A review by mothie_girlie
Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall

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!! 

 
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