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cozyscones's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Kidnapping, Sexual harassment, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content
onthesamepage's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Steam level: 🌶
This book set out to do too much, and I think it suffered for it.
Rather than being told in first person POV from the main characters, the first person narrator is Puck (although he is referred to by different names) from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. The way he tells the story is amusing—at first. After a while, I found that the things he inserted felt like repetitions, and it added nothing new to the story. In fact, it made me feel even more removed from the main characters, which is an interesting choice in a romance, because it led to me not being emotionally invested.
I also think the romance was more of a subplot than the actual focus, and the least interesting part of the book. Instead, the plot surrounding Maelys's curse is much more compelling. I was expecting the focus to be on the romance once that part of the story was resolved, but what happened instead is that the second half dealt with Georgiana's backstory. An interesting plot in its own right, but the book ended up doing too much by including it. I also think it led to a feeling of "same old" in the way it was executed.
Steam level: 🌶
This book set out to do too much, and I think it suffered for it.
Rather than being told in first person POV from the main characters, the first person narrator is Puck (although he is referred to by different names) from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. The way he tells the story is amusing—at first. After a while, I found that the things he inserted felt like repetitions, and it added nothing new to the story. In fact, it made me feel even more removed from the main characters, which is an interesting choice in a romance, because it led to me not being emotionally invested.
I also think the romance was more of a subplot than the actual focus, and the least interesting part of the book. Instead, the plot surrounding Maelys's curse is much more compelling. I was expecting the focus to be on the romance once that part of the story was resolved, but what happened instead is that the second half dealt with Georgiana's backstory. An interesting plot in its own right, but the book ended up doing too much by including it. I also think it led to a feeling of "same old" in the way it was executed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Homophobia, Slavery, and Transphobia
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
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
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
sarrie's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Mortal Follies is another excellent example of how Alexis Hall’s writing range is just damn impressive to me. After reading A Lady for a Duke and expecting another somber, emotional historical I was incredibly surprised at how jovial, magical, and unique Mortal Follies is.
The story is told to us through the narration of Robin - a fairy who has fallen out of favor with the courts and is sending a story to his Lord (take a guess who he might be). We get this story told in a first person POV as Robin follows around the characters in his story, his thoughts and feelings so much that he is a character all his own and I love him. The rest of the cast are equally as fantastic, some more than others. Our main two lady lovers are interesting and I felt for them and did cheer for them, however my favorite character by far was a side-character named Lizzie. I wonder if perhaps another future book may feature her as I got the feeling that Alexis Hall also enjoyed writing her.
The style is unique and the situations absurd as well. The setting is a Regency/Victorian feeling era, but mixed with fantasy as ‘Old Gods’ (pagan gods) and the Fairy are acknowledged and chased about from time to time. In fact our plot revolves around someone placing a curse upon one of Lady Lovers and their pursuit of clearing it. That made for an interestingly tense story at times, but always undercut with the humor and absurdity that really sold this for me.
I know a lot of people don’t enjoy a lot of humor or silliness in their stories - this would be one to avoid if you are that reader. However, if you enjoy the sly and some times childish humor of Fairy narrator then this is a must read. It’s hilarious at times and keeps it’s pace throughout. A big recommendation from me
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Blood, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Violence, Stalking, and Gun violence
arthur_ant18's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Animal death
Moderate: Terminal illness, Sexual content, and Transphobia
Minor: Sexual harassment and Death
miss_vonnegut's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Thank you to the publisher for sending an ARC of this to our store! I enjoy most of Alexis Hall's books and this didn't disappoint. Narrated by Puck (yes, that Puck), this sapphic romance set in the early 1800s is full of absurdity, vengeful gods, and queer love. You may want to check content warnings though as it gets a bit dark a few times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Murder
Moderate: Transphobia and Sexual content
Minor: Sexual harassment
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