Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall is a romance that rather defies being set in a singular category. It is the year 1814, and life for a young lady of good breeding has many difficulties. There are balls to attend, fashions to follow, marriages to consider, and, of course, the tiny complication of existing in a world swarming with fairy spirits, interfering deities, and actual straight-up sorcerers. Miss Maelys Mitchelmore finds her entry into high society hindered by an irritating curse. It begins innocuously enough with her dress slowly unmaking itself over the course of an evening at a high-profile ball, a scandal she narrowly manages to escape. However, as the curse progresses to more fatal proportions, Miss Mitchelmore must seek out aid, even if that means mixing with undesirable company. And there are few less desirable than Lady Georgianna Landrake—a brooding, alluring young woman sardonically nicknamed “the Duke of Annadale”—who may or may not have murdered her own father and brothers to inherit their fortune. If one is to believe the gossip, she might be some kind of malign enchantress. Then again, a malign enchantress might be exactly what Miss Mitchelmore needs. With the Duke’s help, Miss Mitchelmore delves into a world of angry gods and vindictive magic, keen to unmask the perpetrator of these otherworldly attacks. But Miss Mitchelmore’s reputation is not the only thing at risk in spending time with her new ally. For the reputed witch has her own secrets that may prove dangerous to Miss Mitchelmore’s heart—not to mention her life.
Mortal Follies is a book that I have trouble categorizing. It is a historical romance, a fantasy, a LGBTQIA+ romance, an adventure, and has a Shakespearean feel with the narrator. I liked the cast of characters and the diverse and quirky personalities for several of the secondary characters. I thought the story and worlds building was well done, and the characters were multidimensional and highly entertaining. I am a fan of the author, so my enjoyment is no big surprise here. I only had two little things that bothered me, one was that I figured out the person behind the curse way to quickly. Second was that I had some trouble with the pacing- although this might have been more on me trying to break a reading slump with a favorite author. It just felt like it took forever to get to the end, and even though I enjoyed the ride it just felt slow to me. Again, this might just be because of my mindset while reading and I do not hold it against the author at all. In fact, I have two more oft heir books in my reading queue and I can wait to get to them.
Mortal Follies is a romance with many twists and turns. and much that fans of historical or fantasy romance will enjoy.
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