Fortress of Ambrose

House of Marionne #3

by J. Elle

Seductive magic. Deadly betrayal.

Don’t miss the explosive finale of the dark, romantic fantasy of the New York Times-bestselling House of Marionne series, which #1 bestselling author Alex Aster praises as "a sweeping fantasy brimming with magic, secrets, and romance."

The stunning first printing of Fortress of Ambrose will feature a gorgeous designed case and exclusive metallic endpapers!

With the future of the Order clouded in uncertainty, and the evil within its ranks coming to the surface, Quell Marionne has nowhere left to turn.   

Everyone Quell cares about is gone and she still can’t escape the powerful legacy that wants to destroy her. But when she uncovers an earth-shattering revelation, she must choose: be the hero the magic world needs or save Jordan.

Meanwhile, a darkness festers inside Dragunheart Jordan Wexton. His path to survival means becoming the monster he was bred to hate, if he can overcome the power rotting within himself. 

In a world where the line between proper and forbidden magic blurs, Quell and Jordan, along with two unlikely allies – bitter assassin Yagrin Wexton and magicless Heir Nore Ambrose, must navigate a treacherous path where freedom hangs by a thread. Can love tip the scales toward freedom? Or will rivalries and deadly betrayals shatter their hearts and destroy the world they once knew?

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romantasy, Audiobook, Romance, Fiction, Thriller

528 pages, Hardcover

First published October 14, 2025

About the author

J. ELLE is the New York Times bestselling author of young adult and middle-grade fantasy fiction and a 2022 NAACP Image Award Nominee for Outstanding Literary Work for Youth and Teens. Her work has been translated into three languages. The former educator credits her nomadic lifestyle and humble inner-city beginnings as inspiration for her novels. When she’s not writing, Elle can be found on the hunt for new desserts sans Chocolat, looking for literally any excuse to get dressed up, and road-tripping her way across the country with her two dogs in tow.

Follow me on BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/j-elle

Reviews

[Drew's ambitious reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't beilve this series finally came to a close and what an amazing way to end it? Because tbh I thought someone else was going to die but they didn't.. So happy about that. It's hard to do a book review for book 3 of a trilogy but we pick up right where we left off in book 2 and jump straight into action!! Loved how this trilogy wrapped up, but it also felt opened ending it's a weird feeling I have with this ending... Overall 4.5/5 stars

[Jeniffer · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ✨

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series should have been two books at the most. Books two and three are too repetitive and things take way too long to happen. It was so dragged out!! Everything wraps up well but by the time it did I just didn’t care as much as I should have during a book three.

Overall: 2.5

[Violet Bove]

yes, yes and yes. can't wait till this releases so we can get more of jordan and quell and so i can not attack someone because of the cliffhangers. anyways, i'm pumped

[Jenna Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

I became the Literary Flash speedrunning this and it STILL took centuries off my life.

[CiCi | bookameme · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the series, but the first book was the best.

There’s a really interesting theme of power and equality throughout the story from the way power changes people to what equality actually looks like. That theme guides a pretty dramatic saga that encompasses action, romance, intrigue and magic with an intricately crafted plot that’s about 40% political suspense, 25% romance, 20% action , and 15% family drama. (At least that’s my totally made up statistic about how it felt.)

🎙️: A multicast with even more narrators than the first two books.

YA: light kissing with a few slightly steamy scenes, SFW.

Fantasy Romance
Star Crossed Lovers
Secret Identity
Dark Academia
Deepset Corruption
Fight for Equality
Magic & Madness

[Ekene · Rating 5 out of 5]

*slowly raises from my chair & claps*
Wow
wow
and woah.

I truly need more people to lock into this series because it's soooooooo good yet criminally underrated. Like this has everything: intriguing magic system, a good romance that doesn't overpower the story, and of course balls and all. What more could you want?

[Victoria Arney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took FOREVER to get through. It was very slow to start and the world this is set in is pretty complex. I read the other 2 books a while ago so that may be part of why it felt so complicated.

The multiple povs was nice but it was confusing that Jordan and Quell’s povs were in the first person but Yagrin and Nore’s were not. That felt weird to me.

I will say I loved Jordan and Quell in the first books, but Yagrin and Nore were why I finished this one. Almost DNFed but then Yags and Nore’s story started moving forward so I had to finish for them.

I never DNF but I seriously almost did on this book. 2.5 ⭐️

[Manasi R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fortress of Ambrose is the finale to the House of Marionne series by J. Elle. The book series includes the books House of Marionne, Shadows of Perl and Fortress of Ambrose. I was super excited for this book. I was even eagerly counting down the days till its release date. I got the book precisely on the release date. I went on vacation during that week to New York City so it was a vacation read in a sense. My feeling about this book could be summarised in two words: Loved it. I do have some complaints but as a whole I loved it (Don't worry I will elaborate!). I even reread the book one more time after I finished it. Yes, I was that obsessed! Anyway I would give this 5 stars and I will try to tell why whilst fangirling and not giving out spoilers😉. Mainly because I know that if I were you I would not read a book just because some random person (such as I) gave it a positive review so I will tell you why I believe this book is five stars and why I believe you may be interested in it!

This book was comprised of two separate plots and romantic couples. The main plot is Quell and Jordan (who are the romantic couple) and the subplot is Yagrin and Nore. In the main plot Quell is dealing with being the new Headmistress of House of Marionne which is a magical teaching facility (just think the Houses of Harry Potter without the selection process in different places). At the same time Jordan is dealing with literally consuming the magic (and forbidden magic toushana) from the Sphere which is the source? root? (I honestly am not sure) of all magic. And because magic is overpowered it is slowly killing him and throughout the book they are working on finding a cure for him. By they I mean Quell and Jordan. Now to the subplot which I was way more interested in. Yagrin and Nore are looking for the pieces to a fabled Scroll of Immortality. The pieces are in each of the Houses ,including House of Marionne. The Houses are Duncan, Ambrose, Perl, Marionne and Oralia. Nore as we know from the last books is the Heir to House of Ambrose which means provided her mother abdicates (death or some other way) she will become Headmistress of House of Ambrose. Now minor spoiler: she becomes Headmistress of House of Ambrose. Kirkus Reviews spoiled that so I guess I can too. Nore wants the scroll because she does not have magic and does not want to be Headmistress so she intends to use the Immortality Scroll on her mother so that Nore will never be Headmistress(or something like that). Yagrin is helping her find the Immortality Scroll except he has ulterior motives. Yagrin wants to resurrect his dead girlfriend Red. What he does not know however is that his dead girlfriend is not dead and she is actually Nore Ambrose. As you can surmise the tension is sky-high between Nore and Yagrin.

So I still loved Yagrin the most. He remains my favorite character in this series. I was still not too interested in Quell but I think she was way more tolerable to me at least in this book. I mean she was less rageful in this book and more calm. I imagine that is because of her new status as Headmistress. I really like the character change from Shadows of Perl to this book. It is really easy to see that she grows as a person. Of course it is not Zuko-level character change but I liked it. Jordan.....Well to be honest I was kind of bored of his character. He did not really do much in this book he was busy trying to get himself cured so there is not really any action with him. I did not feel like he had any value to plot outside of his relationship Quell and Yagrin. Now we go to Nore. Nore was excellent I enjoyed reading about her relationships with her mother and Yagrin. Nore and Yagrin's romantic relationship touched my heart and I liked that they were in a way equals in their relationship without one dominating over the other. That is actually one thing I like generally across J. Elle's writing when it comes to romantic relationships in this book series. Even Quell and Jordan's relationship is like that. I have read so many books where either the male or female is dominating and the partner is submissive (I am not even someone who reads those mafia romances ). In most books I have read it is subtle but there. I do not have a problem with that in any way but it is really common to see relationships like that, especially in YA. That is why it was a breath of fresh air to read this series in which both are equals in the relationship (it kind of represents my ideal relationship to be honest). Loved their banter too!! Also Yagrin and Nore were just so supportive of each other (Yagrin is the one who is more supportive in this book but that is just because of the events). Aside from Nore's relationships, she was facing a lot turmoil inside relating to her new position as Headmistress and the traditions of her House. I cannot give spoilers but I liked how she dealt with it. In one instance in the book relating to her House traditions she dealt with it with so much spine and fight. Basically I enjoyed every character except Jordan but even so, I did not hate him actively; I was just bored of him.

Onto my complaints about this book. I know my tendency to talk a lot so I am going to preface this by saying my complaints are minor and did not detract from me enjoying the book. The copy I got from my library had some typos. I saw this in my book:"Angerp". It kind of caught me off-guard and I was wondering how this escaped notice. Also on the typical QWERTY keyboard r and p are really far away p is also really far away from Enter key which I am guessing who ever typed this out wanted to click since there was a line break. I am honestly just wondering how do you accidentally click p instead of Enter. It is also not so close by to r so you cannot really justify that r and p were accidentally clicked at once. Seriously, You would have to intentionally click both for that to happen. I think there was more but I am forgetting. There was also some basic subject-verb errors. At one point when this book was referring to Isla Ambrose who I can infer is a she/her (if she went by another pronoun the author did not explicitly say so) referred to as they in one sentence. This also caught me off-guard because she was referred to as she just a sentence prior. I read that over and over again to check if I missed something and I did not see any potential explanation so I believe it is a mistake. I caught the Angerp thing on my first read which is seriously an error on the whoever inspected the book's grammar and spelling because such an error is glaring even on the first read and it is not an error someone who is nitpicking on their 20th read would only catch. I only saw the subject-verb thing on my second read and even I would have not caught it if I did not take grammar lessons. Throughout this book there were so many romantic scenes. A lot of times it was cute but it was also too romantic for me at times so I skipped those pages. Most of these were in the Yagrin and Nore subplot. It was the same case for these angsty scenes that hold so much weight to the plot that I am scared of what happens next. It is kind of like the fear of looking closely at a burn on your skin for fear it will be severe and therefore horrifying. However, at the end of the day my intolerance (sort of) for romantic scenes and angsty weighty scenes is a me problem and not an author problem. If anything those scenes make a book way more special and treasured (at least to me). I think that concludes my complaints.

My main issues with this book was some spelling and grammar errors in the copy I received that should have been fixed. I enjoyed all of the characters incredibly. 5stars to Fortress of Ambrose. I loved this trilogy from start to end and I am glad I found the first book two years ago and decided to do a cover read. This book is one of my success stories from reading books for superficial puposes. To be honest the blurb would not have intrigued me as much as it would have if not for the cover. The book series really improved from start to finish. If you were to ask me which book in the House of Marionne it would be this book. Other than the characters there were several shocking reveals and plot twists. The most fun part is I did not see any of them coming at all! And I even tried predicting some! I would recommend this book to those who are fans of fantasy, romance and original worldbuilding. I would also recommend this to people who want truly shocking bombshells. J. Elle is too good at reveals! This is the first series I have fully reviewed on my blog! Wow I typed so much! It has been a pleasure to read and share my thoughts with you all. Cheers to one series completed and perhaps hundreds more to come! Thank you for reading and I hope you have enjoyed this review!

[Kristy B. (SwaggerWaggon) · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's rare to find a series like this where every book is 5⭐️ but Ms. J. Elle did it! This was a phenomenal ending to a phenomenal series. the character development was great and I felt like there were no unanswered questions left. Top tier story!

[Brooke Barnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ending felt rushed but otherwise it was a good conclusion to the trilogy. This trilogy from the start has been a five star series to me. I just loved the world and the characters and all the interesting relationships they all had.

[Bookishgirlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I've ever read! I don't know how she wrote this book, it had me on the edge of my seat the entire time and I could not put it down. This book was probably the best of the 3, I feel like the first and second book were leading up to this big grand finale; book 2 ended with the shattering sphere, which was kind of like the climax of the series. This dark romatasy felt different from the others I've read, in a good way. I didn't feel basic and definitely not a repeat of other books in this genre. I was kinda surprised on how many twists and turns all fit into one book which is why it never got boring (though sometimes when I read a chapter and I'm into it and then another POV comes and I'm like nooo I want to see what happens next😭)


I loved all the characters, they all had their flaws and I supported them with all my heart throughout their journeys, they were sooo relatable! There were a lot of touching moments and quotes that made me want to cry.

The Romance:

The romance was perfect, the way J.Elle kept it interesting with Jordan and Quell barely being able to touch each other, I'm literally reading their thoughts with their longings to be in each other's arms and it's sooo sweet. And how Quell was jealous of Yani (aka Jordan's ex) and his reaction😝 There's also Yagrin and Nore/Red, the way Yagrin didn't know Nore was Red (his dead lover) plus their slow burn romance was sooo satsisfying

I don't really like books with a lot of spice, but at the same time I want more than just passionate kisses, and the ways the characters thought of each other moved me soo much this was a perfect mix that satisfied me lol

I liked how the romance descriptions weren't just describing the scenes and what was going on, I could literally feel how strong Jordan and Quell's (also Yagrin and Nore) love for each other was because of the ways they put the other's needs before themselves, what they were willing to do/ what they did for each other, and even their thoughts. that's what real love is and is the build up + why the physical scenes are good in the first place.

Okay this quote though🤭
"He's so close, my lips part. I've stopped breathing.
"Self-control happens to be something I'm very good at." His breath on my lips sends a rush of heat all over my body. I lean toward him, daring him to kiss me. But he puts distance between us and heads to the door. I can't decide if I'm annoyed or impressed."

Okay guys, a few more quotes lol

We finally got some Abby + Quell moments, she was barely there in book 2!

" "Who is that? She points to Yani.
"Jordan's ex. Long story."
"Do we like her?"
"We definitely don't like her."
Abby gives her a condescending sneer, and my heart swells. I've missed having a friend."

"She is the sun, and I am the moon. Without her reflection, I have no light."
(Jordan thinking about Quell🥰)

"I will make a world that is safe for her, even if I have to burn this one down with my bare hands."

To close this up, I would definitely recommend reading this 5/5. I didn't really explain the themes of this book and the elements in it bc this is the last book and if you're this far into the series you're gonna read it anyway. I was just sharing my thoughts honestly.
I would write more but I'm too lazy

Blessings to this wonderful author and PLEAAAASE write more books it's hard to find good books these days!

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

🎧 Title: Fortress of Ambrose-House of Marionne #3

✍🏾 Author: J. Elle-I've read books #1 and #2

📅Publication date: 10/14/25 | Read: 11/23/25

🗣️Narrators voice all the characters with standouts from Quell,Yagrin, and Jordan.The reading style brought the text to life, and the author and narrators worked together perfectly. The pacing and flow allowed me to get lost in the story. The narrators paused and announced new chapters and there was a table of contents which helped me follow along.

🏃🏾‍♀️‍➡️Run Time: 17:06

Genre:
*Fantasy
*Romance
*Thriller
*YA

Tropes:
*magic
*house politics
*hidden secrets
*family drama/found family
*journey companions

👆🏾POV: 1st person multiple

⚠️TW: murder, betrayal, revenge

🌎 Setting: Washington D.C.

Summary: Quell and Jordan have to find a way to rid him of the sphere's magic which is killing him. Yagrin and Nore agree to work together to find the Immortality Scroll as Nore's brother Ellery plots to kill her.

👩🏾 Heroine: Raquell "Quell" Marionne-Headmistress of the House of Marionne

👨🏾 Hero: Jordan Wexton- a Dragunheart, took in the Sphere's magic

🎭 Other Characters:
*Yagrin Wexton-an assassin, helps Nore find the Immortality Scroll
*Nore Ambrose/Red-the heir to Ambrose- doesn't have any magic
*Ellery Ambrose-Nore's brother wants to kill her and become head of house
*Isla Ambrose-Nore and Ellery's mother
*Darragh Marionne-Quell's g-mother
*Rheanne "Rhea"-Quell's mother
*Knox, Willam-hates Jordan, Yani (Jordan's ex-girlfriend)-staying at a safe house but rebels against the houses and wants to start their own.

My Thoughts: I was underwhelmed with this book. It was a little boring following Nore and Yagrin and Quell and Jordan stumble around trying to fix magic too powerful for them.

Rating: 3.5/5 ✨

Spice level: 1/5 🔥 closed door

[Elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much Penguin Teen Canada for sending me an early copy of this book!! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I couldn’t have asked for a better conclusion to this trilogy. The writing, the plot, the twists, and the romance all came together to create an amazing series that I never wanted to end.

I absolutely love this world. It’s set in our world, but with hidden magic that most people have no idea exists. I really enjoyed that this book delved deeper into the history of the order, and the origins of their magic.

One thing that really stood out to me was how much I enjoyed each character’s story. In books with multiple main characters, I sometimes find that I prefer some characters povs more than others, but that was not the case here. The author did such a great job at making me care for each of them, and I enjoyed each of their stories equally.

I highly recommend this series if you like:
- Magic school
- Mentor x mentee
- Forbidden love
- Morally grey characters
- Forbidden magic
- Assassin MMC
- Multiple main characters

Overall, this was such an amazing trilogy that only got better with each book. I look forward to reading more books from this author in the future!

[Alessandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wish I had to say something positive about the final installment but I just… can’t. I really, really wanted to love this series but it seemed clumsy to me.

The ideas, the magic system, the world building are so good – they’re just so poorly executed. Especially in this third book, I was more confused than anything. The characters were suddenly all very different, especially Jordan (who annoyed me more than ever), and Quell who not just overlooks Jordan’s completely unhinged behavior (because she loves him...like, girl – no), forgives her horrible grandmother (uh…?) and is just being a total doormat until she finally… isn’t anymore?

I kept reading because of Nore and Yagrin, and even then I wanted to shake the book to see if it would put sense into any of the characters (it didn’t but it did give me a cramp).

The writing is mostly choppy and weirdly disjointed, as if J. Elle had a sudden thought and had to put it in right there. I honestly don’t think that this is her fault, I think she had a really, really bad editor. There are so, so many mistakes in this book (continuation, plot holes, language) which a good editor would have fixed.

All in all, this one seemed rushed, and I wish I had nicer things to say about it.

[Amanda R Sims · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know how Hunger Games was really good, Catching Fire was straight 🔥🔥🔥, and then Mockingjay was kinda all over the place? That's exactly how I felt about this series. I really enjoyed Marionne. Perl was, in my opinion, even better. Ambrose, by comparison, felt very slow and repetitive. The two primary relationships went through the exact same arc in this book of misunderstanding, staying physically apart like repelling magnets despite allegedly being in love, and then fighting against each other's opinions instead of working through them. While I liked Nore more in this book than the last one, I just couldn't get behind the plot. It didn't make a whole lot of sense, which is a shame because the world building has been great. The characters are great. The plot and the character's actions: nonsense. Obvious traps, obvious spies, arguments that should have been edited out because they were based in issues that were transparently irrelevant.
3.25 stars, coasting entirely on my interest in the series as a whole.

[Crystal Cichanowicz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed book one, was heavily invested in book two, but this instalment firmly establishes the series as one I will confidently recommend. This series is underrated and more people need to read it.
I can’t believe it’s over. I was held in a vice grip from the beginning of this book until the very end. With how events has transpired earlier in the series, I did not know what to expect, how things would unfold, or the fate of any of the characters. The story was fast-paced, the atmosphere continued to be dark, and the magic system continued to be something truly unique. The characters continued to evolve and I really liked all of them - even when their motivations seemed a little selfish, they came through.
In short, this was an excellent conclusion to a phenomenal series and I recommend it to everyone.
Many thanks to Penguin Young Readers Group (vis Penguin Teen Canada) and NetGalley for an early digital copy of the book. The opinions expressed are given freely and are honest and my own.

[Karrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fortress of Ambrose’s NetGalley sneak peek is a captivating glimpse into a conclusion to a thrilling fantasy realm, hurtling you straight into dark magic and escalating peril with short chapters leaving you desperate for more.

The multiple POVs can occasionally feel a bit challenging to follow at first, but they soon sharpen the political intrigue as the Sphere’s fracture begins to drain magic from the world.

Amid the chaos, Quell and Jordan’s growing bond provides sweet moments as they are racing to stop the dark magic consuming Jordan. Nore and Yagrin’s bond is also put to the test by unstable magic, further making this even harder to put down. You can practically feel the thrill building and emerging around every corner.

Complete with a lovely rendered front-map and a guide to the various Houses featured, this excerpt sparks a desire for the full story.
I can’t wait for the entire novel to drop and to lose myself once again in J. Elle’s mesmerizing world.

[Jessica Graper · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the first two books, but this one left me irritated. it's not the plot, it's the writing . I thought it was very choppy, like a complete thought wasn't finished and something else started happening. the characters seemed to be unrelatable. They were way to melodramatic about stuff. overall I just read this all the way through to complete the series, but the "plot twists" were so rushed that it didn't surprise me. kind of felt like the passion for this series ended at book two. this should've been compiled into two books with quell and jordan's povs and then a mini book for nore and yagrins pov . the switching between so many characters pov's got tiring and it felt way too stretched out. I hate when books have random info that doesn't add to the story and it kinda felt like by switching povs that sometimes the character was just doing something unimportant but the author had a pattern to maintain. that's why it would've been better for separate books.

[Greer Rutt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate to say it, but I dragged myself through it at the beginning. the pacing just wasn't great. the twists near the last third of the book made up for it, but I do feel like there were some things left undone about New Misa and how things wound up with Adola. I would have liked some more perspective on that because some of the ending points came out of nowhere. regardless this was a great and enjoyable ending and watching Quell becoming such a mature leader was LOVELY. especially because Jordan was such a baby. like I wanted to punch some sense him for 90% of the book. boy needs therapy badly. they all will. I also enjoyed hearing the themes of open mindedness. though again I think more could have been developed in certain parts of how the characters from the safe houses were hanging. so. it was fun but not the most well written finale in the world.

[Samantha Schipper-Voorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

a read the sneak peak via netgalley and these are my honest thoughts about it.A little sneak peak of a thrilling fantasy novel. And what a sneak peak it was! I just need more! I cant wait for the whole book.

The book has multiple povs, wich is bit confusing to me in the beginning. But i have that with all books that have multiple povs, so i dont blame the book. From the pages that are there in the sneak peak, you feel the adventure that is lurking in the book. It has an interesting magical setting, with magic disapearing because of the broken Sphere. A beautifull map in the front of the book, and an explanation of the different houses that take part in the book.

[Sportochick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Sneek Peek I got to read is mesmerizing. It is dark and secretive with a twist of love. I can't wait to see how the author develops this final book to the series. It is everything the description states with multiple dark plots going on capturing this readers attention filling me with anticipation to read the full book to the final page.

Another asset to the storyline in the robust group of characters keeping the story progressing quickly and with intrigue. I love books with this many characters.

I received this book for free from Netgalley and Penguin Young Readers Group in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

[Katherine Van Halst · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very solid end to the series! Was it a little long? Perhaps. But that was mainly because there were so many loose ends to tie up from the first two books. It didn't fall into the trap of so many fantasies where it had a dozen endings-- the end was not at all drawn out and it was engaging the entire time.
I do think the writing in this one was on the young side, maybe not the author's best work. Some things were a little on-the-nose, some dialogue a little unnatural. But overall I enjoyed reading it and felt very satisfied about capping House of Marionne off this way.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fortress of Ambrose (NetGalley sneak peek) throws you right back into J. Elle’s world of dark magic and rising chaos with short, punchy chapters that keep you hooked. The multiple POVs can be a little dizzying at first, but they add depth to the political tension as magic unravels. Quell and Jordan’s growing bond is sweet amid the danger, and Nore and Yagrin’s struggle adds even more emotional weight.

[The Book and Bubble · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fortress of Ambrose is a wonderful conclusion to the House of Marionne trilogy. I really enjoyed how everything came together.

Jordan and Quell's relationship is tested as they try to remove the dark magic inside him, and Quell steps into her role as leader of her house-determined to make things better for everyone. I also loved seeing the growth between Yagrin and Nore, and how far he's willing to go for her.

We get more on the origins of magic and finally learn who Quell's father is. It's a strong ending to a wonderful trilogy, even though the quick jumps between characters made it a little less smooth for me at times.

[Amy B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had fun reading this book. I had fun with the series. I thought there was soooo much detail in the beginning l, and then all of a sudden all the puzzle pieces started to fall into place at the end. Glad there was a happy ending. I feel like the story could have used less detail in the beginning, and there were some characters that seemed to be main characters in the plot but then their performance was lack luster.
Anyways, I had fun.

[Sarah Hickner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Redemption for the matriarchs! They were not the selfish witches they seemed to be.
Alls well that ends well- as long as the dragon head is in the ground.
This was a solid finish to a fantasy series. It did get a bit draggy in the middle, and I found myself checking to see how much of the book was left, but there were a A LOT of overlapping threads to wrap up.
Overall I enjoyed this series. It was clean- no language or sex on the page.

[Tina Gromski · Rating 5 out of 5]

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Fortress of Ambrose by J. Elle

Very rarely am I immediately certain I'll reread a book, let alone a series. But I know I'll revisit this story again!
This story was so captivating, and immersive that I completely ignored my TBR to finish it. Isn't that what leisure reading is all about anyway?
Magic set in present day real-world, with romantic relationships that get about as spicy as a radish 🫜 (I think that might be a turnip...) Includes death and manipulation, but I would find it suitable for a middle grade reader already familiar with similar subject matter.

[Renae | Redhair_and_Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it, and I legit listened to the entire audiobook on 3x speed just to get through it and know how the story wrapped up. And even then, it felt too long. I really enjoyed book 1 conceptually and the books are visually stunning, but fell flat for me the further we went into the story. :( I genuinely don’t think there was a single character who I actually liked all the way through, including the FMC herself.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this conclusion to the series. The author did a great job of bringing everything back together. The highlight for me was the relationship between Nore and Yagrin. I still love Quell and Jordan, but for some reason, Nore and Yagrin stole the show for me! 3.5 stars

“I’m yours. Only yours. As far as I see, there was no one before you. There will be no one after.”

There is a song my heart sings, and only he seems to know the words. And I want to hear him sing it over and over.