Josiah Bancroft has crafted a new series filled with magic and an intriguing couple, but why did I get bored... so much?!

Iz and Warren Wilby are The Hexologists, a charming couple and some kind of magical prived detective. They are hired by the royal secretary to uncover a secret about the king's past relationship.

The first chapter starts strong, titled "The King In The Cake," and continues a captivating twist with the wizards and a dragon. However, I found myself losing focus and the pace of the story slowed down considerably.

I might be interested in reading future books and I believe the series has potential and I am curious to see where Bancroft takes the characters next. While each book appears to have a self-contained story, the main characters seem to have secrets that will be gradually revealed over time.

Thank you Little, Brown Book Group UK via NetGalley for ARC, I have given my honest review.

This was my first Josiah Bancroft book, and suffice to say, I will now proceed to read every Josiah Bancroft book I can get my grubby hands on. I've heard only good things about his Books of Babel series (and the first one is already waiting on my shelf), and after reading "The Hexologists", I'm now even more hyped to delve right in.

There is a lot to love about this one: The writing is just masterful, his dry, witty prose turning this into such a delightful read I couldn't put the arc down. The characters are simply amazing, complex and flawed and relatable and weird and loveable, and their relationship (the protagonists are a married couple) ist just, you know... relationship goals. I loved the side characters as well, with a certain dragon stealing my heart especially. And while I did find the reveal of the Big Bad a biiiit on the predictable side, it was still so well-executed that I loved every word of it. The world-building is intriguing and accompanies the plot instead of going for a more info-dumpy approach, and I vastly prefer that. The magic system is really cool and I loved learning about it.
Honestly, I don't even know what else to say. I am in love with this book and cannot wait to read any sequels Bancroft will bless us with. I cannot recommend this enough.

The Hexologists introduces the reader to a unique fantasy world created by esteemed author Josiah Bancroft. This world is teeming with magical mysteries, and one team is particularly good at solving them: the Hexologists Iz and Warren Wilby.

Although the book has some positive aspects, including the two protagonists and the playful, magical atmosphere, it didn't completely convince me personally. The plot wasn't very compelling to me, the writing style seemed overly complicated and therefore a bit bumpy, so it felt like a chore to continue reading. I had the feeling that I wasn't making any progress and I wasn't really interested in the story. So about halfway through I decided to dnf this.

Still, readers looking for an original and humorous fantasy story should give "The Hexologists" a chance, as tastes vary, and the book may offer more for other readers than it did for me. The variety of magical creatures and the creative worldbuilding are definitely worth noting.

I really liked this! I loved the fast pacing of the narrative and the dynamics between the whole group and thought the idea was nice and original.

I don't know where to start. Let's talk about the positive first: I kind of liked the main characters. Isolde is a very strong and clever woman (too clever ?) and Warren is a sweet supportive husband that cares for her and likes to cook. Their dynamic was fun. So why 2 stars you may ask ? Let me tell you.

The first thing that striked me was the writing. So pompous and unnecessarily full of adjectives and adverbs that you've never seen in your life. Ok, the writer is the thesaurus, but the plot is getting drowned in so many words. It felt so long, much longer than it really was. It's supposedly 318 pages long but it felt like 500 at least. It was dragging most of the time. It felt like reading a textbook.
I started skimming all the descriptions halfway through because I was determined to finish it and it was torture. There were a few interesting parts here and there, which is why it doesn't get 1 star. Now, I'm quite sure this book could be somebody else's favorite, because I can totally see why, but it's not for me. If you wanted to read it, do it, and if by chapter 6 you're not liking it, then you should DNF. This is the kind of book that you either love or hate and I'm sad it didn't work out for me.

4.5 / 5 stars

It is a good fantasy story. The Victorian vibes and the 70's era made it more enticing and engaging in the aspect of these Hexologists.

Bancroft manages to captivate his readers with astounding characters.

Looking forward for the sequel!

4.5 stars.

This confirms to me that Josiah Bancroft is one of my favourite fantasy writers. He has a such a way with words, and it makes reading any of his books a delightful experience full of surprises. This book is an engaging mystery, with some of the most unique and special characters I've ever had the pleasure of reading. I loved Isolde and Warren, and their bookish dragon. There is something so special about reading a who dun it mystery from the perspective of a very in love married couple. The writing is witty and heartfelt, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading it.

Can't wait for the next one and the plot to expand further into this world.

Sometimes it’s funny how the little details can derail a book*. Case in point – The Hexologists.

The basic story here is that couple Isolde and Warren are hexologists, a selective skill whose abilities are often called upon to deal with strange happenings. The main story here is that the hexologists are dealing with a mystery that needs tact and diplomacy as it involves the Royal family. Isolde and Warren are not royalists, but feel that they should get to the bottom of the cause for King Elbert’s recent illness – a descent into madness that may be arcane in nature. The plot leads the duo to uncovering more than they initially bargained for.

Admittedly, there’s a lot to like in this, a mixing of derring-do action with whimsy and humour. Some of the characters our heroes meet are lots of fun – over-officious administrators, sorcerers, wizards (yes, they are different) and even a dragon who lives in a bag and likes fine dining – how could I not like that?

And I did like the setting. Personally, I find that there’s a lot to like about stories with ancient magic, god-like deities, arcane practices and baroque receptions, and there’s a lot thrown into the mix here.

But then there’s the downside, when an author’s enthusiasm limits the reader’s enjoyment. And I hate to say it, but as much as I enjoyed the general ideas in the plot and most of the worldbuilding, there were a number of issues with this book that made the activity frustrating.

The author himself writes in the afterword, “Novels require a willing suspension of disbelief, not only from readers… but also from their authors…” which I think is quite true. The main issue for me was that as much as I was willing to suspend my disbelief as a reader, the author seemed determined to destroy it. As much as I enjoyed the setting overall, it was the little things that tended to annoy. This was apparent from fairly early on when in the first few pages the main characters Isolde and Warren insisted on calling each other ‘Iz’ and ‘War’ really irritating. A minor point, but a modernism that I found REALLY irritating, on a level almost as grating to me as when ‘Anakin’ was reduced to ‘Ani’.

Similarly, the mood, initially developed by the writer as some sort of faux Edwardian / Sherlock Holmes type pastiche with mechanical carriages, industrial slums and tea, was ruined by the characters using contemporary phrases such as villains willing to “shake down” the king. I found it to be almost as jarring as if the characters spoke in rap, a determination to destroy my belief in that otherwise vividly imagined world. At other times the dialogue, intended to be endearingly witty, often felt icky and well, like prose when it should have been dialogue. Do I need to point out the irrelevancy of the character’s need to talk about their love-life often and in detail throughout? (It almost made me spill my tea.)

The annoying thing is that the author clearly enjoyed writing this novel. There’s a detailed list of characters and a guide to hexology at the back of the book, which shows how much thought has gone into the background of the book, and it is clear from the off that Josiah wants very much for this to be a successful new series. Nothing wrong with ambition, but for me it doesn’t reach its potential, as it had a rather shotgun approach – lots of ideas thrown out often, but some of them worked and some of them didn’t. Compared with writers of a similar tone and style such as Gail Carriger, this one lacks the internal logic and consistency to make it totally work.

Summing up, The Hexologists is an ambitious book with potential, some interesting characters and an interesting premise, ruined by overenthusiasm, lazy language and a determination to dismantle my suspended sense of disbelief. If you can live with the inconsistencies**, it’s a good read. For me, although I finished it, it was a struggle. The book deserves marks for effort and ambition, but demerits for execution. I hope that the next one could be better.



*Please note – I rarely write book reviews on books I dislike.

**And how often am I told that I take my reading/reviewing too seriously? Erm… but I think my annoyance is that there are authors who can do this well, whilst others just want to do well.

This is a work in progress and this review wil be integrated
I think it got me when I read “bookish dragon” and then it was love af first page as I began reading it was hard to put down.
Another mix of fantasy, intrigue and humour.
Fascinating world building and strong characters. I’m loving what I read ahd having a lot of fun

The Hexologists is set in a world not unlike victorian London. In this world we follow a couple of Hexologists who through the power of hexes try to solve crime.

The books setting is its strong suit. Bancroft creates a magical world that basically transports you into a Sherlock Holmes novel.

He keeps this going with a writing style that is in keeping with victorian novels. It really invokes the sense of period.

Where I found the novel lacking was its characterisation. While I'm familiar with Bancrofts husband wife pairing from his previous Babel series this one didn't work for me. The characters were very one sided, the husband was the gentle giant and the wife was just snarky. I quickly got annoyed with this and lost interest in the book at 25%. After long deliberation I decided this book was not for me and DNFed it.

I would still recommend this to people who like a good investigative fantasy like Mistborn era 2 or Dresden Files.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Hexologists is a truly delightful read, a wonderfully told story that will grab your attention and keep you reading till the end.

Having read the Books of Babel series, I couldn't wait to see what the author would come up with next. The Hexologists is set in a new world, where magic is more or less commonplace. The story is set in a period of great technological progress, powered by an alchemical process (which also has meaningful environmental effects). Our protagonists, Iz and War, are a couple of private detectives, who rely on their tenacity as well as Iz's Hexology background to solve puzzles. We follow the pair as they embark on a new adventure involving the king of the realm. As the plot unfolds, we learn more about the world they inhabit, the nature of the magic that permeates it, the various practitioners of this magic, and, perhaps most interestingly, the story of our protagonists and their relationship.

While the book is perhaps not as good Senlin Ascends, it it a worthy successor. The main draw, by far, and similarly to Babel, is the protagonists and their relationship. Iz and War are lovable, likeable, fun, and courageous. You can't help but quickly fall in love with them and their relationship. Their banter is adorable, and their love for each other - heart warming. It's the highlight of the story, by far. The other characters in the book are also vivid, multi dimensional, and multi layered. Everyone we come across leaves an impression, highlighting once again the author's great talent at bringing life to figments of his imagination.

As with the previous books, the writing is electric. The book is hard to put down - you can't wait to see what's behind the next corner of the story. The twists and turns of the plot, while sometimes predictable, do well in keeping the reader engaged, and often glued to the book. The tongue-in-cheek dialogues, as well as the omnipresent humour, were also notable - making the book feel lighter and more fun than perhaps the Babel books were.

I also liked the world the author created. While there are some aspects of it that reminded me of Locke Lamora, Perdido Street Station, and the Wax and Wayne books, there was enough newness there to make it stand apart.

I did think the worldbuilding could be better executed, especially in light of how this was done in the Babel books. The Hexologists felt more like a character driven story, with less focus given to the world they inhabit and the rules governing it.

Highly recommend to anyone who liked the author's other books, or the works I mentioned above. Anyone who's a fan of speculative fiction and urban fantasy will enjoy this book. Can't wait to read the next installment.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the pubslisher for providing me with an early copy of the book in return for an honest review.

The Hexologists is a story that had me gripped from the first line. Quirky, filled with expertly written characters, a twist filled mystery and plenty of fantasy elements. Iz and War Wilby are renowned investigators of the weird and wonderful, so it's no surprise when the royal secretary comes to them telling them that the King wishes to be baked inside a cake. Their initial investigation leads them back in time to a missing soldier, a dead nurse and a royal secret that people would murder to keep. Their attempt to unravel the secret brings them nose to nose with a raging golem, ghouls, alchemists who draw their power from a hell like realm and a Dragon that occasionally likes to eat people. If Iz and War are going to succeed they're going to have to use every trick in their seemingly never-endless bag as well as their wits, because there are more dangerous things out there than a Dragon, and they have their eyes set firmly on the Wilby's.

As much as I loved the mystery and fantasy elements in this book, it was the characters that truly stole my heart. Prickly and feisty Iz and generous and personable War. Their interactions, all the little nuances between them were so brilliantly done. War is the gentle one, good with society and putting people at ease, whereas Iz can come across a little blunt and lacking empathy ( not at all the case, she just lets the case get in the way of her social skills is all.) But together they make the perfect couple. Their interactions, the little nuances that come only with having a strong and long relationship like this pair absolutely made this book.

The story is set in almost a fantasy version of Victorian London, but with some modern appliances working their way through. This allows Bancroft to add a brilliantly built fantasy element to his world. It's one filled with magic and Dragons, as well as a host of other magical beings, but through the introduction of things like electricity, we see those elements slowly starting to wither away - technology becoming the magic that was once so prevalent. This puts Iz and War in a privileged position in that they are two of the few people able to investigate magical crimes and mysteries that are still occurring, though they do get mocked a lot by those who believe magic, and those who use it, to be a thing of the past.

The mystery itself was so well woven through the story. As we follow Iz and War we get fed breadcrumbs and, although I did guess certain parts of the mystery, there was still plenty that took me by surprise. Bancroft's writing style is as quirky as his characters and setting, but it allows him to write in the perfect tone for any scene. It flits between humour, mystery and peril and our emotions effortlessly follow the switch in tone. It is wordy, but in the same sense no word seems superfluous, it all works together to create the scene and this, alongside his prose, had me flying through the pages.

You wouldn't necessarily put Iz and War together, but their differences are the strength in their relationship. I enjoyed the fresh take in having them married before the story starts, there was still romance, but it was the romance of two people who know each other completely. It was a romance more in the little actions than the big declarations, making sure the other eats, distracting somebody while they go and do something sneaky and dangerous, putting themselves at risk to protect the other. It was a subtler romance, but I loved seeing them interact, knowing what the other is thinking, being so aware of the other, something that can only come with time spent together.

All in all I loved this book. It's perfect for mystery and fantasy lovers alike, especially those who love a quirkier read. The ending certainly sets itself up for further books and I'm looking forward to following Iz and War on their next mystery.

3.5 stars rounded up

I'm a huge fan of Bancroft's Books of Babel, so I was extremely excited when this release was announced. While this left me feeling a bit disappointed (my fault for having such high expectations), I did really enjoy this for the most part! I did have some issues as well though.

I'll start with the good bits. I really liked the main characters and their dynamic - its not often you have a middle-aged couple as main characters in a fantasy novel, and I found the dynamic refreshing. I would've liked them to have a bit more of a dynamic personality, but for a first book in a series it was good enough.
I know that for many his writing comes off as pretentious and overwritten, and while I agree to some extent, it really works for me - there's this cleverness and humour that feels uniquely Bancroft that I really enjoy, and this is also true here.
The magic system was cleverly done, and I'm curious to see how it develops.
The dragon was my absolute favourite thing about the book though (no surprises there!).

Now onto the less good bits... I think the main problem is that this is such a big, imaginative world with fun characters that is gets too big? It felt overwhelming to read about, and I kept losing track of the plot even though it's a pretty straight forward mystery! I think the issue is that with the Books of Babel, a story with many weird things happening felt right. The setting was already pretty weird, so a weird plot wouldn't feel too out of place. But this is set in a city that feels similar to a London during the industrial revolution, and with all these wild, weird things happening it felt very out of place, and made it difficult to keep track of.

Still, I do really enjoy this and I look forward to reading the next installment! I imagine my complaints will be improved in the next one!

I liked this more than I thought I would. I liked Bancroft’s Babel series on the whole, although there were some parts that completely lost me, and The Hexologists feels similar, yet completely different to that series.

If you liked Bancroft’s writing style in Babel, then you’ll like it here, but this is far more fast paced. It has a lot of things to pack into a relatively short page count and it doesn’t waste time with anything that is pointless.

A few weeks before reading this, I read a book with a similar vibe: fantasy magic Victorian setting with someone investigating but, while that one felt a little dull with not a lot happening, The Hexologists tells a very good story.

I really liked the protagonists, Iz and Warren. It’s always nice to read a happily married couple working well together in both their marriage and their job. They made a pretty awesome team and I loved reading their story. There’s the small scale story, about investigating the king’s mystery that just builds and builds until it becomes something much larger by the end of the story. I really enjoyed the investigation, and I’m saying that as someone who isn’t really into mystery or detective novels, it ended up being touching and a little sad to find out what happened.

I had a lot of fun reading The Hexologists. The story was engaging, the characters entertaining, as Bancroft’s writing kept me interested throughout. There’s a lot to like about this book, the magic is well done, the world is interesting and it’s well worth a read.

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I did like the setting. I really hate writing unkind reviews when the authors work so hard and put their heart and soul into these books but this just was not a book I enjoyed. There were parts where I spent so much time with a dictionary I lost the plot and some parts were cringingly uncomfortable. Sorry just not for me.

The Hexologists follows Iz and Warren Wilby as they investigate a mystery connected to the royal family and the madness of a king.
There are twists and turns, journeys into shadowy realms and a hungry, but extremely well-read, dragon in a magical bag.
I enjoyed reading the adventures of Iz and Warren, the writing is quite humorous and light-hearted, making it feel like a cosy fantasy mystery (although not everything is cheery) and I liked their relationship.
I personally thought there were a few too many similes and longwinded descriptions before getting to the point, but I don't think it was badly written in general. And it was quite a quick and easy read.
I also couldn't decide if I liked the twist after twist reveals in the second half. Although I quite liked how it resolved in the end, it did feel a little convoluted.
Somehow, this feels like a middle instalment to a series, and I think some of the excess plot points might have been better dealt with in a "prequel" rather than throwing so much world-building into one book.
If you're looking for a humorous fantasy detective romp, then this won't disappoint.

Unfortunately, I think this will be my last Bancroft.

The premise and story here are good, and I think I liked the characters - but they are all buried under an absurd, abnormal, incredibly distracting amount of descriptions, adjectives, puns, and tangents. This book felt like it would be a novella worth of story from another author, just bogged down endlessly by words, words, words.

3.5

thank you orbit and netgalley! 🩷

i was really excited by the premise of the newest josiah bancroft book, featuring a prickly, magic-wielding woman and her husband, and a conspiracy they are on the trail of. there was a lot to love about this book, but i still had a couple of issues.

the characters were my favourite aspect of the novel; the author has a fantastic way of making even the villains very charming and dynamic. seeing them interact, particularly the two main characters, was a joy.

i was so into the mystery of the first 100ish pages. the politics and the interpersonal issues at play were so fascinating and i wanted to learn everything there was.

the world building was so interesting too. the different uses of magic, and the way it’s applied in different ways, set the scene for the plot in the best way. i want to learn more about the magic and i really hope there’s more to come in the series about this.

for me, the aspect that let this book down was the mystery itself. there was so much going on, and while the persona dramatis at the beginning was helpful, it took me out the story a little to be constantly flipping back. the plot was very twisty-turny, and i think by the end i was a bit burnt out on it.

i largely enjoyed my time with this book and i will for sure read the sequel, and it’s made me more interested to check out the author’s backlist. i think the small issues i had with this one will be solved later on in the series, and i’m excited to see where it goes.

JOSIAH BANCROFT DOES NOT MISS! I have yet to be disappointed by this man!

If you love complicated mysteries, beautiful and quirky prose, a married couple that makes you believe in love again, and a plot that has you second-guessing everything even until the last page! THEN THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU!

Think Terry Pratchett (though not as quirky) in a magical world inspired by the Victorian era/British Industrial Revolution.