Reviews tagging 'Classism'

Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall

12 reviews

booksthatburn's review against another edition

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

MORTAL FOLLIES is a story of curses and romance, narrated by a faerie intimated to be Robin/Puck of A Midsummer Night's Dream. While it is set in 1814, Puck seems to be telling the story from some time further in the future, possibly in the 21st century. Maelys seems to be cursed, and keeps running into a woman nicknamed "the Duke of Annadale" who is rumored to have murdered her own father and brothers. She's also rumored to know magic, and seems to be Maelys's only chance at getting rid of the curse (as long as she's not really the one who cast it). 

The romance was fun, and the stakes escalated appropriately. I liked the story but found Puck frustrating as a narrator. Because they are recalling these events from so far in the future, their interjections kept me from sinking completely into the 19th century setting. It seems like these may form some overarching story which moves between books, but it happened to hit upon a style I don't personally enjoy.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Drug use, Sexual content, Transphobia, War, Classism, Homophobia, Sexism, Misogyny, and Death

Minor: Sexual assault and Rape

20sidedbi's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Blood

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Murder, Violence, Transphobia, Sexual content, and Kidnapping

Minor: Classism, Sexual violence, and Racism

musebeliever's review

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Murder

Moderate: Classism, Transphobia, and Rape

risaleel's review

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Sexual harassment, Animal death, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Blood and Classism

ramakn22's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Misogyny, Transphobia, Classism, Homophobia, Sexual content, Stalking, Rape, Death, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Kidnapping, and Emotional abuse

ladythana's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death

Moderate: Classism and Blood

Minor: Racism, Murder, Death of parent, Death, Transphobia, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Colonisation, Lesbophobia, Sexual content, Slavery, and Body horror

jencolumb0's review

adventurous dark funny inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

This is a bit darker of a tale than I am used to from Hall, and without the more intense periods of emotional struggle/growth endured by the main characters (so more on par with Something Fabulous). Nonetheless, Hall carries it off in their typical hallmarks of deliciously layered tales, classical references, delightful subversion, and deft honesty. It’s also not the typical kissing book with magic, by any stretch of the imagination, but well worth exploring. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Blood, Terminal illness, and Chronic illness

Moderate: Death of parent and Stalking

Minor: Colonisation, Transphobia, Slavery, Excrement, and Classism

Given that this book is about confronting a lack of agency and aggressively claiming space and happiness that the patriarchy denies, a number of these difficult topics are challenged. There’s also a bit about food turning to maggots in someone’s mouth that is not for the squeamish.

aileron's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Kidnapping, Murder, Animal death, and Blood

Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Gore, and Medical content

Minor: Slavery, Terminal illness, Classism, and Racism

analenegrace's review against another edition

adventurous funny slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was a fun addition to Alexis Hall's many, many books, but not my favorite of his, unfortunately. It was also an addition to his many historical books where homophobia simply doesn't exist (although misogyny and racism still do, which at the end of the day doesn't make logical sense when considering social theory, but I digress...)

I liked many things about this book: the narrator, the world-building, and Miss Bickle, but it felt like it dragged at many points and could have been a bit shorter. I also felt that Georgiana was a bit flat, so I could not always understand why Maesly was so obsessed with her; it felt very much like she fell for the first other lesbian she met, and I don't particularly like that type of trope; it feels very princess in the tower. 

As a note, this had the least sexual content of any of Hall's books, and I wonder if that was due to it being sapphic or being so plot-heavy.

I look forward to more in this series (I assume there will be due to the epilogue and because Hall rarely does solo books) as I love the narrator, and I want to know more about him ASAP!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Misogyny, Cursing, Classism, Sexual content, and Racism

bibliomania_express's review

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Violence, Animal cruelty, Murder, and Blood

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Transphobia, Terminal illness, Classism, Misogyny, and Gaslighting

Minor: Slavery and Colonisation