House of Marionne

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. (Aug.)