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roseleebooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
This book was a magical boarding school book that kept me reading late into the night. The concept and magic system is really interesting with a debutante system of progression through trials for students to cement their position as a magic user in their society.
Quell is an interesting protagonist with forbidden magic that she is struggling to hide, which could get her killed if it was discovered. Watching Quell's goals change as she learns more about the society she is trying to become a part of was fascinating. And the end of this book had me wishing the next was released already.
The only issue I had was that the time frame for everything in the book seems very fast, but then that was also part of what kept me reading.
Overall I cannot wait to learn more about the world and characters in this book, and see where Quell's story takes her as the series progresses.
Quell is an interesting protagonist with forbidden magic that she is struggling to hide, which could get her killed if it was discovered. Watching Quell's goals change as she learns more about the society she is trying to become a part of was fascinating. And the end of this book had me wishing the next was released already.
The only issue I had was that the time frame for everything in the book seems very fast, but then that was also part of what kept me reading.
Overall I cannot wait to learn more about the world and characters in this book, and see where Quell's story takes her as the series progresses.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, and Murder
literarymary95's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This is basically a Southern Belle school where young women train to learn how to be a lady but with powers. It was an interesting read although it took some time to get into it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Murder, Violence, and Death
thenovelmaura's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Thank you to Penguin Teen for this ARC that I received at YallWest! I enjoyed Wings of Ebony so I was really looking forward to this next series from J Elle. Unfortunately it ended up being all glamour and no substance, and if I never have to read another sentence where Quell drools over Jordan it'll be TOO SOON. What started off as an urban fantasy devolved into cotillion classes which were honestly so boring to read. There was a confusing magic system, a brooding love interest with no personality, and a bunch of side characters who only existed to tell Quell how special and powerful she was. Also it was really weird how the other characters were pushing her to complete her Season so quickly, even though there was a high likelihood that she would fail if she were rushed? It would have made way more sense if she was pushing to finish and others were telling her to slow down.
The only parts of the book where I felt truly engaged were the ones where Quell had to hide the effects of her toushana (or dark magic). Those moments felt high stakes, but they were quickly swept away by the repetition of going to etiquette classes, being super good at magic for no apparent reason, and falling for a guy who is super rude to her. I probably would have liked this book if I had read it when I was in middle school, but I expected so much more from based on my past experience with J Elle and the levels of promotion this has been getting from Penguin Teen.
The only parts of the book where I felt truly engaged were the ones where Quell had to hide the effects of her toushana (or dark magic). Those moments felt high stakes, but they were quickly swept away by the repetition of going to etiquette classes, being super good at magic for no apparent reason, and falling for a guy who is super rude to her. I probably would have liked this book if I had read it when I was in middle school, but I expected so much more from based on my past experience with J Elle and the levels of promotion this has been getting from Penguin Teen.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Confinement
booknerderika's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
4.0
I considered giving this a 3.75 ⭐️ rating, but I'll just round it up to a solid 4⭐️.
To start off, I enjoy dual perspective books, but I was a little confused as to why Yagrin was the other perspective. I thought at first that he would become the love interest, but then he didn't, and now I'm worried that a love triangle is brewing for the 2nd book. I really hope he doesn't, though. I have read books where the villain is the other perspective, but with everything that has happened idk if I see him as the main villain.
I enjoyed the twists in this, especially with thegrandma . The more Quell discovered, the more mysteries needed to be unraveled. I was not happy with the way things ended between Quell and Jordan. I also didn't like the way he just fell to the ground crying after his encounter with Yagrin. I wanted to see more from him and he just continued to disappoint me.
I liked the world that Elle created and I will be reading book 2 when it is released.
Side note: I understand that marketing a book as a mash-up of other popular books/shows can help with sales, but I did not see this as a mash-up of Bridgerton and Fourth Wing. I feel like it was its own story and didn't need the comparison.
To start off, I enjoy dual perspective books, but I was a little confused as to why Yagrin was the other perspective. I thought at first that he would become the love interest, but then he didn't, and now I'm worried that a love triangle is brewing for the 2nd book. I really hope he doesn't, though. I have read books where the villain is the other perspective, but with everything that has happened idk if I see him as the main villain.
I enjoyed the twists in this, especially with the
I liked the world that Elle created and I will be reading book 2 when it is released.
Side note: I understand that marketing a book as a mash-up of other popular books/shows can help with sales, but I did not see this as a mash-up of Bridgerton and Fourth Wing. I feel like it was its own story and didn't need the comparison.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Death, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Confinement, and Emotional abuse
hobbithopeful's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
4.5 stars Thank you Penguin for this Arc
Ball gowns, magic, and political machinations that keep you wondering who you can trust! House of Marionne is a mysterious dark academia fantasy that I REALLY enjoyed reading.
Quell and her Mother are always on the run, in order to keep Quell safe and hide the poison that runs in her veins. A slipup lands her into the magical life her Mother tried to hide her from, and now she must try to survive and debut, or be cast out and be at the mercy of assassins.
There are breadcrumbs to what is going on, and some characters immediately act sus and I didn't trust them, while others took me by surprise with their plots,I love being kept on my toes.
My favorite part of the book is everything to do with magic! When it came to Quell in magic classes, and the overall magic system, it was so immersive and well thought out. I feel it was really one of the strongest parts of the book, all the intricates are really fascinating! However I do wish more time was spent with Quell learning and in classes, I like how there is history at the back, but I wanted to see more magic teaching. (Give me the lore!) It is a bit difficult to wrap my head around that Quell is able to succeed where others who have been trying to two years failed. There is a ton of information, history, and Latin that she has to learn, and the timeline for this book seemed all to occur in a handful of weeks. I could honestly read a whole separate book just all about this world's lore, magic, and different components and what they do. There is also a shift a good ways through the book where the focus feels like it goes from learning how to do magic, to etiquettes and cotillion style classes. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, I just wish there was more of a blend or mix.
May I just say I am obsessed with the crowns/diadems/masks! This is hands down the most original and coolest way I have seen magic represented in a book. It not only perfectly shows the personality of the wielder, but also really ties in nicely with the whole dark academia/regency/cotillion vibe of the book. Obviously I would have a fabulous crown, I'm thinking silver or gold with vine detailing, cascades of opals along the edges.
I love all the clothing and dress styles, it made me feel like I was walking around a regency era town! Everything felt so opulent and lush, it really feels like a ball. The imagery around the scenery and clothing Quell wears was top notch.
The romance was all well and good, I don't know if forbidden is the best way to describe it, we get to see more romance in the later parts, and "forbidden" isn't really a big plot point. I like how Quell and Jordan took time to get to one another, and it wasn't an instant love situation. The words Jordan said to her were so sweet! I really liked their dialogue. I will say if I never see another author describe facial features like "craters", I will die happy. I wish more time was spent building up friendships, there was a definite lack of substance when it came to any female friends or allies.
I'm only going to nitpick a bit because I really like this book, and J. Elle is an established author.
I do wish there were more character descriptions. So many characters and side characters I feel there is a vague description or maybe it is just mentioned once and left me wondering. (Except for the eyes, the eye colors are mentioned a lot) Really I think this is applicable to the hair, specifically Quells. I was surprised more attention and time wasn't given to convey the kind of hairstyle and what it looked like. It would have been the perfect moment to tie in the character to her race more, and not just retain the racial ambiguity a lot of the book seems to suffer from. (I.e. does she have a twist out, braids, a wash and go is it natural etc etc)
There was only ONE queer character in this book, and they only had a handful of sentences and a very brief tea party appearance. Please someone correct me if I missed others! I wish there were more queer characters, or a queer relationship. I lowkey was hoping for a genderfluid character, or maybe a masc presenting one with a pretty crown.
I like the cover a lot too, it is gorgeous and really captures the essence of the book perfectly. I like how Quell's dagger is on the front, it really makes it feel more inline with the book and not just a generic dark fantasy cover.
I highly recommend this, and I NEED the sequel! Seriously!! How dare you do a reveal like that and LEAVE ME HANGING!
I almost forgot to say, but I really liked the chapters with Yagrin's pov! I also have so many theories about the next book, so read this so we can discuss please. (Especially pertaining to a certain someone's parentage!!)
Ball gowns, magic, and political machinations that keep you wondering who you can trust! House of Marionne is a mysterious dark academia fantasy that I REALLY enjoyed reading.
Quell and her Mother are always on the run, in order to keep Quell safe and hide the poison that runs in her veins. A slipup lands her into the magical life her Mother tried to hide her from, and now she must try to survive and debut, or be cast out and be at the mercy of assassins.
There are breadcrumbs to what is going on, and some characters immediately act sus and I didn't trust them, while others took me by surprise with their plots,I love being kept on my toes.
My favorite part of the book is everything to do with magic! When it came to Quell in magic classes, and the overall magic system, it was so immersive and well thought out. I feel it was really one of the strongest parts of the book, all the intricates are really fascinating! However I do wish more time was spent with Quell learning and in classes, I like how there is history at the back, but I wanted to see more magic teaching. (Give me the lore!) It is a bit difficult to wrap my head around that Quell is able to succeed where others who have been trying to two years failed. There is a ton of information, history, and Latin that she has to learn, and the timeline for this book seemed all to occur in a handful of weeks. I could honestly read a whole separate book just all about this world's lore, magic, and different components and what they do. There is also a shift a good ways through the book where the focus feels like it goes from learning how to do magic, to etiquettes and cotillion style classes. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, I just wish there was more of a blend or mix.
May I just say I am obsessed with the crowns/diadems/masks! This is hands down the most original and coolest way I have seen magic represented in a book. It not only perfectly shows the personality of the wielder, but also really ties in nicely with the whole dark academia/regency/cotillion vibe of the book. Obviously I would have a fabulous crown, I'm thinking silver or gold with vine detailing, cascades of opals along the edges.
I love all the clothing and dress styles, it made me feel like I was walking around a regency era town! Everything felt so opulent and lush, it really feels like a ball. The imagery around the scenery and clothing Quell wears was top notch.
The romance was all well and good, I don't know if forbidden is the best way to describe it, we get to see more romance in the later parts, and "forbidden" isn't really a big plot point. I like how Quell and Jordan took time to get to one another, and it wasn't an instant love situation. The words Jordan said to her were so sweet! I really liked their dialogue. I will say if I never see another author describe facial features like "craters", I will die happy. I wish more time was spent building up friendships, there was a definite lack of substance when it came to any female friends or allies.
I'm only going to nitpick a bit because I really like this book, and J. Elle is an established author.
I do wish there were more character descriptions. So many characters and side characters I feel there is a vague description or maybe it is just mentioned once and left me wondering. (Except for the eyes, the eye colors are mentioned a lot) Really I think this is applicable to the hair, specifically Quells. I was surprised more attention and time wasn't given to convey the kind of hairstyle and what it looked like. It would have been the perfect moment to tie in the character to her race more, and not just retain the racial ambiguity a lot of the book seems to suffer from. (I.e. does she have a twist out, braids, a wash and go is it natural etc etc)
There was only ONE queer character in this book, and they only had a handful of sentences and a very brief tea party appearance. Please someone correct me if I missed others! I wish there were more queer characters, or a queer relationship. I lowkey was hoping for a genderfluid character, or maybe a masc presenting one with a pretty crown.
I like the cover a lot too, it is gorgeous and really captures the essence of the book perfectly. I like how Quell's dagger is on the front, it really makes it feel more inline with the book and not just a generic dark fantasy cover.
I highly recommend this, and I NEED the sequel! Seriously!! How dare you do a reveal like that and LEAVE ME HANGING!
I almost forgot to say, but I really liked the chapters with Yagrin's pov! I also have so many theories about the next book, so read this so we can discuss please. (Especially pertaining to a certain someone's parentage!!)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Murder and Violence
Minor: Confinement and Emotional abuse
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
lastblossom's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
Magical boarding school with a dark academia twist. Moves a little unevenly, but shows a lot of promise for future installments.
Thoughts
The cover and description of this book had me going in thinking it was going to be more standard fantasy, so I found myself very confused by the use of cell phones at the start. Turns out it's modern magical boarding school with a dark academia twist, and I should have read the description more thoughtfully (mea culpa). Magical boarding schools don't usually do it for me, but this has all the markers that fans of the genre will love: distinct named Houses, mysterious symbols, classifications of things, school culture, magical tests, and Latin! And of course, a secret plot going on behind the scenes that our scrappy young heroine will have to uncover. The magic system and the school system are both described in depth, with a lot of cool stuff that sparks the imagination. The masks/diadem system in particular is very cool.
The lead couple are a standard enemies to lovers pair, although I found myself much more invested in the lives of several of the supporting cast. This book feels more like a setup for what's the come - now that we've been introduced to the magic, the characters, and the plot, the real fight can begin. It makes the pacing of the first volume a little wobbly, but the ending really comes in swinging with promises of some really twisty exciting stuff in the future.
Thanks to NetGalley and Razorbill for the advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Magical boarding school with a dark academia twist. Moves a little unevenly, but shows a lot of promise for future installments.
Thoughts
The cover and description of this book had me going in thinking it was going to be more standard fantasy, so I found myself very confused by the use of cell phones at the start. Turns out it's modern magical boarding school with a dark academia twist, and I should have read the description more thoughtfully (mea culpa). Magical boarding schools don't usually do it for me, but this has all the markers that fans of the genre will love: distinct named Houses, mysterious symbols, classifications of things, school culture, magical tests, and Latin! And of course, a secret plot going on behind the scenes that our scrappy young heroine will have to uncover. The magic system and the school system are both described in depth, with a lot of cool stuff that sparks the imagination. The masks/diadem system in particular is very cool.
The lead couple are a standard enemies to lovers pair, although I found myself much more invested in the lives of several of the supporting cast. This book feels more like a setup for what's the come - now that we've been introduced to the magic, the characters, and the plot, the real fight can begin. It makes the pacing of the first volume a little wobbly, but the ending really comes in swinging with promises of some really twisty exciting stuff in the future.
Thanks to NetGalley and Razorbill for the advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Classism, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Blood and Death of parent
chronicacademia's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
This book is my new fantasy obsession. It is trope-y and fun and full of what I love about YA fantasy. I’ve seen comparisons to almost every big name book—Ninth House, Caraval, Bridgerton, etc.—and I understand why. It fits so well into the YA fantasy canon (and will surely be a booktok recommendation when it releases). To me, it felt like Legendborn meets The Selection. (Alternatively, I could also see Legendborn meets Shadow & Bone.)
I am normally super hesitant of books that are trope-y, but I really loved this one. It wasn’t necessarily trying to do anything new; instead it read as a love letter to all the things YA fantasy has done well over the past few years. This is clearly a book that was written by an author who loves the genre, and the story she is telling.
Quell was such a phenomenal main character. She was powerful and sweet and a little naive—but she wanted to believe things would work out for the best, and you really can’t help but love her. It’s easy to see why she’s the main character of the novel, and it’s easy to see why every single character loves her so completely.
I did think this was a slower read—although I never really wanted to set it down. It’s definitely a character driven novel, and it sparkles because of its lead.
The only thing I didn’t totally love was the romance. I don’t get good vibes from Jordan—although I’m not sure I was ultimately supposed to. I do wonder if J. Elle is hinting toward a new love interest in book two with a very intriguing side character, and I truly cannot wait to find out what happens next.
If this book isn’t on your radar yet, it absolutely should be.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! All views reflected are my own.
I am normally super hesitant of books that are trope-y, but I really loved this one. It wasn’t necessarily trying to do anything new; instead it read as a love letter to all the things YA fantasy has done well over the past few years. This is clearly a book that was written by an author who loves the genre, and the story she is telling.
Quell was such a phenomenal main character. She was powerful and sweet and a little naive—but she wanted to believe things would work out for the best, and you really can’t help but love her. It’s easy to see why she’s the main character of the novel, and it’s easy to see why every single character loves her so completely.
I did think this was a slower read—although I never really wanted to set it down. It’s definitely a character driven novel, and it sparkles because of its lead.
The only thing I didn’t totally love was the romance. I don’t get good vibes from Jordan—although I’m not sure I was ultimately supposed to. I do wonder if J. Elle is hinting toward a new love interest in book two with a very intriguing side character, and I truly cannot wait to find out what happens next.
If this book isn’t on your radar yet, it absolutely should be.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! All views reflected are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Death, Gore, Child death, Genocide, Blood, and Murder
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