Mysterious, roller coaster of events. It brings in 2 new povs which is amazing I love a good multi POV book. The events in this book aren't as gripping as book one but it seems to be a building up and laying a foundation for an exciting 3rd book! Quell and Jordan and how book 1 ended leave you wanting more in book 2 and it brings the tension needed for their relationship. I did get a bit bored because it is a lot more information about the houses and the people. But overall loved this book and recommend this series.

4.5/5 stars

It’s a morally gray world full of angst, ambition, and delicious magical mayhem.
The stakes were high, the characters and relationships were a complicated mess, and while I gravitated to some characters more than others in this multi-POV page-turner, I was never bored.

Highlights of this book:
- Slowburn romance is fun but the bromance is top-tier.
- The morally gray-ness. Everyone had their own motivations that didn’t always align and that were more for their greater good than the greater good and that made for great drama.
- The magical/political systems and intrigue are intriguing and I love the way J. Elle expands the world she introduced us to in House of Marionne.
- The witty, bold, and fun dialogue had me laughing, wincing, clapping and yelling at the pages.
- That cliffhanger — it was brutal but masterfully done. Shadows of Perl is next level nail-biting, adrenaline-induced emotional rollercoaster reminiscent of Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments.

I need the next book asap, along with a prequel featuring the show stealers of the series - Beaulah and Darragh. With aunties and grandmas like them, you really don’t need enemies…

Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Group, Razorbill and to the author for a complimentary copy of this ebook. I am leaving a voluntary review. All thoughts and ideas expressed are my own.

I was so excited to read the second book in this series. I really enjoyed the House of Marionne and the journey of Quell Marionne. Quell’s story continues in her search for her mother the missing heiress of the House of Marionne. Quell continues to learn how to use her gift of toushana which is outlawed by the Draguns. Quell is on the run from the House of Dragun second in command Jordan Weston who wants Quell dead.
I really enjoyed this sequel and I highly recommend this series for fans of young adult fantasy and Romantsy books. I highly recommend J. Elle’s books.
Thank you Netgalley and Razorbill for the opportunity to review this book,

“But somethings are too destructive to admit out loud.”

“Shadows of Perl,” by J. Elle

I loved this book! This is the second book in the House of Marionne series and definitely did not disappoint. This book has more POV’s and different aspects to the world that is being built. I loved the extra tension between the love interest in this book and them really fighting their feelings even more than the last book. There is a lot more action in the last and can’t wait to see more of it in the next book. 5 out of 5 stars, everything I was hoping for.

-Magic
-One Bed Trope

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

I’ve also included my thoughts on the first book as I read that just prior to reading this second.
House of Marionne started out fast and never seemed to let up! I was hooked immediately. We first meet our main girl Quell in a tricky situation with her forbidden magic. She then finds herself seeking safety with her grandmother, who is headmistress to one of the prestigious magic schools, who also happens to be run by The Order who forbids Quells type of magic. Quell learns to blend in, even falling in love. The man she falls in love with, Jordan, has a job that finds forbidden magic users and kills them for The Order. When Jordan accidentally finds out Quells secret, all hell breaks loose in the House of Marionne. Jordan and Quell, once lovers, become enemies sworn to kill the other.
In Shadows of Perl, we find Quell again running for the order but learning how to control and use her magic and Jordan second in command of all Draguns-those tasked with getting rid of forbidden magic. Both characters are on a mission to find the Sphere, the thing that connects everyone to old magic. When their paths unfortunately cross and they are forced to play nice in order to defeat the true enemy, will they be able to save the sphere and all of Magic?
Shadows of Perl did end on a BIG cliff hanger! The pacing for the second book was incredibly slow and it overall fell flat for me. I do believe the things that happened in this book though are important for the third book. Another thing that threw me about the second book was how the first book was only in Quells point of view, but the second had multiple point of views from 4 characters. Jordan’s character was still stale to me…but after learning more about him, I think he’s just an overall boring guy with no depth.
I rated the first book 5 stars and the second 3. I would still recommend this series and can’t wait to find out the fate of the sphere in the third book!

Shadows of Perl is the sequel to House of Marionne by J. Elle.
This is a fantastic YA fantasy with a unique magic system.
The story was so well written and so full of details.
Shadows of Perl is a gripping fantasy that immerses readers in a richly imagined world of magic and intrigue. The novel’s strong world-building and complex characters are standout features, though the plot can sometimes feel convoluted. Overall, it’s a compelling read with plenty of twists and turns to keep fans of the genre engaged.

3 stars
——————

I wanted to so wanted to like this one, but it just didn’t live up to expectation.

The best I can describe it is second book syndrome, where the plot is very filler to bridge the gap between books. When I read House of Marionne last year, I was sucked into this world of unique magic and excitement. While this one was certainly a good continuation of that magic and thrill, the plot was a little bit boring? My mind definitely registered this as a duology. So seeing the course of the book, I was so confused until the open ending, when I realized there was another book. I don’t think this one needs to be so many books. There is so much filler action and dialogue that wasn’t necessary. Things were established then repeatedly elaborated on when they didn’t need to be. The pacing was off to me, slow to begin then everything all at once. Some of the action needed more explanation to be more clear. This could have been a really nice duology.

I really enjoyed that this book was multi POV. It enhanced the understanding of the story, making it more three dimensional. The introduction of Nore’s voice was really interesting, as I enjoyed her character and that storyline in the first book. I found I didn’t care for Jordan’s character this time around. He lost his fire and spark. Quell was pretty consistent with book one. I just couldn’t connect to them. Quell is still selfish, Jordan is a little dull. The redeeming grace was Nore, who was fire and spark. Her storyline in this one had me on the edge of my seat, unlike the other two.

This one was a big letdown for me, given how I enjoyed book one. I’m unsure if I would continue the series.

Shadows of Perl is an action packed sequel filled with mysterious magic, betrayal, and secrets.

Quell has accepted her power and bound with toushana, the forbidden dark magic. This puts her at odds with the Houses of the Order and the Draguns, those who hunt dark magic users for the Order. Quell is now on the run and in hiding, hoping to find her mother and escape the order, but she can't do it alone. Jordan, the boy she loved, is now the second in command of the Draguns, and wants to find Quell and his brother, before the other Draguns find them first. They are on opposite sides of a old conflict, but can't seem to ignore their own pasts, and the the time they spent together. Meanwhile, the race to locate the Sphere is on, to save the magic, or to destroy it forever.

I really enjoyed this second book in the House of Marionne series. It has a unique magic system, and I liked learning more about the other Houses in this second installment. We see a lot more of House of Perl, and learn some secrets about the Order, and those who have tried to leave it. I especially liked Quell and Jordan's arcs in this book. They both learn so much about who they are as individuals, and as they uncover more about the Order, make difficult choices about who they want to be and where their loyalties lie. We see the story from both their POVs, which I personally really enjoyed. We also get some POV chapters from Nore as well, and I enjoyed her storyline and the new perspectives shared, and thought it enhanced the story. I thought the book started a bit slow, but things are building up towards an exciting and explosive conclusion that sets things up for a suspected next book in the series.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group/Razorbill for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed Shadows of Perl it did not have the same excellence that was House of Marionne. This was very much a filler book leading up the 3rd book in the series. There were great moments and moments that should have been pivotal I found lacking the depth it needed. With that being said I loved Shadows of Perl

I had a good time with this. The lore and world continues to be really interesting, and I loved that we got to spend more time exploring some of the other Houses in this sequel. I didn’t love that for so much of the book Quell and Jordan were at odds with each other (which is a really sugarcoated way of saying planning the other’s murder), because I feel like part of the strength of the first book was their romance.

Overall I am excited to see how everything wraps up in the finale!

Thank you to NetGalley and Razorbill for the opportunity to read an ARC of this! All thoughts are my own.

Shadows of Perl did not reach my expectations. It was slow pacing and it seems like a filler book because there's character development, events that are going to set up for book 3 and of course the cliff hanger.
However, the events that happened in the book and the plot twists had my jaw dropping. Because what do you mean that's how they get their power?! (IYKYK). The last 25% of the book is where the action is at.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

I am having a hard time putting into words why I did not enjoy this book as much as I'd hoped. I liked Book 1, I like the characters, I think the story is interesting, and I generally enjoy multiple POV books, so I don't think that was it. The first half was a bit slow, and at times I had a hard time following who was speaking in dialogue-heavy parts, but that could also be a function of Kindle formatting and reading on my phone.

I do think this book (and series) will appeal to teen readers who like fantasy and romance, and I will be reading Book 3 to see how it all ends! The ending of Shadows of Perl was exciting--in fact the last 25% or so was great.

It took me a minute to remember characters from the first book. I actually went back and reread the last two chapters of the previous book as a refresher. How could I forget the big ending? It felt a little slow at first, maybe because I kept going back to the first book, but it picked up more in the second half.
I loved the different perspectives in this book! Maybe we’ll get Yagrin’s next time? I enjoyed seeing the changes in each person’s beliefs throughout the story. Now I need the next book!!

I loved House of Marionne, and was thrilled to receive the ARC for Shadows of Perl. Huge thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Razorbill, J. Elle, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. It was amazing, as was expected!

When I first started reading it, I was worried about the multiple POVs that guide the story, as sometimes too many narrators can bog the story down. Surprisingly, this actually worked in my opinion, as it made me care more deeply about the characters and the role they play in this chaotic world. Another thing that I loved about this book was the fact that all the characters are flawed; they all have to come to terms with who they are versus who they want to be. This makes it interesting to get inside so many characters heads because you can empathize and understand how they ended up like they are. There’s no 100% right character.

One thing that I don’t love about Shadows of Perl is the pacing; it felt like it took forever for anything to really happen, which did give a lot of good background and history, but I felt like so much of the first book follows Quell having to adjust to The Highest Mysteries society, and I wish the pacing would’ve been just a tad faster.

I am definitely waiting for Book 3 ( a tad impatiently) because this has been one of the best series I’ve read this year, and the thought of having to wait makes me sad. Would recommend to anyone who likes romantasy.

Overall: 4/5 stars

I started this one right after the first and I was So glad I had this one. It was a great continuation of the first and felt just as good as the first.

Shadows of Perl
Author J. Elle

Step into a world of cotillions and hidden secrets, where Dark Academia meets dark magic in a contemporary fantasy that excite your soul. This is a true slow burn, with morally gray characters navigating a shadowy landscape of power and betrayal. Shadows of Perl is a mesmerizing tale Quell and Jordan and the dark seductive allure of magic.

🖤Quell continues to be hunted by those who fear her dark magic. She is relentless in her pursuit to find her mother. She is learning to embrace and control, what is rightfully hers!
🖤Jordan is still pursuing his rise in power at the Dragun Order. He must protect the sphere from all dark magic-toushana. He will explore his feelings about and come to terms with his relationship with his brother and Quell.

🩷The twists and turns will keep you reading through the night! The secrets are around every corner and behind each hidden door way! Where this book ends has you wishing for book 3… honesty, I need Book 3!!

✨🖤🩷✨This Series has quickly become one of my absolute favorites this year!!

Thank you so much to Penguin teen and NetGalley for providing me early access for an honest review. I absolutely loved the second installment to this series. After turning House of Marionne upside down following her final rite, Quell is back on the run and looking for her mother. She enlists the help of Abby and Octos to master her powers and while continuing to search. Once exhausted of all other options, Quell finds her way to the House of Perl where she thinks she finally found someone who accepts her but is that really the case or is something more sinister afoot?
Seeing Quell grow up and in to who she is meant to be was such a powerful part of this book. I love that she is finally making her own interests a priority while exploring exactly how powerful she can be. I also loved that we got to see into other characters point of view so we still get insight into both sides of the war on magic and between Quell and Jordan. The writing absolutely absorbs you into the story and you can feel the mix of emotions from all sides as you dive into the latest part in this incredible story. I can't wait for the next book!
Themes:
• Romantasy
• Young Adult
• Dramione vibes
• Touch her and you die
• Revealed secrets
• Multiple POVs

I was so excited for this. And the letdown was all the worse for that. It feels very disjointed from the first book and the different narration types between the POVs was jarring and didn’t seem to serve a purpose.
The story moved slowly but not in an enjoyable way.

My primary feeling throughout this was that the story was meant to be a duology but was made into a trilogy and it just didn’t work out. Still hopeful for the third but this didn’t do it for me.

Even better than book one. This book makes you have all the feelings. Just when you think you know what is happening the world is turned upside down again! Waiting very impatiently for book three!!

3.5 stars! I enjoyed this book and the story kept me reading till the cliffhanger at the end.

I struggled to keep track of the side characters for the first half of the book and this made it difficult to follow the story at times. However, I still loved the character development we saw in Quell and Jordan each. Adding in the 3rd perspective really built out the story. Hearing from her helped us see some of the other many moving pieces in a way that helped the puzzle come together nicely at the end of the book. This definitely feels like the middle book in the series as in it’s moving the plot forward but I’m so much more excited for the 3rd book to see how everything plays out in the end. The themes surrounding darkness, inner turmoil, and grief always suck me right into a story and I loved to see them in this book!

I read this as an ARC through Net Galley.