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A review by king_lefay
Misrule by Heather Walter
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I have many thoughts and feelings about this book.
I feel like there were a lot of issues with the consistency of tone. For example, at one moment there would be imps and goblins dancing about in cartoonishly evil ways, then immediately after there would be descriptions of something quite violent and grotesque. This tonal whiplash happened constantly.
The characters, plot, and world-building were fairly flimsy and flat at times. But I found the fae and the visual and magical aspects of the world itself to be quite charming. At points, the book reminded me of campy 80s fantasy movies (and in the acknowledgements the author even mentions loving Labyrinth as a child), which I am certainly not against and only adds to this weird appeal I have of the story and its characters. The way she treated fae felt quite unique to me compared to what is and has been popular in fantasy books of this type for years.
I definitely want to read more by this author as she releases more down the line, especially if she continues to hone in on this medieval fantasy world and style she is creating, but I'm still conflicted by this book and the first in it's duology. For now, I'll hold on to them and will probably give them a reread in the future.
I feel like there were a lot of issues with the consistency of tone. For example, at one moment there would be imps and goblins dancing about in cartoonishly evil ways, then immediately after there would be descriptions of something quite violent and grotesque. This tonal whiplash happened constantly.
The characters, plot, and world-building were fairly flimsy and flat at times. But I found the fae and the visual and magical aspects of the world itself to be quite charming. At points, the book reminded me of campy 80s fantasy movies (and in the acknowledgements the author even mentions loving Labyrinth as a child), which I am certainly not against and only adds to this weird appeal I have of the story and its characters. The way she treated fae felt quite unique to me compared to what is and has been popular in fantasy books of this type for years.
I definitely want to read more by this author as she releases more down the line, especially if she continues to hone in on this medieval fantasy world and style she is creating, but I'm still conflicted by this book and the first in it's duology. For now, I'll hold on to them and will probably give them a reread in the future.