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A review by dragoninwinterfell
House of Marionne by J. Elle
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for an e-arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
I really, really wanted to like House of Marionne. The premise sounds amazing. I also follow the author on social media and her excitement and pride in this book really got me hyped for it as well. Unfortunately, the reality of the book didn't meet the buzz.
First, I want to say that this has been repeatedly touted as "Game of Thrones meets Bridgerton". I do think the author should stop making this comparison. I understand that comparing your work to multiple popular ones is a common tactic for pitching and marketing, but bringing those two TV show's into this creates expectations that aren't going to be met. There is nothing of Game of Thrones nor Bridgerton to be found in this book. It could more accurately be described as an American Harry Potter with a female lead, a darker magic system, and a hyper speed school pace. I get that most wouldn't want to associate their work with HP due to that author's behavior and troubling beliefs, but it would be the more honest comparison that wouldn't confuse potential readers.
For the novel itself, I really liked the world building with the different magic schools run by different families throughout the US. I like that different families and schools specialize in different types of magic. The practice of essentially fostering a member of another school/house/family in another as a way of tying the schools together in peace while maintaining rivalries with each other also sounds very interesting. I just wish yhe complexity of the world was matched with a story and protagonist that were just as intriguing.
Quell, the protagonist of the story has no personality. She has a backstory and she does things to move the story forward, but she feels like a blank slate with no life in her. Her relationships also fall flat, especially the forced "romance" with Jordan and the abrupt "friendship" with Abby. I put those words in quotes because, while we're informed that Quell cares deeply for these characters, there's no emotional development in either dynamic. The strongest relationship Quell has is with Darragh Marionne, her grandmother and the headmistress of her family's school. Darragh also comes the closest to being a fully realized character. When we get a reveal about her, I found myself wishing we were following her instead of Quell.
I'm giving this one two stars instead of one mostly due to the world building and the interesting premise.
I really, really wanted to like House of Marionne. The premise sounds amazing. I also follow the author on social media and her excitement and pride in this book really got me hyped for it as well. Unfortunately, the reality of the book didn't meet the buzz.
First, I want to say that this has been repeatedly touted as "Game of Thrones meets Bridgerton". I do think the author should stop making this comparison. I understand that comparing your work to multiple popular ones is a common tactic for pitching and marketing, but bringing those two TV show's into this creates expectations that aren't going to be met. There is nothing of Game of Thrones nor Bridgerton to be found in this book. It could more accurately be described as an American Harry Potter with a female lead, a darker magic system, and a hyper speed school pace. I get that most wouldn't want to associate their work with HP due to that author's behavior and troubling beliefs, but it would be the more honest comparison that wouldn't confuse potential readers.
For the novel itself, I really liked the world building with the different magic schools run by different families throughout the US. I like that different families and schools specialize in different types of magic. The practice of essentially fostering a member of another school/house/family in another as a way of tying the schools together in peace while maintaining rivalries with each other also sounds very interesting. I just wish yhe complexity of the world was matched with a story and protagonist that were just as intriguing.
Quell, the protagonist of the story has no personality. She has a backstory and she does things to move the story forward, but she feels like a blank slate with no life in her. Her relationships also fall flat, especially the forced "romance" with Jordan and the abrupt "friendship" with Abby. I put those words in quotes because, while we're informed that Quell cares deeply for these characters, there's no emotional development in either dynamic. The strongest relationship Quell has is with Darragh Marionne, her grandmother and the headmistress of her family's school. Darragh also comes the closest to being a fully realized character. When we get a reveal about her, I found myself wishing we were following her instead of Quell.
I'm giving this one two stars instead of one mostly due to the world building and the interesting premise.