I originally started this book quite a few months back, but ended up getting stalled somewhere along the way. That wasn’t necessarily the fault of the book (more my focus), but when it was finally my turn for the audiobook at my library, I jumped on it so fast! I often find that books I get stalled on aren’t necessarily bad books, but sometimes just books that work better for me in audio format. This was certainly true for this one, and I ended up enjoying the narration style a lot more once it was narrated by someone!

While it did take me a while to get used to the unique narration style, it did end up growing on me quite a bit. While I’m not sure if I necessarily like the extra distance it created within a romance book, I did like the quirks that our narrator brought along with them, and I had a lot of fun with it! However, it did make me feel a step outside the romance that the story often focused on, because we have this very obvious narrator with us every step of the way. It meant I couldn’t get as close to the characters themselves, or their romance, because I was constantly reminded I was basically spying on them from the corner. It resulted in me not really feeling the romance side of this story, though there were still plenty of other aspects I ended up being a fan of!

I really did like our main character, especially as she started coming into her own a bit more. I also felt like she was complemented quite well by the side characters, especially her best friend. It added this extra layer of absurdity, because of how silly her friend often was, but it made the fae/magic aspects of the book seem less out-there, and made our narrator seem a bit more normal as well!

I also generally did like the plot of this book, except for the part between about 70-90%. Basically, I loved the main plot of the book, but found the bonus end-game plot much less interesting, and almost frustrating at points. However, then I did end up how the story ended up wrapping up, especially how the narrator chose to end the story. I basically felt very mixed emotions by the end, because I was on a bit of a rollercoaster of enjoying the book, not enjoying it, and then enjoying it again right at the end.

I had a few issues with that chunk of the book between 70-90%, and I think it largely had to do with the pacing of the book. It had honestly felt like we had reached a potential ending for the book a few times over, except every time I checked where I was, there was still a decent chunk left to go. It was just really odd, because I felt like we were just waiting for something to happen again, right when a book usually has its climax. While the narrator did comment on this, and said a few times that they probably would have ended the story sooner had there not been a lot more exciting things still to come, it just kind of felt like the book lost its momentum for a bit. It seemed to just focus on the romance for a bit, but as I explained above, I never felt connected enough to that part of the book for me to enjoy reading a large chunk of the book focused only on them.

I also felt like our main character lost a lot of drive and energy in this part of the book, at least when it came to problem-solving later on. It felt like most of the answers were being handed to her rather than finding them herself, and it felt like she was sort of being carried along by the plot (despite having plenty of motivation to drive the plot herself). It made me start to like her less, which made aspects of the ending and final scenes less hard-hitting, even if I did end up liking them overall.

In the end, I ended up liking Mortal Follies, but had just a few too many issues to really say I loved it (though I did certainly love parts of it!) I do still enjoy Alexis Hall as an author, though, and will definitely keep reading more of his books in the future!

This book was in my house for less than 12 hrs before I finished it... (that should be all the encouragement you need to pick this one up, haha!)

I would like to thank the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for the ARC of this book. I read an advanced copy of this book, so the final edition of the book might be slightly different. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

I had high hopes for this book, and honestly, this book met them! The concept seemed so fascinating, and I was worried the execution might not be able to hold it up, but it all ended up being so much better than I could have ever expected.

My favorite thing about this book has to be the world-building, specifically surrounding the way mythology has been incorporated. Many people are descendants of various gods or deities, and if they’re born in the right amount (like 3 sisters for the 3 fates), then they might inherit those powers. It’s a really intriguing set-up, and I loved seeing all the different types of descendants and powers that existed in the world. On top of that, the book doesn’t just take Greek mythology, but other mythologies from around the world as well. Different cities or regions of the world that followed different myths also have their own descendants, and while the magic might sometimes overlap (as gods across mythologies do as well, when it comes to their powers), there are always slight variations to account for the cultural differences. It creates such a rich and deep world to weave the story through, and I loved seeing it all come together!

While I wouldn’t have minded what magic the main character ended up having, as it all honestly seemed so cool, I loved that what we got was thread/fate magic. It was wonderful to see how it varied across the sisters, based on who had what ‘role’, and how it impacted the way they interact with the world and how they see each other. They each had their own responsibilities and worries based around their own powers, and it really ended up defining their relationship with their powers as well. I also just found thread magic on its own so fascinating, and I loved whenever Io would look at the threads of those around her, and how she could manipulate them and use them (in battles and outside of them). It’s just an interesting take on threads and fate, and I loved seeing it expanded beyond more simple threads, like love and life.

I also really loved the setting of this book. Alante is a city that has nearly gone to the sea, and I don’t think I’ve ever read a setting quite like it. The characters constantly have to mind the tides, avoiding streets during certain times, so they don’t get stuck and drown. It also was so fun to see how the city grew with the tides, especially the poorer areas of the city, where the people who couldn’t afford the higher land were forced to live in. There were just so many extra considerations when forced to live with rising and receding waters (especially when those waters are full of monsters!)

Lastly, I was also just a big fan of the relationships in this book, and I don’t even mean the romance specifically! I just adored exploring the relationship between the 3 Ora sisters, and how their roles within their family seemed to almost take after their powers. It’s rare to find books that focus so closely on relationships between 3 sisters, especially ones whose entire identity seems to revolve around being sisters (especially being the descendants of Fates). While we enter the story at a point where a lot has already happened to fracture them, I loved seeing how their feelings for each other impacted their judgment and decisions.

Overall, I was a big fan of this book, and would highly recommend it to fans of (Greek) mythology or fans of books that fit a more ‘fantasy noir’ vibe. I honestly cannot wait for the sequel!