This was so good! And such a spooky little turn from everything else by Marissa. I loved that it was still a retelling that we've come to love from Marissa but this one had ghosts and curses and murder rituals. I absorbed every single second of it, couldn't put It down.

Fans of Leigh Bardugo and Margaret Owen will love this retelling of Blue Beard. Mallory Fontaine and her sister make their living from fraudulent fortune readings and trespassing in the Saphir townhome for ghost tours. Armond Saphir, descendant of the murderous count, employs the sisters to rid his country estate of the ghosts and break the curse on his family. This thrilling and romantic stand-alone would make an excellent movie.

This is a YA retelling of Bluebeard - full of vivid descriptions, this creepy story is entertaining from beginning to end.

Mallory is an interesting FMC because while she's sort of a bad guy (grifter, thief) she's not bad at heart. She's defensive and ashamed of her past. She's also protective of her sister and creative.

I found all the secondary characters extremely interesting; I would love to see more of them. Triphine made me laugh out loud several times.

The ending of this book was quite satisfying. I sincerely hope the author continues writing about this world!

Thank you Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

As always Marissa Meyer immerses you in the story with details that make you feel like you are there. I didn't know the story of Blue Beard, so I read the book before I looked it up. She definitely did the story justice with her own take on it. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a retelling with a magical aspect.

Marissa Meyer has always had a knack for fairy-tale retellings, and The House Saphir is her latest take this time drawing on the Bluebeard legend. On paper, it has everything I usually enjoy in a YA fantasy: ghosts, witches (or at least, pretend witches), haunted estates, cursed secrets, and a touch of romance. It’s whimsical, eerie, and steeped in folklore. But while I appreciated much of what Meyer was trying to do, the book ultimately wasn’t quite my cup of tea.

What I Liked
The atmosphere is undeniably charming. Meyer paints settings that feel both haunted and magical; grand houses full of secrets, decayed corridors, and spectral presences drifting in the background. It’s more whimsical than terrifying, but there’s a playful spookiness that works well for a YA audience.

The folklore and paranormal blend also kept things interesting. Instead of sticking to one monster or trope, the story mixes ghosts, curses, and the weight of superstition, all framed through the retelling of Bluebeard. I especially enjoyed Mallory as a character; she’s a self-proclaimed witch who doesn’t actually have much magical ability beyond seeing ghosts, and that gap between who she pretends to be and who she really is makes her both funny and sympathetic. Her dynamic with Armand adds some genuine spark, too.

What Didn’t Work For Me
The pacing, particularly through the middle, felt a bit slow. There’s a lot of setup, but not always enough tension to keep me gripped. When the twists arrive, they’re fun… but also fairly predictable. More than once, I found myself several steps ahead of the story.

I also wanted more from the worldbuilding. The book toys with magical rules and folklore but doesn’t always dig as deeply into them as I hoped. The stakes are high, but I sometimes felt like I didn’t fully understand the rules of the world before the danger hit.

And finally, the tone, while whimsical and cute, softened the darker edges of the Bluebeard story. Readers looking for a true gothic horror experience might not find it here. Instead, it leans into a lighter, paranormal YA space. Again, not a bad thing, but it didn’t land as strongly for me.

Final Thoughts
The House Saphir is a charming, ghostly, folklore-laced adventure that will likely appeal to readers who love YA paranormal romance with a whimsical twist. It’s fun, atmospheric, and sweetly spooky, even if it doesn’t push too far into the gothic darkness its source material suggests. For me, it was enjoyable but not unforgettable, one of those books I’m glad I read, but won’t be carrying with me for long.

⭐️4.75 stars⭐️

There is nothing I love more than a gothic fantasy filled with magic, monsters, and ghosts. The House Saphir had it all and did not disappoint in the slightest.

This book follows two con artist sisters who were orphaned at a young age. They use their witchy lineage to trick people into buying their potions, paying for seances and tarot card readings, and ghost tours.

The narrator, Mallory Fontaine, is very witty and always scheming. We follow her attempt to pull off the biggest con of her life, ridding the Saphir family home of its murderous ancestor.

Of course the only living Saphir, Armand, is a very handsome mysterious man who heavily resembles his murderous ancestor (just kinder). Armand is a shy, good-hearted (maybe?), nerdy guy, and I completely ate it up.

This has been one of my most enjoyable reads this year. Marissa Meyer is always a hit for me.


Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for the advanced digital copy!

Ugh I hate to leave a bad review for Marissa Meyer. I love her as a writer so much. But this book really didn’t even feel like her. I was bored and the characters just didn’t make me feel anything. Unfortunately this was a not for me. Thank you netgalley for my free review copy.

When a true crime obsessed con artist and a plant geek count go on a date in a cemetery…

There is nothing like a con artist to seduce you into their story. As a reader you know you’re in for a wild ride as you watch them draw in their victims turned friends and you know it will eventually fall apart in a most delicious way. They always fall in love with their mark and get in too deep, the very thing they are lying about being the only thing that could save them. And I’m always there to watch it all break down.

At this point I think I would read anything Marissa Meyer wrote, including a cookbook. I have always admired how delicately she crafts her stories, how they come to life with vivid descriptions that never feel superfluous.

I’ve gotta admit, sometimes I get really bored by side characters. My ideal book is often one where the FMC and MMC are practically chained together and are in constant interaction. Yet, I absolutely loved the found family of this book and happily embraced them as well. From a hypochondriac ghosts to monster slaying pretty boys, I’m really hoping to see these characters again! The ending of the book certainly leaves it open that a few of the side characters are going to go off and have amazing adventures that I would love to read.

Ever hit one of those tiny micro tropes and after that you keep noticing it? For me it's one of the pairing having the FMC shave the MMC or the MMC having to style the FMCs hair. I was delighted when Mallory had to give Armand a shave. Something about that just always makes me giggle like crazy.

My biggest complaint about this book? Who on earth decided to publish this *after* Halloween? This is a perfect October spooky gothic read and I’m so sad I can’t tell everyone to add it to their Halloween list!

You've heard of Romantasy, but have you heard of Mystansy? Probably not because I just made up that word. This is a mystery wrapped up in a fantasy and would be absolutely perfect for younger readers whose parents aren't eager for them to jump into the world of ToG or ACoTaR. Mallory is a smart and industrious, she has to work hard to make a living with her sister after their mother died several years ago. She does this in part by giving tours of the House Saphir, which is...not her house. Nor is she authorized to give tours, but the bills won't pay themselves. As one might can imagine, this lands her in a bit of a pickle when a real Saphir shows up for a tour. Armand doesn't want her arrested though, he wants her help to get rid of a spirit that's been haunting his house for decades. He's convinced Mallory is the only person that can help him. Mallory and her sister decide to accept the job-even though Mallory isn't actually sure she can follow through with it. I loooooooved this book! Mallory is a great character and Marissa Meyers is an even better writer!

Thank you so much to the publisher for approving me for an e-arc of The House Saphir in exchange for an honest review.

Anybody who’s been a watcher of my channel or a reader of my reviews knows that I love Marissa Meyer. I’ve read pretty much all of her books and have really enjoyed all of them. The Renegades trilogy is one of my all-time favorites, I loved the entire Lunar Chronicles, I adored Heartless, I really liked the Gilded duology, and I even enjoyed her foray into contemporary. The House Saphir feels like a combination of aspects of all those books. It has some dark fairy tale elements of Heartless and Gilded with a more modern/light spin like with Renegades and the Lunar Chronicles.

I was very intrigued when I first heard about this book because Bluebeard has always been such a fascinating fairytale for me. I thought it was dark and scary and there are so many questions left unanswered by the end, so I was excited to see how Marissa Meyer would turn the story on its head. I liked how the book takes place after the Bluebeard story and revolves around his ghost haunting the manor he used to live in because it immediately shows that this is inspired by that story as opposed to a strict retelling. It brings a lot of new folklore and magic to the original tale as well.

The plot is fast-paced and very gripping. There are always secrets being revealed and mysterious cliffhangers forcing you to turn the page so it was a good book to read at the start of the semester when my brain just needed a break. I was ready for all the many twists and turns this book had to offer.

There is a solid cast of characters and I think they all had interesting quirks and personalities. Mallory was a satisfactory protagonist but I do wish we got to know her a bit more as I felt like there was a bit of distance between me as the reader and her as the narrator. The other characters are all quite unique, though and I found myself invested in their stories, particularly Armand and the other ghosts who inhabit the estate. The romance subplot was also pretty interesting and I liked the way it wrapped up.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that this seems to take place in the same world as Gilded. There is a lot of the same gods and the same terminology as that duology, just with more French influences than German. I thought it was a cool way for Marissa Meyer to build upon a world she had already established. The magic with the ghosts and the curse was very mysterious and a good underlying plot. Marissa does a great job of transporting the reader with this novel and I always felt immersed in the story.

My only complaint is with the tone. It felt almost like Marissa Meyer was waffling between the darkness of the original tale and lighter, funnier characters and dialogue and plot points. She does both very well in other series so it felt like she maybe couldn’t decide which to stick to or maybe she wanted to incorporate both but for me it felt a bit jarring to have such a dark fairytale reimagining be cut through at times with a more contemporary kind of writing style. Sense of time as well was a bit nebulous. I think if the tone had been one or the other this would have been a knockout book for me.

Overall, this is a great standalone from Meyer and a wonderful take on the Bluebeard story.

✨✨✨An INCREDIBLE gothic Bluebeard retelling with ghosts, witches, and more!! ✨✨✨

*Chef’s Kiss*

Ahh!!! The House Saphir was such a fun read!! It’s definitely giving the Bluebeard retelling vibes I was hoping for!! The writing overall is great in this one. The only thing I’ll say is the story was pretty predictable, but it didn’t matter because it was so enjoyable! 👻

This book has everything I love! Gothic atmosphere, unique fantasy creatures, witches, ghosts, mystery, murder, some humor, and romance! So far I have enjoyed all of the Marissa Meyer books I’ve read and this one doesn’t disappoint as well! 👏

I really enjoyed the MC, Mallory, I liked her personality and her character growth throughout the novel! I also really enjoyed Armand’s character! Is he a good guy? A bad guy? He’s suspicious but charming! 😏

Definitely pick this one up if classic gothic vibes, mixed with a Bluebeard retelling, witches and ghosts, and unique fantasy creatures sounds like your cup of tea! 👻

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free ebook copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is expected to be released November 4, 2025.

This was such a fun read! As always thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy! House Saphir is out on November 4th, 2025.
Marissa Meyer has become one of my favorite young adult authors. Her books are just so fun. The House Saphir is a retelling of Bluebeard which is a story I’m unfamiliar with so I’m interested in learning about it. We follow Mallory and her older sister Anaïs who are fraudulent witches (sort of). Mallory has the ability to see and talk to ghosts. She and her sister are hired to exorcise a dangerous ghost from the famous House Saphir (which Mallory is also kinda a nerd about). But they actually have no idea what they’re doing.
The characters are very funny and have witty dialogue. I loved all the ghost characters and just the ridiculousness of the Mallory. I do think there were some elements that felt a little place out of this book though and makes me question if Marissa Meyer is setting up for a sequel about Anaïs we shall see.

I always forget how much I like Marissa Meyer's books until I start reading one! I really enjoyed the House Saphir and was completely intrigued by our protagonist, Mallory Fontaine's story and history. From the first chapter, I was hooked, and while I did suspect some of the twists, they weren't glaringly obvious as a reader and I still found myself turning the pages as quick as possible to find out what was going to happen next!

The romance aspect of this book, while tame, was sweet, and Armand was the perfect complement to Mallory.

If you're looking for a story filled with mystery, paranormal activity with a big gothic vibe than this is the story for you! (I see this is a retelling of Blue Beard but I honestly had no idea, nor am I familiar with the tale of Blue Beard so that didn't impact my reading at all!)

Thank you to the publisher for an early copy for review!

A fairy tale retelling of a less-known tale: Bluebeard. The author crafted characters and a world so clearly the reader is completely immersed. Two sisters in a Victorian-esque era, finding their way through life using the gifts they’ve been bestowed with. Loved it!

I enjoyed this retelling of Bluebeard! It hooked me from the start, which has become increasingly rare. I read quickly because I wanted to know what would happen to Mallory and her sister Anais, who are hired to rid Count Armand of his troublesome and murderous great-grandfather Bastien. I liked that this was true YA and focused on the mystery rather than romance. This was a quick read, and I now want to read more Marissa Meyer. Will definitely purchase for my library.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, and Feiwel & Friends for this advanced copy.

Marissa does it again! She is truly the queen of fairytale retellings. Bluebeard is one of my favorite's, and to have it retold in such a spooky way when it was already creepy AF was truly masterful. The slight romance was nice, but honestly the sisterhood and the vibes of the castle are where it's at. A must for spooky season!

The rare five star review! I love this one. In fact I love everything about it! A Bluebeard retelling, that’s so creative and unique, but still faithful to the original story. The characters and setting are impossible not to love! Settings so richly imagined-gorgeous description! Prepare to be lost in these pages. The magic, the courage, the little spice of romance! Lovely. Read it now!

Marissa meyer is a great author! I have loved reading all of her books and I am always so happy when she releases a new one! I highly recommend this book!

This is a (sort of) Bluebeard retelling with fun characters, fast pacing, and solid world-building. Between her financial woes, failed magic, and fascination with the ancestral murderer Le Bleu, Mallory has excellent incentives to throw herself into the middle of the mystery of whether the ghost of Le Bleu (Bluebeard) has come back to haunt his descendants. The plot throws curveball after curveball out, including several surprises that delighted me as a reader. The world that Meyer built is fleshed out enough not to seem formulaic, but doesn't bog things down. Overall a great YA book.

I've never read Bluebeards tale, and so I think I wish I knew more about the story this is based on, but otherwise this was a solid solo read.