This book was just mediocre to me. It felt longer than it needed to be and I unfortunately didn’t connect enough with any characters to really care about continuing the story. Just not for me!

The House of Marionne had a lot going for it—magic, mystery, secret societies—but I found myself wanting more, especially from the central relationship. I loved Jordan (seriously, more of him, please), but even that connection didn’t quite hit the emotional depth I was hoping for. The ending drops a solid cliffhanger, so I’ll definitely pick up the next one. Hoping book two brings more tension, more payoff, and just… more.

I wasn't totally sure what I was getting into with this one. I really was intrigued by the title itself and the cover screams FANTASY, so I decided to give it a go.

It dives into this unique magic system at an elite school, which had me curious from the start. The characters were the highlight of this book for me, especially the dynamic between Jordan and his family, and the slight chemistry between Jordan and Marionne as their young romance kindles.

That said, I wasn't entirely convinced on how quickly they went from tentative enemies to lovers. I mean, blink and suddenly they’re all in and ready to sacrifice things that are important to them for each other. The tension and chemistry just didn’t have enough time to build, and it felt a bit rushed by the end.

Let me roll back to the start, where there’s the whole sudden enrolment thing into House of Marionne. I get it, it needed a start all, but seriously, you’re telling me a girl who barely knows her own magic just walks into a prestigious school and is suddenly practicing crafting with her magic and not only is good at it but is excelling. It felt a little too convenient, with no real setup to make it believable.

One thing that nags me with YA books is how sometimes authors think they need to dumb things down. Not every sentence needs to be short and simple. In this book, some of the descriptions felt a little flat, and the bit of humour did not hit the mark with me. If we have to use “sardines” on a pizza as a humorous scene, I think we need to rethink it.

That said, I’m still intrigued enough to see where the story goes next. The ending left me curious, and I’m hoping some of these issues get smoothed out in the sequel.

Thank you to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Razorbill for an arc of this book. (So sorry for the delayed review)

All thoughts are my own. Use #HouseofMarionne #NetGalley

This book is an excellent blend of magic, mystery, and romance. I was really pulled into the story right away. The writing is beautiful and the pacing was perfect to keep me interest and wanting to keep reading on long after bedtime. Dark academia and fantasy is my weakness and I really enjoyed this a lot.

This one felt like The Selection meets The Magicians with a splash of political scheming. It’s got secret magical societies, elite training, and a heroine caught between what she’s told to be and who she actually is. I liked Quell’s arc and how the story tackled legacy, family pressure, and systemic power imbalances. The worldbuilding was intriguing but occasionally confusing—there’s a lot going on and not all of it is clearly explained. That said, the romance and tension kept me turning the pages, and I’m curious to see how the series develops.

Some book reviews are easy to write, while some are more difficult. House of Marionne falls into that difficult category. Not because I hated it, I just feel more indifferent towards it. It was one of those books that I neither loved or hated. It felt average?

It does seem that everything about this book that I enjoyed there was also something I didn’t like. Like the magic in this book. I thought it was a bit unique and I love a good forbidden magic. But I did not enjoy the school aspect. That is when it really seemed to go downhill for me. Some parts did not make sense.

The tropes and the mash up of several other popular books did not work well here. It would have made more sense to cut several of the tropes/mash ups. It was too much in such a short story. I would have liked it more if the school/rites didn’t happen in this book. It should have been stretched out more.

The pacing of House of Marionne was also not very good. I struggled to get through some chapters because they felt too long. Even if they really weren’t. It was just hard to finish. I was absolutely invested in the overall story, but I wish it was fleshed out more.

As much as I wanted to really like this book, I just didn’t. I had such high hopes for it. But I ultimately do not think I will continue with this series.

HOUSE OF MARIONNE by J. Elle was such a marvelous romp full of twists and turns of fantastic art, fully-dimensional characters in life or death circumstances, and massive, heartstopping romance between a Quell, young woman determined to bury her forbidden magic forever and Jordan, the mentor assigned to guide her and bring her along into magic while harboring his own secrets and status as assassin in training. This story had everything I look for in a novel, keeping me up way too late reading. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

Overall I enjoyed the book, but am realizing that I've just outgrown YA Fantasy. The world building was good and had a lot of interesting plot points. Some twists and turns and untrustworthy characters made for a fun ride, but some aspects could have been a bit more developed for me. I think it could be great for a teen looking to get into fantasy reading!

Thank you to NetGalley for this book.

I am slowly becoming a fantasy reader. I am not sure if I will make it all the way but I am trying. I just feel like there is a lot of build up. An entire books worth of it, to get to the good part. I don’t know if that is for me.

This book was good. Quell lives with a dark secret. She has spent her entire life hiding it. Until she ends up in a society of people who are learning how to enhance their magic. If she can master the magic from this school, maybe she can get rid of her forbidden magic forever.

It was good. I might continue on to the next book.

This book definitely gave off some Scholomance trilogy vibes! While it could be confusing at times, House of Marionne would be a great fit for younger readers of dark academy romance and enemies to lovers.

A story filled with intrigue and secrets. A young women is coming into her magical powers, but feels unworthy, scared, and led to believe she can cause untold destruction. There is more to the magical history that has been hidden. What is the truth? This is a page turning fantasy until the end.

This book has one of the most original world buildings and dynamics I have read in YA Fantasy books in a while. It kept me interested and it was one of my favorite aspects. Also, loved the academic setting and how I could never trust the other students, who was friend and who was foe or what happened with Quell's mom. It kept me guessing all throughout. The magic system was very interesting too.

However, my issue was with the main character, as I struggled to resonate with her. Something felt off, the vibe overall felt too similar to 2010's YA books, which is not a bad thing, just not for me. I think I outgrew that kind of storyline, but I'm sure a lot of readers will love this series, especially the ones who want something different than the same old romantasy.

House of Marionne features a very different and unique magic system that fits perfectly for the world Elle created. The secondary perspective of Yagrin was limited, but done well and helped to create a layer of suspense. There were several reveals that I did not see coming, and I'm excited to see how this is going to unfold in the next book.

House of Marionne sounds like a book that would immediately be a five star read for me. Marketed as Bridgerton and Fourth Wing vibes, I thought I would love it. It was confusing and hard for me to understand the world building. I really wanted to like this more than I did.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

If you enjoy dark academia, secret societies, dark magic, fantasy, or elements of mystery, you will definitely enjoy this book. YA continues to not be 100% my cup of tea, but I did still like this novel. I will say that there was a lot going on so at some points the plot could get kind of muddled, but despite that it was still good!

This was a decently passed enemies to lovers edging on dark romantasy but firmly in the YA category. It was really good and I look forward to reading the next one!

While the plot is engaging, it sometimes leans into familiar tropes, making it a bit less groundbreaking than it could be. Still, House of Marionne has a lot to offer. It’s a solid start to a series that shows promise, but it may not be for readers looking for something completely innovative or fast-paced.

This book was a pleasant surprise.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, as it was a quick read and a good time.

couldn't ever get the epub to work or download so unfortunately wasn't able to read it even with support help but have to leave a star rating regardless!

This one was just okay for me. The world building was different and not quite at the caliber I would have wanted. I felt like the story had promise, but it just wasn't quite there. I felt like it was a cross between fantasy and Bridgerton. I love a book that includes dark academia, world building, and I love Bridgerton, but I felt like combining these made for an odd mix.