A review by yofrere
Misrule by Heather Walter

dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Check out my review of Malice!

Compared to the first book , Misrule felt rather slow. While the world building was a bit more fleshed out, it seemed like a time sucker after the 500 page prequel. It was interesting but directionless for most of the book. I understood Aurora even less in this book which was, in a way, more relatable
considering she had to reimagine her life when she woke up after 100 years to find out that the person she was in love with murdered her entire family and destroyed everything she’d ever known save for a bedroom and the skeleton of her childhood home
.

I wasn’t overly interested in Alyce’s story. I was actually hoping that the second book would be from someone else’s point of view. But she was a familiar narrator and it was nice to see some insight from her unique perspective. The court politics confused me along with several plot points that weren’t really explained. They just sort of were. It may seem unfair to compare this book to Malice but after the scandal and intrigue of the first book, Misrule’s paced out counterbalance was a bit boring.

The supporting cast was actually pretty fun and definitely more likable than the Graces in the first book. The found family trope was a little unexpected but endearing?
The “love triangle” was also unexpected and a bit boring.
I wish Neve had more time in the spotlight. I did not like Regan really at all.

The ending was ultimately satisfying but I wouldn’t recommend this series for everyone. An unusual twist on a classic story. 

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