This book had so much promise, but I think something about it just wasn't for me. There's nothing outright wrong with it, and I think others will find it downright delightful, but it and I just did not get along.

In a world where humans exist side-by-side with fairies, spirits, deities, and other magical beings, Miss Maelys Mitchelmore has a problem. She's found herself the victim of an increasingly aggressive curse that starts by unraveling her dress mid-ball and progresses to attempting to kill her, for reasons entirely unknown to her. Desperate to free herself of the curse, she seeks out the help of the Duke of Annadale (so named because rumor has it she killed her brothers and father to become the last one standing in her family), Lady Georgianna Landrake. Together, they begin to search out the one who put the curse on Miss Mitchelmore and delve into the complicated world of deep feelings in a time of mortal peril.

The premise of Mortal Follies is a delightful one, from the initial setting that is so similar to the world we'd expect, but just a slight twist. Having Puck as a narrator is such a fun, whimsical choice that helps to explain this change in the world and gives such a unique perspective on all of the goings-on in the story.
The side characters are without a doubt the main highlight of this story, though. I would happily read a whole story about Miss Bickle and her weird little adventures.

On the other hand, something about the romance felt clunky to met. It all seemed very surface level and I never quite bought into the feelings between Miss Mitchelmore and Lady Georgianna like I wanted to. In fact, it seemed like a lot of the time when the story focused on them, I found myself more interested in whatever the side characters were up to instead.
The other issue (and I know this is a common struggle with Alexis Hall's story), is that the major plot explained in the summary was solved by about 50% of the way through the book? It felt like everything after that was filler or a second story of sorts, when the original plotline could have easily been drawn out and given more detail.

Overall, this was fine. It's a fun read that I think will appeal to a lot of people, but it just wasn't one for me, sadly.

This is a magical tale of curse breaking and finding love, all while set in the Regency era.

I did not love this. But that doesn't mean I think the book is bad. The story is great, the characters are interesting, and I adored the Sapphic love story. But, something about how the story was related made everything feel less real. I honestly got a bit bored with the narrator's, a fairy onlooker, constant thoughts about everything and everyone, and I feel like that took me out of the story.

I love this author. This is another incredible work. However, this one just wasn't for me.

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

This book does a great job at balancing the fantasy plot with the romance plot. It is primarily a romance book, but the fantasy elements are perfectly interwoven and don’t come off as an afterthought. The magic system makes sense, although there are a few things that my classics degree takes offense at. The characters are interesting and well-written. The relationships, both platonic and romantic, are well-developed and full of chemistry. The narration mechanic is really interesting. It seems a little hesitant at the beginning of the book, but by the end is a really interesting part of the story.

Genre: historical romance, whimsical fantasy
London, 1814

Miss Maelys Mitchelmore doesn’t quite think balls are her thing. She also doesn’t quite think men are her thing. Then she meets the stunning woman society calls the Duke of Annadale, Lady Georigiana Landrake. The Duke of Annadale carries a family curse, her father died and in short succession so did all her brothers, so people call her a witch. Good thing for Miss Mitchelmore that she’s befriended the Duke of Annadale just as she herself is cursed! A wild adventure to break the curses ensues, with the push and pull of a sapphic romance.

Well this one was weird. Like, not bad weird. Kinda fun. Very whimsical. And weird weird in a way that I think only Alexis Hall can deliver. When Hall goes with a tone, he COMMITS to it, which makes the journey of reading this book all the more fun.

Told from the perspective of Robin “Puck” Goodfellow, mischievous sprite of Midsummer Night’s Dream (who may still be holding a grudge against Shakespeare), Mortal Follies is a comedic farce packed with societal commentary. Hall pits proper society against the general queer normativity of his writing, and because Puck is providing commentary throughout, it works really well.

That said, as much fun as the style was to read, it draws the reader away from the potential emotional connection between Miss Mitchelmore and the Duke of Annadale. Our readalong group concurred that this easily could have been two novellas rather than a novel, with two distinct arcs and plots. Again, stylistically, this wasn’t bad, but it was a bit jarring, and again, takes out some of the emotional impact.

Pick this up if you want to read some delightful nonsense with curses and fairies and regency society!

Thank you to Random House/Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an eARC for review. Mortal Follies is out 6/6/23, and the perfect companion for your Pride Month reads!

3.5⭐️

Alexis Hall is an auto-buy author for me. A sapphic regency romance with mythology and magic? SIGN ME UP!

Mortal Follies is a GOOD book. A wonderful story filled with many laugh out loud moments! I might be in the minority here, but reading this story from the perspective of an unreliable narrator made it all the more enjoyable. Puck, our witty hobgoblin, really made the story come alive with all their idiosyncrasies.

I love Alexis Hall’s ability to write in different styles and genres. A Lady for a Duke is my favorite book by them. I was expecting Mortal Follies to surpass it, but sadly, it didn’t. This story started out really interesting. It definitely peaked too soon and I found myself wondering was else could possibly happen during the last half of the book. Up until the very last five percent, new information was being revealed to us and it felt like it was too late in the story for new plot devices to be thrown into the mix.

One thing I can say for certain is how much I LOVE Georgiana and Mae’s relationship. The pining was done so well and the payoff was well worth it. Mae and Lizzie’s friendship is so sweet and funny. Lizzie was a bit infuriating at times with her constant musing, but that is essentially the entire purpose of her character.

Thank you to Random House Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall is a complete romp. It has a Regency setting with the addition of a fairy narrator who gets involved. There are angry gods and curses. The heroine must seek the help of another Lady who is notorious and possibly a witch. And they find each other attractive. There is a lot to keep track of in this novel, but it is an entertaining read. Recommended for anyone who likes quirky fantasy.

This was, I think, my 10th Alexis Hall book, and he never disappoints. His writing style is always ALWAYS so incredibly fun and engaging, and it especially was here, with such a unique narrator. Just based on the writing alone, this would have been 5 stars, but this book, while really enjoyable, felt needlessly drawn out to me. At around the halfway point, most of the plotline felt wrapped up, but it took so much longer for the book to actually end.

4.25⭐️

Mortal Follies is a hilariously, intriguing tale of two noblewoman who fall for each other as they deal with curses and angry gods.

The narrator definitely makes this book stand out against other historical fantasy novels. They made me laugh out loud more times than I could count and kept me interested in what was going to happen next. I’ve never read a book that was narrated quite like this and I loved it. Hall did an excellent job bringing the narrator to life without having them interact directly with our main characters.

If you’re looking for a sapphic story set in the regency era that mixes in fantastical elements, I would 100% recommend this.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random house for an arc in exchange for an honest review.*

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group & NetGalley for providing an advanced free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I've never read any of Alexis Hall's work, but this book was a fantastic introduction to his work. I immediately added more of his books to my TBR after putting this one down. This book follows a young noblewoman who must pair up with an attractive, rumored murderess to ward off a curse. Set in a magical regency era, the fairy narrator weaves a tale about two mortals trying to overcome the trials of high society, the demands of deities, and the slow burn romance between them (it was worth the wait to see this love story unfold). The only thing I didn't love about this book was the narrator. At first I found him annoying, but as the story progressed I tolerated and even enjoyed the way he interrupted the narrative to add details and humor.

Mortal Follies is out June 6!
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Pairs well with afternoon tea, a sacrifice or two, and ribbons.

I'm a big fan of Alexis Hall, and I was really excited about this foray into a mix of fantasy with regency romance. The combination is actually what worked best for me: I found the worldbuilding of fae, gods, and more on top of the familiar regency world really charming and entertaining. I think Hall is quite talented at what I'd best describe as silliness - I feel this put to use so well in Boyfriend Material and Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake - and it is a perfect match here with the book told the voice of a knowing, winking hobgoblin who followed the story unfolding. For me, this voice actually didn't get old; I found the cheekiness and little jokes quite funny the whole way through, along with the great and sometimes absurd dialogue with the friend group, especially from Lizzie Bickle. It would probably be really great on audio.

Where the book faltered, for me, was the romance and pacing. I appreciated Maelys' confidence and motivation in the face of a lack of knowledge, and how this world wasn't really hung on queer relationships being much of an issue. Hall did a solid job of showing her attraction and elements of her physical connection with her love interest, the Duke of Landrake/Lady Georgiana, we don't really see anything of why Maelys cares for her beyond that. Georgiana is a bit one-note, primarily pushing away Maelys again and again before they suddenly end up together.

It almost feels like two books, with the first central mystery of Maelys' curse resolving at about halfway. While it wasn't the main story, the end of that storyline felt like a conclusion, then followed by about 20-30% before the plot takes new turns and focuses on what is ultimately the main challenge. This made the 50-75% or so section drag quite a bit for me, so the book probably could have been cut down somewhat. All in all, this picked back up and stayed pretty delightful though uneven. Also, a gorgeous cover.

Mortal Follies was a complicated read, I considered DNFing it, but I was intrigued by the story. This was my first time reading one of Alexis Hall’s Books. I was initially excited to read this sapphic romance, filled with curses, fairies, and dieties! I will admit that I had high expectations for Miss Mitchelmore and Lady Georgiana, a supposed murderess.
Overall it was hard for me to stay focused on the romance aspect of the story. The narrator, who is based on Puck from Midsummer Nights Dream, is very invasive, as that’s how they are, being the storyteller and narrator. However they are so into the story that they are distracting (on purpose) and don’t allow you to get into the story and have thoughts of your own. Yes, they are funny and entertaining at times, but at that point they mind as well be the main character. The narrator is too funny for me to take the storytelling seriously, and it made me question how reliable the narrator was, being extremely biased, and considering their constant need for validation from the reader, constantly addressing and calling out the reader. I don’t understand why this character had to be the narrator and not just an active character, we also don’t know why they were charged with this task to begin with.
It is less about Miss Mitchelmore and Lady Georgiana. Instead it was a story about a fairy watching over them for their own source of entertainment and judged critiques.
I did enjoy Lady Georgiana and the naive behavior of Miss Mitchelmore, along with her friend Miss Bickle and cousin Mr.Caesar. However I think a lot of things are lacking especially when this was a dire curse situation and the plot hole’s regarding Mr.Caesar and Tabitha.
I have a 50/50 view of this story, as I like it but I also feel like my enjoyment was overtaken by the narrator, who should honestly just have their own book.
I will probably still get a physical copy of the book, since the cover is stunning, and I appreciate Lady Georgiana’s response and care towards Miss Mitchelmore’s initial traumatic experience.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC read!

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year, but for me, it didn't live up to the hype. While I was initially entranced by the pith of the Hobgoblin as a narrator (and found the parallels between fae and neurodivergent folk affirming), the narration began to grate on me quickly. Alexis Hall writes the most delightful side characters, but even Miss Bickle's humor couldn't make up for the pacing. I grew bored and ultimately didn't make it past the first third before giving up. Perhaps I will try again when the audiobook becomes available, but for now, Mortal Follies is an unfortunate DNF.

This was a fun read that takes some playful jabs at the regency romance genre. Alexis has such a distinctive writing style/voice and it’s fully present in this via the unusual narrator of the story. Being narrated by a casual onlooker does create distance and make it a little hard to actually connect with the main characters, but I did still find it to be an enjoyable story.

Because of the perspective and style it’s written in, I think it’s imperative to be in just the right mood to read and enjoy this. Definitely pick it up when you want something lighthearted and a little silly with a bit of romance, but that you won’t be too emotionally invested in. This is a perfect read for that mood!

Solid 3.5/5

Think Pride and Prejudice but sapphic and with a generous pour of magic. The unreliable, fae narrator is a delight and I thoroughly enjoyed Maelys as a protagonist fighting against the curse laid on her.

However, as much as I liked the concept of Georgianna, her aggressive rebukes of Maelys and then her aggressive intimacy gave me a bit of whiplash. While you do eventually learn her backstory in the final third of the book, her character still feels a bit shallow and I wish her motivations had been explored earlier and more in depth.

Miss Brickly is a delight and I love her Whimsey (and hope we get a

Y'all, I'm sorry, but I was just so bored with this one.

Sapphic Fantasy Regency Romance? This should have been my absolute jam. I was expecting Half a Soul/Longshadow vibes, give me gay Bridgerton, sign me up. But I think the main fault with this book lies with the narrative structure.

Normally, I love an unconventional narrator. I just lauded Shannon Chakraborty on the storytelling mechanism she used in Amina al-Sirafi. But the mischievous fae narrator of Mortal Follies, Robin, is just so present, it's distracting. Especially for a romance story, choosing your main POV character to be someone who is strictly observing the action was very isolating. At no point was I actively rooting for the main couple, simply because I didn't understand what it was that they liked about one another. We don't get any of the tortured pining and longing that I love so much about romance. Robin is the ever present fly (or mouse, wisp of smoke, or unpleasant itch) in the room, and all the action feels so distant that I never felt embedded in it, and as a result, I just didn't care about anything that was happening.

The pacing of this story was also off. The most exciting sequence of events happens around the 55% mark. At the end of the scene, I looked down at the progress mark on my Kindle and wanted to weep. What was I supposed to care about for the next 45% of the book?? The climax just happened! The writing was lovely, but the story itself was so slow and boring. It took me 11 days to crawl through a book that I expected to bust through in 2 sittings.

So yeah, definitely a bit disappointed with this one. I thought I had found my no-fail niche with Regency Fantasy Romance, but Mortal Follies was a let down.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a really unique take on regency romance with tons of wit and clever writing.

I loved how Alexis Hall was really consistent with the narrators comments, when I first understood who was narrating (you find out in the first few pages), I thought surely this will fall off-- but it didn't!

I enjoyed all the banter and interactions between the FMC and her friends and also her love interest. I did feel like I wanted more insight into people's (especially the love interest's) motivations and thoughts, and I think a couple of POV chapters outside of the main narrator would've helped.

It took me a bit to get into the book, and I do think that the different plots could've been handled better because it was a bit jarring to have the main issue be resolved at the halfway point.

Also! How gorgeous is the cover. I can't get over it. It's one of the prettiest covers I've seen recently.

Thanks to Netgalley and Del Rey for this ARC!

3.5 stars
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Mortal Follies sees Alexis Hall once again straying into fantasy territory (the last time having been with one of my favorites, The Affair of the Mysterious Letter), and needless to say, I had high expectations. But given my somewhat more mixed experience with Hall’s work of late, I really should have gone in with more measured expectations, especially as what this book is sold as doesn’t exactly fit with what the book necessarily is. Is there a sapphic romance as a central part of the story? Yes, but it never felt like the main thing that grabbed me.
And a lot of that is down to the choice of narrator. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s perfectly possible for a narrator/POV character to be different from the protagonist. And the narrator is a lot of fun, being a character who constantly makes references to things the reader would know from our world, such as the fact that he’s obviously Puck from Midsummer Night’s Dream, on the outs with Oberon, based on a reference early on. And his (and Hall’s) intent is clearly a satirical one, to lovingly take the piss out of the historical romance genre, as he makes jabs at modern readers’ love for the genre, due to being “nostalgic for the staggering social inequality.” And that’s without even getting into the ways the story itself plays with some familiar tropes, like the broody rakish duke with a mysterious past.
But having that narrator puts an imaginary wall of distance between reader and characters you don’t have with either first-person or third-person limited. I just don’t know that Hall was able to define either of his leading ladies enough to give them much impact. Did I enjoy hearing about them and their adventures? Yes, sure. But there was a real lack of intimacy that made me care for them.
Whether it works for you will depend on what you’re looking for. If you’re expecting a romance, especially one where you feel connected to the main characters, you might come away somewhat underwhelmed. But if you’re looking for a satirical fairy tale that has a romantic plot, and you don’t mind a very present narrator along with said romance, it’s worth the read.

This was such a fun read! I saw this described as "Magical Brigerton" and immediately knew I was interested! It had all the pomp and circumstance expected from a regency romance, while simultaneously being hilarious. I read this on a plane and was left desperately trying to hold in my laughter the whole time.

Alexis Hall never disappoints. The authors unique voice and vivid characters shine in this book. I love that the characters are described in a way that makes them feel like people we all know, even though it takes place in a magical version of regency England.

This is a perfect read for the summer!

I really wanted to love this one but it just missed the mark for me. While I absolutely loved the unique plot - Bridgerton-esque society, sapphic FMC, lots of queer representation, and a bit of magic - I found the text sometimes hard to understand, the characters mostly unlikeable, and the storyline predictable and, ultimately, a bit boring.

The narrator of this story was witty, funny, and, at times, a bit chaotic. This definitely added an element of whimsy to the story that it would have been remiss without. Miss Mitchelmore was naive and put up with a lot of mistreatment from the Duke of Annadale - I genuinely did not understand the intrigue. The Duke of Annadale reminded me of the first girl I dated - which means that I have very few good things to say about her. She was manipulative, rude, and brutish.

The absolute star of this was Miss Bickle. I want to read a book about her. She was constantly the comic relief and really the only one with anything positive to add to the story. She was the truest friend to Miss Mitchelmore and, somehow, the only sensible one in the entire story.

Despite my criticism, I didn't dislike this! I just didn't love it the way I was hoping to. It was fun to read a queer story in this time period and the writing was unique, albeit a bit over my head.

This book feels like what would happen if Bridgerton and A Midsummer Night's Dream had a lesbian child. Not quite as good as ALFAD, but really funny and magical. I hope there will be more books set in this world!