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terranstorm's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-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
3.0
There were some aspects I really liked — especially the dynamic between Mae and Georgiana, their will-they, won’t-they, and some aspects of the curses they faced — but I definitely had some issues with this read, too.
First, the batty best friend toed the line a bit too close to irredeemably annoying. Second, the Viscount was so obviously guilty from the start that the characters lost a lot of my faith when they were casting about like “golly, but who else could it be?!” Between those issues, several times I had to put the book down or skip ahead a paragraph because I was just irritated instead of fondly amused.
And mostly? The Pacing. Was. Off. The whole second half, if I’m being honest. I kept feeling bored when a little too much tension had leaked out while waiting for the next interesting thing to happen. Our Puck-like narrator occasionally commenting on feeling bored by mortals’ silly little lives honestly didn’t help the effect? In the end it was a choppy read for me, at times delightful and more often tedious.
Oh, but Maelys’ delightfully nerdy parents were a highlight, and Mr. Caesar’s queer friend set, and everything about the lady Duke being domme-y, moody and withdrawn (“Byronic,” HA). Still a lot of really good bits in here even if it didn’t hang together for me.
First, the batty best friend toed the line a bit too close to irredeemably annoying. Second, the Viscount was so obviously guilty from the start that the characters lost a lot of my faith when they were casting about like “golly, but who else could it be?!” Between those issues, several times I had to put the book down or skip ahead a paragraph because I was just irritated instead of fondly amused.
And mostly? The Pacing. Was. Off. The whole second half, if I’m being honest. I kept feeling bored when a little too much tension had leaked out while waiting for the next interesting thing to happen. Our Puck-like narrator occasionally commenting on feeling bored by mortals’ silly little lives honestly didn’t help the effect? In the end it was a choppy read for me, at times delightful and more often tedious.
Oh, but Maelys’ delightfully nerdy parents were a highlight, and Mr. Caesar’s queer friend set, and everything about the lady Duke being domme-y, moody and withdrawn (“Byronic,” HA). Still a lot of really good bits in here even if it didn’t hang together for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, and Terminal illness
teipu's review against another edition
emotional
funny
fast-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Body horror
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Blood and Classism
Minor: Body horror, Death, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, and Colonisation
purplepenning's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Fans of India Holton's Dangerous Damsels series should definitely check this out — it's a sapphic regency romance adventure set in an England where the fae, the old gods, and the new gods all exist in active form. Principal action takes place in Bath and features Sulis Minerva, the Celtic-Roman goddess of the sacred springs that feed Bath's, well, baths. (This is, oddly, the second recently published book I've read to feature Minerva; the other is Garth Nix's The Sinister Booksellers of Bath.)
Mortal Follies is narrated by Puck / Robin Goodfellow (of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" fame) with lots of nods, winks, and digs about Shakespeare and Shakespearean faerie chaos. It follows the misadventures Miss Maeylis Mitchelmore, a young society darling who has had the mysterious misfortune of being cursed by a goddess. Miss Mitchelmore, to her friends' mixed reaction of dismay and delight, turns to the alluring society outcast, Lady Georgianna Landrake (the "Duke of Annadale"), for advice, protection, and what comfort a brooding heiress who is also a possible witch and murderer may give a stricken innocent with hidden strength and spirit.
This should've all worked for me, but alas — I found the main relationship to be somewhat tedious. The pacing and character development didn't work for me and there was entirely too much brooding and badgering for my taste. But I did love the whole idea of this book, enjoyed the heck out of the narrator's perspective, and am happy that Alexis Hall just keeps writing whatever they want and I keep reading it.
Check the content notes — there are some surprisingly brutal sacrifice scenes (old gods, you know), some inner LGBTQ transphobic nonsense, and a little murder and debilitating disease.
Mortal Follies is narrated by Puck / Robin Goodfellow (of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" fame) with lots of nods, winks, and digs about Shakespeare and Shakespearean faerie chaos. It follows the misadventures Miss Maeylis Mitchelmore, a young society darling who has had the mysterious misfortune of being cursed by a goddess. Miss Mitchelmore, to her friends' mixed reaction of dismay and delight, turns to the alluring society outcast, Lady Georgianna Landrake (the "Duke of Annadale"), for advice, protection, and what comfort a brooding heiress who is also a possible witch and murderer may give a stricken innocent with hidden strength and spirit.
This should've all worked for me, but alas — I found the main relationship to be somewhat tedious. The pacing and character development didn't work for me and there was entirely too much brooding and badgering for my taste. But I did love the whole idea of this book, enjoyed the heck out of the narrator's perspective, and am happy that Alexis Hall just keeps writing whatever they want and I keep reading it.
Check the content notes — there are some surprisingly brutal sacrifice scenes (old gods, you know), some inner LGBTQ transphobic nonsense, and a little murder and debilitating disease.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, and Classism
Minor: Gun violence, Racism, Terminal illness, Grief, and Death of parent
meganpbell'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
4.25
To survive a mysterious and malicious curse and find the figure behind it, a young noblewoman must encounter mischievous fairies, queer priestesses, ancient deities—and a strangely alluring, potentially “malign witch” (who may have murdered her own male relations to inherit her dukedom) in this feverishly fun sapphic fantasy wittily and wantonly narrated, of course, by Puck himself. Such fun!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Sexual content, and Murder
Minor: Ableism, Body horror, Racism, Terminal illness, Transphobia, and Medical content