Thank you to Penguin Teen and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Review: Elle’s dark academia novel dazzles! 

 

“House of Marionne” follows 17-year-old Quell who has been cursed with forbidden magic flowing through her veins. In hopes of keeping her mother safe and ridding herself of her deadly magic completely, she inducts into a magical debutante society called the Order. But passing the three rites of membership proves to be a difficult task and the more she discovers about the Order, the harder it is to turn her back on the dark magic she’s grown to embrace. 

 

Elle’s intricate world-building blew me away! The level of detail she provides surrounding each house, the magic specialties that exist, the Dragun brotherhood, and the induction process is astounding. I also thought it was cool concept for each inductee to manifest either a crown or a mask that reflected their strength and power. 

 

The amount of information Elle packs into her novel is intentionally overwhelming at first, closely aligning with Quell’s feelings towards the world she is spontaneously thrust into. I enjoyed reading from her point-of-view and learning about the inner workings of the Order at the same time she does. Quell’s perspective is also unique in that it allows the reader to experience how magic—both light and dark—feels through descriptive language. 

 

Additionally, chapters written from Yagrin’s point-of-view create a layer of intrigue that propel the story forward. I enjoyed trying to piece together his role in Quell’s journey of self-discovery and the reveal at the end did not leave me disappointed! 

 

My only qualm with this book is the pacing. Despite “House of Marionne” being 400 pages, the pacing felt off. The speed and ease with which Quell masters her magic and makes it through each stage of the induction made the whole narrative feel unrealistic. The pacing also accelerates Quell and Jordan’s relationship development, creating a whirlwind romance. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, fans of the slow burn trope, like myself, will be left wanting.