenes in which Yagrin's POV is seen. I'm hoping more of this would be explained in the next book.
I'm also not really buying Jordan and Quell's romance. Yes, I understand the reasons for which Jordan has to stay away from her and can't get close, but I expect more chemistry, more banter, more tension. I feel like the romance fizzles before it even sizzles. Jordan is kind of boring with not a whole lot of personality, although I know he's supposed to be brooding and mysterious. Meh. Maybe the relationship with Quell and Jordan will be more interesting in the second book.
There were also moments that kind of dragged throughout the book, and I read alot of explaining things but I don't feel like I have a much better grasp on the magic system.
Overall, I love the dark academia feeling with the mystery element to it. I can also identify with Quell's struggle to belong in a world she really does not fit into, feeling like she has to lie in order to belong, but then coming to a decision to be true to herself and allow her dark magic to breathe. The ending was very exciting, and all came together full circle, opening the way to the second book.
If you love dark academia, love magic, love a good mystery with a dash of intrigue, this book is for you!

I was immediately intrigued in this upcoming YA title on social media and so I was excited to see it on here. However, while I feel like I should have been the perfect audience, this story just didn’t connect with me and I didn’t find myself truly enjoying reading. I’m sure that there will be people who will love it , this one sadly was just not for me. I really appreciate the chance to read this one in advance.

This story started out so strong! It was engaging and mysterious and dramatic. Unfortunately, after the first several chapters, it devolves into a YA love story with a young unmothered girl being preyed upon and this is presented as romance. Quite sad to think that impressionable people will think this is the way love should be - if people treat you badly, it's NOT because they secretly love you.
Besides that upsetting story premise, the drama doesn't hold up throughout the storyline. It's seems to ebb and flow with some chapters he-said / she-said back and forth dialog and some chapters are more chase and fight scenes.

Toushana. The poison that lurks in Quell's blood. The reason she's been on the run for years, her mom always uprooting them at a moment's notice. Until now. Now, after running into one of the Dragun, hunters and assassins after those who wield Toushana, her mom has sent her away. To a crumbling safe house. Quell's last shot at safety is returning to the Grandmom they fled from years ago.

Her grandmom's estate is not a family home. It's a school, to train the most powerful of magic users and induct them into society. Over the course of 3 tasks, each student learns to call upon their magic, learn to fit into their society that dwells on the edges of modern society, and bond with their preferred magical gift. It's said that the more you use a certain type of magic, the harder others are to call upon. Could this be the answer, after all these years? A way to rid herself of Toushana, to blend in and not be hunted anymore. To be part of a society, welcome and involved, not forever on the edges.

This was my first induction into J. Elle's books, and her way of describing magic, and how it's used, was one that I found myself enthralled with. The tiaras and masks made little sense at first, and I'll admit I wasn't drawn in by the first few chapters. However, by page 150 I was already needing a sequel, and couldn't help myself from telling others to watch out for this book, to keep their eyes open for when it came out!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

🗡️ Magical School
🗡️ Forbidden Magic
🗡️ Secret Society

I had such a fun time reading House of Marionne! I loved the dark atmosphere that J. Elle created in this book. The magic system and society are very interesting, and I enjoyed following along with Quell as she learned about magic and the society she belongs to.

I liked the little bit of romance we got!

J. Elle did an amazing job using dual POV through the book, and I found the other character helped to create a more complex and intricate plot throughout the book.

I am so excited to see where this series goes, I will for sure pick up a finished copy of House of Marionne.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantasy!

As soon as I started the book the atmosphere was tense and I was thrown into the scene immediately. This story follows a 17 year old girl named Quell, who is on the run from a life she has never known. All she knows is that she has dark magic (toushana) within her and that it can never be released . Quell must go through 3 levels (rites ) and a cotillion in order to discover the magic she has within her. While also discovering the family she is tied to by blood, may not be the family she wants to be apart of. Quell must do her own research in order to undercover the real truth of the House of Marionne. What started as a young reserved girl trying to blend into the background, ends up being a girl who no longer wants to hide again.

In this story you will find forbidden love/friendship, MAGIC, self discovery, found family, and plenty of secrets and treachery.

Once I found out this is to be a series I understood why I was longing for more from the story. J. Elle has an amazing way of grabbing the reader and really allowing you to understand what it is that she is imagining while writing the story. She gives so much to her world building without leaving you feeling overwhelmed. This story gives you a unique magic system mixed with a coming out to society premise. I look to forward to seeing what the next book has in store as this one is left with so many questions unanswered.


This is my honest review.
Thank you Netgalley & J. Elle for the Arc

While I appreciate the opportunity to read this, unfortunately I am not going to be able to due to the ARC formatting. It's choppy and hard to follow. :[

House of Marionne is a fast-paced, gripping fantasy full of magic, romance, friendship, and betrayal. The book takes place in an equally glamorous and dangerous world where those who have magic are able to train at one of four academies (houses). Upon debuting, one binds with their magic and enters an elite society. While Quell has always known she has a sort of magic, she's been told that it must remain a secret, that discovery of her magic would be fatal. In an effort to remain hidden, Quell and her mother have been constantly on the move. Unfortunately, just as Quell thinks they will finally be able to settle down, she is discovered. Now on the run again, Quell flees to her Grandmother's house, which just happens to be one of the academies where those with magic train. Quell enters a world she knows nothing about. In the midst of reuniting with her grandmother and meeting a ton of new people, Quell must learn about magic and what makes her magic different from everyone elses. And the person assigned to train her is someone who would kill her instantly if they knew about her true magic.

I thoroughly enjoyed House of Marionne. The characters are all morally gray and well-developed. In particular, I loved Jordan and Abby. I found Yagrin to be fascinating, and while we only had a few chapters in his POV, I found myself looking forward to them. I absolutely did not see the twist at the end coming, and thought it was very well executed. I'm definitely looking forward to book two and hope that there will be a bit more spice in the sequel.

House of Marionne glitters with betrayal, mystery, darkness, and romance. I was instantly captivated by this modern-day YA Fantasy.

Quell essentially stumbles into this world of ballgowns, secret societies, and forbidden magic. She's been on the run with her mother for the majority of her life and is completely clueless about her own magic. You learn about the unique magic system and the whole world built around it with Quell as you read so there's no info dumping. As the FMC, Quell is strong and determined, not easily swayed which I absolutely loved. It's a welcome change to most YA main characters. The romance aspect I could take or leave...I just couldn't vibe with Jordan so that part felt a little flat for me personally.

The magic, I LOVE the magic and the mysteries surrounding the magical school. That is the best part of this whole book. How the magic is woven into the coursework...daggers and diadems...and how Quell progressed and warred with her magic, it was a fun experience!

I feel like this book has all the tropes thrown in and while it kind of works, it also felt a little messy at times. The writing didn't flow as well as I'd hoped with such a lush, magical story and I found myself needing to reread passages just to see if I missed something. With that said, the last Yagrin chapter (I am shook!) really tied up most of the questions and confusion I had through the story and left me salivating for the next book!


Overall, an enjoyable read if you love ALL the tropes...
Forbidden/dark magic
Friends to lovers to enemies
Mentor/mentee
Secret societies
Social elites
Magical school
Morally grey characters


Thank you PenguinTeen for the ARC to read and honestly review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Razorbill for the opportunity to read this egalley for my honest review.
I love magic. It's what drew me into the Harry Potter books and kept me loving the series until the very end. That's why I had to pick this book up. The description sat right in my heart with a special school just for magic. I had such high hopes and was excited to jump in and begin a new series that would take me to that place I love. Plus, the blurb talks about Bardugo, and how could I not want to read something that was geared towards her fans.
Unfortunately, I stopped reading this book at 60% of the way through. I tried, I really did. I wanted to love it. But nothing was drawing me back in. Nothing was pulling at me to keep going.
The good...
The concept of this book is great. Dark academia. I love the idea of the different types of magic, of weilding magic, of learning to hone magic. Who doesn't want to have such abilities. And a character who has to hide her true self to survive is one I often can truly connect with. Plus a forbidden love or enemies to lovers is always a great little tidbit to throw on the plate.
But besides the concept, nothing really kept me in the story.
The Bad:
I just could not connect with the main character, Quill or her story. Nothing she did or said made me have any empathy for her. I found her whiney and annoying. She repeated the same thing with each chapter. She let her darkness consume her, but not in a good way where she was learning to utilize it in a way to overcome her predicament. Maybe that happens later, but nothing changed by 60% and I can't stick with a character who has no true development by that point in the book.
The plot seemed like it would be good, but it's really just the main character complaining about hiding her dark side in every single chapter. It was non-stop. We didn't need to be reminded constantly. She's kept in the dark, or so it seems, but at the same time kind of knows about the magic, but we don't get any sense of the before. There's no real background to make me want to stay and find out what will happen in the end. Plus I was confused by the world building, or lack there of. I had zero suspension of disbelief. Plus I felt like the story lacked clarity . So much potential unfulfilled.
The pacing of the book was another issue for me. It was just so slow. There was no action to help me turn the pages. Nothing to look forward to. I was honestly just bored.
I'm sure there are others who will like this book (and the series that follow) but I was just not a fan.

Thank you NetGalley for granting me access to the book in exchange for an honest review!

This title pulled me in through both its synopsis and cover. It had a lot of potential, and I expected an upper YA dark academia fantasy. I really thought it was right up my alley! Unfortunately, this one reads more middle grade than it does YA. I quickly realized I was not the target audience, and it just isn't the book for me.

If you're a younger fantasy reader, I definitely recommend you give this one a shot!

*Review to be posted on Instagram during the month of release (August). @acaffeinated_bookworm*

DNF 45%

I had high expectations for this book. I read "Wings of Ebony" by this author a few years ago and enjoyed it.

I liked the beginning, it was really intriguing, but the plot just got a lot slower towards the middle. I also haven't picked up this book in about 3 weeks, and I have so many other books I can read instead of forcing myself through this one.

I wish I loved this book, but unfortunately, I didn't.

I enjoyed the pacing and the world-building that surrounds this story. The pacing, the romance, it all kept me inside the story and I'm looking forward to finding out more as the series progresses.

HOUSE OF MARIONNE has been super hyped up, and I was really looking forward to it! Unfortunately, it didn't quite hit the mark for me. I think others may enjoy it, but it wasn't quite my cup of tea. We follow Quell, who has spent her entire life on the run with her mother from those who hunt her for her darker magic. The story kicks off when Quell seeks shelter at her grandmother's House/school, where she learns about (good) magic and trains alongside others while uncovering secrets about the world of magic and the Order. I typically like books set in the world of academia--especially of the magical variety--and that's one of the aspects I did really enjoy about this book. The first half really drew me in and kept my interest, but after the halfway point I got bored and felt like there was a lot to keep track of in terms of the Order and its politics, the budding romance, and different types of magic, and therefore none of it felt like it was done to its full extent. There was also a minor second plot line and I didn't understand where it came into play; only the last portion of this perspective tied into the story at all. I think this has promise, but I didn't love it.

Quell has spent her entire life on the run in order to hide her deadly magic. When someone unmasks her secret, she and her mothers' lives become threatened. She flees to the Order, a debutante society of magical social elites, to stay hidden but must leave her mother behind. Quell plans to escape the Order as soon as she deems it safe, but once she learns of their three rites of membership, an opportunity presents itself. If she can pass all three, she will tuck her magic away forever. Otherwise, if anyone catches her, they'll kill her.

House of Marionne is an enthralling young adult fantasy with mystical boarding schools, fatal secrets, and deadly magic. Think dark academia but for YOUNG young adults. Quell’s story reeled me in within the first few chapters and held my interest for the majority of the book. I got slightly bored toward the end because the plot felt dragged out. Watching Quell discover who she wants to be and grow more confident in herself, especially toward the end, was a lot of fun. Perhaps because the book is in Quell’s POV, the writing wasn’t particularly grand or remarkable, but it was still enjoyable. There were also a few ill-explained time jumps throughout the story that left me a bit puzzled. I had to continue reading before I could realize the timeline of events.

I was intrigued by the Order as it’s described as extremely powerful and influential, but there was a lack of explanation for it being so. There wasn’t much history behind the Houses, and this would’ve been something fun to explore and better understand. It’s difficult to fear a high society when I’m unaware of its biography.

I sadly didn’t find myself buzzing with excitement over the romance, but it's possible this was just laying the foundation for a relationship that will develop further. I'm sure there's plenty more in store for the characters. Although the story revolves around Quell (and Jordan), I found myself more fascinated by Yagrin despite him only having a few chapters. Since he had a short presence in the book, it felt out of place. There was a lot of potential for his character, and I think he could’ve played a larger role in the story. Nevertheless, the ending feels promising that Yagrin will become an important character in the next book. I’m unsure if I’d want to continue reading this series unless Yagrin does, in fact, help shape the narrative in book two, which in that case, I'd be interested in seeing how the rest of the story plays out.

Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Teen for sending me an e-ARC of this book! All opinions are my own.

So there was a lot to like here, but also a lot to be frustrated with.
First the good. The tension is HIGH in this books. The stakes are life and death for Quell at all times, so that really kept me turning the page (sometimes with dread). I initially really liked the relationship between Quell and Jordan as a slow burn, high tension thing that morphed first into a nice friendship.
That being said, the pacing was strange. The timeline was overly condensed I think, which made Quell’s progression with magic seem super unrealistic. Plus the debutant/Cotillion aspect with the houses and the Order didn’t fully work for me. And quite honestly the end got really messy. The actions of the characters just felt off in order to force the plot. We KNOW the whole time (because we know how these books work) that Quell’s secret is going to be outed and it’s going to be bad. And everything from that point really got messy with reveals and twists.
Overall, I’ll go with 3.5 stars because I was pretty engaged and entertained. I just think the execution could have been better.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a requested copy to review. All opinions are my own.

✨Book Review✨ ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

First off I love the cover! Quell and her Mom have been running her whole life trying to hide the dangerous magic flowing through Quell’s veins.

After being discovered by the Dragun Assassins and having to split up from mom, Quell joins a debutante society of magical social elites called The Order. If she can pass their 3 rites of membership she’ll be able to bury her Toushana forever.


Let’s just say I enjoyed this so much! From the beginning I was wrapped up in the characters 💕😊

I received a copy through NetGalley for review.

Quell Marionne and her mother have been on the run almost her entire life, hiding from other's who also possess magic. But Quell possesses the kind that the other's- The Order fear the most. Toushana, dark magic, magic of the Darkbringers. Magic that is unpredictable and destructive if not used carefully, its carriers are usually killed before their magic can turn them dark and possess them.

Quell's mother hasn't told her everything about the world she comes from, only that the best way to keep each other safe from the people looking for them is to keep moving, always moving.
When someone gets close, her mother panics and sends Quell to a safe house, hoping it'll still be there, but having been finally let in on information on her Grandmother and the magical boarding school she runs, she turns to her, since family might be the safest place without her mother.

Quell has landed smack in the middle of The Order and her grandmother's the Headmistress of a powerful house and empire and Quell's about to become her Heir if she doesn't watch out. Trying to hide her dark power and fit into a world and power structure she knows absolutely nothing about.

Overall I really enjoyed this one, it had a cool new world structure of those with power and the hoops they have to jump through to exist in it. Graduating from one of the houses, puts you in access to the most powerful people in the world and access to their entire world. Everything at your fingertips if you can survive.

This was an enjoyable fantasy read. It had all the elements for a good fantasy (magic system, forbidden romance, and a mission the character needs to go on). This book was entertaining but I felt the pacing was a little slow at times. Some of the events/elements of the story could have benefited from more thorough explanations. Overall I did enjoy this book and am interested in reading any sequels.