this was a really good! I liked the characters, and they were super well-developed. the plot was super cool and fun to read, and the writing was also smooth and easy to understand
highly recommend

Thank you to Penguin Teen for an e-arc of this book!

I wasn't jiving with the writing style, but the concept was VERY cool, and it definitely had dark academia vibes. This book was about complicated family relationships just as much as it was about magic.

It had an atmosphere to it, dark and alluring. And mysterious. You definitely wanted to know what was going to happen next.

I was very middle of the road on this one, I wasn't exactly buying the romance, and it has my favorite trope, enemies-to-lovers, but their romance wasn't sparking anything for me.

I enjoyed the plot of this one -- I like how we learned more and more as Quell did. Jordan as her mentor was fabulous, I did enjoy some of their back and forth, even if I wasn't totally engrossed with their romance.

Abby was another bright spot, and I liked all of Quell's interactions with her.

Overall, I think I was very middle of the road on this one, in which I enjoyed it, but isn't one that I would necessarily pick up again. (Okay, I lie)

At first, I found it challenging to get into this book. I wasn't expecting an enemies-to-lovers dynamic, but I was pleasantly surprised by the well-written transition from friends to lovers between Jordan and Quell. Jordan's sweetness made the ending all the more heart-wrenching, and the book reminded me of a mix between The Belles and Of Cages and Crowns.

I particularly enjoyed Quell's character growth and how her magic allowed her to come into her own throughout the story. Her character arc was well-developed and satisfying. As for Yagrin, I empathized with him as a soft boy. Though I didn't like him at first, as we learned more about him, he grew on me. The only character I disliked was the Grandmother - she can go to hell!

The way each reveal was executed was masterful, leaving me gasping and reevaluating certain scenes with particular characters, such as "Octis." I adored everyone except the Grandmother and cannot wait for the sequel. I am glad that I persevered with this book.

It took me a while to get into it and there were times I was very much close to DNFing but I am so glad I didn't! I was not expecting such enemies to lovers, the relationship between Jordan to Quell from friends to lovers was so well written and Jordan was so sweet which made the ending so much more hurtful of course. The book was giving me The Belles vibe mixed with Of Cages and Crowns. I love Quell's growth as a character and with her magic, she definitely comes into her own throughout the story and I really like her character arc within the whole book. Now Yagrin, I feel for him. Soft, soft boy. I didn't like him in the beginning but as we got to learn more about him, he grew on me. I love everyone, except the Grandmother like she can go to hell lol. I love the way each reveal was done, it left me gasping and seeing certain scenes with certain characters(*cough* "Octis" *cough*) in a new light. I can't wait for the sequel, so glad I stuck with this one!

Dark academia, fantasy, romance… aka three of my favorite genres! Elle’s writing was so captivating and the world was so fun to imagine and read about. Would definitely recommend to people if you love these YA genres and would love to read more of this author’s books!

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

Ended up reading this entire thing during a shift at work cause I was really bored on a slow day. This was a really fun read! It felt quick for 400 pages, it never dragged. It did have a few basic elements, mom goes missing, three challenges and a magic school, but the magic was unique and I liked the characters a lot! I liked the fantasy and romance aspects, there was kind of enemies to lovers but honestly I am already shipping the main character with someone else. There was a POV the entire book I couldn't figure out and I loved the twist with it at the end.

This is quite possibly one of the most magical, romantic, thrilling fantasies I've ever read in my life! I'm so ready to dive into the rest of this series, declare my House, and duel with magic. Dark academia meets Bridgerton with magic has never hit you so hard with as many secrets and betrayal as you can handle! But don't worry, it also perfectly balances the shock out with a beautifully crafted story about freedom and how higher powers keep you down. An extremely relevant read today, this is the kind of gorgeous worldbuilding that every fantasy fan needs in their life.

Thank you to Penguin Teen for sending me an arc of House of Marionne in exchange for an honest review.


I loved this so much. a dark academia fantasy read with a gothic feel to it? I didn't know i needed a read like this. the magic system was probably the most interesting part of the story. the writing was beautiful and the world building is fantastic. I HOPE there is a sequel because that ending!