I was a little disappointed in this book after reading Mortal Follies and really enjoying that one. In this book, I had trouble becoming attached to our main character, John and Orestes, and their romance. They didn’t really have any chemistry and I found John a little whiny and got annoyed by him. I also found the narrator a little more distracting in this book which took me away from the story at hand, making it feel a little disjointed at times. Then there seemed to be multiple storylines that didn’t feel like they connected or weren’t always relevant. It felt like a plot line would come up in one chapter then wouldn’t come up for several more chapters, giving me time to forget that was an issue or something else going on. The only storyline I liked was Mary’s and her adventures in the fairy world, if that was the main focus I feel like I would’ve enjoyed the book more.

i hate to say it but i probably would have dnf'd this book if it wasn't a arc. the main couple had no chemistry and i didn't care about their relationship developing because they hooked up before the 20% mark. The prose felt clunky and it was hard for me to get in to.

I don't know Hall does it--every book is enthralling, with captivating characters and wholly engaging storylines. This one is just that. This is such a splendid companion to Mortal Follies. John Caesar was a side character in that book but he is the main character in this one. I loved the family dynamics and deft handling of the bigotry and racism of the time period. The family was fleshed out as secondary characters and I appreciated that. I so enjoyed getting to see Miss BIckle again! And her getting some of her wishes fulfilled.

Orestes was a fantastic new character. I loved his presence, his voice, his storyline, his loyalty, the way he and John interacted and grew together as their relationship and time together progressed.

The fantasy elements were wonderful and completely fresh and new, not a repeat from the previous book. This book was whimsical and fantastic but had a very solid foundation about family, loyalty, self discovery, and intimacy. Absolutely wonderful.

Couldn't put it down finished it in two days. It made me laugh, it made me cry.

Robin is the perfect narrator for this and I love the idea of writing it this way!

I also must say the cover art is simply sumptuous!

Now do we get a book about Miss Bickle?

a

i say this all the time, but alexis hall really truly never misses!!!! enjoyed this one even more than book one of mortal follies. john caesar was a fave character from the start, so having him as our POV character for this one (and his family as the focus of the plot) really worked for me. this book explores themes of homophobia, racism, sexism, and the intersection thereof, specifically in the regency era, but of course our narrator robin goodfellow exists at all times at once, so current day observations get made as well. i love anything related to midsummer night’s dream, and i need more authors to write books where people like puck are our narrator. everything about this was just simply wonderful and stunning.

This was a slow read for me. I loved the magic and the fae trickery. The concept of the wishes and the glass girl were really cool, but the whole book was such a slow read for me.

The narrator being Puck was a delight, and he was my favorite part of the book. Similar to how I felt about him in the first in book. This book focuses on Mr. Caesar and Captain James. Their love and the shenanigans they go through to save the women in their lives.

I enjoyed this read, however slow to me, it was full of whimsey and magic.

11/15/2024 || Mortal Follies #2 - Confounding Oaths by Alexis Hall ||#ConfoundingOaths #NetGalley #QueerReads

Thank you NetGalley, Alexis Hall, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey for making this e-ARC available!

Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author and myself.
All of my thoughts are my own~

4 Stars

What worked for me:
I enjoyed the diverse and inclusive cast- I loved everyone so much, although, I think I liked John a lot less than everyone else.

The world building and continuation from Mortal Follies was lovely. Once again, Robin our narrator, paints us a gorgeous picture of the scenery and all that is happening with their personal flare and attention to specifics. Robin is the main reason why I have continued to read this series, and probably will remain my main reason. I enjoyed getting to know Robin more and see more/understand more of their life and predicament through their interactions with the human and Faes in this installment.

The magic was AMAZING and stellar and kept me wondering. I love the combination of European Fae lore and Greek mythology soooooo much! I am not much into Fae and Fairy stuff, but Hall's variation has me so obsessed.

I enjoyed the plot and troubles the humans of this installment faced, and I felt like the stakes were so much more higher than Mortal Follies! Really loved that!


What did not work for me:
John Caesar - simply put I don't care much for this man. I did not like the way he acted and I am so tired of characters who fuck before they figure out their feelings. However, I felt this book handled that trope miraculously well so I will let it slide. I think it also doesn't help that Robin also doesn't seem to care much for John and as an unreliable narrator, maybe it's the way Robin explains him and his actions that bugs and bores me simultaneously.

Also, while I enjoy the concept, the false? climax? bit Hall has done with this series where there is a point midway where the story feels like it is wrapping up to be done only for it to start back up again with plot twists and extra steps all the characters need to take to possibly have their happily ever after both works for me but doesn't? It feels like this is the 3rd act breakup but its plot related? Unsure how to describe it (you'll know it when you read these books). The one in Mortal Follies worked for me, but this one sorta landed less great for me. It also felt rushed and I felt like we were building up to glimpse into the Fae world only to be shoved right back out (which fair but the build up,,,,,I was hoping for more!!!) makes me hope that if there is a third installment for this series, we will be spending more time in the Fae universe! Here's to hoping!

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!