theespressoedition's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
After reading and absolutely obsessing over Malice, I was thrilled to dive into Misrule as soon as possible. The previous book left us on a bit of an intense, emotional cliffhanger and I had to know what happened next...
...what I wasn't expecting was for this book to take place 100 years in the future. That threw me for a loop, I'll be honest. It also made me a little bit frustrated because it showed that Alyce really hadn't grown at all in that time, but completely given in to every bit of evil that was plaguing her from the get-go.
However, that meant there was nowhere to go but up. It just took a while to get there.
This book was a great deal slower than the first and didn't really suck me in until the final third of the story. I kept expecting crazy twists or exciting magic but instead, it became a bit boring, focusing more on the political intrigue and how all of the creatures/monsters were harmed or taken advantage of over the years.
That being said, the ending was really well done. While there were plenty of predictable moments throughout the book, the conclusion was something that gave me pause. I wasn't fully expecting the resolution, which was super pleasing. In addition to that, it also made the slower aspects of the story more beneficial. I believe that if I were to reread it, I would appreciate it more for how it turned out.
I also feel the need to mention that I read this over the course of a month (as a buddy-read) when it would typically be a book I would finish in a matter of days. If I pick it up again in the future, I'd be curious to see how it would make me feel if I flew through it a little quicker and if that would make it feel like an easier, less monotonous read.
As a duology, I'd give it 4 stars. It's a unique twist on Sleeping Beauty and I really enjoyed how the classic fairytale was reimagined!
...what I wasn't expecting was for this book to take place 100 years in the future. That threw me for a loop, I'll be honest. It also made me a little bit frustrated because it showed that Alyce really hadn't grown at all in that time, but completely given in to every bit of evil that was plaguing her from the get-go.
However, that meant there was nowhere to go but up. It just took a while to get there.
This book was a great deal slower than the first and didn't really suck me in until the final third of the story. I kept expecting crazy twists or exciting magic but instead, it became a bit boring, focusing more on the political intrigue and how all of the creatures/monsters were harmed or taken advantage of over the years.
That being said, the ending was really well done. While there were plenty of predictable moments throughout the book, the conclusion was something that gave me pause. I wasn't fully expecting the resolution, which was super pleasing. In addition to that, it also made the slower aspects of the story more beneficial. I believe that if I were to reread it, I would appreciate it more for how it turned out.
I also feel the need to mention that I read this over the course of a month (as a buddy-read) when it would typically be a book I would finish in a matter of days. If I pick it up again in the future, I'd be curious to see how it would make me feel if I flew through it a little quicker and if that would make it feel like an easier, less monotonous read.
As a duology, I'd give it 4 stars. It's a unique twist on Sleeping Beauty and I really enjoyed how the classic fairytale was reimagined!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Death, Murder, Blood, Toxic friendship, and War
Moderate: Grief and Torture
Minor: Self harm
litalia's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Violence, Toxic friendship, Blood, Bullying, and Death
Moderate: Torture, Death of parent, and Grief
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
dreareads_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
5.0
*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!
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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexual harassment, and Gaslighting
More...