Review | Misrule by Heather Walter

 Misrule by Heather Walter

Author: Heather Walter
Release Date: 10/05/2022
Price: £14.99 at Waterstones.
Available in: Hardback, kindle and on audiobook
Rating: 4 stars!

I really really enjoyed Malice, the first book in this duology when I read it last year, it was such a great take on the fairytale retelling trope so I was super excited to take part in this blog tour for the second book in the duology Misrule!

The Dark Grace is dead. Feared and despised for the sinister power in her veins, Alyce has spent 100 years wreaking her revenge on the kingdom that made her an outcast. Once a realm of decadence and beauty, Briar is now wholly Alyce's wicked domain. No one escapes the consequences of her wrath. Not even the one person who holds her heart.

Princess Aurora saw through Alyce's thorny facade, earning a love that promised the dawn of a new age. But that love came with a heavy price: Aurora now sleeps under a curse that even Alyce's vast power cannot seem to break, and their dream of the world they would have built together is nothing but ash.

Alyce vows to do anything to wake the woman she loves, even if it means descending into the monster Briar believed her to be. But could Aurora ever love the villain Alyce has become? Or is true love only for fairy tales?

Misrule is a fantastic and satisfying ending to the Malice duology. The character development of Alyce and Aurora is brilliant and really builds on how there development in Malice, I also loved the introduction of the new characters and how they helped to develop the story, they played their role well and it's always fun to see what new characters add to the plot! 

I love how morally grey Alyce is and whilst she doesn't always make the best choice, I think she is good at heart. I enjoyed her relationship with Aurora and reading more about Aurora and her dealing with how her world has changed since Alyce's rise to power.

The pacing was good though it was a little slow to start of with, I think the world building was great and developed well from Malice. The magic system was intriguing and I'm glad we got to see more of it. 

Overall, Misrule is a well fleshed out sequel that built upon all the components readers loved in Malice and took it to a new level. I'm excited to see what Heather Walter comes up with next but I think she's really exceled at fairytale retellings! 

4 Stars!

A huge thanks to Del Rey for allowing me to take part in this blog tour! I've really loved reading this duology. I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honesty review. All opions are my own!