NetGalley ARC Educator 550974


A whimsical story that feels like a mix of genres, that include romance, comedy, drama and fantasy. Trigger warnings include rape, animal harm and language. It was a quick read with lovable characters and some that bore.

This book was interesting, the hobgoblin narrator having very strong opinions and telling the story is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea but I enjoyed the narration.

I loved the characters and especially Miss Bickle, who is Miss Migchelmore’s best friend. She is utterly ridiculous and hilarious and often provides the best insights and advice. Miss Mitchelmore was clever, assertive, and sometimes impulsive. Their interactions with witches, priestesses, and goddesses clever and interesting. The Duke of Annadale is withdrawn and protective; but the self sacrificing trope has never been my favorite.

My biggest issue with this book is that I felt like it was two separate books. There was the Miss Mitchelmore’s curse and resolution and plot, and the Duke of Annadale and her curse and resolution. However, those two stories felt like two entirely different stories to me (though related). Because there were two stories in one book, as well as potentially the narrator, the relationship wasn’t developed as much as I would like it to have been. They say they’re in love but we don’t get enough of their interaction that isn’t life/death or sex related.

Parent’s guide:
Sex & Nudity: moderate (attempted rape, sex—closed door, reference to tying someone up during sex)
Violence & Gore: moderate (animal sacrifice, murder, curses)
Profanity: moderate (multiple uses of f***** to refer to sex)
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking: mild
Frightening & Intense Scenes: moderate (attempted kidnapping, attempted rape, murder, animal sacrifices)

This is…fine? Much less manic than the Something series, but more whimsy than Hall’s other standalones. It’s not helped by some haphazard pacing, but it leaves you with a warm feeling overall.

The first-person outsider POV doesn’t really do a lot for the story. The narration’s asides are few and far enough between that they end up entirely forgettable aside from the fact that it’s the structure (and aside from the one bit in the Assembly Rooms where we get a glimpse what the live telling would’ve been) and what they are doesn’t add much other than the quirky interest of having a first-person outsider POV (which you do forget at some points, especially as it slides into each woman’s emotions and then abruptly pulls back with a “or that’s what she looked like, humans are so abstract” just to remind you that there’s a narrator to the story. I can’t decide whether I would have liked it better if Puck had been more present as a narrator or not.

Unfortunately, that’s also how a lot of the side characters and side plots feel as well. They’re all there just enough to leave you wanting more and to feel unfulfilled, but also little enough that you look back and think why was this a plot diversion. It’s either setting up for more novels or Hall wanted so badly for us to know about these characters that were far enough outside of the plot that he fit in these scenes. It also fits in with the pacing - half of the book is concerned with one plot, a quarter with another, and then the last quarter with one last bit, skipping around with not a lot of regard for timing or pacing.

That said, what’s there is cute and inventive (even if a lot of the legends are…wrong, with no indication as to why they would be different from our knowledge of them), and it’s a solid Regency romance.

Mortal Follies is Bridgerton meets A Midsummer Night’s Dream, although I’d also argue it weaves in a bit of Gentleman Jack and a pinch of Good Omens (or maybe that last one is just because I pictured the narrator as Michael Sheen).

My favorite part of this book (apart from that gorgeous cover) is definitely the writing, which was far wittier than most romance or historical fiction novels I’ve read. The narrator, Robin/Puck from Midsummer, often interrupts to provide some world-building or make little comments about each character’s thoughts or whether they’re right or wrong. Granted, sometimes this would get a little distracting, but this narrative device was responsible for some of my favorite lines in the book. I did /so/ much highlighting compared to most books.

I also enjoyed the world-building—as you might know from the blurb, it’s Regency England but with mischievous faeries, clever witches, and vicious gods, and there were several side characters I’d love to see sequels about.

I think the thing that kept me from /fully/ enjoying this book was the pacing. It was partly a mystery, partly a romance, but the pacing doesn’t follow either of those genres super well. Without spoiling, it felt like the climax of the novel happened about halfway through, and then the plot meandered a bit until the end, which came kind of abruptly. Plenty 0f bad things happen to the cursed protagonist. but I don’t think I ever bought that she was truly in any danger, and there wasn’t a lot pushing me to keep reading. There were a few times where one side character in particular seemed like he might be a threat, but nothing ever came of it except for the protagonist’s grandpa being like “oh yeah, that guy sucks,” and that confused me.

A lot of the time, the narrator would end a chapter with “and then I got bored so I left,” which ended up being more relatable than I think was intended. I’m not sure how much changes between an ARC and the final copy, but it felt like it was missing some kind of catharsis at the end, at least.

I’d still recommend this book, though, especially to fans of fantasy and Regency romances. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance copy!

This review will appear on Instagram on 03/29

We love a sapphic romance book, especially one that gives Bridgerton vibes. It was nice to shake up the environment to include fantasy elements like fae, gods, goddesses, and witches. The narrator being a hobgoblin jester brought the Good Folks to the reader's world, a little fourth wall break that I appreciated. I enjoyed the narrator, having an outside complaining persona was very amusing for me and brought a little outside perspective to fae people.

The pacing of the novel was good until after the main issue was solved, there were still plenty of pages left and left me a bit confused to what the rest of the story would be about. I wished the second tiny arc was hinted at earlier so that the flow into it would be more cohesive.

My ABSOLUTE favorite character wasn't any of the female leads. It was definitely Miss Binckle. She was quirky, cute, and a bit of an air head that brought humor to otherwise tense situations. She was the character I most related to in the whole book. Especially with her shipping of the two main leads.

The romance between the two leads was very cute but not at all spicy. This story fades to black during ✨those✨ scenes. I guess the narrator isn't a voyeur in that sense.

Overall I very much enjoyed my time with this read, and it left a smile on my face.

This was an unique book. Having a narrator was a nice change to the same ol’ same ol’ romance. (Especially a faerie as one). I enjoyed the descriptions with the scenes and characters. And I enjoyed having a story of two women falling in love. All in all, an interesting read.

One sentence to describe this book?

It’s Bridgerton if it had magic and fantastical elements.

The beginning of this book started out in a very familiar tone that bridgerton fans would love. Oberton’s jester starts out this book with a direct letter to us- the gentle readers of this tale. Being called that immediately put me down memory lane and put me in the mindset of - okay so we’re entering high society. It called me to brew some tea and beckoned me to read it outdoors with a gentle breeze at my side as I sip tea and immerse myself into a new story.

And what a weird beginning this story took on. We’re introduced to one of the main characters, Miss Mitchelmore as she goes through a rather strange ordeal. Miss Mitchelmore’s dress comes undone mysteriously and she is forced to hide in the garden as it magically disappears. Mercifully, she is found by Lady Georgiana and avoids scandal.

The next day she meets with her friends and they ponder who could have possible meddled with her dress. In this world, magic exists so they wonder who wielded the spell and try to solve the mystery. It gets dizzying as the narrator of the story takes on different forms and follows everyone around. While it’s a unique way to tell a tale, I also found myself quite annoyed with this jester. And I also found it hard to continue forward with this book.

DNF 34%
I couldn’t get into it. Only the hope of future interactions between the love interests made me want to keep going.
I like the unit and the characters but it’s just not captivating unfortunately.

This book is unhinged regency sapphic Shakespearean shenanigans.

I loved it.

ARC review from NetGalley

I really wanted to like this book, and I did like a lot about it. I liked the style, mostly liked the characters, and, compared to other reviews I've read, I did like the narrator style (despite it occasionally feeling a tad forced). Ultimately, this book's demise was in its pacing. This book would have made a great novella - instead there were whole pages I read and felt unnecessary. When a major conflict rexolved, I looked at the number of pages left and wondered why the story was continuing. My preference for spicy rather than fade-to-black romance is a personal preference and made the romance fall flat for me, but even the plot and adventure built around the romance dragged on long past when I as a reader wanted it to. Three stars because I appreciated the book's commentary, style, and most of the characters!

I found this book to be interesting. I loved the idea and in the story but found I had a hard time getting into it at first. That is probably my ADHD getting the best of me. I do like that it takes place in the 1800s I always did prefer that time period when reading anything that wasn’t contemporary. I overall enjoyed it but would not pick up a physical copy for my library.

I really enjoyed this book! Thank you to NetGalley for the access to the ARC! I love Alexis Hall’s writing and will automatically read anything from them. I loved the way that the story was told and the dynamic between the characters. Definitely a fan of the Bridgerton vibes and I loved the narrator. The romance was also very sweet. I liked that there was a pretty even balance between the mystery and adventure of the plot and the sweet moments of the romance. Reading this just ensured that I will continue to read from this author regardless of what they write about!

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

This book was a lot of fun specially the narrator Oberon’s former jester and a hobgoblin who will tell you much he enjoys mortals suffer.
The story itself as he will tell you involves romance and curses and a heroes and villains and be assured a happy ending too.

ARC was provided by Del Ray via Netgalley for an honest review of the book.
4 1/2 stars
I really enjoyed this book. It was narrated by a hobgoblin and I thought his thoughts were very funny. It’s a historic romance with a sapphic love story. It has curses, and mystery and romance and magic and mayhem. This book had me laughing on every other page but also made my heart flutter.

Queer Fantasy Bridgerton, and that is exactly what it is, but it’s also a story where A Midsummer Night’s Dream is canon creating a world full of goddesses, fairies, witches, magic waters and sorcerers and it’s great fun. Hall plays with Regency language in that the characters have polite etiquette, but the things that are happening around them and to them are extremely wild and it makes for a fun juxtaposition. Being queer is accepted in this world and all the women are strong-willed and marriage is not their goal. The Duke of Annadale is a woman and she and Miss Mitchelmore have to remove a curse (or two) together which brings about a lot of magical hijinks and leads to a sapphic romance. It’s both creative and refreshing.

This book had SO much potential and fell flat and then continued to fall down several flights of stairs. The concept of the curse and the living and widely accepted gods is such a delightful idea, I just wish the execution wasn't so bad.

Positives:
Setting/world building

The idea of the different gods and goddesses being very much Real and Tangible is so fun and wonderful. My absolute favorite parts of the book were the descriptions of how the magic system works in this universe and how the temperaments of supernatural beings changed how they dealt with mortals was genuinely a great time. I especially liked the descriptions of the curses and how the various attacks against Maelys got progressively worse.

Negatives:
Character voice

The characters in this book are each very distinct from each other, but in ways that felt cheap and silly. The main character, Maelys, felt very flat throughout the story. Her cousin, John, exists only to say "no" to silly ideas and further one (1) plot point.
Spoiler
Miss Bickle is exceedingly silly, and feels overall akin to the straight girl in highschool who eagerly joined GSA in order to get permission to say homophobic slurs. Lastly, Lady Georgiana, the main love interest, has the personality of wet cardboard. Someone who is suspected to be a wicked, murderous, lesbian witch seems like they might be a fun and interesting character to interact with, but she mostly likes to leave scenes without saying much.

Homophobia/transphobia

My God. Where do I begin. In historical romance, especially queer historical romance, I expect to read about homophobia and transphobia. It comes with the territory and is a regular point of friction both in stories and reality. The brand of homophobia in Mortal Follies is a very, very particular one. "Let my gays marry" "I support gay couples as much as normal couples" type shit. The objectification of queer characters for straight amusement is prevalent throughout. About 50% of Mae's interactions with Miss Bickle show this kind of ~scandal~ and it is exhausting. The constant pressing to make Mae confess her feelings, to show or discuss physical affection, and to "test" her attractions leaves a horrible taste in my mouth. There was also a scene towards the beginning of the book that felt completely out of left field and ended up being hideously transphobic. CW: transmisogyny in spoiler
Spoiler
Why, in a world where magic exists, where beings are able to change form at will, and where curses and blessings bear real strength; WHY would this be said? And why in the current political climate would it be necessary to include this scene other than to share your blatant disrespect for trans women? Do better.

Narration

I became tired of the cheeky fae narrator 10 pages in. I would sooner lay down in the middle of the road than continue to endure a fae creature complaining about first world problems.

The Ick

Any time a character talks about sex outside of the sex scenes I want to break my feet with a hammer. I have no desire to read 19 year olds sexual fantasies. Also, making up silly ye olde terms for shipping your friends is just as cringe as telling your real life friends that you ship them.

The rub:
Pacing

The first half of the story moved on at a decent clip and kept momentum well. The biggest issue was each time a new major conflict arose it was just "AAAH MORTAL PERIL" and the stakes weren't there by the end.

Desperate attempts to not seem problematic

There were SEVERAL moments throughout the book where it felt like the author paused and turned to face the reader to say Worry Not Dear Reader, My Wealthy British Aristocrats Are Not Bigots Or Racists. They all feel just as shoehorned as you might imagine. This adds nothing and just exists to relieve some imagined hand-wringing over whether the characters are acceptable by modern standards.

Overall, this book was fun briefly and in spurts. I wish the characters didn't make me want to rip my hair out. I also wish that it wasn't so fucking weird to gay and trans people. 2/5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and DelRey for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I DNF’d this because I got bored pretty quickly. I felt there was not enough action early enough to keep me invested. This would have been better if that wasn’t the case. The characters are bland, which enhances upon the lack of action. There is a bit of tension (primarily of the sexual variety) between Miss Maelys Mitchelmore and Lady Georgianna Landrake (the “Duke of Annadale”). It feels like a slow burn, sapphic romance that didn’t get enough of the burn. I really wanted to enjoy this, as a queer woman.

I read an eARC of Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall. Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing House-Ballantine.

This is one of those books that straddles the line between hilarious and deeply annoying to me. Even the voice that was used to tell the story was simultaneously a character I wanted to give the Loki treatment and also had the wittiest and some great little moments within the text. My first impression of them was an explanation of how they were able to write the book in a prologue, which I didn’t care about, and probably explained why they kept complaining about having to live in the human world (the most annoying part of this characters ramblings outside the story), but other times they’re observations, little quirks, or the way they irritated the humans around them for their entertainment.

For the actual story, it’s entertaining enough. The quirky setting of 1814 life where they’re still trying to worship god when there are fairies, old gods, and so many other dangerous things that people need to have skills in and knowledge in. There are many who are looked down on, like witches, though one man has created a safe place where the rich come as a safe place where everyone is supposed to be safe.

The two romance leads are a bit boring on their own. The most interesting thing about them is their curses. The first one is set up like a mystery, but it’s such a weak mystery that it’s solved halfway through the first half of the book, mostly because the person who did it might as well have a giant arrow pointing at them saying “this is who it is” and the fact she doesn’t even consider him until he points a finger at himself is ridiculous. Then it’s the other’s turn, hers is older and made her jaded, so the most interesting part isn’t figuring out how to break it, it’s the spicy scenes as they work up to finally figuring it out.

So, the book it funny, it made me laugh out loud at several points, but the plot is often weak, maddening, and uneven. Still, I had fun for the most part. But I’d probably say get it from your library and read it that way first before committing to adding it to your collection.

Our heroine Maelys enlists the help of an outcasted woman rumored to be a witch when her regency debut is interrupted by a mysterious malevolent curse in this novel filled with whimsy and escapades! Maelys and her outcast fall for each other in a refreshingly queer-normative take on a magical 1700s England. Narrated by a cantankerous and semi-omniscient fae, and written by the obviously talented Alexis Hall, Mortal Follies has a voice unlike much else in the contemporary fantasy genre.

Unfortunately, the story did struggle with some pacing and continuity issues— it felt at times as if the first and second halves were intended to be two separate books as the main struggle was resolved and a new one was created some 50 pages later. As much as I enjoyed the concept, I did struggle some getting through the final quarter of the book.

If you’re someone who loves historical fantasy with queer characters but not queer trauma, where all of the problems arising to a relationship are due to a mysterious and powerful entity and not period homophobia— this is a great book for you! Thank you to Alexis Hall for making this choice towards levity in what is already a whimsical book, which isn’t often present in the LGBT+ historical fantasy genre.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Del Ray, and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Representation: wlw (mc), mlm, trans woman (minor character)

trigger warnings on Readerly!