Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This sequel started off a little slow, but at the end I understood why the beginning had to be a little slower paced because that ending needed to be set in motion. I loved having so many chapters from Jordan’s perspective and seeing his inner war with following the rules of the order and his love for Quell. I wanted chapters from Yargin’s perspective and hope we get some in book three. That ending was so action packed and I need book three now! I want to know more about the magic system and need to know what happens with this cliff hanger.

This is a fantastic sequel to the first book, and wow—what a cliffhanger! It’ll leave you begging for the next installment.

I LOVED House of Marrione, and Shadows of Peril did not disappoint. The story picks up right where the first book left off, following Quell and Jordan as they pursue their missions, often at odds with each other. While sequels can sometimes feel like filler, this one didn’t at all—Quell’s journey was full of discoveries and travel (no spoilers, I promise!), keeping the story engaging from start to finish. At the same time, Jordan’s missions were equally compelling, and I loved how their paths eventually crossed again toward the end.

I LOVED this book. The extra POVs were amazing, they allowed the story to grow and made the book even more enjoyable than the first.

Somehow, I always get dragged right into this series and its creative and interesting characters. Despite having time pass between the first book and the second book, I was easily transported back into the storyline. Part two moved just as quickly as the first and was an easy read.

Overall the plot was good, but I found the book to be really confusing - in the sense that, it's been two books and I still have zero clue about the overall political system and the world?

And I really hated Jordan's pov. It sucks to read the pov of someone who's killing innocent people and justifying it in his head. Given that ~50% of the time it's his pov, this was pretty bad.

I'm not really sure how this trilogy is going to end now - like I'm not going to root for a hea for Jordan and Quell because I hate Jordan's actions and I don't see how he can be redeemed. I just want Quell to be happy, she's been through so much 😭

And Yagrin and Nore! I just want their book and their hea okay 😭

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

It took me a while to get to this ARC as I didn’t realize it was the second of a series but after I read the first I was even more anxious to come back and read this second book in the series. It was devastating. Beautiful, haunting even and I have been thinking about it since finishing it often.

I’m so excited for book 3! I felt a little like this was just a bridge between book 1 and 3, but I’m still so enthralled with the world!

The continuation of Quel's story was slow to begin with, I feel this was filler for book three, there was a lot of angst with no real substance. while I really enjoyed this story and the new magic system and world, it didn't excite me to continue.

In the second installment of the House of Marionne series, readers are swept back into Quell Marionne’s magical journey as she searches for her mother. Following the explosive conclusion of book one, Quell gains access to the elusive House of Perl, where she learns that her magic is not something to fear but to celebrate. Yet, danger still looms as she is hunted by her former lover, Jordan Wexton, who is torn between love and duty.
This is a fantastic read for young adult audiences. Free of spice, the story focuses on themes of self-discovery, found family, and the wonder of magic.


*Thank you to J. Elle, ​​PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Razorbill and Netgalley for the copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

3.5/5✨

YA Fantasy. Dark Academia. BIPOC Author. Multi POV. 2024 release.

Shadows of Perl is the second installment in The House of Marionne series following Quell in her journey to find her mother and learn to control her dark power. I was hesitant to continue this series going in, considering that it’s multi POV with several POV’s I care very little for. Turns out, I was right to be hesitant, as this is something that continued in the second book with Nore’s POV. That said, there’s something that drew me to the book despite this. I wanted to know what would happen to Quell.

I don't have much to say about this book except that there was something that was still missing for me. I’ll most likely read the third book (please be the last book) when it comes out, out of curiosity, but I wanted more from this.

Overall, I’d recommend this to teens who like unique magic systems and stories with representation.

[Note: Check Trigger Warnings]

I liked this but felt it lacked in comparison to the first book.which I was obsessed with. I felt the characters and plot were lacking

J Elle does it again!!! Book 1 took my breath away, and book 2 just captured my heart. Ugh!! I just love these 🥰

I loved book one and I like how the author kept to the storyline from the first but I was hoping for more. There was little emotional connection between main characters which definitely hindered character development. Hoping a book 3 may challenge this book to have a good closure for the series

J Elle is an amazing author. What a unique story! I love this world. I will definitely keep J Elle on my radar for future reads

It took me so long to do this review not because I disliked this book but because I LOVED IT. Quell is such a wonderful protagonist and I will never not root for her. I can't wait to see what happens next because J. Elle has such a way of putting stories together that is so unique and fun.

Shadows of perl by J Elle is the highly anticpaited sequel and let me tell you oh my goodness!!! WHERE IS BOOK 3??!! There's a book 3 coming right? Please penguin Teen tell me there is a third one coming?
Anyways I enjoyed this book eminsley and it was so much more action packed and that excites me to see how this trilogy ends but also very nerovus! It picks up right where we left off in book 1 and the way I read book 1 eariler this summer was the best option! Thank you to penguin teen for sending me an e-arc of this one and so happy I've finally read it and loved it, gave it 5 stars!
But seriously where is book 3??

Absolutely loved this sequel! J Elle did it again! So great to jump back into this world. That slow burn killed me though. Didn’t need to be THAT slow!

This books leans HEAVY into fanfiction-esque tropes, and it does not pay off for me. (And I LIKE fanfiction!) It quite literally took months for me to finish this book because I simply did not care. I will say that the book got better when the two main characters were back in the same place (and given I do not buy their romance, that's saying something). Again, I'll probably end up continuing the series just because I'm curious about where this is going. But I would recommend not reading it so you're not also sucked into the need to find out what's happening.

It’s been more than a minute since I read the first novel in this series, but the author does a good job weaving those details into the storyline of the first few chapters. It’s something I appreciated because I’d forgotten some pertinent details.

For some reason I thought this was a duology, but I quickly realized it’s a trilogy. The story starts where the first ended, with Quell on the run once again after her actions at the Rite of Induction. She’s still relentlessly searching for her mother while also working to find a solution to the Sphere bleeding magic. Then the pace slows to more of a slow burn for several chapters before picking up again after the halfway point.

In addition to Quell and Jordan’s POVs, I enjoyed the addition of two new ones. I struggled to remember who Nore was initially, but the reminders helped me get there. She plays a larger part in this sequel. With Jordan’s primary duty to protect the Sphere and Quell being it’s biggest threat, they’re at odds with each other for much of the story. Both of their character arcs progress as Quell learns hard lessons about trust and Jordan questioning orders he’s given instead of following them blindly.

This is a spoiler-free review, so I can’t say much more, but I’d recommend this series to readers who enjoy intricate magical systems, political machinations, and strong female characters.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A perfect follow up! There’s nothing better than a sequel that lives up to the first book.Not so patiently waiting for the third.

A great contribution to the series. I enjoyed the characters more in this oook and loved how they evolved. The tension was spot on and the author really had me immersed in the plot.