Confession: I've been trying to slog through this one for months now and I think it's time to give up. Victorian/Edwardian historical fiction just isn't my cup of tea. I've read a number of them this year and each time I find myself asking "why do I keep picking these up?" Hall writes their historical stories in very very purple prose. I do enjoy a bit of flowery writing but I think because Victorian/Edwardian settings have such specific language that I already can't follow it doesn't work for me. Everyone has multiple names and titles and I can't keep up. I absolutely adore Hall's "Boyfriend Material" but that is in a modern setting. I think it's time I admit that historical romance isn't for me and focus more on modern romances from now on.

Despite the disappointment of Mortal Follies, I enjoyed this one so much more. For one thing, the hobgoblin narrator voice is way less annoying with far less distracting sidebars about their contempt of humanity. For another, more Caesar and Bickle (especially Bickle) who were so much more interesting than Maelys. John's struggle as a queer, biracial member of the ton has much more of an emotional pull than Maelys's contrived misfortunes. Lysistrata had me once again from the beginning with her basically inventing Jane Austen fan fiction. Add to that actually interesting race and social class dynamics, within nobility as well as in the military, I zipped through a significant chunk of this so much easier than the last book. The addition of Titania's Court and Iphigenian cultists was interesting in highlighting nuances of perverted ideals of human and fae courts and military ideals. The Captain and John's romance, however, was hardly a central plot element, and I for one actually preferred it that way. So those coming to this expecting a Romantasy might be disappointed. Their relationship is the connective tissue for sure of the wide variety of characters involved in this story, but it was more a facilitating element rather than the focus. For one thing, their HEA is very much not a given by the end because one of them is a soldier and this is period rife with wars. And for another, this is very much a story about the whole Caesar family navigating their place in the British society as a biracial family of privilege. At the end, it's Miss Mary Caesar coming into her own that holds the most emotional value. Now, please give Miss Bickle a starring role in a book because I agree with the narrator that she is frankly THE BEST of them all.

If you’re wishing for magical mishaps and queer romance, then Confounding Oaths by Alexis Hall will give you exactly what you need.

When Mary’s wish for beauty is magically granted, John must work together with Captain James and his misfit team to save his younger sister from the wish’s dire side effects. I thought that the magic surrounding the wish and that the magic in the book in general was interesting, and I appreciated that it focused on faeries and faerie courts but didn’t limit itself to just that one thing. The range and creativity represented in the magical world made it hard to predict what was coming next, which made for some exciting twists and turns.

I really enjoyed getting to know more about John and his family and Captain James and his team. Everyone’s personality was strong and unique, and everyone’s different perspectives on feminism, sexuality, racism, and classism helped create a more cohesive whole. Each character was also very funny. For the most part, when I think back on this book, I see it as being fun and playful, but the book kept a good balance between its lighthearted moments and its more vulnerable and emotional moments. It felt very grounded in both joy and truth.

Before reading, I didn’t realize that this book was the second in a series, where both books can be read as standalones. I was confused for the prologue and the next couple of chapters, but after that I caught on and could enjoy the book without knowing what had happened before. However, maybe it was explained in the first book, but I didn’t completely understand the need for an outside narrator. I would’ve liked to have read the book from the characters’ perspectives instead, since I found any of the characters to be more interesting than the narrator. I also didn’t find the narrator’s sense of humor or side tangents to be as interesting, which might be the biggest reason I didn’t enjoy the narrator that much. Sometimes, the humor in this book did fall flat for me, which made it a slower read than I thought it’d be.

Overall, Confounding Oaths is fun and flirty, multi-faceted and magical. Readers who enjoy watching Bridgerton will like this book. Big thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group (Ballantine) for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. 3.75/5 stars (rounded up to 4 stars on NetGalley).

I tried to read it but it wasn't for me. I liked where I was going at the beginning and out of nowhere it seemed boring and long.
The plot is good and interesting, don't get carried away because I didn't like it.

When Mary is cursed by the fair folk, the dandyish Mr. Caesar is forced to work with the stolidly working-class—yet inescapably heroic—Captain James to rescue her. While Mr. Caesar is no stranger to dallying with soldiers, until now he's never expected one to stay. Or wanted one to. But even if the captain felt the same, there'd be no chance of anything lasting between them. After all, he and Mr. Caesar come from different worlds.

CONFOUNDING OATHS is a delightful romp through the ton as told through the unreliable Shakespearean narrator, Robin “Puck” Goodfellow, whom we heard narrate a prior fantastical tale, MORTAL FOLLIES. This new volume is a tale of fairies and soldiers and the slightly more fancy families and officers. Mr. Caesar and Captain James and their associates do all they can to save the women, their families (found and otherwise), and their love, from enemies within and without. This book would make a great contemporary companion to a regency novel or even A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM. Alexis Hall is a master of genre, voice, characterization, and language. And he is, as ever, one of the funniest writers I’ve ever read.

thanks to netgalley for providing me an e-arc in exchange for a review.

unfortunately this one was not for me. there was nothing particularly wrong with it, i just could not buy in and i had a hard time keeping my interest up. the writing is good and the characters are fun, i just could not find much of the romance to be excited about.

Gosh, I just really love this series. (I am refraining from calling it a duology because I am wishing a third book, Miss Bickle's story, into existence.)

Everyone in this world has such great banter and wit. They are so delightfully likeable people, despite having very real flaws. I love the narrator's commentary on the actions of the MCs, especially their seeming love for Miss Bickle (who is also my favorite character from both this and Mortal Follies.)

I also just truly love how unabashedly in the romantasy genre this is. It's all in here: gods and goddesses, witches, fairies, enchantments, and love. I want to spend more time in this world!

A mix of regency and fantasy, featuring magical bargains with fairy godmothers. Readers interested in Bridgerton, Jane Austen, and fairies may like this one.

I struggled with this book as it is quite slow. I enjoyed the world but didn’t get farther than the girl getting kidnapped by that fairy after she wanted to be prettier.

There were so many characters and so much going on, I struggled to maintain my attention.

After reading the first book in this series, I felt that this sequel was something of a letdown in comparison, primarily due to the lack of depth given to the characters. The narrative framework (which is carried over from the previous book) feels more prominent in this story, to the point where I felt that Robin (the narrator) was the main character of the story. Mr. John Caesar, Captain Orestes James, and the rest of the characters all took second place to Robin, but even Mary Caesar was explored in more depth (in my opinion) than either her brother (ostensibly the main character) or his love interest. I felt that the first book in the series did a much better job of focusing on its main character and balancing the rest of the cast so that they felt fleshed out but still secondary. Part of this comes from, I think, that in Mortal Follies the main character is herself faced with enchantment and mischief, while in Confounding Oaths it is the main character's sister whose entanglement with the fae the characters are working to understand and survive. Perhaps more balance might have been achieved had Mr. Caesar been his sister's guardian, but as their parents are both still alive and actively involved in the lives of their children, it only added more characters to the mix while somewhat diminishing the role Mr. Caesar played in the outcome of events. As for Robin, I felt that what he mostly wanted to narrate was his process of narrating the story, rather than the story itself. I didn't have as strong a reaction to this narrative device in the first book, again because I think the balance and focus were, overall, much stronger than in this sequel. But too many times in this book we had Robin explaining why he chose to narrate this character's actions rather than another's, or why he chose not to watch certain actions at all, or how he had to navigate through situations where other characters were able to see him. It didn't help that the explanations didn't vary much between instances. Overall, I think this book bit off a little more than it could chew, but I still enjoyed the universe that the author has built and would be open to reading another book set within it to see if it could resemble the first installment more closely than this second one.

I think maybe the set up of this book just wasn’t for me. That being said, there were certainly aspects I really liked. As always with Alexis Hall, there were witty lines and clever plot. However, with the way it was written I just never felt engaged. It took me weeks to read and come back to because I just wasn’t pulled in. Even during the parts of the story that I felt more excitement over, it was never something that kept me fully immersed in the story. The narrator was funny and they added something extra but with them being disengaged by the nature of the writing I think that put distance between the reading perspective and the characters that wasn’t for me.
It also took me months to come back to this review because I just felt so torn on this one since I enjoyed the others in the series more and this author is normally such a hit for me.
I do think this narration style could be excellent for some readers, but it just wasn’t my jam.

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

This was a sweeping fantasy and romantic novel. I really enjoyed this story and the characters in this book.

I will read anything Alexis Hall writes!
I'll admit, I prefer his more realistic and historical fiction works (Boyfriend Material, A Lady For a Duke), as this fae narrator is harder to adjust to, but his stories are still full of fun, flawed characters in impossible situations.
Still worthy of a read.

Confounding Oaths has been the most pleasant surprise of this year's set of ARCs. Last year, I got a copy of the first book in the series, Mortal Follies, and didn't fall in love with it like I'd been hoping. But I love Alexis Hall's writing and after another season of Bridgerton, I was craving some more regency romance so I decided to give the series a second chance...and I adored Confounding Oaths!

I am not sure if it's just that I went in expecting certain things (the narrator in particular), or that the series truly has improved but many of the elements I didn't love in the first one I thoroughly enjoyed in this one. The narrator, Robin, seems to have gotten sassier this time around, less verbose, and a little more irreverent, and I found myself looking forward to his asides. I also loved that recurring characters from the first came back. Maelys and Georgiana return for small parts, of course the Caesar family is central to the story (it's John's romance, after all), and the ever-scene-stealing Lysistrata Bickle once again cracks me up. I also felt the humor really worked.

I enjoyed the plot a bit more in this one, too. After a disastrous ball in which John punches an officer who insults his sister, said sister begins wondering if there was a way to become more beautiful. Of course, Mary's wish attracts the attention of a faerie named The Lady, who grants the wish by turning her into glass. The glass-hearted Mary is pleased to finally be getting the attention her younger sister is, but John can see the impending disaster. With the help of the dashing Captain Orestes James (who came to John's assistance the night of the ill-fated punch) and James's band of merry scoundrels, The Irregulars, John sets of on a quest to save his sister. Also, there are cults, swordfights, and a murderous suitor whose intentions are only thwarted by the help of Miss Bickle. So, of course I enjoyed this one.

I felt the romance landed better this time around, too. In general, I like Hall's Achillean pairings a lot and this one is no different. I loved seeing the upright and stuffy John bend some of his rules and the rogue-ish Captain James fall for him. I also felt the themes of classism and colorism were handled well here, and it was shockingly deep at times for what I expected would be a fun regency romp. All in all, I adored this one...and it's making me want to reassess Mortal Follies??

Anyway, don't skip out on Confounding Oaths. Hall is back and better than ever.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing, and Alexis Hall for gifting me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review! If there's a third book (and I do hope there is), my beloved Lizzie Bickle better be getting her happily ever after!

This is the story of John Caesar, who is trying to help his sister Mary have a successful debut. When she is cursed by fairies, he works with Captain James to rescue her, and many shenanigans come to pass along the way.

Mortal Follies took me a little while to get into because I wasn't sure that I liked the narration by Puck, but this one grabbed me and had me giggling from the very beginning. Even the dedication "My Lord Oberon, I don't know how much longer I can take this" made me giggle, and that was before the story even started.

I loved the character of Captain James, because just his manner of speaking made me laugh at times. He is a soldier through and through and as such is rather crass, compared to Mr. Ceasar's more refined gentleman's speech. I also really enjoyed how the relationship between Mr. Ceasar and Captain James evolved almost without either of them realizing it. At least, that's what it seemed like to me. It was adorable. The Irregulars were also a great part of this story for me. I especially liked Sal and Kumar. 

To be honest, this series isn't my favorite by Alexis Hall but it's definitely worth reading, even for the often silly narration by one Robin Goodfellow. I'd definitely say pick this one up if you're a fan of historical romance.

This was a delightful second visit to this world. I did enjoy the story quite a lot, though it often felt like it didn’t have quite the same edge of danger that the first story did. I really very much enjoy the framing of these stories and the point of view of our faery narrator. It’s such a unique storytelling device, I’ve never read something quite like it. I also like that our narrator interjects their own thoughts/feelings throughout. All of the characters are likeable and many do show character growth which I love. I did feel like the conflict in the first novel was the clear central plot, but this book felt a little less focused. Like I wasn’t quite sure what was the most important thread. I am very excited for the next installment, but I’m hoping for something with higher stakes like the first book.

This book is exactly in its lane and will serve the purpose it’s meant to serve. Personally, I do not like it as much as Mortal Follies but it was still enjoyable. If you like this author, it will definitely be worth reading, but it does fall victim to second book syndrome a bit.

This is a modern take on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Not written in iambic pentameter, the prose approach gives it a more modern feel.

I appreciated the weaving of Shakespearean elements into a modern continuation of Midsummer, I didn’t resonate with the story itself. I appreciated the integration of social elements, the LGBTQIA+ representation, and the general structure of the story, I didn’t get a strong connection to the characters or tales.

Generally, it was well-written, however, I won’t be leaving a public review for this book, as I verbally don’t like to leave less than 4-stars. I want this book to be a success for the author, and just because I didn’t resonate strongly with it, doesn’t mean that others won’t!

Confounding Oaths picks up where Mortal Follies left off following Miss Mitchelmore’s cousin John Caesar and his sister Mary. Like the first book, Robin, a mischievous shapeshifting fairy, narrates the story. As their father is black and the children are varying degrees of white passing, this book deals with both overt and subtle racism. As Mary is the most black looking of her three siblings, she wishes to be beautiful and a goddess turns into a glass person. One who is both mesmerizing and brittle. Therefore, the main conflict of the book is attempting to save her. A British army captain named James and his brothers in arms, the Irregulars, help in this endeavor. James and John also save each other and develop feelings.

Robin conveyed the polite sexism, racism, and homophobia of the time. There were lots of references to John discretely fucking dudes and John being a dandy. There was also racism against Captain James and Mary, neither of whom are white passing. I thought it was interesting seeing the contrast between mlm and wlw relationships and how sex is handled in the 1800s. Men are allowed to be sluts, and John and Captain James hook up by chapter 4. Meanwhile, in Mortal Follies, Miss Mitchelmore and Lady Georgianna do not hook up until near the end of the book.

I found John’s younger sisters, particularly his youngest sister Anne, annoying and vapid as she wants to be married at 14. I understand that it was customary for a lady to find a husband ASAP, but I think this is why I enjoyed the first book more. Both sisters really only want a husband. However, this did lead to some great character growth. They realize they don’t want to be baubles and want to hold off on dating for now.

For the positives, I liked how you had to guess at queer identities. One of the Irregulars is either a drag queen or gender fluid. I loved that gay sex is considered sex in the eyes of Artemis. I appreciated the return of Miss Bickle and her quirkiness as she’s my favorite character in this series. Robin provides plenty of fun quips as an outsider to the human race. There are also a few fun narrative splits where Robin’s speed allows them to narrate two characters simultaneously at one time. For example, a chapter splits one line at a time between Mary dancing at a ball and John in a bar fight.

Unfortunately, most of this book was very slow and not much happened, as Captain James and John attempt to save Mary and flirt around dating with an immense lack of emotion. It picked up towards the end when they go to fairyland but after most of the story where nothing really happened, I struggled to care. I liked how the conflict ends in a fight with a bear to save a virgin from being sacrificed though.

Overall, I just found this book very boring and lacking more in emotion than the previous book, perhaps because it followed more characters. I liked that we discover more about Robin in this book. They are sexless and asexual which reminded me of murderbot. However, after two books, I wish I knew more about them and magic in general in this world. Confounding Oaths has an open ended conclusion unlike the first book, and their relationship was left as ‘happy for now’ as a soldier’s lover. Towards the end, John mentions that he could have followed with the wives and children to war, which I didn’t really understand since men can’t be together in 1800s Britain. I love Alexis Hall’s other books, but I don’t think I will be continuing with this series.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for this ARC Copy!

Returning to the world of Mortal Follies was exciting, and I was not disappointed, honestly I enjoyed this one more than book one quite a bit. I really was glad to see that our favorite narrator Puck had returned to tell this story as well. As usual the story was filled with comedy, drama, and an adorable romance.