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. World building was good and not overdone. I liked that the focus was on Quell's story and the plot. Also, while most is from Quell's POV, there is another POV we get in a few chapters. Full of magic and intrigue, House of Marionne is perfect escape for fans of fantasies that straddle the edge of our world and transport readers to dazzling, deceptive, and unexpected places.” —Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Ballad of Never After

House 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 way mature magic manifests in this world is through either a diadem or a mask growing from the person's head. I have a lot of questions about how this works practically, but it's one of those things that the author clearly thought was a cool idea without wanting to give a lot of explanation. We mostly hear about the diadems, very little detail on the masks and it feels like she probably just likes the idea of individualized tiaras but for gendered reasons only wanted women to have them? Honestly it would have made more sense to me if everyone had a diadem or crown, that would come off less gender essentialist. We do have a throwaway appearance of a non-binary character probably in an attempt to offset this, but I still think it's a weird choice. The other thing is, how do they sleep? Does their hair get caught in it? I have a lot of questions, but it's never mentioned.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 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 Full of magic and intrigue, House of Marionne is perfect escape for fans of fantasies that straddle the edge of our world and transport readers to dazzling, deceptive, and unexpected places. ― Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Ballad of Never After 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.Her roommate grew up in this world and has been at the castle for two seasons trying to pass three tests. Our main character, who didn’t grow up in magical society, is able to pass two of the three tests in days. She is completely untrained, but is also a Mary Sue with the best powers. The forbidden love story of my wildest dreams!”– Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis 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

In the beginning, Quell takes on the form of Clary from the Shadowhunter books and has a few dangerous run ins with some strange men with carvings (*cough* runes) and weird tattoos and magic and stuff. We then learn that Clary- I mean Quell's- mom kind of has a history with these things I guess which is why the two of them (mother-daughter family, not explained) are always on the run. A blond fellow lassos his arm in the air and the dozen barrels tremor. A haze fills the air, rippling like rain on a window. It clears and he does it again, and this time the barrels disappear. I squint, my heart lodged in my throat.A darkly tantalizing tale of intrigue, glamor, and romance ― Amélie Wen Zhao, New York Times bestselling author of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night 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 Twist ending. While I suspected for mere moments the ending, it still got me!! I literally was in the car and said, "*gasp*...waaaaaait..." I enjoyed that I didn't know what would happen. Could you speculate? Sure, I did...but it wasn't obvious, so that was nice. Full of magic and intrigue . . . the perfect escape for fans of fantasies that straddle the edge of our world and transport readers to dazzling, deceptive, and unexpected places' STEPHANIE GARBER