Audio Review: House of Marionne by J. Elle

House of Marionne by J. Elle
Narrator: Kate Simses, André Santana
Series: House of Marionne #1
Published by Listening Library, Razorbill on 2023-08-23
Age Range: 14+
Length: 429 pages
Length: 14 hours and 13 minutes
Listening Speed: 2x
Reviewing Audiobook, Hardcover from Library, My Book Shelf
Rating:
Reading Challenges: #NGEW2025, 2025 Audiobook Challenge, 2025 Beat the Backlist, 2025 Library Love

A modern-day YA romantic fantasy series opener about a glamorous magical world of social elites, forbidden love, and a dark magic that could destroy it all.

BURY YOUR SECRET OR DIE FOR IT.

17-year-old Quell has lived her entire life on the run. She and her mother have fled from city to city in order to hide the deadly magic that flows through Quell’s veins.

Until someone discovers her dark secret.

To hide from the assassin hunting her and keep her mother out of harm’s way, Quell reluctantly inducts into a debutante society of magical social elites called the Order that she never knew existed. If she can pass their three rites of membership, mastering their proper form of magic, she’ll be able to secretly bury her forbidden magic forever.

If caught, she will be killed.

But becoming the perfect debutante is a lot harder than Quell imagined, especially when there’s more than tutoring happening with Jordan, her brooding mentor and assassin-in-training.

When Quell uncovers the deadly lengths the Order will go to defend its wealth and power, she’s forced to choose: Embrace the dark magic she’s been running from her entire life, or risk losing everything, and everyone, she’s grown to love.

Still, she fears the most formidable monster she’ll have to face is the one inside.

Brimming with ballgowns and betrayal, magic and mystery, decadence and darkness, House of Marionne is perfect for readers who crave morally gray characters, irresistible romance, dark academia, and a deeply intoxicating and original world.

House of Marionne by J. Elle is the first book in a YA romantic fantasy series about one girl’s quest to discover her magic and the plot she uncovers. Quell and her mom have been living a quiet life on the run, though Quell isn’t quite sure what they are running from. She’s just tired of all the running. Then one day, her toushana (a forbidden magic) awakens in front of the very people they are running from. Separated from her mom, Quell goes to the only family she has, her estranged grandmother and the head of the House of Marionne. Here, Quell learns that there is an entire world of magic her mother has kept from her, and there could be a way to stop her toushana for good.

This is such an immersive read. This is actually my third time picking up the book. The first time I DNF’ed it around the 30% mark. I had a hard time following the story. Honestly, it was a case of “it’s-me-not-you” because I picked it up last year before book two was released and gave it another shot. I’m SO glad I did. I devoured it. This time, I opted to listen before the release of book three. I enjoyed it just as much as the first time. The author drops us into the story without much knowledge about Quell, her mom, or the magical world they live in. As a reader, this can be hard to grasp at first, but trust me when I say to just read and enjoy. It all comes together.

Quell is an interesting character. The story unfolds almost entirely from her point of view. She has limited knowledge about the world her mom fled from. She knows that her toushana is forbidden and is a death sentence should it be found. Yet it flares without warning, and she has little control over it.

When she and her mom are split up by the men hunting them, Quell turns to her estranged grandmother, finding an entire magical society her mother never spoke of. To stay, her grandmother tells her she must debut and complete the three magical rites, which will bind her magic and keep her toushana at bay forever. Quell agrees.

I enjoyed the way the author blends old traditions into a contemporary world. Quell’s debut is similar to cotillion with the balls, fancy dresses, and dinners that would match something from the Victorian or Gilded Ages. Quell attends classes that nurture her magic and teach her control, but also etiquette classes that teach her the art of fine dining and ballroom dancing.

In the midst of it all, she meets Jordan, a dragun from House of Perl. He’s a mystery to her and dangerous as the draguns are who she and her mother have been running from. If he discovers her toushana, he will kill her. But her heart speaks louder than her mind as the two form at first a friendship, then more.

Overall, I really enjoyed House of Marionne. It’s a wonderful blend of dark academia, secret societies, magic, and romance. The plot moves at a fast pace with danger lurking around every corner and Quell’s secret waiting to be revealed. If you are a fan of YA fantasy with a dash of romance and a sprinkling of intrigue, I highly recommend it.

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