What a ride this book was! I was hooked with the first book, House of Marionne, with all its Dark Academia meets Bridgerton Romantasy vibes and this book takes it to the next level!

Quell learns so much more about herself and her magic on her journey to find her mother, which takes her to an unlikely safe haven - House of Perl. Jordan climbs the ranks of the Draguns quickly and begins to wonder whether the Order is everything they claim to be. Jordan hates everything Quell is but can’t resist the pull she has on him. They end up having to work together to try to save magic before it’s too late.

Meeting and learning more about Nore and Yagrin was so unexpected and brought a really interesting layer to the mix that was cool to watch expand in unexpected ways. I liked learning more about House Ambrose and their magical abilities more, on top of what we were learning about House Perl.

Tropes:
🗡️ Enemies to Lovers
👑 Only One Bed
🗡️ Dark Academia
👑 Unique Magic System

I had such a good time with this book! The evolution in the story was thrilling, the pacing was good, and the added POV from Nore was really interesting- adding a new layer to the story.

My favorite quote from Quell:
“The darkness can't hurt me.
Because I am the darkness.
I defy every lie about toushana they've built.
I am their villain, their scapegoat, the mask to their own monstrosity. Because without people like me, there would be no one to blame for the Order's horror but themselves.”

Thank you SO much to NetGalley and J.Elle for the eARC for an honest review. The audiobook is FANTASTIC though - don’t sleep on that! The narrators did an amazing job with it.

Once again Ms. Elle does the amazing thing! It was a great second book of the series. Had me on the edge of my seat the whole time reading it

I think I loved this even more than House of Marionne as the characters become a lot more nuanced in this second book of the series. Some of the events and reveals in this book will definitely throw you for a loop and keep you guessing.

I could not put this one down and found myself tearing through it pretty quickly! Quell truly blossomed as a character and showed herself capable of the Marionne name as she uncovered some wild secrets and hidden identities.

Thank you to Penguin Teen for my copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

I cannot wait for the next one already!

Sequels are hard. I think we all recognize that at this point, but, I think overall J. Elle did a great job with Shadows of Perl and setting us up for the next book! I always struggle a bit with stories that end up being mostly travel based and that's sort of how parts of this book felt with Quell looking for her mom; however, I think the world building was 100% worth it! I loved learning more about the magic system and getting a better idea of the environment that the story is set in.

The main critique for me is just that I was looking for more emotion within and between Quell and Jordan! I think some of the moments would have been a lot more impactful if their emotions were more played into (or present at all).

Overall, this was such a fun read and I can't wait for book 3!

Thank you J. Elle, Penguin Teen, and Netgalley for the eARC. ❤️

✨Book Review - Shadows of Perl✨

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

*I was provided this book free of charge by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review (but bought it anyway)*

Happy bookish birthday to Shadows of Perl!

While enjoyed House of Marionne, it had absolutely NOTHING on Shadows of Perl. Putting this book down was a challenge!

Quell is the ultimate morally gray hero. I felt that in this book, as opposed to the first book in the series, she has stronger motivations driving her. While I did find the single goal- finding her mother- a little tiresome at the beginning in light of all that was going on with their world on the brink of losing magic, I grew to understand that for Quell, all she had all her life was her mother- she didn’t have the ability to freely use magic, so she wouldn’t be as concerned that magic could be gone for good. When I realized that, I could better understand her and what was driving her.

I absolutely loved the multiple points of view, though I am hoping in the next book to get more insight into Nore and House Ambrose because I did feel that there was a little too much going on in Nore’s life without enough time dedicated to her story. I felt that her portions were rushed and needed more- and for a book that’s nearly 450 pages long, I was surprised to find I needed more.

I loved watching the development of Quell and Jordan’s relationship as they became more honest with themselves and each other. I am so glad we got to see more about Yagrin and Jordan’s childhood- in HOM, I was very very confused with how Yagrin fit into the story and I don’t feel that the Nore/ Red/ Yagrin storyline was explained well in HOM. Thankfully, it was much more fleshed out in SOP and I now want to go back and reread HOM knowing what I know now.

There is so much to say about this book. I just can’t get past how much I enjoyed it! @authorjelle- I will be waiting not so patiently for the next book and hoping the title is something like Ghosts of Ambrose please and thank you.

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I am in love with this series. For starters, the world and magic system are so unique and enthralling that I literally get giddy while reading. Add to that the fact that the characters are well written and the story is full of intrigue and action, it makes these books unputdownable. This second installment pretty much picked up right where House of Marionne left off and threw me into the journey of Quell, Jordan, and Nore right away. I’m not usually one to visually or verbally react but I was whisper screaming with this one. 5 huge stars, will recommend to anybody that enjoys reading fantasy!

Mysterious, roller coaster of events. It brings in 2 new povs which is amazing I love a good multi POV book. The events in this book aren't as gripping as book one but it seems to be a building up and laying a foundation for an exciting 3rd book! Quell and Jordan and how book 1 ended leave you wanting more in book 2 and it brings the tension needed for their relationship. I did get a bit bored because it is a lot more information about the houses and the people. But overall loved this book and recommend this series.

4.5/5 stars

It’s a morally gray world full of angst, ambition, and delicious magical mayhem.
The stakes were high, the characters and relationships were a complicated mess, and while I gravitated to some characters more than others in this multi-POV page-turner, I was never bored.

Highlights of this book:
- Slowburn romance is fun but the bromance is top-tier.
- The morally gray-ness. Everyone had their own motivations that didn’t always align and that were more for their greater good than the greater good and that made for great drama.
- The magical/political systems and intrigue are intriguing and I love the way J. Elle expands the world she introduced us to in House of Marionne.
- The witty, bold, and fun dialogue had me laughing, wincing, clapping and yelling at the pages.
- That cliffhanger — it was brutal but masterfully done. Shadows of Perl is next level nail-biting, adrenaline-induced emotional rollercoaster reminiscent of Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments.

I need the next book asap, along with a prequel featuring the show stealers of the series - Beaulah and Darragh. With aunties and grandmas like them, you really don’t need enemies…

Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Group, Razorbill and to the author for a complimentary copy of this ebook. I am leaving a voluntary review. All thoughts and ideas expressed are my own.

I was so excited to read the second book in this series. I really enjoyed the House of Marionne and the journey of Quell Marionne. Quell’s story continues in her search for her mother the missing heiress of the House of Marionne. Quell continues to learn how to use her gift of toushana which is outlawed by the Draguns. Quell is on the run from the House of Dragun second in command Jordan Weston who wants Quell dead.
I really enjoyed this sequel and I highly recommend this series for fans of young adult fantasy and Romantsy books. I highly recommend J. Elle’s books.
Thank you Netgalley and Razorbill for the opportunity to review this book,

“But somethings are too destructive to admit out loud.”

“Shadows of Perl,” by J. Elle

I loved this book! This is the second book in the House of Marionne series and definitely did not disappoint. This book has more POV’s and different aspects to the world that is being built. I loved the extra tension between the love interest in this book and them really fighting their feelings even more than the last book. There is a lot more action in the last and can’t wait to see more of it in the next book. 5 out of 5 stars, everything I was hoping for.

-Magic
-One Bed Trope

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

I’ve also included my thoughts on the first book as I read that just prior to reading this second.
House of Marionne started out fast and never seemed to let up! I was hooked immediately. We first meet our main girl Quell in a tricky situation with her forbidden magic. She then finds herself seeking safety with her grandmother, who is headmistress to one of the prestigious magic schools, who also happens to be run by The Order who forbids Quells type of magic. Quell learns to blend in, even falling in love. The man she falls in love with, Jordan, has a job that finds forbidden magic users and kills them for The Order. When Jordan accidentally finds out Quells secret, all hell breaks loose in the House of Marionne. Jordan and Quell, once lovers, become enemies sworn to kill the other.
In Shadows of Perl, we find Quell again running for the order but learning how to control and use her magic and Jordan second in command of all Draguns-those tasked with getting rid of forbidden magic. Both characters are on a mission to find the Sphere, the thing that connects everyone to old magic. When their paths unfortunately cross and they are forced to play nice in order to defeat the true enemy, will they be able to save the sphere and all of Magic?
Shadows of Perl did end on a BIG cliff hanger! The pacing for the second book was incredibly slow and it overall fell flat for me. I do believe the things that happened in this book though are important for the third book. Another thing that threw me about the second book was how the first book was only in Quells point of view, but the second had multiple point of views from 4 characters. Jordan’s character was still stale to me…but after learning more about him, I think he’s just an overall boring guy with no depth.
I rated the first book 5 stars and the second 3. I would still recommend this series and can’t wait to find out the fate of the sphere in the third book!

Shadows of Perl is the sequel to House of Marionne by J. Elle.
This is a fantastic YA fantasy with a unique magic system.
The story was so well written and so full of details.
Shadows of Perl is a gripping fantasy that immerses readers in a richly imagined world of magic and intrigue. The novel’s strong world-building and complex characters are standout features, though the plot can sometimes feel convoluted. Overall, it’s a compelling read with plenty of twists and turns to keep fans of the genre engaged.

3 stars
——————

I wanted to so wanted to like this one, but it just didn’t live up to expectation.

The best I can describe it is second book syndrome, where the plot is very filler to bridge the gap between books. When I read House of Marionne last year, I was sucked into this world of unique magic and excitement. While this one was certainly a good continuation of that magic and thrill, the plot was a little bit boring? My mind definitely registered this as a duology. So seeing the course of the book, I was so confused until the open ending, when I realized there was another book. I don’t think this one needs to be so many books. There is so much filler action and dialogue that wasn’t necessary. Things were established then repeatedly elaborated on when they didn’t need to be. The pacing was off to me, slow to begin then everything all at once. Some of the action needed more explanation to be more clear. This could have been a really nice duology.

I really enjoyed that this book was multi POV. It enhanced the understanding of the story, making it more three dimensional. The introduction of Nore’s voice was really interesting, as I enjoyed her character and that storyline in the first book. I found I didn’t care for Jordan’s character this time around. He lost his fire and spark. Quell was pretty consistent with book one. I just couldn’t connect to them. Quell is still selfish, Jordan is a little dull. The redeeming grace was Nore, who was fire and spark. Her storyline in this one had me on the edge of my seat, unlike the other two.

This one was a big letdown for me, given how I enjoyed book one. I’m unsure if I would continue the series.

Shadows of Perl is an action packed sequel filled with mysterious magic, betrayal, and secrets.

Quell has accepted her power and bound with toushana, the forbidden dark magic. This puts her at odds with the Houses of the Order and the Draguns, those who hunt dark magic users for the Order. Quell is now on the run and in hiding, hoping to find her mother and escape the order, but she can't do it alone. Jordan, the boy she loved, is now the second in command of the Draguns, and wants to find Quell and his brother, before the other Draguns find them first. They are on opposite sides of a old conflict, but can't seem to ignore their own pasts, and the the time they spent together. Meanwhile, the race to locate the Sphere is on, to save the magic, or to destroy it forever.

I really enjoyed this second book in the House of Marionne series. It has a unique magic system, and I liked learning more about the other Houses in this second installment. We see a lot more of House of Perl, and learn some secrets about the Order, and those who have tried to leave it. I especially liked Quell and Jordan's arcs in this book. They both learn so much about who they are as individuals, and as they uncover more about the Order, make difficult choices about who they want to be and where their loyalties lie. We see the story from both their POVs, which I personally really enjoyed. We also get some POV chapters from Nore as well, and I enjoyed her storyline and the new perspectives shared, and thought it enhanced the story. I thought the book started a bit slow, but things are building up towards an exciting and explosive conclusion that sets things up for a suspected next book in the series.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group/Razorbill for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed Shadows of Perl it did not have the same excellence that was House of Marionne. This was very much a filler book leading up the 3rd book in the series. There were great moments and moments that should have been pivotal I found lacking the depth it needed. With that being said I loved Shadows of Perl

I had a good time with this. The lore and world continues to be really interesting, and I loved that we got to spend more time exploring some of the other Houses in this sequel. I didn’t love that for so much of the book Quell and Jordan were at odds with each other (which is a really sugarcoated way of saying planning the other’s murder), because I feel like part of the strength of the first book was their romance.

Overall I am excited to see how everything wraps up in the finale!

Thank you to NetGalley and Razorbill for the opportunity to read an ARC of this! All thoughts are my own.

Shadows of Perl did not reach my expectations. It was slow pacing and it seems like a filler book because there's character development, events that are going to set up for book 3 and of course the cliff hanger.
However, the events that happened in the book and the plot twists had my jaw dropping. Because what do you mean that's how they get their power?! (IYKYK). The last 25% of the book is where the action is at.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

I am having a hard time putting into words why I did not enjoy this book as much as I'd hoped. I liked Book 1, I like the characters, I think the story is interesting, and I generally enjoy multiple POV books, so I don't think that was it. The first half was a bit slow, and at times I had a hard time following who was speaking in dialogue-heavy parts, but that could also be a function of Kindle formatting and reading on my phone.

I do think this book (and series) will appeal to teen readers who like fantasy and romance, and I will be reading Book 3 to see how it all ends! The ending of Shadows of Perl was exciting--in fact the last 25% or so was great.

It took me a minute to remember characters from the first book. I actually went back and reread the last two chapters of the previous book as a refresher. How could I forget the big ending? It felt a little slow at first, maybe because I kept going back to the first book, but it picked up more in the second half.
I loved the different perspectives in this book! Maybe we’ll get Yagrin’s next time? I enjoyed seeing the changes in each person’s beliefs throughout the story. Now I need the next book!!

I loved House of Marionne, and was thrilled to receive the ARC for Shadows of Perl. Huge thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Razorbill, J. Elle, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. It was amazing, as was expected!

When I first started reading it, I was worried about the multiple POVs that guide the story, as sometimes too many narrators can bog the story down. Surprisingly, this actually worked in my opinion, as it made me care more deeply about the characters and the role they play in this chaotic world. Another thing that I loved about this book was the fact that all the characters are flawed; they all have to come to terms with who they are versus who they want to be. This makes it interesting to get inside so many characters heads because you can empathize and understand how they ended up like they are. There’s no 100% right character.

One thing that I don’t love about Shadows of Perl is the pacing; it felt like it took forever for anything to really happen, which did give a lot of good background and history, but I felt like so much of the first book follows Quell having to adjust to The Highest Mysteries society, and I wish the pacing would’ve been just a tad faster.

I am definitely waiting for Book 3 ( a tad impatiently) because this has been one of the best series I’ve read this year, and the thought of having to wait makes me sad. Would recommend to anyone who likes romantasy.

Overall: 4/5 stars