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A review by lindentea
Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
3 stars to an Alexis Hall during pride month..... things are dire I fear.
Maybe I'm overly critical or should have had different expectations going into this, especially since Hall's historical romances DO vary wildly in tones.... but I don't think all the elements of this book came together, and the ones I did enjoy overstayed their welcome.
I didn't buy into the central love story to begin with because, tbh, I found Georgianna to be kind of whatever when we first saw her, and didn't end up warming up to her ever. Like I can see why Maelys would be attracted to her but not why they'd be together forever and forever and have a love strong enough forboth of them to willingly potentially die facing an ancient pagan god. Speaking of Maelys why the fuck was she put through the meat-grinder to find (as mentioned, underwhelming) love? The curse itself, having to figure out how to break it, finding out the purpose of the curse is for her to ultimately lose her bodily autonomy, being kidnapped at the threat of rape, having to drown a man with her bare hands, getting leprosy and gout and chlamydia and i think syphilis too because of a DIFFERENT curse... AND all of this while going after a woman who she kind of had to convince to date her, who was very much ready to kind of just keep her around for sex when Maelys was clearly unhappy with the arrangement, AND who really needs to improve her communication skills around said sex because I'm sorry you cannot look at a virgin and be like I'm actually gonna tie you to the chaise lounge without your explicit consent about it, this is how I like to have sex, accept it or leave it. Obviously I'm not out here being like lesbian stories should only ever be sunshine and rainbows and bunnies and picnics and oh the love of a woman is SOFT and PURE and INNOCENT, I just wish she didn't have to suffer more than Jesus!! Speaking of purity and innocence, the sex... Alexis Hall. I'm pretty sure you're a gay man? But still you have had characters who aren't men fuck nasty before. The last book I read by you ended with an extremely explicit foursome. If you insist on your characters making such a point about just calling it fucking instead of using polite ladylike terminology... SHOW ME THE FUCKING!!! . Final complaint is that it was simply too long... with strange pacing. I honestly enjoyed the fucking around portion way more than the "x event is life and death and we have to do all these things and blah blah" parts, so I really wish we fucked around, got to when Maelys was at Georgianna's house, and, can I be honest? Had a THIRD ACT BREAK-UP because what they want out of a relationship just doesn't seem to match, Maelys leaves heartbroken, period of separation apart, and Georgianna has to come back and grovel like she's Mr Darcy and she actually doesn't just want casual sex and is willing to, like, emotionally let Maelys in. And A PROPER MONOLOGUE!!!. None of this "my family is genuinely cursed cause my dad is an asshole so everyone I love will die except like hes dead? so why is this still active? anyway lets break the curse" followed by "ok the curse was broken they kissed the end" shit.
That said I really enjoyed a lot of the worldbuilding, and Maelys' two friends Lizzy (spelling? I read the audiobook) and John, and also the narrator (both of the audiobook and, like, Robin's narrative voice)! But some of these elements overstayed their welcome (Lizzy went to the Laios Touden school of bringing up her special interest when it's not appropriate and relevant and when her friends are going through life-threatening peril, and Robin.. ily.. i do not have to know about the fairy world during dramatically tense moments in the narrative.) All this being said the next book is JOHN'S and I love him and his being constantly exasperated by the shenanigans of the women in his life and how he has like gay drama with all his gay friends in the underground gay scene... yea dude I'm gonna be reading that shit
Maybe I'm overly critical or should have had different expectations going into this, especially since Hall's historical romances DO vary wildly in tones.... but I don't think all the elements of this book came together, and the ones I did enjoy overstayed their welcome.
I didn't buy into the central love story to begin with because, tbh, I found Georgianna to be kind of whatever when we first saw her, and didn't end up warming up to her ever. Like I can see why Maelys would be attracted to her but not why they'd be together forever and forever and have a love strong enough for
That said I really enjoyed a lot of the worldbuilding, and Maelys' two friends Lizzy (spelling? I read the audiobook) and John, and also the narrator (both of the audiobook and, like, Robin's narrative voice)! But some of these elements overstayed their welcome (Lizzy went to the Laios Touden school of bringing up her special interest when it's not appropriate and relevant and when her friends are going through life-threatening peril, and Robin.. ily.. i do not have to know about the fairy world during dramatically tense moments in the narrative.) All this being said the next book is JOHN'S and I love him and his being constantly exasperated by the shenanigans of the women in his life and how he has like gay drama with all his gay friends in the underground gay scene... yea dude I'm gonna be reading that shit