House of Marionne: Bridgerton meets Fourth Wing in this Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller

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With House of Marionne, J.Elle lures you through a portal and into an elaborate, enthralling world of magic and monsters and mayhem, where the twists and turns take you-and her characters-places you never expected to go. Sabaa Tahir, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the An Ember in the Ashes series A darkly tantalizing tale of intrigue, glamor, and romance Amélie Wen Zhao, New York Times bestselling author of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night I enjoyed the setting of the school surrounded by a forest filled with danger and secrets - it was very atmospheric and I could vividly picture the winding corridors and secret passages. I also loved Quell and Abby’s friendship and thought they complemented each other well, bringing much needed warmth to the story. I think I will probably try and read this again another time because I did want to like it but on first read it overall was not for me. I do think it was marketed weirdly as I was not expecting this book to be quite so young though that isn't usually a problem for me as I do enjoy YA.

House of Marionne is one of the most original fantasies I've ever read. J. Elle has created a lush and beautifully romantic world that is as magical as it is dangerous." —Nicola Yoon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Sun is Also a Star The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life. I think I would best describe this book as a slight mix of dark acedemia, Bridgerton and Harry Potter within an urban fantasy setting. House of Marionne is a captivating contemporary fantasy that’s sure to enchant readers from the start. Perfect for fans of magical boarding schools, dark secrets, and books with glittering atmosphere ― Kerri Maniscalco, #1 New York Times bestselling authorHouse of Marionne, the first book in the trilogy, follows 17-year-old Quell, who is reluctantly inducted into a magical debutante society of social elites. In this group, she must bind with her forbidden magic while evading the assassin who has been tasked with hunting her kind. But is the most formidable monster she’ll have to face the one inside her? The forbidden love story of my wildest dreams!" – Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis

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 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 forbidden love story of my wildest dreams. House of Marionne is going to delight not only fantasy readers, but romance lovers of all ages!” —Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author House of Marionne is a captivating contemporary fantasy that’s sure to enchant readers from the start. Perfect for fans of magical boarding schools, dark secrets, and books with glittering atmosphere Kerri Maniscalco, #1 New York Times bestselling author Memento sumptus,” someone says. The voice is coming from a narrow door that blends seamlessly with the wall. Caution tugs at me like a tether. Pressed carefully to the door, I listen, hands hooked behind myself just in case. Strained voices tangle around each other in a whispered argument. There are a pair of men, it sounds like. I listen again and hear several more. I teeter forward on my toes ever so slightly, pressing my weight against the door to ease it open a sliver.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. 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. I think we needed more information on the magic system and how it relates to the world we are in as I'm still unsure how it all works - do people without magic just not see it? is it maybe a hogwarts situation? but honestly I couldn't tell you and maybe I misunderstood. I’m going to be honest: I really want to give this book less than 3 stars because my reading experience with this book was rough, to say the least. However, I don’t feel like it’s entirely fair of me to give less than 3 stars because a big part of my issue with this book was just how confused and lost I was the whole time I was reading it. But the thing is, I don’t know if that’s entirely on me or not. I saw that many other reviewers were also confused by this book like I was, so I think I’m right in thinking that there are some issues with the writing, but I can’t pinpoint in what way. Really, I just didn’t understand or have a grasp on the world, the magic system, the stakes, or even most of the character’s motivations (this last one could more so be purposeful on the author’s part, but it didn’t help to keep my attention either). Usually, when I struggle with a book being convoluted, I find that it’s because the author employs a lot of info dumping, but I didn’t actually feel like that was too much of a problem in this book. With that in mind, that’s why I can’t really explain why everything was so confusing and overwhelming, but it just was. Inventive, evocative, and epic. House of Marionne is a dazzling magical thrill ride. Karen M. McManus, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying