True to its title, this follow-up to the first book, “Malice,” deals with themes of what it means to rule, to lead, and the ways cycles of abuse and violence result in misrule and bad leadership that further feeds those cycles. It asks the question, can these cycles be broken? Is reconciliation possible? Is forgiveness possible?

The misrule of leaders past and present on all sides fuel the chaos and tragedy that plagues the lives of everyone involved, as does systemic bigotry and abuse. All of this feels very pertinent to our times, while being broadly applicable at any time.

I don’t believe the novel nailed the conclusions the book arrives at in those themes, but I admire the attempt, and it’s far closer to the mark than every fairy tale perfect ending. The author recognizes that mistakes are not easily rectified, and forgiveness may or may not ever be possible. But there is hope.

I felt this strongest in the fluttering and faltering relationship between Alyce and Aurora, which after the end of the previous book start in a very perilous place indeed. Watching them both struggle with the fallout, it was hard to see how they could ever come out the other end the way they were.

There is political maneuvering, diplomacy, and especially war throughout the book that make up significant parts of the plot, but the heart of the story always revolves around the core relationship, and those political machinations mostly feel their weight in how they affect Alyce and Aurora. That is, in my opinion, how it should be, though if you find politics and war in a fantasy setting to be one of your primary interests, then the book might feel a bit melodramatic to you.

All in all, I found the book to be very satisfying. I was invested in the characters who are all morally complex, and the themes, which were done well, if a bit uneven. The plot is good, but a bit secondary to the relationships of the characters, which may or may not be your vibe but it follows well after the individual focus of “Malice,” and I dug it. I strongly recommend it to people who enjoyed the first book.

I just wish I had gotten some soft and sappy sapphic romance 🥺 Unfortunately everything’s too muddled for much of any of that.