From the Bookshelf of The Sword and Laser…

The Hexologists (The Hexologists, #1)

Josiah Bancroft

Start date: September 1, 2025

Finish date: September 30, 2025

Discussion: The Hexologists

Find A Copy At

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 3 topics — 25 comments total

The Hexologists

TH: Why did it feel unremarkable?
By Seth · 2 posts · 36 views

last updated Sep 27, 2025 05:07PM

TH: Finished, Thoughts?
By John (Nevets) · 6 posts · 51 views

last updated Sep 15, 2025 10:59AM

showing 5 of 5 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Nov 16, 2023 Caitlin rated it really liked it

I'd heard universally great things about his first book, Senlin Ascends, but alas, it was not for me.

This book is tailor-made for me. Let me count the ways:

- Married couple who actually like each other and make a great team
- Mature (30's-40's) protagonists (the FMC is even abrasive! the MMC is a huge teddy bear)
- Non-modern (equivalent of late 1940's) setting (not-London)
- Magic that is not over-explained but is integrated into society
- Various shenanigans

It's not a perfect execution, but it's ...more

1 like · Like · see review

May 01, 2025 Jen rated it liked it · review of another edition

Interesting world but it didn't completely grab me. ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Nov 28, 2023 Jessica rated it really liked it

3.5 stars. For the first 40 percent of this book I was expecting it to be 5 stars, but unfortunately it didn't sustain that pace to the end.

Isolde and Warren are absolutely couple goals, and I adored them both immediately. I appreciated the fact that they were a mature couple as well. They never got on my nerves.

The book is full of humor and delightful discoveries. I loved many of the side characters and the entire world/magic system. Where it lost me was in the action sequences - I simply could ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Sep 18, 2025 Melani rated it did not like it

Shelves: dnf, steam-punk

DNF @24%.

Just read a sentance that had me look up and say out loud, "A man wrote this book." I've been struggling with the book for a while now, but that whole passage just might have been the tipping point. Isolde is the most "woman written by a man" character I've come accross in a while, and I'm not sure I have the patience for that when the plot seems pretty blah. ...more

1 like · Like · see review