Shadows of Perl is the sequel to J. Elle’s House of Marionne. I read the first book about a year ago and really enjoyed it, so I was excited to check out the sequel.

Unfortunately I think I forgot a lot of this world and characters during the year between books because I was super confused through a lot of the book. Minor characters were brought up without reintroductions and there was no sort of recap of the world as a whole, so it was hard to jump right back into it.

I considered a few times putting the book down because I was so confused, but even with the confusion there were parts of the book that kept me engaged, especially after I hit about 65%. For me the most captivating thing about this book is the relationship between Quell and Jordan. Their will they, won’t they relationship kept me coming back because I wanted to know what was going to happen with them.

This book ends on a cliffhanger that I currently feel invested in, so I may pick up the next book (although there currently isn’t a pub date).

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC! Shadows of Perl is available now.

This felt like a run of the mile romantasy novel. I wasn't the biggest fan of it. The characters did not have enough dimensions to them and felt very plain.

I loved the plot of the story the author did a great job. It kept my attention well. Will read more from author in the future.

I truly enjoyed this book but was hard for me personally to stay hooked. The first in the series had me more hooked.

After the shocking events of House of Marionne, Quell flees to the House of Perl, where for once she's celebrated instead of shunned and finally has somewhere to belong. But what seems like a haven may be darker than Quell realizes. Secrets lurk in every house, and Quell's search for her mom threatens to pull her deeper into the shadows.

Meanwhile, Jordan must protect the Spere, the source of magic. The biggest threat is the girl he once loved. As the Sphere cracks and the threat of war brews among the Houses, can he kill his heart to save magic?

This is how lovers to enemies should be done! I loved this second installment in the House of Marionne series and can't wait to read the third book.

While I really enjoyed book one, I found myself feeling a bit lost in book two. I was still intrigued and enjoyed the story but I felt like it was very slow and long. It was a lot of information and I felt disconnected from the story as if they were not from the same series at times. I can understand why people loved this book, it just didn’t do it for me like I’d hoped it would.

A solid follow-up to House of Marionne that includes several well-done plot twists and a heart-breaking love story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This sequel started off a little slow, but at the end I understood why the beginning had to be a little slower paced because that ending needed to be set in motion. I loved having so many chapters from Jordan’s perspective and seeing his inner war with following the rules of the order and his love for Quell. I wanted chapters from Yargin’s perspective and hope we get some in book three. That ending was so action packed and I need book three now! I want to know more about the magic system and need to know what happens with this cliff hanger.

This is a fantastic sequel to the first book, and wow—what a cliffhanger! It’ll leave you begging for the next installment.

I LOVED House of Marrione, and Shadows of Peril did not disappoint. The story picks up right where the first book left off, following Quell and Jordan as they pursue their missions, often at odds with each other. While sequels can sometimes feel like filler, this one didn’t at all—Quell’s journey was full of discoveries and travel (no spoilers, I promise!), keeping the story engaging from start to finish. At the same time, Jordan’s missions were equally compelling, and I loved how their paths eventually crossed again toward the end.

I LOVED this book. The extra POVs were amazing, they allowed the story to grow and made the book even more enjoyable than the first.

Somehow, I always get dragged right into this series and its creative and interesting characters. Despite having time pass between the first book and the second book, I was easily transported back into the storyline. Part two moved just as quickly as the first and was an easy read.

Overall the plot was good, but I found the book to be really confusing - in the sense that, it's been two books and I still have zero clue about the overall political system and the world?

And I really hated Jordan's pov. It sucks to read the pov of someone who's killing innocent people and justifying it in his head. Given that ~50% of the time it's his pov, this was pretty bad.

I'm not really sure how this trilogy is going to end now - like I'm not going to root for a hea for Jordan and Quell because I hate Jordan's actions and I don't see how he can be redeemed. I just want Quell to be happy, she's been through so much 😭

And Yagrin and Nore! I just want their book and their hea okay 😭

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

It took me a while to get to this ARC as I didn’t realize it was the second of a series but after I read the first I was even more anxious to come back and read this second book in the series. It was devastating. Beautiful, haunting even and I have been thinking about it since finishing it often.

I’m so excited for book 3! I felt a little like this was just a bridge between book 1 and 3, but I’m still so enthralled with the world!

The continuation of Quel's story was slow to begin with, I feel this was filler for book three, there was a lot of angst with no real substance. while I really enjoyed this story and the new magic system and world, it didn't excite me to continue.

In the second installment of the House of Marionne series, readers are swept back into Quell Marionne’s magical journey as she searches for her mother. Following the explosive conclusion of book one, Quell gains access to the elusive House of Perl, where she learns that her magic is not something to fear but to celebrate. Yet, danger still looms as she is hunted by her former lover, Jordan Wexton, who is torn between love and duty.
This is a fantastic read for young adult audiences. Free of spice, the story focuses on themes of self-discovery, found family, and the wonder of magic.


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

3.5/5✨

YA Fantasy. Dark Academia. BIPOC Author. Multi POV. 2024 release.

Shadows of Perl is the second installment in The House of Marionne series following Quell in her journey to find her mother and learn to control her dark power. I was hesitant to continue this series going in, considering that it’s multi POV with several POV’s I care very little for. Turns out, I was right to be hesitant, as this is something that continued in the second book with Nore’s POV. That said, there’s something that drew me to the book despite this. I wanted to know what would happen to Quell.

I don't have much to say about this book except that there was something that was still missing for me. I’ll most likely read the third book (please be the last book) when it comes out, out of curiosity, but I wanted more from this.

Overall, I’d recommend this to teens who like unique magic systems and stories with representation.

[Note: Check Trigger Warnings]

I liked this but felt it lacked in comparison to the first book.which I was obsessed with. I felt the characters and plot were lacking

J Elle does it again!!! Book 1 took my breath away, and book 2 just captured my heart. Ugh!! I just love these 🥰

I loved book one and I like how the author kept to the storyline from the first but I was hoping for more. There was little emotional connection between main characters which definitely hindered character development. Hoping a book 3 may challenge this book to have a good closure for the series

J Elle is an amazing author. What a unique story! I love this world. I will definitely keep J Elle on my radar for future reads