I was really excited for this book and it had so much promise. I struggled to want to keep reading but I did push through and finish. I gave it three stars because it was kind of confusing and the plot didn’t really ever fully develop as much as I wanted it too. I felt like it was also a little younger in age than it was advertised. There’s still hope for book 2 if the plot is fleshed out and more questions are answered.

Cursed with dark magic known as toushana, Quell has spent her life on the run, hiding from those who want her dead. When she ends up at her grandmother’s home, her world is tipped upside down with this new world of magic and etiquette. Determined to keep her toushana a secret, Quell will do anything to blend in, bind herself to good magic and find her place in the world. But the boarding school isn’t all that it seems and being the heir to the house leaves her exposed, with danger lurking just around the corner. Bridgerton meets dark academia in this new YA novel by J. Elle.

The idea of the book is good. A magic boarding school acting as a debutante society is certainly a unique concept. While I can see how this book appeals to some, I found it kind of lacking overall. To start, the book is somehow heavy on world building while also leaving a lot of plot holes. The magic system was underdeveloped and/or under explained. The concept was interesting, but I wanted to know more. The concept of the world was also interesting, but was just too much to get through without enough explanation. While I understand this is partly because our narrator has holes in her understanding as well, I just didn’t care for it. I wished we had seen those holes filled as the novel progressed, instead of increasingly opening new holes.

I struggled with the characters as well. Quell felt very young for her age, making questionable decisions and generally being incredibly naive. I found myself bored with her as a narrator. The characters as a whole just didn’t catch my attention. The all acted quite like Quell, in that they all felt naive and incredibly young for their ages. I found the romance to be immature, rushed and stilted. What could have been an epic build up from enemies to lovers is instead a rushed enemies to friends to lovers in a span of pages.

I wish this book had delivered a little more on what the summation promised. I maybe just wasn’t the right audience for it overall.

Thank you to Netgalley and PenguinTeen for sending me an early copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

I have loved J Elle's writing from the moment I read my first words from her, and she continues to not disappoint! This is a story that grabs you with the glitz and glamor and then keeps you there for the tale of overcoming generational trauma. I loved Quell from the start, and watching her grow into who she's not only meant to be, but who she wants to be, was such a treat. She is such a strong character, and she is finding her strength in places she never expected, and I can't wait to see where her story goes.

The romance felt a little stiff to me, but based on the ending, I'm wondering if that was purposeful and really want to know where that particular storyline is going to go next. The book also felt a bit younger than what it was marketed as, but I think that it matched with Quell's own story and her journey of growth.

The plot twists just kept coming, and though a couple of them were expected, I really found myself flying through the end of the book and needing to know more right this second. I loved the way the world really started to reveal itself and all of its secrets, and I can't stop thinking about what might be coming next!

If you're a fantasy lover, you need to get your hands on this sparkling new world!

Magic and dark academia combine in this ya fantasy. The betrayal, secrets, twists and turns were so intriguing. If I needed to make a colour palette for this book it would be magenta and morally grey. The world-building was unique and well done. I would have loved a little more of a character-driven plot or some more character growth but I thought what was there, was great. This is definitely the book to pick up if you are a fan of dresses, danger, and debutantes from a unique ya lens.

Thank you to PenguinTeen Canada and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

House of Marionne by J. Elle is the book of the year. J never and when I say NEVER disappoints. This book was so damn good. The plot was so good, the world building was beyond anything I every seen before. The characters was so well rounded. J left me wanted more. I remember when she talked about the plot of this book when I was apart of her street team and watching her face light up and now to see it in the world and see it in action I couldnt be more proud of her and all her accomplishment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for an e-ARC of this book!

I have been a fan of J.Elle since her debut, so I was thrilled to read House of Marionne. It is the story of Quell, who has been on the run her entire life in order to hide her dark magic from the world. She winds up back at her grandmother's house, which happens to be a magical finishing school of sorts. Quell is then swept up into the magical world, but has to fight to suppress the dark magic within her while also trying not to fall for her mentor, Jordan.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and have already preordered a copy for my classroom library. It's a great book for readers new to fantasy who maybe aren't quite up to intense and complicated world building, and/or don't want romance to be the main focus of the story. The ending revealed several pieces of information that will make the next book interesting and exciting, and I look forward to seeing where J. Elle takes the story in books 2 and 3!

For majority of Quell’s life it has just been her mother and her. They have been moving from pls to place and on the run ever since she can remember. After finding out the true reason of why they were on the run, Quell ends up connecting with her Grandmother and learning about a world that she stands to inherit. As Quell makes it through the tests to become one of the members of House of Marionne, she learns more about her grandmother and herself. Quell learns that everyone can’t be trusted and that she has to change her way of thinking in order to be truly free.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Penguin Group for the e-ARC of House of Marionne.

House of Marionne follows Quell, who happens to have a deadly strain of magic known as toushana (those of you that have read Raven Kennedy's Plated Prison series, think Slade's rot magic), as she fights to survive in a magical world she never really knew existed. Since she was little, Quell has been on the run with her mother (for seemingly unknown reasons) and they are constantly forced to move from place to place. A series of events occur that force Quell and her mother to separate and Quell finds herself the target of a very dangerous group of magic users. Due to its destructive nature, people who have toushana are being hunted by a group of assassins known as Draguns, and they have been tracking Quell for most of her life. Now, Quell must figure out how to survive on her own.

All Quell remembers from her early childhood is that she and her mother used to live with her grandmother (her mother's mom). Having no alternative options, Quell seeks out her grandmother for assistance even though she knows that her mother would disapprove. Upon her arrival, Quell finds her grandmother is the headmistress at a boarding school for kids with magic. Quell's grandmother urges her to enroll in the school, where she'll have to complete three magical rites before being accepted into the Order (the elite of magical society). Quell finds herself thrust into this new world where she must contend with her dark magic, complete the rites, find her mother, and stay alive.

I will start off by saying that I think this book is closer to a middle-grade reader, rather than YA. I felt that several of the plot lines and the main characters seemed geared toward a younger audience and it might deter older readers from continuing. Personally, I like to shut my brain off, so to speak, when I read and just immerse myself in what's being presented, so I didn't really have a problem with this aspect. However, I can see how someone looking for a YA title might find this book to be somewhat more juvenile than they were hoping.

I will say that I did find the beginning slightly confusing and it did take me several chapters before I felt like I had more of a grasp on what was happening. Once I started to have a better handle on the story, I found the plot easy to follow and it was a quick read for me.

The world-building was a little lacking for me and I felt as though the magic could have been explained better. I think that more time needs to be spent to really flesh out the different types of magic there are in this world. It seems as though the different classifications are mentioned, but never fully explained. The magic system needs to be more developed and I hope this is something covered in the next book.

There were some instances where there were weird/unexplained time jumps that left me confused. I'm not sure if this will be resolved in the final copy/version of the book and it's just a product of the ARC, but it did sometimes take me a while to figure out that time had elapsed in some places throughout the book.

It was also slightly offputting that there were several characters that were clearly struggling with their magic (having taken multiple "seasons" to complete a certain rite) and Quell walks in with no magical upbringing and just completes all three rites in what feels like the blink of an eye. This overwhelming sense of Quell being so much stronger magically than everyone else gets lost in the process because the manner in which the author approaches it is somewhat convoluted.

That being said, I did enjoy the book overall and I will be keeping an eye out for the next book in the series!

The premise of this book is unique and intriguing. A school of magic disguised as a fobishing school for Southern debutantes. A hidden world of magic yielders with an enemies to lovers romance. Quell possess a forbidden dark magic (toushana) that has caused her and her mother tolive on the run since she was 8. When those that hunt her kind down (Dragun) catch up with her she heads to her estranged grandmothers school and enrolls as a student to hone and bond her good magic, disguise her forbidden kind and find her place in society as a headmistress' heir. But it's harder than she thought to hide her toushana and not fall for her hot mentor who also is a Dragun, those that hunt her kind.
With secrets, magic and romance it had the elements to be fantastic but overall I actually found some aspects lacking. The magic system wasmt quite explained and the world of magic was confusing with the roles people played within it and the heirarchy. I constantly found it weird with her mother, and Quell just was very naive. I understand she wasnt raised in that world but overall for a 17 year old she just was very gullible. The romance would intensify but then burn off and overall the book felt closer to middle grade than older young adult. The end though provided enough intrigue and plot twist to bring me back for the next one and I think there's more chance to explore this world and magic further.

I was given this book by the publisher in return for my honest review.

So this whole magical secret society concept was awesome. There is a whole world being developed without losing the plot to the world dump. We have diadems and masks growing out of people's heads to show their magical prowess. The more elite you are the more impressive it is.

Start with a missing heir that has a destructive magic she's afraid of being tracked by her other world's elite hunters. In a hail Mary she runs to her grandmother who happens to be one of the ruling powers. Of course there's a dark layer hidden underneath all of this glitter and prestige. But our MC struggles with what is the right path for her.

Our character like most young leads is gullible and makes questionable choices. Obviously falling into a forbidden love troupe, a will they won't they if you will. She is also an unreliable narrator with very little understanding of the world she's in. So there's holes I hope will be filled in as she gains more insight.

There still seems to be so much to learn about this magical world and all the secrets it holds. The book keeps you engaged and looking for answers. There are many left dangling so prepare yourself.

The best way I can describe it is the Princess Diaries mashed up in a dark academia magical world setting.

In the end there are a lot of secrets exposed, but you're still left searching for answers.

I definitely recommend you pick up a copy and judge for yourself

Treachery, hidden magic, and secret societies.

Quell has been in hiding her entire life for the dark, forbidden magic runs in her veins. When a single mishap has her seeking out her grandmother only to discover everything isn't as it appears, and she might have been safer staying away.

The House of Marionne is a bit Harry Potter with a dark academia twist that's a little addictive. I'm struggling with not knowing when the sequel will be released!

There was a lot of work building In this book. Probably like 90 percent of the book. It definitely took me a while to get through, the writing was good it just didn't have any spark until the last 80 pages and then everything picked up pace and I loved it. I really hope the next book follows the more action packed fierceness that filled the very end of this book.
I love that the MCs powers are dark and typically seen as evil and that she's trying to do good with the.. Shes not interested in the glittering fancy world that she has been thrust into and she just wants a nice peaceful life, but I think she's got a lot more coming for her.

House of Marionne is the start of a new YA fantasy series featuring magic wielding debutantes, which now includes Quell. She spent most of her life on the run with her mother due to the dark magic she possesses. However, someone has discovered her secret making the Order the only place she can turn. Now Quell will have the opportunity to smother her dark magic forever, but first she’ll have to complete the rites and decide what she truly wants.

Elle has written a lush fantasy brimming with magic and riches. One of the unique elements that adds an extra layer of decadence is the inclusion of masks and diadems when a magic user emerges. I really enjoyed how the diadems and masks added to the overall vibe of the story with each being unique to the individual. The plot itself starts out pretty quickly; however, the pace slows way down after that with most of the action being internal struggles for Quell as she faces the different Rites. Despite this, Elle managed to disrupt everything I thought I knew in the last third of the book to the point I did not want to put it down. I really enjoyed the mystery surround the sphere and how it’s becoming cracked as well as the affect toushana users may be having on it. The really enjoyed the cast of characters. I can’t wait to see where Elle takes Yagrin’s character in future books. The little insights we get into his backstory were some of the more interesting plot points. Abby is such a sweet character, immediately welcoming Quell and offering to help out. I do wish Jordan’s character had been developed a little more, though. Overall, this was an enjoyable read, and I would definitely read the sequel.

This book is my new fantasy obsession. It is trope-y and fun and full of what I love about YA fantasy. I’ve seen comparisons to almost every big name book—Ninth House, Caraval, Bridgerton, etc.—and I understand why. It fits so well into the YA fantasy canon (and will surely be a booktok recommendation when it releases). To me, it felt like Legendborn meets The Selection. (Alternatively, I could also see Legendborn meets Shadow & Bone.)

I am normally super hesitant of books that are trope-y, but I really loved this one. It wasn’t necessarily trying to do anything new; instead it read as a love letter to all the things YA fantasy has done well over the past few years. This is clearly a book that was written by an author who loves the genre, and the story she is telling.

Quell was such a phenomenal main character. She was powerful and sweet and a little naive—but she wanted to believe things would work out for the best, and you really can’t help but love her. It’s easy to see why she’s the main character of the novel, and it’s easy to see why every single character loves her so completely.

I did think this was a slower read—although I never really wanted to set it down. It’s definitely a character driven novel, and it sparkles because of its lead.

The only thing I didn’t totally love was the romance. I don’t get good vibes from Jordan—although I’m not sure I was ultimately supposed to. I do wonder if J. Elle is hinting toward a new love interest in book two with a very intriguing side character, and I truly cannot wait to find out what happens next.

If this book isn’t on your radar yet, it absolutely should be.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! All views reflected are my own.

This book takes you on an adventure you won’t expect! I loved how this book had sprinkles of a magical world and secret society all mixed together with a little splash of romance. I was not expecting the ending we got but I’m not mad about it at all!

This had a really interesting premise, but, unfortunately, it was not for me. The story, which reads much younger than I expected (think more MG or lower YA), begins at a fast pace with a lot of action and danger. But the pacing changes just as quickly as Quell enters a magical prep school with a strong focus on etiquette.

For a seventeen-year-old who has been on the run for most of her life, Quell is not very savvy, and her naiveté is unrealistic. I was surprised at how little she questioned, how gullible she was, and how easily she was manipulated. She does so many things that just make no sense, and I didn’t really like her character. She trusts way too easily for someone who is supposed to be so aware of her surroundings. I did, for the most part, like the enemies-to-lovers romance between Quell and Jordan, her mentor. It was a gradual progression, and there are several scenes that were very romantic and sweet.

The magic system is interesting too, but much like the characters and plot, it is a bit underwhelming. And the novel includes so many contradictions, and numerous plot points went against truths formed earlier in the story. I found myself constantly questioning things that weren’t supposed to be questioned because the text contradicted itself from one scene to the next. There were also instances where it felt like something was just arbitrarily thrown in to move the story forward with no real context or explanation. It felt random and forced.

Ultimately, I think the story is trying to do too much. It’s a dark academia that mainly takes place at a finishing school where students must pass three trials and take etiquette classes and host elite functions while also honing their magical gifts. And Quell, who masters the tasks in days while her peers need years of training, is being hunted, and her mom is missing, and she has a moody, broody mentor whose job is to hunt people like her, and there’s an orb that’s cracking that could destroy their magic forever but no one knows where it is, and people with magic start going missing, and she has to meet the expectations of her demanding and shady grandmother, and she’s hiding a dark magic that puts her life at risk, all while trying to pass her classes and make new friends. It’s. A. Lot. I think that’s why, for me, everything felt very surface-level and in need of more detail, fine-tuning, and development.

Thank you to J. Elle and NetGalley for this ARC of House of Marionne.

3/5 stars.

I enjoyed Quell and her sense of direction for her life, her ability to decide what she wants and go after it.

I feel like I am older than the target audience for this book, and perhaps that warps my opinion of it. It didn’t grab me like I hope a book will. Additionally, I found the ending to be too much of a cliffhanger. I understand it sets up for a sequel, however there is a lot of information dumped in the final chapter to the point that I was confused that it just ended.

Someone will really like this book. There is mystery, a unique magic system, academia, enemies to lovers. But it just fell short of meeting my expectations (this had no place being compared to SJM). The world and plot felt very underdeveloped to me. This girl who knows nothing about the magic system learns it all in three weeks? The whole idea of a "season" for magic learning did not really make sense to me and I hated the emphasis on etiquette. I wish the world was better built out. You learn about it by meeting people from different houses but you meet so many at once, it is rushed, and you don't truly get to experience the world. Overall, everything in the book felt a but surface-level.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group, Razorbill for providing an eARC of this book.

House of Marionne is a YA fantasy that takes place in the modern world, reminiscent of Harry Potter. It combines the traditional debutante rituals and balls with magic into a dark academia setting.

Our main character, Quell, has been on the run for her whole life due to a dark power she has. Assassins named draguns have been hunting her and her mother because of the dark magic she has to keep hidden. After being separated from her mother, she runs to the only other place she knows, her grandmother's estate. Upon getting there, she learns that there is a magical society called the Order and her grandmother is the Headmistress of her own House. Quell realizes she can bind away her dark power if she joins the Order and completes the three rites. She is mentored by a dragun, Jordan, who she grows close to while hiding her secret. The premise is very interesting and the magic system is quite unique!

The pacing is relatively good, not too fast or slow. Because it is an urban fantasy, there is not a whole ton of worldbuilding except for the magic system which is explained very well. The overall plot and different rites proved interesting, all leading up to one very large plot twist at the end that I definitely did not guess.

Overall, the writing style wasn't for me. The descriptions seemed a bit lacking and repetitive and the characters as a whole seemed almost too YA or younger audience to me. Because of that, I struggled with the romance and chemistry there between Quell and Jordan. Quell's internal monologue wasn't my favorite to read and I found her interactions with Abby (her roommate) to sometimes be a bit cringey.

I also believe the setting was just not for me, I'm typically not a big fan of urban fantasies and I hadn't realized it was one based on the book description.

This was an enjoyable read, but relatively average. If you like the idea of a magical boarding school, with mysterious and dark academia vibes, this might be for you!

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really struggled with this one. The whole premise of bridgerton vibes and dark academia really drew me in but it just didn’t feel like that when reading it. I feel like publishers rely on specific subgenres and tropes now to sell and I just feel like this was mismarketed. I couldn’t really connect with Quell at all, and I feel like for someone who has been on the run for her entire life that she is entirely too trusting. I cannot understand why Quell would go to her grandmothers house which is a training ground for the assassins trying to kill her. It just felt like the plot was entirely too convenient and didn’t really flow with Quell making decisions for the sake of the plot.. The world also confused me so that definitely didn’t help how I felt about this.

This also read very young and I do read a lot of YA so that itself isn’t the issue. This read like the younger side of YA which I guess helps you understand why Quell is so trusting and not great in her decisions. I really wish I could’ve loved this, and the overall concept was great but I just was not a fan of the execution. Around the 10% mark was when I realized this wasn’t for me and I struggled to finish, if this wasn’t an ARC I probably would have DNF’ed.