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dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I could not put this book down. It tore me apart and I did not think Aurora and Alyce could reconcile after the turn of events but it had the most perfect end to the duology. Unforgettable characters I will miss.
SPOILER ALERT.
I wish Aurora and Alyce hadn’t spent so much of the book fighting, betraying, and hating on each other. There were times I found Aurora’s moral superiority to be so unsupportable. I’m also really sad about Regan, I wish she had a happy ending because she deserved one for being by Alyce’s side even when Aurora wasn’t.
SPOILER ALERT.
I wish Aurora and Alyce hadn’t spent so much of the book fighting, betraying, and hating on each other. There were times I found Aurora’s moral superiority to be so unsupportable. I’m also really sad about Regan, I wish she had a happy ending because she deserved one for being by Alyce’s side even when Aurora wasn’t.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is getting 4 starts because I finished it.
Let me just say that Ms. Walter did an amazing job crafting Alyce. I couldn't stand her. She was so stuck in her ways, even after so much time had passed, that I'm not sure she ever grew up. Everyone else essentially had to force therapy upon her, and even then she was so sure the world was out to get her. It was exhausting. The exact kind of FMC I am not a fan of. But, that is a me problem and not a reflection of the kind book this is. I hate whiny main characters, and Alyce was the epitome of that. The fact that she pissed me off so much, just goes to show how well written she was. Aurora is no better, and I actually loved how the book ended. It was exactly right.
Let me just say that Ms. Walter did an amazing job crafting Alyce. I couldn't stand her. She was so stuck in her ways, even after so much time had passed, that I'm not sure she ever grew up. Everyone else essentially had to force therapy upon her, and even then she was so sure the world was out to get her. It was exhausting. The exact kind of FMC I am not a fan of. But, that is a me problem and not a reflection of the kind book this is. I hate whiny main characters, and Alyce was the epitome of that. The fact that she pissed me off so much, just goes to show how well written she was. Aurora is no better, and I actually loved how the book ended. It was exactly right.
adventurous
medium-paced
I genuinely enjoyed the world and overall direction of the plot in the Malice duology.
There were some phrases that ended up really grating on me from overuse and in Misrule, there were a number of times I felt like the storyline was too basic, too slow, or just boring. However the ending was much better than I expected, and there were some twists I was so excited about that it pulled me through to the end. I recommend reading this duology back to back so you can remember the storyline better than I did - I was a little lost at the beginning of the book trying to remember the history and who everyone was.
The ‚new‘ cast of characters were great, though I loved the rivalry between Rose and Alice more than almost any other relationship/dynamic. I was impressed by this duology and though there are plot thing I would like to change, and some characters that could have been a bit more involved, and maybe a little bit of editing to the writing, I bad a great time with this book.
There were some phrases that ended up really grating on me from overuse and in Misrule, there were a number of times I felt like the storyline was too basic, too slow, or just boring. However the ending was much better than I expected, and there were some twists I was so excited about that it pulled me through to the end. I recommend reading this duology back to back so you can remember the storyline better than I did - I was a little lost at the beginning of the book trying to remember the history and who everyone was.
The ‚new‘ cast of characters were great, though I loved the rivalry between Rose and Alice more than almost any other relationship/dynamic. I was impressed by this duology and though there are plot thing I would like to change, and some characters that could have been a bit more involved, and maybe a little bit of editing to the writing, I bad a great time with this book.
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Misrule is the second book in the Malice Duology, a morally grey Sleeping Beauty retelling, and takes place a hundred years after Princess Aurora was cursed into a deep sleep. Alyce, once the Dark Grace, is now Mistress of the Dark Court, a havenfor dark magic kind, and a new Fae war is in full swing.
The Dark Court, built on the broken smoldering bones of what used to be Briar, is a thing of macabre beauty: rust-coated opulent chandeliers, the heads of enemies mounted on walls, and gowns made of black and red feathers, cobweb lace, and silver branch collars. The members of the court themselves are just as fascinating: demons, vila, goblins, shifters, and imps (I was especially fond of the imps, they were like deadly mischievous toddlers that can make the most extraordinary gowns and delicate pastries out of almost nothing… and also kill you).
Someone who I wasn’t especially fond of was Aurora.
I tried to be sympathetic to her, I promise I did. After all, she did wake up after a hundred years to discover that almost everyone she knew was dead and her lover had pretty much reduced her kingdom to rubble. But it was like the things that mildly annoyed me about her in the first book – her stubbornness, inability to compromise, and firm belief that she knows best – were dialed up to a 10. She also comes across as just a little too perfect. Beyond her perfect beauty (which isn’t her fault, she was force-fed magic beauty elixirs her whole life), she is loved by almost all, with minimal effort on her part, and she always comes out on top. And honestly, Regan (Alyce’s most loyal companion and the first vila to stand by her side) has a point when she says that Alyce is blinded by Aurora to the detriment of all else.
I’m kind of team Regan tbh.
Alyce grew on me in this. She really does have good intentions and she’s hit with pangs of remorse for what she has done to the humans in Briar in search of her own vengeance, no better than how the Fae have treated the Vila. Who defines what makes an intention “good” anyway? Ultimately, for Alyce, it’s Aurora. Alyce does not trust her own moral compass, and so she looks to Aurora. The problem is, while Alyce may always make the choices that do right by Aurora, Aurora does not feel the same compulsion towards Alyce.
It makes for a complicated dynamic, to say the least. But it’s a dynamic that keeps you turning pages to see where this relationship is going. Friends to lovers to frenemies to allies to enemies to friends to lovers? Is Aurora ever going to forgive Alyce, or just string her along when convenient? Is Alyce ever going to set boundaries, or just go full doormat?
Throw in Derek, who is set up as a somewhat rival of Alyce’s, and “
The Dark Court, built on the broken smoldering bones of what used to be Briar, is a thing of macabre beauty: rust-coated opulent chandeliers, the heads of enemies mounted on walls, and gowns made of black and red feathers, cobweb lace, and silver branch collars. The members of the court themselves are just as fascinating: demons, vila, goblins, shifters, and imps (I was especially fond of the imps, they were like deadly mischievous toddlers that can make the most extraordinary gowns and delicate pastries out of almost nothing… and also kill you).
Someone who I wasn’t especially fond of was Aurora.
I tried to be sympathetic to her, I promise I did. After all, she did wake up after a hundred years to discover that almost everyone she knew was dead and her lover had pretty much reduced her kingdom to rubble. But it was like the things that mildly annoyed me about her in the first book – her stubbornness, inability to compromise, and firm belief that she knows best – were dialed up to a 10. She also comes across as just a little too perfect. Beyond her perfect beauty (which isn’t her fault, she was force-fed magic beauty elixirs her whole life), she is loved by almost all, with minimal effort on her part, and she always comes out on top. And honestly, Regan (Alyce’s most loyal companion and the first vila to stand by her side) has a point when she says that Alyce is blinded by Aurora to the detriment of all else.
I’m kind of team Regan tbh.
Alyce grew on me in this. She really does have good intentions and she’s hit with pangs of remorse for what she has done to the humans in Briar in search of her own vengeance, no better than how the Fae have treated the Vila. Who defines what makes an intention “good” anyway? Ultimately, for Alyce, it’s Aurora. Alyce does not trust her own moral compass, and so she looks to Aurora. The problem is, while Alyce may always make the choices that do right by Aurora, Aurora does not feel the same compulsion towards Alyce.
It makes for a complicated dynamic, to say the least. But it’s a dynamic that keeps you turning pages to see where this relationship is going. Friends to lovers to frenemies to allies to enemies to friends to lovers? Is Aurora ever going to forgive Alyce, or just string her along when convenient? Is Alyce ever going to set boundaries, or just go full doormat?
Throw in Derek, who is set up as a somewhat rival of Alyce’s, and “
The ending did come together, but the whole book itself failed to make me want everything to work out for any of the main characters. How is no one likeable? Maybe if we got Aurora's point of view everything would have come together a bit more. When we are constantly guessing who to trust it comes off as jumbled instead of mysterious.