July 3, 2023
Seventeen-year-old Quell Marionne has lived on the run for as long as she can remember, moving from place to place with her mother to hide the enchanted curse—toushana—that lives in Quell’s blood from other magical folk. When an assassin follows her home, Quell takes refuge with her powerful grandmother, the headmistress of the House of Marionne, a boarding school in the American South for those with mystical powers, while her mother stays behind to let her escape. At her grandmother’s suggestion, Quell agrees to compete for induction in the Prestigious Order of Highest Mysteries, a society that can teach her how to harness the dark magic in her blood so that she can protect herself and reunite with her mother. To her dismay, her mentor is Jordan Wexton, the alluring estate guard and trainee assassin charged with killing toushana-bearing magic users who attacked Quell upon her arrival. Elle (the Wings of Ebony series) interweaves threads of loneliness, love, and pride to compose an intriguing tapestry of a loyal girl aching for someplace to belong. The magic system and worldbuilding feel both classic and surprising, lending the narrative an air of familiarity and delivering unexpected plot twists that will excite readers up to the very last page. Ages 14–up.
July 15, 2023
A desperate teen with deadly magical secrets turns to her family legacy. Without much explanation from her mother, high school senior Raquell Janae Marionne only understands that they can't stay in one place long because of the toushana that grows inside her like a curse. The Draguns are assassins tasked with hunting anyone suspected of possessing this magic, and a slip-up has left Quell alone, seeking refuge with her only remaining family--her grandmother who is headmistress of House Marionne of the Order of Highest Mysteries. Quell and readers benefit significantly from the crash course in magical history, aristocracy, and political intrigue she receives. Latin terms and old European courtship traditions are woven into a magical finishing school tucked away in an alternative New Orleans with a population cued as racially diverse. Quell finds the debutante life both risky and rewarding as she struggles to control her toushana. Plus, there's dangerously alluring Jordan, a young, brooding Dragun. Elle ramps up the tension between the two as Quell masters enviable abilities before her Cotillion debut. As secrets both magical and political are revealed, she learns that even the Marionnes have skeletons in their closets, and a Dragun lover may not be the easiest partner to navigate it all with. An undeniably rich sense of magic pervades this fantasy that treads familiar territory with aplomb. A strong atmosphere marks this series opener that will draw in genre fans. (House of Marionne specialties, map, house histories) (Fantasy. 13-18)
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September 1, 2023
Gr 7 Up-Raquell "Quell" Janae Marionne has been running and hiding with her mother most of her life due to dark magic, toushana, inside her. After a magical assassin called a Dragun finds them, Quell must leave her mom to keep her safe. Hiding in plain sight at her estranged grandmother's estate, Chateau Soleil, the runaway learns about the glamorous magical boarding school for debutantes she was born into. Headmistress Marionne is Grandmom, making Quell the heir to the House of Marionne, one of four elite houses. Quell must pass three rigorous rites to bind her "good" magic to keep her dark magic away. This sounds doable, until she falls for her mentor Jordan-a Dragun in training himself, schooled to hunt and kill anyone with toushana. All that glitters in this dazzling world is not gold. Deep secrets hidden for many years, secrets that may be even more destructive than toushana itself, emerge. The enemies-to-lovers trope is tense; Quell must decide if she can trust Jordan with her secret. Jordan's character could benefit from being fleshed out a bit as he vacillates often in his loyalties. The alternate POV of Yagrin is fascinating, adding an additional layer to the intensifying plot. Set in a faux New Orleans, characters are described with varied skin tones. Political themes of power and privilege are at play, in addition to classism. In this world of magic and mayhem, Quell is forced to make a big decision: embrace her dark magic, or find another path to stay alive. VERDICT Genre readers will be drawn into Quell's captivating and mesmerizing world; this is a must purchase where fantasy/magical stories are popular.-Lisa Krok
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