The fantasy elements of this book are so damn delightful and compelling. Wishes-gone-wrong, beauty as glass, all the cool asides about the Other Court, and especially the narrator who made them! (As a framing device, seriously, you can really do no better: Hall's Robin Goodfellow is funny and sparkling and so much fun.) And then there's the fact that Miss Caesar's wish comes from this really tangled up place of societal expectations and bias and also a dash of teenage angst, which makes for great reading.

Less great reading, unfortunately, comes from the romance portion of the book. It really felt strange that for a book that otherwise had so much quirk and life that the romance would be so dull. The problem is that neither Mr. Caesar or Captain James felt like anything approaching fully-fleshed out characters, and every scene with the two of them felt like so much nothing. From beginning to end, they were archetypes: nineteenth century gentleman and dashing soldier. And damn if they didn't spend a lot of time just flat-out saying that too! Which in a book that spends so much time taking whacks at the status quo of the time period it's set in (or at least at other books in this time period) felt especially off-putting. Because on the one hand you have these guys constantly saying, "But I'm a gentleman," or "I'm a soldier, John," and on the other you have long stretches of dialogue about how, essentially, no one group of people is a monolith and also, hey, remember that people of color and also poor people existed in the nineteenth century!

Now, I get the impulse to do this, I do. But the problem is that reading dialogue of characters explaining privilege to other characters is dull. It sends the plot screeching to a halt, and the only thing that really seems to come of it in this book is that the more privileged character ends up saying, "Wow! Know something? You're right!" Which...does not at all read as natural. A better (and more entertaining) approach would be to have, say, a fourth-wall-breaking narrator make sly asides about how little has changed between the 1800s and the 2020s. But this last bit is the problem of this book all over: there are all these good possibilities RIGHT THERE - the fantasy, the killer narrative framing - and instead we're wasting time with these two tepid guys and their even more tepid romance. Like, that Mr. Caesar is a main character over Miss Caesar is kind of galling, and I can't help but feel like he was shoehorned into that position.

Essentially, there is a great fantasy book here that is being absolutely smothered by the romance. For me, this means that if there are more books in this series, and they have a romantic pairing, I'm out. But, if Hall ever decides to write a straight up fantasy I am very much IN. (I'm also in for another of his straight up romances because, let's be very real, when Hall hits, he HITS.)

As far as recommending this book goes...eh, I think it comes down to how much you love the idea of a story narrated by Robin Goodfellow, honestly. If you're lukewarm on that (and lukewarm on fantasy in general) I don't think this is for you.

This book was decent, but it left me feeling a little underwhelmed. It was hard for me to stay engaged at times, and I didn’t really connect to the main characters. All in all, still a decent read!

Confounding Oaths is another quirky fantasy installment from Alexis Hall. Hall’s range is impressive; no matter the plot, witty banter is a highlight of all their books, whether it’s a romcom, emotional romance, or historical fantasy mystery.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It’s 1815, and John Caesar just wants to help his sister Mary make a suitable match so he can go back to his aristocratic life as a dandy. Easier said than done, though, since his family’s background is sneered at by most of the ton. Mary is insulted at a ball, when suitors only want to pursue her more conventionally attractive sister, and John meets dashing Captain Orestes James while fighting for her honor. Afterwards, Mary makes a bargain with a fairy godmother to be beautiful, and any sensible reader knows those wishes never go well. Can John build a relationship with Orestes while depending on the Captain and his team of soldiers to help break his sister’s curse?

The highlight of this series is Robin, hobgoblin narrator. His sarcasm and quips are fabulous, and his reactions to the characters are sometimes more interesting than the characters themselves. Robin’s character development this time around, including newfound empathy for mortals, is refreshing too. This style is similar to book one, Mortal Follies (which doesn’t need to be read before this one), and knowing what to expect from the outset made me enjoy the story more.

This story meanders a bit at times, and there are lots of characters to keep track of. While I was rooting for John and Orestes, I didn’t always fully connect with them. Make no mistake, though, the humor hits just right, and things like allusions to modern fanfic are hilarious and entertaining. And the cover is breathtakingly beautiful, too.

Confounding Oaths is a mysterious fantasy story with romance elements. The quips and humor are a terrific, and there are moments when I couldn’t stop laughing. Alexis Hall weaves in more serious social commentary too, and the result is a unique blend that I truly enjoyed.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this edition of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was fun! I enjoyed the found family aspect of the soldiers and the dysfunctional/loving family aspect of the Caesar’s.

I will say it took me WEEKS to finish and put me in sort of a reading slump, mainly due to the narration. It’s sarcastic, it’s full of banter, and so on; which is exciting, but also not a smooth read. It’s not the sort of book I can read for fifteen minutes on my lunch break. All in all, a good read!

Gay love makes my heart sing.

I really liked this sequel to Mortal Follies. Books set in the same universe with familiar characters popping up is one of my favorite things. This focusses primarily on Mr. Caesar, his parents and his two teen sisters Miss Caeser and Miss Mary, but Miss Bickle, Georgiana & Maelys show up in this one too. Mr Caeser is a mixed race member of the ton who is rescued by the dashing Captain Orestes James, a black military man. He befriends the Captain and his merry band of friends called The Irregulars. Mr Caeser and the Captain have a sweet romance, but the romance is toned down in this story. It’s the chaos of magic gone wrong as narrated by our favorite sassy narrator Robin which really shines.

At a ball in the beginning, Miss Caeser is unhappy with her looks and wishes that she was beautiful. Lady, a fairy from a different court as Robin, appears and grants her this wish. Only she turns into a beautiful irridescent glass statue that reflects light in a most beguiling way to everyone around her. When Miss Caeser’s legs and arms start becoming cracked she realizes she doesn’t want to be like this anymore and the family & friends embark on a mission to break the spell. It’s kind of a bonkers twist on Cinderella. I also liked the inclusion of class differences, mixed race relationships in the ton, what beauty is, that there’s strength and power in being yourself, realizing you’re not alone in the world and not taking your loved ones for granted. Hall’s ability to blend All The ThingsTM together effortlessly remains unmatched.

There were lots of little details that made me laugh. Miss Bickle has a bookclub with her friends she calls the “Avidreaderdom” since “bookclub” is not a word that exists then. There’s a recurring bit with Robin explaining that phrases sounding like euphemisms are not euphemisms. It was endlessly funny. And of course I love all the things Robin morphs into in order to spy on everyone: mist, a bee, a spider, a dog, sunlight, etc. So funny.

**Thanks to NetGalley & DelRey for the ARC***

I picked this up because it's almost definitely going to be my favorite cover of 2024, it's absolutely gorgeous! It took me a while to get into the narration style for this one (my bad, the narrator did tell me multiple times that I should read book one), but once I got in I was definitely hooked. Once I got used to the narration style, I loved the narrator. Robin is snarky and provides witty insights in everything going on with the large cast of characters! The romance is light, but it's woven in the background as all the wild shenanigans the Other Court brings to this world happen at the forefront. I like that John was continuously called out for how he's acting based on his station and how he works to be a better person worthy of Captain James. While a lot of this book is fun and full of whimsy, it also has lot of deeper themes such as race/racism, class, inner/outer beauty, and so much more.

A unique book, Confounding Oaths functions as a standalone in the Mortal Follies world, but it is strongly encouraged to read Mortal Follies prior for a better experience.

While I was not a fan of how the romance was not the major focus, it felt a bit pushed back for me. I wanted to see these relationships blossom. I did however enjoy the mix of mythologies and elements for the world-building.

What really hurt the book for me was the narrator style. It did not vibe with me and for that, I did not really wish to continue the book.

I was not the target audience for the book, but I will say that an audience exists and I hope they enjoy this book upon release. I may return to this world again in the future.

Thank you to the Publisher for the eARC in exchange for a review.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

Confounding Oaths is the second book in the Mortal Folllies series. While it can be read as a standalone, I personally think its best to read Mortal Folllies first. Without reading that, you miss out on a lot.

This book follows John Caesar, a supporting character in Mortal Folllies, and his immediate family's experience with magic. The Caesar children are often looked down upon for their heritage, and one of the young ladies makes a wish. As most things involving fairies, this didn't go well. John meets the heroic Captain Orestes James who helps him with his journey to safe his sister.

As in Mortal Folllies, Confounding Oaths is told from the point of view of Robin, a hobgoblin who follows mortals to gather stories. As with Mortal Folllies, this can prove to be slightly confusing at times. However, Alexis Hall seems to have figured out the flow of this better. The plot was complex but not difficult to follow. The world Hall has built is extremely interesting. 1810s England with fairies, Greek gods, Norse gods and Christianity all existing together is extremely interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and i hope the series continues.

I'm a big fan of Alexis Hall's writing, and on the whole I enjoyed this story. But I'm not a fan of the narrator device. Yes, the narrator is entertaining, so on that level it works. But the narrative distance kept me from feeling emotionally invested in any of the characters—and since I read fiction for the emotional investment, that was a problem. It wasn't a chore to read this book to the end, but I wasn't sad to see it end, either. For me, this was probably 3.5 to 3.75 stars.

My thanks to the publisher/NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing me a copy of this book.

On paper, this is exactly something I would love. Historical England + high society + romance + fae? Sign me up. The reality of this story was more mixed.

Both a positive and a negative of the story was writing it from a third-person perspective with a fae creature acting as the narrator. Robin Goodfellow is an entertaining narrator, and many of their asides in the story are quite funny. For instance, their perpetual hatred towards William Shakespeare always made me laugh. However, the grandiose verbosity and the constant asides to establish the many opinions of this narrator bogs down the prose, and the pacing of the story felt extremely glacial as a result. Writing this story from an outside perspective really drains the story of its emotional highs and lows. For instance, the romance plot ended up feeling unfulfilling and impersonal. The emotional build-up of the characters is sparse since everything is based on a narrator’s observations. Even the physical elements of their relationship are glossed over because Robin finds dispassionate sex uninteresting, or because Robin is literally splitting the narrative between two different scenes simultaneously. The end result is unsatisfying and superficial.

Speaking of the narrator discussing two scenes simultaneously, literally separating the scenes with elipses, I did not like this choice. It interrupted the tension the author was building and mostly felt frustrating.

By the time the story was over, it simultaneously felt like not very much had happened but that it had taken ages to get through. I liked many individual elements to the story, such as the growth of the Caesar sisters and Miss Bickle as a whole. However, as a whole piece, this was a bit of a miss for me.

2.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine, for allowing me to read an ARC of Confounding Oaths by Alexis Hall.

When I say any day I receive an email allowing me to read an Alexis Hall ARC is a fabulous day, I am certainly not exaggerating. Alexis Hall has long been one of my favorite authors and I have read many, many of his books.

I was also lucky enough to read an ARC of Mortal Follies, part 1 to Confounding Oaths. I would say if you haven't read Mortal Follies, while this is not a direct sequel, it will read better if you have read Mortal Follies as you will understand the tone and the world Alexis Hall has created much better.

Confounding Oaths follows high(ish) society member, Mr. John Caesar as he navigates his complicated family dynamics, made only more complicated by his younger sisters. When the dashing Captain James comes to his defense one evening, the two become linked in a series of chaotic, magical, and dangerous events.

One, not critique, but something I think is important to know before jumping into the book, is that while the romance between John Caesar and Captain James is certainly a part of the story, I would not define it as the main part of the story. This is a story about a family who are trying to navigate their own complicated dynamics while being thrust into the world of high society cults and the fae realm...and yes, John Caesar and Captain James fall for each other during it. With those as your expectations, it will be a snarky, and often messy, magical adventure to enjoy!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC copy of Confounding Oaths!

I haven’t read the previous book, but I like Alexis’ writing and I like regency style romances and Other People type stories (referencing fae). I feel like I might have enjoyed it and some of the characters a lot more if I had, but it wasn’t necessary to enjoy this one.

This was very much an adventure forward story but I enjoyed it enough to be intrigued into following along. While over all, I liked the story, I found myself slogging along at times during the first half. It read almost episodic, with the adventure du jour being tossed aside for something more pressing. The final half of the book felt like a race to the end, however.

The narrator was the best part of the book, honestly. I loved the silly asides and their interactions with The Lady. Followed shortly behind by Ms Bickle who was an utter delight.

I didn’t like that the duel was resolved so abruptly, however, which is what I mean when I say a hit episodic. I wasn’t ready to just let go of it or the plans to throw everything out of gear.

Over all, I did enjoy the book and I recommend it if you’re a fan of regency era action, less so for the romance, and very much so for the tricky fae fun.

Much like the first book, I really enjoyed Puck's narration. And, much like the first book, I felt like the romance didn't quite hit where I wanted it to. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy it. I just felt as though the more emotional beats of the romance took a backseat to the plot and thus didn't quite make the impact I felt like it should. I think, honestly, more than romance, this book primarily focuses on family--the ones we're stuck with and the ones we make for ourselves. That was an aspect of the book I greatly appreciated and there were more than a few emotional moments between the family that really hit for me. That being said, there's a LOT of plot threads going on and it did get a little uneven, pacing-wise, at times. I do think that each thread wrapped up mostly decently, though.

Overall, another delightful installment. Definitely look forward to a Ms. Bickle-central book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc. I did not finish the book, so I cannot give a full review. I love Alexis Hall, but this book was not for me. In an age where there are a multitude of books to choose from, you have to pick and choose what you want to read versus what you do not want to read very quickly. I am not a huge fantasy reader, so this book was not the book for me in the first place. I am sure it will find its readers as Alexis Hall is an amazing writing, it just wasn’t for me. I will stick to their contemporary romance novels!

📣 a fantasy with romantic elements where the Fae are dangerous & and a handsome & honorable soldier comes to the rescue

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

📖 what are you currently reading? I just started The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love by Holton this morning!

Alexis Hall’s books have hit widely on the rating scale for me—I’ve loved some, really enjoyed some, & been somewhat baffled by at least one.

Confounding Oaths picks back up with the same Fae narrator as book 1, Mortal Follies, & features some of the same characters, although the leads in this one are an indolent aristocrat, Mr. Caesar, & an honorable & brave Captain, Orestes James.

In the end, this fantasy is uneven for me, with some aspects really sparkling like Fae-crafted jewels & others not fully being realized. Here’s the breakdown:

🪄 The Fae narrator’s voice is fantastic. Funny & witty, with lots of astute observations about British culture, human nature, & Fae customs. My favorite moments are when the narrator reveals their (surprising) empathy for their human subjects, however indirectly.
🪄I always appreciate a story where the underdog tries to outmaneuver a towering baddie. Something to root for!
🪄There’s encouraging growth from many of the characters in this one, including Mr. Caesar, who puts himself on the line for his family & his lover’s family.
🪄Captain James makes a stellar speech to Mr. Caesar about being a better person, & I love how it plays out. That kind of task—which Mr. Caesar really needs to take on—is both hard & easy when it comes to it.
🫤 But overall, the story sometimes feels choppy, & I wasn’t as invested as I wanted to be, particularly when it comes to the protagonists’ relationship which didn’t go as far emotionally as I would have liked. As a result, this book felt too long.

I realllly enjoyed Mortal Follies & like I said, Confounding Oaths has some definitely pluses. I just wish it hadn’t been so sprawling!

3.5 ⭐️. Out 08/27.

CWs: murder, violence, animal sacrifice.

[ID: Jess’s hand holds the ebook over a cluster of purple & also pink flowers.]

Another splendid book by Alexis, this time about a Captain and a Dandy trying to save the dandy’s sister from her own actions, in this case asking for a wish from the wrong person, the lesson always will be do not believe this wish granting fairies, nothing good comes out of it, all told by this other snarky narrator who does not care about the well being of these silly humans.
As always Alexis’ characters are all flawed but trying, they always feel so real, doesn’t matter the setting.
I can’t wait for the audiobook, which i will be buying as soon as possible.

4/5. Releases 8/27/24.

vibes: Shakespeare x Jane Austen, a man in uniform, WHIMSY

Heat Index: 2/10

The Basics:

Mr. John Caesar is escorting his sister Mary through the marriage mart--avoiding his parents' own desires to see him settle down, because, like, that's not John's goal. Things get a bit more complicated when Mary accidentally ends up with an evil fairy godmother, which leads John to work with Orestes James, a war hero who's ready to leap into action. (Perhaps in more ways than one.) As they attempt to rescue Mary, Orestes and John grow close; but even if they do live through this, is John ready to commit wholeheartedly to anyone?

The Review:

Another fun, whimsical, magically-narrated fairy tale/Jane Austen romcom from Alexis Hall! These books are quite unique, to be honest. Not only in terms of the narration--which is delightful--from Robin, a literal omnipresent immortal, but just... the world? Early in the book, we have a discussion about Jane Austen fandom and writing fanfic? From a couple of Regency-era girlies? It's so fun, so lighthearted, so completely itself.

And in general, Alexis can always write the fuck out of a book. The way he shifts between styles is honestly so impressive to me. Dude can turn a phrase, and that makes his books just... a pleasure to read for the sake of reading. The uniqueness of these particular novels only adds to it. (Do you need to read Mortal Follies before this one? Not exactly, but it might help; and to be real, you should just read it anyway, as it's a good work.)

Where I will say this book does fall a little behind MF for me is that the romance feels a bit less prominent. This is probably because John and Orestes are essentially trying to save someone for much of the book, whereas the last novel had more direct peril for the heroine. So it does feel a little more "save the day forward" versus "romance forward". Not that there isn't romance. There is, and it's lovely, and I also really liked that Alexis gave them breathing room and didn't act as if these were two guys lacking life experience simply because they were queer in a homophobic society.

Speaking of, both Orestes and John are Black (John is biracial) and this fantasy world of Hall's doesn't just throw racism out the door. It's not heavy, but it is thoughtful... and comes with a rather snarky remark alluding to the deplorable treatment of a certain duchess. And I did appreciate that. I don't know if Alexis was responding to some of the... less than perfect choices of a certain big time Regency romance show. I don't want to say he was. However, I did find this book's observations much more interesting and insightful.

The Sex:

This is a closed door romance--sex is definitely alluded to, but because our narrator is a third party, he doesn't just sit there and perv on everyone. Which makes sense. I support that choice. Alexis Hall is one of the only writers who can make closed door work for me.

All in all, this is a fluffy yet adventurous Regency-ish fantasy romance with a lot of humor, a good bit of sweetness, and a fuckton of wit. It's a good time, as most Alexis Hall books are a good time. Is it my absolute favorite of his? Maybe not, but a good book by Alexis Hall is better than a lot of other people's best books, to be real.

Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This novel was not my cup of tea. While I hadn’t read the first book in this series, Mortal Follies, I was assured it was unnecessary. I have enjoyed some of Alexis Hall’s prior work; however, this novel didn’t come together for me. I wanted to like it but couldn’t get into it. It is part Regency romance, part critique of social mores, and part fantasy.

It lacked romance and a solid connection to the main characters. The novel became tedious to read due to the pacing. It didn’t have the heart, humor, character development, and vulnerability that I loved in Boyfriend Material.

Confounding Oaths didn’t align with my expectations, but if you like fantasy, this story may be a better fit for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC of this book.
#ConfoundingOaths #NetGalley.

Bodily necessity has driven our fairy friend Robin to, once again, sully his hands by turning to *shudder* paid work. This time, to keep himself in the style to which he has become accustomed, he tells us the tale of John Caesar and Captain Orestes James. John's sister finds herself in a spot of bother after making a wish that a fairy may have taken too literally by our mortal understanding. John teams up with Orestes and his loyal band of soldiers, all of whom are veterans of the Napoleonic Wars, to take on cults, the Other Court, and the vagaries of the ton that are not quite accepting of the biracial Caesar children. John and Orestes are drawn to each other despite the ever-present danger that surrounds them, and attempt to find a way to make their unconventional pairing work. This is my favorite voice that Alexis Hall writes in. A sarcastic, disgruntled fairy who is only talking to us in the first place under sufferance is my idea of a good narrator. A reliable narrator, however? I'll leave that to the individual reader's discretion.

I love Alexis Hall. His characters and his romances always capture my attention and this was no different. I loved these characters and the story. Hall never disappoints. His books always make me so happy to read.