SHADOWS OF PERL by J. Elle is the second in a Young Adult Romantasy series set in a world where magic exists and houses led by powerful family leaders protect the secret of their magic and hunt those who use what some consider evil magic, toushana. The book has two main POV characters, and one minor (but still important) third POV character. The characters in this book are beautifully crafted and the magic system and story itself are truly engaging. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next installment. Before I gush on more, let me share the setup.

Quell is on the run from the boy she maybe still loves, Jordan. As a Dragun, it's his job to find and capture her for her illegal use of toushana. Not only is she hiding, but she's also seeking. She yearns to find her mother, and we spend a good part of the book following her along in her quest, as she's able. Where she lands to hide surprised and intrigued me.

Jordan is hunting the young woman who betrayed him and stole his heart, Quell. As a member of the House of Perl, he knows that the leader of his house is someone with grey morals, and he has escaped from the reaches of those grey morals by working for the House of Marrione. In an interesting twist, his duties become even more urgent, and his search for Quell more desperate.

Will Quell successfully evade Jordan and find her mother so they can escape this perilous life? Will Jordan fulfill his duty and bring Quell in to face the consequences of bonding with the illicit magic? Will we see Quell and Jordan in the same scene where they are not trying to kill one another? You'll have to read to find out.

What I loved most:
- I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns. There are many of them, so watch out!
- The main POV characters were strong, as were the supporting cast.
- J. Elle examines the meaning of duty and its many layers: duty to family, duty to one's role, duty to one's beliefs, duty to oneself. It was a multi-layered examination that thoroughly resonated with me.
- The magic system in this novel (and it's predecessor) is so creative and it gets even more intriguing in this installment. Bravo!
- The romance, once it is re-sparked, strikes the balance between being too easy and being too frustrating. That's not easy to do.
- The role of tradition is examined through the rituals of the House of Perl. How many of us cling to traditions that are not exactly healthy or not exactly in keeping with the times? So many cling to those traditions, and at what cost?

What didn't work:
- Honestly, the only gripe I have is that I would have liked to see Quell and Jordan on page together sooner, but I understand why that couldn't happen at first.

SHADOWS OF PERL is a pacey, enjoyable read brimming with action, adventure, romance, and cataclysm, with a strong cast of characters. I highly recommend it. Run, don't walk, to pre-order or purchase this epic novel!

Thank you to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group/Razorbill for the eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

5 stars!!

This was everything that I needed in a sequel after how things ended in House of Marionne. HONEY, the twists alone from the ending of House of Marionne to the beginning of this book......*mind blown*!!!! The subtle tension along the way *swoon*.

I love the selections that were made for the additional POVs and how their stories converged!!! Book 3 is going to be epic - I can already tell.

Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Teen, and J. Elle for allowing me to review this ARC!!

Looking forward to September 3rd when I can have the physical copy in hand!!
心

Absolutely loved this thriller romantansy. The author really connected everything and used minimum fluff to do it. You can perfectly picture the setting and story that the characters are in. Absolutely glued to the very end. Bravo!

These covers are amazing!

I hate to do this because I truly enjoyed the first book. But I had to DNF around 40%. The characters just didn’t feel the same, they didn’t have enough depth to them.

Content Warning: violence, loss of a parent

This is the second book in the House of Marionne series and with the way it ended in book one, I was excited to see how this sequel would turn out.

Likes:

I liked when Yagrin was in the story because the first book ended with him and it got me excited to see what would happen to his character.
The troubled romance between Quell and Jordan goes through more turmoil here. They hate one another, but underneath it all, they still feel strongly for one another. So I did like when they finally had scenes together – it was my favorite parts because I love romance in my fantasy books.
There is a lot of movement in the book since Quell is on the run and there is a lot of action at the end. I liked the political drama and Jordan coming to realize what the order demands of him.
Dislikes:

This was too slow for me and it was hard for me to get into it because it starts off with Nore and I was clueless as to who she was. So I was a bit lost in the beginning of this book and was trying to get my bearings and remember things from book one.
I couldn’t connect to the characters.


My Thoughts:

I think this book does move the series forward but it took me awhile to get into. My favorite parts were when Quell and Jordan finally confront each other but I did also like all the political drama happening with the houses. I think if you liked book one, you will enjoy this one.

Shadows of Perl by J. Elle is a captivating and atmospheric novel that masterfully blends mystery with supernatural elements. Elle’s evocative storytelling and intriguing plot twists create a compelling read that keeps readers engaged from start to finish.

Do not read this until you've read the first book because the world is difficult to get into otherwise.

Sadly, the worldbuilding that was weak in Book One hasn't strengthened here. How the magic works, the different types of magic, etc. are still quite muddy and confusing (what one group sees as bad, another uses frequently, for example). The society is slightly clearer, which is nice. It was also problematic that one of the POVs that felt most interesting is missing from most of the book -- when she reappears, it's almost jolting.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

As soon as I finished House of Marionne I rushed to Netgallery to get my hands on Shadows of Pearl and needless to say this book did NOT disappoint. We get to learn more of Quell’s quests in this magical world where betrayal runs in the Order.

Quell finds herself running once more from the order and Draguns, but is able to gather a few allies along the way that help her search for her mom and improve her magic.

This book has a lot of betrayal, sadness, helplessness and anger. We get to see many people’s Point of view and understand their motivations and fears.


———————————————-
Spoiler alert 🚨
•
•
•
We get Jordan’s point of view, which I loved because he spends almost half of the book searching for Quell. Now we are able to understand what his brother said at the end of book 1. He has spend all his life trying to be a good son and student, being the perfect example to please his family, and all he gets in return are betrayals. He gets to be the Dragunheart, the second highest title in the Dragunhood, only to learn that it’s not as important as he once thought because the order is full of bad people.

Quell keeps looking for her mother, trusting no one (and with good reason) when she suddenly finds herself in house of Pearl, learning more about her powers but also being lied to. Until she finally breaks free.

I loved how we also get to know Nore and Adola. The future Headmistresses of the other houses. And turns out they all have more in common than we thought and will be better than their predecessors.

Thank you to the publishers for an early copy of this book in exchange for a review. I thought this was enjoyable, but hard for me to follow and keep up with at times. There were a lot of different characters and point of view changes. Overall I enjoyed this, but was confused at many points.

Shadows of Perl was a wild ride. I enjoyed House of Marrionne, but Shadows of Perl was better, which everyone knows is virtually unheard of for a sequel. The pacing and writing was great. I still don't quite understand the "science" behind the magic of sun charting and sphere chasing, but it's fantasy so I just 🤷‍♀️ and move on. Nore's chapters were a bit of a bore, but Isla Ambrose stole the show like Meryl Streep in anything. I really hope she gets page time in the next book.
Speaking of reader requests, J. Elle wrote in her Perl acknowledgements that she kept a specific character around due to readers loving them. I love that for all of us.
The romance was developing. The crisis was crucial. This book has tension and drama and backstabbing for days. Loved it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers - Razorbill for this ARC!

3.5⭐️ definitely a second book to set up for a finale and while there was some action it was a lot of hurry up and wait and confusing POV switches. I will say I thought this was going to END in this book so I’m curious to see where the story goes from here.

3.5 stars

Shadows of Perl is the much-anticipated sequel to House of Marionne. It vastly differs from the glittering world shown in its predecessor, instead exposing the darker underbelly of the order and its work.

This book was very slow to start for me, especially because I was having trouble remembering events and themes from the first book. While the author does recall major plot points throughout the story, I continue to be confused about the difference between the Dragun’s toushana use and Quell’s. There was also a lot of speculation in the first half of this story, but little to no action.

The plot finally picked up about two-thirds of the way through, just in time to set the stage for the third book. I enjoyed Jordan’s POV the most, and thought the author did a great job showing his internal struggle between duty and what he knew to be right. I think Nore’s POV and character arc has a lot of promise, but the quick cut to and from her chapters made it hard for me to fully engage in her story.

Overall, Shadows of Perl advances the plot and I continue to be in awe of the incredibly unique fantasy world the author has built. I look forward to the action sure to come in the third novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group/Razorbill for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this! Multiple POVs including Quell and Jordan, I love getting to know other characters better and being able to understand their motivations. There is so much revealed between house secrets, political secrets, and just secrets between people. It kept me on the edge of my seat, never knowing who to trust or what might be revealed next. There was also some great character development. I'm ready to find out what happens in book 3!

This one definitely had second book syndrome IMO. This was one I had been anticipating for a while so maybe it was my own fault for building it up in my head but it just felt kind of blah. I felt like there was a lot of just telling us what was going on and I wish we could have been able to get inside the characters heads a little bit more. It also felt very slow paced and it was a struggle to get through. Often in series there will be a book that serves more as a vehicle to fill the plot before the “real” stuff starts going down and it felt like this one was it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for the arc copy!

This was an excellent follow up to the first book and I need book three ASAP! I actually enjoyed it more than House of Marionne, the pacing felt smoother this time around. We have a three way multi POV set up in this book and it transitioned POVs at the right time to keep me interested in what was going on with all three characters throughout unlike in book 1 where Yagrin's POV chapters really threw me off the rhythm of the book.

It's so interesting through the course of the book how my feelings about different characters surrounding Quell and Jordan changed based on their interactions with them. You know that these people have done questionable things but then they will have an interaction with one of the MCs that endears them to you and it is hard to know what face of the person is the true one until the writing is on the walls so to speak. I will say Jordan disappointed me in how long it take him to really question the things going on around him. He's clearly struggling from the start but he keeps pushing away from really taking a good look at things, like if he ignores it he just wont have to deal with it. He gets there in the end and he makes the right choices more often than not along the way.

The ending gives us so much to explore in a third book which I can only hope is on the horizon not too distantly after this one I absolutely need to know how this is all going to play out.

Love and Hatred. Alliances and Betrayals. Forgiveness and Revenge. A race against time, and a war on the horizon. The heart-pounding sequel to House of Marionne begins just as intensely as House of Marionne ended, and doesn’t let up until the last page. And just like the first book in this trilogy, it ends on such a jaw-dropping reveal that you’ll be waiting with bated breath to find out what happens next.

<b><i>“The darkness can’t hurt me. Because I am the darkness.”</i></b>

With the decision to bind with the dark magic that had been hounding her during her time at House Marionne, Quell is on the run and trying to learn how to harness this darkness - before it consumes her. Hiding in safe houses, avoiding anywhere she might be found by her ex-love Jordan - Quell is determined to master her magic and reunite with her mother. However, betrayal chases her at every turn, and she can never know who she can trust - or for how long.

Tracing her mother’s steps to find where she vanished, Quell is led to House Perl - where her embrace of the darkness is celebrated, rather than hated. Mastering her magic in pursuit of her mother is not all she discovers when at House of Perl, however, and soon Quell is ensnared in a war looming on the horizon surrounding the Sphere. One faction wants to destroy it, and magic forever - the other wants to destroy it to <i>own </i>magic forever. With heartbreak and betrayal on both sides of the coin, Quell must follow her heart and embrace her inner darkness to be able to come through this book alive.

With how House of Marionne ended, I was so excited to find out how Quell’s story goes from there - and this book absolutely delivers on that front. We follow four main POV characters throughout this book, with one character reveal being a huge unexpected twist that I didn’t see coming in the literal first chapter of this book. I tend to find it difficult to pull off multi-POV books, as at many times it seems at least one character seems unneeded - or information is repeated for each POV. However, there was never a time when I was irritated to get to a character’s POV, or where I felt that their chapter was wasted or didn’t provide new information or context to the story. I bonded to all four characters, and desperately wanted them to meet and see eye-to-eye for their journeys to be resolved together.

Also, I will be the first to admit that certain parts of House of Marionne dragged a bit for me. This isn’t an issue with the writing or the book itself, just that I wasn’t the biggest fan of the romance or the high-society training that took up a large portion of the first book. (Once again, that is a large part of the plot so me not enjoying it isn’t the fault of the author because I knew what I was getting into - just to be clear here). However, Shadows of Perl doesn’t have either of these developments within it, so for me the book felt a lot faster paced. With Quell on the run, even when she is in another house - this one House of Perl - she isn’t attending classes or attempting to blend in with high society. Instead, she is training her magic and trying to remain hidden from everyone around her hunting her down.

I loved how the romance between Jordan and Quell was handled within this book. With the reveal of Quell’s toushana and her binding it to herself, and Jordan choosing his duty over their relationship - both enter into this book feeling betrayed by one another. Hatred and betrayal taints both of their thoughts towards one another, and even when they finally meet face-to-face and are forced to work together, neither is willing to forgive the other for the hurt. All of their interactions felt grounded and real, and I loved the pace the book took and the decisions that had to happen before we ever learned if they could learn to work together without intending to betray the other at the end.

A good portion of this book focuses on Quell’s emotions and her desire for revenge for all those who have hurt and betrayed her. Quell’s emotions in this book are much darker and more focused on finding - and killing - those who have used her trust against her. Neither her, nor the reader, can ever be certain of who she can trust and when those bonds are broken we are on her side with wanting her to be able to enact her perfect revenge on them.

This was a phenomenal sequel and lays plenty of groundwork for the third book in this trilogy, and I cannot wait to find out what happens next. This book left me breathless, and the last page has such a huge cliff-hanger that when I got to it and turned the page, I audibly went <i>“Huh?!” </i>when I realized that was truly the end. If the politics and house loyalties and factions of the first book interested you, then the sequel will capture you as well. (However, if your favorite parts were the schooling, the dancing, and the romance then I fear this book might feel a bit lacking in that regard. I still believe you should check out this book to find out what happens with Quell after the events of House of Marionne and see for yourself, though).

A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Penguin Young Readers Group for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

And she did it again!! After the House of Marionne’s success the author still managed to surprise me with this sequel. This is the kind of book where you can't trust anyone and every page is a different surprise, you know? I felt a great improvement especially in the political part of the book, it left me much more intrigued and explained many things better. The romance was also *chefs kiss*, the tension between them was palpable (and we love it thank you very much). I just wish it was a little more fast paced.

*Shadows of Perl* continues the enthralling saga of the House of Marionne, delivering a darkly captivating sequel that dives deeper into the realms of forbidden magic, intricate betrayals, and fractured hearts. For fans of Stephanie Garber, Leigh Bardugo, and Alex Aster, this novel offers a thrilling journey into a richly imagined fantasy world where power and passion collide.

The story picks up with Quell Marionne reeling from the cataclysmic events of the final Rite of Induction that upended her life. The dramatic upheavals not only shattered her personal world but also sent ripples through the magical fabric of her universe. Fleeing to House of Perl, Quell finds herself in an environment where she is celebrated rather than ostracized. Yet, her newfound refuge is not without its own treacherous secrets. The House of Perl, while a sanctuary, harbors its own mysteries, and Quell’s quest to uncover the fate of her mother plunges her into deeper darkness.

The novel's dual narrative perspective introduces Jordan Wexton, the formidable second-in-command of the Dragun brotherhood and protector of the Sphere, the source of all magic. Jordan’s conflict is both internal and external as he grapples with his former love for Quell and the need to protect the Sphere from her—now a formidable threat due to her possession of the outlawed toushana. This tension between duty and desire forms the heart of the story, as Jordan is forced to confront his own emotional and ethical dilemmas.

*Shadows of Perl* excels in its portrayal of the complex relationship between Quell and Jordan. Their transformation from lovers to adversaries is rendered with emotional depth and nuance, making their interactions both poignant and charged. The narrative drives home the intensity of their conflicting loyalties and personal sacrifices, setting up a dramatic tension that propels the plot forward.

The world-building continues to be one of the novel's strongest features. The intricate depiction of the Houses and their interplay with forbidden magic adds layers of intrigue and suspense. The stakes are high, and the stakes for Quell and Jordan are even higher, as their decisions will not only affect their fates but the future of magic itself.

The book's dark and atmospheric tone is matched by its intricate plotting and vivid characterizations. The author’s ability to weave together personal conflict with broader magical and political stakes makes for a compelling read that keeps the reader on edge.

In conclusion, *Shadows of Perl* is a masterful continuation of the House of Marionne series, combining romantic tension, magical intrigue, and high-stakes drama in a way that will captivate fans of the genre. It’s a must-read for those who revel in fantasy novels that blend romance with deep-seated magic and political machinations.

This author and Cliffhangers, oh my goodness!! Quell is still searching for her mother and answers about her magic now that she's bound herself. Huge reveal at the beginning of this one too, oof. Jordan is working closely with the Dragun and is now hunting Quell. So much for true love.

Jordan battles himself every day over Quell, both hoping that he does and doesn't find her. Quell and Yagrin are searching for the sphere and trying to beat House Perl to it, but the more they dig for answers, the more questions they unearth.

Quell gains control of her magic but loses the ability to trust those around her as secret plots are revealed and alliances are made clear. It seems though everyone has plans for the sphere, none of them align, and many will lose.

In the second installment of this series, Quell learns more about her magic while searching for her mother and avoiding capture by the Draguns, whose ranks now include her ex-lover.

I really liked getting to know a little more about Quell’s magic, the magic of this world in general, and the other houses. I didn’t anticipate the plot twist at the end.

Generally, I’d like to get into the character’s heads a bit more. I felt like when a character changed their position on something, it was very sudden. I’d like to see and feel better development of character complexity. I also found that some transitions were missing. For example, a character would be on the ground and the next description would be them in a standing embrace in another direction, which is impossible without a transition from point A to point B. It made the reading experience a bit clunky at times.