J. Elle

House of Marionne follows Quell, a teenager on the run due to her forbidden magic, as she agrees to enroll as a student in her grandmother's house in a desperate attempt to escape her pursuers and get rid of her dark magic for good. As she learns more about the magical world she was denied the ability to be raised in, she realizes that there is much more going on behind the scenes than she had thought.

I was fascinated with the magic system and the world these characters exist in. It was really interesting learning about the history of their magic and how they interact with the world around them. Quell's POV is written in 1st person, and the readers are just as clueless as she is to the new world around her. Complementing her POV is that of Yagrin, written in 3rd person, which gives us more insight into the history and magic of this world.

Is it a perfect book? No. I spent most of it thinking it would be around 4 star. I wished we had been able to get more of Yagrin's POV, as it would have helped me as a reader to understand the history and how the magic actually worked. I also found the timeline somewhat confusing, with parts of it feeling like the book took place over the course of 1 or 2 months, and parts of it feeling like it had been many months. (Side note - how in the world do they tell time?) Quell is awful at communication, so I had to keep reminding myself that she is only 17 and has been socially isolated most of her life.

But, THAT ENDING. Part 5, but specifically the very last chapter, was impeccable. It put so many pieces back into place, and made me want to go back and reread it to look for the signs. There was so much character development in such a short chunk of it, and I am excited to see how it continues to develop in the second book. It is for sure a book I will spend a lot of time thinking about, and I will definitely be reading it again.… (més)

*I got this book for review from the publisher for my honest thoughts*

This was such a impactful and thoughtful read. I really loved how this book combined some of my favorite YA elements in one story but def also tackled some harder and more contempory issues like gun violence, issues that effect black communities and also gangs. I also really liked the focus on gods as well. I also liked the important discussions about race relationships in the new world. It was not easy read but really struck me in the emotions. I also thought that the romance in this book, was really fun but not the main focus. This book also did tackle grief and also strong siblings realionshps as as well. I will def check out book 2 and this author in general.… (més)

*I got this book for review from the publisher for my honest thoughts*

This was such a impactful and thoughtful read. I really loved how this book combined some of my favorite YA elements in one story but def also tackled some harder and more contempory issues like gun violence, issues that effect black communities and also gangs. I also really liked the focus on gods as well. I also liked the important discussions about race relationships in the new world. It was not easy read but really struck me in the emotions. I also thought that the romance in this book, was really fun but not the main focus. This book also did tackle grief and also strong siblings realionshps as as well. I will def check out book 2 and this author in general.… (més)

What a ride! Make this a movie (either animated or live action is fine)! I loved the strong sense of community Rue’s (neighbor)hood had and all the soul food references. Collard greens and neckbones and thick, lemony slices of pound cake? Yum!

Also, I enjoyed Rue’s narrative. Girl got some spunk. She’s not just this magical brick wall of a girl who pushes everything down inside; she has vulnerability too. It was a great and needed balance.

Wings of Ebony was a breeze to read. The chapters passed by quickly and kept my interest. Shoutout to Ms. Leola you the real MVP!

I’ll read a book two for sure! we’re going to get that Jhamal vs. Julius love triangle, right? I don’t care if it’s a YA cliché. I WANT IT!

4.5

Ending thoughts:
the dad dying was a lil’ cliché. Yeah, Jhamal and Rue has those insta-lovey teas, but crushes don’t have rhyme or reason. I’m not like Rue I don’t need any explanations or apologies from racists. I just need their power taken away from them. But in the context of the story, yeah, the full confession was needed to help throw the book at him.… (més)