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A review by melcanread
Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
5.0
It's the year 1814, and a young Miss Maelys Mitchelmore finds herself in a spot of bother when she is cursed by a goddess who resides at the heart of Bath's pump rooms. During her adventures, she meets and falls in love with the Duke of Annadale, who also just so happens to be a woman.
When I got to the end of this book, I was worried that this would would turn into multiple seasons of Supernatural. The reason why I stopped watching that show was because every season would turn out to be the exact same story over and over again to the point where it was just tedious and exasperating. Much to my delight, Mortal Follies did not disappoint. Like, at all. I'd heard that this book was a bit like Marmite - you either love it or you hate it. I just so happen to be of the notion that this was a pure, cozy masterpiece, and am already looking forward to the future rereads, and even the sequel which is due next year!
The candle burned slowly for this one, which was actually quite a pace change for my usual book choice - and yet, I thought it was the correct way to go about this. There was so much world building, so much lore to explore, I was honestly surprised he (Alexis Hall - the author) was able to whittle it down to just under 400 pages.
I devoured this book whole, not a single scrumptious page was left unmarred. The relationship between Georgiana and Maelys was, heartbreakingly heartwarming. I do love me a deeply traumatised and cynical love interest being thrust into the bright lights of the main character and learning to love life again.
This checked so many boxes for me: sapphicism, magical realism, historical. It was done well, realisticly, and with not a single woman being objectified or dehumanised along the way. It's incredible how that's possible, isn't it, most male authors to ever write a woman ever?
I liked how there were two problems to overcome. Miss Bickle! Oh, the lovely Lysistrata Bickle - the ditzy Lizzie. There is a special Lizzie-shaped hole in my heart where her beautiful self will slot in perfectly. Everyone needs an obnoxiously upbeat and optimistic friend, even in the face of mortal peril.
Another thing that I've come to realise I adore, is the use of an external character narrator. I discovered my love for this when I read Brandon Sanderson's Tress of the Emerald Sea and was introduced to Hoid. This time, I was introduced to a mischievous little hobgoblin who served Oberon who went by the name of Robin, and told stories as though his life depended on it - which, perhaps, is because it might.
One thing I hope for, even if it's just a short novella each, is to learn more about Robin's story, and that we're finally told if Miss Bickle got the romantic pounding she longs for.
All in all, this was a delightful read, and perhaps one of my favourite books of all time.
When I got to the end of this book, I was worried that this would would turn into multiple seasons of Supernatural. The reason why I stopped watching that show was because every season would turn out to be the exact same story over and over again to the point where it was just tedious and exasperating. Much to my delight, Mortal Follies did not disappoint. Like, at all. I'd heard that this book was a bit like Marmite - you either love it or you hate it. I just so happen to be of the notion that this was a pure, cozy masterpiece, and am already looking forward to the future rereads, and even the sequel which is due next year!
The candle burned slowly for this one, which was actually quite a pace change for my usual book choice - and yet, I thought it was the correct way to go about this. There was so much world building, so much lore to explore, I was honestly surprised he (Alexis Hall - the author) was able to whittle it down to just under 400 pages.
I devoured this book whole, not a single scrumptious page was left unmarred. The relationship between Georgiana and Maelys was, heartbreakingly heartwarming. I do love me a deeply traumatised and cynical love interest being thrust into the bright lights of the main character and learning to love life again.
This checked so many boxes for me: sapphicism, magical realism, historical. It was done well, realisticly, and with not a single woman being objectified or dehumanised along the way. It's incredible how that's possible, isn't it, most male authors to ever write a woman ever?
I liked how there were two problems to overcome. Miss Bickle! Oh, the lovely Lysistrata Bickle - the ditzy Lizzie. There is a special Lizzie-shaped hole in my heart where her beautiful self will slot in perfectly. Everyone needs an obnoxiously upbeat and optimistic friend, even in the face of mortal peril.
Another thing that I've come to realise I adore, is the use of an external character narrator. I discovered my love for this when I read Brandon Sanderson's Tress of the Emerald Sea and was introduced to Hoid. This time, I was introduced to a mischievous little hobgoblin who served Oberon who went by the name of Robin, and told stories as though his life depended on it - which, perhaps, is because it might.
One thing I hope for, even if it's just a short novella each, is to learn more about Robin's story, and that we're finally told if Miss Bickle got the romantic pounding she longs for.
All in all, this was a delightful read, and perhaps one of my favourite books of all time.