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Fortress of Ambrose

Part of House of Marionne

Author J. Elle
Ebook (EPUB)
Penguin Young Readers | Razorbill
On sale Oct 14, 2025 | 528 Pages | 9780593527771
Age 14 and up | Grade 9 & Up
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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."

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?
Quell
Silence hangs in the air around me like a guillotine. I’m still cold from the cloak I used to travel to the Sixth Ward in DC. My heart rams in my chest as I skim the darkness, looking for Jordan. But there isn’t a person in sight. Only moonlight washing the ground in light, telling secrets the darkness was supposed to hide.
The last time I saw Jordan, he was surrounded by Draguns and I was riding away on a horse with Yagrin at the reins. He was supposed to meet back up with Abby and me at a Tavern. We needed to hatch a plan to deal with the Dragunhead and Beaulah trying to steal the Sphere’s magic—­everyone’s magic, my magic!
But he never showed.
And worse, Yagrin and Nore agreed to find the piece of the ancestral House of Ambrose Scroll that promised immortality, so if the Sphere’s magic is lost and the Headmistresses die, Jordan could use it to save my life. But there’s no word from either of them. My mother’s remains at House of Perl, Beaulah trying to use me to steal the Sphere’s magic, House of Duncan showing up to fight House of Marionne, my grandmother dying . . . It all still haunts my dreams.
But it’s the whispered rumors about what Jordan might have done that congeals my blood more than any memory.
I move faster down the streets, careful to skirt the streetlights. I’ve heard that magic is dying out, the Order is fracturing as Marked turn on one another, that House of Marionne didn’t hold a funeral for my grandmother. I’ve also heard rumors the Dragun brotherhood has disbanded and Beaulah’s niece, Adola, is recruiting ex-­brotherhood to their side. Darker rumors suggest Jordan tried to steal the magic, and it killed . . .
A lump rises in my throat as I hug around myself, searching these battered city streets. When I intercepted a deal among a seedy group of Traders two days ago, I overheard that the Dragunheart would be in the Sixth Ward of DC tonight. It could be bad gossip, but I am taking my chances.
The boy who first saw in me what I couldn’t see in myself is alive. I know it in my bones. I just have to find him.
Copyright © 2025 by J. Elle. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
"An immersive reading experience all the way to the satisfyingly hard-fought conclusion. Enchanting." —Kirkus Reviews
J. Elle is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the House of Marionne series. Her other works include The Little Mermaid: Against The Tide and Wings of Ebony. J. Elle grew up in the South on comfort food and fairy tales. These days she writes from Texas, where she lives with so many animals and children, she’s lost count. When not writing, Elle can be found on the hunt for desserts without chocolate, drowning herself in regency romance reads, and looking for any excuse to wear a tiara. View titles by J. Elle

About

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."

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?

Excerpt

Quell
Silence hangs in the air around me like a guillotine. I’m still cold from the cloak I used to travel to the Sixth Ward in DC. My heart rams in my chest as I skim the darkness, looking for Jordan. But there isn’t a person in sight. Only moonlight washing the ground in light, telling secrets the darkness was supposed to hide.
The last time I saw Jordan, he was surrounded by Draguns and I was riding away on a horse with Yagrin at the reins. He was supposed to meet back up with Abby and me at a Tavern. We needed to hatch a plan to deal with the Dragunhead and Beaulah trying to steal the Sphere’s magic—­everyone’s magic, my magic!
But he never showed.
And worse, Yagrin and Nore agreed to find the piece of the ancestral House of Ambrose Scroll that promised immortality, so if the Sphere’s magic is lost and the Headmistresses die, Jordan could use it to save my life. But there’s no word from either of them. My mother’s remains at House of Perl, Beaulah trying to use me to steal the Sphere’s magic, House of Duncan showing up to fight House of Marionne, my grandmother dying . . . It all still haunts my dreams.
But it’s the whispered rumors about what Jordan might have done that congeals my blood more than any memory.
I move faster down the streets, careful to skirt the streetlights. I’ve heard that magic is dying out, the Order is fracturing as Marked turn on one another, that House of Marionne didn’t hold a funeral for my grandmother. I’ve also heard rumors the Dragun brotherhood has disbanded and Beaulah’s niece, Adola, is recruiting ex-­brotherhood to their side. Darker rumors suggest Jordan tried to steal the magic, and it killed . . .
A lump rises in my throat as I hug around myself, searching these battered city streets. When I intercepted a deal among a seedy group of Traders two days ago, I overheard that the Dragunheart would be in the Sixth Ward of DC tonight. It could be bad gossip, but I am taking my chances.
The boy who first saw in me what I couldn’t see in myself is alive. I know it in my bones. I just have to find him.
Copyright © 2025 by J. Elle. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Reviews

"An immersive reading experience all the way to the satisfyingly hard-fought conclusion. Enchanting." —Kirkus Reviews

Author

J. Elle is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the House of Marionne series. Her other works include The Little Mermaid: Against The Tide and Wings of Ebony. J. Elle grew up in the South on comfort food and fairy tales. These days she writes from Texas, where she lives with so many animals and children, she’s lost count. When not writing, Elle can be found on the hunt for desserts without chocolate, drowning herself in regency romance reads, and looking for any excuse to wear a tiara. View titles by J. Elle

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