I have an interesting relationship with Alexis Hall's books. While I've adored Boyfriend Material and its related works, Mortal Follies was a bit of a slog for me to get through when I had the opportunity to read an ARC before its release. The good news is that its sequel, Confounding Oaths, is much more intriguing, thanks in large part to more rapid pacing and a less nebulous overarching evil to combat.

Mr. Caesar, who did not particularly stand out in Mortal Follies, is interesting to follow with his struggle between doing what is right for his family, and maintaining the questionable reputation he has earned in the ton. As the mixed race oldest child (and only son) of the family, he flounders under the burdens placed upon him by his parents and society. And then he meets Captain James Orestes, black military man who is steadfast in his dedication to his friends, his country, and Mr. Caesar. The two intertwining plots, with Caesar's sister falling prey (kind of) to the Lady after a wish gone wrong, and a cult trying to find a virgin to sacrifice to Artemis for her blessing in the war against France, move at a good pace (my biggest complaint with Mortal Follies), while also building a more complete picture of this fascinating weird world of gods and faeries that Hall has created.

Robin makes for a much more intriguing narrator this time around, and the secondary characters truly have a chance to shine. Miss Bickle will forever be my favorite, from her weird theories on the supernatural to her bookclub/fanfiction club.

This regency and Paranormal novel was very interesting. The potential was there and the first half of the book was extremely well done. My main issue is the narrator. It became too wordy and too complicated I had to end up skipping large sections of the book when it came to the second half. I also need to warn people that there are animal sacrifices and that could be very upsetting. All in all I really wanted to love it but the narration just was way too much. I love the authors work and I am sure many will enjoy it even though it didn't work for me.

Personally, liked this SIGNIFICANTLY more than the first book in the series. Giving is a soft 4 out of 5. Thank you NetGalley.

I still can't quite put a finger on what about Mortal Follies just didn't jive with me, but I enjoyed Book 2 much more. There is still a bit of a disconnect for me with how the romance between John and Orestes is written, but their progression from lust to love felt more natural over the course of the story. I enjoy how Orestes challenges John to be better and pushes him to re-think his view of the world, but Orestes is either set in his ways or just doesn't get the same kind of growth from John.

There are a handful of time skips that happen between the events of the story, and I had to remind myself that this was all occurring over the course of a "Season" which is several weeks/months, especially given Mary's sudden personality shifts. I appreciate that at the end of the day, it was Mary who pulled herself out of her wish, but her decision to do so felt sudden.

Overall happy with this sophomore novel and can't wait to see where our loveable narrator takes us next!

Alexis Hall is back with a ridiculous queer Regency romantasy narrated by none other than Puck. The book is cuttingly funny: the kind of humor that doesn't make you laugh out loud but rather nod appreciatively at the wit. (I did laugh out loud once, when Puck described Shakespeare as "the bastard from Stratford.")

I like this series, but I don't LOVE them. It's interesting because the most original part of them and perhaps the device I like the most, Puck's point of view, may also be the portion that keeps me from feeling emotionally invested. Puck takes great pains not to be invested himself, and this comes across to the reader. I think I might enjoy these a little more on audio, although I don't think I'd be more emotionally into them.

Confounding Oaths focuses on a faerie wish gone wrong (as they always seem to do). The wisher is not one of the romantic leads, but rather one of their sisters. Both MMCs in this book are Black, and much of the narrative takes a narrow and hard look at how they are treated by "good society." I can't speak to the accuracy of the portrayal, but I did enjoy a historical romance set in a "diverse" Regency England a la Bridgerton but that takes the time to engage with racism, classism, etc.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

Confounding Oaths is a fun, wild ride that takes what was great about its predecessor, Mortal Follies—and also suffers from some of the same issues as the first book.

There's so much to love about this book—a fun collection of characters, a lavish world that ties in magic seamlessly into our everyday world, a romance to die for. That's what I've loved most about this series—the characters and plot that allow me to not only step away for a while. It was something I thoroughly enjoyed about the first book, Mortal Follies, as well.

There's one thing about these books though that I struggled with—and that's the narrative style. While I appreciate the effort to do something clever with the narrator out of the story, weaving us between the world of magic and gods and the world of our protagonists, I found it just as distracting in this book as I did in the first.

That being said, I loved the romance in this. I guessed shortly into Mortal Follies that we would eventually follow Mr. Caesar in the sequel, and he proved an engaging main character, trying to fulfill his duties as an older brother through a saga of magic and mayhem. I liked the romance in this—but almost wish there was more of it. As someone who thoroughly loves a fantasy and isn't generally a full-on romantasy girl, I honestly found the fantasy element of the author's writing less compelling than the romance element, and wished we'd leaned on that a bit more heavily.

All in all, I loved revisiting these characters and their world—and would love to come back to visit again. (I'd just love a better narrator next time, though considering this seems to be a hallmark of this saga, I won't hinge my further reading on it!)

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
✨Summary✨
This book is about wishes gone wrong, when Mary Caesar makes an ill fated wish. It’s up to her brother, John Caesar, to get her out of it. John must team up with the handsome, yet poor, Captain Orestes James, to help get her out of a fae bargain.
This was a very cute book, with a fun cast of characters. This book deals with some interesting topics such as class systems, race, sexuality, and the idea of beauty.
The narrator was a nice touch and added some personality to the book.
Something I wasn’t a fan of was the two MMCs got together way too fast for my liking. I personally prefer a little bit of a slower burn. They got together within the first quarter of the book.
Overall, I did enjoy this book and I would recommend it to others.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing the ARC and the opportunity to review this book.

I did not finish the book. I really liked the premise and was super excited to read, but I just couldn’t get into the writing. It felt very uppity in a way that reminded me of myself in high school when I wanted to pretend like I was smarter than everyone else.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this e-arc! 3/5 stars, witty and amusing but ultimately not my taste

I didn't read the first book in this series because I thought I wouldn't need to background context, but I think it would've helped a little when diving into this world because it took me a while to catch on to the narrative style and the characters. I do enjoy the sort of witty, third person omniscient narration style and it's always amusing to see what someone outside of the situation thinks of the people in it, but I think I actually come to enjoy that more than the going ons in the plot because there was so much personality in the narrator, though I will say sometimes there were too many asides. meanwhile, the characters felt almost plain in comparison and the plot felt like it moved glacially. I think I liked the characters as individuals but I just couldn't feel the chemistry, especially between john and the captain, which made it hard to keep on reading when I'd pause. overall, I do think hall's writing is witty and charming, but the combination of everything wasn't hitting for me and I think this just wasn't to my particular taste.

John Ceaser just wants to launch his sisters into society in peace, to navigate them through the already difficult experience of joining upper society with as few disasters as possible. However, this plan is almost immediately abandoned when John refuses to allow others to insult his sister's looks and their family. This sets off a chain of events that brings Captain Orestes James into John's life and Tatianna's court into his sister, Mary's. As Mary wish for greater beauty is answered by the fae, John and Orestes, along with the aide of Oreste's company of misfit soldiers, attempt to preserve her safety against threats both human and otherworldly.

To start this book is silly and over the top both in character and plot in a delightfully fun way. If one thing can go wrong at a party, three things will. It is a novel of trying one's best and finding that perhaps what a person thinks is best may not be right. Going into the book, I knew I did not enjoy the framed narrative structure of the first book as much as I enjoy the story. Unsurprisingly, the continued in the second which was more about a preference than anything Hall does wrong with that structure. Because I do not particularly vibe with the narrator or way in which that framing presents stories, I had difficulties as time with this sequel despite the rampant silliness of the book.

Confounding Oaths is book two in the Mortal Follies Series by Alexis Hall.
I enjoyed book one Mortal Follies. So I was eager to jump right into CO.
A charming sapphic regency fantasy romance story with characters so delightful I was sucked in so hard.
This book has the best magic, mystery, and mayhem.
I loved everything about it.

2 stars and my thank to Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC.

The Alexis Hall Sequel Curse strikes again. It's wild how it happens every single time. They write a great first book and then the second is just...bad.

I know the narrator thinks John Caesar is dull, but god it's so hard to root for such a boring main character. Especially when nothing happens to him directly, but to those around him. The absolute negative chemistry between him and the Captain was painful.

I thought it was interesting to tell the story from the perspective of an outside voice, much like Mortal Follies. But at least in Mortal Follies, the story revolved around the main characters. For 50% of Confounding Oaths, everything was happening to everyone else BUT the mains. Idk if it changed, because 50% is where I DNF'd.

Loved this book so much, I rounded up from 4.5 stars for the first book in the series but this one was a true five stars. It got off to a much faster start now that but reader is familiar with both the characters and the narrator. The narrator really makes these books with his witty commentary and interjections throughout and I enjoyed revisiting many of the characters in the first book and hearing Mr Caesar’s love story.

Who knew that wishing on a star could bring such chaos into a family's lives? That's what happens when a representative of Titania's court grants the wish of a young Regency girl. Her older brother falls for a field commissioned officer of His Majesty's troops. Her younger sister remains as vexing as always. They all find out that the Fae are not to be trusted as Robin Goodfellow provides the narration of this tale. This is highly entertaining, especially as the "gentlemanly" language is offset by very frank soldier language. Such fun!

Confounding Oaths really feels to me like it's pushing back a bit on romance genre expectations and I am here for it. I'm so used to romance novels being centered around desire and physical attraction and all the other things that give the reader stomach swoops and swoony feels. The physical attraction between John Caesar and Orestes James is established early on but from there we get a story that is about deepening feelings for another person based on their character and actions. Expressions of kindness and care that aren't romantic per se but are the foundations of a good partner, and that push you to be a better person. It's not that the physical component isn't present, it's just off-page - in part because the narrator is uninterested in human bodies but also because John and Orestes are rarely alone.

The portrayal of John and Orestes romance dovetails beautifully with the themes of the main plot. John's younger sister Mary wishes to be beautiful and a fairy grants that wish by turning her into glass. The Caesars and Orestes and his band of Irregulars all work together to get Mary restores to human form, at first against Mary's wishes because she enjoys feeling beautiful and the attention it gets her. But ultimately she realizes that she wants men to feel attracted to her for who she is and not solely for her appearance. I was very sympathetic to Mary and her journey was moving to me. The dynamic between Mary and her younger sister Anne rang very true, and the growth of their relationship over the course of the novel was heartwarming.

All in all, I enjoyed Confounding Oaths and am crossing my fingers for a third book in this series with Miss Bickle and/or Miss Penworthy.

Confounding Oaths is the enchanting sequel to Mortal Follies. Mr. Caesar is set on helping his younger sister find a match, though things soon spiral rapidly out of control. Luckily for him, he meets the sensible and dashing Captain James. As the two work together to free his sister from a fae bargain gone wrong, sparks fly between them. Do they have a future beyond the end of the season?

Alexis Hall is incredibly witty and every sentence is packed with humor. Hall is an excellent storyteller and creates a compelling romance between Captain James and Mr. Caesar. I loved the interpretation of fairy magic (and sinister gods) in Regency-era queer romance. The characters have great banter and there is never a dull moment. The narrator is also extremely witty and I can only hope he’s nowhere near close to fulfilling his duties to Oberon.

Readers who enjoy queer romance, fairy magic with a twist, and witty dialogue should check out Confounding Oaths. I can’t wait to read what Alexis Hall writes next!

Thank you to Alexis Hall, Del Rey, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.

Confounding Oaths by Alexis Hall is a really unique story. I wanted to enjoy the narration and the historical aspects, but I could not force it. I love reading books that follow LGBTQIA characters. That is the best part of this book. Usually, I love reading really unique fantasy books, but I found myself unable to pick this book up. There was too much pomp and circumstance. It had a really unique premise that I loved, but I was unable to get into the story.

I had some trouble connecting to this story and becoming invested. It wasn't a bad book, just not for me.

The cover for this book is absolutely gorgeous, and it drew me in and I love the color theme.

This was a witty, queer, historical fiction, fantasy book with loveable characters and a fun plot. I enjoyed the romance aspect of this story, and loved the way that it was told. It wasn't in your face, and you were able to focus on the intricacies of the plot, while the romance took a little bit of a back seat. There was a lot going on plot wise, so I was glad that I was able to read more about the story itself and what was going on so that it could be understood, rather than reading some plot, then switching gears and ignoring the plot for romance.

I would say that the only thing that I was not a fan of in this book, was the narrator. The way that he told the story made it hard to feel connected to what was happening at times. Do not take this as the end all be all, it is just a personal preference, and it was just not for me. I understand that this is a continuation from the first book (which I did not read) and the narrator is the same, so if you read the first book and liked it, then the narrator wouldn't be a problem for you.

Thank you to Alexis Hall, Random House Publishing Group - Balentine / Del Ray and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. This is my honest review.

This was my first book by Alexis Hall, and I have already added more of their books to my TBR for this upcoming week <3

As always, I appreciate the opportunity to receive and review this ARC from NetGalley.

Miss Hall has done it again! I absolutely adore this series and cannot get enough of the characters. I finished this at 1:30 in the morning and sort of just sat in the darkness of my bedroom and stared at nothing because I didn’t know what to do with myself after finishing this book. I feel this is a common opinion amongst fans of Mortal Follies, but Miss Bickle is the best character hands down. I love the absolute delulu that emanates off this sweet, hilarious woman.

This was the perfect fantasy fall read to get me in the mood to transition to fantasy and thrillers while also feeding the inner little smut goblin. Mr. Caesar will always be a favorite character of mine as well because he is so frank about certain things that it is hard not to spit out your tea at some of his proclamations.

One of the huge reasons why I love this series is the witty and comical banter from our narrator. It makes the story so whimsical and keeps things lighthearted. Also, some of the little quips are quite insightful, which I always love from an author. It leads the reader to pursue introspection about society and things we maybe overlook on a daily basis.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait for the physical copies to go on sale to snag one for the collection.

In 1815, Mr. John Caesar’s plans for his sister Mary’s coming-out are disrupted by soldiers, a military cult, and a malicious fairy godmother. Teaming up with the heroic Captain James to save Mary, Mr. Caesar finds himself unexpectedly developing feelings for the captain, despite their vastly different social backgrounds.

This is quite unlike anything I’ve ever read from Alexis Hall. It really is written in the style of some classic regency novel, which I hadn’t been expecting. I also wasn’t expecting it to be told from the perspective of this story-keeping fairy who isn’t even a main character.

That all being said, I had a lot of fun with this. It’s kind of irreverant and ridiculous at times, but also really sweet and kind. The plot is bonkers - very “be careful what you wish for” - and I loved reading about John and Captain James and his unlikely band of comrades running through London, talking to witches and fairies and cult leaders. This is wild. It’s not your usual historical fantasy, but if you can get on board, I really enjoyed it.

I SHOULD ADD. There is one content warning that I think people should be particularly aware of going in. (I felt this particular scene was a little unnecessary, but that’s me.) I will list the content warning in question in the comments.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for a copy of this ebook. Review is honest and my own.