Thank you to NetGalley for giving this ARC, and this doesn’t influence my review. First of all this book had a gorgeous cover!
Tropes: dark fantasy romance, hiding secrets, dark academia, magic boarding school, mentor/trainee romance, broody hot guy
The book gave Harry Potter vibes, and I love when MMC is suspicious of FMC in books. Unfortunately, the writing style didn’t appeal to me, and I didn’t like the romance.

I would like to thank publishing company Razorbill Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in the exchange of an honest review.

Where do i start with this book? It was a wild ride for sure. If you like enemies to lovers, magic in a dark academia setting, all things cotillion, morally grey characters, and a main character having a power that is seen as death worthy that needs to be hidden to survive this is the book for you. Now keep in mind you will get hooked and the book does end in a way that hints there will be another book to follow (yes i am going crazy wanting to know more of this cast of character and story plot but no news of a second book found)

. I was only 11% into the book when it hit me how hooked i was telling myself over and over "just one more chapter" just trying to see if the main character will get found out or if some piece of the puzzle will come together.
We start with or female lead Quell who has been on the run with her mom for as long as she can remember just trying to stay a step ahead of the people who want to kill because of the power she was born with. The power everyone is told to believe destroys everything and needs to be destroyed to save their way of life and magic itself. As the story develops Quell must make some decisions that could change her life forever. Does she stay on the run with her mom or go solo to protect her mom from the assassins and even Quell herself?

Maybe the best place to hide is the one place they least expect, inside what is named The Order a group of five schools training magic in a very Bridgerton meets dark academia kind of way. Where her tutor/mentor is a member of the very group hunting her down and the headmistress herself is nonother than Quell's grandmom who she hasn't seen since she was a child. Quell must keep her emotions and power in check so she doesn't fail out of school or get caught using her deadly power instead of the ordinary power deep inside. Especially when she finds out that making it to cotillion means a possible way to be forever rid of her cursed power for good or bound to it forever.

Jordan, a ward of the school and mentor/ tutor to new student Quell , wants nothing more than to prove his worth by getting Quell to pass the three rites as fast as possible so he can leave the House and become the assistant to the Dragun order's current Dragunhead. The only problem is he didn't expect to face a battle of emotions and duty. Maybe accepting this task will be the hardest test he will ever take.

There are bumps and stumbles on the way as well as self-discovery for Quell but in the ends there are things said and done that change the path of fate for more than just her.
As a person who normally catches all the clues given before plot twist show i am excited and sad (my record has been broken haha) to say i didnt catch anything so all the plot twist really caught me off guard and made me question how i didn't see it coming.

4.5 star rating only because there were a few mess ups where one character did something then another did it too as if the first action wasn't there and there was time i had trouble picturing what the author was trying to say and of course some moments where a character was so annoying i wanted to kill them off myself. Other than that i would recommend this to anyone and everyone and really want the second book NOW (if there will be one).

Quell has been on the run almost the entirety of her 17 year existence, her and her mom trying to keep the knowledge of Quell's dark magic hidden from those who might want to hurt her. In order to keep her secret safe and to protect her mom, Quell inducts into a magical debutante society that she had no idea existed.
But this new world is hiding more than it lets on, and Quell learns how far they'll go to protect their power, wealth, and magic, and eventually she'll need to confront the dark magic running through her veins.

This was a unique take on a magic school that also blended the aspects and mysteriousness of secret societies in the form of debutante culture. This was such a fun read! A mashup of regency-esque etiquette and balls/gowns and the thrilling twists and mysteries of a modern fantasy.
I loved following Quell as she navigated her new world, and I loved Abby - I'm a sucker for sweet friendship interactions. And I really enjoyed the twisty, high-stakes plot. I'm always a sucker for YA magical books, and I've never read one like this!
Overall, I really loved the idea and the plot of this book. It's all so different from anything else that I've ever read, and I think that it will be a hit for a lot of people. The only thing that didn't work for me was the writing style, and I fully acknowledge that that's a me thing!

Enchanting, beautiful, world building. Enter the magical world of Quell. Initially she lives in the “normal” world with her mother hiding and moving from place to place often to hide her magic. This magic is called toushana. Quell ends up going to live with her estranged grandmother and entering a school of sorts to hone in her magic properly, where she learns there is good magic and bad magic and the magic she possesses (the toushana) is bad magic. The story is very interesting and action packed following her choices and obstacles getting through the magical testing, all while falling for her broody mentor, Jordan. With an ending you won’t see coming, I highly recommend this book! I really enjoyed it and am hoping for a sequel! Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity read an early copy. This opinion is my own and is uninfluenced.

House of Marionne is a riveting new high fantasy YA novel with a sprinkle of dark academia and debutants. This unique combination comes together to reveal a brilliant novel with a magic system unlike any I’ve ever read. Imagine The Atlas Six meets Harry Potter meets well I can’t actually think of a debutant book but imagine I inserted a really good one. Also kind of princess diaries vibes.

Quell is a teenager with dark for inner magic that’s kept her on the run her whole life. Jordan is perfect except the part where his order of magic hunts down and kills the kind Quell has. Quell goes to a school designed to help refine her magic seeking sanctuary from the draguns who are hunting her. Unfortunately the more Quell tries to snuff out her magic and connect with magic that’s not forbidden the stronger her dark magic seems to get.

Enemies to lovers. A perplex magic system. Angst and suspense. House of Marionne delivers it all and then some.

It was amazing. I have to admit I loved Quell. If you like fate stay night or the fate nauverse especially heaven’s feel and love the hunger games this is a great book to read. Quell is a mix between Sakura Matou and Katniss everdeen. And the characters are charming and I love her and the romance between her and Jordan. I like that it is enemies to lovers as well, it plays the trope well.

I recieved a free e-arc through NetGalley. This is my honest review about the book.

Cool, magical boarding school story. If you enjoy an Emily/Rory relationship from Gilmore girls but put it in a more "dire" environment this would be a good book. The magic and the family classes are interesting and different. The main character is a strong character but trying to figure out how to fit in a new lifestyle. It's not high school drama and it's very fast pace. The new magic is a little confusing and I wish there was more explanation on magic classification. the writing reads more lower ya but has an upper ya vibe to it Overall a decent story and cant wait for the story to continue.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

House of Marionne by J. Elle is a dark and intriguing YA fantasy that explores self-discovery, forbidden magic, and the complexities of debutante society. Set in a world filled with secrets and hidden powers, this book delivers a mix of dark academia, enemies-to-lovers romance, and a captivatingly original world.

At the heart of the story is Quell, a seventeen-year-old girl on the run due to her dangerous magical abilities. To protect herself and her mother, Quell reluctantly joins the Order, a debutante society for magical elites. In order to bury her forbidden magic forever, she must pass their three rites of membership. However, as she delves deeper into the Order's world, she uncovers the lengths they will go to maintain their wealth and power.

The plot initially starts slow, and the complexity of the House Structures can be confusing at first. However, as Quell's character develops and the world-building becomes clearer, the story gains momentum. The author skillfully combines elements of magic and mystery with a blossoming romance between Quell and Jordan, her brooding mentor and assassin in training. Watching Quell embrace her true self is a highlight of the book, and the dark academia atmosphere adds an additional layer of intrigue.

While the book has its strengths, there are some things to consider. There are instances of predictability and slower pacing. The magic system is a bit underdeveloped, with more focus given to the debutante culture than on explaining the intricacies of the magic itself. However, the promising ending sets the stage for an exciting sequel and leaves me hopeful for future installments.

In conclusion, House of Marionne has the potential to be the start of a great series despite its slow start. It offers a unique concept, morally gray characters, and an intoxicating world that will captivate fans of YA fantasy. If you enjoy magic schools, dark secrets, and a touch of romance, give this book a try. Just be prepared for a slower pace and a more youthful writing style that caters to the younger audience.

I do love some dark academia. The beginning dragged a bit in my opinion, but once Quell emerged the story gained more traction. This must have a sequel coming because there are a LOT of unanswered questions still at the end, to the point where I thought maybe it didn't all download or something.

I do love some dark academia. The beginning dragged a bit in my opinion, but once Quell emerged the story gained more traction. This must have a sequel coming because there are a LOT of unanswered questions still at the end, to the point where I thought maybe the ending didn't all download or something.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Quell has been running all her life, keeping her magic a secret. But when everything starts to unravel, she finds herself alone and turns to the one person who might help - her Grandmother, who it seems has secrets of her own ...

This is a strong fantasy that plunges you straight into the action. The world building was a bit lacking, which caused some confusion early on. However, overall it was a solid story!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for review

I wish I liked this book more. The cover and description are so good and maybe that set my expectations a little high. I'd like to start by saying that I'm obviously not the target demographic since this is YA, but it also felt really really YA. (There is literally a phrase in there "omg, he's a hottie" and I just can't get past that).

This book was predictable, slow, and overall felt...stagnant. The entire book is Quell trying to be one of the weird magical debutantes and barely anything happens the entire book. Things only started to happen in the final chapter or two and it left me feeling like I'd been ripped off.

Also, the magic system is not very well fleshed out and was really weird at times. The history lessons focused more on why this is a debutante setting not why/ how the magic works. Things just...happened.

However! All the complaints aside, this book has the potential to be a great series. Despite being a (very) slow start the end was promising and actually made me have a lot of hope for the sequel.

I have more thoughts but I want to avoid spoilers!

Tl;dr, if you like the more YA side of YA fantasy and magic schools that are a little suspicious, give this book a try.

House of Marionne
Thanks to NetGalley for the free ARC. This review is entirely my honest opinion of the book.
Rating: 5 stars
This book was genuinely SO good. The world was developed well, and the writing style had a nice flow. The magic system was a lot more unique than a lot of books that use 4 elements or other clichés. The houses and the whole system were developed well, and I liked the house politics. I loved Quell as the main lead. She was someone I could respect and she made reasonable decisions. With Quell, I never had to cringe at any of her choices- they made sense and felt right in the story. A lot of YA characters annoy me, but Quell felt mature, and the pacing was good. I also think Quell’s powers are awesome. I couldn’t keep this book down!
There were several twists at the end that I did not see coming, which is rare. I was genuinely surprised at the end, and I can’t wait for the next book. This is definitely one of the best reads of the year, and I highly recommend it for all fantasy lovers!

These amazing books just keep coming! This book cover first of all is stunning! I know they say not to judge a book by its cover but I always go for covers that draw me in! This one had me from the start! It gave YA dark academia and magic vibes. Enemies to lovers and family drama. This book was just so good. Also the diversity of the main character was perfect!

I feel guilty for saying this, but I started reading the book last weekend, didn't find myself gripped, put it down around 5%, started new books, and... well, I don't remember a single thing I read. It's not gripping, and it wasn't very memorable. I did a quick skim and it was exposition heavy. Also, the formatting was way off on my kindle file, making it hard to follow. That certainly didn't help.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC.

HOUSE OF MARIONNE is what i need all teens to read! i adored it! it was a unique twist on magical schools, assassins, and dark academia. it was pure escapism, while also being something that explored our main character's very real hopes, fears, and emotions. j. elle is a master at writing that is invisible, that acts as a vessel for storytelling without overshadowing it, while also being lush and expansive. house of marionne is my favourite of her works!

Thanks PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, Razorbill/Netgalley for the ARC

This was probably one of my most-anticipated ARCs for this year... and it was, ultimately, a huge, huge let-down. Seeing so many five star reviews for HOUSE OF MARIONNE was hugely surprising, and I generally feel like I didn't really get what is so appealing about this book (apart from the hype, which we all know is contagious.) The premise was fun, but that was where the positives ended. This is difficult to review because I feel like J. Elle is very beloved, but there's something about her work that I'm starting to think doesn't jive with me at all. Sort of a dark academia fantasy, I found the plot in line with the slow-moving premise that DA seems to have, so that was fine, but the biggest letdown had to be in the writing style. It was... boring. The prose was stilted, uninspiring and just felt very unpolished all around. Additionally, the enemies-to-lovers romance wasn't doing it for me (another letdown.) The characters, at times, felt vaguely entertaining, but not enough to make me really...care, I guess?

A "meh," book, unfortunately, and I really wished I'd loved it more!

(Two stars instead of one, because I can't bear to mark it one-star, and I did enjoy the concept, even if I found the execution lacking. Oh well.)

I loved this ARC so much that I pre-ordered the hardback; the first time I've done that with an ARC. House of Marionne hit all my boxes and executed them to perfection. I haven't read much YA in my past but some of the new releases, like this one, are so exciting that I am starting to change my mind on the genre.

House of Marionne is dark academia done right, a magic school that's fresh and far from the usual derivative takes. Quell Marionne has spent her childhood on the run with her mother from the opulent, hidden-in-plain-sight magical world that sired them. That's because Quell has forbidden death magic running through her veins, called toushana, which turns everything she touches into ash, or so she thinks, at first. There is more to toushana than the Order wants their members to believe.

People found with toushana in their blood are marked for death, stalked by a sect of assassins known as the Dragun. One such assassin is on Quell's tail. When he finally catches up to her after years of poverty and countless moves, Quell separates from her mother and does the only thing she can think of - hide in plain sight right in the dragon's den.

She enrolls at a school that trains people how to use their magic, a veneer of wealth and power interlaid with our real one. It's run by her grandmother, who expects her to become her heir when she finishes her training, but all is not as it seems. After her life on the run, she's thrust into this luxurious academic world full of secrets and betrayals, all while fighting a growing attraction to her mentor, a brooding, grumpy Dragun who is duty-bound to kill her if he discovered her true secret.

The characters in this were all wonderful, the writing style vivid and engaging. I loved the growing chemistry between Quell and Jordan, her mentor; enemies to lovers with a very satisfying slow burn arc full of smoldering glances, stolen kisses and intrigue. I was most intrigued by the universe that the author created; fresh, different, rich and visceral. A mix of urban and high fantasy blended together, a twist on the usual tropes.

Definitely one of my favorite books of the year; I highly recommend this one. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series already.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I absolutely loved this book. Feels like Dark Academia meets Bridgerton!
Quell did everything right in my opinion, and it was nice to see her battle between “good magic” and the Toushana that seemingly burdened her. The enemies to lovers with Jordan was great. The setting, characters, their outfits, diadems and daggers were all described with enough imagery that you could easily picture them. There are so many reveals and revelations in the last couple of chapters, I was so shocked and I cannot wait for the (hopeful) next installment. Perfect for fans of magic.

I must be honest, when I first downloaded this book onto my Kindle, I was IMMEDIATELY turned off by the formatting. It was actually heinous, with broken paragraphs, sentences, and WORDS. There were sometimes no paragraph breaks between the dialogue which left me confused as to who was speaking. However, I only took off half a point from my review because I feel like this is not Elle’s issue but rather an issue with formatting.

I AM so excited for this to be published so everyone can experience the same joy that I did reading it. This book reminds me of the ones I was obsessed with in elementary, middle, and even high school, but I must admit that I am OBSESSED even now as a full grown adult. I can definitely see that this is going to have IMMENSE hype around it. It is one of those well written, well thought-out stories that has you hooked from the very opening. The world building was INCREDIBLE and done beautifully, it was a genuine pleasure to read this book.

I LOVED Quell and there was never a moment when I was frustrated with her or her actions. I can totally understand why she made the choices she did, and she made them in such a logical fashion that you can’t help but completely empathize with her and her struggles. I also absolutely adored Jordan and was completely CRUSHED to the bone when I realized the direction that the story was going in. JUSTICE for Quell and Jordan, I AM BEGGING FOR JUSTICE.

This was a fun read. House of Marionne follows Quell, a girl with poisonous magic who finds herself joining a magical debutante society to hide from assassins who want her dead for her abilities. There was a lot to like about this book. I loved the secret society meets Bridgerton vibe, and Quell herself is a joy to follow, I was rooting for her the entire time and felt myself becoming really emotionally invested in her character growth. There were also a few things I didn’t love about the book. While I typically enjoy an enemies-to-lovers storyline, this one didn’t quite hit the way I wanted it to, something felt a little off with the chemistry. I also didn’t love the writing style, I feel this world could have benefitted from a more flowery prose.
That being said, this was an enjoyable read, and I can imagine the next book in this series will be even better. While I liked it, I could see someone else loving this.

ARC provided by NetGalley.