Mortal Follies is a magical take on regency romance, complete with a famous narrator and sapphic longing. Our storyteller on this adventure is Robin Goodfellow (Puck) of A Midsummer Night's Dream fame. Not content to sit purely on the sidelines, the hobgoblin also manages to complain about personal grievances and play minor pranks on the cast when they aren't being interesting enough. The idea is that Robin sniffed out the beginning of a good story and decided to see our characters through to a satisfying conclusion. Taking whatever unobtrusive form suits the moment, Robin hovers around each scene, describing each major moment for readers.

Our protagonist is Miss Maelys Mitchelmore, who captures public attention by being cursed. The first of many attacks involves the steady disintegration of her dress over the course of a ball. There are obvious and severe ramifications for a young lady in such an unfortunate position, so she hides in the garden. It's Georgiana, the Duke of Annadale, who finds her. Not a true duke given her gender, the title is bandied about as a not-so-veiled reference to the fact that her father and all her brothers died and left the title unclaimed. It's widely assumed in society that Georgiana murdered them all with witchcraft given the unlikely nature of each one's death-- by odd means and in quick succession. Though Georgiana puts up a tough front and teases the young lady with some flirtation that the recipient doesn't know what to do with, she does help Maelys escape the scene of what would have been her utter ruination if the curse had been left to have its way.

While this is certainly a romance between the two women, Miss Mitchelmore's friendships also play a major role as the trio works to discover who cursed her and how to lift it. There's her cousin, Mr. Cesar, the most uptight of the group. As Maelys's crush on the elusive not-duke grows and she has a gay awakening, his status as a gay man gives her a queer confidant whom she's not trying to sleep with, a crucial role in anyone's life. Then there's the irrepressible Miss Bickle, who came up with the concept of shipping and called it "tinging" all under her own steam in 1814. She applies the term liberally to her friend and Georgiana, excitedly involving herself to the point that Maelys has to tell her to back off. Miss Bickle is a balanced counterpart to Mr. Cesar, with an off-beat and rosy outlook that has her chasing the fae and trying to catch sunlight among other pursuits that her friends mostly choose to overlook, only questioning her to their own detriment.

What I anticipated as the ending of this story comes halfway through the book. Our characters discover the cause of the curse and dispel it. The problem is that the method of dispelling leaves them with consequences they're not equipped to deal with. That's the engine of the latter half. All the while, Maelys chases after Georgiana, who rebuffs her at every turn. And that's where my issue with this one comes in. The book is so funny, but the romance isn't to my taste. Namely, it's that trope I see largely in historical and sometimes paranormal romance where an ingenue chases her worldly partner, who meanwhile thwarts her by being determined not to have/spoil/ruin her. If there is a succinct name for that trope, someone please alert me. This iteration lacks some of the undertones I find most distressing in this trope's classic form, where the person being chased is a man. In that setup, I feel like it takes an already existing power imbalance due to socialized gender and emphasizes it past the point of comfort. But even in a sapphic setting, I found the trope less than successful. It's a style of angst I don't have patience for.

As always, I find Alexis Hall's work entertaining, and I'm excited that there's a second book in the series. I can look forward to hearing Puck's nonsense in the context of another story. If the tropes here work for you, the path is clear to have an excellent time with this one. Thanks to Del Rey for my copy to read and review!

Listen. The concept of this book is fun. I like the voice of the narrator, and the curse plot is interesting…for a time. By which I mean, this book is way too long. No cute little romantasy novel should be a 12 hour audiobook.

This is a problem that I think Alexis Hall has frequently, and I say that as a fan of their work. They desperately need a great editor to pull them back from the rambling edge. By about 3/4 of the way through I was like my word how is this still going? It often feels like two shorter books packaged as one.

Now, to be clear, I have nothing against long books. But there is a time and a place and a genre where a longer book makes sense. Romance is almost never the right place for more than 300 pages/about 8 hours. I’m sorry, but that’s how I feel. There is a sweet spot for yearning and 12 hours puts you well over the edge of that zone.

Now, does this mean I think people can’t have fun with this book? Of course not! I rated it three stars—I didn’t hate it at all. Like I said, I like the idea and even parts of the execution. But it does not achieve its full potential as is.

That said, I would absolutely read a second book about Ms. Bickle. She was the heart and soul of this book.

Thank you to Del Rey and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

What a delightful little historical romantasy! The humor of this book was absolutely wonderful and never failed to liven up the book. And don't even get me started on our lovely narrator! I loved the vibe of this book from the very beginning, and it did not disappoint!

The romance is so much fun to watch develop and I adored getting to know these characters through their love for one another. The found family is just as excellent, and it really tied everything together with their determination to make everything right.

I can't wait to see where the next one takes us with this wild crew!

Alexis Hall always writes such lovely queer stories. Mortal Follies delivers the queer joy and shenanigans that I always look for when I pick up one of Hall's works.
As a sapphic regency romance with fantasy elements, this is right up my alley, and I enjoyed the plot just as much as I expected. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy the narration. Our narrator, Robin, is essentially the fly on the wall observing the story. I just felt so disconnected the whole time. I was still highly invested in the plot, but Robin as the POV left me feeling disconnected from the story.
I still highly enjoyed it, but this just was not my cup of tea.

This book was fun! It’s a charming, witty, and magical romp through a Regency-era world full of fae, curses, and slow-burn sapphic romance. The narrator's voice is hilarious, and the whole book feels like a playful, queer Jane Austen fairytale. Loved it!

Amazing book loved the characters abd plot. I couldn't stop reading I stayed up all night. Ii loved the book so much thank you for the arc.

Whimsy Shakespearean comedy blended with a spicy sapphic story. An MC with an attitude and strong sense of self-she was my favorite. And narrated by a fairy, just so fun and original. It really felt like being a part of a Shakespeare comedy.

I was definitely a bit disappointed with this one. I thought I had found my no-fail niche with Regency Fantasy Romance, but Mortal Follies was a let down.

This book just didn't hit the mark for me. The narrator telling the story was kind of awkward for me and I just couldn't connect to the characters like I wanted to. Don't get me wrong some of the characters did have potential and parts of it did make me laugh but I think this book just wasn't for me. That doesn't mean that others won't enjoy it though. I know there are people out there that will love this book. It just wasn't for me is all.

This is a charming historical sapphic romantic fantasy. The narrator is very tongue-in-cheek British humor, which I think will vastly influence most readers' appreciation of the book.

3.5 stars

A charming, fantastical, sapphic "Bridgerton" is how I would describe "Mortal Follies."

And I liked it for what it is: a light, fluffy romance novel. But Alexis Hall doesn’t quite give it that extra bit of oomph to push it into the four-star range for me. It’s amusing and clever enough, especially with Hall’s choice of Robin Goodfellow, aka Puck, as narrator – I appreciated the witty swipes at Shakespeare – yet by the end of it all, the book feels like just another romance novel. It fails to stand out.

The structure of the story is odd, too. The blurb makes it seem that the main plotline of the romance revolves around Miss Mitchelmore being cursed and Lady Georgianna finding a way to save her, but that’s settled halfway through. So when the curse is resolved and you find you still have quite a few pages left, you can’t help but think, 'Um … now what? Why isn’t the book wrapping up?'

There’s also a sexual element to the two women’s relationship that feels out of place with the novel’s airy and whimsical tone. I won’t say much more for fear of spoilers, other than it crosses a line of respect between two consensual partners and I didn’t much care for it.

A second book has since been published – "Confounding Oaths" – but I haven’t made up my mind as to whether I’ll be coming back for another round. We’ll see if the mood ever strikes.


My sincerest appreciation to Alexis Hall, Del Rey, and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions included herein are my own.

i thoroughly enjoyed this. craft-wise, i enjoyed the use of a pixie narrator and the freedom and restrictions this type of narration allowed as well as its voice. the secondary and tertiary characters were fun to read with good banter and full personalities. miss bickle's love for whimsy and magic proving to be useful was great, especially because she was used for comedic scenes so much. 

honestly, i was hoping to dislike this because i was a little put off by alexis' response to being asked to take a hp reference out of a reprint, but i ended up loving it. i loved the sapphic romance and all of the sarcasm and the magic.

thank you netgalley for an e-arc of this in exchange for an honest review, and to my friend sarah for giving me their physical copy.

A witty, enchanting historical fantasy featuring meddling fairies, cursed ladies, and swoon-worthy romance. Alexis Hall’s humor and heart come through perfectly. A magical, slow-burn delight.

I love Shakespeare so I am sure I am biased but a Puck story is just what we all needed. This is funny and nostalgic. Great choice for a library purchase.

I've loved other books by Alexis Hall, but this one just didn't work for me. It's an interesting and unique premise, but I had trouble connecting to the characters and feeling invested in their relationship or their individual arcs.

This is such a fun book that has shenanigans and faeries. I love the tone and storytelling. It’s so intriguing.

This is definitely one of the weirder books we've read lately: it's a historical sapphic romance, narrated by Puck (aka Robin Goodfellow, aka Hobgoblin), set in a world where mythological creatures, magic, and curses are real. Puck is writing this story in the present day, but he recorded it for posterity (in his mind?) in 1814. He follows Maelys, a debutante in Bath who's been afflicted by a curse, as she attempts to rectify the situation. She does so by enlisting the aid of the Duke of Annadale, more properly known as Lady Georgiana Landrake, who has a suspiciously good knowledge of curses, herself.

Mortal Follies is a total romp. Puck's narration is a major high point, as he presents the story from a detached but interested perspective (while taking every opportunity he can to malign Shakespeare). That said, perhaps because of that detached narration, we didn't feel the emotional high points of the romance as much as we could have. At times, the book felt more like an experiment in writing than like a romance. We had a ton of fun reading it, and Hall has never written a book that hasn't made us laugh out loud at least once.

I loved the premise of this book. A fairy following people to gain a story she can sell in order for her to thrive in the modern world (aka pay rent and such). She follows a poor woman, Miss Maelys Mitchelmore, who seems to have been cursed. Through some unfortunate events as a damsel in destress, along with facing old ruthless gods, she finds herself fancying the Duke of Annadale who saves her multiple times.

This was cute but sadly forgettable. It had its moments but overall, I just found it ok. I began to lose interest after the halfway point when we discover who has cursed Michelmore. The rest after was lacking and somewhat felt unnecessary. I wanted to really enjoy this b/c the beginning was truly so much fun!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC.

I could not get into this book no matter how hard I tried. I recently tried reading again and it was still a DNF for me. This book may be for someone, just not for me!

Do you love Bridgerton? Regency-era in general? Well, good news, this is the book for you! While I wanted something a little more robust, it is only the first book in a connected series. I was hoping for something closer to A Marvelous Light, but this leaned heavily fae and did not hit for me.