Reviews tagging 'Injury/Injury detail'

Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall

6 reviews

the_vegan_bookworm's review against another edition

funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.5

In many ways, this read like a sapphic story by someone who was uncomfortable with telling a sapphic story. The romance was poorly developed, the characters were flat and unlikeable as romantic leads, and the fade to black for sexual content was awkward to me.

I also felt really uncomfortable with the narrator being a person spying on the romantic leads throughout, including during intimate time between them. 

With this said, it is a funny book and a good satire. If you go into it expecting that instead of a romance, you might like it more than I did.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Stalking, and Murder

Moderate: Gore and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual content

garbage_mcsmutly's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

A delightful adventure of two young women's love, in a magical version of regency England that's full of witches and fairies and old gods and magic. I sometimes have trouble getting into sapphic romances but this one was a quick easy read that grabbed me right away. The narrative framing was great.

The whodunnit that we start with seemed very obvious, but then it turned out to not be the real focus of the story, so I was more okay with it having been obvious. The rest of the story was well done. 

And Alexis Hall always treats the characters (especially the queer ones) with the respect and nuance they deserve, which I really appreciate.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Sexual content, and Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Racism, Blood, Kidnapping, and Classism

Minor: Rape, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Despite all the content warnings, this was a pretty easy, low-to-medium stakes read; nothing terribly traumatic to most readers.

artstitute's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Deadnaming, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Transphobia, and Death of parent

kshertz's review against another edition

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

What an interesting way to tell a story. It’s told by a fairy who is entertained by these two mortal women falling in love. You fall in love with them too. It was fascinating but I think I like hearing from the two women falling in love too. More than the omniscient narrator methinks. Also not enough smut for meee

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Content Warnings

Minor: Animal death, Death, Sexual content, Lesbophobia, and Injury/Injury detail

hrtlss_grl's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

savvyrosereads's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Out now [Thank you so much the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!]

Rating: 4/5 stars

Narrated by the hobgoblin Robin (better known for Shakespeare fans as Puck from A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Mortal Follies is the 1814-set story of a young woman cursed by a goddess and the suspected murderess who may be her best ally or her greatest downfall.

I’m obsessed with the narration and framing of this one, which is slightly bizarre (in the best way) and takes a bit to fully get into—but once it clicks it is, to my mind, absolutely brilliant. I also loved all the characters—especially the headstrong Miss Mitchelmore, the brooding and Byronic Lady Georgiana, the delightfully hilarious and deceptively ingenuous Miss Bickle, and Miss Mitchelmore’s loving-if-slightly-oblivious parents.

I did find the plot a bit predictable and slightly thin—I expected more of a mystery element from the synopsis and ultimately didn’t find it particularly mysterious. But, read as an almost-Shakespearean period comedy with fantastical and dramatic elements? Top notch. If you’re up for a book that’s slightly weird but totally captivating, go pick this one up.

Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: historical fantasy; A Midsummer Night’s Dream; sapphic romance

CW: Injury/violence/mentions of death; mentions of sexual assault; homophobia and transphobia

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Sexual violence, and Transphobia