Book Review | The Master of Misrule by Laura Powell

Note: This review contains spoilers for the first book in the series. Please see my non-spoiler review of The Game of Triumphs HERE.

The Master of Misrule (The Game of Triumphs, #2) by Laura Powell
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers on June 12, 2012
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy
Pages: 384
Format: Hard Cover
Source: Purchased
Goodreads: ★★★★★

When Cat and her friends put an end to the sinister Game of Triumphs, they thought they could simply collect their prizes and walk away. But they unwittingly created a monster. Before the dust has settled, the self-proclaimed Master of Misrule is engineering a sadistic lottery that will unleash the power of the Game onto an unsuspecting London. Misrule's agenda of chaos threatens life as they know it, gambling away free will for fickle fortune. And his power has quickly grown to proportions they never could have imagined. It all comes down to one final play. Cat, Flora, Blaine, and Toby must go back into the Arcanum and take fate into their own hands. This time they have everything to lose.

This spine-tingling follow-up to Powell's The Game of Triumphs is everything you could hope for in a sequel and more! It's every bit as thrilling and complex as the first book, with higher stakes and even a hint of romance added to the mix. 

REVIEW

I was extremely excited to pick up The Master of Misrule after finishing The Game of Triumphs. The cliffhanger was killing me, and I needed to see where the characters would end up. I was surprised that The Master of Misrule picked up right where the first book left off, with no gap whatsoever in the story. While I was reading the books back-to-back, this second book includes a quick recap of the first book at the beginning if you need a refresher. I found that really helpful! 

The Master of Misrule is thus a direct continuation of The Game of Triumphs, but with an added twist. Unlike the first book, where readers only followed Cat, we now get to learn more about her friends Toby, Flora, and Blaine as they work to get the game back under control after setting the Master of Misrule loose. I really liked getting to know the other characters, and I think Powell did an excellent job with character development. When I learned more about what the other characters had at stake, I was more invested in the story. 

I also found that Powell's writing really matured in The Master of Misrule. The book flowed quite easily, the chapters were a good length, and I kept turning the pages to find out where the game would go next. As with the first book, I found that the story was difficult to predict, but each twist and turn in the plot was logical and believable. I especially loved how each character's story wrapped up at the end.

All in all, I really enjoyed the Game of Triumphs duology. I would love to see this repackaged as a bind-up of the two volumes, as one can't read the first book without continuing on, and because they take place without any lapse in time between the two. The story is imaginative, the characters are complex, and the ending is incredible. I highly recommend this series to anyone looking for a good young adult fantasy, especially those who are fans of the movie Jumanji. Trust me. 

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Currently Reading | February 2015

I'm the type of reader who prefers to read one book at a time. Well, sometimes that doesn't work out the way I want it to! I thought it would be fun to share with you the four (yes, four) books that I am currently reading, or about to start reading this weekend.

The Master of Misrule (The Game of Triumphs, #2) by Laura Powell

The first book I'm reading is the sequel to The Game of Triumphs, which I just reviewed HERE. This is the second book in a young adult, urban fantasy duology. I'm really enjoying this world, which co-exists with current day London. It's so cool how the author created a game using Tarot cards. I never know what is going to happen next, so it's really fun to turn the pages and discover what our characters will be mixed up in, in the next chapter.

Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman

This is a short story collection that I got for review from Edelweiss. I've never read any Neil Gaiman before, so I was excited for the opportunity to review Trigger Warning. I've been reading a story or two before I go to bed, and I have to say I'm surprised so far. The stories are really well written, and I quite enjoy Gaiman's voice. However, even though they may be weird and creepy, none of the stories so far have required a trigger warning. I'm easily scared, so that's saying something! I'm interested to see how the stories continue.

Finding Harry Styles by GB Hope

You're probably wondering why I'm reading a book with the name Harry Styles in the title. Well, I saw this book on NetGalley and just had to grab it. I laughed at the cover, and figured it would be a fun contemporary about a huge One Direction fan. Boy, was I wrong! This is a post-apocalyptic story where all of a sudden, the power goes out, all cars stop running, and people go crazy. I'm about 25% through this Ebook, which I'm reading on my commute when the trains are quiet. It's not great, but I'm interested to see what's going to happen!

Getting to Yes by Roger Fisher and William Ury

Last but not least, I will be picking up Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In this weekend. One of my professors gave the class brand new copies of this book and is requiring us to read it. I'm actually quite excited to pick this up, because I've heard great things about it. Everyone could use some good negotiation skills, so definitely pick this up if you're looking to talk your way into a lower price for that new car, or a higher wage for your new job!

Those are the four books that I'm currently reading! I don't know when I'll be finishing any of them, but you will definitely see reviews for each book upon completion. Please let me know what you are currently reading in the comments!

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