Scan barcode
bookrecsbyjess's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC and Penguin Teen and Penguin Random House Audio for the complimentary audiobook and hardcover copy. All opinions are my own.
House of Marionne by J. Elle is a book full of deadly secrets, magical boarding schools, debutantes, and forbidden romance.
This is the first book in a new trilogy by the author of The Wings of Ebony duology. This story follows Quell (pronounced kell), a girl with a deadly secret that takes refuge at her grandma’s magical school. While most chapters are told from Quell’s point of view, some chapters are told from a mystery character named Yagrin.
I loved the atmosphere of this book and the world the author created. The private magical schools are very elite and full of etiquette. They have to present themselves in a certain way and follow rules in order to become members.
The magic system is interesting, and I’m curious to learn more about it in the next books since the author left some parts a mystery.
The romance was so cute, and I loved Quell’s roommate. I hope to see more of them in the rest of the series.
My least favorite part of the story was Quell’s grandmother because she was so awful and controlling.
The only major critique I have is that this book leaves a lot of things unanswered, and so many parts of this world are still a bit confusing. I imagine that the rest of the series will help with these aspects though.
I definitely recommend you give this book a try if you love romantasy, danger, and magical schools.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Blood, and Kidnapping
More...