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A review by abby_ace_of_books
The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
You know you've played a board game too much when every book that takes place in a creepy mansion feels like a Betrayal haunt or a Mansions of Madness scenario. (Seriously, though, I felt like I was attempting knowledge rolls for rituals and fending off creatures by resolving horror checks.)
The House Saphir is a retelling of the tale of Bluebeard in the form of a YA fantasy murder mystery featuring a grumpy wish and a sunshine heir. I know very little of the original Bluebeard lore aside from what I read on Wikipedia, so I don't know how faithful it is to the source material. Disregarding the retelling aspect, I enjoyed the story and, as I do with most murder mysteries, spent half the book hyperfixating on a detail that didn't end up being relevant. I believe this is a standalone, which I think was probably the best choice given how the plot and character arcs resolve. I could see the author expanding on this world more in the future, but I think I like this on its own.
Mallory Fontaine is a conwoman, surviving by tricking tourists into false tours of a mansion known for the death of the first of the Saphir wives. She can also see the dead, which comes in handy when the heir to the Saphir legacy appears on one of her tours and requests her assistance in removing the ghost of Le Bleu from the family estate. However, when murder strikes once more, Mallory is drawn into an investigation that may be more than she can handle, and her past only serves to further complicate the situation. Though the murder mystery aspect of the story doesn't come into play until later in the story, the first section feels very ghost-hunter-y in the sense that the protagonists are dealing with all sorts of other magical creatures. I enjoyed the second half of the book more when the murder mystery actually became relevant, though I do admit I don't think it was as much mystery as it was fantasy rituals. I guessed the plot twist/killer relatively early on (mostly because of prior experience with the genre; I still think it was an enjoyable twist, and I was almost convinced that I was wrong), but I did like that there was a bit more tension/action following the reveal. I have mixed feelings about the ending (a part of me thinks it was a bit anticlimactic), but I was overall satisfied with the conclusion. The pacing fell in the middle for me; I didn't find it too fast or too slow, and I think the reason it took me longer to finish than I wanted was due to life circumstances and not because I didn't want to read the book. As far as fantasy mysteries go, I enjoyed this book and its haunted mansion vibes.
I do wish the cast of characters had been just a bit wider for the sake of the mystery elements, but I still liked their dynamics. I've seen some complaints about Mallory as the FMC, but I liked her. I found her snark compelling and thought her curiosity and bravery made for an enjoyable protagonist. I didn't like Anaïs as much at first, but I grew to like her. Their sisterhood dynamics weren't super complex, though I understand that their relationship wasn't the focal point of the story. This is a weird comparison, but for some reason they reminded me of the Able Sisters from Animal Crossing... I really liked Armand, and everyone calling him a bit of a himbo is absolutely right, but we love him for it. Even though he did feel a bit flat compared to Mallory (I wish there was more time spent on his backstory), I still liked him and his dynamics with Mallory because they were so sweet. I don't have much of an opinion on the two monster hunters because they weren't as relevant as I was expecting, but I did think they were interesting and wouldn't be surprised if a spin-off book were to focus on them. Otherwise, I had beef with Julie for literally no reason, and I wanted to see more of Triphine. I also wish Le Bleu was a bit less of a caricature, but that didn't affect my enjoyment of the story.
The House Saphir is a YA fantasy/mystery standalone for readers who love haunted mansions, witchcraft, ghosts, and loose retellings, or who just enjoy fun banter and satisfying standalones.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
4/
Also, a quick note: I am now seeing that this is being partially marketed as a romantasy, and let me be clear that I disagree completely. As far as my understanding of romantasy goes, the romance must be an integral part of the plot, either equally weighted with or more relevant than the fantasy aspects of the plot. The romance in this novel does NOT occupy enough of the plot for it to be considered a romantasy in the sense of its apparent comp titles on the publisher's website (Divine Rivals and Fourth Wing).
If you go into this expecting a romantasy to the degree of either of these comps, you are going to be disappointed. This is a fantasy mystery with minor romantic elements; we don't need to label everything as a romantasy because it's the pop word and we think it will sell more. Enjoy this for what it is: an enticing fantasy murder mystery with hints of romance.
The House Saphir is a retelling of the tale of Bluebeard in the form of a YA fantasy murder mystery featuring a grumpy wish and a sunshine heir. I know very little of the original Bluebeard lore aside from what I read on Wikipedia, so I don't know how faithful it is to the source material. Disregarding the retelling aspect, I enjoyed the story and, as I do with most murder mysteries, spent half the book hyperfixating on a detail that didn't end up being relevant. I believe this is a standalone, which I think was probably the best choice given how the plot and character arcs resolve. I could see the author expanding on this world more in the future, but I think I like this on its own.
Mallory Fontaine is a conwoman, surviving by tricking tourists into false tours of a mansion known for the death of the first of the Saphir wives. She can also see the dead, which comes in handy when the heir to the Saphir legacy appears on one of her tours and requests her assistance in removing the ghost of Le Bleu from the family estate. However, when murder strikes once more, Mallory is drawn into an investigation that may be more than she can handle, and her past only serves to further complicate the situation. Though the murder mystery aspect of the story doesn't come into play until later in the story, the first section feels very ghost-hunter-y in the sense that the protagonists are dealing with all sorts of other magical creatures. I enjoyed the second half of the book more when the murder mystery actually became relevant, though I do admit I don't think it was as much mystery as it was fantasy rituals. I guessed the plot twist/killer relatively early on (mostly because of prior experience with the genre; I still think it was an enjoyable twist, and I was almost convinced that I was wrong), but I did like that there was a bit more tension/action following the reveal. I have mixed feelings about the ending (a part of me thinks it was a bit anticlimactic), but I was overall satisfied with the conclusion. The pacing fell in the middle for me; I didn't find it too fast or too slow, and I think the reason it took me longer to finish than I wanted was due to life circumstances and not because I didn't want to read the book. As far as fantasy mysteries go, I enjoyed this book and its haunted mansion vibes.
I do wish the cast of characters had been just a bit wider for the sake of the mystery elements, but I still liked their dynamics. I've seen some complaints about Mallory as the FMC, but I liked her. I found her snark compelling and thought her curiosity and bravery made for an enjoyable protagonist. I didn't like Anaïs as much at first, but I grew to like her. Their sisterhood dynamics weren't super complex, though I understand that their relationship wasn't the focal point of the story. This is a weird comparison, but for some reason they reminded me of the Able Sisters from Animal Crossing... I really liked Armand, and everyone calling him a bit of a himbo is absolutely right, but we love him for it. Even though he did feel a bit flat compared to Mallory (I wish there was more time spent on his backstory), I still liked him and his dynamics with Mallory because they were so sweet. I don't have much of an opinion on the two monster hunters because they weren't as relevant as I was expecting, but I did think they were interesting and wouldn't be surprised if a spin-off book were to focus on them. Otherwise, I had beef with Julie for literally no reason, and I wanted to see more of Triphine. I also wish Le Bleu was a bit less of a caricature, but that didn't affect my enjoyment of the story.
The House Saphir is a YA fantasy/mystery standalone for readers who love haunted mansions, witchcraft, ghosts, and loose retellings, or who just enjoy fun banter and satisfying standalones.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
4/
Also, a quick note: I am now seeing that this is being partially marketed as a romantasy, and let me be clear that I disagree completely. As far as my understanding of romantasy goes, the romance must be an integral part of the plot, either equally weighted with or more relevant than the fantasy aspects of the plot. The romance in this novel does NOT occupy enough of the plot for it to be considered a romantasy in the sense of its apparent comp titles on the publisher's website (Divine Rivals and Fourth Wing).
If you go into this expecting a romantasy to the degree of either of these comps, you are going to be disappointed. This is a fantasy mystery with minor romantic elements; we don't need to label everything as a romantasy because it's the pop word and we think it will sell more. Enjoy this for what it is: an enticing fantasy murder mystery with hints of romance.