Bethany and Dana review Hexmaker (Hexworld, #2) by Jordan L. Hawk (Published October 14, 2016, 216 pages) A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
To read Bethany’s audioreview of Hexbreaker (Hexworld, #1) click here.
To read Marc’s review of The 13th Hex (Hexworld, #0.5) and Hexbreaker (Hexworld, #1) click here.
Blurb:
A straight-laced policeman. A lighthearted thief.
A murdered millionaire.
Fox shifter Malachi steals for one of the biggest crime rings in New York City. But when he witnesses the murder of a millionaire, the only person who can keep him safe is Dr. Owen Yates, forensic hexman for the Metropolitan Witch Police—and Malachi’s witch.
Owen is horrified to discover his familiar is an uneducated thief. Even worse, Malachi threatens to unleash Owen’s deepest desires…desires Owen can’t act upon, as he’s destined for an arranged marriage to secure the Yates family fortune
Their agreement: Malachi will be Owen’s lover as well as his partner, until the day of the wedding. But as their hunt for the murderer carries them from teeming slums to Fifth Avenue mansions, Owens begins to realize Malachi commands his heart as well as his body.
With dark forces drawing ever closer around them, Owen must decide whether to bow to the demands of duty, or to risk everything for the man he loves.
Hexmaker is the second book in Jordan L. Hawk’s Hexworld series, following the adventures of witch policemen and the familiars they bond with. Download today to enter a world of magic, romance, and intrigue.
Buy links: Amazon | B&N | ARe Add to Goodreads
*****
Bethany –
Ok it is official, I am a fan of Jordan Hawks books. I was lucky enough to listen to ‘Hexbreaker’ and review for RGR, so when we were offered an ARC of ‘Hexmaker’ well I jumped at the chance to see what Jordan had in store for book two. I will have to admit I was kind of hoping book two would continue with Cicero and Tom. But once I got about two pages into this one, I was ok with it revolving around a different couple.
Because Jordan doesn’t just create a new story, she weaves it in with the prior book. Creating a world so different from most books, one that you get a small taste of not just Cicero and Tom, but other characters from book one. But not just that, she introduces us to new characters that play a huge role in Mal and Owens book. These are characters you know you will be seeing in future books. I absolutely love how she does that.
Now to Mal and Owen, I don’t want to say I loved them more than Tom and Cicero, just in a different way. When people say “those two are polar opposites” they were describing Owen and Mal. Because really these two come from very different worlds, Owen was raised with money, the top of the society food chain, and Mal, well he is a pick pocket. So I know what you are thinking, how will that play out? Quite differently that I was expecting.
So Owen is to be married to Edith, an arrangement set up by her father and his parents to ensure their places in the wealthy class. And when he meets Mal I was expecting him to fall madly, deeply, so wonderfully in love. SO in love that he calls off the wedding right there on the spot. Because that is what should happen, right? Not so fast, while he doesn’t necessarily turn his nose down on Mal, he doesn’t see him as an equal either. And its not like Mal sees Owen as someone he wants to spend time with, he is a copper after all. But one thing that Mal knows right away is that Owen is his witch. Though this fact doesn’t please either.
But when these two finally give in it is brilliant. Both of them must learn to trust the other, because they will be put to the test on both sides of the law. I honestly love how Jordan takes us to the very brink of Mal and Owen NOT being together before she FINALLY fixes things for them. When the final reveal of who the bad guy is well I was flabbergasted, and when an author can do that to me then that book is a win for me. I know this book is only the second book I have listened, and read I assure you it is not the last. Jordan’s Whyborne & Griffin is on my audio as we speak and the next thing I plan to listen to.
I highly recommend this one but only if you have read ‘Hexbreaker’ first because believe me when I say they need to be read in order. I highly recommend this series and can’t wait to see where she goes from here.
Dana – Let me start by saying that I’m a huge fan of this author. Though I love her Whyborne & Griffin series, her SPECTR series, and her Hexworld series, I haven’t reviewed her work before. When I was offered the chance to co-review Hexmaker, I jumped at the chance.
Hexmaker is part of a series, and though a different couple has been introduced in each story, there is a story arc going through the series so it should definitely be read in order. The series takes place in New York in the late 1890’s. The way the author describes the city gives a real feel of authenticity. In addition to the regular police department, there is a Metropolitan Witch Department. It is a group of witches that work with hexes and also work to solve crimes related to hexes, witches, and familiars. Familiars are people who can shapeshift into a certain animal and they bond with witches to create stronger magic. For those of you that have read the first two books, you will be glad to know that Rook, Dominic, Cicero, and Tom do all make appearances in this book.
At the end of the last book a plot by a familiar led group, called theriarchists, to attack the government was foiled by the MWP. But the radical group is only stopped for the moment. In this book the familiar, Mal doesn’t work for the MWP at the beginning of this book. He is actually on the wrong side of the law working as a thief. When walks into a murder scene while working a job he meet Owen who is witch cop. Even though Mal doesn’t want to bond to a witch, preferring his freedom, he immediately recognizes Owen to be his witch. He is also the only person Mal finds he can trust as the mystery of the murder and the broken “clock” found at the scene unravels. I really enjoyed discovering what was happening as they did. I did guess who a few of the suspects in this far reaching criminal plot were, but I was taken by surprise at a few revelations. It thrills me when I am caught off-guard.
The characters themselves were both very likable. For all that Mal was a thief, he was more like a Robin Hood figure who trusted the wrong person. Violence wasn’t his thing, but stealing was all he thought he was good for. Owen is a self-sacrificing character. His family is extremely prominent, but funds are low and he agrees to marry a woman for financial gain. As his desires run for men, he feels it is for the best. When the two of them meet though, attraction flares and I loved them together. There is a little bit of kink in their relationship that I thought was awesome too.
The theriarchists play a big part in this story as well, and that plot line seems like it will continue into the next book. I am eager for the next book and have hopes about who might be in it. I definitely recommend this series and recommend this book. If you haven’t read this author yet, you really need to.
10/10 Pots of Gold (100% Recommended) – Compares to 5/5 Stars
Jordan L. Hawk grew up in North Carolina and forgot to ever leave. Childhood tales of mountain ghosts and mysterious creatures gave her a life-long love of things that go bump in the night. When she isn’t writing, she brews her own beer and tries to keep her cats from destroying the house. Her best-selling Whyborne & Griffin series (beginning with Widdershins) can be found in print, ebook, and audiobook at Amazon and other online retailers.
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