Alexis Hall is a favorite author of mine. The books are always smart, witty, and slightly unusual. That is why it makes me so sad to say that this book was a bit of a mess. It was trying to do too much and lost the story. I love the concept but not the execution.

Thank you to NetGalley & Del Rey/Random House for an E-Arc of this book!

There was a lot about this book that I really enjoyed. The unreliable hobgoblin narrator was a great way to expand on the world and give insight into the fae/folk realm - especially with magic afoot. It sort of read like if Daphne Bridgerton was thrown into the Good Omens world. Quirky, silly, campy and yet the dialogue was still very apropos for the time.

I genuinely think this story and style has a lot of potential but that it just wasn't for me. I adored a lot of elements of it but the sort of mash up of ideas didn't work sometimes - especially when the narrator would go off on a tangent or begin talking in circles (which unfortunately happened frequently but I have high hopes that with some more editing this will be worked down a bit!).

Mortal Follies was a very cute and sweet lighthearted romance. The story of Miss Mitchelmore and Lady Georgianna fighting goddesses and curses to be together told through the narration of a local hobgoblin.

The story was very enjoyable and I laughed out loud quite a few times at various jokes. I enjoyed the frame of the narrator observing from afar. I did find the characters a bit shallow and there was never much more insight into why the two characters fell in love other than love at first sight.

Overall it was a quirky, enjoyable, lighthearted read!

TW - quite a few animal sacrifices to gods but nothing too gory or in depth.

Thank you Netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for my honest feedback!
Honestly I think this is mostly a case of the book being quite fine, it just wasn’t for me. Or maybe it just isn’t for me now and I can try again!
The premise is quite fun! Queer magical bridgerton! Who wouldn’t love this! Our narrator is hilarious and I did enjoy their commentary so much 🥰
I feel like this was structured in 2 maybe 3 parts but my brain was ready for the book to be over around the 75ish percent mark with the romance, and we still had another obstacle to get through. I did find the ending to be satisfying and could absolutely see a great world to be built here to follow some of the other characters (I’m not alone in my love of Miss Bickle). Overall this might be an excellent book for another reader it just made me realize I’m not really a historical romance reader.

Review will be posted on my Goodreads (now), StoryGraph (now) and Instagram (mid-late Feb)

Talk about cover severely not matching the details. This had potential to be so good but many parts, plot included, felt unfinished while the narrator had many long unnecessary monologues. The time spent on the narrator nonsense should have been more widely used actually developing the story. There style of narration doesn’t allow for reader character connection and comes off a bit awkward during spicyyy scenes. This was a big miss, I wish this could be rewritten to dive deeper into the fantasy.

Thanks to NetGalley & Del Rey/Random House for an early copy of this book. Below is my honest review.

The story begins with Miss Maelys Mitchelmore running from a ball with her gown disintegrating before her eyes. She has to hope another young lady with find her and help her. Otherwise, her reputation will be ruined. Insert Lady Georgiana Landrake, otherwise known as the Duke of Annadale, the worst person to come to her aid. Fortunately, Lady Georgiana does help and Maelys makes it through with very little difficulties considering the circumstances. However, strange things keep happening to her and Lady Georgiana always seems to come to her rescue. Is Maelys cursed? Is the Duke the culprit?

This book…I am not quite sure how to describe it other than it is whimsical and ridiculously fun to read in the very best way. A particular hobgoblin named Robin narrates and is snarky, funny, and pushes this book over the edge from a good book to a fantastic book. He tells this story as if the characters are a reality tv show he is describing it to us, his audience. Robin had me hooked from the prologue.

There is action, mystery, a love story, fun references to favorite books, and wonderful secondary characters. Miss Bickle is second only to our narrator in spectacular lines. She is charmingly naive while also being as worldly as her station allows.

If you enjoy whimsical historical fiction, then I highly recommend this book.

The narrator realllllly took me out of the story and I just could not buy anything the characters felt (not even in a fun unreliable narrator way) Reading sm*t scenes and emotional turmoil from an outside party, especially with the narrator’s own asides, just did not connect for me. Miss Bickle was the only character I sort of liked and even she was some sort of goofy sidekick caricature. I can’t like a character if I can’t get to know them (their emotions, their wants, the physical experiences) and this outside narrator made that impossible.

Additionally, the story was so all over the place and tried to do way too much (break a curse, fall in love, break another few curses, solve some riddles, maintain friendships, connect with family, live happily ever after, etc etc etc). None of it felt fully completed or described to a necessary extent and so much seemed like superfluous plot twists.

"Enjoy the story. Be assured that it involves unpleasant things happening to other people. I know that there is little you mortals enjoy more. In that regard, at least, you are much more like my own people than either of us might care to admit."

Mortal Follies balances many subjects whilst wearing many hats; it is a sapphic Regency era romance set in an England where fae and deities still hold power. Our verbose narrator, the Robin Goodfellow, follows a young Miss Maelys Mitchelmore who suffers from a curse. Hidden amongst polite prose and societal expectations is a story of Miss Mitchelmore discovering herself and pursuing her desires, namely Lady Georgianna Landrake. The first 50% of the story was so gripping that I could not put the book down. There was a gentle lull from 50% - 75%, which built up to the final arc of the book.

Each character we are introduced to is wonderful; they are vivid, faceted, and memorable. I sorely desire a book following Miss Bickle - perhaps she has her own romance on the horizon?

My sincerest gratitude to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Mortal Follies is the fantastical story of Miss Maelys Mitchelmore, who has just entered into society while bearing an unfortunate curse from a vengeful goddess. Along with her two companions, she enlists the help of the ironically named Duke of Annadale. Brooding and thoroughly Byronic, she immediately captures Maelys’ heart, despite her insistence that it would be unwise. After all, falling for an accused murderess and witch couldn’t possibly end well.

The story is narrated by Puck - the mischievous hobgoblin we all know from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This is the only part of the book that I wasn’t sold on. Puck is intrusive, to put it lightly. It adds a whimsical flair, to be sure, but it could be very tiring. Once I was more into the story I noticed it less, however, and by the end I even appreciated a few things about it. I think it’ll be a hit or miss for many readers.

The majority of the action takes place in Bath - but not the Bath we know from Jane Austen’s works. This one is filled with magic and curses, fairies and old gods, and everything else you might imagine in Oberon and Titania’s otherworldly court. Not only that - being queer is something perfectly acceptable in this world. (After all, it’s just mathematics).

This book is billed as something for fans of Bridgerton- and I heartily agree! Puck’s narration certainly has the feel of Lady Whistledown’s Society Papers (not to mention their shared love for scandal). If you’re looking for spice, however, this is not the book. The majority takes place behind closed doors, but the push and pull dynamic between the two heroines is still fun to watch! I’d recommend this not only to fans of Bridgerton, but also those of Austen, Sappho, whimsy, and otherworldly delights.

DNF at 37%

I really wanted to love this. It looked beautifully whimsical and like the perfect read for a winters day. Sadly, it was not. It was boring and the vibes were nonexistent. The narration style would've been interesting for an interlude every once in a while, but it wasn't effective for the entire book. This just wasn't for me

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Closest I've come to a DNF in a long time. I love queer historical romance and I love fantastical elements but I absolutely hated the intrusive narrator - I wish there was more indication in the description/advertising for this book of just how silly/irreverent the narration style is. The good news is, it was easy to tell from page 1 that this wasn't for me. So if you read the first few pages and like it, you'll probably like the rest. If you read the first few pages and find it off-putting, eh, it probably isn't going to change your mind.

What an absolutely delightful book! I have long been a fan of Hall's books and this one is splendid as usual.

A book with a mix of references to Shakespeare, Austen, mythology, and magic? I am here for that! An unexpected narrator? Bring it on! A sapphic historical romance, with magic, mystery, and mayhem? Yes, please!

Mortal Follies is the story of Maelys Mitchelmore, a most agreeable heroine, and the adventures that befall her when magic and myth come to life in the most unexpected way while she is having a season at Bath. The story is set in Regency England but this is a Regency where magic is real and close, where gods and sprites and faeries walk (and sometimes wreak havoc) among the living.

The narrator is a hobgoblin–Puck–who we know from Shakespeare. His voice is engaging and amusing, his asides often hilarious, and his callbacks to Shakespeare's writing (and the playwright's many shortcomings) are refreshing and quite entertaining. His POV gives us both background and his insight and omniscience into the workings of gods and myth, as well as his impressions of the protagonists of the story. It is an unusual choice of narrator and one that Hall's pulls off quite deftly--it's brilliant, to be honest.

The characters are richly written–with quirks and personalities that make them live and breathe on the page, but also feel so entirely relatable. I loved Maelys from her first appearance and her best friend Miss Bickle is an absolute gem and one of the most amusing and entertaining characters in the book.

The central romance is between Maelys and the alluring and mysterious Duke of Allandale (Lady Georgiana)--the way their interactions progress is intriguing, charming, heartbreaking and deeply satisfying.

As always, Hall has an array of characters, all of whom catch attention and are three-dimensional and interesting in their own right–I would read an entire book on Miss Bickle, or Maelys's family, or cousin Mr. Caesar, and more.

The book was great fun to read. There was a very skilled balance of whimsy and reality, with themes of acceptance, self-discovery, self-realization, trust, found family, and the different facets of love woven beautifully into the narrative.

The plot is complex and the progressive reveal of the initial storyline held my interest and did give me some surprises. The book then segued wonderfully into a second storyline that incorporated the first, and continued to follow the characters as they continued to navigate their complex magical world.

It's truly a delightful book. Part romance, part historical fiction, part fantasy, party mystery, all blended beautifully into an entertaining and riveting narrative, with a very unique and amusing narrator. It is fun to see all the call backs to Shakespeare and Austen and myth, but a refreshing take on them all.

Also the cover is simply gorgeous.

Highly recommended.

I really enjoyed this book! I was sent the arc from the publisher! I love period type books and the characters were written really well. I loved the banter of the “narrator”. I laughed out loud at a couple of parts as well. The author did a great job of describing the characters and giving them all very distinct personalities.

If you think you know what you're walking into with an Alexis Hall book, you haven't read enough of them. He's always so versatile and inventive, so every book is a surprise. Mortal Follies falls on the more bonkers side, in the best way. This book is charming charming charming from that glorious cover to the last page.

Set in regency England...
and that's where the comparison with Bridgerton ends. This book has the trappings of a historical regency, but then it steps off into pure magic. Literally.

The story opens with a preface by our narrator, the Hobgoblin Puck as he sets expectations (there are fairies in this universe), grounding us in the rules of the magical world, cracking hilarious asides about the characters, and teasing us with the story he's compelled to weave. There's quite a bit of whimsical fourth-wall breakage and narrative sleights of hand throughout that remind the reader who is in charge of this tale. It's all very deft and tongue-in-cheek. I would read a spin-off all about Robin. This is really such a clever narrative device, and I'm not surprised Alexis Hall dreamed this up and managed to pull it off. Also, as I've come to expect, all the side characters added extra comedy. I'd also read Miss Bickel's book. She was a riot.

The story itself is a romance wrapped in a magical mystery. Miss Mitchelmore has been cursed, resulting in a variety of awful (though also funny) disasters. While searching for the culprit, she becomes acquainted with the Duke of Annandale, a mysterious woman with a scandalous reputation who comes to the rescue and catches Miss Mitchelmore's eye. Together, they form a sometimes cooperative, sometimes contentious team, while negotiating the chemistry sparking between them.

In this world, as in the two other historicals Alexis Hall published in the past year, there's a level of acceptance, at least in the immediate friend/family sphere, that allows his characters freedom to explore their queerness. Societal taboo isn't THE obstacle the romance needs to overcome, Miss Mitchelmore and the Duke of Annandale have to navigate issues of trust and power structures--and maybe death as well.

The denouement is just *chef's kiss*. So ridiculously clever and entertaining.

I am so grateful to NG and Del Ray for the advanced reader copy.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing- Ballantine for this eARC.

I laughed. I got bored. I skimmed. I highlighted something that made me giggle. I kept waiting to be super engrossed.

Read and form your own opinions.

3.5/5

*Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review*

This book was a blend of some of my favorite genres, fantasy, romance, and surprisingly comedy. The narrator was phenomenal (and funny) and one of the best parts of the whole book. I loved the dynamic between characters, but felt disconnected at times reading interactions through the narrator's eyes rather than the ones actually experiencing it. Pacing felt a little off, but overall it wasn't a bad read.

As a fan of Austen, Shakespeare, and Hall--I adore this book! Hall has the knack for writing in the regency style in a manner that is credible but still readable. In the usual Hall fashion, the characters are witty and lovable. The conceit of the surprise narrator is different from the other Hall novels I've read before. The experiment pays off--enabling the reader to get a wider perspective on events as well as providing some deus ex plot device when required in an entertaining way. I do wish that we had more information on that frame story (what landed the narrator in the predicament that required him to tell the tale??). I also felt the ending was, comparatively, a bit rushed. So much explanation was given to the lore and the magic, but once the Happily Ever After was achieved there was barely a scene between the lovers--and none between the supporting cast--to give closure. The narrator gives us a credible explanation why, but it's still somewhat dissatisfying. Nevertheless, full marks, bravo, "Follies" is a welcome addition to the sapphic shelves!

This book is Bridgerton, but gay, with magic, and instead of Lady Whistledown we have a snarky fair folk narrator. It’s fun it’s cute and love overcomes all.

“Mortal Follies” was an enjoyable story: the hobgoblin narrator with his commentary on the indignities of modern mortal society; Miss Mitchelmore’s parents, wrapped up in their scientific studies but taking in stride their daughter being cursed by a goddess; Miss Bickle and her fantastical notions and dreams, hoping for fairies, kelpies, adventures and danger; the interplay between Maelys Mitchelmore and Lady Georgiana, Duke of Annadale, as Maelys rethinks to whom she is attracted, and the Duke tries to push her away and yet keep her close.

What a delight. I'm a sucker for 19th and early 20th century fantastical queer romance with a good helping of comedy, and Mortal Follies definitely delivers on those fronts.

I'm also a sucker for anything by Alexis Hall. His ability (in this book and all others I've read) to center queerness, make consent sexy, never take himself or his books too seriously (because nothing is improved by taking itself too seriously), and highlight queer joy -- while also often addressing trauma, mental health issues, and/or structural oppression and individual prejudice -- is nothing short of masterful. He is a magician and an artist, truly.

What I loved in Mortal Follies:
-The narrator, who is a sprite and a character in their own right, despite (usually) only observing the story at hand
-The narrator's voice, or, in other words, Alexis Hall's incredible, self-aware, and fun writing style
-The fairy-full universe the story inhabits
-The bants
-The itty bitty amount of kink that found its way into the romantic arc
-The primary characters, and their relationships with one another
-Maelys's parents reaction when she tells them who she's attracted to

What didn't fully work for me:
-The plot felt a little... clunky? at times
-I wish there had been a bit stronger of an emotional connection written for the MCs, that made me root for them with more gusto

Really, though, Mortal Follies was a lot of fun. It's bright and sweet and silly and really wonderful. I highly recommend it.

Thank you, Net Galley and Del Rey for this ARC!