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Malice Duology #2
Misrule
Did they break the curse or begin one? Sleeping Beauty's dark sorceress reclaims her story in this sequel to Malice.
The Dark Grace is dead.
Feared and despised for the sinister power in her veins, Alyce has spent 100 years wreaking her revenge on the kingdom that made her an outcast. Once a realm of decadence and beauty, Briar is now wholly Alyce's wicked domain. No one escapes the consequences of her wrath.
Not even the one person who holds her heart.
Princess Aurora saw through Alyce's thorny facade, earning a love that promised the dawn of a new age. But that love came with a heavy price: Aurora now sleeps under a curse that even Alyce's vast power cannot seem to break, and their dream of the world they would have built together is nothing but ash.
Alyce vows to do anything to wake the woman she loves, even if it means descending into the monster Briar believed her to be. But could Aurora ever love the villain Alyce has become?
Or is true love only for fairy tales?
The Dark Grace is dead.
Feared and despised for the sinister power in her veins, Alyce has spent 100 years wreaking her revenge on the kingdom that made her an outcast. Once a realm of decadence and beauty, Briar is now wholly Alyce's wicked domain. No one escapes the consequences of her wrath.
Not even the one person who holds her heart.
Princess Aurora saw through Alyce's thorny facade, earning a love that promised the dawn of a new age. But that love came with a heavy price: Aurora now sleeps under a curse that even Alyce's vast power cannot seem to break, and their dream of the world they would have built together is nothing but ash.
Alyce vows to do anything to wake the woman she loves, even if it means descending into the monster Briar believed her to be. But could Aurora ever love the villain Alyce has become?
Or is true love only for fairy tales?
14 pages, Audible Audio
First published May 10, 2022
690 people are currently reading
16363 people want to read
About the author
Heather Walter
4 books2,028 followersHeather Walter has been telling stories for as long as she can remember. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with both English and Information Science degrees, books are--and always will be--a definitive part of her life.
As an author, Heather loves writing about what-ifs, flawed protagonists, and re-imagined history. Her favorite characters are usually villains.
When not writing, you can find her reading (duh), knitting, binging TV, and planning her next travel adventure.
As an author, Heather loves writing about what-ifs, flawed protagonists, and re-imagined history. Her favorite characters are usually villains.
When not writing, you can find her reading (duh), knitting, binging TV, and planning her next travel adventure.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,983 reviews
August 7, 2023
Even though I cannot picture the imps in my head, they are my favorite thing ever.
.
.
Okay so I read Malice quite a while ago so it was a bit hard for me to get back into the story at first but as soon as my memory of book 1 came flooding back, this book got better and better.
I really liked Alyce in this book and how she had to often fight with herself and her own believes.
Throughout the entire story you could see how she kept struggling between the two things she loved in life and at times it was hard to read but I was extremely satisfied with the end result.
Also: I just absolutely loved the new characters. There were so many new additions and yes the imps were just iconic creatures. I don’t know if I should be scared of them or not but they were funny in a weird scary way.
The ending was definitely my favorite part of the book and the epilogue WAS AMAZING
.
.
Okay so I read Malice quite a while ago so it was a bit hard for me to get back into the story at first but as soon as my memory of book 1 came flooding back, this book got better and better.
I really liked Alyce in this book and how she had to often fight with herself and her own believes.
Throughout the entire story you could see how she kept struggling between the two things she loved in life and at times it was hard to read but I was extremely satisfied with the end result.
Also: I just absolutely loved the new characters. There were so many new additions and yes the imps were just iconic creatures. I don’t know if I should be scared of them or not but they were funny in a weird scary way.
The ending was definitely my favorite part of the book and the epilogue WAS AMAZING
May 21, 2022
*True Love’s CURSE?*
**WARNING: Here there be SPOILERS**
Let me start by saying I ADORED “Malice.” And I was so excited for the sequel that I literally marked the release date on my calendar.
However.
I feel like this story suffered a “true love” problem that really weighted it down.
Here’s the thing: I was all for Alyce and Aurora as a couple in book one. Loved it, shipped it, bought the t-shirt.
But what happens between the two of them in book two leaves my skin crawling. These are not two people who willingly love one another. These are two people who are pretty much shackled to each other by some pre-ordained “true love” business that (we find out) was basically fated in order to bring about a union of kingdoms. Most of the time, it seems like Alyce is basically obsessed with Aurora, who tolerates her at best. More often than tolerance, though, there’s judgement, manipulation, and full-on lambasting. And because of this dynamic, we get pages and pages of Alyce questioning herself and wringing her hands over what Aurora will think of this or that, when all I wanted to see was her finally being an unapologetic, badass villain - the mistress of the Dark Court!
I could not, for the life of me, understand how Alyce could not see that what bound her to Aurora was almost as toxic as what merged her with the ancient Vila. I found myself agreeing with Regan, and I was sad that she and Alyce missed their chance to be together because Alyce could not see past AURORA AURORA AURORA. Even in the end - when Alyce had spent 100 years roaming, happily doling out vigilante-style justice, and squirreling Vila away to her version of an Underground Railroad - while Aurora held court, entertained lovers, and apparently couldn’t be bothered to write a damn letter - all it took was Aurora finally penning two lousy words for Alyce to give up the life she had built for herself and come running.
Frustrating, to say the least.
I think if there was going to be this INSISTENCE on relying so heavily upon the supposed love story, then a commitment to going the distance was due. At times, this story really dragged. Why not cut off the dead weight and instead give those pages to life after Briar court was created? I would have loved to have seen what all this angst of “true love” actually created. Was the re-building of Briar really as simple to achieve as it was depicted, or was there resistance? What was it like figuring out the different governances, and was there more rot that had to be dug out as certain people tried to grasp at more power (as is guaranteed to happen in democracies)?
What’s more, how did Alyce and Aurora change? Is Alyce finally confident enough to hold her own with Aurora? Is Aurora finally done freezing Alyce out and ready to have a conversation with her that isn’t hard-edged with bitterness and condescension? Are they finally ready to don this mantle of “true love” and EARN IT? I would love to know! But I never will. These are the stories Walter chose not to tell, and it is her baby after all. But I can’t help but feel like I jumped on a train that stopped halfway to its destination, and now I’ve got to get off, dissatisfied.
3 out of 5 stars.
**WARNING: Here there be SPOILERS**
Let me start by saying I ADORED “Malice.” And I was so excited for the sequel that I literally marked the release date on my calendar.
However.
I feel like this story suffered a “true love” problem that really weighted it down.
Here’s the thing: I was all for Alyce and Aurora as a couple in book one. Loved it, shipped it, bought the t-shirt.
But what happens between the two of them in book two leaves my skin crawling. These are not two people who willingly love one another. These are two people who are pretty much shackled to each other by some pre-ordained “true love” business that (we find out) was basically fated in order to bring about a union of kingdoms. Most of the time, it seems like Alyce is basically obsessed with Aurora, who tolerates her at best. More often than tolerance, though, there’s judgement, manipulation, and full-on lambasting. And because of this dynamic, we get pages and pages of Alyce questioning herself and wringing her hands over what Aurora will think of this or that, when all I wanted to see was her finally being an unapologetic, badass villain - the mistress of the Dark Court!
I could not, for the life of me, understand how Alyce could not see that what bound her to Aurora was almost as toxic as what merged her with the ancient Vila. I found myself agreeing with Regan, and I was sad that she and Alyce missed their chance to be together because Alyce could not see past AURORA AURORA AURORA. Even in the end - when Alyce had spent 100 years roaming, happily doling out vigilante-style justice, and squirreling Vila away to her version of an Underground Railroad - while Aurora held court, entertained lovers, and apparently couldn’t be bothered to write a damn letter - all it took was Aurora finally penning two lousy words for Alyce to give up the life she had built for herself and come running.
Frustrating, to say the least.
I think if there was going to be this INSISTENCE on relying so heavily upon the supposed love story, then a commitment to going the distance was due. At times, this story really dragged. Why not cut off the dead weight and instead give those pages to life after Briar court was created? I would have loved to have seen what all this angst of “true love” actually created. Was the re-building of Briar really as simple to achieve as it was depicted, or was there resistance? What was it like figuring out the different governances, and was there more rot that had to be dug out as certain people tried to grasp at more power (as is guaranteed to happen in democracies)?
What’s more, how did Alyce and Aurora change? Is Alyce finally confident enough to hold her own with Aurora? Is Aurora finally done freezing Alyce out and ready to have a conversation with her that isn’t hard-edged with bitterness and condescension? Are they finally ready to don this mantle of “true love” and EARN IT? I would love to know! But I never will. These are the stories Walter chose not to tell, and it is her baby after all. But I can’t help but feel like I jumped on a train that stopped halfway to its destination, and now I’ve got to get off, dissatisfied.
3 out of 5 stars.
March 28, 2022
↠ 4 stars
Out of the ashes of the Briar realm arises a new dominion for its destroyer. Alyce, now called Nimara, rules over her newly established Dark Court and a manor of beasts once kept in the shadows. In the century since the decimation of the Briar realm, Aurora still lies under her sleeping curse, and Alyce has become the very thing she once feared to be. Though Alyce has tried, she cannot break the curse holding her love captive, and Aurora lies hidden away from the prying eyes of the court. When a young man washes up on shore everything changes, waking the princess and descending the realm into chaos. With war looming closer, and her lost love returned, Alyce must decide how far she is willing to go to enact her revenge and discover if love can even thrive in a world so entangled with it.
Where its predecessor Malice led me softly through its thorny brambles, Misrule pushes back the thickets to reveal a reality far more malevolent. In the hundred years since the destruction of the Briar realm, Heather Walter explores the intricacies of revenge, and the lengths one will go to make it endure. Expanding on the scope of the world, and the plethora of beings within, a new side to the story emerges – one teetering on the edge of change and the balance between good and evil. As the curse upon Aurora flourishes, a war against the fae looms nearer, and a simmering tension between the dreams of a century past and the present day draws breath. By the time Aurora awakens from her slumber these moving pieces are amplified, paired against the fallout from the ashes of a fallen kingdom. The strain on Alyce and Aurora’s relationship ensuing from these transformations is central to the closing of the series. While the two grapple with this new reality and who they have both become, they search for forgiveness and a way to still build a future together. These components of the story were not what I expected for the characters going into the finale, but the complexity of forgiveness ensuing out of them was splendid. Albeit a little emotionally damaging. Alyce’s ties to the Vila were expanded upon even further here, something I’d been looking forward to since the end of Malice. Tested loyalty is my bread and butter and Misrule served it well, especially with Alyce, Aurora, and the Dark Court. Misrule is truly a book where morally gray characters thrive, constantly shifting the narrative and making moves that are never anticipated by the audience. The introduction of new beings and characters brought that even further into the foreground. Coming around to the inevitable conclusion had me very much wrecked, yet drawn into its essence of hope and repairing what is lost. Full of violence, the brutality of vengeance, and the unraveling of prejudice, Misrule makes for an enthralling ending to the Malice Duology. One that will remain with me for the considerable future.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review
Trigger Warnings: blood, gore, violence, death, murder, grief, trauma
Out of the ashes of the Briar realm arises a new dominion for its destroyer. Alyce, now called Nimara, rules over her newly established Dark Court and a manor of beasts once kept in the shadows. In the century since the decimation of the Briar realm, Aurora still lies under her sleeping curse, and Alyce has become the very thing she once feared to be. Though Alyce has tried, she cannot break the curse holding her love captive, and Aurora lies hidden away from the prying eyes of the court. When a young man washes up on shore everything changes, waking the princess and descending the realm into chaos. With war looming closer, and her lost love returned, Alyce must decide how far she is willing to go to enact her revenge and discover if love can even thrive in a world so entangled with it.
Where its predecessor Malice led me softly through its thorny brambles, Misrule pushes back the thickets to reveal a reality far more malevolent. In the hundred years since the destruction of the Briar realm, Heather Walter explores the intricacies of revenge, and the lengths one will go to make it endure. Expanding on the scope of the world, and the plethora of beings within, a new side to the story emerges – one teetering on the edge of change and the balance between good and evil. As the curse upon Aurora flourishes, a war against the fae looms nearer, and a simmering tension between the dreams of a century past and the present day draws breath. By the time Aurora awakens from her slumber these moving pieces are amplified, paired against the fallout from the ashes of a fallen kingdom. The strain on Alyce and Aurora’s relationship ensuing from these transformations is central to the closing of the series. While the two grapple with this new reality and who they have both become, they search for forgiveness and a way to still build a future together. These components of the story were not what I expected for the characters going into the finale, but the complexity of forgiveness ensuing out of them was splendid. Albeit a little emotionally damaging. Alyce’s ties to the Vila were expanded upon even further here, something I’d been looking forward to since the end of Malice. Tested loyalty is my bread and butter and Misrule served it well, especially with Alyce, Aurora, and the Dark Court. Misrule is truly a book where morally gray characters thrive, constantly shifting the narrative and making moves that are never anticipated by the audience. The introduction of new beings and characters brought that even further into the foreground. Coming around to the inevitable conclusion had me very much wrecked, yet drawn into its essence of hope and repairing what is lost. Full of violence, the brutality of vengeance, and the unraveling of prejudice, Misrule makes for an enthralling ending to the Malice Duology. One that will remain with me for the considerable future.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review
Trigger Warnings: blood, gore, violence, death, murder, grief, trauma
September 21, 2025
**4.5-stars**
Misrule is the sequel to Heather Walter's 2021-release, Malice; a darkly-creative retelling of Sleeping Beauty.
I have been highly anticipating this second book as I really enjoyed Malice. I found it completely immersive, with wonderful world-building and a fantastic magic system.
As this is the second book in a duology, I may mention some details here that some might consider spoilers. I will try not to reveal too much, but if you're concerned, look away now.
You have been warned...
This story is set 100-years after the culminating events of the first book.
Alyce has reached her potential and become ruler over the kingdom that once ridiculed her. The Dark Grace known to the Briar Kingdom is dead and now Alyce lives as Nimara, ruler of the Dark Court.
The Dark Court has become a welcome home to creatures who were vilified and hunted by the prior kingdom. Vila, goblins, imps and demons live together within the castle walls in chaotic harmony.
For her part, Aurora remains in an enchanted sleep, locked away in a tower room. Her existence more the stuff of legend than actually memory.
Could a random human boy named Derek, washed ashore and pledged to serve Nimara, be the key to breaking the enchantment holding Aurora in her endless sleep?
There's so much more to this story than that, including a centuries long battle against the Fae, but I am going to leave it there. If you want to know more, which I think you do, you have to pick up this duology.
Heather Walter's writing is so readable and digestible. At times Fantasy stories can require a lot of concentration; filled with hard to pronounce names and places, as well as complex histories and magic systems to try to figure out.
While this is a detailed and multi-layered story, it is written in such a way that makes it accessible and addicting. It stands out to me in that regard.
Overall, this was a fantastic conclusion to a highly-underrated YA Fantasy duology. I look forward to seeing what Walter releases next. Personally, I am hoping she stays in the lane of retellings. She nailed this.
Frankly, I'm sad it's over. I'll miss this beautiful world and all of the compelling characters.
Thank you to the publisher, Ballantine, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I had been highly anticipating this release and it didn't disappoint for a moment!
Misrule is the sequel to Heather Walter's 2021-release, Malice; a darkly-creative retelling of Sleeping Beauty.
I have been highly anticipating this second book as I really enjoyed Malice. I found it completely immersive, with wonderful world-building and a fantastic magic system.
As this is the second book in a duology, I may mention some details here that some might consider spoilers. I will try not to reveal too much, but if you're concerned, look away now.
You have been warned...
This story is set 100-years after the culminating events of the first book.
Alyce has reached her potential and become ruler over the kingdom that once ridiculed her. The Dark Grace known to the Briar Kingdom is dead and now Alyce lives as Nimara, ruler of the Dark Court.
The Dark Court has become a welcome home to creatures who were vilified and hunted by the prior kingdom. Vila, goblins, imps and demons live together within the castle walls in chaotic harmony.
For her part, Aurora remains in an enchanted sleep, locked away in a tower room. Her existence more the stuff of legend than actually memory.
Could a random human boy named Derek, washed ashore and pledged to serve Nimara, be the key to breaking the enchantment holding Aurora in her endless sleep?
There's so much more to this story than that, including a centuries long battle against the Fae, but I am going to leave it there. If you want to know more, which I think you do, you have to pick up this duology.
Heather Walter's writing is so readable and digestible. At times Fantasy stories can require a lot of concentration; filled with hard to pronounce names and places, as well as complex histories and magic systems to try to figure out.
While this is a detailed and multi-layered story, it is written in such a way that makes it accessible and addicting. It stands out to me in that regard.
Overall, this was a fantastic conclusion to a highly-underrated YA Fantasy duology. I look forward to seeing what Walter releases next. Personally, I am hoping she stays in the lane of retellings. She nailed this.
Frankly, I'm sad it's over. I'll miss this beautiful world and all of the compelling characters.
Thank you to the publisher, Ballantine, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I had been highly anticipating this release and it didn't disappoint for a moment!
February 18, 2022
I really don’t know how I feel about this book. I thought I would love it as much as the first book, but this one just wasn’t as good to me. Although, the last bit and the ending was really good. Sigh…
I did reread Malice and changed my 5 star to 4.5, but that’s ok as most books don’t get 5 stars that much any more from me.
The majority of the book didn’t win me over until about 65%? I didn’t really care for the imps, they took away from what I felt in the first book. They weren’t bad, I was just over it. Anyway, I read it and will probably get the kindle edition at some point.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
***
The second book cover is even more beautiful!
I did reread Malice and changed my 5 star to 4.5, but that’s ok as most books don’t get 5 stars that much any more from me.
The majority of the book didn’t win me over until about 65%? I didn’t really care for the imps, they took away from what I felt in the first book. They weren’t bad, I was just over it. Anyway, I read it and will probably get the kindle edition at some point.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
***
The second book cover is even more beautiful!
needs-review
May 16, 2022What I’m going to look like by the time this comes out in April 2022
May 18, 2022
Oof, I'm disappointed. So. Much. Filler. I don't know, maybe it was a bad idea to re-read Malice and then jump straight into this. There's barely any story, nothing of value happens for a good chunk of the book and I just WHY?!!
By the half way point I didn't even want Alyce and Aurora to be together anymore... I can't even remember a single time where's that happened before.
By the half way point I didn't even want Alyce and Aurora to be together anymore... I can't even remember a single time where's that happened before.
June 13, 2024
I'm so conflicted. I'm going to keep recommending Malice to everyone, but I will pitch it as a standalone from now on.
This book felt like the second season of a very promising show, but with completely new writers and a director that never truly understood the vision and heart of the first season, just tried to make it bigger by adding a new, more bloody conflict.
I'm keeping the 3 star rating even though it probably should be lower, just because I can't bring myself to bump it down when I think of a story I loved so much throughout the first installment.
This book felt like the second season of a very promising show, but with completely new writers and a director that never truly understood the vision and heart of the first season, just tried to make it bigger by adding a new, more bloody conflict.
I'm keeping the 3 star rating even though it probably should be lower, just because I can't bring myself to bump it down when I think of a story I loved so much throughout the first installment.
May 10, 2022
Dark fairytale retellings are my jam. Make it sapphic? Sign me up. I absolutely fell in love with this world and these characters when I read Malice. How the other was going to top the first book, I didn’t know. But do I love it even more than book one? YES!
I LOVE dark and twisty characters. The monstrous girl trope is one of my all time faves and unlikable protagonists have my heart. The tone of this book is march darker than Malice. The story centers around grief, bitterness, and mourning.
We open on Alyce, morning the loss of Aurora. She finally had the love of her life within reach. Someone who accepted her for who she was rather than the stigma surrounding her. Only to lose that love in an accident born of a moment of great emotion. Alyce grapples with her guilt and changes her entire identity. If she is going to be perceived as this possessed and evil thing, why not live up to rumors.
When Aurora’s slumber is broken, Alyce has a second chance at love, or so she thinks. Both characters have changed in the hundred years that they have been separated and have to learn to love and trust each other once again.
This dark love story is sprinkled with bits of joy and laughter. Alyce’s transformation into Nymara and subsequent reign, creates a safe haven for outcast creatures from all over. My absolute favorites are the Imps. They are delightful, playful, and all around mischievous. They brought a smile to my face throughout this story.
I don’t think I can say enough how much I love this book. I can’t wait to add a copy to my shelf this spring and I look forward to reading more from Heather Walter.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I LOVE dark and twisty characters. The monstrous girl trope is one of my all time faves and unlikable protagonists have my heart. The tone of this book is march darker than Malice. The story centers around grief, bitterness, and mourning.
We open on Alyce, morning the loss of Aurora. She finally had the love of her life within reach. Someone who accepted her for who she was rather than the stigma surrounding her. Only to lose that love in an accident born of a moment of great emotion. Alyce grapples with her guilt and changes her entire identity. If she is going to be perceived as this possessed and evil thing, why not live up to rumors.
When Aurora’s slumber is broken, Alyce has a second chance at love, or so she thinks. Both characters have changed in the hundred years that they have been separated and have to learn to love and trust each other once again.
This dark love story is sprinkled with bits of joy and laughter. Alyce’s transformation into Nymara and subsequent reign, creates a safe haven for outcast creatures from all over. My absolute favorites are the Imps. They are delightful, playful, and all around mischievous. They brought a smile to my face throughout this story.
I don’t think I can say enough how much I love this book. I can’t wait to add a copy to my shelf this spring and I look forward to reading more from Heather Walter.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 12, 2022
3.5
MILD SPOILER
I wish the ending had been more obviously happy. It ends on a positive hopeful note but I'm a sucker for clear happy endings. After the ending of Malice, I was really holding out for a *happy* happy ending. I suppose I will just have to suck it up and make up a post ending happy reunion in my head.
Edit ok I rated it 4 initially but couldn't get over the ending. Especially the part where they both had taken other lovers at some point(s) through those 100 years. Was that necessary? Was it just to show more growth? We've seen them grow already. I personally just would've preferred them to have faith in their love and eventual reunion. I mean, Alyce already went through 100 years being celibate, what's another 100 more?
MILD SPOILER
I wish the ending had been more obviously happy. It ends on a positive hopeful note but I'm a sucker for clear happy endings. After the ending of Malice, I was really holding out for a *happy* happy ending. I suppose I will just have to suck it up and make up a post ending happy reunion in my head.
Edit ok I rated it 4 initially but couldn't get over the ending. Especially the part where they both had taken other lovers at some point(s) through those 100 years. Was that necessary? Was it just to show more growth? We've seen them grow already. I personally just would've preferred them to have faith in their love and eventual reunion. I mean, Alyce already went through 100 years being celibate, what's another 100 more?
June 4, 2022
#1: Malice review
Misrule concludes the dark adult fantasy duology started by Malice which retells the story of Sleeping Beauty from the perspective of the wicked witch – who’s in love with the princess. Misrule was a deliciously dark sequel which took the story and characters to exciting new places, while also providing a fitting ending to the series.
I adored Malice when I read an ARC last year so I was beyond excited to pick up the sequel, especially after Malice’s explosive ending and I am pleased to say it did not disappoint. Where Malice followed Alyce’s descent into villainy and really explored what could push someone to that point, Misrule showed us the aftermath. I really enjoyed seeing Alyce as the villain, while also exploring what really makes a villain and whether good and evil is truly so black and white.
The romance in this book surprised me. I fell in love with Aurora alongside Alyce in the first book, but in Misrule I wasn’t too sure about them together. Too much had changed and they seemed to have too much conflict in their way. I found myself not really even rooting for them at times. Which is why I was pleasantly surprised by the resolution of their arc. I thought it was a bold choice, but definitely the right one. It respects their individual growth as characters while remaining hopeful.
The first part of this book was fast paced and did a great job of introducing you to the way this world has changed in the 100 years since the end of Malice. I was worried before going in that this book would be slow paced and a bit dense like the first one, but I was pleasantly surprised. It is clear that Heather Walter has grown as a writer in that regard – the worldbuilding was flawlessly and succinctly woven into the story making for an easy read, while maintaining a good pace. I did, however, find the second part over long and meandering at times. I wasn’t sure if this book had a clear plot line until nearly the end of this part, two thirds of the way into the book. I felt like this part could have benefited from tighter editing and establishing the main conflict earlier on.
I really enjoyed the world of this book and learning about the members of the Dark Court. I found the imps particularly charming in a world where everything seemed quite dark. I also loved getting to see Alyce find her place and her people, as in the first book she was always the outsider. In particular, her journey with reconciling the Vila and Shifter parts of her identity was really interesting.
Overall, Misrule provides a fitting conclusion to this dark Sleeping Beauty retelling. I loved the duology’s subversion of the original story and the explorations of villainy. I highly recommend it to fans of villains and morally grey characters, especially when they're sapphic!
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*eARC received in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley*
June 3, 2022
Four stars
S.P.O.I.L.E.R.S
SOOOOO, this book was might I say not as good as the first. There was action and stuff but I wasn't that...what's the word.....intrigued.
And it's not because it wasn't intriguing, it's because nobody wants to watch a bunch of assholes gather around and kill people. I really tried to like the VIla and demon characters, but I never really understood their struggle. And it became very VERY hard too like Alyce, after what she did to Briar. I mean I know it was a part of her arc, but she did a whole Danaerys though.
But there were characters that I loved. Derek was a new edition and he was just amazing. Kind and sweet. Also, Aurora was still as amazing as she was in the first book. I warmed up to Regan until she went AWOL and blew up a ship filled with innocent people.
Like I said, I did like this book. But I'm still going to rant about how much I FUCKING HATED the characters. There is something disturbing about watching people who have gone through nothing torture innocent people, for over 100 years. Most of the "tortured" magical characters in the book treated humans like assholes and it was not fun to watch. The worse thing about it that is was from the main point of view of a villain. So instead of watching from a hero's perspective and seeing them agree with how twisted the maltreatment is, they instead enjoy it and it's...disturbing.
That's all I will say
-------------------------
I am now a Derek advocate
Review To Come
------------------
currently reading
aurora better get a happy ending
----------------
AANUFBEGIUENGIN
I'M SO EXCITED
S.P.O.I.L.E.R.S
SOOOOO, this book was might I say not as good as the first. There was action and stuff but I wasn't that...what's the word.....intrigued.
And it's not because it wasn't intriguing, it's because nobody wants to watch a bunch of assholes gather around and kill people. I really tried to like the VIla and demon characters, but I never really understood their struggle. And it became very VERY hard too like Alyce, after what she did to Briar. I mean I know it was a part of her arc, but she did a whole Danaerys though.
But there were characters that I loved. Derek was a new edition and he was just amazing. Kind and sweet. Also, Aurora was still as amazing as she was in the first book. I warmed up to Regan until she went AWOL and blew up a ship filled with innocent people.
Like I said, I did like this book. But I'm still going to rant about how much I FUCKING HATED the characters. There is something disturbing about watching people who have gone through nothing torture innocent people, for over 100 years. Most of the "tortured" magical characters in the book treated humans like assholes and it was not fun to watch. The worse thing about it that is was from the main point of view of a villain. So instead of watching from a hero's perspective and seeing them agree with how twisted the maltreatment is, they instead enjoy it and it's...disturbing.
That's all I will say
-------------------------
I am now a Derek advocate
Review To Come
------------------
currently reading
aurora better get a happy ending
----------------
AANUFBEGIUENGIN
I'M SO EXCITED
January 29, 2022
PERFECT GAY ICONIC EMOTIONALLY DAMAGING 10000/10
June 14, 2022
Vaguely disappointing but still enjoyable.
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
March 5, 2022
Misrule was not great at all. Personally going into the book I was extremely excited. I had liked malice and wanted to continue the story, however once reading it I wished Malice was a standalone.
The book did have redeeming qualities the writing was good and I could still picture the story but a I just didn't like anything that was happening to the characters.
The first 66% of the book was boring. Nothing happened, I wasn't even sure what was supposed to be happening. I wish certain elements had been played out longer but I wont say in fear of spoiling.
Even after the more exciting parts of the book got started it was still boring. I feel like the duology was meant to be just one book. I feel like Misrule didn't stay with the roots of how Alyce is. However I would say if you read Malice and want to finish the series it is worthwhile the book is easy to read and I think there are people who will enjoy this ending I am just not one of them.
The book did have redeeming qualities the writing was good and I could still picture the story but a I just didn't like anything that was happening to the characters.
The first 66% of the book was boring. Nothing happened, I wasn't even sure what was supposed to be happening. I wish certain elements had been played out longer but I wont say in fear of spoiling.
Even after the more exciting parts of the book got started it was still boring. I feel like the duology was meant to be just one book. I feel like Misrule didn't stay with the roots of how Alyce is. However I would say if you read Malice and want to finish the series it is worthwhile the book is easy to read and I think there are people who will enjoy this ending I am just not one of them.
February 24, 2022
thank you netgalley, del rey books, and heather walter for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review! i’ll be honest, i wasn’t a big fan of the first book in this duology, but i really enjoyed misrule. misrule changes things up a lot and the story focuses more on what’s left after alyce destroyed briar, how she’s ruling, and her relationship with aurora.
malice isn’t a bad book, but some things about it just weren’t for me. i thought it was slow-paced and i wasn’t a big fan of alyce. however, i loved aurora and learning more about her and the politics of the world. this combination made misrule perfect for me because alyce has definitely changed a lot in this book and we get to see her in charge now - which i really enjoyed reading about. i also enjoyed learning about how the world has changed politically after briar was destroyed and aurora’s perspective on things. fans of morally grey characters will love this one because both alyce and aurora are grey in different areas. i liked all of the deception, betrayals, and political intrigue throughout and seeing all of the characters change, but in different directions.
overall, i found this book to be much stronger than malice, because it’s fast-paced, entertaining, and more fleshed out. i enjoyed all of the new characters and seeing alyce’s growth. it was interesting seeing alyce struggle with the person she was a hundred years ago and who she’s become while aurora was sleeping. i also really enjoyed seeing representatives from races previously cast out by the briar court and learning different perspectives. misrule is beautifully written and i definitely see the potential for future spin-offs.
malice isn’t a bad book, but some things about it just weren’t for me. i thought it was slow-paced and i wasn’t a big fan of alyce. however, i loved aurora and learning more about her and the politics of the world. this combination made misrule perfect for me because alyce has definitely changed a lot in this book and we get to see her in charge now - which i really enjoyed reading about. i also enjoyed learning about how the world has changed politically after briar was destroyed and aurora’s perspective on things. fans of morally grey characters will love this one because both alyce and aurora are grey in different areas. i liked all of the deception, betrayals, and political intrigue throughout and seeing all of the characters change, but in different directions.
overall, i found this book to be much stronger than malice, because it’s fast-paced, entertaining, and more fleshed out. i enjoyed all of the new characters and seeing alyce’s growth. it was interesting seeing alyce struggle with the person she was a hundred years ago and who she’s become while aurora was sleeping. i also really enjoyed seeing representatives from races previously cast out by the briar court and learning different perspectives. misrule is beautifully written and i definitely see the potential for future spin-offs.
April 20, 2022
Rating: 2 stars.
This wasn’t the book for me, sadly. I already wasn’t the biggest fan of book 1, but after this sequel, I feel like the series would have benefitted from being kept as a standalone.
I don’t feel like this book added anything significant to the story, all the problems seemed kind of forced and just existed to create drama. There were so many new characters introduced, who weren’t really important, and there were also just so many of them that I couldn’t really keep track. The story was quite messy anyway, and this didn’t help.
Every scene was just much longer than I needed to be and everything was dragged out, even the romance. The ending could have happened much sooner. I wasn’t really satisfied with the ending either, it was kind of rushed and felt unfinished to me.
Overall this wasn’t really enjoyable for me, but I still wanted to see how the story would progress and where the characters would end up. I definitely think the first book is the stronger one in the duology.
This wasn’t the book for me, sadly. I already wasn’t the biggest fan of book 1, but after this sequel, I feel like the series would have benefitted from being kept as a standalone.
I don’t feel like this book added anything significant to the story, all the problems seemed kind of forced and just existed to create drama. There were so many new characters introduced, who weren’t really important, and there were also just so many of them that I couldn’t really keep track. The story was quite messy anyway, and this didn’t help.
Every scene was just much longer than I needed to be and everything was dragged out, even the romance. The ending could have happened much sooner. I wasn’t really satisfied with the ending either, it was kind of rushed and felt unfinished to me.
Overall this wasn’t really enjoyable for me, but I still wanted to see how the story would progress and where the characters would end up. I definitely think the first book is the stronger one in the duology.
January 24, 2022
This is another read that I've been vlogging so I'm sure at some point this weekend I'll edit in that link. [ here's that link... ]
Until then, I had a wonderful time with this. Malice took me by surprise when I read it last October, I was thoroughly delighted with how the Sleeping Beauty mythos had been played with to give us that first installment and of course it ended in such a way that I was left at the end of my audiobook 1) ACHING for the sequel and 2) feeling completely foolish that I had waited to read my arc until October.
I'm glad to say that this book definitely sticks the landing. I don't think that it's the perfect conclusion for every reader. I think that this book could be on the more divisive side of life. Not only because of the new dynamics that are introduced, but also the book doesn't really make it clear what the endgame is until pretty late into the narrative. It's not always clear what the characters are trying to do and even the vague idea the reader does have from pretty early on, the longer the book takes to act on that idea the more worried I was that what I thought was going to happen wasn't going to have enough page time to execute it in a way that I thought would be satisfactory.
Ultimately I wouldn't say that I really guessed what was happening here. I think that it subverts a lot of what I had come to expect from fantasy in general, but mostly adult fantasy. It leaned into those standard plot elements a little at the end, but I think even then it was more playing with those ideas more than anything. It felt like a modern fairytale, up to and including an ending that's gonna live with me for the rest of the year.
Until then, I had a wonderful time with this. Malice took me by surprise when I read it last October, I was thoroughly delighted with how the Sleeping Beauty mythos had been played with to give us that first installment and of course it ended in such a way that I was left at the end of my audiobook 1) ACHING for the sequel and 2) feeling completely foolish that I had waited to read my arc until October.
I'm glad to say that this book definitely sticks the landing. I don't think that it's the perfect conclusion for every reader. I think that this book could be on the more divisive side of life. Not only because of the new dynamics that are introduced, but also the book doesn't really make it clear what the endgame is until pretty late into the narrative. It's not always clear what the characters are trying to do and even the vague idea the reader does have from pretty early on, the longer the book takes to act on that idea the more worried I was that what I thought was going to happen wasn't going to have enough page time to execute it in a way that I thought would be satisfactory.
Ultimately I wouldn't say that I really guessed what was happening here. I think that it subverts a lot of what I had come to expect from fantasy in general, but mostly adult fantasy. It leaned into those standard plot elements a little at the end, but I think even then it was more playing with those ideas more than anything. It felt like a modern fairytale, up to and including an ending that's gonna live with me for the rest of the year.
July 8, 2022
I’m going to have to go with 3 1/2 stars rounded down. I just wasn’t into this for the longest time!! Malice/Nimara/Alyce, whatever you want to call her just got on my nerves so much!!!! Her whole attitude was just delusional and weird to me. That may just be me, but dang, how can someone do so many awful things and still think they’re the good guy?!?! I mean come on!!!!
That and I wasn’t enthused with the romance or lack thereof. I guess this is a bit of a spoiler, so watch out!! Nimara just wasn’t very lovable. And apparently that was rubbing off on Aurora because I just wasn’t feeling it. The two are just about polar opposites and something opposites don’t attract.
So enough ranting about what I didn’t like. There were some really good things, hence the 3 1/2 stars. The last quarter of the book was absolutely riveting!!! I was enthralled and finally couldn’t look away. Parts of it were a train wreck, but damn, what an entertaining train wreck it was. Things finally all came together to make sense and I finally started to actually like some of the characters.
My conclusion is that I recommend this to those who loved the first one. Hang in there till the end though because that’s what makes this worthwhile. If you didn’t enjoy the first one, you may want to just steer clear.
Thanks so much to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Heather Walter for the opportunity to read this for my honest and unbiased opinion!!!
That and I wasn’t enthused with the romance or lack thereof. I guess this is a bit of a spoiler, so watch out!! Nimara just wasn’t very lovable. And apparently that was rubbing off on Aurora because I just wasn’t feeling it. The two are just about polar opposites and something opposites don’t attract.
So enough ranting about what I didn’t like. There were some really good things, hence the 3 1/2 stars. The last quarter of the book was absolutely riveting!!! I was enthralled and finally couldn’t look away. Parts of it were a train wreck, but damn, what an entertaining train wreck it was. Things finally all came together to make sense and I finally started to actually like some of the characters.
My conclusion is that I recommend this to those who loved the first one. Hang in there till the end though because that’s what makes this worthwhile. If you didn’t enjoy the first one, you may want to just steer clear.
Thanks so much to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Heather Walter for the opportunity to read this for my honest and unbiased opinion!!!
May 9, 2022
I love retold fairy tales and this duology has to be one of the best twists to a fairy tale that I have read. I love getting to see the story from the “villain’s” perspective (although I think think one of the morals of this story is that all sides believe they are the heroes), but I also love how strong Aurora is. The Disney version of her leaves a lot to be desired but this fiery and feisty version is fun. This book picks up right where the last one left off and it took no time to sink back into this world. Alyce goes by another name and is currently Mistress of the dark court, but all that she has built is at risk as the war with the Fae continues. I love the relationship between Alyce and Aurora especially because it is difficult and full of disagreements. Too often love is seen as easy in fairy tales and I love them for making it seem real.
July 7, 2022
2.5** The plot was slow and too much indecisiveness between Alyce and Aurora. Either hook up or kill each other I don’t have time for this
February 18, 2022
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Ever since I devoured Malice, I really wanted to get my hands on Misrule. So, when I saw that I got accepted to read it? Well, I freaked out for a bit. Mostly because I really wanted to dive back into this world and see what Alyce was up to. Hopefully wicked things were coming my way.
Entering into the Briar Kingdom to see what my little villain was up to was pretty fun at first. Then it started to get a bit frustrating here and there. Which, yes, I could totally see happening because it didn't seem like Alyce was truly herself anymore. Going by a different name and ruling the dark court sounds like a good time. Until it wasn't.
Besides the moping and tension, I did actually enjoy the book. Each twist was fun but easy to predict. I also just wished these characters communicated better instead of trying to do things on their own.
In the end, I'm happy with how things turned out. Even though I wanted some more action before the final page.
Ever since I devoured Malice, I really wanted to get my hands on Misrule. So, when I saw that I got accepted to read it? Well, I freaked out for a bit. Mostly because I really wanted to dive back into this world and see what Alyce was up to. Hopefully wicked things were coming my way.
Entering into the Briar Kingdom to see what my little villain was up to was pretty fun at first. Then it started to get a bit frustrating here and there. Which, yes, I could totally see happening because it didn't seem like Alyce was truly herself anymore. Going by a different name and ruling the dark court sounds like a good time. Until it wasn't.
Besides the moping and tension, I did actually enjoy the book. Each twist was fun but easy to predict. I also just wished these characters communicated better instead of trying to do things on their own.
In the end, I'm happy with how things turned out. Even though I wanted some more action before the final page.
January 9, 2024
I'm glad I finally finished this duology! Misrule very quickly has a big time jump and I wasn't sure where it was going but it ended up being a pretty satisfying conclusion to this queer take on Sleeping Beauty where the princess falls in love with the witch. I didn't love it in the way I did Malice, but it did a pretty good job developing character arcs and being a bit twisty with the politics.
May 30, 2022
I had so much high hopes for this but just no.
Where tf was Alyce's villian Era?
And the ending was not it
Where tf was Alyce's villian Era?
And the ending was not it
May 11, 2022
*I was provided a free copy by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
OH MY GOODNESS AAH!
Look, I enjoyed Malice, it was fun but I had problems with the pacing especially in the beginning. So explain to me how Misrule has become ONE OF MY FAVORITE SAPPHIC FANTASY BOOKS I HAVE EVER READ!!
WOW WOW.
Things I absolutely loved:
- Alyce and Aurora are THE definitions of morally grey characters (especially Alyce)
- I agreed with hoe every single character reacted to their situation, I mean all of their actions made sense!!
- The romance is full of angst (which I personally adore) but not for small petty reasons. Instead it is angsty because of how big the problems are.
- The plot kept me guessing the entire time. Some were predictable but others!? I gasped.
- THE ENDING IS PERFECT AND WHOEVER HAS A PROBLEM WITH IT CAN TALK TO ME OUTSIDE!!
Anyways, READ IT!! It comes out May 10th 2022!
TW: Violence, Toxic Relationship, Manipulation, Lack of Consent, Trauma.
OH MY GOODNESS AAH!
Look, I enjoyed Malice, it was fun but I had problems with the pacing especially in the beginning. So explain to me how Misrule has become ONE OF MY FAVORITE SAPPHIC FANTASY BOOKS I HAVE EVER READ!!
WOW WOW.
Things I absolutely loved:
- Alyce and Aurora are THE definitions of morally grey characters (especially Alyce)
- I agreed with hoe every single character reacted to their situation, I mean all of their actions made sense!!
- The romance is full of angst (which I personally adore) but not for small petty reasons. Instead it is angsty because of how big the problems are.
- The plot kept me guessing the entire time. Some were predictable but others!? I gasped.
- THE ENDING IS PERFECT AND WHOEVER HAS A PROBLEM WITH IT CAN TALK TO ME OUTSIDE!!
Anyways, READ IT!! It comes out May 10th 2022!
TW: Violence, Toxic Relationship, Manipulation, Lack of Consent, Trauma.
January 22, 2023
2.5 stars
CW: discussions of racism & murder
I don't think this is a bad book. I know a lot of people loved the first one, and I think those people will be satisfied with this one as well. But I was not one of those people.
I continued with the story out of curiosity, and maybe some hope for Alyce and Aurora's relationship, since that was my favorite part of book 1. I thought the first had glaring flaws that got in the way of my enjoyment, but I hoped the second part wouldn't fall into those same traps.
It did.
So, here's my review. I'll first lay out the parts I liked, which do honestly comprise the majority of the book itself. Then I will go into the parts I disliked, which are smaller but *extremely glaring* in a way that managed to ruin the rest of the experience for me.
WARNING: spoilers ahead
What I Liked:
-I think it was an overall improvement in quality from the first. I felt like the writing style improved somewhat, and the side characters were far more likeable. It also didn't feel like the ending came out of nowhere, one of my biggest problems with Malice.
-The Dark Court: I truly loved all the side characters in the Dark Court. I liked that there were more types of creatures other than Vila and Fae, and some of them had some cool character designs. I also liked that most of them were lesbians.
-The Ending: okay, so I feel like people who really loved the first one might *actually* be a bit disappointed in the ending. Not because it's unsatisfying or bad, but because it's not a Happily Ever After. I get that; I myself prefer my romances to end happily. However, in this case, I don't feel like Alyce and Aurora could really make that work. I mentioned that I liked their relationship in Malice, which is true, but I feel like this book REALLY made it apparent that they were incompatable. They spent the majority of the book lying to, arguing with, and betraying each other, and it became apparent that they wanted VERY different things for the future of the world. I think that the way it ended between them was kind of the only way this could work: bittersweet, with some hope, but not after a LONG period of separation and seeing other people.
Now for the things I DIDN'T like:
-Alyce and Aurora's relationship: Yeah, I meant what I said. They were AWFUL to each other for this entire book, and it became increasingly clear that their relationship was NOT meant to be. While I felt like the ending did service to what their relationship had become, I have to admit that what had become of their relationship was very disappointing. People here for a twisted fairy tale *romance* are not going to be happy.
-“Dragon’s Teeth”- please, for the love of god, come up with another expletive. Sure, you can make this one Alyce’s go-to, but EVERY character? Why is Aurora swearing on dragons? What sort of significance would a dragon hold for her? It’s used far too often, and it got old FAST.
-Aurora being let off the hook: Yeah, Aurora and Alyce were both awful, but I feel that the narrative is a bit kinder to Aurora than she deserves. Like, she was very much the oppressor in this "fantasy pseudo-racism" story (we'll get to that), but the book seems to think that that's okay. Sure, she had a reason for being upset with Alyce and the rest of the Court, but the book made a point to emphasize that Aurora's vision for the future of the worlds was CORRECT, even though it was borne of privilege and naivety. She wanted a world where everything was light and pretty, where everyone could just GET ALONG, as if that could magically fix centuries of opression. And she was RIGHT. In the end, she is made queen of the Fae and Briar (aka the land that had become home to the Dark creatures who were tortured and ostracized from everywhere else), and everyone just becomes HAPPY with it. I'm sorry, but I don't think the blonde-haired-blue-eyed fae-touched princess who wants everyone to join hands and sing together has a proper enough grasp on the oppression of the Dark creatures to RULE them. But the narrative kind of just glosses over all of that because *at least she's not killing people.* A weird line to draw given how the ending of the last book was explicitly a wish-fulfillment fantasy of the author killing all the people who she felt wronged her in real life.
And the kicker:
-Regan: This series has a problem with women of color. I want to emphasize that I, myself, am white, and do not have intimate knowledge of racism that people who have actually experienced it do, and I do not want to talk over any of them. However, the author of this book is ALSO a white woman, as is most of the fandom in my experience, so I feel that I should bring attention to racism where it exists in my own community. And OH BOY does it exist in my community!
I feel like there's a problem among white queer people where we have dealt with a lot of internalized homophobia, particularly when raised by conservative families, so when we finally break free of that and come into our own as an openly queer person, we kind of get the sense that "WE DID IT!" That the homophobia we learned from our families was the only thing we needed to overcome and we did so by being queer, while completely ignoring the fact that our conservative families likely ALSO instilled in us some SERIOUS internalized *racism.*
This has been coming up more often in the world of queer literature, but not nearly as often as it should, and I think that this book is a good example of that. Now I’m not saying that the author did anything intentionally (that’s why it’s INTERNALIZED) or that she or anyone who enjoys these books should be cancelled, but it ought to be pointed out.
Alright, back to the point. In my observations (correct me if I’m wrong), there are only TWO characters in these books who can be described as people of color (i.e. being described as having dark HUMAN skin): Laurel from Malice, who had dark black skin, and Regan from Misrule, who had rich brown skin. The rest of the human-appearing characters are white. And that’s not the only thing Laurel and Regan had in common.
Laurel was basically Alyce’s only friend before Aurora. She was the only Grace to be kind to her, and was seen as good for the entire book, until she betrayed Alyce, prompting Alyce to very brutally and very PERSONALLY murder her. When she went on her murder spree at the end of Malice, Laurel was her first victim, and her murder was one of the most vividly described. It was clearly one to be remembered. In Misrule, Alyce doesn’t really offer her any sympathy, even when it was revealed that she was likely lying about the betrayal to SAVE Alyce. Alyce just sadly blames her for her own death and moves on.
Regan was Alyce’s first friend post-Aurora, and she remained her closest friend until Aurora woke up. She was her only Vila friend, and even a possible love interest at times, until she was revealed to have “betrayed” Alyce (though in a pretty tame and meaningless way in the face of Aurora’s betrayal). After that, she starts attacking human forces who MAY have been on the Dark Court’s side (but really it was about Aurora) rather than siding with the humans, and she overexerts herself and dies. Alyce makes no effort to save her, even though there really wasn’t a reason why she couldn’t (she fell into water. Alyce is magic, why couldn’t she just go get her??). In true leftist-Marvel-villain fashion, Regan is just TOO mad at her oppressors, and so she has no place in the happy friendship world Aurora wants.
In essence, both Laurel and Reagan started out as good guys, before proving themselves to be EVIL (aka getting in the way of Alyce and Aurora’s relationship), and so they had to be killed. That is a WEIRD thing to do to your only two characters of color.
Regan’s whole Marvel-villain arc was bad enough, especially because she didn’t really seem any less redeemable than the other members of the court (it’s not HER fault Aurora was being cagey and LITERALLY INTENTIONALLY SENT THEM INTO A DEATH TRAP), and the whole message of her being too traumatized by racism to exist in the happy world of compromises the two white girls set up wasn’t helping this book’s case. But I had ALREADY noted the treatment of Laurel as potentially racist. This just hammered it in.
To me, it was concerningly evident that there was a double standard in these books: white characters like Alyce, Aurora, and Derick can betray each other, ally with the Fae, cause the deaths of close friends, lead each other into death traps, and COMMIT GENOCIDE, but god forbid a well-meaning woman of color gets in Alyce’s way.
And that fact made it impossible for me to truly enjoy this book.
CW: discussions of racism & murder
I don't think this is a bad book. I know a lot of people loved the first one, and I think those people will be satisfied with this one as well. But I was not one of those people.
I continued with the story out of curiosity, and maybe some hope for Alyce and Aurora's relationship, since that was my favorite part of book 1. I thought the first had glaring flaws that got in the way of my enjoyment, but I hoped the second part wouldn't fall into those same traps.
It did.
So, here's my review. I'll first lay out the parts I liked, which do honestly comprise the majority of the book itself. Then I will go into the parts I disliked, which are smaller but *extremely glaring* in a way that managed to ruin the rest of the experience for me.
WARNING: spoilers ahead
What I Liked:
-I think it was an overall improvement in quality from the first. I felt like the writing style improved somewhat, and the side characters were far more likeable. It also didn't feel like the ending came out of nowhere, one of my biggest problems with Malice.
-The Dark Court: I truly loved all the side characters in the Dark Court. I liked that there were more types of creatures other than Vila and Fae, and some of them had some cool character designs. I also liked that most of them were lesbians.
-The Ending: okay, so I feel like people who really loved the first one might *actually* be a bit disappointed in the ending. Not because it's unsatisfying or bad, but because it's not a Happily Ever After. I get that; I myself prefer my romances to end happily. However, in this case, I don't feel like Alyce and Aurora could really make that work. I mentioned that I liked their relationship in Malice, which is true, but I feel like this book REALLY made it apparent that they were incompatable. They spent the majority of the book lying to, arguing with, and betraying each other, and it became apparent that they wanted VERY different things for the future of the world. I think that the way it ended between them was kind of the only way this could work: bittersweet, with some hope, but not after a LONG period of separation and seeing other people.
Now for the things I DIDN'T like:
-Alyce and Aurora's relationship: Yeah, I meant what I said. They were AWFUL to each other for this entire book, and it became increasingly clear that their relationship was NOT meant to be. While I felt like the ending did service to what their relationship had become, I have to admit that what had become of their relationship was very disappointing. People here for a twisted fairy tale *romance* are not going to be happy.
-“Dragon’s Teeth”- please, for the love of god, come up with another expletive. Sure, you can make this one Alyce’s go-to, but EVERY character? Why is Aurora swearing on dragons? What sort of significance would a dragon hold for her? It’s used far too often, and it got old FAST.
-Aurora being let off the hook: Yeah, Aurora and Alyce were both awful, but I feel that the narrative is a bit kinder to Aurora than she deserves. Like, she was very much the oppressor in this "fantasy pseudo-racism" story (we'll get to that), but the book seems to think that that's okay. Sure, she had a reason for being upset with Alyce and the rest of the Court, but the book made a point to emphasize that Aurora's vision for the future of the worlds was CORRECT, even though it was borne of privilege and naivety. She wanted a world where everything was light and pretty, where everyone could just GET ALONG, as if that could magically fix centuries of opression. And she was RIGHT. In the end, she is made queen of the Fae and Briar (aka the land that had become home to the Dark creatures who were tortured and ostracized from everywhere else), and everyone just becomes HAPPY with it. I'm sorry, but I don't think the blonde-haired-blue-eyed fae-touched princess who wants everyone to join hands and sing together has a proper enough grasp on the oppression of the Dark creatures to RULE them. But the narrative kind of just glosses over all of that because *at least she's not killing people.* A weird line to draw given how the ending of the last book was explicitly a wish-fulfillment fantasy of the author killing all the people who she felt wronged her in real life.
And the kicker:
-Regan: This series has a problem with women of color. I want to emphasize that I, myself, am white, and do not have intimate knowledge of racism that people who have actually experienced it do, and I do not want to talk over any of them. However, the author of this book is ALSO a white woman, as is most of the fandom in my experience, so I feel that I should bring attention to racism where it exists in my own community. And OH BOY does it exist in my community!
I feel like there's a problem among white queer people where we have dealt with a lot of internalized homophobia, particularly when raised by conservative families, so when we finally break free of that and come into our own as an openly queer person, we kind of get the sense that "WE DID IT!" That the homophobia we learned from our families was the only thing we needed to overcome and we did so by being queer, while completely ignoring the fact that our conservative families likely ALSO instilled in us some SERIOUS internalized *racism.*
This has been coming up more often in the world of queer literature, but not nearly as often as it should, and I think that this book is a good example of that. Now I’m not saying that the author did anything intentionally (that’s why it’s INTERNALIZED) or that she or anyone who enjoys these books should be cancelled, but it ought to be pointed out.
Alright, back to the point. In my observations (correct me if I’m wrong), there are only TWO characters in these books who can be described as people of color (i.e. being described as having dark HUMAN skin): Laurel from Malice, who had dark black skin, and Regan from Misrule, who had rich brown skin. The rest of the human-appearing characters are white. And that’s not the only thing Laurel and Regan had in common.
Laurel was basically Alyce’s only friend before Aurora. She was the only Grace to be kind to her, and was seen as good for the entire book, until she betrayed Alyce, prompting Alyce to very brutally and very PERSONALLY murder her. When she went on her murder spree at the end of Malice, Laurel was her first victim, and her murder was one of the most vividly described. It was clearly one to be remembered. In Misrule, Alyce doesn’t really offer her any sympathy, even when it was revealed that she was likely lying about the betrayal to SAVE Alyce. Alyce just sadly blames her for her own death and moves on.
Regan was Alyce’s first friend post-Aurora, and she remained her closest friend until Aurora woke up. She was her only Vila friend, and even a possible love interest at times, until she was revealed to have “betrayed” Alyce (though in a pretty tame and meaningless way in the face of Aurora’s betrayal). After that, she starts attacking human forces who MAY have been on the Dark Court’s side (but really it was about Aurora) rather than siding with the humans, and she overexerts herself and dies. Alyce makes no effort to save her, even though there really wasn’t a reason why she couldn’t (she fell into water. Alyce is magic, why couldn’t she just go get her??). In true leftist-Marvel-villain fashion, Regan is just TOO mad at her oppressors, and so she has no place in the happy friendship world Aurora wants.
In essence, both Laurel and Reagan started out as good guys, before proving themselves to be EVIL (aka getting in the way of Alyce and Aurora’s relationship), and so they had to be killed. That is a WEIRD thing to do to your only two characters of color.
Regan’s whole Marvel-villain arc was bad enough, especially because she didn’t really seem any less redeemable than the other members of the court (it’s not HER fault Aurora was being cagey and LITERALLY INTENTIONALLY SENT THEM INTO A DEATH TRAP), and the whole message of her being too traumatized by racism to exist in the happy world of compromises the two white girls set up wasn’t helping this book’s case. But I had ALREADY noted the treatment of Laurel as potentially racist. This just hammered it in.
To me, it was concerningly evident that there was a double standard in these books: white characters like Alyce, Aurora, and Derick can betray each other, ally with the Fae, cause the deaths of close friends, lead each other into death traps, and COMMIT GENOCIDE, but god forbid a well-meaning woman of color gets in Alyce’s way.
And that fact made it impossible for me to truly enjoy this book.
May 7, 2023
2/5⭐️
Why is it that somehow most duologies should’ve stayed as stand-alones? Like… seriously what confusing mess was that?
I really really loved Malice! I thought that almost everything about it was perfect, so therefore I really looked forward to reading the sequel because book one ended on a huge cliffhanger and I was indeed very intrigued by it…
However, the execution of said cliffhanger was definitely not my cup of tea.
First of all the time jump of freaking 100 years… it could’ve been done well but for me it just fell flat and it just kind of caused for a lot of unnecessary drama. I know it is supposed to be very significant for the relationship between Aurora and Alyce because of the curse and what not but the only thing it caused is for me to start DISLIKING their relationship?!?!
I loved Alyce and Aurora and their relationship so so much in book 1! It felt natural, fated and absolutely beautiful!! Like they were soulmates, meant to be with one another! While that still was the case in this book, it started to feel forced. That for some reason these two HAVE to be together but they actually despise that idea (especially Aurora). It felt one-sided, manipulative and toxic for most of the time. I know that the events from book one are mainly the reason for this outcome but I honestly hoped that it would’ve been done better than that..
I’m just sad that I actually came to not wanting them to be together for most of the book while in book 1 I prayed for their happily ever after…
Also the plot of the book was so confusing to me. So much was going on all at ones. It felt like as if the author tried to fill up the book with as many different plots and conflicts so that the book doesn’t only rely on the romance. I also honestly didn’t care at all about the politics in this world. This book is the example of fantasy politics that I just couldn’t care less about. It’s very disappointing.
I was also bored through 80% of the book. The 20% where I was “entertained”, was when Alyce was literally chasing after Aurora who seemed to have no interest in her whatsoever (it wasn’t the good kind of entertainment if you ask me).
However, the ending kind of saved the book a little bit, which is why I still give this book 2 stars rather than just 1. But other than that this book was a HUGE disappointment for me and I’m honestly very sad that it came to that conclusion.
Overall, I really do recommend reading book one though, because it truly was amazing! This book however… I mean maybe some people will like it more than I did but sadly that wasn’t the case for me at all..
Why is it that somehow most duologies should’ve stayed as stand-alones? Like… seriously what confusing mess was that?
I really really loved Malice! I thought that almost everything about it was perfect, so therefore I really looked forward to reading the sequel because book one ended on a huge cliffhanger and I was indeed very intrigued by it…
However, the execution of said cliffhanger was definitely not my cup of tea.
First of all the time jump of freaking 100 years… it could’ve been done well but for me it just fell flat and it just kind of caused for a lot of unnecessary drama. I know it is supposed to be very significant for the relationship between Aurora and Alyce because of the curse and what not but the only thing it caused is for me to start DISLIKING their relationship?!?!
I loved Alyce and Aurora and their relationship so so much in book 1! It felt natural, fated and absolutely beautiful!! Like they were soulmates, meant to be with one another! While that still was the case in this book, it started to feel forced. That for some reason these two HAVE to be together but they actually despise that idea (especially Aurora). It felt one-sided, manipulative and toxic for most of the time. I know that the events from book one are mainly the reason for this outcome but I honestly hoped that it would’ve been done better than that..
I’m just sad that I actually came to not wanting them to be together for most of the book while in book 1 I prayed for their happily ever after…
Also the plot of the book was so confusing to me. So much was going on all at ones. It felt like as if the author tried to fill up the book with as many different plots and conflicts so that the book doesn’t only rely on the romance. I also honestly didn’t care at all about the politics in this world. This book is the example of fantasy politics that I just couldn’t care less about. It’s very disappointing.
I was also bored through 80% of the book. The 20% where I was “entertained”, was when Alyce was literally chasing after Aurora who seemed to have no interest in her whatsoever (it wasn’t the good kind of entertainment if you ask me).
However, the ending kind of saved the book a little bit, which is why I still give this book 2 stars rather than just 1. But other than that this book was a HUGE disappointment for me and I’m honestly very sad that it came to that conclusion.
Overall, I really do recommend reading book one though, because it truly was amazing! This book however… I mean maybe some people will like it more than I did but sadly that wasn’t the case for me at all..
February 23, 2022
Wow this book. I don't even know how to describe and fully review it. Suffice to say you are going to go through an emotional journey. after really enjoying Malice last year, I had to exercise some serious patience for Misrule to come out, and also I was really nervous as to how Walter was going to land the proverbial plane, as there is a lot to deal with. But I'm pleased to say that this book was wonderful.
Misrule is the sequel to the Sleeping Beauty retelling Malice, but in this retelling- it's much more than just making the characters sapphic and making the villain the POV character, but a whole new magical world is created. And Malice left on a cliffhanger of events, Misrule picks it right up.
I mentioned in my review of Malice that one of the things that drew me into the world right away was Walter's world, and I love how that was expanded in this book bringing out so many new creatures and beings as well as showing us so much more about the Etherians. I'm still impressed at the worldbuilding and seeing more to it was a joy.
And additionally there were a ton of new characters introduced and I loved them. Derek, Neve, and Especially Regan. These characters have a ton of depth to them and while these books are a love story between Aurora and Alyce, I felt the love triangle element Regan provided added a lot to the book and there were times I felt like I was team Regan.
I can't go too far into the plot of the book without going into spoilers but I really think Walter did a great job at finding a suitable ending to this story while also making this book grip you at the same time. The ending is going to be controversial though- it gutted me but I don't hate it.
I'd be remiss to not mention the emotions this book brings out. I was a crying mess for a hot minute after finishing this book. There are so many feelings this book brought out in me, anger and love, heartbreak and resolution, confusion and understanding, painful and cathartic. This book will pull at your heart in so many ways.
I loved this. I gave Malice four stars because while I loved the world and characters it wasn't perfect, but I found this book just wonderful. 5/5
Thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review
Misrule is the sequel to the Sleeping Beauty retelling Malice, but in this retelling- it's much more than just making the characters sapphic and making the villain the POV character, but a whole new magical world is created. And Malice left on a cliffhanger of events, Misrule picks it right up.
I mentioned in my review of Malice that one of the things that drew me into the world right away was Walter's world, and I love how that was expanded in this book bringing out so many new creatures and beings as well as showing us so much more about the Etherians. I'm still impressed at the worldbuilding and seeing more to it was a joy.
And additionally there were a ton of new characters introduced and I loved them. Derek, Neve, and Especially Regan. These characters have a ton of depth to them and while these books are a love story between Aurora and Alyce, I felt the love triangle element Regan provided added a lot to the book and there were times I felt like I was team Regan.
I can't go too far into the plot of the book without going into spoilers but I really think Walter did a great job at finding a suitable ending to this story while also making this book grip you at the same time. The ending is going to be controversial though- it gutted me but I don't hate it.
I'd be remiss to not mention the emotions this book brings out. I was a crying mess for a hot minute after finishing this book. There are so many feelings this book brought out in me, anger and love, heartbreak and resolution, confusion and understanding, painful and cathartic. This book will pull at your heart in so many ways.
I loved this. I gave Malice four stars because while I loved the world and characters it wasn't perfect, but I found this book just wonderful. 5/5
Thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review
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