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atlastheninth's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5 Stars
Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall is a romance between two young ladies in the 19th century, but wicked men, curses and goddesses are standing in their way.
The story is told from a (sarcastic) hobgoblin who is observing our MCs secretly, which is fun and inventive, especially in the begging. But it did feel tedious after a while.
The story was fun, the characters were more or less cute (I don’t think I can describe them any differently, really) and the writing was fine.
But because the story is being told from this (non-human) outsider POV, I just couldn’t connect to the characters at all. I could only really guess what they were thinking, let alone feeling. And from what they were described as doing, they all seemed to be a bit stupid frankly.
It was all just very shallow.
The book has this kind of 4 part structure where the first half of the book felt like your average book: characters are introduced, things happen, climax, end. And then there is another quarter of just romance and another quarter of again things happen, climax, end. That did irritate me a bit while reading, but looking back I suppose I didn’t really mind it.
In short: Nice read, but nothing more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Animal death, and Death
Moderate: Sexual content and Sexual harassment
Minor: Death of parent
wishbea's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A fun book told by Robin the faerie about a woman in regency England that has been recently cursed and finds her salvation with the aid of a social pariah witch/murderess. Robin's narration was my favourite part of this, I loved all his insights into the faerie/magical workings and found him charming.
I initially found Mr. Caesar and Miss Bickle quite irritating, Mr. Caesar is solely there to mistrust the Duke of Annadale and Miss Bickle was mostly very naive, however by the end of the book I cared more for Miss Bickle than Miss Mitchelmore.
The pacing was off, the main plotline is solved halfway through the book and the plot meanders around a bit and we don't get to see enough of the main relationship blossoming or even learn enough about their personalities to get invested in them. I enjoyed how Miss Bickle is so key to solving the final puzzle of the story because of her unique way of thinking, it really endeared me to her character. However the ending of the book does fall flat.
I also got the impression that we were exploring an alternate regency England because of clothing made by fairies and humans openly discussing fairy-made clothes, open worship of pagan gods, naiads, the overt presence of a Goddess, witches and magic. The world was too obviously magical for me to accept this story takes place in regency England.
I will also note, as others have, that Medusa became a monster by Athena's hand and not Apollo's. You'd really think the author, editor or publisher would pick up on something so easy to fact check.
I initially found Mr. Caesar and Miss Bickle quite irritating, Mr. Caesar is solely there to mistrust the Duke of Annadale and Miss Bickle was mostly very naive, however by the end of the book I cared more for Miss Bickle than Miss Mitchelmore.
The pacing was off, the main plotline is solved halfway through the book and the plot meanders around a bit and we don't get to see enough of the main relationship blossoming or even learn enough about their personalities to get invested in them. I enjoyed how Miss Bickle is so key to solving the final puzzle of the story because of her unique way of thinking, it really endeared me to her character. However the ending of the book does fall flat.
I also got the impression that we were exploring an alternate regency England because of clothing made by fairies and humans openly discussing fairy-made clothes, open worship of pagan gods, naiads, the overt presence of a Goddess, witches and magic. The world was too obviously magical for me to accept this story takes place in regency England.
I will also note, as others have, that Medusa became a monster by Athena's hand and not Apollo's. You'd really think the author, editor or publisher would pick up on something so easy to fact check.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Terminal illness, and Murder
Moderate: Death and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent
clhtdr's review
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? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Death of parent, Sexual harassment, and Death
mothie_girlie's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
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
4.5
**Check trigger warnings before engaging, **
Thank you as always to Netgalley and publishers for giving me an arc in exchange for an honest review.
I must be completely honest, I went into this book with the expectation it would be a typical historical fantasy with a romance subplot. Something ultimately nice but semi forgettable, but I am genuinely impressed! If you're someone that enjoys fantasy books that read like classical novels/fairytales, an unreliable narrator, and a sweet and dynamic sapphic romance with lots of banter then i think you'll really enjoy this book!!
Mortal Follies is told by an unreliable fairy of a narrator, called robin by mortals, that injects themself into unsuspecting people's lives and watches chaos ensue and live to tell the tale. They come upon Miss Maelys Michelmore at a ball where her dress is disintegrating and falling apart, deciding to follow her and observe how things turn out for her. When a duke with a bad reputation decides to rescue Maelys from her deteriorating dress issue, a gorgeous romance blossoms between the two, though neither of them fully admit it to themselves. The characterization of even the side characters such as Miss Michelmores best friend (who is a total hopeless romantic and i love her for it!) is done beautifully, these characters are given real emotion and depth without shaming or glorifying them. While I admit the prose is extremely flowery, to me it read like an old Jane Austen novel and it added so much to the atmosphere and fun of the novel. Definitely worth the read!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Animal death and Kidnapping
turtledonut's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Murder, Death of parent, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Racism, and Death
alyxinthestars's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Terminal illness, and Murder
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
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
theoddduckling's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Full of quipy lines, plenty of Shakespearean flourishes, and Regency drama, Mortal Follies tells the story of one young woman’s quest to know herself, find love, and survive the marriage mart.
None of these things go the way Miss Mitchelmore plans and when she finds herself the target of a curse, survival becomes a much more literal problem than she anticipated. But the cynical and mysterious (and mockingly named) Duke of Anadale, Lady Georgiana, steps in the save the day more than once. And this the two women find themselves thrown together on an adventure that will test them both to their limits.
The story, told through the framing device of a mischievous sprite recently exiled from Oberon’s court, starts as a fun period romance romp, but takes a turn for the serious that the narrator’s tone does not reflect. The narrator’s tone remains flippant and wry even as the events get darker and far more serious. This made it difficult to feel as though there were any real stakes for the characters and no real weight to the plot. Event at the end of the book rush to a conclusion that could have benefited from a few more pages to build tension and make the main characters struggle.
All in all, I found the tone of the book mismatched to the events, making for a discordant read.
However, this book begs to be performed. I truly think it would be better served as an audiobook book at least, if not a stage show. The narrator’s voice was funny, cutting and a bit Shakespearean. Performing this as a play would lend a separation between the narrator and the main characters in a way that would serve this story well and make it something spectacular.
None of these things go the way Miss Mitchelmore plans and when she finds herself the target of a curse, survival becomes a much more literal problem than she anticipated. But the cynical and mysterious (and mockingly named) Duke of Anadale, Lady Georgiana, steps in the save the day more than once. And this the two women find themselves thrown together on an adventure that will test them both to their limits.
The story, told through the framing device of a mischievous sprite recently exiled from Oberon’s court, starts as a fun period romance romp, but takes a turn for the serious that the narrator’s tone does not reflect. The narrator’s tone remains flippant and wry even as the events get darker and far more serious. This made it difficult to feel as though there were any real stakes for the characters and no real weight to the plot. Event at the end of the book rush to a conclusion that could have benefited from a few more pages to build tension and make the main characters struggle.
All in all, I found the tone of the book mismatched to the events, making for a discordant read.
However, this book begs to be performed. I truly think it would be better served as an audiobook book at least, if not a stage show. The narrator’s voice was funny, cutting and a bit Shakespearean. Performing this as a play would lend a separation between the narrator and the main characters in a way that would serve this story well and make it something spectacular.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Gaslighting
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
Minor: Slavery
luckylulureads's review
adventurous
funny
relaxing
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Animal death, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Rape, Sexual content, Colonisation, Grief, Homophobia, Blood, Abandonment, Death, Murder, Kidnapping, Sexual harassment, and Transphobia
brontesauruses's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
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
4.0
Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss+ for letting me get at this one early in exchange for an honest review!
Ok, so before I start the actual review: please take a minute to look at the cover. It's so pink, I love it. 💕
Did you look at it? Ok good.
As for the book itself, it's so much fun. It's queer and silly and told in a way that I ended up really enjoying. Our omniscient narrator is a character in their own right: Puck (aka Robin Goodfellow aka Stanley Tucci* in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999)), who has been kicked out by Oberon, and now has to find a way to, you know, pay for food. The tone is very chatty. At times it felt like the chattiness was at the expense of pushing the story along, and it took me a couple chapters to get into it (it might even have been worse towards the beginning), but in the end I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much if it had been told differently.
IfPuck Hall wants to write more books like this, I want to read them.
Idk that I have any readalikes per se, but I do think that if you like Emily Wilde you might like this one (and vice versa). Very different flavors of Faerie Nonsense, but yeah. Divine Rivals also maybe.
One quick bit of content warning: the Old Gods are still there causing problems, so there are three whole animal sacrifices in this one, each one more...well-described than the last. Lots of blood.
Also, there was a bit of virulent transphobia that was immediately challenged by the narrative and one of the main characters. OOF, though. Very jarring.
*I'm sure the audiobook narrator is very good, but as I was reading, I couldn't help wishing that they'd gotten my man Stanley in on this.
Ok, so before I start the actual review: please take a minute to look at the cover. It's so pink, I love it. 💕
Did you look at it? Ok good.
As for the book itself, it's so much fun. It's queer and silly and told in a way that I ended up really enjoying. Our omniscient narrator is a character in their own right: Puck (aka Robin Goodfellow aka Stanley Tucci* in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999)), who has been kicked out by Oberon, and now has to find a way to, you know, pay for food. The tone is very chatty. At times it felt like the chattiness was at the expense of pushing the story along, and it took me a couple chapters to get into it (it might even have been worse towards the beginning), but in the end I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much if it had been told differently.
If
Idk that I have any readalikes per se, but I do think that if you like Emily Wilde you might like this one (and vice versa). Very different flavors of Faerie Nonsense, but yeah. Divine Rivals also maybe.
One quick bit of content warning: the Old Gods are still there causing problems, so there are three whole animal sacrifices in this one, each one more...well-described than the last. Lots of blood.
Also, there was a bit of virulent transphobia that was immediately challenged by the narrative and one of the main characters. OOF, though. Very jarring.
*I'm sure the audiobook narrator is very good, but as I was reading, I couldn't help wishing that they'd gotten my man Stanley in on this.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Medical content, Transphobia, and Violence
Minor: Death, Abandonment, Death of parent, Racism, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, and Slavery