The Hexologists by Josiah Bancroft
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've been a pretty big fan of Bancroft's other books, so I was really thrilled to learn that he was writing a UF-like fantasy series of magical detectives.

I was wrong, of course. It's not UF-like at all. It's a true fantasy, complete with great worldbuilding, magic system, and culture. Most impressive, at least to me, it had some rather UNUSUAL main characters. I rarely see HAPPILY married couples in fantasy (or SF, for that matter). It's single, looking for love, or getting over BS. Not here. They're HAPPILY married. And they get it on like truly happy couples can. And all the while, the fantasy and mystery is solid as hell.

Will I enjoy continuing? Absolutely.




I'm going to try something new here. I'm also going to write a review by way of synesthesia. I'll go all out foodie. I saw this done somewhere else and I thought it was the bomb. A whole new way to enjoy books. :)

So.

The DISTINCT impression I have of this book is as a lemon chiffon pie. Always a bit intensely sour, but pleasantly sweet. The extra scents, other than fluffy cream and hearty, flaky crust, have notes of, i believe, allspice and a tiny tiny twist of cinnamon. On the outside, when we're not neck-deep in pie, there is the scent of metal and alcohol. Likely a nice sweet wine, but it's still probably only white. As for the colors, it IS absolutely a creamy yellow, like the pie, but tasty, even a bit hearty.

The book is absolutely not too sweet. It's subtle, rich, and worth savoring. It's not meant to be scarfed down without noticing the waves or the feathering of flavors.



I think I'm going to make this a thing from now on. So, other than some brief instances in the past, I'm just going to dive head-first into the stew. Enjoy!




Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

Arctunn.com


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