Confounding Oaths is the second installment in Alexis Hall's Mortal Follies series, set in an alternative Regency England where magic and myth intertwine with societal norms. The narrative follows John Caesar, a nobleman, and Captain Orestes James, a Black war hero, as they embark on a quest to rescue John's sister from a dangerous fairy bargain. The story is narrated by Robin Goodfellow, the mischievous Puck, whose sardonic commentary adds a layer of humor and perspective to the unfolding events.
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Hall's world-building is expansive, blending elements of fantasy with historical accuracy to create a richly textured setting. The exploration of race, class, and identity is thoughtfully integrated, providing depth to the characters and their interactions. The romance between John and Orestes is slow-burning, with moments of tension and longing that add emotional weight to the narrative.

However, the novel's pacing is inconsistent. The plot meanders at times, with subplots that feel underdeveloped or tangential. The frequent interruptions by Robin's commentary, while witty, can detract from the emotional resonance of the story. Some readers may find the romance lacking in chemistry, as the relationship between John and Orestes develops more through circumstance than through deep personal connection.

In conclusion, Confounding Oaths is a whimsical and imaginative tale that will appeal to readers who appreciate intricate world-building and satirical humor. While it may not surpass its predecessor, Mortal Follies, it offers a unique perspective on love and identity within a fantastical historical setting.

DNF

This series just didn't vibe with me. As much as I have enjoyed the majority of Alexis Hall's work, this series just seems to be the exception. They are an amazing author, but this series just doesn't seem to be for me.

Confounding Oaths by Alexis Hall is a charmingly chaotic blend of fantasy, historical fiction, and biting wit. This isn’t your typical romance—it’s a dazzling genre cocktail that reads like a fairy-touched fever dream narrated by a snarky, meddling omniscient observer who is more concerned with amusement than clarity. And honestly? I loved it.

Yes, this is technically a romance, but it’s also so much more:
✨ A coming-of-age tale
✨ A whimsical, dangerous fantasy adventure
✨ A dryly hilarious comedy
✨ A meditation on family, identity, and finding your place in the world

The romance between Mr. Caesar (Younger) and Captain Orestes James is subtle and slow-burning, less about sweeping passion and more like a low ember that refuses to extinguish. Fleeting, tender, and hard-won. There’s no explicit spice here; it’s all fade-to-black, heavy on tension and suggestion. And yet those moments carried real emotional weight for me.

The novel is narrated in first person by a delightfully meddling fairy (returning from Mortal Follies) who is both omniscient and maddeningly evasive. This makes the storytelling deeply personal yet unreliable in all the best ways. Their dry commentary and constant interruptions made me laugh out loud more than once, though I can see how the tone might not be for everyone.

The characters? A glorious mess. Mr. John Caesar is determined to see his sisters married well, despite their mixed-race status in the rigid 1815 English social scene. Lady Mary—headstrong, ignored, and yearning for recognition—makes a dangerous wish that sets the plot spiraling into fairy chaos. Anne is charming and a bit naïve, while John himself walks a fine line between frustrating and endearing as he’s slowly humbled throughout the novel.

And the side characters stole the show—Miss Bickle and Miss Pennyworth, in particular, deserve their spinoff. Their chaotic "enemies to lovers" vibes gave me life. I'd drink every pail of milk Miss Bickle delivers—even if I'm lactose intolerant.

The fantasy elements are rich and weird in the best way—wishes gone wrong, cults, magic oaths, and plenty of fairy mischief. The 1815 setting provides a grounded backdrop, but never overshadows the heart of the story. That said, there were moments when the pacing wobbled and the four tangled plots (Mary’s wish, Anne’s suitors, John’s growth arc, and the cultists) competed for attention in a way that muddled momentum.

Still, Alexis Hall’s writing remains a favorite—elegant yet cheeky, with a deep love for language and nuance. I found myself googling unfamiliar terms with glee. I’m not usually a historical reader, but the mix of magical mayhem and dry British wit completely won me over.

Verdict: If you love your romance tangled in fairy bargains, sibling drama, and dry sarcasm, Confounding Oaths will delight. Just don’t expect a straightforward love story—this book makes you work for it, but the payoff is thoroughly worth it.

I found this novel to be less impactful than I had anticipated. While I appreciated the narrator's performance in the audiobook, I often felt unclear about the plot and the characters. The narrative seemed somewhat disjointed and overly ambitious, which ultimately did not resonate with me.

Alexis Hall never misses, and although not my favorite (perhaps because I have yet to read the first book in this series), I thought the characters witty and interesting and the Regency romance plot held my attention. Recommended.

I couldn’t get into this book as much as I did the first. It still had the same fun storytelling framing from a mischievous narrator, the chaos of humans making poor deals with the fae, magic, adventure, commentary on the ridiculous social rules of high society, but I found myself less invested in the characters than the first time around. I felt like there were a lot more people and names to keep track of, which made it easy for me to get distracted/miss bits here and there while listening to the audiobook. Overall it was still fun, but not a favorite for me. I did enjoy bits of it, especially the society ladies writing fanfiction, but the main characters at the heart of the drama happening weren’t folks I particularly cared for much, which made the stakes less exciting this time around. Still, if you like tales of young ladies navigating society and the marriage market, wishes gone awry, meddling fairies, blood sacrifices, a dash of romance, and duels, you’ll probably enjoy this.

Thanks to NetGalley for the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion!

Yet another time I read the second book in a series without realizing it! I love the world that Alexis Hall has built, her characters are so fun and that cover art is GROEGEOUS. I will definitely be checking out "Mortal Follies", as well as anything else that comes out in the series. Anyone that enjoys satirical humor needs to pick up this book asap!

I LOVE Alexis Hall's books. I've adored every single one I have read, and Confounding Oaths is no exception. This novel takes place after the events of Hall's Mortal Follies (one of my favorite books of 2024), and while you could probably get away with reading this one first, I will always recommend reading the books in order. Oaths is a MM romance filled with magic, stress, pining, more magic, fairy bargains, and the best narrator of them all: our mischievous Puck of A Midsummer's Night Dream fame.

Our main character is Mr. John Caesar, and his growth throughout the book is one of my favorite things. He's dealing with a lot, and even when he manages to muck things up, I love that his love and devotion to his family always comes through.

I recommend it for readers of romance, historical romance, fantasy, etc!

John thinks he’s just going to get a pleasant night with an army captain. Little does he know, he’s going to get swept up into fairy wishes, a secretive cult, & a puckish narrator.

This was delightful. And I felt it was a stronger read for me than Mortal Follies. There was less focus to the romance (which was still sweet and kept me invested), and then we got wishes gone awry, action packed scenes, dramatic rescues, and some really lovely sibling relationships. The development of John and Mary’s relationship, specifically, just was so much fun to read.

And I continue to enjoy Hall’s secondary characters. And Puck continues to make me smile! His little asides just made me giggle, and there was fewer of his references to other adventures to distract me.

The pacing also worked a lot better for me, and there was a less abrupt ending! Most everything was resolved in a way that left me satisfied, but we got enough hints that I’m looking forward to whatever may come out next in this series.

Thanks to both NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this arc!

I struggled to get into this one at first, and then I figured it that it's the second book in a series. After reading the first book, this one was quicker to understand. I love the idea behind these books, and will continue to read any new additions to this series, but it isn't my favorite set by this author. They're light-hearted, funny, super queer, magical historical romance, but it's just missing something for me to be five stars.

<i>First, a thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an eARC of this book.</i>

This was a fun read - same cadence, same character and feel as Mortal Follies. But I m one just didn’t resonate the same for me as Mortal Follies did.

I would still read more from Hall, but this wasn’t as much of a slam dunk for me.

**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.**

Alexis Hall returns to the world of Mortal Follies with the sequel, Confounding Oaths. Mischievous Robin Goodfellow narrates the events as Ms Mary Caesar falls into an unfavorable fairy bargain as her brother, John, attempts to assist her despite the interventions of a regiment of soldiers, military cult, Faerie Queen Titania, and dashingly handsome Captain James.

I waited until after the book's release to have access to the audiobook once I realized there was a third party narrator that breaks the fourth wall. This is my own fault, but I had not read Mortal Follies prior to reading this book. It stands alone reasonably well, but I don't doubt the books would be better in sequence.

This is a playful twist on A Midsummer Night's Dream, and is clearly inspired by but NOT a retelling. Unfortunately for me, one of the things I like best about Alexis Hall's writing is the character work from the characters directly engaged in the story. Which, of course, with our Robin character narrating, I do not have access to. As such, I recognize that this book was objectively fine, but it simply wasn't for me.

On to the next from Alexis Hall's backlist!

I love how widely Alexis Hall writes, and the various genres and voices he writes in. I've read just about every book in his catalogue. That being said, this wasn't one of my favorites (which is very much a me thing, not a writing thing). As with Mortal Follies, I had a hard time connecting to the characters since the narration (through Robin) felt almost disconnected. Still if you enjoyed Mortal Follies, you will love this book. It's filled with Hall's signature humor, characters, and love!

As a disclaimer, Alexis Hall can do no wrong in my eyes, so take that with you as you read this review.

This was literally everything I wanted and more. Made it to the top 5 of 2024 books.

The romance was sweet and steamy and so well written. I loved the characters. The plot was surprising and FUN!

This was an absolute treat.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved Hall’s Mortal Follies, so I was excited to return to the world and characters in Confounding Oaths. I still absolutely love Robin as a narrator, but I just wasn’t that invested in the overall story. While I found that the narrative voice was strong, I also felt like there was too much going on (which I suppose is similarly true of Mortal Follies, but I wasn’t that bothered then and the different storylines were easy for me to keep up with. Miss Bickle is lovely, of course, and I think it’s fun to see what the Old Gods are getting up to, but I wasn’t particularly compelled by the romance this time around. I do wonder if this is in part due to the fact I have been aggressively bouncing off of romances since June, but at the very least I greatly enjoy the sinister undertones. Regardless, Confounding Oaths is funny and while I personally feel very Well That Happened about this installment, I am still fond of the world and would read other stories set in it.

the story in here is just as beautiful as the cover art - the cover art is what i think will draw many people in but the romance between our tw main characters is what will make them stay.

just as with the previous book in this series, I loved this one. The approach to narration is fresh, fun, and utterly captivating. I also loved the characters and am always a fan of the third act tension being from a kidnapping instead of a breakup lol

rep: Black MC & LI of color, Black side characters, sapphic side characters

spice: none

tw: human sacrifice, attempted murder, actual murder

Once again, I loved an Alexis Hall story! I read this when I first received the ARC, and I could not put it down. For a second reading, I selected this for a November book club book, and everyone loved it. The complexity and the fact that I actually enjoyed the characters in this one a little bit more than I did in Mortal Follies made for a great read and reread.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Confounding Oaths is the sequel to Mortal Follies, a queer Regency fantasy strangely narrated by Puck of Shakespearian plays. I liked Mortal Follies and was excited to read this book!

For some reason, I really struggled with this book and DNFed at 10%. The writing just wasn't for me and it was so weird to switch back to Puck in a Regency romance. I enjoyed some of the dialogue, as I always do in Alexis Hall's books! This one just wasn't my cup of tea.

2 stars from me and an unfortunate DNF. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the eARC of this book, my thoughts are my own!