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aileron's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Blood, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Gore, Medical content, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Racism, Slavery, Terminal illness, and Classism
theoddduckling's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Full of quipy lines, plenty of Shakespearean flourishes, and Regency drama, Mortal Follies tells the story of one young woman’s quest to know herself, find love, and survive the marriage mart.
None of these things go the way Miss Mitchelmore plans and when she finds herself the target of a curse, survival becomes a much more literal problem than she anticipated. But the cynical and mysterious (and mockingly named) Duke of Anadale, Lady Georgiana, steps in the save the day more than once. And this the two women find themselves thrown together on an adventure that will test them both to their limits.
The story, told through the framing device of a mischievous sprite recently exiled from Oberon’s court, starts as a fun period romance romp, but takes a turn for the serious that the narrator’s tone does not reflect. The narrator’s tone remains flippant and wry even as the events get darker and far more serious. This made it difficult to feel as though there were any real stakes for the characters and no real weight to the plot. Event at the end of the book rush to a conclusion that could have benefited from a few more pages to build tension and make the main characters struggle.
All in all, I found the tone of the book mismatched to the events, making for a discordant read.
However, this book begs to be performed. I truly think it would be better served as an audiobook book at least, if not a stage show. The narrator’s voice was funny, cutting and a bit Shakespearean. Performing this as a play would lend a separation between the narrator and the main characters in a way that would serve this story well and make it something spectacular.
None of these things go the way Miss Mitchelmore plans and when she finds herself the target of a curse, survival becomes a much more literal problem than she anticipated. But the cynical and mysterious (and mockingly named) Duke of Anadale, Lady Georgiana, steps in the save the day more than once. And this the two women find themselves thrown together on an adventure that will test them both to their limits.
The story, told through the framing device of a mischievous sprite recently exiled from Oberon’s court, starts as a fun period romance romp, but takes a turn for the serious that the narrator’s tone does not reflect. The narrator’s tone remains flippant and wry even as the events get darker and far more serious. This made it difficult to feel as though there were any real stakes for the characters and no real weight to the plot. Event at the end of the book rush to a conclusion that could have benefited from a few more pages to build tension and make the main characters struggle.
All in all, I found the tone of the book mismatched to the events, making for a discordant read.
However, this book begs to be performed. I truly think it would be better served as an audiobook book at least, if not a stage show. The narrator’s voice was funny, cutting and a bit Shakespearean. Performing this as a play would lend a separation between the narrator and the main characters in a way that would serve this story well and make it something spectacular.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Gaslighting
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
Minor: Slavery
luckylulureads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Cursing
Minor: Death, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual content, Transphobia, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation
brontesauruses's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss+ for letting me get at this one early in exchange for an honest review!
Ok, so before I start the actual review: please take a minute to look at the cover. It's so pink, I love it. 💕
Did you look at it? Ok good.
As for the book itself, it's so much fun. It's queer and silly and told in a way that I ended up really enjoying. Our omniscient narrator is a character in their own right: Puck (aka Robin Goodfellow aka Stanley Tucci* in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999)), who has been kicked out by Oberon, and now has to find a way to, you know, pay for food. The tone is very chatty. At times it felt like the chattiness was at the expense of pushing the story along, and it took me a couple chapters to get into it (it might even have been worse towards the beginning), but in the end I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much if it had been told differently.
IfPuck Hall wants to write more books like this, I want to read them.
Idk that I have any readalikes per se, but I do think that if you like Emily Wilde you might like this one (and vice versa). Very different flavors of Faerie Nonsense, but yeah. Divine Rivals also maybe.
One quick bit of content warning: the Old Gods are still there causing problems, so there are three whole animal sacrifices in this one, each one more...well-described than the last. Lots of blood.
Also, there was a bit of virulent transphobia that was immediately challenged by the narrative and one of the main characters. OOF, though. Very jarring.
*I'm sure the audiobook narrator is very good, but as I was reading, I couldn't help wishing that they'd gotten my man Stanley in on this.
Ok, so before I start the actual review: please take a minute to look at the cover. It's so pink, I love it. 💕
Did you look at it? Ok good.
As for the book itself, it's so much fun. It's queer and silly and told in a way that I ended up really enjoying. Our omniscient narrator is a character in their own right: Puck (aka Robin Goodfellow aka Stanley Tucci* in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999)), who has been kicked out by Oberon, and now has to find a way to, you know, pay for food. The tone is very chatty. At times it felt like the chattiness was at the expense of pushing the story along, and it took me a couple chapters to get into it (it might even have been worse towards the beginning), but in the end I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much if it had been told differently.
If
Idk that I have any readalikes per se, but I do think that if you like Emily Wilde you might like this one (and vice versa). Very different flavors of Faerie Nonsense, but yeah. Divine Rivals also maybe.
One quick bit of content warning: the Old Gods are still there causing problems, so there are three whole animal sacrifices in this one, each one more...well-described than the last. Lots of blood.
Also, there was a bit of virulent transphobia that was immediately challenged by the narrative and one of the main characters. OOF, though. Very jarring.
*I'm sure the audiobook narrator is very good, but as I was reading, I couldn't help wishing that they'd gotten my man Stanley in on this.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, and Medical content
Minor: Death, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Abandonment
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
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Sexual violence, and Transphobia
applejacksbooks's review against another edition
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher for review.
So, I had very high hopes from the beginning. I really enjoyed the narrator to start, but as time went on I think it started to get old. In some places when they would interject it took you out of what was happening in the story. That being said, this story follows (quite literally) Maelys and her quest to find out who cursed her and her trying to break said curse. Well we finally figure that out right around 53% and it felt like the story should have been coming to a close, but it kept going.
Overall, I think the author does a tremendous job with the banter between characters, it's witty and reminiscent of their other book Boyfriend Material and I definitely enjoyed it most of the time. I do think that at around 35% the banter is overdone and starts to drag out the plot. I think this book also suffers from being a tad over written. The scenes we get are all well done, until they're not. I think another round of editing some things out would have helped this book a lot. That being said I did really enjoy the banter between Mae and Georgiana.
I recommend this to those that enjoy the narration style similar to The Book Thief, mixed with the romance of Boyfriend Material, in a setting similar to Bridgerton or Pride and Prejudice. If those three things are up your ally, then you'll love this book.
So, I had very high hopes from the beginning. I really enjoyed the narrator to start, but as time went on I think it started to get old. In some places when they would interject it took you out of what was happening in the story. That being said, this story follows (quite literally) Maelys and her quest to find out who cursed her and her trying to break said curse. Well we finally figure that out right around 53% and it felt like the story should have been coming to a close, but it kept going.
Overall, I think the author does a tremendous job with the banter between characters, it's witty and reminiscent of their other book Boyfriend Material and I definitely enjoyed it most of the time. I do think that at around 35% the banter is overdone and starts to drag out the plot. I think this book also suffers from being a tad over written. The scenes we get are all well done, until they're not. I think another round of editing some things out would have helped this book a lot. That being said I did really enjoy the banter between Mae and Georgiana.
I recommend this to those that enjoy the narration style similar to The Book Thief, mixed with the romance of Boyfriend Material, in a setting similar to Bridgerton or Pride and Prejudice. If those three things are up your ally, then you'll love this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
sarahyjackson's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Good Omens meets Pride and Prejudice and I once I accepted this framing I enjoyed every lyrical, satirical, whimsical, queer moment.
Wanted the bedroom scenes to be more explicit. 😈
Wanted the bedroom scenes to be more explicit. 😈
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death, Homophobia, and Slavery
purplepenning's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Fans of India Holton's Dangerous Damsels series should definitely check this out — it's a sapphic regency romance adventure set in an England where the fae, the old gods, and the new gods all exist in active form. Principal action takes place in Bath and features Sulis Minerva, the Celtic-Roman goddess of the sacred springs that feed Bath's, well, baths. (This is, oddly, the second recently published book I've read to feature Minerva; the other is Garth Nix's The Sinister Booksellers of Bath.)
Mortal Follies is narrated by Puck / Robin Goodfellow (of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" fame) with lots of nods, winks, and digs about Shakespeare and Shakespearean faerie chaos. It follows the misadventures Miss Maeylis Mitchelmore, a young society darling who has had the mysterious misfortune of being cursed by a goddess. Miss Mitchelmore, to her friends' mixed reaction of dismay and delight, turns to the alluring society outcast, Lady Georgianna Landrake (the "Duke of Annadale"), for advice, protection, and what comfort a brooding heiress who is also a possible witch and murderer may give a stricken innocent with hidden strength and spirit.
This should've all worked for me, but alas — I found the main relationship to be somewhat tedious. The pacing and character development didn't work for me and there was entirely too much brooding and badgering for my taste. But I did love the whole idea of this book, enjoyed the heck out of the narrator's perspective, and am happy that Alexis Hall just keeps writing whatever they want and I keep reading it.
Check the content notes — there are some surprisingly brutal sacrifice scenes (old gods, you know), some inner LGBTQ transphobic nonsense, and a little murder and debilitating disease.
Mortal Follies is narrated by Puck / Robin Goodfellow (of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" fame) with lots of nods, winks, and digs about Shakespeare and Shakespearean faerie chaos. It follows the misadventures Miss Maeylis Mitchelmore, a young society darling who has had the mysterious misfortune of being cursed by a goddess. Miss Mitchelmore, to her friends' mixed reaction of dismay and delight, turns to the alluring society outcast, Lady Georgianna Landrake (the "Duke of Annadale"), for advice, protection, and what comfort a brooding heiress who is also a possible witch and murderer may give a stricken innocent with hidden strength and spirit.
This should've all worked for me, but alas — I found the main relationship to be somewhat tedious. The pacing and character development didn't work for me and there was entirely too much brooding and badgering for my taste. But I did love the whole idea of this book, enjoyed the heck out of the narrator's perspective, and am happy that Alexis Hall just keeps writing whatever they want and I keep reading it.
Check the content notes — there are some surprisingly brutal sacrifice scenes (old gods, you know), some inner LGBTQ transphobic nonsense, and a little murder and debilitating disease.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, and Classism
Minor: Gun violence, Racism, Terminal illness, Grief, and Death of parent
arthur_ant18's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Transphobia
Minor: Death and Sexual harassment
levesc17's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Buckle up for a romantasy— for a sapphic romance— for a grumpy sunshine trope— for a return to Bath (if you love Jane Austen that is). I’m a huge fan of Alexis Hall, and Mortal Follies had the whimsy and humor I have come to expect from all of Hall’s books. I’m not a huge Shakespeare fan so the allusion to Midsummer Night Dream was lost on me for the first half of the book— then I felt very silly. Now that I can appreciate it that Puck is our hobglobin narrator I want to reread this book to see what other things I may have missed! The narrative voice IS hilarious and I’m sort of hoping Hall writes more tales from my new favorite globetrotting hobgoblin’s point of view! Some other reviews mentioned the pacing of this book was surprising— I would just say that it’s a ride, and you should enjoy it. The arc is maybe not what you would expect but that doesn’t mean it’s not enjoyable. The romantic storyline happens more in the latter half than the first half and that’s all I’ll say! This isn’t the most romantic of Hall’s books; but it may be the most hilarious. I enjoyed an arc from NetGalley and this is an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Terminal illness
Minor: Death