3.5
The Hexologists
By Josiah BancroftPublisher Description
The first book in a wildly inventive and mesmerizing new fantasy series from acclaimed author Josiah Bancroft where magical mysteries abound and only one team can solve them: The Hexologists. “Bancroft is a magician.” — Madeline Miller, New York Times bestselling author of Circe
“Fantastic! The Hexologists fizzes eloquently with wit and elegance, but also has marvelous worldbuilding and an excellent plot - and a central pair of characters who I quite simply love. A cocktail of a book made with the very best champagne.” — Genevieve Cogman, author of The Invisible Library
The Hexologists, Iz and Warren Wilby, are quite accustomed to helping desperate clients with the bugbears of city life. Aided by hexes and a bag of charmed relics, the Wilbies have recovered children abducted by chimney-wraiths, removed infestations of barb-nosed incubi, and ventured into the Gray Plains of the Unmade to soothe a troubled ghost. Well-acquainted with the weird, they never shy away from a challenging case.
But when they are approached by the royal secretary and told the king pleads to be baked into a cake—going so far as to wedge himself inside a lit oven—the Wilbies soon find themselves embroiled in a mystery that could very well see the nation turned on its head. Their effort to expose a royal secret buried under forty years of lies brings them nose to nose with a violent anti-royalist gang, avaricious ghouls, alchemists who draw their power from a hell-like dimension, and a bookish dragon who only occasionally eats people.
Armed with a love toughened by adversity and a stick of chalk that can conjure light from the darkness, hope from the hopeless, Iz and Warren Wilby are ready for a case that will test every spell, skill, and odd magical artifact in their considerable bag of tricks.
"Bancroft is a wonder as ever! The Hexologists was a joyous delight on every page— buoyantly inventive, witty, poignant, gripping, and deeply satisfying." — Madeline Miller, New York Times bestselling author of Circe
“Josiah Bancroft’s imagination will astound you. One of the most inventive fantasy authors out there.” — Fonda Lee, author of the Green Bone Saga
“Bancroft has returned to the page in force, deploying his crystal prose and razored wit around a tale that mixes whimsy and threat in equal measure. He's a gift to the genre." — Mark Lawrence, author of The Book That Wouldn't Burn
“Fantastic! The Hexologists fizzes eloquently with wit and elegance, but also has marvelous worldbuilding and an excellent plot - and a central pair of characters who I quite simply love. A cocktail of a book made with the very best champagne.” — Genevieve Cogman, author of The Invisible Library
The Hexologists, Iz and Warren Wilby, are quite accustomed to helping desperate clients with the bugbears of city life. Aided by hexes and a bag of charmed relics, the Wilbies have recovered children abducted by chimney-wraiths, removed infestations of barb-nosed incubi, and ventured into the Gray Plains of the Unmade to soothe a troubled ghost. Well-acquainted with the weird, they never shy away from a challenging case.
But when they are approached by the royal secretary and told the king pleads to be baked into a cake—going so far as to wedge himself inside a lit oven—the Wilbies soon find themselves embroiled in a mystery that could very well see the nation turned on its head. Their effort to expose a royal secret buried under forty years of lies brings them nose to nose with a violent anti-royalist gang, avaricious ghouls, alchemists who draw their power from a hell-like dimension, and a bookish dragon who only occasionally eats people.
Armed with a love toughened by adversity and a stick of chalk that can conjure light from the darkness, hope from the hopeless, Iz and Warren Wilby are ready for a case that will test every spell, skill, and odd magical artifact in their considerable bag of tricks.
"Bancroft is a wonder as ever! The Hexologists was a joyous delight on every page— buoyantly inventive, witty, poignant, gripping, and deeply satisfying." — Madeline Miller, New York Times bestselling author of Circe
“Josiah Bancroft’s imagination will astound you. One of the most inventive fantasy authors out there.” — Fonda Lee, author of the Green Bone Saga
“Bancroft has returned to the page in force, deploying his crystal prose and razored wit around a tale that mixes whimsy and threat in equal measure. He's a gift to the genre." — Mark Lawrence, author of The Book That Wouldn't Burn
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3.5
Em
Created 4 days agoShare
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Tilde Bredine
Created 6 days agoShare
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“The Hexologists is a perfect blend of fantasy and mystery, which is the primary reason i picked it up. I feel very mixed about this book, it’s a fun and interesting world that gave me the vibes of a dnd adventure set in the 1920s. Warren (my fav) gave major Laszlo (also my fav) vibes iykyk. The characters had their ups and downs, Warren was used a lot as the guy that asked questions and rarely understood anything on his own. Iz was a fine character, but i didn’t really connect to her like i hoped. As for War and Iz together I liked them a lot, it was nice to see a strong fantasy couple for once. My last gripe was the final twist, it felt unnecessary and made me a bit confused when it came to earlier scenes. Although i had my problems with the book they were largely based on my personal likes and dislikes not the books “wrongs” or “rights” per se. it’s still an okay book that i’d recommend to a mystery and fantasy lover. 3.5/5🌟”
JJSwatt
Created 8 days agoShare
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Diverse charactersMulti-layered charactersDescriptive writingOriginal writingFast-pacedTwistyUnpredictableImmersive settingMagical setting
Jessica Sebastian
Created 8 days agoShare
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Unengaging charactersUnsatisfying plot
Letyreads
Created 11 days agoShare
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About Josiah Bancroft
Josiah Bancroft is the author of five novels, a collection of short fiction, and numerous poems. His books have been translated into eight languages. Before settling down to write fantasy full-time, he was a college instructor, rock musician, and aspiring comic book artist. When he’s not writing, he enjoys strumming a variety of stringed instruments, drawing with a growing cache of imperfect pens, and cooking without a recipe. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife, Sharon, their daughter, Maddie, and their two rabbits, Mabel and Chaplin.
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