⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
✨Summary✨
This book is about wishes gone wrong, when Mary Caesar makes an ill fated wish. It’s up to her brother, John Caesar, to get her out of it. John must team up with the handsome, yet poor, Captain Orestes James, to help get her out of a fae bargain.
This was a very cute book, with a fun cast of characters. This book deals with some interesting topics such as class systems, race, sexuality, and the idea of beauty.
The narrator was a nice touch and added some personality to the book.
Something I wasn’t a fan of was the two MMCs got together way too fast for my liking. I personally prefer a little bit of a slower burn. They got together within the first quarter of the book.
Overall, I did enjoy this book and I would recommend it to others.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing the ARC and the opportunity to review this book.

I did not finish the book. I really liked the premise and was super excited to read, but I just couldn’t get into the writing. It felt very uppity in a way that reminded me of myself in high school when I wanted to pretend like I was smarter than everyone else.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this e-arc! 3/5 stars, witty and amusing but ultimately not my taste

I didn't read the first book in this series because I thought I wouldn't need to background context, but I think it would've helped a little when diving into this world because it took me a while to catch on to the narrative style and the characters. I do enjoy the sort of witty, third person omniscient narration style and it's always amusing to see what someone outside of the situation thinks of the people in it, but I think I actually come to enjoy that more than the going ons in the plot because there was so much personality in the narrator, though I will say sometimes there were too many asides. meanwhile, the characters felt almost plain in comparison and the plot felt like it moved glacially. I think I liked the characters as individuals but I just couldn't feel the chemistry, especially between john and the captain, which made it hard to keep on reading when I'd pause. overall, I do think hall's writing is witty and charming, but the combination of everything wasn't hitting for me and I think this just wasn't to my particular taste.

John Ceaser just wants to launch his sisters into society in peace, to navigate them through the already difficult experience of joining upper society with as few disasters as possible. However, this plan is almost immediately abandoned when John refuses to allow others to insult his sister's looks and their family. This sets off a chain of events that brings Captain Orestes James into John's life and Tatianna's court into his sister, Mary's. As Mary wish for greater beauty is answered by the fae, John and Orestes, along with the aide of Oreste's company of misfit soldiers, attempt to preserve her safety against threats both human and otherworldly.

To start this book is silly and over the top both in character and plot in a delightfully fun way. If one thing can go wrong at a party, three things will. It is a novel of trying one's best and finding that perhaps what a person thinks is best may not be right. Going into the book, I knew I did not enjoy the framed narrative structure of the first book as much as I enjoy the story. Unsurprisingly, the continued in the second which was more about a preference than anything Hall does wrong with that structure. Because I do not particularly vibe with the narrator or way in which that framing presents stories, I had difficulties as time with this sequel despite the rampant silliness of the book.

Confounding Oaths is book two in the Mortal Follies Series by Alexis Hall.
I enjoyed book one Mortal Follies. So I was eager to jump right into CO.
A charming sapphic regency fantasy romance story with characters so delightful I was sucked in so hard.
This book has the best magic, mystery, and mayhem.
I loved everything about it.

2 stars and my thank to Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC.

The Alexis Hall Sequel Curse strikes again. It's wild how it happens every single time. They write a great first book and then the second is just...bad.

I know the narrator thinks John Caesar is dull, but god it's so hard to root for such a boring main character. Especially when nothing happens to him directly, but to those around him. The absolute negative chemistry between him and the Captain was painful.

I thought it was interesting to tell the story from the perspective of an outside voice, much like Mortal Follies. But at least in Mortal Follies, the story revolved around the main characters. For 50% of Confounding Oaths, everything was happening to everyone else BUT the mains. Idk if it changed, because 50% is where I DNF'd.

Loved this book so much, I rounded up from 4.5 stars for the first book in the series but this one was a true five stars. It got off to a much faster start now that but reader is familiar with both the characters and the narrator. The narrator really makes these books with his witty commentary and interjections throughout and I enjoyed revisiting many of the characters in the first book and hearing Mr Caesar’s love story.

Who knew that wishing on a star could bring such chaos into a family's lives? That's what happens when a representative of Titania's court grants the wish of a young Regency girl. Her older brother falls for a field commissioned officer of His Majesty's troops. Her younger sister remains as vexing as always. They all find out that the Fae are not to be trusted as Robin Goodfellow provides the narration of this tale. This is highly entertaining, especially as the "gentlemanly" language is offset by very frank soldier language. Such fun!

Confounding Oaths really feels to me like it's pushing back a bit on romance genre expectations and I am here for it. I'm so used to romance novels being centered around desire and physical attraction and all the other things that give the reader stomach swoops and swoony feels. The physical attraction between John Caesar and Orestes James is established early on but from there we get a story that is about deepening feelings for another person based on their character and actions. Expressions of kindness and care that aren't romantic per se but are the foundations of a good partner, and that push you to be a better person. It's not that the physical component isn't present, it's just off-page - in part because the narrator is uninterested in human bodies but also because John and Orestes are rarely alone.

The portrayal of John and Orestes romance dovetails beautifully with the themes of the main plot. John's younger sister Mary wishes to be beautiful and a fairy grants that wish by turning her into glass. The Caesars and Orestes and his band of Irregulars all work together to get Mary restores to human form, at first against Mary's wishes because she enjoys feeling beautiful and the attention it gets her. But ultimately she realizes that she wants men to feel attracted to her for who she is and not solely for her appearance. I was very sympathetic to Mary and her journey was moving to me. The dynamic between Mary and her younger sister Anne rang very true, and the growth of their relationship over the course of the novel was heartwarming.

All in all, I enjoyed Confounding Oaths and am crossing my fingers for a third book in this series with Miss Bickle and/or Miss Penworthy.

Confounding Oaths is the enchanting sequel to Mortal Follies. Mr. Caesar is set on helping his younger sister find a match, though things soon spiral rapidly out of control. Luckily for him, he meets the sensible and dashing Captain James. As the two work together to free his sister from a fae bargain gone wrong, sparks fly between them. Do they have a future beyond the end of the season?

Alexis Hall is incredibly witty and every sentence is packed with humor. Hall is an excellent storyteller and creates a compelling romance between Captain James and Mr. Caesar. I loved the interpretation of fairy magic (and sinister gods) in Regency-era queer romance. The characters have great banter and there is never a dull moment. The narrator is also extremely witty and I can only hope he’s nowhere near close to fulfilling his duties to Oberon.

Readers who enjoy queer romance, fairy magic with a twist, and witty dialogue should check out Confounding Oaths. I can’t wait to read what Alexis Hall writes next!

Thank you to Alexis Hall, Del Rey, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.

Confounding Oaths by Alexis Hall is a really unique story. I wanted to enjoy the narration and the historical aspects, but I could not force it. I love reading books that follow LGBTQIA characters. That is the best part of this book. Usually, I love reading really unique fantasy books, but I found myself unable to pick this book up. There was too much pomp and circumstance. It had a really unique premise that I loved, but I was unable to get into the story.

I had some trouble connecting to this story and becoming invested. It wasn't a bad book, just not for me.

The cover for this book is absolutely gorgeous, and it drew me in and I love the color theme.

This was a witty, queer, historical fiction, fantasy book with loveable characters and a fun plot. I enjoyed the romance aspect of this story, and loved the way that it was told. It wasn't in your face, and you were able to focus on the intricacies of the plot, while the romance took a little bit of a back seat. There was a lot going on plot wise, so I was glad that I was able to read more about the story itself and what was going on so that it could be understood, rather than reading some plot, then switching gears and ignoring the plot for romance.

I would say that the only thing that I was not a fan of in this book, was the narrator. The way that he told the story made it hard to feel connected to what was happening at times. Do not take this as the end all be all, it is just a personal preference, and it was just not for me. I understand that this is a continuation from the first book (which I did not read) and the narrator is the same, so if you read the first book and liked it, then the narrator wouldn't be a problem for you.

Thank you to Alexis Hall, Random House Publishing Group - Balentine / Del Ray and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. This is my honest review.

This was my first book by Alexis Hall, and I have already added more of their books to my TBR for this upcoming week <3

As always, I appreciate the opportunity to receive and review this ARC from NetGalley.

Miss Hall has done it again! I absolutely adore this series and cannot get enough of the characters. I finished this at 1:30 in the morning and sort of just sat in the darkness of my bedroom and stared at nothing because I didn’t know what to do with myself after finishing this book. I feel this is a common opinion amongst fans of Mortal Follies, but Miss Bickle is the best character hands down. I love the absolute delulu that emanates off this sweet, hilarious woman.

This was the perfect fantasy fall read to get me in the mood to transition to fantasy and thrillers while also feeding the inner little smut goblin. Mr. Caesar will always be a favorite character of mine as well because he is so frank about certain things that it is hard not to spit out your tea at some of his proclamations.

One of the huge reasons why I love this series is the witty and comical banter from our narrator. It makes the story so whimsical and keeps things lighthearted. Also, some of the little quips are quite insightful, which I always love from an author. It leads the reader to pursue introspection about society and things we maybe overlook on a daily basis.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait for the physical copies to go on sale to snag one for the collection.

In 1815, Mr. John Caesar’s plans for his sister Mary’s coming-out are disrupted by soldiers, a military cult, and a malicious fairy godmother. Teaming up with the heroic Captain James to save Mary, Mr. Caesar finds himself unexpectedly developing feelings for the captain, despite their vastly different social backgrounds.

This is quite unlike anything I’ve ever read from Alexis Hall. It really is written in the style of some classic regency novel, which I hadn’t been expecting. I also wasn’t expecting it to be told from the perspective of this story-keeping fairy who isn’t even a main character.

That all being said, I had a lot of fun with this. It’s kind of irreverant and ridiculous at times, but also really sweet and kind. The plot is bonkers - very “be careful what you wish for” - and I loved reading about John and Captain James and his unlikely band of comrades running through London, talking to witches and fairies and cult leaders. This is wild. It’s not your usual historical fantasy, but if you can get on board, I really enjoyed it.

I SHOULD ADD. There is one content warning that I think people should be particularly aware of going in. (I felt this particular scene was a little unnecessary, but that’s me.) I will list the content warning in question in the comments.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for a copy of this ebook. Review is honest and my own.

I was looking forward to this book after finishing Mortal Follies. I was excited to see what new predicament this friend group found themselves in. Mr. Caesar was more interesting in the last book compared to this one. There were some intriguing goings on, but I found my mind wandering a lot. I believe this was partly due to the language used in the story. It felt more formal and verbose than the last book. I enjoyed it at first, but it impeded the plot to the point that I stopped reading. I didn’t feel much chemistry between Mr. Caesar and Captain James either. I made it halfway through before I quit from lack of interest.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the opportunity to read Confounding Oaths by Alexis Hall! My first Alexis Hall ARC!

It’s time for gay, fantastical Bridgerton, y’all. Filled with Hall’s usual blend of wit and whimsy, it’s an amusing, chaotic, daring trip worth the read. Part romance, part familiar drama, all wild and entertaining.

John Caesar takes the responsibility seriously of finding his sister, Mary, a suitable match to marry, ensuring it will let him return to his life of leisure and freedom. This is easier said and done, and further complicated by fae troublemakers and the high standards of societal eyes. When plot-drama-bad choices cause Mary to be in distress and him to cross paths with Captain Orestes James, the two of them set off to rescue Mary and maybe find something more for themselves, too. Mary isn’t a side dish to the romance dinner, but a fleshed out character in her own right.

I’ll be honest - I’ve read a lot of Hall’s books and sometimes they hit just right and sometimes they just aren’t for me. But they’re always a good time, and there’s something comforting about reading them. You know you’re in for something silly, and charming, and gay - if a little disjointed at times. I was similarly charmed, befuddled and entertained this time around. Catch you for the next confounding, campy adventure.

Confounding Oaths by Alexis Hall is an ambitious novel that attempts to blend humor, classic literature references, and a sprawling cast of characters into a single narrative. However, while the book has its strengths, it also has some notable shortcomings that may detract from the reader’s overall experience.

One of the most jarring aspects of the novel is the unexpected and graphically described animal sacrifice. The inclusion of this scene feels unnecessary and uncomfortable, disrupting the flow of the story and potentially alienating some readers. This is one of the awful things that mars what could have otherwise been a great read.

The novel also assumes a high level of familiarity with classic literature. While this might appeal to readers well-versed in the classics, it can be alienating for those less familiar with these references. The use of both first and full names for the characters adds to the confusion, making it challenging to keep track of who is who, particularly given the novel’s expansive cast. This, combined with the large number of characters, makes the story feel cluttered and difficult to follow. A more focused narrative with a smaller cast could have benefitted the novel greatly.

The narrator of Confounding Oaths is undoubtedly entertaining, but the witty and humorous narration sometimes creates a barrier between the reader and the characters. The constant asides and clever quips, while amusing, can prevent deeper emotional connections, leaving the reader feeling distanced from the characters' experiences and struggles.

In conclusion, Confounding Oaths is a novel with great potential, but it could have benefitted from tighter editing and trying to do less things. While the humour and literary references might resonate with some, the graphic content, large cast, and occasionally distancing narration may make it a challenging read for others.

A SOLID 4.75 stars from me! First things first- do you need to read Mortal Follies before Confounding Oaths? Strictly speaking, no. Mortal Follies was only 3.75 stars for me, but I know for a fact that I wouldn't have enjoyed Confounding Oaths nearly as much without the ground work from Mortal Follies. I loved the return of some of my favorite characters and ultimately the story and plot of this book was much more enjoyable than that of book 1. The only thing I don't like about this book is that I can't halfway turn my brain off because of the way it is written, but that's also part of the appeal. I would love to see how this reads as an audiobook! I sincerely hope this isn't the end of our journey with Alexis Hall and her quirky cast of characters.

I think I'm just not the right reader for this book. There were definitely aspects I enjoyed. There were lines that made me grin, plenty of clever writing, and some plot elements I really liked. Unfortunately the way it was written I never felt fully engaged. Even the plot points that I felt some excitement over never fully grabbed me, partly because of the pacing and partly because of the disengaged nature of the narrator. I did like the narrator, they brought a lot of humor to the book, but because of that distance from the characters, I never felt any emotion while reading. Since I never felt really engaged I ended up bored during large chunks. If you're looking for fantasy that's witty and a bit cutting, this might be your cup of tea. It just wasn't mine.