House of Marionne

DNF at 40%

No.

This is what happens when you try to fling all the trends of TikTok fantasy at a book and see what sticks. The result is a hot mess. It ticks off all the worst aspects of every single trope I hate. There were moments in this first part of the book where it could of leaned into some interesting ideas but it always swerved in the dumbest and most annoying direction. Debutant balls? Bleaurgh. Weird diadems signifying magic? Yuck. Characters with zero depth?

The central premise seems to be around some kind of finishing school specializing in magic and etiquette. If this was done slightly tongue in cheek it might have worked but it takes itself so deadly seriously. The earnestness contrasts horribly with the weirdly dumb ideas thrown up all over the place. It certainly not the dark academia the blurb promised. The pacing is all over the place. The world building is a confused mess with random terms and ideas thrown around without any explanation. There appears to be some kind of magic system but I can make neither head not tail of it - less than ideal when it is the central part of the plot!

I pride myself on being able to finish the vast majority of books I start but I just could not force myself further with this one - it is my first DNF in quite a while. The earnest inanity of it was just more than I could bear.