The Hexologists

I've been a voracious reader since childhood, but lately I've experienced lengthy periods where I've struggled to find the motivation to start a new book, or to finish one I've already started. The rate of consumption has fallen below the rate of acquisition, with the result that the virtual pile of unread titles has been steadily growing in size.

The other day I decided to make a concerted effort to shrink that pile, starting with Josiah Bancroft's The Hexologists. I devoured it in just 3 days - not bad at all given my recent ennui.

This is a wildly inventive fantasy novel, and one that is genuinely fantastical in nature - something that can't be said of all forays into this genre. The world has a steampunky, Edwardian England vibe in which electricity, motor vehicles and the telephone are vying with magic, the latter being in steep decline thanks to a combination of the aforementioned technological innovations, societal pressure and government suppression.

And it's funny. Not overtly comedic for the most part, but brimming with wry humour and pointed observation. Likening it to Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels might be a step too far, but it feels Pratchett-adjacent, at least - close enough in tone and style that a fan of Terry's work would probably enjoy it.

The eponymous hexologists are married couple Isolde and Warren Wilby. The former is nicknamed Iz, and her middle names are "Anne Always". (Think about it for a second...) "Warren", meanwhile, is frequently abbreviated to "War", which is amusing in its own right as well as being a mite confusing from a pronunciation perspective. Anyway, both characters are a delight: you can't help but admire their warmth, their lively dialogue and their absolute devotion to one another. Entertaining they certainly are, but it's the dragon in the Bag of Holding who almost steals the show...

I'll say no more of the story here, for fear of dropping further spoilers. Suffice it to say that I enjoyed it greatly, and I'm very much looking forward to the next book in the series!