This book being my first Josiah Bancroft book, I can confidently say it won't be my last. The Hexologists is an exquisite blend of humor, fantasy, and marvelous prose. The narrative follows a couple and their adventures as they embark on a mission to solve a mystery for a royal client. However, believe me when I say that the book is a thousand times funnier than my words may convey.

The plot weaves a story that manages to be both light-hearted and immensely fun to read. Warren and Isolde make for the perfect couple and crime-solving duo. Their well-crafted personalities complement each other flawlessly throughout the whole story. And, as someone who deeply appreciates strong character development in stories, I relished getting to know them.

Also, as I already mentioned, experiencing Bancroft's prose was a sheer delight. Although I occasionally struggled with some of the descriptions, it was precisely his vivid writing that made me feel as though I was living the entire story alongside these memorable characters.

In short, The Hexologists is a novel suitable for nearly anyone with an interest in the fantasy genre. It boasts magic, fantastical creatures, humor, an intriguing mystery, and a seamlessly flowing storyline. I can't wait to dive into more adventures with these characters and further explore their world.

Where do I even start.

Based on other books I've read that follow a similar structure (a couple solves mysteries together in an SFF setting), I was fairly optimistic going into this. It's my first novel by the author, and I've mostly heard good things about his previous series. I'm definitely taking it off my TBR now, though, because my biggest issue by far was the writing.

Now I've been known to enjoy some purple prose every now and then, and I don't mind it when I encounter words I don't immediately understand because I can usually understand them in context, or look them up if I'm curious. But this read like the author had a thesaurus by his side, and just substituted words for fun. Why use nostrils when you can use nares, right? In fact, the entire book smacks of "aren't I so clever?" in a very pretentious way, that made me really dislike my reading experience. And the writing isn't the only thing that gives off this vibe.

One of the things that really stood out to me was how he built his characters. Let me start by saying that they can be summed up as "very clever" (Iz) and "very empathetic" (Warren), and they are both extremely horny all the time even though they've been married for ages. Is this important? I wouldn't think so, but I guess the author does, because he makes sure to repeat this often. The sexual innuendo was cringe-worthy, and I say that having read books like Ice Planet Barbarians (which, btw, got a higher rating than this book, because for all its faults, it was at least entertaining). But what made me raise my eyebrows was the dynamic between Iz and Warren. It seems clear to me that he wrote them with traditional gender roles flipped. Warren does most of the cooking, he's the sweet one, he gets very emotional, he's a bit clingy. Meanwhile, Iz is the one who decides their course of action. She's brusque (but not emotionless!), she's very smart, and, unlike Warren, she would not spend her time nursing him if he got sick, but would instead go out and figure out a cure. There is a lot of focus placed on these characteristics, and the contrast between them is often mentioned. Normally I'd be really into this setup, but it all felt so calculated and blatant, and I can't help but feel like this, again, is the author going, "look at me! Aren't I so clever to have reversed their gender roles? Don't I have modern sensibilities?"

But the most egregious issue is honestly how boring the entire book is. It's much too long for the story it's telling, which isn't that interesting anyway, and the characters have very little to recommend them. The only saving grace was the inclusion of Felivox.

Also, for a book that's supposedly funny, I didn't even crack a smile.

After I loved the Tower of Babel-series by the author, I was very happy to receive the ARC for Bancroft’s latest novel. A big Thank You to the publisher and Netgalley!

Isolde and Warren Wilby are the Hexologists, who work as private detectives and investigators of magical problems. With their hexes and a deceptively deep carpet bag leading to a warehouse of legendary artifacts, the two of them overcome even the most mysterious riddles. When the king starts behaving erratically, the crown asks for the Wilbys’ help in finding out whether or not he was cursed. In their investigation, Isolde and Warren find an old scandal and a powerful enemy.

The setting of this book is the city of Berbinton, which is currently at the peak of industrial revolution. In this case, though, magic and technology has entwined in a very unique way. I enjoyed the urban fantasy-atmosphere a lot! It’s even better how Isolde’s and Warren’s adventures lead us to all kinds of different places and people - from the poor factory workers up to the rich elite.

I found the mystery that the Hexologists hunt after very intriguing, especially in company of two protagonists whose secure relationship feels like a fresh breath of air. I liked both of their personalities, especially in the way they complement each other. Another point I enjoyed is the heavy writing style, even if it forced me to really concentrate on the words. There are so many metaphors and rare words that I constantly had to look up new vocabulary. I personally enjoyed it, though readers who prefer a straight forward style or are not as nerdy about language as me, might struggle with this book.

In the end, I definitely liked the story! The pace wasn’t slow at all, the first sentence a fantastic introduction into the world and the humor, the characters a lot of fun to follow around. I recommend this book to lovers of unique settings and detective novels!

Every time I start an arc—a book, really—I hope I’ll fall in love with it, or enjoy it at the very least. Sadly that didn’t happen with The Hexologists, and to say I didn’t have a good time with it would be an understatement.

If some of the choices Josiah Bancroft made in his Babel series (of which I only read the first book) were questionable, let’s say—the main character’s wife is his former student? Really? Maybe that’s the teacher in me talking but that’s very repellent to me, ew—I thought his prose and ideas were promising enough to give his books another chance. So when I read the synopsis of The Hexologists, I thought it was the perfect time for it: a married couple in their thirties fighting crime with magic? Yes please! Well. I thought wrong.

What didn’t work for me?
▪ It felt overwritten to the point of pretension, as if the author picked up a thesaurus and switched random words because they sounded pretty. I don’t mind pretty words, but in this case they made the text feel heavy and boring. Not to mention the sexual innuendos, if thankfully rare, sounded so cringe to me?
▪ I didn’t care for the characters at all, even though I should have. I don’t know if the writing is to blame here too, but they never felt like real people to me, and I could never forget they were being of paper, Mr Empathetic and Mrs Clever. My indifference also applied to their marital relationship, sadly. No emotional connection whatsoever.
▪ I found the plot uninspired and long for the sake of being long : at some point I started to resent the twists because they felt so obviously manufactured to add some length to what was in fact a rather trivial storyline.
▪ The world was interesting to me at first—I liked the first dragon’s scene!—but in the end it felt messy to me : too many directions were taken and it lost me along the way.

I did enjoy the anti-royalty and anti-classism sentiment, but they weren’t enough to save the book for me.

I’ll end this review by saying that many early readers enjoyed this book, so if it sounds like your jam, do try it! I can’t in good conscience recommend it, though. 1.5 stars.

This is a fun, zany romp that follows the magical exploits and (mis)adventures of a husband-and-wife team of magical detectives in a gaslamp-style alternate 1920s world. I loved both Warren and Isolde Wilby, individually and as a wonderful, loving partnership, and needless to say I was also thrilled by the way a particular draconic character was developed across the book. All of the adventures they go through on their quest to solve their latest case are fabulously imaginative and fast-paced - for me, the only issue was that there were SO MANY fights against magical death in a row across the book, in such a breathless pace, that by the end I was skim-reading some of them - the pace, for me personally, could have done with a few more breathing spaces before I had to invest again in how they would defeat yet another impossible enemy. However, with all that being said, the writing was so charming and delightful and the characters themselves were so great, that I absolutely enjoyed the book as a whole, and I will definitely be reading the next book in the series. Thanks so much to Orbit Books for my review copy!

This book was an unexpected delight. It hit all the checkmarks of a good mystery while featuring compelling, lovable characters and an intricate magic system.

I will start by saying that the worldbuilding and magic system combine wonderfully to turn this into a cosy mystery. We follow Iz and Warren Wilby, eponymous Hexologists, as they are hired by the Crown to find out the hidden mysteries behind an anonymous letter addressed to the king.
The first thing that a reader might notice is the witty, Pratchett-esque style of the prose, that gives the book a very whimsical feel (but might be irritating for some readers) . I had to slowly make my way through the first 10%, but I got used to the writing style pretty quickly as I got immersed into the story. The central mystery is compelling yet easy to follow, the narration being very linear and episodic in nature, with 2-3 chapters reserved for a particular setting and particular characters that tie into the overall plot, with (of course) a big reveal at the end that brings together the important cast and ties in any loose end.


The magic system is easily understandable, and perfectly complements the steampunk-like world of Luthland. There are four different types of magic (alchemy, necromancy, wizardry and hexegy) with only hexegy and alchemy being still practiced at the start of our novel, as the others have been outlawed. Alchemy acts as the pillar of this world’s Industrial Revolution, with alchemists producing and refining thalanium (the main type of fuel cars and machines use). Hexegy, the magic used by our protagonists, is much more mundane in nature, being the magic of dentists and midwives, it consists of simple, drawn hexes (often in chalk) that perform basic tasks, like fetching an object, or revealing hidden writing on a piece of paper. I greatly enjoyed seeing our protagonists wielding this type of magic being pitted against more powerful enemies, as it left enough room for more ingenious uses of it.


It was extremely refreshing seeing a healthy, already-established romance as the main couple, and it made their interactions no less sweeter. Warren and Isolde’s dedication for each other is an important element of the novel, shaping both the plot and their individual personalities. Even apart from each other, they make for very compelling characters, especially Isolde’s sometimes-impulsive personality.

I highly recommend this book! It was a wonderful, fun read, and I’ll make sure to read all future sequels.

Thank you to netgalley and orbit for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows Isolde and Warren Wilby as they solve a royal mystery. There are a range of characters along the way, each playing their own important role in the story.

Before this story I had no heard of Bancroft so I wasn't sure what I was getting into but the description sounded interesting.

I quite liked Isolde and Warren as they're older than most characters found in popular fantasy books and I enjoyed the over all story.
However I found that the story didn't flow very well, multiple occasions it seemed to jump and I got a bit confused about what happened.

It isn't a book that I probably would have picked and bought in a shop but I am pleased I requested it on netgalley. I will likely look for the next book in the series as I enjoyed the story I just think some of the writing could do with a bit of work.

I liked this book a lot, but I read the book little by little, rather than zooming to the end. Hex magic seems temperamental and at first glance not very powerful against arcane magic. But in a great practitioner’s hands it can win the day. Thinking through problems with imagination rather than blowing them completely up with brute strength. But when you have a ………. (No spoilers -read the book) you can feel a little more comfortable, just remember to provide the best food or body parts may be lost. Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

First and foremost, this book is incredibly fun! The central relationship of Iz and War Wilby is refreshing for the fantasy genre in its passionate, opposites attract display of marriage. The mystery plot was compelling with satisfying reveals, some of which I saw coming, some I did not, which I think is the optimal execution of a mystery. Finally, to say one thing for Josiah Bancroft, he's never met a thesaurus he wasn't intimate with.

𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: ★★★★★
𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚎: ☆☆☆☆☆

Favourite quote: “A large heart is not light. Even the most cherished burdens must sometimes be laid down”

The Hexologists captures your attention right from the start, kicking off with an intriguing case for the detective couple to investigate; keeping you entranced with fast-paced action and unique adventures. Josiah Bancroft is truly one of a kind, with intricate world-building, shocking twists, and some of my favourite characters that I have read about to date.

Set in a steampunk-esque Victorian-age world, with just two types of magic allowed to be practiced and the rest lost to history. We follow the story mainly through the eyes of Isolde Wilby, with some short escapades into her husband Warren’s point of view. The pair is the perfect juxtaposition: the stone-cold detective wife and the protective golden retriever husband. It was truly refreshing to see a story where the main characters have a safe haven in their relationship, rather than the overused toxic relationship trope that I feel usually takes away from a story.

You can really see Josiah’s poetry background shine through with the beautiful writing style of this book. While there were words every so often that I did have to look up the meaning of, I enjoyed this element as the words chosen were exactly the right choice, and it was interesting learning as I went along. This really helped maintain the dark academia atmosphere of the story, along with just being rather beautiful to read.

With witty and complex characters, humour, intrigue, betrayal, and magic, I can't recommend this book enough.

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for sending me this book for review!

The Hexologists was the first book I have had the pleasure to read by Josiah Bancroft and I look forward to checking out his other novels.

The story follows our main characters, a quirky, yet intriguing married couple who solve mysteries together. They get tangled up in a royal debacle and unearth an interesting tale. Not only are the main characters lovable but you get introduced to a wide range of secondary characters (including Felivox - my personal favourite). At points it felt like there were a lot of loose ends, however, Bancroft expertly weaved them all together by the end of the book.

This is definitely a book I would recommend for others to read.

Thank you for this ARC !

What an unexpected delight! I don't know what I was expecting, but clearly, this read succeded at being fully enjoyable, funny and interesting. I loved the two main characters. Their couple is wholesome, perfectly balance in a natural sort of way, they complete each other. I tend to struggle a bit with female character in a lot of fiction, but that wasn't the case here. Iz is wonderfull in all her humanity, as well as is War. I hope we will learn and see more about Obelos in the next books, as well as about Iz's father.
The universe, one of the main thing that drew me toward the book, was even better that what I imagine, full of wonder, original... We don't see fantasy world with a technological and socio-economical development reminiscent of the post WWI often, and I growing fond of this kind of setting. It changes from the usual medieval setting, it's fun and it unable to explore different themes linked to industrialism, monarchy etc with a different perspective.
The magic's worldbuilding was also really impressive in my opinion. I liked how the author spills information when needed, just enough to have a clear picture, with some little bit that just complete the sense of reality of the world and the story. The division of different magic's branche really pulled me in, and I will gladly learn more with the next book.
The plot, with its invistigation and full of action pace was also really interesting, with the perspective of both characters, the way they piece everything together, the twists etc. Thoroughly enjoyable, really.

All in all, a great surprise, that I will gladly read again one day, and a series to keep a watch on !

Rating: 2/5
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
You know that feeling of eating a too-sweet dessert! The first few bites feel heavenly, the next few- not so much. After a while, you start feeling nauseous. Reading this book felt like that. I liked the beginning and the ending, but the middle was such a slog to get through.

First of all, I had ZERO attachment to the characters. None of them (except felivox the dragon) had any personality and didn't feel fully fleshed out. While I liked Iz and War's healthy, communicative relationship, I never felt like rooting for them. Many chapters start with huge info dumping. The writing style is humorous and witty in some parts but purple prosey in others. Don't get me wrong, I love a poetic, lyrical writing style in books, but this just felt like the author was trying to use every single word from English vocabulary. Honestly, purple prose doesn't suit a high fantasy book.

The mystery was definitely the weakest aspect of the book. I never felt curious to know what happens next and just didn't care. I liked the way it was resolved, though. While the world building and magic system were cool, I didn't really find myself fully immersed into it(probably because of the writing style). Overall, this was a very unremarkable read for me and I'll mostly likely forget about the plot in a few days. I'm not really excited for the sequel and most probably won't be reading it.

I loved the concept behind this book and so many elements - mainly the fantasy and the very cool dragon. I also liked the relationship between Isolde and Warren. This book had some fun quirks - 'Grandpa', the dragon, Isolde's name. A super cool detective duo with fun magical elements in a world with a King who's gone barmy; plus a bit of a murder mystery type vibe. On paper, it should be a five star read for me but when I actually got to it, the story just felt a tad slow.

It could be my reading slump or on the flip side, it could just be that the book wasn't quite my cup of tea. It was altogether a very pleasant read and I can't think of anything I didn't like specifically but I just didn't feel overly compelled to keep reading. I'm not yet sure whether I'll be reaching for the rest of this trilogy.

The Hexologists, Iz and Warren Wilby, help desperate clients with the bugbears of city life, aided by hexes and a bag of charmed relics. But when they are approached by the royal secretary and told the king pleads to be baked into a cake, they are thrust into a mystery that spirals out of control.

This was a brilliant start to what will be a very entertaining series. The mystery is sharp and exciting - you don’t know where the Wilby’s will end up next, and what fascinating things they’ll run into.
The writing sparks and leaps off the page - Bancroft’s wit is in fine form, making me laugh out loud at the antics taking place.
The novel really finds itself and shines with the two main characters, married couple Iz and Warren Wilby. Their relationship feels tangible through the page. They are two sides of the same coin and the balance and care shown with their characters is expertly done.
I’m looking forward to the next instalment in this series, and will be reading Bancroft’s other works in the meantime.

I rate this book 4.5 stars.

He de reconocer que siento especial debilidad por la obra de Josiah Bancroft, porque la tetralogía de Babel me parece simplemente maravillosa, así que tenía muchísimo interés en ver qué nos traía el autor americano con The Hexologists, su nuevo universo fantástico. Me he encontrado de nuevo un torrente de imaginación portentoso y unos personajes entrañables, aunque el mundo en el que se desarrolla la historia resulta menos fresco y original que la Torre de Babel que tantos éxitos le proporcionó. Se podría definir como un trasunto del tan manido escenario victoriano. Pero sería muy injusto juzgar una obra solo en contraposición con otra anterior, por lo que en esta reseña hablaré de los puntos fuertes y los débiles de The Hexologists.


La pareja protagonista de la novela tiene una química innegable, Iz y Warren Wilby son los hexologistas del título, un matrimonio que utiliza sus conocimientos en la disciplina mágica de la “hexología” (traducción libre por mi parte) para resolver misterios. Lo que les sorprende al comienzo del libro es cuando se requieren sus servicios por parte del ayudante del rey, ya que el monarca está mostrando una preocupante tendencia a querer introducirse en un horno encendido.

En esta novela, Bancroft utiliza en ocasiones un humor chusco con juegos de palabras que de tan tontos acaban haciendo gracia. Le deseo suerte al traductor que se encargue de verter estas bromas al español, ya que no será tarea fácil. Pero lo realmente atractivo de la novela son los sistemas mágicos de los que habla y, sobre todo, las intrigas que van desmadejando los Wilby. Además, aunque se nota cierta falta de ritmo en el primer tercio de libro, probablemente debido a que el autor está asentando los cimientos sobre los que construirá su serie, llega un punto en la lectura en la que no dejan de tener lugar revelaciones epatantes y encuentros monstruosos a cada cual más arriesgado. Y cuando coge esa cadencia, es un libro que no puedes dejar de seguir leyendo.

En cuanto a la prosa del autor, sigue siendo tan pulida y elaborada como antes, pero quizá ha rebajado un poco el tono épico que tenían sus anteriores obras para favorecer la investigación que se lleva a cabo a lo largo de la novela. Y digo un poco porque ni por asomo dejarán los Wilby de tener que arriesgar su vida ante demonios de otros reinos o ciempiés gigantescos, por poner dos ejemplos simples.

The Hexologists me ha parecido un gran primer libro para introducirnos en un nuevo mundo fantástico y estoy deseando saber con qué nos sorprenderá en su siguiente entrega.

3.5. I quite liked this. Not having read Bancroft's other series, I had minimal expectation going into this. However, this is an interesting start to a new series. Will keep reading on.

What a fun this book was!

A mystery book set in a steampunk world where the main characters are a husband-wife dynamic duo - the concept itself is so intriguing and the book delivers astoundingly on its promises.

The main plot/ mystery is twisty and compelling, each thread is well thought out and I enjoyed immensely going on this hunt for answers with the H/W duo. There are various classification of magic and I loved how it was used in the narrative. The magic system didn't bog down the mystery but instead helped move the plot along. It was so much fun! The Dragon too was a lovely addition.

I loved the two MCs, Isolde and Warren are complete opposite of each other but their chemistry was superb. They are already married but through so many trials and tribulations, their relationship kept evolving into something better throughout the book.

The book concludes quite well but there's still a lot of story remaining to be told and I am honestly looking forward to reading it.

I have reviewed The Hexologists for book recommendation and selling site LoveReading. I have chosen it as a LoveReading Star Book and also a Liz pick of the month. Please see link for full review.

Thanks NetGalley for kindly providing me with an e-ARC of The Hexologists!

One of the best and most refreshing Fantasy books I've read in quite a while! Hilariously british, somehow funny, heartwarming and dark, with a fascinating and vivid world, instantly likeable characters, a twisty mystery and a (married) couple dynamic like no other. Iz and War are the BEST. Think The Conjuring and Sherlock Holmes but in an urban fantasy world inspired by Victorian England with all possible manner of ghouls, hexes, magicians, and dirt.

I would read ten books in this series and I'm sure I wouldn't get tired of it.