A young nobleman allies himself with a bold army officer to save his sister from a disastrous fairy bargain in Confounding Oaths, Alexis Hall's witty, adventurous follow-up to Mortal Follies.
Robin Goodfellow, exiled from the fairy court and "trapped in the dreary, damp, culinarily moribund country" of England in 1815, narrates the travails of John Caesar, the biracial grandson of an earl. At a ball, another nobleman insults John's sister Mary by calling her a racist slur. John, who is "no pugilist," punches the man and consequently requires the rescue services of James Orestes, a handsome, heroic Black captain. Matters take a turn for the magical when Mary, discontent with her wallflower status, makes a wish to a fairy for beauty that's granted in a dangerous way. John will need the help of Captain James and his skilled cadre of comrades to save Mary from her wish turned curse and to thwart a mysterious and murderous cult. The attraction between the nobleman and the soldier is too intense to deny, but can the two men from different social classes find a happy ending to their fairy tale?
This puckish romp is filled with Hall's trademark bon mots passed through the mouthpiece of the snarkiest fairy in two realms. By packing plenty of longing and angst alongside the leads' strong chemistry, Hall (Boyfriend Material, A Lady for a Duke) creates a steamy love story while keeping the bedroom door closed. The novel's version of England includes fantasy elements but still provides ample room for social commentary. Fans of Bridgerton who long for a sprinkle of magic should snap up Confounding Oaths. --Jaclyn Fulwood, blogger at Infinite Reads