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House of Marionne #1
House of Marionne
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2023)Rich is the blood of the chosen
17 year-old Quell has lived her entire life on the run. She and her mother have fled from city to city, in order to hide the deadly magic that flows through Quell’s veins.
Until someone discovers her dark secret.
To hide from the assassin hunting her, and keep her mother out of harm’s way, Quell reluctantly inducts into a debutante society of magical social elites called the Order that she never knew existed. If she can pass their three rites of membership, mastering their proper form of magic, she’ll be able to secretly bury her forbidden magic forever.
If caught, she will be killed.
But becoming the perfect debutante is a lot harder than Quell imagined, especially when there’s more than tutoring happening with Jordan, her brooding mentor and— assassin in training.
When Quell uncovers the deadly lengths the Order will go to defend its wealth and power, she’s forced to choose: embrace the dark magic she’s been running from her entire life or risk losing everything, and everyone, she’s grown to love.
Still, she fears the most formidable monster she’ll have to face is the one inside.
17 year-old Quell has lived her entire life on the run. She and her mother have fled from city to city, in order to hide the deadly magic that flows through Quell’s veins.
Until someone discovers her dark secret.
To hide from the assassin hunting her, and keep her mother out of harm’s way, Quell reluctantly inducts into a debutante society of magical social elites called the Order that she never knew existed. If she can pass their three rites of membership, mastering their proper form of magic, she’ll be able to secretly bury her forbidden magic forever.
If caught, she will be killed.
But becoming the perfect debutante is a lot harder than Quell imagined, especially when there’s more than tutoring happening with Jordan, her brooding mentor and— assassin in training.
When Quell uncovers the deadly lengths the Order will go to defend its wealth and power, she’s forced to choose: embrace the dark magic she’s been running from her entire life or risk losing everything, and everyone, she’s grown to love.
Still, she fears the most formidable monster she’ll have to face is the one inside.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published August 29, 2023
About the author
J. Elle
13 books1,376 followersJ. ELLE is the New York Times bestselling author of young adult and middle-grade fantasy fiction and a 2022 NAACP Image Award Nominee for Outstanding Literary Work for Youth and Teens. Her work has been translated into three languages. The former educator credits her nomadic lifestyle and humble inner-city beginnings as inspiration for her novels. When she’s not writing, Elle can be found on the hunt for new desserts sans Chocolat, looking for literally any excuse to get dressed up, and road-tripping her way across the country with her two dogs in tow.
Follow me on BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/j-elle
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,392 reviews
January 9, 2024
imagine this:
Lana Del Rey (especially born to die) vibes with dark academia and cotillion plot lines.
AND LOTS OF FEMININE RAGE AND A POWERFUL PROTAGONIST
Lana Del Rey (especially born to die) vibes with dark academia and cotillion plot lines.
AND LOTS OF FEMININE RAGE AND A POWERFUL PROTAGONIST
December 27, 2023
DNF @ 55%
Have you ever wondered what would happen if Fourth Wing, The Mortal Instruments, and Barbie Princess Charm School came together to have a Grisha baby? Of course you have. Well, wonder no longer. I present to you House of Marionne by J.Elle, a YA urban fantasy novel that combines all of these books but somehow only incorporates the negative traits. Genetics are a tricky thing.
In this delightful little story, we follow this chic named Quell (don't even get me started on the names) who's *not like the other girls* because she has magic and welll... it really isn't quite explained if this is a normal thing to have or not. Anyway, our girl Quell has this thing called toushana (a form of magic) inside her which she knows she has and also knows is bad but doesn't really understand anything else about magic somehow.
In the beginning, Quell takes on the form of Clary from the Shadowhunter books and has a few dangerous run ins with some strange men with carvings (*cough* runes) and weird tattoos and magic and stuff. We then learn that Clary- I mean Quell's- mom kind of has a history with these things I guess which is why the two of them (mother-daughter family, not explained) are always on the run.
Aparently, Quell's Grandmom (yes, GRANDMOM) is some magical headmistress of this powerful magic house/school/I don't really know, which is technically in the same world but like also not (hidden away, maybe). After Quell runs away, she is taken in by her British (I'm assuming because she drinks tea and seems very proper) Grandmom and has to learn to control her magic, but not her toushana that no one seems to know about (don't even ask me tf this is because I'm confused out of my mind) because that's like a dark magic thing or something (which took me until 45% through to put this together). This is where J. Elle had the chance to make this into a sexy villianess origin story but that is obvisouly not what happened or else I wouldn't be here giving this 1 star. Oh, and I forgot to mention that everyone at this "school" also has to learn etiquette and a number of other boring things like how to curtsy and sit straight in your chair (*cue that scene in Barbie where they walk around with books on their heads*).
Obvisouly, Quell meets this hottie named Jordan and they have this whole thing that I'm not even going to expain. It's supposed to be enemies to lovers except it's actually not. All you need to know is that Jordan is basically just like any other shadow-summoning beast of a love-interest we meet in every single YA fantasy (Xaden, Rhysand, Darkling) but he actually has NO PERSONALITY. Like, AT ALL.
Now that we're on the note of characters, lets look at who we've got on the docket: Quell, Grandmom, Jordan, Abby, Shelby, Rose, Yagrin (I forgot about him, he gets a pov but has no relation to Quell whatsoever except I think he tried to kill her at the beginning maybe?). As you can see, either the characters had parents who despised them so much to give them crappy names, or they just had the pleasure of being boring. The names were actually the least boring thing about any of these people though because THEY HAD NO DEPTH OR PERSONALITY. But you know what they did have? Tiaras growing out of their heads and masks growing out of their faces (no one invited you, Tamlin). I have never seen flatter people in my life and I felt so disconnected. The one time that Jordan and Quell had a meaningful conversation to add depth or whatever, they literally just talked about what kind of houses they want to live in someday. Yes, you read that right. (If you were wonering, it included lots of pretty little shrubs and pretty little windows and pretty little cottages on the beach)
The writing was... well, something. At times, it was actually pretty good. At others, it was cringy and tear-inducing. Observe:
"And I'm early. Like, really early."
"Seriously, dude, try pepperoni. It's so much better."
“Oh, yeah this guy and I were out doing stuff"
"Abby's beau Mynick..." Shut up.
"My name rolls off his tongue like suede, with an inflection, a smoothness I could listen to over and over again." Well, okay.
We also really need to talk about the world-building which was just a disaster. I was so confused by literally every single thing so don't even ask me to explain. I had absolutely no idea what was even going on the entire time and I've never felt so disconnected from a world before. Scratch that. I've never felt so disconnected from a world, characters, or a general story like that before. The setting? No idea. The magic system? Not a clue.
I'm too emotionally spent to discuss the romance any further. Enough said.
House of Marionne had such potential which is what made reading it so painful. It was horribly executed and I felt so disconnected and disengaged the entire time. I actually feel really bad about giving a DNF a 1 star review but I just couldn't do it because I had no idea what was happening. I'm sure that many others would enjoy this (maybe if you liked Zodiac Academy and Crave?) but I did not. It really was just all over the place.
**Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me this ARC in exchange for my honest review
Have you ever wondered what would happen if Fourth Wing, The Mortal Instruments, and Barbie Princess Charm School came together to have a Grisha baby? Of course you have. Well, wonder no longer. I present to you House of Marionne by J.Elle, a YA urban fantasy novel that combines all of these books but somehow only incorporates the negative traits. Genetics are a tricky thing.
In this delightful little story, we follow this chic named Quell (don't even get me started on the names) who's *not like the other girls* because she has magic and welll... it really isn't quite explained if this is a normal thing to have or not. Anyway, our girl Quell has this thing called toushana (a form of magic) inside her which she knows she has and also knows is bad but doesn't really understand anything else about magic somehow.
In the beginning, Quell takes on the form of Clary from the Shadowhunter books and has a few dangerous run ins with some strange men with carvings (*cough* runes) and weird tattoos and magic and stuff. We then learn that Clary- I mean Quell's- mom kind of has a history with these things I guess which is why the two of them (mother-daughter family, not explained) are always on the run.
Aparently, Quell's Grandmom (yes, GRANDMOM) is some magical headmistress of this powerful magic house/school/I don't really know, which is technically in the same world but like also not (hidden away, maybe). After Quell runs away, she is taken in by her British (I'm assuming because she drinks tea and seems very proper) Grandmom and has to learn to control her magic, but not her toushana that no one seems to know about (don't even ask me tf this is because I'm confused out of my mind) because that's like a dark magic thing or something (which took me until 45% through to put this together). This is where J. Elle had the chance to make this into a sexy villianess origin story but that is obvisouly not what happened or else I wouldn't be here giving this 1 star. Oh, and I forgot to mention that everyone at this "school" also has to learn etiquette and a number of other boring things like how to curtsy and sit straight in your chair (*cue that scene in Barbie where they walk around with books on their heads*).
Obvisouly, Quell meets this hottie named Jordan and they have this whole thing that I'm not even going to expain. It's supposed to be enemies to lovers except it's actually not. All you need to know is that Jordan is basically just like any other shadow-summoning beast of a love-interest we meet in every single YA fantasy (Xaden, Rhysand, Darkling) but he actually has NO PERSONALITY. Like, AT ALL.
Now that we're on the note of characters, lets look at who we've got on the docket: Quell, Grandmom, Jordan, Abby, Shelby, Rose, Yagrin (I forgot about him, he gets a pov but has no relation to Quell whatsoever except I think he tried to kill her at the beginning maybe?). As you can see, either the characters had parents who despised them so much to give them crappy names, or they just had the pleasure of being boring. The names were actually the least boring thing about any of these people though because THEY HAD NO DEPTH OR PERSONALITY. But you know what they did have? Tiaras growing out of their heads and masks growing out of their faces (no one invited you, Tamlin). I have never seen flatter people in my life and I felt so disconnected. The one time that Jordan and Quell had a meaningful conversation to add depth or whatever, they literally just talked about what kind of houses they want to live in someday. Yes, you read that right. (If you were wonering, it included lots of pretty little shrubs and pretty little windows and pretty little cottages on the beach)
The writing was... well, something. At times, it was actually pretty good. At others, it was cringy and tear-inducing. Observe:
"And I'm early. Like, really early."
"Seriously, dude, try pepperoni. It's so much better."
“Oh, yeah this guy and I were out doing stuff"
"Abby's beau Mynick..." Shut up.
"My name rolls off his tongue like suede, with an inflection, a smoothness I could listen to over and over again." Well, okay.
We also really need to talk about the world-building which was just a disaster. I was so confused by literally every single thing so don't even ask me to explain. I had absolutely no idea what was even going on the entire time and I've never felt so disconnected from a world before. Scratch that. I've never felt so disconnected from a world, characters, or a general story like that before. The setting? No idea. The magic system? Not a clue.
I'm too emotionally spent to discuss the romance any further. Enough said.
House of Marionne had such potential which is what made reading it so painful. It was horribly executed and I felt so disconnected and disengaged the entire time. I actually feel really bad about giving a DNF a 1 star review but I just couldn't do it because I had no idea what was happening. I'm sure that many others would enjoy this (maybe if you liked Zodiac Academy and Crave?) but I did not. It really was just all over the place.
**Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me this ARC in exchange for my honest review
August 29, 2024
Dark academia, secret societies, dark magic, and high fantasy converge in this action-packed mystery, making this book a dreamy delight for bookworms who crave a captivating read that can be devoured during short breaks or even amidst nature's call.
Our protagonist, Quell, is a seasoned runaway, having moved between 14 schools in 12 years, always on the move and shielded by her mother. She possesses a deadly magic known as toushana, coursing through her veins, threatening to unleash its destructive force at any moment. Moreover, she is pursued by contracted killers who are after teenagers like her, who possess the same dark magic in their blood.
However, Quell's safe haven is compromised, leaving her with nowhere else to hide. Anxious and desperate for her mother's contact, she stumbles upon her estranged grandmother's secluded and foreboding mansion—an eerie place where time seems to have stood still. Against her better judgment, Quell succumbs to her grandmother's insistence and becomes a student of the debutante society known as the Order, a secret society of magical elites previously unknown to her. In order to suppress her forbidden magic forever, Quell must undertake three arduous rites of membership. Yet, the challenges she faces within the Order are far more daunting than she anticipated, especially with her enigmatic and intimidating tutor, Jordan, constantly testing her at every turn.
As Quell delves deeper into the dark arts, she uncovers unsettling truths about the Order's pursuit of power and the deceptive nature of her grandmother and mother. She is confronted with a choice: embrace her dark magic, sacrificing her loved ones and everything she has worked for, or find a way to navigate the treacherous path before her.
This book offers a darker twist on the enchanting world of Hogwarts, reminiscent of Deadly Education, promising fantasy lovers a thrilling and multifaceted journey they won't want to miss.
Personally, I am eagerly anticipating the release of the second book in the near future, as I am captivated by the world the author has crafted.
I extend my heartfelt gratitude to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group/Razorbill for generously providing me with a digital review copy of this captivating book in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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Our protagonist, Quell, is a seasoned runaway, having moved between 14 schools in 12 years, always on the move and shielded by her mother. She possesses a deadly magic known as toushana, coursing through her veins, threatening to unleash its destructive force at any moment. Moreover, she is pursued by contracted killers who are after teenagers like her, who possess the same dark magic in their blood.
However, Quell's safe haven is compromised, leaving her with nowhere else to hide. Anxious and desperate for her mother's contact, she stumbles upon her estranged grandmother's secluded and foreboding mansion—an eerie place where time seems to have stood still. Against her better judgment, Quell succumbs to her grandmother's insistence and becomes a student of the debutante society known as the Order, a secret society of magical elites previously unknown to her. In order to suppress her forbidden magic forever, Quell must undertake three arduous rites of membership. Yet, the challenges she faces within the Order are far more daunting than she anticipated, especially with her enigmatic and intimidating tutor, Jordan, constantly testing her at every turn.
As Quell delves deeper into the dark arts, she uncovers unsettling truths about the Order's pursuit of power and the deceptive nature of her grandmother and mother. She is confronted with a choice: embrace her dark magic, sacrificing her loved ones and everything she has worked for, or find a way to navigate the treacherous path before her.
This book offers a darker twist on the enchanting world of Hogwarts, reminiscent of Deadly Education, promising fantasy lovers a thrilling and multifaceted journey they won't want to miss.
Personally, I am eagerly anticipating the release of the second book in the near future, as I am captivated by the world the author has crafted.
I extend my heartfelt gratitude to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group/Razorbill for generously providing me with a digital review copy of this captivating book in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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October 6, 2023
If 👏🏽 you 👏🏽 are 👏🏽 THINKING 👏🏽 of reading this 👏🏽 the 👏🏽 answer 👏🏽 is 👏🏽 YES
Cosy, autumnal reading vlog for it :) Binging Autumnal Black Girl Horror & Dark Academia To Celebrate Fall🍁
https://youtu.be/tlk8d5-Cy8A
Cosy, autumnal reading vlog for it :) Binging Autumnal Black Girl Horror & Dark Academia To Celebrate Fall🍁
https://youtu.be/tlk8d5-Cy8A
Shelved as 'dnf'
July 18, 2024ೃ⁀➷ dnf @ 40%
➷ I really wanted to love this one but it didn't deliver for me 😭😭
➷ Imo, the author tried to take too many popular tropes/elements (dark academia, magic school, enemies to lovers etc) but then didn't execute them super well 🙈 the characters had about as much personality as paperclips, and it felt like the author was trying way too hard to make Jordan the next xaden or Rhys (he also has shadow powers).
➷ so yeah, this was a bit of a disappointment 🥲 onto better books now tho! 💐
ೃ⁀➷ preread:
➷ another random book I got at the library bc the cover was pretty 😚 I love magic schools and dark academia, so hopefully it's good!! 🎀💓
➷ I really wanted to love this one but it didn't deliver for me 😭😭
➷ Imo, the author tried to take too many popular tropes/elements (dark academia, magic school, enemies to lovers etc) but then didn't execute them super well 🙈 the characters had about as much personality as paperclips, and it felt like the author was trying way too hard to make Jordan the next xaden or Rhys (he also has shadow powers).
➷ so yeah, this was a bit of a disappointment 🥲 onto better books now tho! 💐
ೃ⁀➷ preread:
➷ another random book I got at the library bc the cover was pretty 😚 I love magic schools and dark academia, so hopefully it's good!! 🎀💓
July 8, 2023
thank you netgalley for the arc !
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 1/5 stars *ੈ✩‧₊˚
read if you like:
♡ dark academia
♡ enemies to lovers
♡ slight bridgerton vibes
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ endowed with a scintillating premise, promising magical secret societies throbbing with darkness and a boarding school setting à la hogwarts, house of marionne fluently draws the eye. for lovers of the dark academia subgenre this is the promised land of literary potential. regrettably, the operative word there is potential - which as you may have inferred by now, remains unfulfilled.
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ quell and her mother have spent their lives in a constant state of flux having to flee from city to city. born with a dark and persecuted magic, nowhere is safe for quell. and now, on one ill-starred day, someone’s just found her out. in an attempt to evade her would-be killers - a deadly cadre of assassins who call themselves draguns - quell’s going back to her roots to live with her grandmother. a grandmother who belongs to an elitist magical society which would just as soon see someone with quell’s magic dead. in order to make it out unscathed, she’s going to have to navigate three rites of induction, hide her powers at all costs and keep her wits about her when it comes to her byronic mentor - who incidentally is associated with the assassins after her - jordan.
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ in deference to an attempt at giving j. elle the benefit of the doubt, i’ll admit that had i not spent 80% of this book utterly bemused by the magic system and world, my rating would have been more middle-of-the-road (so the jury’s out on whether or not the blame lies with me for this). of all the shortcomings i’ll suffer least in a novel, it will always be lack of clarity. it’s frustrating and does such a disservice to any author who for all intents and purposes has potential - which it's plain as anything that elle does.
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ as a self-proclaimed composite of bridgerton, harry potter, ninth house and allegedly even succession (someone definitely didn’t read this book in marketing for that one), the plot trended towards a strange centrifugal motion from any solid idea. with the storyline having to cover so much ground, my attention was simply stretched way too thin. there’s something to be said for being too ambitious in times such as these. veined with this absolute bulk of ideas, it’s no wonder that the pacing then struck me as being jolting. also, there were more than a few abrupt and opaque time jumps just interloping in the middle of pages. suffice it to say, my confusion did not benefit from that.
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ however, giving credit where credit is due, the writing itself works well (if perhaps more geared towards middle grade than ya). what i could comprehend of the magic system was enticing and inspired and the ending itself was surprisingly very enjoyable. whilst i was indifferent to most of the characters, yagrin distinguished himself in my eyes. his moral ambiguity in particular - delineated within the chapters told from his vantage - consistently enthralled me. despite his lesser literal presence in view of, say, quell’s or jordan’s, he felt far more flesh and bone than they ever did.
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ conclusion:
i could wax some more lyrical on other aspects i took exception to but i’m not in the business of overdoing things. i think it’s apparent enough this just wasn’t the book for me. nevertheless, if you’ve an affinity for fast-paced dark academia books, house of marionne could still be for you!
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 1/5 stars *ੈ✩‧₊˚
read if you like:
♡ dark academia
♡ enemies to lovers
♡ slight bridgerton vibes
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ endowed with a scintillating premise, promising magical secret societies throbbing with darkness and a boarding school setting à la hogwarts, house of marionne fluently draws the eye. for lovers of the dark academia subgenre this is the promised land of literary potential. regrettably, the operative word there is potential - which as you may have inferred by now, remains unfulfilled.
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ quell and her mother have spent their lives in a constant state of flux having to flee from city to city. born with a dark and persecuted magic, nowhere is safe for quell. and now, on one ill-starred day, someone’s just found her out. in an attempt to evade her would-be killers - a deadly cadre of assassins who call themselves draguns - quell’s going back to her roots to live with her grandmother. a grandmother who belongs to an elitist magical society which would just as soon see someone with quell’s magic dead. in order to make it out unscathed, she’s going to have to navigate three rites of induction, hide her powers at all costs and keep her wits about her when it comes to her byronic mentor - who incidentally is associated with the assassins after her - jordan.
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ in deference to an attempt at giving j. elle the benefit of the doubt, i’ll admit that had i not spent 80% of this book utterly bemused by the magic system and world, my rating would have been more middle-of-the-road (so the jury’s out on whether or not the blame lies with me for this). of all the shortcomings i’ll suffer least in a novel, it will always be lack of clarity. it’s frustrating and does such a disservice to any author who for all intents and purposes has potential - which it's plain as anything that elle does.
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ as a self-proclaimed composite of bridgerton, harry potter, ninth house and allegedly even succession (someone definitely didn’t read this book in marketing for that one), the plot trended towards a strange centrifugal motion from any solid idea. with the storyline having to cover so much ground, my attention was simply stretched way too thin. there’s something to be said for being too ambitious in times such as these. veined with this absolute bulk of ideas, it’s no wonder that the pacing then struck me as being jolting. also, there were more than a few abrupt and opaque time jumps just interloping in the middle of pages. suffice it to say, my confusion did not benefit from that.
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ however, giving credit where credit is due, the writing itself works well (if perhaps more geared towards middle grade than ya). what i could comprehend of the magic system was enticing and inspired and the ending itself was surprisingly very enjoyable. whilst i was indifferent to most of the characters, yagrin distinguished himself in my eyes. his moral ambiguity in particular - delineated within the chapters told from his vantage - consistently enthralled me. despite his lesser literal presence in view of, say, quell’s or jordan’s, he felt far more flesh and bone than they ever did.
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ conclusion:
i could wax some more lyrical on other aspects i took exception to but i’m not in the business of overdoing things. i think it’s apparent enough this just wasn’t the book for me. nevertheless, if you’ve an affinity for fast-paced dark academia books, house of marionne could still be for you!
Want to read
August 4, 2022dark academia but make it bridgerton by a POC author i’m deceased🫠
May 23, 2024
Note finale : 4⭐️ 0,5🫑
“Je ne comprends pas l’effet que tu as sur moi.”
J'ai lu House of Marionne, le premier tome d'une trilogie de romantasy publié aux @editionsolympe ✨
Un premier tome rempli de mystères, totalement addictif, qui promet une suite encore plus exceptionnelle.
(produit offert)
✨ à lire si tu aimes (= les tropes) :
*romantasy
*un sorte de enemies to lovers
*elle possède une magie noire interdite, tandis que lui est un assassin de sorcières comme elle
*no spicy
*académie de magie
*amour impossible
*magie et magie interdite
*récit à la 1ère personne et double POV (un POV secondaire à la 3ème personne)
LE RESUME
Quell, atteinte d’une magie interdite appelée la toushana, a passé sa vie à se cacher avec sa mère, déménageant constamment pour échapper au danger. Un jour, elle se retrouve face à face avec un drægon, un sorcier assassin qui traque ceux qui possèdent la toushana. Forcée de fuir, Quell n’a d’autre choix que de se réfugier à la Maison Marionne, un pensionnat de magie dirigé par sa grand-mère. Là, Quell devra être extrêmement prudente et dissimuler sa magie interdite pour éviter de s'attirer des ennuis, surtout auprès d’un autre étudiant qui semble très suspicieux à son égard... Va-t-elle réussir à survivre au sein de cette académie prestigieuse ?
L'HISTOIRE
Bien que ce tome soit introductif, il a parfaitement répondu à mes attentes. J'ai beaucoup apprécié les différentes intrigues qui se sont dévoilées au fur et à mesure de l’histoire, notamment les secrets de famille et certains mystères qui restent encore à élucider.
La fin m’a totalement surprise, je ne m’attendais pas du tout à un tel retournement de situation. Une chose est sûre, je lirai la suite qui s’annonce très prometteuse, j’ai hâte.
LES PERSONNAGES
J'ai beaucoup aimé Quell et je me suis attachée à elle.
J'ai également apprécié la psychologie de certains personnages.
En revanche, j'ai eu un peu plus de mal avec Jordan, qui m'a semblé un peu effacé, avec une personnalité un peu fade.
Et bien sûr, je suis complètement fan du personnage de Yagrin.
“Tout ce que je fais doit être pesé, réfléchi, calculé. Et avec toi, c’est comme si...
— Comme si ?
— Quand je suis avec toi...
— Continue.
— C’est comme si... demain, ou hier, n’existait plus. Tout en toi me cloue au présent.”
L'UNIVERS
L’univers présenté par l’autrice était tellement intéressant et riche. J’ai beaucoup aimé le système de magie, et l’ambiance au sein de l’académie de magie était immersive. Quelques éléments ne sont pas directement expliqués par l’autrice, ce qui a créé un peu de confusion à certains moments, mais j’ai fini par comprendre seule au fur et à mesure de ma lecture.
LE RECIT/RYTHME/TRADUCTION
Même si certains passages sont un peu plus lents pour établir le contexte et l'environnement, j'ai trouvé que le récit était globalement assez dynamique.
Cependant, j'aurais aimé que l'autrice prenne plus de temps pour décrire ses personnages, car il y a très peu de descriptions physiques, surtout concernant l'héroïne. C'est principalement grâce à un fanart et aux esthétiques du livre trouvés sur Pinterest que j'ai pu me faire une image précise des personnages. C'est le seul point négatif que je relèverais à propos du roman, puisque j’ai tout apprécié.
LA ROMANCE
Je pensais au début que la romance serait avec un autre personnage, c’est peut-être pour cette raison que j’ai mis un peu plus de temps à apprécier la romance. Je l’ai tout de même trouvé mignonne et j’ai bien aimé leur rapprochement et le côté amour impossible puisqu’il est formé à tuer les personnes comme elle.
Je dois vous cacher des choses pour ne pas vous spoiler, mais le tome 2 s’annonce trop bien... 👀
“Je peux t’embrasser ?”
EN BREF
Un premier tome d’une trilogie que j’ai beaucoup aimé découvrir, et dont je suis impatiente d’avoir la suite.
J’ai préféré l’univers, l’ambiance et le système de magie à la romance mais le tome 2 s’annonce encore meilleur au vu de certains événements qui se passent dans ce premier tome.
Je vous conseille ce livre si vous souhaitez découvrir une histoire avec des secrets, des mystères, de la magie interdite, un amour impossible et un lovers to... c’est à vous de le découvrir 👀
“Je ne comprends pas l’effet que tu as sur moi.”
J'ai lu House of Marionne, le premier tome d'une trilogie de romantasy publié aux @editionsolympe ✨
Un premier tome rempli de mystères, totalement addictif, qui promet une suite encore plus exceptionnelle.
(produit offert)
✨ à lire si tu aimes (= les tropes) :
*romantasy
*un sorte de enemies to lovers
*elle possède une magie noire interdite, tandis que lui est un assassin de sorcières comme elle
*no spicy
*académie de magie
*amour impossible
*magie et magie interdite
*récit à la 1ère personne et double POV (un POV secondaire à la 3ème personne)
LE RESUME
Quell, atteinte d’une magie interdite appelée la toushana, a passé sa vie à se cacher avec sa mère, déménageant constamment pour échapper au danger. Un jour, elle se retrouve face à face avec un drægon, un sorcier assassin qui traque ceux qui possèdent la toushana. Forcée de fuir, Quell n’a d’autre choix que de se réfugier à la Maison Marionne, un pensionnat de magie dirigé par sa grand-mère. Là, Quell devra être extrêmement prudente et dissimuler sa magie interdite pour éviter de s'attirer des ennuis, surtout auprès d’un autre étudiant qui semble très suspicieux à son égard... Va-t-elle réussir à survivre au sein de cette académie prestigieuse ?
L'HISTOIRE
Bien que ce tome soit introductif, il a parfaitement répondu à mes attentes. J'ai beaucoup apprécié les différentes intrigues qui se sont dévoilées au fur et à mesure de l’histoire, notamment les secrets de famille et certains mystères qui restent encore à élucider.
La fin m’a totalement surprise, je ne m’attendais pas du tout à un tel retournement de situation. Une chose est sûre, je lirai la suite qui s’annonce très prometteuse, j’ai hâte.
LES PERSONNAGES
J'ai beaucoup aimé Quell et je me suis attachée à elle.
J'ai également apprécié la psychologie de certains personnages.
En revanche, j'ai eu un peu plus de mal avec Jordan, qui m'a semblé un peu effacé, avec une personnalité un peu fade.
Et bien sûr, je suis complètement fan du personnage de Yagrin.
“Tout ce que je fais doit être pesé, réfléchi, calculé. Et avec toi, c’est comme si...
— Comme si ?
— Quand je suis avec toi...
— Continue.
— C’est comme si... demain, ou hier, n’existait plus. Tout en toi me cloue au présent.”
L'UNIVERS
L’univers présenté par l’autrice était tellement intéressant et riche. J’ai beaucoup aimé le système de magie, et l’ambiance au sein de l’académie de magie était immersive. Quelques éléments ne sont pas directement expliqués par l’autrice, ce qui a créé un peu de confusion à certains moments, mais j’ai fini par comprendre seule au fur et à mesure de ma lecture.
LE RECIT/RYTHME/TRADUCTION
Même si certains passages sont un peu plus lents pour établir le contexte et l'environnement, j'ai trouvé que le récit était globalement assez dynamique.
Cependant, j'aurais aimé que l'autrice prenne plus de temps pour décrire ses personnages, car il y a très peu de descriptions physiques, surtout concernant l'héroïne. C'est principalement grâce à un fanart et aux esthétiques du livre trouvés sur Pinterest que j'ai pu me faire une image précise des personnages. C'est le seul point négatif que je relèverais à propos du roman, puisque j’ai tout apprécié.
LA ROMANCE
Je pensais au début que la romance serait avec un autre personnage, c’est peut-être pour cette raison que j’ai mis un peu plus de temps à apprécier la romance. Je l’ai tout de même trouvé mignonne et j’ai bien aimé leur rapprochement et le côté amour impossible puisqu’il est formé à tuer les personnes comme elle.
Je dois vous cacher des choses pour ne pas vous spoiler, mais le tome 2 s’annonce trop bien... 👀
“Je peux t’embrasser ?”
EN BREF
Un premier tome d’une trilogie que j’ai beaucoup aimé découvrir, et dont je suis impatiente d’avoir la suite.
J’ai préféré l’univers, l’ambiance et le système de magie à la romance mais le tome 2 s’annonce encore meilleur au vu de certains événements qui se passent dans ce premier tome.
Je vous conseille ce livre si vous souhaitez découvrir une histoire avec des secrets, des mystères, de la magie interdite, un amour impossible et un lovers to... c’est à vous de le découvrir 👀
September 6, 2023
A YA fantasy book that is heavy on tropes and vibes, House of Marionne follows a teen girl named Quell who has been on the run her whole life with her mom, trying to hide the dangerous magic she was born with. But now she's seeking refuge with her grandmother- the powerful head of a magical house who wants to groom Quell as her heir. Quell will become a debutante and train in traditional forms of magic, but if anyone discovers the secret she carries it will be a death sentence...
Of course there is a fraught romance, plenty of angst, and secrets to be uncovered.
The way mature magic manifests in this world is through either a diadem or a mask growing from the person's head. I have a lot of questions about how this works practically, but it's one of those things that the author clearly thought was a cool idea without wanting to give a lot of explanation. We mostly hear about the diadems, very little detail on the masks and it feels like she probably just likes the idea of individualized tiaras but for gendered reasons only wanted women to have them? Honestly it would have made more sense to me if everyone had a diadem or crown, that would come off less gender essentialist. We do have a throwaway appearance of a non-binary character probably in an attempt to offset this, but I still think it's a weird choice. The other thing is, how do they sleep? Does their hair get caught in it? I have a lot of questions, but it's never mentioned.
In general, I think this book is working more off vibes and tropes as a way to gloss over world-building that can be sloppy at times. That said, I think casual readers who are really just there for the romance, danger, and magic school vibes will enjoy this because those elements are reasonably well-done. It feels like a book that knows what it is and there is definitely an audience for it. Just don't go in expecting detailed world-building or a magic system that is well-explained. I enjoyed it for what it is, but I don't know that it's going to leave a lasting impression. I received a copy of this book for review via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.
Of course there is a fraught romance, plenty of angst, and secrets to be uncovered.
The way mature magic manifests in this world is through either a diadem or a mask growing from the person's head. I have a lot of questions about how this works practically, but it's one of those things that the author clearly thought was a cool idea without wanting to give a lot of explanation. We mostly hear about the diadems, very little detail on the masks and it feels like she probably just likes the idea of individualized tiaras but for gendered reasons only wanted women to have them? Honestly it would have made more sense to me if everyone had a diadem or crown, that would come off less gender essentialist. We do have a throwaway appearance of a non-binary character probably in an attempt to offset this, but I still think it's a weird choice. The other thing is, how do they sleep? Does their hair get caught in it? I have a lot of questions, but it's never mentioned.
In general, I think this book is working more off vibes and tropes as a way to gloss over world-building that can be sloppy at times. That said, I think casual readers who are really just there for the romance, danger, and magic school vibes will enjoy this because those elements are reasonably well-done. It feels like a book that knows what it is and there is definitely an audience for it. Just don't go in expecting detailed world-building or a magic system that is well-explained. I enjoyed it for what it is, but I don't know that it's going to leave a lasting impression. I received a copy of this book for review via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.
Shelved as 'nope'
September 3, 2023this book sounded SO GOOD, but now that the reviews are out...... eh..... 🧍🏻 i think i'll pass 😅
(03/09/2023)
-------
(27/07/2022)
➼ MC has forbidden, poisonous magic
➼ she's being hunted by an assassin
➼ enemies to lovers
➼ ancestral magical Houses
➼ magical debutante society of social elites
➼ commentary on power structures, unmerited privilege, and toxic class dynamics
➼ magical daggers, decadent gowns
➼ morally gray characters
➼ dark academia, contemporary fantasy
1, 2
(03/09/2023)
-------
(27/07/2022)
➼ MC has forbidden, poisonous magic
➼ she's being hunted by an assassin
➼ enemies to lovers
➼ ancestral magical Houses
➼ magical debutante society of social elites
➼ commentary on power structures, unmerited privilege, and toxic class dynamics
➼ magical daggers, decadent gowns
➼ morally gray characters
➼ dark academia, contemporary fantasy
1, 2
August 22, 2023
DNF 51%
House of Marionne to me read like a Book of Boring. I made it just past the halfway point but this is where I stop. Because I don't care what happens next. I'm not invested. I wanted to love this because the cover is pretty and the synopsis sounded up my alley. Alas, it was not meant to be.
I think a lot of the disconnect lies with my inability to connect with the characters.
We have Quell, a character whose name bothers me almost as much as America Singer. She has dark magic or something of the like, and she's been on the run all her life with her mom. Yet for some reason never thought to try to get answers from said mom. I don't care what anyone says if my mom was acting shady and cryptic after a while we would be having some words.
Next, we have our male lead Jordan. A handsome cardboard cutout that reads "Handsome Shadow Daddy". Because I think that's what we're going for. Sadly, it's falling flat for me because I haven't seen any particular charm or cute banter. Maybe that comes later and I'm too impatient but I have a lot of books to read and not enough time, so I need to make some tough calls.
Then we have Quell's grandmother, the Headmistress. I imagine her as the evil fairy godmother from Shrek 2 and who I assume has some likewise shady intentions. However, nothing has been confirmed. Those are simply the vibes I'm getting from her.
Yagrin is there sometimes. He had two POVs that I can recall, and despite being the only other POV character besides Quell he has added little to nothing to the plot as far as I could tell.
Essentially, the bare bones of this book had the makings of something interesting. The magic system and the premise were intriguing. But I simply was not interested.
It's been a while since I did a verdict post but let's get back into it.
Verdict: Another book lost in the Sea of YA fantasy
Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group/Razorbill and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
House of Marionne to me read like a Book of Boring. I made it just past the halfway point but this is where I stop. Because I don't care what happens next. I'm not invested. I wanted to love this because the cover is pretty and the synopsis sounded up my alley. Alas, it was not meant to be.
I think a lot of the disconnect lies with my inability to connect with the characters.
We have Quell, a character whose name bothers me almost as much as America Singer. She has dark magic or something of the like, and she's been on the run all her life with her mom. Yet for some reason never thought to try to get answers from said mom. I don't care what anyone says if my mom was acting shady and cryptic after a while we would be having some words.
Next, we have our male lead Jordan. A handsome cardboard cutout that reads "Handsome Shadow Daddy". Because I think that's what we're going for. Sadly, it's falling flat for me because I haven't seen any particular charm or cute banter. Maybe that comes later and I'm too impatient but I have a lot of books to read and not enough time, so I need to make some tough calls.
Then we have Quell's grandmother, the Headmistress. I imagine her as the evil fairy godmother from Shrek 2 and who I assume has some likewise shady intentions. However, nothing has been confirmed. Those are simply the vibes I'm getting from her.
Yagrin is there sometimes. He had two POVs that I can recall, and despite being the only other POV character besides Quell he has added little to nothing to the plot as far as I could tell.
Essentially, the bare bones of this book had the makings of something interesting. The magic system and the premise were intriguing. But I simply was not interested.
It's been a while since I did a verdict post but let's get back into it.
Verdict: Another book lost in the Sea of YA fantasy
Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group/Razorbill and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
July 19, 2023
I thought this book was a really great start but I was left definitely needing more.. I wanted more history of the world and magic and more about Quell and the other characters. I am fascinated by Quell, her magic, her mother, and her history. I was way less interested in the romance which felt forced to me. Overall the writing was good and the story was compelling and I will be (anxiously) awaiting the next book. Quell has lived her whole life on the run because of a dark magic that lurks inside of her. When she and her mother are almost caught she can’t think of anywhere but her maternal grandmother’s home to go to even though that is part of what her mother has been running from. Quell steps into a world she could not have imagined and finds herself making needing to make a choice she could not have imagined before. It’ll be a long wait for book two but I will be ready.
November 21, 2024
3.5 stars.
So, this book wasn't particularly unique, but it was quite enjoyable, nevertheless. At least to me. I saw one bad review saying this was like Barbie Princess Charm School meets City of Bones and Shadow and Bone, and honestly... ngl, I feel the same wayonly the first S&B book, tho, yk, with the whole magic school type thing and a bunch of drama?... except I like it. There was literally a scene or two that felt straight out of Barbie, but that is fine, I am not docking anything for that. :)
The romance was also nothing new, and
I sort of called that I wasn't sure, but I considered it a possibility. Also, I totally called that about halfway through the book. No complaints on that count tho.
There were some plot twists that I didn't call too, tho. And overall, I just found this really enjoyable for some reason. *shrugs* Anyway, I suppose I'll be reading book 2 at some point.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
So, this book wasn't particularly unique, but it was quite enjoyable, nevertheless. At least to me. I saw one bad review saying this was like Barbie Princess Charm School meets City of Bones and Shadow and Bone, and honestly... ngl, I feel the same way
The romance was also nothing new, and
I sort of called that I wasn't sure, but I considered it a possibility. Also, I totally called that about halfway through the book. No complaints on that count tho.
There were some plot twists that I didn't call too, tho. And overall, I just found this really enjoyable for some reason. *shrugs* Anyway, I suppose I'll be reading book 2 at some point.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
November 11, 2024
2⭐️
🎧📖🎧 An audiobook and physical book read along!!! 🎧📖🎧
“It’s your life, and you should live it like you want.”
Trigger Warnings:
✨Abuse (both physical and verbal)
✨Violence (both depicted and discussed)
✨Murder
✨Constant Threatening
✨Gaslighting
✨Abandonment
I first came across J.Elle last year when I discovered her book Wings of Ebony. While the cover of that book is ABSOLUTELY beautiful to me, I couldn’t seem to get past chapter 3. So, when I came across House of Marionne, I was really hoping for a second chance. I was hoping the cover (which fascinates me) would also belong to a story that would keep my attention and introduce me to the dark academia aesthetic. Although I was introduced to dark academia and plan on continuing my adventure within this aesthetic, this book, unfortunately, failed me in more ways than one.
The messiness of this book:
(1) A reader has to constantly remind themselves that this is YA!!!
(2) This entire book is extremely SSSLLLOOOWWW!!! Patience is required.
(3) The FMC, Quell, appears younger than 17. She is forever making dumb decisions and whines way too much.
(4) The MMC, Jordan, comes off as an 18 year boy who is boring; robotic; and lacks a personality.
(5) The romance between Quell and Jordan just SUCKS!!! I am sorry but it does.
(6) Quell’s Grandmom, Darragh Marionne, is both abusive and just plain evil.
(7) The side characters are far and few between.
(8) The chapters with Yagrin’s POV felt both off and misplaced.
(9) The magic system is so hard to follow and difficult to understand.
(10) There is sssooo much information dumping, which leads to more telling than showing throughout EVERY chapter.
(11) A huge premise of this book doesn’t occur until the last 6 chapters. By then, one has slightly forgotten that it even belongs in the story!!!
This entire book is very flawed. There were several moments were I wanted to DNF this. But, given that I’ve received the ARC to Shadows of Perl (Book #2) and I have DNF’d 11 ARCs, I am planning to stick this series out.
However…
If you decide to read this series, lower your expectations and try to keep an open mind. Also to: REMEMBER THIS IS A YA NOVEL!!! Things are going to be off and weird and just plain wrong. If you can and are willing to genuinely give this book a chance, try to see past the flaws and find enjoyable where you can. 🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽!!!
~~~~~~~
***Pre-Read:***
The way I have been waiting for my Libby hold to come through just to curl up and read this. My excitement knows no bounds right now. 🫣🫣🫣. 🫠🫠🫠!!!
🎧📖🎧 An audiobook and physical book read along!!! 🎧📖🎧
“It’s your life, and you should live it like you want.”
Trigger Warnings:
✨Abuse (both physical and verbal)
✨Violence (both depicted and discussed)
✨Murder
✨Constant Threatening
✨Gaslighting
✨Abandonment
I first came across J.Elle last year when I discovered her book Wings of Ebony. While the cover of that book is ABSOLUTELY beautiful to me, I couldn’t seem to get past chapter 3. So, when I came across House of Marionne, I was really hoping for a second chance. I was hoping the cover (which fascinates me) would also belong to a story that would keep my attention and introduce me to the dark academia aesthetic. Although I was introduced to dark academia and plan on continuing my adventure within this aesthetic, this book, unfortunately, failed me in more ways than one.
The messiness of this book:
(1) A reader has to constantly remind themselves that this is YA!!!
(2) This entire book is extremely SSSLLLOOOWWW!!! Patience is required.
(3) The FMC, Quell, appears younger than 17. She is forever making dumb decisions and whines way too much.
(4) The MMC, Jordan, comes off as an 18 year boy who is boring; robotic; and lacks a personality.
(5) The romance between Quell and Jordan just SUCKS!!! I am sorry but it does.
(6) Quell’s Grandmom, Darragh Marionne, is both abusive and just plain evil.
(7) The side characters are far and few between.
(8) The chapters with Yagrin’s POV felt both off and misplaced.
(9) The magic system is so hard to follow and difficult to understand.
(10) There is sssooo much information dumping, which leads to more telling than showing throughout EVERY chapter.
(11) A huge premise of this book doesn’t occur until the last 6 chapters. By then, one has slightly forgotten that it even belongs in the story!!!
This entire book is very flawed. There were several moments were I wanted to DNF this. But, given that I’ve received the ARC to Shadows of Perl (Book #2) and I have DNF’d 11 ARCs, I am planning to stick this series out.
However…
If you decide to read this series, lower your expectations and try to keep an open mind. Also to: REMEMBER THIS IS A YA NOVEL!!! Things are going to be off and weird and just plain wrong. If you can and are willing to genuinely give this book a chance, try to see past the flaws and find enjoyable where you can. 🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽!!!
~~~~~~~
***Pre-Read:***
The way I have been waiting for my Libby hold to come through just to curl up and read this. My excitement knows no bounds right now. 🫣🫣🫣. 🫠🫠🫠!!!
April 28, 2023
The limited edition special case and metallic end papers have been revealed! I’m SO excited for you to get your hands on this beautiful, dark & delicious story! As a note, please remember that the special case is only available in limited quantity. Once it’s gone it’s gone! Preorder asap ❤️
August 16, 2023
If I could sum up my thoughts on House of Marionne, it’s this: ✨confusion✨. This book, mining from enduring YA tropes and conventions, had so much potential that could have been focused into some thoughtful genre innovation, but alas, it just felt confused about what it should be. A Bridgerton-esque romantic social drama? A Game of Thrones-style political fight? A classic girl-has-magic-must-save-the-world YA fantasy in the vein of Shadow and Bone? An atmospheric fantasy reminiscent of Stephanie Garber’s books? With the sheer amount of marketing, hype, and comps thrown out there about this book, I expected it to deliver on at least one aspect, and somehow it fell flat with all of them.
The beginning started off strong, with just the right amount of accessible worldbuilding and mystery to keep me intrigued as the main character, Quell, fell into the magical, polite societal world of the Order. J.Elle handled the urban fantasy genre well, blending modern-day with an interesting undercurrent of magic. But once Quell arrived at her grandmother’s chateau/magic school, it all fell downhill. The magic school felt oddly like Hogwarts, the explanations for the sociocultural structure of the Order were flimsy at best, and the characters were all bland. All aspects had thematic potential but were glossed over in favor of stuffing as many familiar/marketable elements in as possible. In particular, I wish the implications of the debut culture were explored more, either as a way of reclaiming power or commenting on the exclusive and discriminatory nature of such traditions.
Unfortunately, every element of the book, from plot to characters to atmosphere, suffers from the inability to commit to an idea or trope. It lurched indecisively between romance, magic school, politcking, and self-discovery, and couldn’t even decide if it wanted to be plot-driven (stakes arising from magic) or character-driven (stakes arising from Quell’s need to belong). Quell herself was a cookie-cutter protagonist that I couldn’t bring myself to invest in because she felt like an amalgamation of every other popular YA FMC. I mean, even her name kind of evokes “not-like-other-girls” (it’s short for Raquell and pronounced “kel” but that’s only revealed at 50% so I spent the entire book calling her “quell,” verb-style). Her evolving romantic relationship with Jordan (MMC) is limited to physical proximity until halfway through they start spending time together because the book is marketed as having a swoony romance; their love confessions felt unearned and for the sake of delivering on the pitch. The side characters were all forgettable because they only served to help Quell and had no clear motivations of their own. And just when I thought House was going to commit to a pure character-driven plot, a big bad villain pops up with little foreshadowing.
Another thing that really bothered me was what an absolute slog it was to get through this. I knew at about 15% that I would have DNF’d if not for it being an ARC, so I planned on speed-reading the rest. I’m normally a pretty good speed-reader, but this one just dragged. It’s nearly 100 pages too long and full of dialogue that should have been cut, including entire transition scenes that could be handled in a few sentences. The dialogue almost reminded me of a transcription–it was as if Elle was merely transcribing the characters speaking, which resulted in pointless dialogue that did nothing but boost the word count. The pacing was also really slow, though the last 25% picks up and is definitely the strongest part of this book. And lastly, the writing skewed younger YA or upper middle grade, which felt like a strange choice given the somewhat more mature and nuanced talk about privilege and nepotism in the last 25%.
Ultimately, this book wasn’t for me and I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re in the mood for a familiar hodge-podge of YA tropes. I can see why this book is getting marketed so heavily as it contains every up-market, high-concept YA element that sells good enough to get on the NYT bestseller list. Unfortunately, in an ever-competitive YA fantasy field that demands new takes or refreshing spins on familiar elements, House of Marionne reads more like a teen Netflix series: all vibes and little substance.
2/5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Razorbill (Penguin Young Readers) for the e-ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The beginning started off strong, with just the right amount of accessible worldbuilding and mystery to keep me intrigued as the main character, Quell, fell into the magical, polite societal world of the Order. J.Elle handled the urban fantasy genre well, blending modern-day with an interesting undercurrent of magic. But once Quell arrived at her grandmother’s chateau/magic school, it all fell downhill. The magic school felt oddly like Hogwarts, the explanations for the sociocultural structure of the Order were flimsy at best, and the characters were all bland. All aspects had thematic potential but were glossed over in favor of stuffing as many familiar/marketable elements in as possible. In particular, I wish the implications of the debut culture were explored more, either as a way of reclaiming power or commenting on the exclusive and discriminatory nature of such traditions.
Unfortunately, every element of the book, from plot to characters to atmosphere, suffers from the inability to commit to an idea or trope. It lurched indecisively between romance, magic school, politcking, and self-discovery, and couldn’t even decide if it wanted to be plot-driven (stakes arising from magic) or character-driven (stakes arising from Quell’s need to belong). Quell herself was a cookie-cutter protagonist that I couldn’t bring myself to invest in because she felt like an amalgamation of every other popular YA FMC. I mean, even her name kind of evokes “not-like-other-girls” (it’s short for Raquell and pronounced “kel” but that’s only revealed at 50% so I spent the entire book calling her “quell,” verb-style). Her evolving romantic relationship with Jordan (MMC) is limited to physical proximity until halfway through they start spending time together because the book is marketed as having a swoony romance; their love confessions felt unearned and for the sake of delivering on the pitch. The side characters were all forgettable because they only served to help Quell and had no clear motivations of their own. And just when I thought House was going to commit to a pure character-driven plot, a big bad villain pops up with little foreshadowing.
Another thing that really bothered me was what an absolute slog it was to get through this. I knew at about 15% that I would have DNF’d if not for it being an ARC, so I planned on speed-reading the rest. I’m normally a pretty good speed-reader, but this one just dragged. It’s nearly 100 pages too long and full of dialogue that should have been cut, including entire transition scenes that could be handled in a few sentences. The dialogue almost reminded me of a transcription–it was as if Elle was merely transcribing the characters speaking, which resulted in pointless dialogue that did nothing but boost the word count. The pacing was also really slow, though the last 25% picks up and is definitely the strongest part of this book. And lastly, the writing skewed younger YA or upper middle grade, which felt like a strange choice given the somewhat more mature and nuanced talk about privilege and nepotism in the last 25%.
Ultimately, this book wasn’t for me and I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re in the mood for a familiar hodge-podge of YA tropes. I can see why this book is getting marketed so heavily as it contains every up-market, high-concept YA element that sells good enough to get on the NYT bestseller list. Unfortunately, in an ever-competitive YA fantasy field that demands new takes or refreshing spins on familiar elements, House of Marionne reads more like a teen Netflix series: all vibes and little substance.
2/5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Razorbill (Penguin Young Readers) for the e-ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 3, 2024
1 ★ i was initially excited to read this novel because of the concept and comparisons to some of my favorite authors, however, house of marionne is an utter disappointment, and that is mainly due to the way this book was promoted. i believe that the mismarketing of this book will ultimately make it suffer. did i think it was going to be the best book i ever read? no. but i also didn't expect it to be one of the worst books ive read.
this book is not the atlas six meets bridgerton, nor is it for fans of morally grey characters, forbidden romance, sarah j. mass, stepanie garber, or leigh bardugo.
based on those comparisons, you would expect a more mature dark fantasy, but this book is incredibly juvenile and surface-level. the "dark academia" and "morally grey" aspects are shallow and are simply a label slapped on the book without any meaning.
when i see those phrases in the synopsis of a book, i expect the moral ambiguity of the characters to be explored in depth, and for the novel to be a critique of academia. simply being set at a boarding school does not make a book a "dark academia" novel, and having characters with ambiguous morals requires more than just labeling them as such. now, if you're thinking "this is a ya book, it doesn't need to be like that", you are wrong because many ya books do dark academia (legendborn, ace of spades) and morally grey characters (six of crows, these violent Delights, the cruel prince) well.
since this book is said to be for fans of stephanie garber (who has a blurb on the front cover) and leigh bardugo, i expected the quality of the writing and atmosphere to be similar to that of their books. instead, the writing in house of marionne is uninspired, dull, and often repetitive. there is no excitement, charm, creativity, or uniqueness to the writing, and that's probably the worst thing you can say about a book. the lackluster writing not only fails to capture the vibes this novel promised ("ballgowns & betrayal. magic & mystery. decadence & darkness.") but also hinders the development of the characters, making them superficial and one-dimensional. the overuse of exclamation points on every page was also quite annoying. here's just two examples of the *amazing* writing in this book, "oh, there is omg, jordan! he is so hot," and "oh yeah, this guy and i were out doing stuff."
the romantic aspect in house of marionne leaves much to be desired. it lacks depth and fails to evoke any real emotion other than frustration. quell and jordan's relationship is honestly unnecessary, and really just adds more tropes that will lure readers in, but ultimately disappoint them. there's a lot of telling and not showing, so it is difficult to root for their relationship. it's also clear that the author wanted to make jordan the typical brooding, mysterious dark-haired love interest you would find in a fantasy book, but she fails because he is such a bland character.
the main character, quell, is also quite boring. she suffers from being like every other stereotypical protagonist in young adult fantasy; nothing major stands out about her character. and, of course, she comes from a powerful background, has the most dangerous magic, and masters this magic in just a couple days while her peers have been training for years.
i am not a Bridgerton fan and i honestly know nothing about it, but what i do know is that it's set in the regency era. because of that, i thought this book would be set in the past, but it is not. i think this book could have benefitted if it were set in the past, rather than the present, as it would make more sense. i've also seen the author compare this to game of thrones, which i just have to laugh about.
overall, house of marionne fails to deliver what it promised and is an unsatisfying and unoriginal read. thank you penguinteen for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
this book is not the atlas six meets bridgerton, nor is it for fans of morally grey characters, forbidden romance, sarah j. mass, stepanie garber, or leigh bardugo.
based on those comparisons, you would expect a more mature dark fantasy, but this book is incredibly juvenile and surface-level. the "dark academia" and "morally grey" aspects are shallow and are simply a label slapped on the book without any meaning.
when i see those phrases in the synopsis of a book, i expect the moral ambiguity of the characters to be explored in depth, and for the novel to be a critique of academia. simply being set at a boarding school does not make a book a "dark academia" novel, and having characters with ambiguous morals requires more than just labeling them as such. now, if you're thinking "this is a ya book, it doesn't need to be like that", you are wrong because many ya books do dark academia (legendborn, ace of spades) and morally grey characters (six of crows, these violent Delights, the cruel prince) well.
since this book is said to be for fans of stephanie garber (who has a blurb on the front cover) and leigh bardugo, i expected the quality of the writing and atmosphere to be similar to that of their books. instead, the writing in house of marionne is uninspired, dull, and often repetitive. there is no excitement, charm, creativity, or uniqueness to the writing, and that's probably the worst thing you can say about a book. the lackluster writing not only fails to capture the vibes this novel promised ("ballgowns & betrayal. magic & mystery. decadence & darkness.") but also hinders the development of the characters, making them superficial and one-dimensional. the overuse of exclamation points on every page was also quite annoying. here's just two examples of the *amazing* writing in this book, "oh, there is omg, jordan! he is so hot," and "oh yeah, this guy and i were out doing stuff."
the romantic aspect in house of marionne leaves much to be desired. it lacks depth and fails to evoke any real emotion other than frustration. quell and jordan's relationship is honestly unnecessary, and really just adds more tropes that will lure readers in, but ultimately disappoint them. there's a lot of telling and not showing, so it is difficult to root for their relationship. it's also clear that the author wanted to make jordan the typical brooding, mysterious dark-haired love interest you would find in a fantasy book, but she fails because he is such a bland character.
the main character, quell, is also quite boring. she suffers from being like every other stereotypical protagonist in young adult fantasy; nothing major stands out about her character. and, of course, she comes from a powerful background, has the most dangerous magic, and masters this magic in just a couple days while her peers have been training for years.
i am not a Bridgerton fan and i honestly know nothing about it, but what i do know is that it's set in the regency era. because of that, i thought this book would be set in the past, but it is not. i think this book could have benefitted if it were set in the past, rather than the present, as it would make more sense. i've also seen the author compare this to game of thrones, which i just have to laugh about.
overall, house of marionne fails to deliver what it promised and is an unsatisfying and unoriginal read. thank you penguinteen for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
October 3, 2023
Wow. Just wow. I loved this book. I loved the characters. I loved the detailed descriptions of Diadem, the masks, the Chateau, etc. I loved Wings of Ebony, and I saw that she was doing a book signing for this book (I went and she's super nice). It was Romance Fantasy and I was weary. If any Romance books I read are usually Hallmark type books and fantasy, but otherwise, I don't really read Romance books. I took a chance and so glad I did. In fact it wasn't very Romance. There was a romance, yes, but it wasn't the total focus. I was hooked all the way to the end and then the ending...wow. Granted, it ended and didn't really finish, but it packed in some damn surprises I was not expecting at all.
I will say that this book does have lots of details of information, but then miss some things...and the ending was rushed. However, it didn't diminsh how much I loved this book.
I will say that this book does have lots of details of information, but then miss some things...and the ending was rushed. However, it didn't diminsh how much I loved this book.
June 15, 2024
I went into this book expecting a sophisticated story of intrigue during a season of society events. The cover and descriptions lead me to make those expectations. What I found was a boarding school like setting with a poorly described magic system and simple writing that made me think this is more middle grade than YA.
The opening chapter is set in New Orleans and had me thinking I inadvertently picked up an urban fantasy book. We’re quickly transported to a fantasy location. The main character is going to hide from an assassin at her grandmother’s castle, where she’ll have lessons in magic and comportment in preparation for being presented a Cotillion.
The world isn’t always described clearly, perhaps because the story is told in present tense by the main character. She’s simultaneously observant of certain things while completely clueless about others. For example, she can see someone who is using magic to be invisible, but then she can’t figure out how to hold a teacup while having tea with her grandmother.
Her roommate grew up in this world and has been at the castle for two seasons trying to pass three tests. Our main character, who didn’t grow up in magical society, is able to pass two of the three tests in days. She is completely untrained, but is also a Mary Sue with the best powers.
As a reader, I was constantly pulled out of the story by wondering why something was happening or by writing that was trying hard to be dramatic without artful prose. The sentence “I searched his eyes for knowing” is seared into my brain. A chandelier is called a candelabra (it’s said to be hanging from the ceiling). “A hushed gasp sweeps” through a room during a ceremony that has happened many times, but we aren’t told what’s different about this time. A hallway “halts” instead of ends.
The ending exists. Kind of.
The premise is interesting. I think that a young reader might enjoy this book. Perhaps if the publisher positioned this as middle grade, I’d have a different experience with it, but it doesn’t stand with other YA fantasy books I’ve read. It’s not the kind of writing I find engaging and I think the world building needs work. It was unsatisfying and a bit of a chore to finish this one.
The opening chapter is set in New Orleans and had me thinking I inadvertently picked up an urban fantasy book. We’re quickly transported to a fantasy location. The main character is going to hide from an assassin at her grandmother’s castle, where she’ll have lessons in magic and comportment in preparation for being presented a Cotillion.
The world isn’t always described clearly, perhaps because the story is told in present tense by the main character. She’s simultaneously observant of certain things while completely clueless about others. For example, she can see someone who is using magic to be invisible, but then she can’t figure out how to hold a teacup while having tea with her grandmother.
Her roommate grew up in this world and has been at the castle for two seasons trying to pass three tests. Our main character, who didn’t grow up in magical society, is able to pass two of the three tests in days. She is completely untrained, but is also a Mary Sue with the best powers.
As a reader, I was constantly pulled out of the story by wondering why something was happening or by writing that was trying hard to be dramatic without artful prose. The sentence “I searched his eyes for knowing” is seared into my brain. A chandelier is called a candelabra (it’s said to be hanging from the ceiling). “A hushed gasp sweeps” through a room during a ceremony that has happened many times, but we aren’t told what’s different about this time. A hallway “halts” instead of ends.
The ending exists. Kind of.
The premise is interesting. I think that a young reader might enjoy this book. Perhaps if the publisher positioned this as middle grade, I’d have a different experience with it, but it doesn’t stand with other YA fantasy books I’ve read. It’s not the kind of writing I find engaging and I think the world building needs work. It was unsatisfying and a bit of a chore to finish this one.
September 8, 2024
2.5 Stars
House of Marionne was one of my most anticipated reads of 2023. That said, this book was… a bit disappointing.
I went into House of Marionne expecting a complex historical fantasy romance novel with Bridgerton and the Grishaverse vibes. What I got was something similar to Harry Potter mixed with The Belles or Rebel Belle in an urban setting. Not only that, but the magic system was explained so poorly that by the end of the book I still didn't completely understand certain terms. Certain roles like Tracer or Shifter were never explained properly. All that was explained about "toushana" was that it was a dark magic that made skin cold to the touch, and in four-hundred pages it was never properly explained what exactly the main character's magic actually does. Though my copy was an Advance Reader's copy, it still desperately needed a glossary.
As for our main character, Quell Marionne, I felt as though the author didn't know who she wanted her to be. In the beginning of the novel, Quell felt like a badass genius. By the end of the novel, I felt as though Quell wasn't a very intelligent main character, constantly making the wrong choices and asking the wrong questions— or simply not asking questions at all. This left some plot gaps that I hope to see resolved in the next novel. The romance was also pretty subpar. It didn't seem to be a major focus of the book as the author focused more on the plot and magic, which I wasn't expecting. This, however, is not a bad thing. Just a note that this book has a lot less romance than to be expected from its description.
My final complaint would be the number of typos, grammatical and punctuation errors in this book. Again, my copy was an uncorrected proof, but I think this wins the award for most typos in any Advance Reader's copy that I've ever received. That said, I don't fault this novel for any of that and only hope to see them fixed in the finalized copies.
All in all, I did not hate this book. In fact, it's quite the opposite. My review may have been mainly complaints, but my overall feelings of this book are towards the positive end of the spectrum. I had a lot of fun reading this novel and to me personally that's what matters the most.
House of Marionne was one of my most anticipated reads of 2023. That said, this book was… a bit disappointing.
I went into House of Marionne expecting a complex historical fantasy romance novel with Bridgerton and the Grishaverse vibes. What I got was something similar to Harry Potter mixed with The Belles or Rebel Belle in an urban setting. Not only that, but the magic system was explained so poorly that by the end of the book I still didn't completely understand certain terms. Certain roles like Tracer or Shifter were never explained properly. All that was explained about "toushana" was that it was a dark magic that made skin cold to the touch, and in four-hundred pages it was never properly explained what exactly the main character's magic actually does. Though my copy was an Advance Reader's copy, it still desperately needed a glossary.
As for our main character, Quell Marionne, I felt as though the author didn't know who she wanted her to be. In the beginning of the novel, Quell felt like a badass genius. By the end of the novel, I felt as though Quell wasn't a very intelligent main character, constantly making the wrong choices and asking the wrong questions— or simply not asking questions at all. This left some plot gaps that I hope to see resolved in the next novel. The romance was also pretty subpar. It didn't seem to be a major focus of the book as the author focused more on the plot and magic, which I wasn't expecting. This, however, is not a bad thing. Just a note that this book has a lot less romance than to be expected from its description.
My final complaint would be the number of typos, grammatical and punctuation errors in this book. Again, my copy was an uncorrected proof, but I think this wins the award for most typos in any Advance Reader's copy that I've ever received. That said, I don't fault this novel for any of that and only hope to see them fixed in the finalized copies.
All in all, I did not hate this book. In fact, it's quite the opposite. My review may have been mainly complaints, but my overall feelings of this book are towards the positive end of the spectrum. I had a lot of fun reading this novel and to me personally that's what matters the most.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2023
It’s a DNF at 58%
I am in love with the magic and magic school.
I’m not in love with multiple chapters in a row of Quell saying she wants nothing to do with this person, but by the end of the chapter wants to be near them again, only to say “no we can’t be friends!” and running away. No literally, she ran way.
Plus I can’t separate the similarities I feel between the debutante stuff and The Belles.
Someone please tell me how it ends.
I am in love with the magic and magic school.
I’m not in love with multiple chapters in a row of Quell saying she wants nothing to do with this person, but by the end of the chapter wants to be near them again, only to say “no we can’t be friends!” and running away. No literally, she ran way.
Plus I can’t separate the similarities I feel between the debutante stuff and The Belles.
Someone please tell me how it ends.
November 29, 2023
me aburrió mucho (que se note que lo terminé rápido porque no quería leerlo más)
May 24, 2024
Kończenie książki w takim momencie powinno być nielegalne😭
March 25, 2024
3.5/5 ★ ★ ★ ⭑
꧁༺- “ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴢᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ʙʟᴇᴇᴅꜱ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ɢᴜꜱʜɪɴɢ ᴡᴏᴜɴᴅ. ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴛᴇᴀᴜ ꜱ���ʟᴇɪʟ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ᴡᴀꜱ. ɪ ᴄᴀɴ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ꜱᴇᴇ ɪᴛ ɴᴏᴡ. ᴛʜᴀɴᴋꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴍʏ ᴛᴏᴜꜱʜᴀɴᴀ.” ₊˚ʚ ᗢ₊˚✧ ﾟ.
⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ ⋆ＳＰＯＩＬＥＲＳ ＡＨＥＡＤ⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ ⋆
꧁༺- I am SO glad I discovered this book for myself. It really is true what they say that the books shared on booktok as recommendations don’t begin to scratch the surface of what good books are truly out there. I probably bought The House of Marionne nearly a year ago, and I only just now decided to read it. I was worried at first of how much i’d actually like this but this book pleasantly surprised me. Is it the best YA fantasy i’ve ever read? No of course not, but does that take away from how good it was? Also no!
꧁༺- Ｐｒｏｓ: The plot itself is actually really good and interesting. I think my favorite characters surprisingly are Yagrin (even though he got like literally three chapters) and Abby! I already knew from the moment Quell’s grandmother was introduced she’d annoyed me and I was so beyond right. Yes she’s a bitch, but what’s a good book without at least one painfully annoying character right? Also the twist at the end?? OKAY IT WAS IMMACULATELY DONE! I never even thought for a mere SECOND that Yagrin was secretly Octos the entire time. He was the one who also morphed himself to look like Quell’s mother and responded to her letters since her mother was taken by the Dragunhead. Honestly I was amazed by this information and not even giving a hint of this made the twist beautifully done. Also the slow burn between Quell and Jordan? Now that’s how you do slow burn. like they don’t kiss till the 40th chapter out of 50? Okay you win, i’m sold!
꧁༺- Ｃｏｎｓ: The only problem I found with this book was the fast pace and slight lack of detail. I felt some scenes seemed so rushed and then we just skipped on from it leaving me like??? like I need to know more, why so light in detail?? I get it’s YA and I feel dignified to give it a pass as far as details are concerned but when compared to other YA fantasies i’ve read that made me really SEE & FEEL the imagery it’s just okay. I do like world building, I like to be able to imagine it. That’s the whole point of escapism after all, not so much so that it drags and becomes irrelevant but making it too fast paced without much explanation kind of makes me feel less intertwined with the characters and story.
꧁༺- Ｆｉｎａｌ ｔｈｏｕｇｈｔｓ: I would recommend this book for the fact that it was good, and it’s a book not floating every where all over the internet giving you more space to determine for yourself how good it actually is instead of having your hopes high or basing your decisions on the high or low praise of others.
꧁༺- “ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴢᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ʙʟᴇᴇᴅꜱ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ɢᴜꜱʜɪɴɢ ᴡᴏᴜɴᴅ. ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴛᴇᴀᴜ ꜱ���ʟᴇɪʟ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ᴡᴀꜱ. ɪ ᴄᴀɴ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ꜱᴇᴇ ɪᴛ ɴᴏᴡ. ᴛʜᴀɴᴋꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴍʏ ᴛᴏᴜꜱʜᴀɴᴀ.” ₊˚ʚ ᗢ₊˚✧ ﾟ.
⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ ⋆ＳＰＯＩＬＥＲＳ ＡＨＥＡＤ⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ ⋆
꧁༺- I am SO glad I discovered this book for myself. It really is true what they say that the books shared on booktok as recommendations don’t begin to scratch the surface of what good books are truly out there. I probably bought The House of Marionne nearly a year ago, and I only just now decided to read it. I was worried at first of how much i’d actually like this but this book pleasantly surprised me. Is it the best YA fantasy i’ve ever read? No of course not, but does that take away from how good it was? Also no!
꧁༺- Ｐｒｏｓ: The plot itself is actually really good and interesting. I think my favorite characters surprisingly are Yagrin (even though he got like literally three chapters) and Abby! I already knew from the moment Quell’s grandmother was introduced she’d annoyed me and I was so beyond right. Yes she’s a bitch, but what’s a good book without at least one painfully annoying character right? Also the twist at the end?? OKAY IT WAS IMMACULATELY DONE! I never even thought for a mere SECOND that Yagrin was secretly Octos the entire time. He was the one who also morphed himself to look like Quell’s mother and responded to her letters since her mother was taken by the Dragunhead. Honestly I was amazed by this information and not even giving a hint of this made the twist beautifully done. Also the slow burn between Quell and Jordan? Now that’s how you do slow burn. like they don’t kiss till the 40th chapter out of 50? Okay you win, i’m sold!
꧁༺- Ｃｏｎｓ: The only problem I found with this book was the fast pace and slight lack of detail. I felt some scenes seemed so rushed and then we just skipped on from it leaving me like??? like I need to know more, why so light in detail?? I get it’s YA and I feel dignified to give it a pass as far as details are concerned but when compared to other YA fantasies i’ve read that made me really SEE & FEEL the imagery it’s just okay. I do like world building, I like to be able to imagine it. That’s the whole point of escapism after all, not so much so that it drags and becomes irrelevant but making it too fast paced without much explanation kind of makes me feel less intertwined with the characters and story.
꧁༺- Ｆｉｎａｌ ｔｈｏｕｇｈｔｓ: I would recommend this book for the fact that it was good, and it’s a book not floating every where all over the internet giving you more space to determine for yourself how good it actually is instead of having your hopes high or basing your decisions on the high or low praise of others.
September 25, 2024
Bullshit leur lovestory, après le pelo s’appelle Jordan donc bon
August 8, 2023
4/5 stars, I was obsessed with the magical school aspects
Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group & Razorbill for the arc through netgalley, a physical arc, and a finished copy in exchange for an honest review!
There was so much that was amazing about this book and I'm really happy that I was granted so many copies of this book, especially the final copy because it was absolutely gorgeous. Especially the map, which detailed a map of the grounds that this book takes place on, which I think would have been helpful in the advanced readers' copy, though I know it takes time to finalize a map. I will be eagerly awaiting a continuation in this world because everything was pretty interesting.
My favorite part of this book had to be the setting of the magical school, I feel that this is an underrepresented trope in modern books, or at least I haven't been able to find too many of them. I really enjoyed seeing into the classes these people took, though I wish there had been a bit more emphasis on that and what they were learning. Especially in the context of the magic system, which I found to be interesting but confusing, I could not explain to you the magic system of this book by the end. But the Draguns were the most interesting magic users as they were able to pull from a few different types of magic and I hope to see and learn more about them in coming books. I also really enjoyed the aspects of secret societies, assassins in an order, ballgowns and high society, and other things in relation to that.
Quell was the main character of this book, a girl with shadow-like magic who has been on the run almost her entire life with her mother so that people who will hunt her won't catch up with her. Despite this, I didn't feel she really fit the part of someone who had been running for so long. She claimed to be super observant, but then there were moments she was oblivious to some things. I also just don't feel she was as fleshed out as she could have been, she felt flat at times that she really should have shone. Jordan was the male main character who fell into the "dark-haired broody" trope, which I didn't mind because they're usually my favorite, but at times it felt like that's all he was as well. He did have more personality, but I couldn't exactly pinpoint what bothered me a little about his characterization.
The enemies-to-lovers romance was also fairly quick to develop in this book, which I prefer there to be a slow burn in my books. I do think Quell and Jordan make an interesting pair considering their respective positions in society, and I always enjoy seeing the protector (Jordan in this case) fall in love with who they're supposed to be protecting. While I think it could have been fleshed out more, a lot like other parts of this book, it was still interesting enough for me to want to see more of them.
Overall, this was an interesting magical school book that definitely has some great things going for it. There were things lacking in my opinion, but it does set up for an interesting series or duology, and the cover is also so gorgeous. I think this was a pretty solid story that makes me desperately crave other books with magical schools in them.
[TW: death and murder, teen pregnancy mentioned, attempted drugging, kidnapping, missing persons]
Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group & Razorbill for the arc through netgalley, a physical arc, and a finished copy in exchange for an honest review!
There was so much that was amazing about this book and I'm really happy that I was granted so many copies of this book, especially the final copy because it was absolutely gorgeous. Especially the map, which detailed a map of the grounds that this book takes place on, which I think would have been helpful in the advanced readers' copy, though I know it takes time to finalize a map. I will be eagerly awaiting a continuation in this world because everything was pretty interesting.
My favorite part of this book had to be the setting of the magical school, I feel that this is an underrepresented trope in modern books, or at least I haven't been able to find too many of them. I really enjoyed seeing into the classes these people took, though I wish there had been a bit more emphasis on that and what they were learning. Especially in the context of the magic system, which I found to be interesting but confusing, I could not explain to you the magic system of this book by the end. But the Draguns were the most interesting magic users as they were able to pull from a few different types of magic and I hope to see and learn more about them in coming books. I also really enjoyed the aspects of secret societies, assassins in an order, ballgowns and high society, and other things in relation to that.
Quell was the main character of this book, a girl with shadow-like magic who has been on the run almost her entire life with her mother so that people who will hunt her won't catch up with her. Despite this, I didn't feel she really fit the part of someone who had been running for so long. She claimed to be super observant, but then there were moments she was oblivious to some things. I also just don't feel she was as fleshed out as she could have been, she felt flat at times that she really should have shone. Jordan was the male main character who fell into the "dark-haired broody" trope, which I didn't mind because they're usually my favorite, but at times it felt like that's all he was as well. He did have more personality, but I couldn't exactly pinpoint what bothered me a little about his characterization.
The enemies-to-lovers romance was also fairly quick to develop in this book, which I prefer there to be a slow burn in my books. I do think Quell and Jordan make an interesting pair considering their respective positions in society, and I always enjoy seeing the protector (Jordan in this case) fall in love with who they're supposed to be protecting. While I think it could have been fleshed out more, a lot like other parts of this book, it was still interesting enough for me to want to see more of them.
Overall, this was an interesting magical school book that definitely has some great things going for it. There were things lacking in my opinion, but it does set up for an interesting series or duology, and the cover is also so gorgeous. I think this was a pretty solid story that makes me desperately crave other books with magical schools in them.
[TW: death and murder, teen pregnancy mentioned, attempted drugging, kidnapping, missing persons]
December 6, 2023
This was okay. I think because it’s the first book in the series it was confusing and hard for me to understand the world building. There so many things going on in this world. The main character Quell and her mom have to constantly flee because of Quell’s dark magic/powers an assassin trying to get her. She ends up meeting her grandmother and getting into a secret society debutante world. The world is still very confusing to me but there’s magic, shifters, druguns, inductions, quadrants, initiations, magic school, rites and membership. The plot is that Quell try’s to fit into this world to protect her mom and herself from assassins while keeping her dark magic hidden. There’s a romance which was nice and a slow burn but after a while the relationship moved very fast with little development. The third act was very interesting and things really picked up with the betrayals and more world development. The main characters development was also really badass so I’m excited for the next book. Despite not liking this as much I would still recommend for lovers YA fantasy and romance.
February 21, 2024
This novel had a really interesting premise, but, unfortunately, it was not for me. I’m glad I buddy read it with Leah @ Leah’s Books because I think if I hadn’t, this might have been a DNF for me. Though it sounds different from the author’s debut duology, I felt like the overall premise was very similar, and that, among other things, prevented me from fully embracing the story..
The story, which reads much younger than I expected (think more MG or lower YA), begins at a fast pace with a lot of action and danger. But the pacing changes just as quickly as Quell enters a magical prep school with a strong focus on etiquette.
For a seventeen-year-old who has been on the run for most of her life, Quell is not very savvy, and her naiveté is unrealistic. I was surprised at how little she questioned, how gullible she was, and how easily she was manipulated. She does so many things that just make no sense, and I didn’t really like her character. She trusts way too easily for someone who is supposed to be so aware of her surroundings. I did, for the most part, like the enemies-to-lovers romance between Quell and Jordan, her mentor. It was a gradual progression, and there are several scenes that were very romantic and sweet.
The magic system is interesting too, but much like the characters and plot, it is a bit underwhelming. And the novel includes so many contradictions, and numerous plot points went against truths formed earlier in the story. I found myself constantly questioning things that weren’t supposed to be questioned because the text contradicted itself from one scene to the next. There were also instances where it felt like something was just arbitrarily thrown in to move the story forward with no real context or explanation. It felt random and forced.
Ultimately, I think the story is trying to do too much. It’s a dark academia that mainly takes place at a finishing school where students must pass three trials and take etiquette classes and host elite functions while also honing their magical gifts. And Quell, who masters the tasks in days while her peers need years of training, is being hunted, and her mom is missing, and she has a moody, broody mentor whose job is to hunt people like her, and there’s an orb that’s cracking that could destroy their magic forever but no one knows where it is, and people with magic start going missing, and she has to meet the expectations of her demanding and shady grandmother, and she’s hiding a dark magic that puts her life at risk, all while trying to pass her classes and make new friends. It’s. A. Lot. I think that’s why, for me, everything felt very surface-level and in need of more detail, fine-tuning, and development.
The story, which reads much younger than I expected (think more MG or lower YA), begins at a fast pace with a lot of action and danger. But the pacing changes just as quickly as Quell enters a magical prep school with a strong focus on etiquette.
For a seventeen-year-old who has been on the run for most of her life, Quell is not very savvy, and her naiveté is unrealistic. I was surprised at how little she questioned, how gullible she was, and how easily she was manipulated. She does so many things that just make no sense, and I didn’t really like her character. She trusts way too easily for someone who is supposed to be so aware of her surroundings. I did, for the most part, like the enemies-to-lovers romance between Quell and Jordan, her mentor. It was a gradual progression, and there are several scenes that were very romantic and sweet.
The magic system is interesting too, but much like the characters and plot, it is a bit underwhelming. And the novel includes so many contradictions, and numerous plot points went against truths formed earlier in the story. I found myself constantly questioning things that weren’t supposed to be questioned because the text contradicted itself from one scene to the next. There were also instances where it felt like something was just arbitrarily thrown in to move the story forward with no real context or explanation. It felt random and forced.
Ultimately, I think the story is trying to do too much. It’s a dark academia that mainly takes place at a finishing school where students must pass three trials and take etiquette classes and host elite functions while also honing their magical gifts. And Quell, who masters the tasks in days while her peers need years of training, is being hunted, and her mom is missing, and she has a moody, broody mentor whose job is to hunt people like her, and there’s an orb that’s cracking that could destroy their magic forever but no one knows where it is, and people with magic start going missing, and she has to meet the expectations of her demanding and shady grandmother, and she’s hiding a dark magic that puts her life at risk, all while trying to pass her classes and make new friends. It’s. A. Lot. I think that’s why, for me, everything felt very surface-level and in need of more detail, fine-tuning, and development.
August 29, 2023
I am honestly not sure what I read, haha. I probably should have ended up DNFing but I wanted to see what I would be missing if I did. Unfortunately it didn’t get better for me.
The book is told from two point-of-views. One comes from Quell Marionne and she is the daughter of a Headmistress in some magical order. I wouldn’t say I ever connected with her or her story. She felt immature for her age and I wasn’t sure why she would make certain decisions. The other point-of-view, which is the first one, pulls you into the story but doesn’t give you much to go on after. Everything moves so quickly with little-to-no context.
I wish there would have been more about the world-building and the magic. I didn’t understand a lot when it came to both of these and still don’t get it after finishing the book. The book is on the longer side and so there was definitely room for better explanations. On that note though, I feel like the book could have been shortened as well. There were some lulls and some parts of the plot that didn’t really add to the story overall.
Overall, it was okay. I just don’t have much to say about this one. I didn’t connect with it in any way and because of that I have already forgot a lot of what happened.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a complimentary earc to review! All opinions are my own.
The book is told from two point-of-views. One comes from Quell Marionne and she is the daughter of a Headmistress in some magical order. I wouldn’t say I ever connected with her or her story. She felt immature for her age and I wasn’t sure why she would make certain decisions. The other point-of-view, which is the first one, pulls you into the story but doesn’t give you much to go on after. Everything moves so quickly with little-to-no context.
I wish there would have been more about the world-building and the magic. I didn’t understand a lot when it came to both of these and still don’t get it after finishing the book. The book is on the longer side and so there was definitely room for better explanations. On that note though, I feel like the book could have been shortened as well. There were some lulls and some parts of the plot that didn’t really add to the story overall.
Overall, it was okay. I just don’t have much to say about this one. I didn’t connect with it in any way and because of that I have already forgot a lot of what happened.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a complimentary earc to review! All opinions are my own.
December 19, 2023
2/5
En cuanto leí la sinopsis me llamó muchísimo y creo que tenía mucho potencial. Pero desgraciadamente me ha decepcionado mucho.
✅Lo bueno es que más o menos me ha mantenido enganchada
✅Me ha gustado la ambientación y la trama, aunque nada original, logró interesarme lo suficiente como para no abandonar la historia
Pero aquí acaban las cosas buenas
❌Una de las cosas que más me ha molestado es que yo pensaba que este libro sería más adulto de lo que pensaba y es un libro muy juvenil y eso me ha chocado mucho
❌Este libro me ha resultado un batiburrillo de ideas de otras sagas juveniles del estilo Cazadores de Sombras. Es que hay cosas prácticamente iguales🙄
❌Los personajes me han exasperado, sobre todo la protagonista. Últimamente llevo una racha malísima de protagonistas femeninas mediocres y repentes. Quell es espantosamente irritante. Hacía cosas que no entendía y es un personaje planisimo😮💨
❌Pero para personajes planos tenemos que hablar de Jordan, el interés amoroso y protagonista masculino. Supuestamente esto es un Enemies to Lovers pero es más bien un Patata sin Sal To Lovers. Que romance más insípido, soso y aburrido por FAVOR 🥱
❌ Personajes secundarios totalmente olvidables
❌No entendí bien los diálogos. Son conversaciones que una persona normal jamás tendría. Es como si faltasen palabras a las frases, no sé si me explico. Notaba como si fueran diálogos incompletos. Ha sido muy incómodo
❌Y por ello, la escritura...me ha parecido bastante pobre
https://www.instagram.com/p/C1AUf58LC...
En cuanto leí la sinopsis me llamó muchísimo y creo que tenía mucho potencial. Pero desgraciadamente me ha decepcionado mucho.
✅Lo bueno es que más o menos me ha mantenido enganchada
✅Me ha gustado la ambientación y la trama, aunque nada original, logró interesarme lo suficiente como para no abandonar la historia
Pero aquí acaban las cosas buenas
❌Una de las cosas que más me ha molestado es que yo pensaba que este libro sería más adulto de lo que pensaba y es un libro muy juvenil y eso me ha chocado mucho
❌Este libro me ha resultado un batiburrillo de ideas de otras sagas juveniles del estilo Cazadores de Sombras. Es que hay cosas prácticamente iguales🙄
❌Los personajes me han exasperado, sobre todo la protagonista. Últimamente llevo una racha malísima de protagonistas femeninas mediocres y repentes. Quell es espantosamente irritante. Hacía cosas que no entendía y es un personaje planisimo😮💨
❌Pero para personajes planos tenemos que hablar de Jordan, el interés amoroso y protagonista masculino. Supuestamente esto es un Enemies to Lovers pero es más bien un Patata sin Sal To Lovers. Que romance más insípido, soso y aburrido por FAVOR 🥱
❌ Personajes secundarios totalmente olvidables
❌No entendí bien los diálogos. Son conversaciones que una persona normal jamás tendría. Es como si faltasen palabras a las frases, no sé si me explico. Notaba como si fueran diálogos incompletos. Ha sido muy incómodo
❌Y por ello, la escritura...me ha parecido bastante pobre
https://www.instagram.com/p/C1AUf58LC...
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