I’m not quite sure how I feel about this book’s execution. Truthfully, I believe that House of Marionne had a lot of potential, however, I don’t quite think it was realized in its entirety. To start, it’s somewhat evident from the beginning that this novel was inspired by other cult-classic young adult fantasy books such as The Mortal Instruments, Fourth Wing and The Grishaverse. This, too, is apparent based on the general syntax of the book, the pacing of the story from the first few pages and the flashiness that was attempted to lure the reader into, what appeared to be, an elaborate and expansive world of dark academia-like schools, secret societies and magical bloodlines.

Fast forward to the actual “plot” of the story, we follow Quell Marionne, who has been through fourteen schools over the span of twelve years because she and her mother are always on the move. We, initially, don’t quite understand why this is, until we get a bit of light exposition that explains that Quell possesses what is called a toushana, which is allegedly a dark form of magic that is rarely allowed to exist in the world for some reason or another. I couldn’t quite tell you the particulars, because I’m not even sure I know after four-hundred pages.

Eventually, Quell comes under the guardianship and tutelage of her Grandmom, who is the headmistress of a finishing school, or house (the terminology isn’t entirely consistent with what it is the House of Marionne is supposed to be), where the student body learned both how to control their magical talents, as well as etiquette and how to be proper ladies and gentleman of society.

The plot, by and large, however, gets put to the wayside after Quell meets Jordan, our dark and moody love interest. Think something akin to the Darkling from the ACOTAR books, or the Darkling from the Grishaverse, only with far less motivation and character depth.

This whole novel was sort of a whirlwind of “What is happening?”, and though it found some culmination of plot explanation and development towards the end, it doesn’t excuse the lack of it throughout the course of the book. Particularly so when you’re attempting to present a setting that is both within and without the real world. Separated and yet intrinsically linked.

Beyond that, the spelling and grammatical errors seem to be multitudinous, though I will largely chalk that up to this being an Advanced Readers Copy.

Despite the shortcomings of the novel, however, I am remiss to give it lower than 3-stars on premise and potential alone. Will I read the sequel? Likely, just in hopes that the story feels fully fleshed out and completed as we move into book two. Will I revisit this book prior to its sequel, absolutely. I’m hoping with one complete read under my belt, I’ll notice more of the foreshadowing and nuance that I hope was there and missed simply because I wasn’t engrained in the story.

I would also like to thank Netgalley, J. Elle and Penguin Teen for the opportunity to read this book in advance, in exchange for a fair and honest review of opinions.

Rating: ★★★ | 3/5

☠️

Magic, Mystery, and Morally Gray Characters in "House of Marionne"

If you're a fan of YA fantasy with a magical school setting, complex characters, and a dash of forbidden romance, this might be the book for you. The story follows Quell, a 17-year-old girl who has spent her life on the run with her mother to hide her deadly magic. When her mother goes missing, Quell seeks refuge at a prestigious school for those with magical abilities. But this school is full of secrets and danger. I loved the introduction to the different houses and the magic system. The themes of family, power, and the struggle with one's destiny really stood out. The characters are complex, with morally gray areas that make them interesting. The pacing is fast, with plenty of action and twists to keep you guessing. The romantic subplot adds an extra layer of tension. Overall, "House of Marionne" is a captivating read with a unique magic system and intriguing characters. It's perfect for fans of "Crave" and "A Court of Thorns and Roses." I'm excited to see where the next book takes the story!


Many thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an ARC and allowing me to provide my honest review

Magical, Romantic, and Relatable
This is a story about a girl, Quell, who has been on the run for as long as she can remember, with her mother, attempting to hide from the Dragun hunters, those who want her dead, because of the powerful dark magic, called Toushana that flows throughout her. Upon being found she has to split up from her mother and travel to the only place she can think of where she might be safe, her grandmom’s at the House of Marionne. In order to be reunited with her mother and possibly live a normalish life, Quell decides that she must learn to harness and use her Toushana, but there are many roadblocks such as her trainer, Jordan, who is a Dragun in training, and Quell doesn’t know if she can trust him, or the feelings she is developing for him. Just who can Quell trust.

This is quite a long story at 429 pages, but that’s what I like. I’m not a fan of short stories that lead to 20+ books in a series, and this is not one of those. I stayed interested throughout the entire novel, laughing, screaming, and crying internally, so as not to make those around me wonder what the heck is going on.

This was my first book by the author J. Elle, and now I know what her fans are talking about. If you want to immerse yourself in a magical world full of wonder and romance, and that you can relate, somewhat, to the MC, then by all means, grab this book and a cup of your favorite beverage, and dig in, you won’t regret it.

I received an advance review copy for free courtesy of NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This read younger than I thought it would. It’s always a it or miss for me when I dive into a young adult book. I think my daughter would really enjoy this. Solid YA fantasy with some romance, which I wasn’t personally a fan of. I just didn’t connect with the characters sadly. Loved the magic aspect of it though.

Thank you so much for the approval, but this book just was not for me.

So, I will be leaving an average rating since I did not finish the book.

I wanted to love this, I did, but I just…. I couldn’t keep my attention on it, it dragged. There was just too much going on. Maybe it would be a better read for me at another time?

I enjoyed how the author talks about being a debutante and how that world is not for everyone. Sometimes you have to break the rules to break tradition.

I really enjoyed this book!
It was refreshing in the aspect that it didn’t heavily resemble other fantasy books or ideas.
It felt like a brand new world with magics and it held my attention. It is a slow and steady but you could pick up on the twists if you really paid attention. It wasn’t thrown in your face though to be predictable but allowed the reader to guess at it.
It’s a great enemies to lovers in the background- it is an intriguing and well thought out plot. It incorporates magic, fantasy, and plot twists while holding your attention.
I am excited for the next one!

I really wanted to like this one more than I did. It just was not for me, and I feel like I have read this plot many times. Will give it 3 stars though for the writing being well done. If you like YA urban fantasy you might enjoy this one!

This is a book that I liked okay. It followed a very similar style as other YA books. I feel like it has all the important YA aspects and is on the right path to be a good seller for certain fringes of the YA market.

The main character Quell must struggle to control her fears if she is to succeed at banishing her magic. After narrowly escaping her most recent assassination attempt, Quell must visit the only person who can keep her safe, her grandmother. The only thing is she does not know her. But Quell must conform to her Grandmother’s reign in order to protect and save her mother.
I enjoyed the originality of this book. Filled with fantasy, secrecy and the ever changing relationship between family and friends. This book would be perfect for YA or coming of age readers. Having a great deal of heart and little to no spicy this story is perfect for transporting readers into a world filled with dragons and magic. The character development and settings in this book is wonderful and keeps the reader intrigued until the very end.

*Thank you to J. Elle, PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Razorbill and Netgalley for the ARC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

This is my first book by J. Elle and it did not disappoint. I loved the world building and magic throughout. This is a dark academia, enemies to lovers, forbidden, YA romance. This also has a bit of a Bridgerton vibe.

It was a tad confusing at time, but I did really like it. I'm excited to read the second book in this series as it did leave off with a cliffhanger.

Thank you Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group for this free eArc in exchange for my honest review.

House of Marionne is a mix of Secret Societies, Magic, action, forbidden romance and Dark Academia. Quell learns that she possesses a deadly magic that is known as toushana, and anyone that is found to have that dark magic is subject to death so she has been on the run with her mother since she can remember. The moment comes when she meets her Grandmother, Quell discovers into her family's past. Her grandmother just happens to be the House of Marionne, an academy that teaches witches how to harness and use their powers. There's no friends here, just enemies.
Quell is loyal, sarcastic, smart and strong FMC. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.

This is an amazing book filled with outlawed magic, family secrets, assassins, a forbidding hero and feisty heroine. It has a unique plot, and I hated to see the book end. The female lead was chased into an alternative magical world by assassins where she attended and competed at a school of magic. However, her magic was forbidden, and discovery of her talents could result in her death. It was a compelling read to see how she grew in her talents, kept her secrets, avoided her assassins and succeeded in the competitions against her peers. I highly recommend this writer and her book.

this was an entertaining and engaging book!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this book to review.

J. Elle's fantasy writing is great as usual. This blends fantasy with dystopian themes, dark academia, and a really unique magic system. I think it could have benefited from a tad more explanation about the history of the world and magic, but it is a series so I'm assuming we will learn more as we go on in the books. The characters were given a lot of depth and the suspense of Quell's mission keeps you on the edge of your seat. The pacing was great!

ARC review:
⚔️ House of Marionne ⚔️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
.5 🌶️/5

“If this world is made of glass, I will dance with a hammer in my hand”

I was honestly surprised by the number of reviews where people said they didn’t finish the book. They missed out on a lot! Personally, I really enjoyed it and couldn’t put it down. While it’s a slow-paced read, there’s always some sort of action unfolding. The world-building is wonderful. Full of magic, diadems (that emerge in unique ways), enemies to lovers (kinda), and thrill. The ending delivers a twist you won’t see coming and leaves you on a cliffhanger!

The story centers around Quell, a 17-year-old main character who has spent most of her life living in the shadows. She and her mother are constantly on the run, hiding a darkness within Quell that she doesn’t fully understand. She knows very little about why they’re fleeing, about her toushana, or the life she was born into.

Quell has been through 14 schools in 12 years, and just three weeks before graduating from the one she’s finally settled into, everything changes. Draguns have found them. Now, without her mother, she must flee to an unknown place (well kinda)—the House Marionne, where her grandmother is the headmistress. This is where people with "light" magic train and graduate through the 3 Rites. But Quell is different—she’s fighting a darkness inside her, that she’s sure only she possesses (and knows the consequences all around her). Jordan, her mentor, who starts off their relationship in a rocky way, slowly unwinds.. and maybe she isn’t so alone in it all. Can she trust him, or will he turn on her like his job is meant to? All of the Houses (Perl, Ambrose, & even Marionne..) are filled with mysteries—people disappearing, lies, and hidden agendas. As the story unravels, Quell faces a crucial choice: will she bind herself to the light, or to the darkness she has known all her life?

My first J Elle book, and what a powerhouse!

Phenomenal world-building and a unique magic system. Truly, finding something that's so different - that feels like I haven't seen it before - is exactly what I needed.

Is it fantasy? Absolutely. Dystopian? Gut-wrenchingly so. Magical Realism? Probably. Afrofuturism? Not quite, but you could definitely argue for that. Magic school? Oh, not like anything you've imagined.

What it really is? Pulse-pounding action, angry feminist (and rightly so), and a main character who will live in my head for a long time. Seriously, Quell is amazing.

Black dahlia and oleander? The language of flowers says it all. I'm looking forward to book 2.

"I was seduced by... the allure that I could fit into a place so magnificent. That being here would tell me who the girl in the mirror is, when it's how I saw her that needed to change. I'm still figuring out who she is. But whoever that girl is - she is free."

House of Marionne is by far one of the best fantasy books I’ve read in a while. The perfect mix of Secrets Societies, Magic, and Dark Academia. This is book is freaking Awesome! Definitely Recommend!!!

This was such an interesting academy style story with a unique magic system. There were so many layers as well. Quell started the story on the run with her mother but then ended up alone and ran to where her mother was trying to keep her from.
Was very fascinated by the diadems and the different specialties. Jordan is her sponsor but they also didn’t have the best intro. They def fell in love as she learned more about the magic and then this ended on a cliffhanger.