The Marionettes

By: Katie Wismer

Narrated by: Stefanie Kay

A betrayal. A deadly secret. An unlikely ally.

Valerie Darkmore’s entire life has been building up to this moment - her initiation into the Marionettes, the prestigious league of witches sworn to serve the vampires. As one of the last remaining blood witches, her spot is almost guaranteed. At least, so she’d thought.

The academy is full of sabotage and secrets as the tasks begin, and Valerie quickly realizes she has more than her spot on the line. Her survival seems just as uncertain. The closer she gets to the final trial, the more she learns everything - and everyone - around her isn’t quite what it seems.

©2021 Katie Wismer (P)2021 Katie Wismer

Witches, Vamps and Tramps oh my!

Valerie is exactly the type of character I love to root for. She's strong, vulnerable and has a crappy family (I have issues). She doesn't have it all together, but she is trying her best to make it. I love that Katie allows her to make mistakes along the way and she isn't just the ultimate badass that never faces danger "ahem, dear god the Russians". Her friends have her back and I can tell I'm actually going to like their parts in the story and not just want to rush past it to get back to the spicy tension with a certain someone. Overall, great start to the series! love the narrator. Can't wait for book 2 on audio!!!

This was good!

The Marionettes is a compelling read! I could not stop listening to it, and I am excited for the sequel! This is exactly what I have been wanting in a paranormal read. I just wished there was more; it felt like there was something missing. But that ending, what a cliffhanger!!

Amazing book, amazing audiobook

This is everything I’ve been promised paranormal romance books have! Not usually my taste in genre, but Wismer has made me a convert.

You need you read this book!! OMG!

I really enjoyed this book! I am not surprised I have read a loved everything that Katie has written. But as her first time in the fantasy genre this was so well done! It was fast paced and well plotted! I felt like so much was happening but I was able to keep up very easily and it definitely keeps you on your toes!! The characters were so well written that really sets the rest of the series up for such great character arcs! It was a fun ride from start to finish and I cannot wait for book two!! That cliffhanger!!! Like WTF! December are you here yet????

loved it!

I enjoyed this book. It has a great storyline, very nicely written.I got to read the next!

The Last chapter packs a punch

I do not like books ending cliff hangers. If I am invested in the characters I don't need a cliff hanger to continue a series. This book took a while to get into but the pace of the book picked up in last part. The story was good but the ending sucked. I feel like cliff hangers are a terrible way to get you to buy the next book. Because of that I lowered my rating. violet is on her own because I will not be spending any money to find out what happens next

wtf was that ending

so I've been a follower of Katie Wismer for years. I've loved watching her writing journey on her YouTube channel but I haven't been all that interested in her work until now. you can bet that as soon as she mentioned she was releasing a New Adult romance series with vampires and witches that I immediately needed to get my hands on it. Overall, for the author's first venture into paranormal/fantasy romance, The Marionettes was really good.

At first I wasn't sure I'd like this since the world building is pretty much non-existent in this first book. The lack of world building is not something that gets better as the book goes on, which I found pretty annoying. I don't like not knowing what the stakes are or what characters mean to each other or why the world runs the way it does, etc etc. For me, I think this issue could have been resolved if there was more downtime for Valerie. Valerie is almost always going somewhere or doing something; there's never really any downtime in the plot for us to get to know her as a character. A constantly moving plot works for a lot of people but I personally prefer my paranormal/fantasy books to slow down occasionally so I can get to know the characters or world better.

That being said, the plot in this is so darn fun, especially near the end. I could not put this book down because I needed to know what the heck was going on. Chapter 22 in particular had me with my jaw open the whole time. I'll never look at snakes the same again, I'll tell you that much. I'm dying to get my hands on the sequel now. I want more romance and I desperately need to know what the heck was going on with that ending, lol! What an exciting first book in a promising new series!

Witches, Vampires and Tension!

This was a really fast paced story. It's an interesting combination of similar plots. Basically, vampires are the top dogs. And they have to have a witch as their bonded pair. Witches go through an academy to become ready for this. There are different types of witches but our MC is a blood witch and one of the last remaining. Thus, she is desired by royalty as a bonded witch. However, there are lots of twists and turns here and not everything is as it seems. It's not clear who Valerie (the MC) actually is and she's as lost as we are. Someone is syphoning her magic on the DL and she randomly gets paired with the vampire prince as a trainer for her final tests, which is unheard of. Lots of court intrigue and politics also play out as the story progresses.

Be aware this book ends on a cliffhanger! I'm gonna go start the next book immediately because screw that.

Story ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice . 5 🌶️ (slowly getting spicer and I'm sending a slow burn romance in my future.)
Audio ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Love this book!

I love how Katie’s take on vampires and witches! This is my 3rd time listening to it, and I swear it gets better every time!!!

Must Read

Katie Wismer's "The Marionettes" is a dark fantasy novel that weaves a captivating tale of witches and vampires brimming with suspense and intrigue. The story follows Valerie Darkmore, a blood witch vying for a coveted spot in the prestigious Marionettes, a league of witches serving vampires.

The author skillfully builds a world filled with secrets and sabotage, where Valerie's journey is fraught with danger and uncertainty. Each chapter unravels new layers of mystery, culminating in a series of heart-pounding twists and turns that kept me glued to the pages. The final chapters, in particular, were an adrenaline-fueled rollercoaster ride that left me breathless.

Wismer's writing is evocative and immersive, drawing readers into the dark heart of the Marionettes' world. The characters are richly drawn, and their motivations and desires are complex and believable. Valerie, with her determination and resilience, is a protagonist you can't help but root for.

"The Marionettes" is a must-read for fans of dark fantasy and paranormal romance. It's a captivating story that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking a thrilling and unforgettable reading experience.