The House Saphir

Mallory Fontaine is a self-proclaimed expert on everything “Count Bastien Saphir,” a.k.a. Monsieur Le Bleu, the legendary count who was known for brutally slaying three of his wives. Mallory uses this knowledge to give haunted tours of the derelict estate the count used to live in, the House Saphir, to help make some money for her and her sister.

Since the death of their mother, a famous witch, Mallory and her sister, Anais, have done what they can to make money, even if it means swindling and conning tourists into rigged haunted house tours and tarot card readings. During one tour, Mallory meets the Count’s great-great-grandson, Armand, who, as it turns out, is the heir to the House Saphir. Armand is desperate for Mallory’s help to rid the ghost of Le Bleu from his ancestral home, hoping Mallory will employ her “magic” to bring peace to Armand’s family home. Desperate to avoid the authorities and make a little money, Mallory agrees, even though she is well aware that she is nothing but a fraud. Soon, she and Anais are traveling to the estate, hoping that they will be able to make their attempt presentable enough to fool the count. But when a murder happens, Mallory is caught up in the investigation, convinced that the killer is mortal, not paranormal, and she begins to worry about more than the ghost haunting the grounds.

Marissa Meyer is known for her fairytale retellings, and her new novel, The House Saphir, is a creative iteration of Bluebeard the pirate, full of the exciting paranormal elements Meyer is known for, including witches, warlocks, ghosts, and magical creatures of all kinds. With just a touch of charming romance, Saphir is a well-crafted fantasy novel full of mystery, intrigue, and magic.

Mallory is the protagonist and, although she is the descendant of a powerful family with supernatural talents, she eagerly gave her powers up in a struggle years ago in order to help her sister. Now, Anais and Mallory both skirt around magic, using tarot cards to read fortunes, while Mallory uses what little talent she still possesses to communicate with ghosts. With only each other for comfort, the Fontaine sisters face Le Bleu and his haunted estate as they do everything else, together.

The supernatural creatures that appear sporadically throughout the story are delightfully imaginative, from the fire-breathing salamander to the extremely powerful horse hybrid. Along with the ghosts that haunt the home and Le Bleu’s ability to possess his great-nephew, there is no shortage of paranormal features in Saphir, which bring this fantasy novel to the next level when it comes to readability. I was completely immersed in the storyline before the murders even came into play, and Meyer impressed me with her ability to combine fantasy and mystery so seamlessly.

Mallory is fiery and spunky, and she made me laugh out loud more than once. Each chapter teased hints of the proceeding one, and I couldn’t stop turning the pages. Saphir did not slow down, keeping a steady flow right through until the final pages. The ending itself brought all the plot points together in a believable and emotional way.

Meyer’s The House Saphir is a completely original rendition of Bluebeard the Pirate that deserves to be read.