shannonigans322's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book was a smashing good time. Big steampunk Indiana Jones/Sherlock Holmes vibes and I am here for it. It's refreshing to see A) a female protagonist who's uninterested in being liked and B) a husband who so freely expresses affection for his wife. I'm excited to see more in this series to come.
lonelymanatee's review
5.0
Isolde and Warren Willby are the Hexologists. Iz Anne Always Willby has the knowledge of hexes, both useful and mundane, and a carpet bag that leads to a hoard of magical artifacts. With her husband they fight crime.
I absolutely loved this novel. It was a great introduction to a world that is similar, but oh so different from our own. The magic system is robust and intriguing. The central mystery of who is blackmailing the king draws the reader in and gives them enough clues to try to solve it themselves. Bancroft accomplishes something truly rare in fantasy: He wrote a loving and healthy marriage. Iz and War are not a young couple pulled together by fate or star-crossed lovers. No, they’ve been married nine years and have built a marriage on mutual respect, communication, and love.
There’s no will-they-or-won’t-they drama. Their relationship isn’t used as a trick to escalate the states of the situation (i.e., “I have your wife! Muahaha!). They are not driven apart due to a argument that could be resolved by simply talking to one another.
They are wife and husband, a team. Both are vital to the story and are equal in their partnership. They need each other, because they truly, deeply love one each other.
In a genre filled with dead lovers, toxic relationships, and young love, it was nice to read about Iz and War. Their marriage was the emotional heart of the story. In time, the mystery and the twists will fade from my recollection, but their relationship will be the highlight I use to sell this novel. I hope that the future installment of this series follows the trend set by “The Hexologists.”
This is definitely worth a read for anyone that loves mystery, hard magic, and loving relationships. I can’t wait for the series to continue.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
I absolutely loved this novel. It was a great introduction to a world that is similar, but oh so different from our own. The magic system is robust and intriguing. The central mystery of who is blackmailing the king draws the reader in and gives them enough clues to try to solve it themselves. Bancroft accomplishes something truly rare in fantasy: He wrote a loving and healthy marriage. Iz and War are not a young couple pulled together by fate or star-crossed lovers. No, they’ve been married nine years and have built a marriage on mutual respect, communication, and love.
There’s no will-they-or-won’t-they drama. Their relationship isn’t used as a trick to escalate the states of the situation (i.e., “I have your wife! Muahaha!). They are not driven apart due to a argument that could be resolved by simply talking to one another.
They are wife and husband, a team. Both are vital to the story and are equal in their partnership. They need each other, because they truly, deeply love one each other.
In a genre filled with dead lovers, toxic relationships, and young love, it was nice to read about Iz and War. Their marriage was the emotional heart of the story. In time, the mystery and the twists will fade from my recollection, but their relationship will be the highlight I use to sell this novel. I hope that the future installment of this series follows the trend set by “The Hexologists.”
This is definitely worth a read for anyone that loves mystery, hard magic, and loving relationships. I can’t wait for the series to continue.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
blewballoon's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This was quite good! The world-building and writing were creative, witty, and dense. There were many instances where something was described in such a clever and vivid way I took notice. It's refreshing to see a book led by a happy married couple that works seamlessly together, and yet the book manages plenty of drama and tension. The plot has the speed and whimsy of books like The Affair of the Mysterious Letter by Alexis Hall or The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton, but is more grounded and human than both, despite being somewhere between the two in terms of fantasy level. I honestly feel bad because I didn't pay as close attention to this audiobook as I feel like I should have; there was a lot to enjoy, and this is a style of book I tend to love. I feel like the writing was so packed with info and flavor that I definitely missed things by not being 100% focused while listening. I will caution that this may not work well as a standalone if that's how you plan to read it, things aren't fully resolved by the end of this story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Pregnancy, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, and War
mattmoowoo's review
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
phantasmaboo's review
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I really struggled to like this book. There were definitely moments where I was engaged, but the book is very overwritten and the writing was unenjoyable to me. Toward the end, I managed to skip full pages without missing much in terms of the plot or the characters. The plot itself was fine, but relied far too much on “pulling the rug out” from under the reader again and again in the final 50 pages. It would have been better to spread these discoveries out throughout the book instead of cramming them into 50 pages while providing minute unnecessary detail in other areas.
The characters themselves were a bit too perfect, and I never got any sense of struggle from them. Any kind of difficulty was immediately overcome by either their knowledge or the magic system, which made it feel very much like a plot device rather than an integrated part of the world. I wouldn’t say the magic system was built up any better, as it was either confusing or plot specific (lots of things introduced, explained, and then immediately forgotten and never used again).
Finally, the font size of this book should be a crime. It is far too small for easy reading.
The characters themselves were a bit too perfect, and I never got any sense of struggle from them. Any kind of difficulty was immediately overcome by either their knowledge or the magic system, which made it feel very much like a plot device rather than an integrated part of the world. I wouldn’t say the magic system was built up any better, as it was either confusing or plot specific (lots of things introduced, explained, and then immediately forgotten and never used again).
Finally, the font size of this book should be a crime. It is far too small for easy reading.
ashm21's review
4.0
This was a really intriguing read! I liked the setting and the magic that takes place. Iz and Warren were my favorite characters! I will say while reading I was confused about things that are happening and who some of the characters were. Really looking forward to the next one!
Thank you to NetGalley and orbit books for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and orbit books for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
sarahliz7253's review against another edition
It was boring, and I just didn't care about any of the characters