This one was so much fun and very unique. It was my first by this author and I really enjoyed the writing style and plot as I have never read anything like this before. really did enjoy my time with this novel as it was escapist and I can't wait for more. A lot of fun to reread as well. Highly recommend

I love me a magical mystery so after reading the synopsis I was very intrigued. I haven’t read any of this authors other works and was warned that he is very detailed in his writing, so I went into this a little prepared for it. And wow were they right! I did enjoy his writing style, though it might not be for everyone. It started off slow and maybe a little… boring?.. But honestly I was still hooked?? I don’t find myself reading many stories where the main characters are already an established couple, and wow did I love the banter between them! The world building, the mystery, the magic?? Loved. Will continue this story for sure :)

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

Parts of this are genuinely a quirky/fun/supergoodtime, other parts are very...how did we get here and when will there be hors devours? Or, importantly, perhaps something more substantial?

Cute, quirky, fun. It was interesting magically and held me captive, but it petered out at some point and didn'r catch me again.

This book was such a delight! It’s a detective novel set in a steampunk world with a vaguely Victorian feel. Our main characters are Iz and Warren Wilby, a happily married couple who are accustomed to solving a wide variety of magical mysteries. But when they are approached by the royal secretary to assist in a matter of utmost secrecy, they find themselves thrust into a mystery that could change the fate of the nation.

I have not read any of Bancroft’s books before, but after reading this I will definitely be remedying that. I really enjoyed his writing style and dry humor. I thought the mystery was engaging and unpredictable, and I adored the main characters. It’s so nice to see a couple that just works well together with no drama.

I already bought myself a copy of this, and will definitely be reading the next book.

"The Hexologists" by Josiah Bancroft is a whimsical and delightful plunge into a steampunk fantasy world where magic and mystery intertwine. Following the charming duo of Iz and Warren Wilby, paranormal investigators with a knack for hexes, the novel goes into a grand conspiracy sparked by a king’s bizarre wish to be baked into a cake. Bancroft’s prose and witty wordplay shine, crafting a vivid Victorian-esque setting teeming with golems, dragons, and alchemical wonders. While the pacing seemed a bit off in the latter half, the partnership of Iz and Warren shines brightest making this a captivating start to a promising series.

A big thank you to the author, Netgalley, and Orbit Books for giving me this ARC to review.

I felt that this book started off really strong. It was funny, intriguing, and gave me high hopes. Ultimately, however, it failed to keep my attention.

It felt kind of like this book was starting off in the middle of a series. As we're meeting characters, it made me fell as though this was an already established world and I should so much more than I did. I had to double-check to make sure that this was a new series and not a continuation because I was just so lost at times.

That being said, I did enjoy the whimsical writing style and the characters themselves. I loved the dragon in the bag, but wished they were there for more than the occasional quip or save.

Overall, I thought this was a fairly good book even though it didn't fully capture my attention.

This is very much a mood read. I passed over it at first because I was put off by the tone; I found it overly pompous and too aware of its own cleverness, and I was in a phase of being disappointed by male authors depicting women's experiences and struggles in ways I couldn't connect to.

But despite the constant flinging of 10-dollar words, I found the tone delightful and whimsical after I pushed through my initial impression. It reminded me very much of the sensibilities of Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries.

I loved the characterization of Isolde and seeing a happily married couple with an active sex life who supported each other's careers and struggles. I am tired of seeing long-term marriages depicted as resentful, dysfunctional, sexless unions in which the superior woman puts up with the boorish man. This was not that. I did wish Isolde and Warren had more conflict and tension; they were way too perfect for a couple who has been married for 10 years. Part of the secret to a lasting marriage is how you resolve conflict that's not external, and I wished I had seen some of that. However, I found them charming and refreshing overall.

I dearly wished Isolde was bisexual, but I appreciated her characterization as a more "butch" woman despite being straight. In this couple the gender roles are swapped. Gentle, sensitive, protective bear Warren cooks and does the housekeeping, and Isolde is the adventurous, reckless one with an array of colorful, shabby coats and a sharp tongue. Finally, a straight cis male author who writes a woman well.

I also loved the satchel that was bigger on the inside, an inheritance from her adventurer father, and I absolutely loved the bratty dragon who lived inside, Felivox.

The magic system was also quite interesting in this although hexes seemed more decorative than practical.

In this steampunk mystery adventure, private investigators Warren and Isolde are dispatched on an errand for the Crown, in search of a missing signet ring and the source of blackmail, and find way more than they bargained for.

My only gripe is that I found the mystery predictable and somewhat boring. The story relied on elements of fantastical steampunk whimsy mixed with action sequences and very little character development to keep things interesting, but I found myself getting bored. I have to care about the characters more to stay with them through all the action sequences. Warren and Isolde were quite a charming couple, but I felt like I only knew them on the surface. I'd read more in this series, however.

So I would recommend this because I found it unique and entertaining, but only to the right reader.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really liked this book! I did need to start over a few times, but that was not an issue with the book. It was an issue with my focus instead. What can I say? It happens. Once I was able to concentrate, I didn’t want to stop reading. Iz and Warren were fantastic characters, and I was drawn into the story right away. I found this to be an entertaining novel.

Iz is a Hexologist, and her husband, Warren helps her as she works to solve cases. The pair make a fantastic team and their strengths complemented one another very well. When they are approached by a royal secretary to look at an anonymous claim from someone who may or may not be the king’s heir, they reluctantly take the case. The story took so many exciting twists and turns keeping me glued to the pages. They unravel years of secrets, often putting themselves in danger.

I thought that Sarah Slimani did a wonderful job with the narration of this book. This was my first experience listening to her narration and I was impressed. She handled a large cast of characters incredibly well. I found her voice to be pleasant and liked the way she was able to add just the right amount of emotion to her reading. I am certain that her narration added to my overall enjoyment of this story.

I would recommend this book to others. I thought that this was a very impressive start to a series that I look forward to following. The characters were quirky, yet incredibly likable, and the mystery was rather complex. I can’t wait to get my hands on book two.

I received a review copy of this book from Orbit.

I swear I want to read this book so much, I'm so fascinated by even slightly differently told books with couples - such as already married ones, and a coworker at my last job said it was really good. I just know I won't get to it soon, but I hope I'm wrong!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher of this book for this eARC.

What a fun mystery novel! I loved the married couple as it's so refreshing in fantasy!

Thank you to Orbit Books for the eARC via NetGalley - in exchange for an honest review.

To preface this, I have read Josiah Bancroft’s completed series ‘The Books of Babel,’ and loved it. So I came into this with high expectations. Unfortunately this time I left with disappointment.
I understand the author is very clever and witty, but this novel somehow strayed into the area of feeling pompous. Almost as though he sought to show-off of his use of the thesaurus, certainly something he need never do, and did so in an oddly jarring manner.

The story follows Hexologists - Iz and War - solving a mystery related to the King. This whodunit formula did not seem to work for me, at least not with this author. It manifested itself as a mystery-meets-fantasy featuring a married couple version of Sherlock & Watson. The ‘romantasy’ genre is heavily appeased by having the Hexologists indulge in creepy passes at each other in private and public which felt incredibly awkward to read - the couple are introduced as being very intelligent, dry, and stuffy - but then suddenly they want to dive into each other’s pants. Of course there is no actual smut, but the level of cringe experienced each time felt like watching parents make awkward advances at each other.

As for the "whodunnit" side, the author seemingly tried to shovel in every red herring imaginable to progress the story - and this was how it developed for just under 350 pages. I admit, I do not read mysteries often - so I assume the red herrings were necessary. However I still think Bancroft could have chosen a few less painful ways to split each passage of time than watching the protagonists paw at each other while inducing their mutual enticement with corny dialogue.

I do not think I will continue the series, unless he explores the wizard’s story, whom I find vastly more interesting than the couple.

For those thinking of starting the Josiah Bancroft’s works by reading this book: Just don’t. I recommend ‘Books of Babel’ - it is a significantly better story, and showcases Bancroft’s genuine writing talents through a far more enjoyable journey for the reader.

I didn't start out liking this book AT ALL. In fact, it took me several tries to get past the first few chapters. After those first few failed attempts, this book was a fun romp that left me breathless, full of laughter and solemn thoughtfulness as I rooted for the intrepid but sometimes reckless couple. The beautiful bits of wisdom inhabiting this story was so refreshing and thought provoking. I will be glad to try more works from this author.

QUOTE: "Does it really matter who sits on the throne in a nation of ashes?"

Here’s the thing:

There are too many books and not enough time in the world. My ADD is outrageous, and if you can’t grip me in 2 chapters, I will lose the plot I fear. Now here we are still waiting for a review. Well, here is what I have right now. Even if I were to “choose not to review” it counts that ratio so let’s chat about it.

This was sadly a DNF for me. I could never get into the story. this one just lost my interest and couldn’t get back into it.

Is it too high fantasy? No. Did I dare dream of how book 1 was? Possibly. If I return I will provide additional updates and thoughts.

I unfortunately didn't finish this book. I've tried to read it twice now and I just can't get into it. I'm not entirely sure what put me off to it, but I really did try to like this book. The description seemed great.

I’m not sure if I like this book. I enjoyed it very much when I was reading it, but I never found myself reaching for it either. I picked this up almost a year ago and just finished it. I think i may pick up the next one and decide from there whether I will continue the series.

This was a 4.5 for me! Having very much enjoyed his Tower of Babel series, I was very much looking forward to Bancrofts new book, and I was not disappointed in the least. Often when an author writes a book that is very different from a beloved series that made them a success, the result can be disappointing but that was not the case here. A story about magical investigators, it is every bit as fun and magical as it sounds, propelled forward by not just the delightful goings on but the mysteries at it's core.

The characters were endearing, the storyline was clever and well paced, and it read like a beach read while having the depth and world building of a complex multi book fantasy series. This was an absolute delight and I will be looking forward to Bancroft's next book with eager anticipation,

Iz and Warren are a married couple who work as a type of private investigators in a world where wizardry and necromancy are banned. But hexology and alchemy are still aliev with alchemy being employed in the industry and getting even more importance. Iz is a hexologist with a very interesting "Grandpa". One day, their service is hired by the royal secretary to uncover a royal secret.

I loved them as a couple. It's rare to find fantasy books whose main characters are happily married and stay that way througout the book. I loved their relationship and their comfort with one another. Josiah Bancroft was really able to write their love and companionship on the page. They were truly partners that loved, respected, supported, and helped each other.

I also liked the world and the magic systems that we got to see. The mistery is intriguing enough even though the last plot twist is pretty obvious after a couple of chapters. But it did make sense for the story and it was well plotted. I'm excited to see where the author takes this thread. This can be read as a standalone because the main mistery of this novel is solved by the end of it. But the author leaves enough to make it intriguing for a new book.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.

If there is something I can always fall in love about a novel, it’s good prose, and the witty, dry sarcasm of the FMC—Iz—and the combination of the Victorian, Steampunk-esque setting, had me falling in love with every detail Bancroft gave me.

Now the story is a small-stakes, magical mystery that is far from typical, where a well-balanced married couple trying to uncover a secret about the King. They use artifact after artifact, almost Mary Poppins style, as they take each twist and turn, avoid being murdered, and somehow manage to make it home for tea at the end of each night and have quite a bit of off-page sex.

While I love the magical setting, the magic system, and the ideas around the Hexologists in general, I found the real charm to be in the two main characters: Isolde and Warren. She is witty and sometimes harsh, but he’s a people person that does most of the cooking. They both express their feelings in a way that feels real, and unforced, in a way that is often lacking in the novels I read. But what I honestly loved the most about them is how they lean on each other when they need to, and the balance between them that is so clearly shown feels like real love.

I’d read a whole other novel about them if even if it were them just drinking tea.

It took me much longer than I would have liked to get into this one. I wasn't captivated right away, and even though I loved the premise it just never really did it for me. I can absolutely see this being a five star read for others, however! I know the author is well-liked, and I enjoyed his writing style. Perhaps I might need to give this one another go at a later time.