Review of ‘House of Marionne’

A fast-paced novel, House of Marionne follows Quell, on the run with dangerous magic who decides the best place to hide is in plain sight.

Excellent Setting

What I loved about this book was the setting. You could say this was almost a dark academic book because of the setting at a debutant school. Now, most of the world views this school as a debutant school, but they have the same mentality as Quell: to hide and train their magic in plain sight.

Lately, I have noticed this trend of strong female characters having to be stubborn, argumentative, and overly masculine. While I agree there is a time and a place never to back down, I don’t think that feminity should be viewed as a weakness, either.

That’s why I loved this setting so much, because it was something different. Elle showcases the strength behind ballgowns and balls and the danger there. They are wolves in sheep’s clothing, people you would not think twice about.

I loved this setting because it allows Quell to flourish and come to accept her deadly magic but it also showcased how strong and dangerous feminity is.

Characterization

There is a lot of good characterization here. Quell goes from being this scared girl fearful of her magic to this badass who wants to destroy the system. The system is corrupt, it takes the lives of innocent people because they have a dangerous magic, and Quell is tired of that, she’s angry at that.

Quell learns that her magic is not one to be feared, that is the strongest part of her. She learns that her “doting” grandmother is as vile as the whole organization.

My only hiccup with the book is the romance between Quell and Jordan. Jordan needed a bit more development for the romance to work. The intent here is an enemies-to-lovers romance, but it needs more substance and more growth to bridge that connection between them.

Final Thoughts

Overall, House of Marionne was an excellent novel. I loved the setting and the build up in tension. There is also a good amount of mystery behind the second POV and the part they play in the story.

• Writing Quality : 9/10
• Character Development : 8.5/10
• "Couldn't Put It Down"-ness : 8.5/10
• Intellectual Depth: 9/10
• Originality: 9.5/10
• Overall Rating: 4 out of 5.

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About the Author

Cynthia Bujnicki graduated from Emerson College with a BA in Writing, Literature and Publishing. She has always loved to read since she was a child. A contributing writer for YA Fantasy Addicts, she is also the Editor-in-Chief for Cyn's Workshop. She lives in sunny South Florida with her husband, son and daughter and their two cats.