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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
Heather Walter's conclusion to her debut duology is a satisfying political fantasy. A few chapters into Misrule, I couldn't stop reading. The plot is fast=paced and really action-packed. There were so many twists, turns, and betrayals – and some of them really surprised me. I really love Heather Walter's prose, and Alyse's voice remained as alluring for me in this second book as the first.
That being said, Alyse is much more the villain in this book, and I did struggle with that. I found her to be much less sympathetic than in book one. However, I loved the ending, and am really happy I stuck with it for a very satisfying conclusion. The added world-building and deeper introduction to the different races and allies was really fun to explore.
Thank you so much to Del Rey and Netgalley for the e-arc. I'm very excited to see what Walter does next.
That being said, Alyse is much more the villain in this book, and I did struggle with that. I found her to be much less sympathetic than in book one. However, I loved the ending, and am really happy I stuck with it for a very satisfying conclusion. The added world-building and deeper introduction to the different races and allies was really fun to explore.
Thank you so much to Del Rey and Netgalley for the e-arc. I'm very excited to see what Walter does next.
Um... 3 stars feels too low, but I'm going to be honest: 3.5 stars feels too high!! Reading this made me feel like the most annoying person on the planet, because all of my critiques are kinda specific and not that important, but they're all things that ended up really bugging me? I liked but didn't LOVE the first book in the series, and I was hoping that the second book would make up for some of that, but alas. It didn't, not really.
Yeah. I was pretty hung up on that. And I still think the book would have been far more compelling if Alyce hadn't been possessed or infiltrated by Mortania.
What else? I didn't like either of the love triangles. They were silly and clearly just written in for a little extra interpersonal conflict. The fact that Rose came back in this book was mind boggling to me, and clearly a case of the author making a decision, rather than letting the character make a decision. Sure, we were given a reason why Alyce freed her, because she wanted her to make elixirs for Aurora, but very soon after, she learnt that it probably wasn't necessary, and she very well could have shoved Rose back in a cell. And yes, yes, Rose had a part to play in the end, and her selfishness and greed helped teach Alyce a lesson and whatever. But it's just an example of writing that really irked me. I always felt like happenstance and the author's motives were moving the characters forward. In an ideal world, it would feel like they were really fleshed out and complex people making decisions for reasons of their own, and the author was just telling their story.
I liked the romance so much in the first book, and there were a few good moments in this one, but overall, I felt almost nothing for them. I never really like it when books have characters betray each other in really huge ways, and then try to convince the reader of their reconciliation 200 pages later. It never feels satisfying. But THIS felt even LESS satisfying, with them separating for 100 years, and now they're gonna get back together in the epilogue because...? Aurora says 'come home'...? Eh.
There were obviously things that I liked. The new structure of the court and everything that Alyce built was interesting. The imps were probably my favourite part about the book, even when they were being little shits. Some parts of the romance were okay. The plot progression was all over the place, feeling slow in one moment and really rushed in another, but I like how everything ended. There were other things I liked, and I know it doesn't sound like it, but I really did enjoy most of my time with this book. My head is just really full of complaints right now, lol.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Ann-Marie Gideon, and it was okay. I wasn't the biggest fan of the accent, and after a while, my annoyance with the book started to affect my enjoyment on a whole. I guess I'm still glad I read this duology, because it's been on my TBR for so long, and I was excited enough about it to buy it. I love fairy-tale retellings so so much. But this, for all its promise, wasn't quite everything I wanted.
Spoiler
I think a lot of my dissatisfaction stems from the fact that this is an adult book, but it reads very YA in the way it approaches the plot and themes. I don't have a whole lot of examples of that; it's just a general feeling. And also the fact that huge things happen and then are never addressed. I'm sorry, but I'm really still hung up on the fact that Alyce killed... hundreds? thousands? of innocent commoners in her rampage at the end of the first book, and I feel like that's something that she ought to contend with in a serious way, or that the book/other characters should make her address. And it wasn't? At all? Even when Aurora awoke and got all mad at what became of Briar, she seemed mostly upset about the castle and its inhabitants and the courtiers, all the people she knew. Unless I missed it, she never called Alyce out for the destruction of life on a larger scale, and the lack of that conversation drove me up a wall. Starting a war is one thing, but that was just mass murder of civilians? I'm not saying it shouldn't have happened, because it's definitely interesting, but the fact that it's never discussed just makes this a worse book. I mean, this is how I always feel about wanton death and a lot of collateral damage, in any book I read or show I watch. Don't include it unless you're going to address it! And if you're not going to address it, then you're asking me to believe that the character is just plain evil, which Alyce is not!!Yeah. I was pretty hung up on that. And I still think the book would have been far more compelling if Alyce hadn't been possessed or infiltrated by Mortania.
What else? I didn't like either of the love triangles. They were silly and clearly just written in for a little extra interpersonal conflict. The fact that Rose came back in this book was mind boggling to me, and clearly a case of the author making a decision, rather than letting the character make a decision. Sure, we were given a reason why Alyce freed her, because she wanted her to make elixirs for Aurora, but very soon after, she learnt that it probably wasn't necessary, and she very well could have shoved Rose back in a cell. And yes, yes, Rose had a part to play in the end, and her selfishness and greed helped teach Alyce a lesson and whatever. But it's just an example of writing that really irked me. I always felt like happenstance and the author's motives were moving the characters forward. In an ideal world, it would feel like they were really fleshed out and complex people making decisions for reasons of their own, and the author was just telling their story.
I liked the romance so much in the first book, and there were a few good moments in this one, but overall, I felt almost nothing for them. I never really like it when books have characters betray each other in really huge ways, and then try to convince the reader of their reconciliation 200 pages later. It never feels satisfying. But THIS felt even LESS satisfying, with them separating for 100 years, and now they're gonna get back together in the epilogue because...? Aurora says 'come home'...? Eh.
There were obviously things that I liked. The new structure of the court and everything that Alyce built was interesting. The imps were probably my favourite part about the book, even when they were being little shits. Some parts of the romance were okay. The plot progression was all over the place, feeling slow in one moment and really rushed in another, but I like how everything ended. There were other things I liked, and I know it doesn't sound like it, but I really did enjoy most of my time with this book. My head is just really full of complaints right now, lol.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Ann-Marie Gideon, and it was okay. I wasn't the biggest fan of the accent, and after a while, my annoyance with the book started to affect my enjoyment on a whole. I guess I'm still glad I read this duology, because it's been on my TBR for so long, and I was excited enough about it to buy it. I love fairy-tale retellings so so much. But this, for all its promise, wasn't quite everything I wanted.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Książka jest o wiele gorsza od poprzedniej części. Wszyscy bohaterowie mnie denerwowali, a rzadna z rzeczy w fabule nie miała sensu i wydawała się być z nikąd. Bohaterowie zachowywałi się absurdalnie. A wątek romantyczny Alice to chyba jakiś żart.
If I hear the phrase “Dragons teeth” one more time, I might hurl.
How did this series stoop so low?! I loved the first one but by the end of this novel I cared zero for anything that happened. Plot was lackluster and made no sense. Felt completely tripe. And the ending just was anticlimactic and I did not care.
I will relish the first novel and hold that as my ending.
How did this series stoop so low?! I loved the first one but by the end of this novel I cared zero for anything that happened. Plot was lackluster and made no sense. Felt completely tripe. And the ending just was anticlimactic and I did not care.
I will relish the first novel and hold that as my ending.
COULDNT ALYCE JUST HAVE BEEN EVIL?
Let’s rewind, I’ve been reading a few of the reviews here and most peoples complaint is that they did not like the first half of the book.
Here’s my take: that’s the ONLY half of the book I liked. Does nothing really happen? Absolutely. Is the plot staggering. Yup. But I still got to see Alyce all cruel and evil. As soon as aurora wakes it’s a steady decline of the book going to hell.
Look I don’t even think it’s that bad a book thus the three stars. The fae world briar ethyria and all are mildly interesting aspects of the world building good to read about. Even mortania slowly corrupting Alyce’s mind is done very well and very nuanced.
My biggest problem with this book is Alyce’s redemption arc. We know by the end of book one she has turned to genocide. She burned the whole city to the fucking ground and from there misrule had a strong start. She was still delusional that what she did was justified and she has become the mistress of the dark court after a long time jump.
So obviously my biggest anticipation was to see auroras fury when she wakes and learns what happens.
The whiplash I got when aurora was not even mildly bothered by this. Like she just forgives Alyce???? We are supposed to too??? Though she repeatedly states SHE DOES NOT REGRET IT. WHAT THE FUCK.
she BURNED Alyce’s kingdom to the ground. ALYCE JAS A COURTROOM DECORATED WITH THE HEADS OF HER ENEMIES…and aurora only mentions it once and never again. No don’t mistake me I don’t mind the tower of heads. I like the idea but it just seems so out of character for aurora to do this. Like the one kingdom she cared so much about, she was preparing to ally with that Elias just for the sake of her kingdom and she barely bats an eye when she learns it’s destroyed????? I would have much rather loved to read Alyce getting worse and worse and worse and hell I wouldn’t even have minded the bury your gays trope if it meant aurora fights for good and defeats Alyce in the end. That’s the kind of book I was expecting to read.
And let’s get to aurora. She does not seem to have a spine in this book. And that’s to say just because a character gives snarky dialogues, does not mean they have a backbone. I am appalled at how easily she forgave Alyce like it was nothing and goes on poorly planned missions with her. 100 years of ruling has done nothing whatsoever to boost Alyce’s intelligence. All their plans are so poorly made and written like the author has not bothered to think them through and has just typed the first thing that came to her mind for the sake of plot.
We have one nice guy character this book. He’s a total pushover and might as well have a collar around his neck but alright. I don’t really care that much.
The imps and the goblins whichever were the violent ones were pretty cool.
Its just the start of the book that’s holding up the rating here. I was dissapointed as I read further along and the ending is sort of open to interpretation but the obvious interpretation is that some centuries later aurora and Alyce finally get back together? Like fine don’t make them fight. I know one of the themes in the book is the futility of war but that does not mean you have to be friends either. If it was to be written as aurora not taking her revenge (because I agree it’s not in auroras character to be violent or engage in war either) it should have been atleast ended in a sort of there-will-be-peace-between-our-people-but-not-us thing. I don’t know I’m just rambling. I wouldn’t say the book was a waste of my time. I wasted my time reading this book instead of studying but it wasn’t a waste of time. It gave me just the escapism I needed.
Let’s rewind, I’ve been reading a few of the reviews here and most peoples complaint is that they did not like the first half of the book.
Here’s my take: that’s the ONLY half of the book I liked. Does nothing really happen? Absolutely. Is the plot staggering. Yup. But I still got to see Alyce all cruel and evil. As soon as aurora wakes it’s a steady decline of the book going to hell.
Look I don’t even think it’s that bad a book thus the three stars. The fae world briar ethyria and all are mildly interesting aspects of the world building good to read about. Even mortania slowly corrupting Alyce’s mind is done very well and very nuanced.
My biggest problem with this book is Alyce’s redemption arc. We know by the end of book one she has turned to genocide. She burned the whole city to the fucking ground and from there misrule had a strong start. She was still delusional that what she did was justified and she has become the mistress of the dark court after a long time jump.
So obviously my biggest anticipation was to see auroras fury when she wakes and learns what happens.
The whiplash I got when aurora was not even mildly bothered by this. Like she just forgives Alyce???? We are supposed to too??? Though she repeatedly states SHE DOES NOT REGRET IT. WHAT THE FUCK.
she BURNED Alyce’s kingdom to the ground. ALYCE JAS A COURTROOM DECORATED WITH THE HEADS OF HER ENEMIES…and aurora only mentions it once and never again. No don’t mistake me I don’t mind the tower of heads. I like the idea but it just seems so out of character for aurora to do this. Like the one kingdom she cared so much about, she was preparing to ally with that Elias just for the sake of her kingdom and she barely bats an eye when she learns it’s destroyed????? I would have much rather loved to read Alyce getting worse and worse and worse and hell I wouldn’t even have minded the bury your gays trope if it meant aurora fights for good and defeats Alyce in the end. That’s the kind of book I was expecting to read.
And let’s get to aurora. She does not seem to have a spine in this book. And that’s to say just because a character gives snarky dialogues, does not mean they have a backbone. I am appalled at how easily she forgave Alyce like it was nothing and goes on poorly planned missions with her. 100 years of ruling has done nothing whatsoever to boost Alyce’s intelligence. All their plans are so poorly made and written like the author has not bothered to think them through and has just typed the first thing that came to her mind for the sake of plot.
We have one nice guy character this book. He’s a total pushover and might as well have a collar around his neck but alright. I don’t really care that much.
The imps and the goblins whichever were the violent ones were pretty cool.
Its just the start of the book that’s holding up the rating here. I was dissapointed as I read further along and the ending is sort of open to interpretation but the obvious interpretation is that some centuries later aurora and Alyce finally get back together? Like fine don’t make them fight. I know one of the themes in the book is the futility of war but that does not mean you have to be friends either. If it was to be written as aurora not taking her revenge (because I agree it’s not in auroras character to be violent or engage in war either) it should have been atleast ended in a sort of there-will-be-peace-between-our-people-but-not-us thing. I don’t know I’m just rambling. I wouldn’t say the book was a waste of my time. I wasted my time reading this book instead of studying but it wasn’t a waste of time. It gave me just the escapism I needed.
This book was even better then the first one. I loved all the creatures that were more talked about in the sequel and all though I wish we had more of Alyce and Aurora, I still enjoyed their relationship and the ending was just perfect. It was an amazing read.
As far as bad bitches go, Alyce was a bad bitch. It didn't thrill me to the core but hey, I had a nice time reading this.
Unfortunately the ending to this duology left me disappointed. Too much filler plot, and I wasn't a huge fan of Aurora and Alyce's relationship in this book. Without going into too much detail, the romance could have gone a different way and that would have made more sense for the story.