Mortal Follies

Alexis Hall

⭐4⭐

“Hope is a strange thing. The last prisoner of Pandora’s box. Be careful of hoping for things, Miss Mitchelmore.”

“I am called a hobgoblin by some and, contrary to what certain people might have told you, it is not a name I like and you shall not have good luck if you repeat it in my hearing.”

“I am forced, for the first time in the millennia of my existence, to pay what I understand you mortals call rent. It is vile.”

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Sidenote; I also purchased the physical copy of this book after reading and enjoying it! I wanted to have a copy in my physical collection!

Mortal Follies is a sapphic fantasy regency romance novel set in the year 1814. The story is told from the outside perspective of a hobgoblin who goes by Robin. Robin follows Miss Maelys Mitchelmore, a woman coming of age and being presented to society in Bath. Somehow, Maelys has gotten herself tangled up in a curse with a goddess and seeks a way out. Many suspects are located but none more promising than Lady Georgianna Landrake, an accused witch and murderess nicknamed “the Duke of Annadale” after her father and brother’s all came to an untimely end. Maelys with her friend, Miss Bickle, and her cousin, Mr. Caesar, work together to find an end for this curse before it is too late.

I ADORED Miss Bickle, she made the whole book for me. I would love to see where she ended up and with whom (if she so chooses to accept a partner).

3.8

This book had me laughing out loud. I didn’t want it to end! I loved the characters but my favorite had to be the sassy hobgoblin narrator. I loved the whimsical feel of this book it was truly magical and I wish I could dive into that world again! Highly recommend this one!

Can Alexis Hall write a bad book?? I don’t think so. I really loved the historical fantasy aspect of this book. I just absolutely adore Hall’s writing and world building and romance. He has a way of creating characters that I just can’t help but love. This book is so unapologetically queer and I can’t get enough.

I usually love Alexis Hall, but this one fell flat. This supernatural historical romance is narrated by Robin (aka Puck, although never named) and the detachment of the first person observational narration means we never really get into the heads of any of the characters. I found myself not caring about the romance because we were getting arch commentary about both women instead of getting to know them. He calls both by their titles instead of their names, which is another layer of detachment. The quests and sacrifices got repetitive. I lost interest and it took me forever to finish this book.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

Alexis Hall books seem to be a hit or miss for me recently, and unfortunately this one was a hit. I wasn't a fan of the unique narrator style, and I also felt like this book didn't quite have enough substance. There were a few really funny moments that stood out, but overall the book just fell flat for me.

This book really just took me for a ride. I loved the build up, the character development, and the writing. I would definitely read more from this author!

*4.5 Stars*

I jumped into this thinking I had ideas of what it was about but all those preconceptions were wrong somehow. I did like discovering the plot as it went on though so you're not getting a summary. HA!

This was, above all, a lot of fun. I had a great time from beginning to end. I loved the faerie as a narrator, I loved the extra little commentary from the narrator and the jokes and the breaking of the fourth wall and the commentary on our current world. I just thought it was so smartly done.
The plot also kept me on my toes and I was rooting for the main character in everything just like Robin was.
I liked the overall intrigue, I liked the relationships between the MC and her friends as well as between the MC and the love interest. I liked seeing it grow and evolve and I liked that the MC also grew as the story went on. Basically, I had a great time and I would really like more like this!!

This was a pretty decent book. I feel like the plot was pretty repetitive and the characters felt like ones I'd read before. I feel like they really didnt have too much personality of their own but it was still pretty okay. My favorite part was the narrator Robin. I liked her little insights into everything.

I really enjoyed this book, and am so thankful for the opportunity to receive an ARC! The narration style was different and took me a second to get used to, but once I did I found myself really loving it, and laughing out loud in many instances. I am absolutely obsessed with the new historical romance movement in which authors are making it their own and expanding the rep in a way that is inclusive and wonderful. The love story is sweet and believable and the MC is easy to root for. Alexis Hall is an autoread for me, and hasn't let me down with this one!

Maelys Mitchelmore is a young woman, just entering high society, but she soon discovers that she has
been cursed. It starts with simple annoyances but quickly escalates to life-threatening occurrences.
Enter Lady Georgianna Landrake, aka the Duke of Annadale, an older, queer woman who miraculously is
present for most of the events that threaten Maelys. Initially, the Duke is the prime suspect. Despite her
misgivings, Maelys is intrigued by the Duke. Surprisingly, this book deviates from the expected format,
and the curse is NOT the primary plot for the entirety of the book. At least, that curse is not.
This book gives Gentleman Jack crossed with Bridgerton vibes with the addition of supernatural
elements. I was thoroughly entertained. I really enjoy all of Alexis’s books and appreciate the diverse
queer representation. I give this 4 out of 5 stars. The spice is more of a tease than anything, so I’d give
this 1 pepper.

Did not finish book. Stopped at 38%.
I didn’t see the purpose of the outside narrator, not enough backstory was given so I was just confused by their interjections and they often just took me out of the story. Generally it was moving a bit too slow, and while I did get a bit mildly interested once it became clear what the main plot/conflict was, it still was not attention keeping enough. The romance wasn’t really selling me either. Possibly on audio it might be a bit more interesting but I just wasn’t invested enough in the outcome of the characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the early eARC of Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall!

Alexis Hall is one of my favorite writers. I always enjoy the way he creates characters with such unique and strong personalities. You really cant help but bond with them as they are taken on whatever adventure Alexis has dreamt up for them.

Mortal Follies is built with the incredibly fun idea of having a hobgoblin as our narrator. It gives an outsiders perspective in to what is going on with the main characters and lets us feel as if we're watching it all play out through the narrator's eyes without having to be in any one specific characters head.

I really enjoyed the first half of the plot with Maelys dealing with her curse and trying to find who cursed her, why, and how to undo it. Her few encounters with Georgiana were perfect as we got to see and feel the tension between them as they interacted more and more.

Overall I think this book was a lot of fun with a slow burn but enjoyable romance between the two MCs. I do think some parts felt a little slow after about 2/3rds in but there was enough going on to look forward to that I didnt mind it at all. Another strong installment in Hall's catalog!

More like this book please! I mean, for me, I don’t know if you will like it. A lot of people who read it said it was weird. But weird is such a loaded word sometimes. Like, sure it’s weird but it’s my kind of weird!

The book is narrated by Puck, like the character from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I am not a Shakespeare fan in particular, but I love Midsummer Night’s Dream. It is such a fun ensemble show. And Puck is obviously the best character. Puck tells us that he is living in our modern world, is on the outs with Oberon, and needs to make some money and is doing so by writing this story. There is a lot of him talking straight to you, the reader, just as he does in the play. If you’re not into this kind of narration, you’re not going to like this book. It’s what makes it weird. I thought it was hilarious. I loved it. I wish Puck narrated more books. Alexis Hall could write two of these types of books a year and I would devour them.

The story itself follows Miss Maelys Mitchelmore, who finds herself cursed. (I suppose it is also a weird part of the book that it’s a sort of magical realism / historical romance hybrid. But again, very much my kind of weird.) She is frequently helped by Lady Georgianna Landrake, also known as the Duke of Annadale, who may or may not be a witch and may or may not have murdered her father and two brothers with magic. Their love story is SO romantic.

A special thank you to Random House Publishing Group for the free copy of the ebook for review. This was the first story I have read by Alexis Hall.

I normally don’t rate Romance novels because I have a hard time calculating personal enjoyment alongside literary merit, but because this was a copy gifted for review I have decided on a rating. I usually equate three star ratings to books that I feel like others may love but I wasn’t that reader. Most books that I read fall into this rating.

I admit that the cover originally got my attention (there will never be enough pink books.) I definitely recommend this to fans of Bridgerton as marketed, but I also recommend this to fans of Amanda Quick’s Arcane Society, which I enjoyed reading several years ago. The time that it took me to read this is in no way a reflection of the story.

Love Alexis Halls books and was excited to read this one. Unfortunately I just don’t think it was for me. I found the narrator to be good at the beginning but way too present cutting in all the time to the point that you just can’t get into the book. Maybe I’m just not cut out for reading books with narrators who knows. The characters felt underwhelming and yet the book was soo long.

This is a historical fantasy and love story between two women but uses a framing narrator which is distracting from the story. Everything is narrated from a third person point of view who is literally following and watching the main characters. This regularly break scenes and keeps the reader detached from the characters. The first main plot is solved by 60% leaving a long period of nothing really happening before a second round of plot that is solved quickly. The plot pacing is very uneven. Finally, I have no idea why the MC likes the main love interest. This may be a result of the framing narrative, but I wish there was more time for building up that relationship and clear communication.

**ARC received with thanks from NetGalley**

Now my schooling did not involve deep study of Shakespeare, that prick from Stratford 😂, so I’m not a scholar of the source material Midsummer Night’s Dream. However, that did not diminish one bit my enjoyment of the story of Miss Maelys Mitchelmore, Lady Georgiana Landrake (aka the Duke of Annadale, for there is a distinct lack of male heirs in this line presently) and their assorted companions. I loved the balance between the world as I know it, and the magical realm of gods, fairies, magic and curses. I sometimes find an omniscient first person narrator a little unsettling, but here I was all invested in the puckish Robin, a gleefully mischievous fairy whose disdain of mortals and their follies is matched by the secret tenderness I’m convinced he lets at times slip through despite his protests to the contrary. The course of true love does not run smooth but is lined with obstacles, curses, one particular appalling human, surprisingly gruesome animal sacrifice and a dollop of pestilence. But also plenty of support, empathy, and the clever comedic beats we’ve come to expect from Alexis Hall. Mortal Follies is a book more towards the plotty end of the vibes—plot continuum but the central relationship is painted with nuance and feeling. The beauty of the prose peaked to me in Robin’s descriptions of the unfathomable world of magic, and I hope we get to hear more of his story in the coming book(s). I can’t wait for the next instalment. Oh, and do give the audiobook a listen. Nneka Okoye is simply exquisite in bringing this cast of characters to life 🧚‍♂️🐝🐦💨

While I generally enjoy historical novels or period pieces, this just had a little too much going on. I enjoyed the narrator and their uniquely chaotic POV, but sometimes it was hard to follow what was happening. Similarly, the character dialogue was also sometimes confusing. And the switch between using first names and last names would be difficult to keep track of who was talking to whom. The overall plot of the story was very simplistic. I am not sure how to explain it, but it didn’t really feel like a series of events that really needed a whole book. I did appreciate the wit and humor. I know that there are some hardcore Alexis Hall fans that would enjoy how chaotic this is, but personally it was hard for me to get into.

ARC provided by NetGalley

The start of this book was phenomenal! I was captivated by the story telling from the prologue alone. I’m not going to spoil anything, but I found the characters to be charming, hilarious, and all around well written. I highly recommend reading just for the narrator alone!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really, really wanted to love this book, as it has so much going for it: Alexis Hall wrote it, and I have loved all the other books I've read by this author. The premise seemed fun and romantic and just a bit magical, all things I love. It's sapphic! THAT COVER, OHMYGOD. And for the most part, I did enjoy it, but there were parts that left me... unsatisfied.

Well I initially enjoyed and was intrigued by the fact that it was narrated by Robin/Puck, there were his little digressions and asides just took me right out of the story. It also seemed to go on a little longer than it should have?

But, overall, I liked the romance of it, and the tinge of magic with the historical was so fun. Also, if I don't get a sequel focused on Miss Bickle, I will be profoundly upset, as she was by far the best character. All in all, it was a nicely entertaining story, with some good laughs.