Confounding Oaths

A Novel

By: Alexis Hall

Narrated by: Nneka Okoye

A nobleman must work with a dashing soldier to save his sister from a mystical bargain gone awry in this swoon-worthy romance from the bestselling author of Boyfriend Material.

“The utterly enchanting second installment of Alexis Hall’s Mortal Follies series brings back all the magic, both literal and figurative, that readers expect. . . . It’s another rousing success from Hall.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

It is the year 1815, and Mr. John Caesar is determined to help his sister, Mary, successfully navigate the marriage mart. A high-stakes endeavor at the best of times, this task is made slightly more difficult by his family’s nontraditional background, the pernicious whims of the ton, and the ever-present complication of living in a world full of scheming fairies and capricious gods.

Despite all that, John knows that his parents wish to see his sister comfortably settled. He also knows that the sooner he sees Mary’s future secured, the sooner he can get his own wish—returning to an aristocratic life of leisure. And as for Mary? Sweet, sensitive Mary just wishes gentlemen would pay as much attention to her as they do to her younger sister.

When Mary’s all-too-literal wish puts her squarely in the sights of a malicious fairy godmother, John sets out to save her. This choice throws him into the path of Captain Orestes James—the handsome up-from-the-ranks hero of Wellington’s armies—and his ragtag band of misfits. Together, John and the captain will venture into a vicious world of fey bargains and sacrificial magic as they draw ever closer to rescuing Mary—and to each other.

While John is no stranger to casual dalliances with soldiers, until now he’s never expected one to last—or wanted one to. He and the captain come from different worlds, and even if Orestes feels the same, John knows there’s no point in wishing for something more between them.

After all, John has learned firsthand that getting what you wish for can be a dangerous thing. . . .

Critic reviews

“The utterly enchanting second installment of Alexis Hall’s Mortal Follies series brings back all the magic, both literal and figurative, that readers expect . . . It’s another rousing success from Hall.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Fairy mischief descends on Regency England once again. [With] a clever framework for the story’s balance of levity and gravity . . . [and] thanks to piles of rich detail, mythological references, and interactions with the Other Court . . . [Confounding Oaths is] a queer and fantastical romance that enchants in more ways than one.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Great story!

At times hard to follow… but nevertheless very interesting! As a sequel, I liked the way they continued the mentioning of the initial characters! ❤️

Alexis Hall is a shapeshifter

I don't know how he does it but this series is so completely different from his other works. It's more mature in style and beautifully written. I didnt feel as connected to the characters as in other stories because the narrator is an observer, not the main character. But I'll never skip an Alexis Hall story. Always a pleasure.

Enjoyed the story except for one thing

Alexis Hall, please stop putting scenes with graphic m*rder of animals in your books. There’s no good message in it. It’s simply abhorring. Ruined an otherwise really enjoyable story.

Wonderingly Charming

Another beautiful, magical, charming story from Alexis Hall. Every aspect of “Confounding Oaths” is brilliant. It’s clever, well-crafted and Nneka Okaye’s story telling is outstanding. This is Book Two of Two. I “wish” it was Book Two of MORE.

Perfection

I loved book 1 in the series, and this second one as well. Fairies, regency era and queer people are everything I could wish (shouldn't use that word) for. The story is funny, touching and wonderfully narrated. The characters are all very likable in their imperfect perfection. I hope this won't be the last book in this series, because there are still many stories, which need to be told, and many gods to appease with peculiar sacrifice.