purrson's review
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-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
4.0
scrow1022's review
4.0
Felt much the same about this one as the first in the series (including the same opposites attract trope), but in this one we start getting a little deeper into the status of familiars in this society, which interests me. The short stories in this series are also worth a read (but don't read them one after another as they're quite similar to each other, though all enjoyable): The 13th Hex, A Christmas Hex, Wild Wild Hex.
hpstrangelove's review
5.0
Audio book review. Narrator: Tristan James
We return to the same universe as Hexbreaker, with many of those characters playing supporting roles. We have two new characters, Dr. Owen Yates and fox-shifter Malachi. There's some interesting history introduced, about shifters and their witches. The narrator did another great job, especially with the sex scenes. The author has just the right balance of plot and sex.
We return to the same universe as Hexbreaker, with many of those characters playing supporting roles. We have two new characters, Dr. Owen Yates and fox-shifter Malachi. There's some interesting history introduced, about shifters and their witches. The narrator did another great job, especially with the sex scenes. The author has just the right balance of plot and sex.
becka6131's review
4.0
Cute, sweet, it's getting four stars because I love the world building in this series.
jennifox's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I really wanted to like this more than I did. The relationship felt really rushed (they had a lot of sex, but never really communicated). I had a hard time warming up to Owen, which was odd cause I liked him well enough in the last book. He just felt stuffy and oddly unwilling to question societal norms that should have been obviously questionable to someone who's otherwise so concerned with justice. I'm also finding the world increasingly uncomfortable. The treatment of familiars is so bad that it's hard not to see everyone as complicit. And that may be the point, but it's not what I'm looking for from a romance novel.
Also, the third-act breakup was particularly dumb and obvious from the start. The whole resolution to the mystery was unsatisfying.
Also, the third-act breakup was particularly dumb and obvious from the start. The whole resolution to the mystery was unsatisfying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Religious bigotry, Classism, and Violence
Minor: Suicide attempt
shanaqui's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-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
4.0
Back to Hexworld, and this second book is as fun as the first. I think I liked them a tiny bit less than Cicero and Tom from the first book, and I thought they needed to do a heck of a lot more communicating (including about their boundaries during sex, which they just kind of plunge into), but Malachi and Owen have a totally different and interesting dynamic, and it worked out well. The power differential between witches and familiars is present in all of these stories, but most of all here, where the personal relationship balances it.
I think overall I'd have liked a bit longer for Owen and Malachi's relationship to develop; the compressed timescale didn't quite work for me here, and I could've used seeing a little more trust starting to develop between them. The relationship crisis definitely echoed the one in the first book, but I'd felt more closely connected to the relationship in the first book.
I'm curious to see where the overarching plot is going, and I love the background of the world -- Owen's trans brother, because of course hexes can help with that; Egyptian archaeology being relevant for the history of hexes... It's all pretty fascinating, and as always the book is pacy and fun.
I think overall I'd have liked a bit longer for Owen and Malachi's relationship to develop; the compressed timescale didn't quite work for me here, and I could've used seeing a little more trust starting to develop between them. The relationship crisis definitely echoed the one in the first book, but I'd felt more closely connected to the relationship in the first book.
I'm curious to see where the overarching plot is going, and I love the background of the world -- Owen's trans brother, because of course hexes can help with that; Egyptian archaeology being relevant for the history of hexes... It's all pretty fascinating, and as always the book is pacy and fun.
duncandahusky's review against another edition
5.0
5 out of 5!
This book gave me all sorts of warm fuzzies, and not just of the foxy variety!
Jordan Hawk created a fascinating world in [b:Hexbreaker|29505845|Hexbreaker (Hexworld, #1)|Jordan L. Hawk|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1457969009s/29505845.jpg|49794918], and this book capitalizes on that. I feel like all of the things that left me feeling so-so about the first book have been fixed here, and it makes Hexmaker an outstanding story.
Malachi is a fascinating character, and here we get a full picture of who he is and what his motivations are. Likewise we understand where Owen is coming from, and why he feels bound to make the decisions that he does. In both cases that allows the reader a degree of empathy that really helps make the story resonate. An important motivating factor here is class status, the haves and the have-nots, and the clashes between the two worlds.
One thing that I thought really made the story stand out was the book's willingness to touch on themes other than the usual "guy meets guy then they jump into the sack." Themes of dominance and submission and transsexuality are touched on but do not completely drive the story; they are handled intelligently and in a matter-of-fact manner that I found refreshing. Not to say that the fun in the sack wasn't steamy as hell, because daaaayum! This was the perfect balance of plot and sexytime for my liking, though.
If I have any complaint about this book it's that once the big reveals happen it gets a little tricky for the reader to connect all the dots, but it wasn't as ridiculously convoluted as some that I've read. This in no way detracted from my enjoyment of the story. Finally, not really a spoiler but worthy of mention: I happily recommend this book to all!
This book gave me all sorts of warm fuzzies, and not just of the foxy variety!
Jordan Hawk created a fascinating world in [b:Hexbreaker|29505845|Hexbreaker (Hexworld, #1)|Jordan L. Hawk|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1457969009s/29505845.jpg|49794918], and this book capitalizes on that. I feel like all of the things that left me feeling so-so about the first book have been fixed here, and it makes Hexmaker an outstanding story.
Malachi is a fascinating character, and here we get a full picture of who he is and what his motivations are. Likewise we understand where Owen is coming from, and why he feels bound to make the decisions that he does. In both cases that allows the reader a degree of empathy that really helps make the story resonate. An important motivating factor here is class status, the haves and the have-nots, and the clashes between the two worlds.
One thing that I thought really made the story stand out was the book's willingness to touch on themes other than the usual "guy meets guy then they jump into the sack." Themes of dominance and submission and transsexuality are touched on but do not completely drive the story; they are handled intelligently and in a matter-of-fact manner that I found refreshing. Not to say that the fun in the sack wasn't steamy as hell, because daaaayum! This was the perfect balance of plot and sexytime for my liking, though.
If I have any complaint about this book it's that once the big reveals happen it gets a little tricky for the reader to connect all the dots, but it wasn't as ridiculously convoluted as some that I've read. This in no way detracted from my enjoyment of the story. Finally, not really a spoiler but worthy of mention:
Spoiler
The scene with Owen playing his violin for Mal in Central Park in the middle of the night was so very sweet that it bright me to tears. That connection between the characters made this book very special to me!badboysandbooks's review against another edition
4.0
This was a great second installment. I think I liked this one better than the first. The mystery element was good and I loved how Mal and Owen complemented each other.