I was initially excited to read this novel because of the concept and comparisons to some of my favorite authors. When I received an email that I won an ARC, I was so happy, and I couldn't wait to get into it! Unfortunately, I was very disappointed with the way this book played out, and that is mainly due to the way this book is being promoted.
This book is not The Atlas Six meets Bridgerton, nor is it for fans of morally grey characters, forbidden romance, Sarah J. Mass, Stephanie Garber, or Leigh Bardugo. Based on those comparisons, you would expect a more mature dark fantasy, but this book is incredibly juvenile. The "dark academia" and "morally grey" aspects are surface-level. When I see those phrases in the synopsis of a book, I expect the moral ambiguity of the characters to be explored in depth, and for the novel to be a critique of academia. Simply being set at a boarding school does not make a book a "dark academia" novel, and having characters with ambiguous morals requires more than just labeling them as such.
Since this book is said to be for fans of Stephanie Garber (who has a blurb on the front cover) and Leigh Bardugo, I expected the quality of the writing and atmosphere to be similar to that of their books. Instead, the writing in House of Marionne is uninspired and dull.
I appreciate being sent this ARC to review. Thank you to Razorbill/Penguin Teen and Bookishfirst for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book is not The Atlas Six meets Bridgerton, nor is it for fans of morally grey characters, forbidden romance, Sarah J. Mass, Stephanie Garber, or Leigh Bardugo. Based on those comparisons, you would expect a more mature dark fantasy, but this book is incredibly juvenile. The "dark academia" and "morally grey" aspects are surface-level. When I see those phrases in the synopsis of a book, I expect the moral ambiguity of the characters to be explored in depth, and for the novel to be a critique of academia. Simply being set at a boarding school does not make a book a "dark academia" novel, and having characters with ambiguous morals requires more than just labeling them as such.
Since this book is said to be for fans of Stephanie Garber (who has a blurb on the front cover) and Leigh Bardugo, I expected the quality of the writing and atmosphere to be similar to that of their books. Instead, the writing in House of Marionne is uninspired and dull.
I appreciate being sent this ARC to review. Thank you to Razorbill/Penguin Teen and Bookishfirst for this copy in exchange for an honest review.