House of Marionne by J. Elle was one of my most anticipated reads this year. There was so much hype for this book and granted that sets up expectations—sometimes unrealistic. Fortunately, I found this book to be a really fun read despite some of its flaws. The story itself, which follows Quell, a girl with dark magic, is original and magical with elements of mystery and of course romance. The dark academy aspects mashed up with Bridgerton vibes we get from when Quell enters her grandmother’s magic school are delightful as well. However, the world building was definitely lacking and that made for a lot of confusion reading a story based on such an ambitious magical world. I completely understand the fear of bogging down a story with exposition, but perhaps simplifying the magic rules should have been considered. Because as much as too much information can slow down an otherwise good read, so can confusion about why and how something is happening. And without a clear grip on the magic rules, the reader isn’t able to make educated guesses about what will come next, which is a big part of the fun of reading any story, but especially one with a air of mystery. However, the story was still a lot of fun with so much to enjoy! I would recommend this book to readers of fantasy, romance, and dark academia.