There’s a lot to say about this one.
Magical, dark, the prose, mysterious.
Secret high societies! Ok I liked it. All the components of a good read. I loved the magic in it. Thank you to netgalley for the chance to read this earc!

Thank you Netgalley and J.Elle for allowing me to read this Arc in exchange for my honest opinion! Overall I’m giving this book 3.5 stars! I enjoyed getting to know the main character, Quell and her life on the run with her mom who tried to protect her from the dark magic inside of her. At times, I felt bored the first half of the book but I think that’s because it is a YA book. Towards the end of the book, it kept my attention and I love that Quell took things into her own hands knowing the risk! (Her grandma is AWFUL lol) I hope there is a sequel because I would like to read more about Quell and Jordan!

This book has magic, dark academia, enemies to lovers romance, mystery with action that made this an intriguing read!

In short, this follows Quell who has magic known as toushana which is known to be deadly. She is pursued by assassins because of what she possesses, so to avoid being killed, she takes precautions and enters a debutante society. However, it's not easy and something begins to bloom with her tutor, Jordan.

Overall, I enjoyed it. Thank you for the ARC!

This book was exceptional. A little slow going at first, but once you become submerged, you don’t come up for breath until it’s done. You will immediately wish you hadn’t finished the book. All the twists, all the turns were never expected. By the end of the book I was so proud of the protagonist. 10/10

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for granting me access to the book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll start off by saying I thought the magic in high society was interesting. If you had magic in you, you would need to be accepted in to a house and debut like a debutant with balls and proper etiquette while learning to hone your magic and pass a few trials to bind the magic. If you don’t get accepted in to a house and fail to pass, you lose magic forever. The houses and politics were most interesting to me.

Quell finds herself in the House Marionne, with a secret to hide, a dark magic, with her life being hunted if anyone to find out. The boy who is her mentor happens to be one of those hunters.

With all that, I found this book pretty underwhelming and never got really exciting, even at the end. I didn’t really want to pick it up as it dragged throughout. I also thought the romance was lacking. There was something about the writing that jumped scenes from sentence to sentence that had me confused a lot. I did like seeing POC represented main characters in a fantasy book though.

Thank you Netgalley and Razorbill for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group and J. Elle for this ARC.


Quell
14 schools. 12 years. 9 cities. Quell has spent her life hiding and running due to the power coursing through her body. After an unfortunate incident, her mother fears the Dragun are closing in and forces her to run, promising to find her. Unable to determine a safe place, she decides on the one person who least expects it, her grandmother. It is here that she not only discovers magic but that she descendes from the House of Marionne.

To ensure her safety from the deadly magic coursing through her veins ,she agrees to be inducted into the debutante magical society called the Order. It is here that she discovers just how far the Order is willing go to protect itself. Quell must fight to protect her secret, her life or lose everything in the process.

Lots of different Houses, powers and characters to keep up with. I'm sure the remaining books in the series may give more insight into those secondary characters. The plot was identifiable pretty early on but didn't deter me from continuing to read.

House Of Marionne is marketed a young adult fantasy however I through enjoyed it. The character development, plot twists and House backstories came together quite nicely. Some might find this slightly overdone however. I did enjoy reading along as Quell gained more insight into who she was. The ending did seem a little faster paced that the rest of the novel. The cliffhanger and plot twist ending did leave me ready for the next book.

Rating: 4.25/5

This book was SO good! It was unexpected and I loved it so much. There was dark academia, secret society, dark magic and a powerful main character. It has everything that I need and could want in a story, I cant wait to see where the author will bring this character and world.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for granting me access to the book in exchange for an honest review.

House of Marionne is a fascinating young adult fantasy filled with forbidden dark magic, magical boarding schools, mystery and a magical society of debutants. While I did enjoy reading this book I wanted more! Thus the reason for the three stars. I went into it expecting a cross between Bridgerton and Stephanie Garber and actually it was more of a young, young adult read. Clearly I am not the target age range.🤣🤣 The plot did drag a bit and left me with many unanswered questions. The story has so much potential and it did hold my interest. Hopefully, there will be a sequel with more world building and some answers.🌟🌟🌟

I received a free copy of this book. This has not impacted my review.

House of Marionne, by J. Elle, is a young adult fantasy about a girl who attempts to fit into an aristocratic magical society, all the while skillfully ignoring all red flags about said society. The book is separated into four parts. Part One details Quell’s introduction to the House of Marionne and her subsequent decision to stay at the school, headed by her grandmother, Darragh Marionne. Part Two shows Quell continuing to blossom her magic, despite her own forbidden power alongside said magic. Part Three describes Quelll’s struggles to contain her growing darkness, as desperation clouds her judgement. Part Four brings Quell’s struggles to a grinding halt, as she realizes that the House of Marionne isn’t as it seems, and has to make a decision on whether to remain trapped in a gilded cage, or to leave, even if it means giving herself to darkness.

I absolutely loved how the author introduces Quell. I loved how Elle showed Quell’s imperfections and how relatable they are. W get to see what Quell is fighting for; if she remains perfect, she gets a handsome boy toy (and yes, I mean boy toy), the favor of her grandmother and all the other houses, power and wealth beyond her wildest imagination; and all she has to do is remain an obedient servant to the House. Speaking of which, I especially love Darragh Marionne. Despite her very strict and very image obsessed personality, I can’t help but relate to her. It’s typical for older generations to want to preserve their legacy, but for Darragh, she also needs to preserve that secrecy. Without it, House of Marionne will fall. Granted, I don’t agree with the way she’s doing things, nor am I blind to what will happen should she continue to hide things in the dark. Regardless, the Dragun, as well as the other Houses, are formidable, and I doubt she or Quell are able to take them all on with the power they have now.

This book also reflects the accuracy of a lot of religions unfortunately. In modern witch society, there’s this obsessive focus with love and light (with, of course, a hint of toxic positivity). There’s a stigma on people who practice the left hand path, those who work with demons, individuals who’s cultures don’t align with white witch practices, ect. Similar to Christianity and other religions, if you don’t fit a specific mold, then you’re not fit to belong. You’re forced to hide who you are in exchange for a group’s protection, similarly to Quell. How many people have felt comfortable sitting in a pew while listening to a preacher spout fire and brimstone, knowing that they were LGBTQ+, or a witch, or believing that men and women are equal? I have. This book speaks volumes to that. Neither me nor others have glaring indicators that we don’t fit in (the diadem was frightening enough), so I would say that we’re luckier than Quell, to say the least. But the struggles are similar. And of course, Quell’s descent and subsequent acceptance of her tousahana, getting her freedom, no matter the cost, marks the true passage of a witch in making. I commend her for it.

Honestly, I’m glad I picked up this book. Every time I had free time I had to keep reading. I’m looking forward to seeing more of Elle’s works. As such, I would like to give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.

I couldn't finish the book. The formatting issues aside, not much about the story really hooked me. The exposition felt rushed. I understand the author may have been going for a "urgency" feel but the story just hops from one thing to another and rushes by any introductions. There's no foundation for me.
The characters that I met up until I stopped were okay but nothing was compelling me to root for or against anyone. The magic system was the only redeeming factor in that it was a system that requires the user to continuously train and use their magic or else they lose the ability to wield it. But even the magic system intricacies weren't enough to keep my attention hooked.
I greatly appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc. Unfortunately, this isn't a book I'd readily recommend to someone at this time.

I loved this book! It seems very well thought out and loved the development of the characters. A lot of twists that worked well with the story! I can not wait for book two. I love that although it ended in a cliffhanger, it at still wrapped up the first storyline so you don’t feel like it’s incomplete.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc!

House of Marionne holds a magically rich world filled with academics and glimmer. We follow Quell who has been hiding her entire life to keep the extent of her magic a secret, as those searching for her will do anything to kill her for what dwells within her. She learns secrets about her family, her power, and a hunter at her new institute she’s falling for.

I really enjoyed Quell and Jordan, as those were the most developed characters in the book. The plot was intriguing, though repetitive and dragging at times.

The book started off a bit slow for me and a lot of the terms for the different houses/groups in power/anbilities are unoriginal. I wish they were more unique to the world. I also wanted the side characters to be more flushed out, but there are more books in the series I’m guessing, so there’s still time for that to come.

Overall, this book would be perfect for readers that want a mix of Harry Potter, The Selection series, and Crave.

**3.5 STARS** Review will be posted on my blog in August 2023, closer to publication.

I was definitely intrigued by the synopsis of this book and of course I love the beautiful cover. The synopsis touted balls, secret societies and balls and it definitely had all those things plus romance. I liked that it was a magic school where Quell, the main character, had to figure out how to use magic but she’s hiding a secret, she has forbidden magic in her that she has to struggle to suppress so no one knows.

It has the typical magic training school tropes, which I always enjoy. I love the whole magic school atmosphere. Quell is new so she has to catch up to the other students. Some become her friends, some resent her for being the long lost Marionne heir who has come back into the fold and the favorite of the headmistress, who is her grandmother.

There is a romance between Quell and Jordan, who is part of another House but training at House Marionne. Jordan is her mentor. He’s someone who is all about his duty, which make them sort of opposites but they have a lot of things in common too.

I did like Quell but there were times I found her really naive for someone who is a seasoned runaway. I just felt like she would listen to her instincts more. But I think I’m judging it from an adult point of view because if I read this as a young adult I’d probably relate better to her. Quell is also separated from her mom and her relationship with her grandmother is new and felt false. It makes for some interesting family dynamics. This book is great for teens and young adults.

Also I felt like the beginning just throws you into the story without much build-up. We go in blind just as Quell does when she finds her grandma and learns about this secret society. I found the story entertaining and I liked the ending where we learn about Yagrin. He’s a character introduced in the beginning and we get bits of his perspective here and there, but the ending reveals a bit more and makes me want to read book two!

Why you should read it:
*magic school, secret society, family, romance

Why you might not want to read it:
*might read too young for some adults

My Thoughts:

I’m a sucker for magic schools, and a girl training to use powers she never knew she had but also hiding the secret of the supposedly bad powers she does have. I felt like this book had all the elements I love in a young adult urban fantasy, including the romance between Quell and her mentor, Jordan. Some people might find this reads young and Quell is a naive and clueless in some aspects but it didn’t stop me from enjoying the story. I also liked the ending which makes me want to read the next book in the series. Overall, I found this to be an entertaining story!

Not all magic is good magic. Unfortunately for Quell, she’s got the bad kind swimming in her veins. Because of it, she and her mother are forced to live life on the run. After too many close calls with the enforcers known as Draguns, Quell’s mother persuades her to seek refuge with her grandmother—Headmistress of House of Marionne and the only person who can keep the secret of Quell’s magic safe.

But is she? Because not long after she arrives, Quell can’t help but think there’s something off about House of Marionne. Is it the house itself, or its Headmistress? Can she really be safe when she’s so unsure of her surroundings, of her toushana, of the boy from the Dragun House who seems awfully keen on following her everywhere? And why hasn’t Quell heard anything from her mother?

Maybe it’s not her magic Quell should be afraid of…
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I thought this was a brilliant book. The way Elle brought magic to life in the form of diadems, daggers, toushana, and Rites was simply amazing. And the way she described Marionne house and the classes Quell takes really made me feel so immersed in the story. But I gotta admit I found the love interest between her and Jordan a little forced. Their relationship and the bits about Yagrin really fell short for me. A bit of a bummer because everything else was fantastic. I loved the decision Quell faced at the end as well as the little twist we get from Yagrin’s side. I’m really looking forward to the next book and strongly encourage others to give this a try!

I really like the cover, and the premise sounded like something I'd enjoy. Sadly, it missed the mark for me.

I enjoyed the setting, but the attempts at the Harry Potter vibes didn't work. Nothing really grabbed me with this one. The characters, worldbuilding, and writing style were just "meh." Some plot points felt unnecessary and/or underdeveloped.

Wow! What an amazing book. I like how yargin was secretly the trader and secretly Jordan's brother! What a twist I didn't see. I also was amazing how I loved Jordan's character until the end and then saw him differently. Highly recommend.

3.5 stars

This series has a lot of promise - magical boarding school, forbidden dark magic, secret societies, and debutante balls. Quell’s struggle with her dark magic and trying to stay hidden amongst people who would kill her was exciting to watch and I enjoyed the mystery aspect. Yagrin’s chapters were especially interesting and added an extra layer of intrigue. There were some things I didn’t like so much such as the love interest’s behavior later on and the fact that I was left confused about some things at the end. The debutant setting was fun but also a little out of place. I thought the ending was good though and the next book has the potential to be better.

Thank you to Penguin Group for the ARC!

oh my god that ending!!!!! SQUEAAAAL

Absolutely loved HoM! The world was so sparkly and glittery, then peeled away into exquisite layers of danger and bleakness. It was like walking through an illusion of the most grand palace that slowly fades into shadows and dusk. Our main character, Quell, is strong, resilient, and majorly powerful. Her love interest is stubborn, brooding, hot, the tiniest bit tortured, and also (duh) majorly powerful. I loved reading their banter, but their vulnerable conversations were my absolute favorite. They really grew together over the length of the novel. For the most part 😏

And there are hot dance scenes, and cool magic classes, and cool magic tiaras, and cool magic rituals. Cool magic everything!!! This was such a fun and enchanting read, perfect for when you’ve just finished your Bridgerton binge session and are desperate for something a little darker but still decadent. Five wonderstruck, shadow magic stars.

I was lucky enough to read an excerpt on BookishFirst and ran to NetGalley to request the ARC. I was in a reading slump and the first three chapters completely pulled me out of it.

Quell and her mom are on the run because Quell has a dark magic called toushana living inside her. If she is found by those who hunt dark magic, they will kill her. When she is finally found, her only option is to run to the manor of her estranged grandmother, who turns out to be a headmistress of a secret magic using society.

Quite honestly, it got kind of boring and lost me a bit once Quell was "safe". It was definitely one of those stories where the main character is kept in the dark and then berated for not knowing anything. It did pick up about 3/4 of the way through and left me absolutely needing to continue on with the series. The story was well written and had an interesting premise, but I feel like this is the slow paced world building book and the rest of the series will be the unputdownable five star reads.

Thank you to NetGalley, I received an ARC of House of Marionne by J. Elle. This honest review is my own opinion.

The book title, book description, and cover all made me eager to read this book.

The beginning held my interest. The main character is hiding her magic and on the run in a sort of New Orleans urban fantasy. She has to flee and winds up at her grandmother's castle, where she needs to pass three rites before being presented at a cotillion. However, this is where I started to feel like she was at boarding school like setting with a poorly described magic system. Harry Potter vibes weren't enough to keep me pulled in - I found myself not fully envisioning the castle and the character development wasn't enough for me. I didn't follow the magical rule system and couldn't envision the masks and diadems they grew/wore.

I really wanted to like this book. The premise is there. The overall plot has promise. I just didn't find myself obsessed with these characters. It felt young adult (which is fine) but then there was nothing to "spice" it up.

All in all, didn't love this book. But I'm just one person. Read for yourself to find out?

Overall 2.4/5
Spice 0.5/5