Heather Walter

The sequel to Malice, the darkly magical queer reimagining of Sleeping Beauty

Book Two of the Malice Duology

Misrule

laura

"You could have woken me every day for a hundred years. But you wouldn't because you didn't trust that our love was strong enough to withstand any curse. Because you couldn't bear to see me with anyone else, even for an instant."

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? " data-fwclientid="1724a6f1-3d24-40de-895e-5cbbfe817f1f" data-preservehtmlbullets="0" data-allowlists="0" data-crlfsubmit="1" autocomplete="off" spellcheck="false" class="field_input_main field_input_copytext field_input_copytext_body copytextheight-normal field_input_disabled fieldkeycheck-setup copytext-setup" contenteditable="false">Did they break the curse, or begin one? Sleeping Beauty's dark sorceress reclaims her story in this sequel to Malice 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? " data-fwclientid="1724a6f1-3d24-40de-895e-5cbbfe817f1f" data-preservehtmlbullets="0" data-allowlists="0" data-crlfsubmit="1" autocomplete="off" spellcheck="false" class="field_input_main field_input_copytext field_input_copytext_body copytextheight-normal field_input_disabled fieldkeycheck-setup copytext-setup" contenteditable="false">________________________________________________ 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? " data-fwclientid="1724a6f1-3d24-40de-895e-5cbbfe817f1f" data-preservehtmlbullets="0" data-allowlists="0" data-crlfsubmit="1" autocomplete="off" spellcheck="false" class="field_input_main field_input_copytext field_input_copytext_body copytextheight-normal field_input_disabled fieldkeycheck-setup copytext-setup" contenteditable="false"> 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? " data-fwclientid="1724a6f1-3d24-40de-895e-5cbbfe817f1f" data-preservehtmlbullets="0" data-allowlists="0" data-crlfsubmit="1" autocomplete="off" spellcheck="false" class="field_input_main field_input_copytext field_input_copytext_body copytextheight-normal field_input_disabled fieldkeycheck-setup copytext-setup" contenteditable="false">The Dark Grace is dead. 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? " data-fwclientid="1724a6f1-3d24-40de-895e-5cbbfe817f1f" data-preservehtmlbullets="0" data-allowlists="0" data-crlfsubmit="1" autocomplete="off" spellcheck="false" class="field_input_main field_input_copytext field_input_copytext_body copytextheight-normal field_input_disabled fieldkeycheck-setup copytext-setup" contenteditable="false"> 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. 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? " data-fwclientid="1724a6f1-3d24-40de-895e-5cbbfe817f1f" data-preservehtmlbullets="0" data-allowlists="0" data-crlfsubmit="1" autocomplete="off" spellcheck="false" class="field_input_main field_input_copytext field_input_copytext_body copytextheight-normal field_input_disabled fieldkeycheck-setup copytext-setup" contenteditable="false"> 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? " data-fwclientid="1724a6f1-3d24-40de-895e-5cbbfe817f1f" data-preservehtmlbullets="0" data-allowlists="0" data-crlfsubmit="1" autocomplete="off" spellcheck="false" class="field_input_main field_input_copytext field_input_copytext_body copytextheight-normal field_input_disabled fieldkeycheck-setup copytext-setup" contenteditable="false">Not even the one person who holds her heart. 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? " data-fwclientid="1724a6f1-3d24-40de-895e-5cbbfe817f1f" data-preservehtmlbullets="0" data-allowlists="0" data-crlfsubmit="1" autocomplete="off" spellcheck="false" class="field_input_main field_input_copytext field_input_copytext_body copytextheight-normal field_input_disabled fieldkeycheck-setup copytext-setup" contenteditable="false"> 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? " data-fwclientid="1724a6f1-3d24-40de-895e-5cbbfe817f1f" data-preservehtmlbullets="0" data-allowlists="0" data-crlfsubmit="1" autocomplete="off" spellcheck="false" class="field_input_main field_input_copytext field_input_copytext_body copytextheight-normal field_input_disabled fieldkeycheck-setup copytext-setup" contenteditable="false">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. 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? " data-fwclientid="1724a6f1-3d24-40de-895e-5cbbfe817f1f" data-preservehtmlbullets="0" data-allowlists="0" data-crlfsubmit="1" autocomplete="off" spellcheck="false" class="field_input_main field_input_copytext field_input_copytext_body copytextheight-normal field_input_disabled fieldkeycheck-setup copytext-setup" contenteditable="false"> 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? " data-fwclientid="1724a6f1-3d24-40de-895e-5cbbfe817f1f" data-preservehtmlbullets="0" data-allowlists="0" data-crlfsubmit="1" autocomplete="off" spellcheck="false" class="field_input_main field_input_copytext field_input_copytext_body copytextheight-normal field_input_disabled fieldkeycheck-setup copytext-setup" contenteditable="false">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? 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? " data-fwclientid="1724a6f1-3d24-40de-895e-5cbbfe817f1f" data-preservehtmlbullets="0" data-allowlists="0" data-crlfsubmit="1" autocomplete="off" spellcheck="false" class="field_input_main field_input_copytext field_input_copytext_body copytextheight-normal field_input_disabled fieldkeycheck-setup copytext-setup" contenteditable="false">Or is true love only for fairy tales?

Surprisingly, this was a wonderful sequel far over my expectations. 

sharkie

Does true love break curses, or begin them? Sleeping Beauty’s dark sorceress reclaims her story in this sequel to Malice. The Dark Grace is dead. Feared and despised for the sinister power in her veins, Alyce wreaks 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. And no one will escape 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 it is a love that came with a heavy price: Aurora now sleeps under a curse that even Alyce’s vast power cannot seem to break. And the 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 love the villain Alyce has become? Or is true love only for fairytales? Book Two of the Malice Duology

Cloudface

This was a great sequel to Malice. I didn’t love the first book because because I thought the characters lacked depth, but they were all so fleshed out in this book that it changed my mind on the series. Aurora and Alyce’s relationship is painful, and both of them have to grow in order to accept each other as they are now. I will say I thought the lore of this world was needlessly complex at times, and I think a lot of things could have been cut (did this really need to be duology?). But, overall this book was well done and my heart hurt for the characters more than once. <spoiler>I’m not okay with what happened to Regan though. Like Alyce REALLY should have dumped Aurora’s whiny bitch ass and run off with Regan instead.</spoiler>

grace richards

i think this book suffers a lot from SBS (second book syndrome) 

i absolutely adored the first book and it has become one of my favourites but everything i loved about the first one is missing from this one. 

it is significantly more about court politics and aurora and alyce’s relationship is very much sidelined. 

but yeah i hated the way this book ended that epilogue royally pissed me off and i am furious 


[SPOILERS]
i am a big fan of angst but there was a point in this book where i realised that i was not going to get a happy ending because the girls were still fighting and there definitely wasn’t enough book left for them both to sort it out. 

but yeah :(

Does true love break curses, or begin them? Sleeping Beauty's dark sorceress reclaims her story in this sequel to Malice. The Dark Grace is dead. Feared and despised for the sinister power in her veins, Alyce wreaks 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. And no one will escape 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 it is a love that came with a heavy price: Aurora now sleeps under a curse that even Alyce's vast power cannot seem to break. And the 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 love the villain Alyce has become? Or is true love only for fairytales? Book Two of the Malice Duology

3,75

heather is so evil for this what the actually fuck

caly

“your whole life they taught you that you’re nothing. but you, nimara, are everything.”

4.5 stars 
i honestly liked this one more than the first, fantasy retellings told from a more villainous perspective are one of the best things to happen (especially when they’re sapphic) and the addition of so many new characters that weren’t just terrible humans was refreshing

Erika Mailhot 

I can’t deny this book didn’t live up to my expectations. 

The first half of the book I was irritated with Alyce/Nimara. She felt passive and not at all like a badass Shifter/Vila champion she was at the end of book 1. The ending felt forced, and I will not lie, Aurora, not a fan anymore. But, overall, it was still enjoyable. Not as good as Malice but Heather Walters still did a great job at helping readers navigate multiple political landscapes and playing with reader’s emotions. 

Sara Bean Duncan

The only thing that I didn't like about this book is the fact that I can only read it for the first time, once.

The worst part about finally breaking a curse is when, surprise! a new one is right there to fill that space. Kind of like when you finally clear your inbox and then everyone starts replying all back.

Faced with the loss of Aurora thanks to a curse that left her in slumber, Alyce is righteously angry. Armed with blooming Vila power and a new group of previously exiled beings (Shifters! Demons! Imps! Heck yes), she has spent the last century trying to create the world she and Aurora had dreamed of. But what happens when love is left to (quite literally) lay there and languish for 100 years?

Misrule is about what happens when you step into the power you'd wished for in the dark your whole life. What will you do with it? How will it change you? And what does true love mean when one of you is cursed asleep and the other is creating a whole new world.

Betrayal! Longing! Magic! Political intrigue between kingdoms! A badass and morally grey MC!

Misrule just showed up and declares itself my favorite book of 2022 and it was only January.

Thank you SO MUCH to NetGalley for saving me from pining away for the conclusion to this story until May. I would have made a similar deal as the first rulers of Briar to be able to read this digital ARC early.

anna elisabeth

** Many thanks to NetGalley for kindly providing me with this ARC ** 
Review to follow

Misrule Book Two of the Malice Duology

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