House of Marionne: A YA Fantasy Novel
House of Marionne was a whirlwind! I found myself with my jaw on the floor as I read it.
Synopsis
Quell has a darkness in her, a magic that is banned. She and her mom have been on the run her whole life, but when they get separated Quell goes to the only place she knows: the place where her mother grew up. But she has no idea what she is getting herself into. Her grandmother, the Headmistress, is delighted to have her and quickly enters her into the Cotillion. She has three magical rites to complete while she figures out what to do next. As she tries to pass these three rites, she must hide her dark magic from everyone.
The person who has been suspicious of her from the start just so happens to be her mentor, Jordan. Jordan is Dragun, which is the group of people who have been hunting Quell her whole life. But as she studies to pass the rites, their bond grows. Their disgust for each other morphs from tolerance to friendship. By the time her third rite arrives, Quell’s feelings for Jordan have grown deep, but he still doesn’t know her secret.
While Quell continues with cotillion, she doesn’t know how close Yargin, the Dragun who is hunting her, is getting. Quell has to come up with a plan. Staying isn’t an option and leaving doesn’t seem much better. She is growing tired of hiding her magic and surprised to learn she is not the only one keeping dark secrets.
Review
This novel is told from Quell’s perspective, as well as a character named Yargin. I enjoyed Quell’s character and how her character grew throughout the book. She made big choices that went against the grain and grew throughout the novel. Yargin was a confusing character to me and I started to become annoyed with his perspective. I felt like his purpose in the novel felt unnecessary at first, but I was glad that I kept reading.
Normally when I read fantasy I am able to escape into the book. However, I had a really hard time picturing myself in this novel for the majority of it. Some parts of the world building were very well done, while others felt out of place and confusing.
I didn't feel the spark between Jordan and Quell as much as I was hoping. While Jordan did have this dark shadow thing going for him, he was a little bland. I did, however, enjoy Abby and Quell’s friendship as it developed. Abby was her roommate who was in her second rite about to pass her third. Abby had a bubbly personality who welcomed Quell with open arms.
The ending really threw me for a loop and was my favorite part of the book. About halfway through this story, I thought I probably wouldn't read the next book in the series , but that cliffhanger had me immediately going to the author's Instagram to see if there was any update on when book two will be out.
I also found myself rooting for a different character to end up with Quell. There are so many directions the author can take book two and I can’t wait to see what happens.
If you are looking for a YA Fantasy Novel, make sure to check out House of Marionne by J.Elle !
Thank you Penguin Teen for the opportunity to read this novel!
Comments