Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall

7 reviews

the_vegan_bookworm's review against another edition

funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.5

In many ways, this read like a sapphic story by someone who was uncomfortable with telling a sapphic story. The romance was poorly developed, the characters were flat and unlikeable as romantic leads, and the fade to black for sexual content was awkward to me.

I also felt really uncomfortable with the narrator being a person spying on the romantic leads throughout, including during intimate time between them. 

With this said, it is a funny book and a good satire. If you go into it expecting that instead of a romance, you might like it more than I did.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Stalking, and Murder

Moderate: Gore and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual content

kay_w's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

A great book but the last third started slow and then began to feel rushed towards the end.

I loved the whole concept and execution of the narrator. Without it I don’t think I would’ve have enjoyed the book as much.

I’m very keen to read more of Alexis Hall’s books.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Misogyny, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Racism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, and Classism

Minor: Child abuse, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Excrement, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Alcohol, and War

ramakn22's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual content, Transphobia, Kidnapping, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Classism

jencolumb0's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

This is a bit darker of a tale than I am used to from Hall, and without the more intense periods of emotional struggle/growth endured by the main characters (so more on par with Something Fabulous). Nonetheless, Hall carries it off in their typical hallmarks of deliciously layered tales, classical references, delightful subversion, and deft honesty. It’s also not the typical kissing book with magic, by any stretch of the imagination, but well worth exploring. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Chronic illness, Death, Terminal illness, and Blood

Moderate: Stalking and Death of parent

Minor: Slavery, Transphobia, Excrement, Colonisation, and Classism

Given that this book is about confronting a lack of agency and aggressively claiming space and happiness that the patriarchy denies, a number of these difficult topics are challenged. There’s also a bit about food turning to maggots in someone’s mouth that is not for the squeamish.

hrtlss_grl's review

adventurous emotional funny inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

bibliomania_express's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Violence, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Transphobia, Stalking, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Minor: Slavery and Colonisation

sarrie's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

 

Mortal Follies is another excellent example of how Alexis Hall’s writing range is just damn impressive to me. After reading A Lady for a Duke and expecting another somber, emotional historical I was incredibly surprised at how jovial, magical, and unique Mortal Follies is. 

The story is told to us through the narration of Robin - a fairy who has fallen out of favor with the courts and is sending a story to his Lord (take a guess who he might be). We get this story told in a first person POV as Robin follows around the characters in his story, his thoughts and feelings so much that he is a character all his own and I love him. The rest of the cast are equally as fantastic, some more than others. Our main two lady lovers are interesting and I felt for them and did cheer for them, however my favorite character by far was a side-character named Lizzie. I wonder if perhaps another future book may feature her as I got the feeling that Alexis Hall also enjoyed writing her. 

The style is unique and the situations absurd as well. The setting is a Regency/Victorian feeling era, but mixed with fantasy as ‘Old Gods’ (pagan gods) and the Fairy are acknowledged and chased about from time to time. In fact our plot revolves around someone placing a curse upon one of Lady Lovers and their pursuit of clearing it. That made for an interestingly tense story at times, but always undercut with the humor and absurdity that really sold this for me. 

I know a lot of people don’t enjoy a lot of humor or silliness in their stories - this would be one to avoid if you are that reader. However, if you enjoy the sly and some times childish humor of Fairy narrator then this is a must read. It’s hilarious at times and keeps it’s pace throughout. A big recommendation from me 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Gun violence, Violence, and Stalking