by J. Elle
First published 2025
Quell Marionne has lost everything. Her explosive final test at House Marionne revealed secrets that shattered her world and unleashed her forbidden toushana magic. The cost was brutal: her family, her love, her home. Now she runs to House of Perl, where people celebrate her power instead of fearing it. For the first time, she belongs somewhere. But every magical House hides secrets. Quell searches for her missing mother, and each clue pulls her deeper into dangerous territory. Meanwhile, Jordan Wexton leads the Dragun brotherhood in protecting the Sphere, the source of all magic. The girl he once loved now poses the greatest threat to everything he guards. The Sphere cracks under pressure. War builds between the Houses. Jordan and Quell stand on opposite sides now, former lovers turned enemies. She wields the outlawed magic that could destroy the world. He must decide whether saving magic means killing the girl who still holds his heart. Their choices will determine whether the magical world survives or falls.
Genres: romance, fantasy, magic, fantasy-romance
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, former-lovers
Setting: House of Perl, House Marionne
Period: contemporary
448 pages · Paperback · Penguin Books Ltd
Content warnings: violence