Misrule by Jodi McAlister

Valentine book 3. Penguin, 2019. ISBN: 9780143793465. pbk, 404 pgs.
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Themes: Paranormal, Fairies, Murder, Diversity. Fans of the Valentine series will be thrilled with this stunning conclusion. It is best to read the series in order (Valentine, Ironheart and Misrule) as each book continues immediately after the other one with the story of Pearl Linford and Finn Blacklin taking centre stage. Pearl is all alone. Finn is a captive back in Fairyland and there has been a gory murder in her neighbourhood. Pearl is determined to find out what is happening and to come up with a plan to rescue Finn depending on a fairy holiday called Misrule.
Misrule is not for the faint hearted. There is plenty of gore and rather scary moments to give the reader breathtaking chills as Pearl struggles with the machinations of the fairies, not knowing who she can trust and what to do. However as fans of the first two books will be very aware, Pearl is no swooning heroine, but strong, intelligent and resilient and with the help of friends and occasional allies, attempts to thwart the Fairy Prince's plans and rescue the love of her life.
Without giving away too much of the plot, it is enough to say that the action is fast paced, the characters are well developed and the combination of normal life with a Fairy Court all make for a gripping read. And the snarky narration by Pearl will also keep the reader engaged with the plot.
Fans of Holly Black will love this series and I look forward to reading any future books by the author.
Pat Pledger