Fortress of Ambrose, the final book in the dark, romantic fantasy "House of Marionne" trilogy by J. Elle, published October 14, 2025. In this exclusive interview, J. Elle talks with SLJ about several topics, including how fantasy inspires young adults' imaginations.

"We need the hope of young people," she says. "Fantasy adds fuel to their fire."

Congratulations on finishing this trilogy! Did you know from the time you started writing the first book how the story would end?

Thank you! I knew some of the ending. I knew the external plot events that would force these characters into an impossibly final act, as the third iteration of the series. But, I didn’t know how they would survive. I knew the heart of the story from the very beginning: love is powerful, and sometimes we have to love people when they are too beat down to love themselves. But I didn’t know how the characters would each intersect with that theme in the final act. I was really excited to see it come together. It’s my favorite book in the series.

How has Quell changed over the course of the three books (if you think she has)? How have you changed over the course of the three books (if you think you have)?

Quell has gone from a runaway girl scared to admit her real name, afraid of the power she has, to a fearless leader, proud of who she is, and fully aware of how she can—with her magic and her fierce love of the “unlovable”—change the course of her world.

Oh gosh, I’m not sure how much I’ve changed over the three books. I definitely know I have, but I haven’t sat with this question before. Two ways come to mind immediately. First, I think I’m better at writing kissing, ha ha! No, but seriously, my craft has grown, which is the natural result of continuing to write stories. I’m very glad I didn’t throw in the towel after my first two books. Though they did well, a career in writing is not for the faint of heart. There is frequent uncertainty and no guarantees. But I believe stories live in people, all people, and writers are just the people who take the time to give language to those stories. I’m deeply grateful I have been able to continue to see the stories that live in me be shared with the world.

Second, I’ve grown much more my confident in my storytelling perspective. This is different from craft. This is me trusting that what I want to say matters and should be said. There is an invisible pressure coming into the industry to fit the mold. And at this point, 8 books into my career, I trust myself a lot more. Because of that, I am having much more fun writing. 

Your first YA books were a duology, and this was a trilogy. How was it different writing a story across three books than across two?

Very different. It surprised me! In many ways, a trilogy is easier to plot out because a series naturally falls into three parts. But, the second book is always a challenge in the middle of a series because we are not beginning a new story, nor are we ending one. So there is no full resolution of anything. Writing a duology is clear-cut in that way: one book is the beginning, culminating in a major pivot point for the characters, and book two brings that all to a close.

However, writing the trilogy allowed me to explore a lot more of the world and histories of the characters, which is a lot of fun in a world where there are ancestral magic houses. The world in House of Marionne is vast with a robust history. I have over 200,000 words of history and backstory written from various characters in this world, much readers will never see. There is a lot more depth to the trilogy because I had so many words to explore so many facets of a very complex world. For example, a duology wouldn’t have given me the space to fully develop our surprise narrator in Shadows of Perl (Book 2), who plays a significant role in the overall story.

What is your favorite part about writing fantasy for young adults?

I love writing stories about fantasy because fantasy brings the seemingly unimaginable to life, and I believe that inspires young adult’s imagination. Believing in the impossible and learning to look beyond immediate circumstances, as examples, can be very powerful in a young person’s life. We need the hope of young people. Fantasy adds fuel to their fire.

I also find fantasy a helpful way to engage with themes that might be harder to digest in a contemporary setting. Fantasy allows the allegory or metaphor to be one step removed from the reader, because the story events do not take place in the real world. Teens can then engage with the content with less risk of being personally triggered. For example, it may be easier for a food-insecure teen to read The Hunger Games than a contemporary story about a child in their specific situation. If they need a little distance to digest and process, fantasy is a useful vehicle to do that.

What do you hope readers will take away from the House of Marionne trilogy?

I think my Acknowledgements in Fortress of Ambrose state it best: I hope you have found something in this story that tends your heart. You are worthy. Your magic is special. And you are lovable just as you are.