Hexslayer (Hexworld) Paperback – September 18, 2017

Again I throughly enjoyed reading it

Well written and involves the reader with characters that you care about. Also a nice twist on alternative history with a solid grounding in actual history. Have enjoyed the whole series and look forward to more.

Nick has spent his life hating witches, or at the very least not trusting them, not even his brother's witch. His life's mission is to protect familiars, specifically feral familiars. Jamie McDougal, one of Roosevelt's Rough Riders, is a witch without a familiar and an uncle who's views on familiars are not the same as Jamie's. When familiars are being viciously killed, Nick decides he has to work with Jamie to stop the murderer but what happens once the case is solved? Will Nick be able to let Jamie go and return to his anti-witch stand?I knew we would eventually get a book in this series about Nick and to be honest I wasn't really looking forward to it. I liked his need for freedom but his anti-witch stance always grated on me a bit and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to like him as a main character. Its not that I felt he was irredeemable, he hadn't gone that far whenever he appeared in previous installments but I just wasn't sure I'd be ready to cheer him on. Well! I'm adult enough to admit when I'm wrong and was I ever wrong! Nick was fun, frustrating, enjoyable, irritating, and yes he still grated on my nerves at times but I most definitely wanted to see him happy.As for Jamie, well what's not to like? He is a man with a heart that is "Grinch after finding Christmas spirit" big who wants to find the killer and find happiness all at the same time. It's easy to say that Nick doesn't deserve someone like Jamie but truth is, they are perfect for each other. Now, that's not to say everything is smooth sailing for the pair just because I found them perfect for each other, quite the opposite really. Ms. Hawk really puts her couples through the wringer and Nick and Jamie are no different, most of the time that wringer is Nick but who can blame him considering the feelings he's been holding on to for so many years.As for the killings, well as usual I don't do spoilers so I won't touch on that aspect of the story too much other than to say I was completely hooked from beginning to end. Even without Nick and Jamie, Hexslayer would have had me on the edge of my seat with just the mystery alone. Thankfully, we do have Nick and Jamie so once again Jordan L Hawk has brought us into a world of magic, mystery, mayhem, and just the right amount of mushiness to make this a perfect paranormal package fitting for this time of year. However, if you don't have the time or opportunity to dive in now, you will be enthralled whenever you do give it a go because even though October is my favorite month to read all things weird and out there, I'll be reading this series whenever the author decides to give us another entry. Simply put, Hexslayer and the whole Hexworld universe, takes us on an amazing journey of the magic most of us loved as children and gives it an adult flair that lets us delve back into the "what ifs" and "could bes" that we tend to forget as we grow older. Just brilliant fun from beginning to end.

I was really excited when I realized that this book was going to be Nick’s story. He has played small parts in the last several Hexworld books, and I must admit that I’ve been more than ready to see Nick fall on his horsey a$$ over some witch. I figured it was going to be fun to see the familiar fight tooth and hoof against his attraction to his witch, only to end up realizing that he might not have all the answers in the world when it comes to those of the witchy persuasion.And I was right about that, because this book was just about everything I wanted out of it.I quite adore this series, with its wonderful blend of history and magic. Once again we are in early 20th century New York, amidst a growing discontent between the non-magical parts of the populous and the witches and familiars that keep the magic coming. After the events of last book I was pretty sure that things were not going to be going well for familiars in this story. And they really aren’t. Laws are now tightening on what unbound familiars can do, and the Dangerous Familiars Squad is cracking down on any familiar deemed too aggressive to be free amongst the general populous. Needless to say, Nick is not a fan.Which, in the Rules of Romance, probably almost guaranteed that Jamie was the one who makes Nick go against all his tightly held beliefs. Not only is Jamie a member of the MWP–which would earn Nick’s ire all on its own–but Jamie’s uncle is one of the lead officers on the DFS. Watching them clash over this, and their different beliefs on how familiars and witches should behave, was a lot of fun. And I really liked that I kinda got both sides on this. I mostly agree with Nick, to be honest, but I can see how Jamie, who was raised by his uncle to respect authority and follow rule and order, can see the laws and their enforcement as the correct way to go about things. Both Nick and Jamie have to learn to reevaluate their beliefs, and it might not be easy, but it does make for good reading.While I might have spent the majority of the book thinking Nick was a bit of a horse’s a$$, he was also written sympathetically enough that I cared about him. Despite my desire to remove the three foot plank form his a$$ and use it to beat some civility into him. And I really love Jamie and the way he has to continually fight everyone around him to see that just because he lost part of his leg in the war, that doesn’t make him useless or in need of constant pity. Nick’s easy acceptance of Jamie’s disability and the way he viewed Jamie as an annoying witch–and not as the “broken” witch–did a lot to endear him to me.On the whole this is a really good book. I’ve yet to come across a story in this series that I would not happily reread, and I can’t wait to get more. The only slight issue I have with this story is that I kinda figured out who the killer was early on, but there were plenty of unseen twists to make up for that in the end. I’ve highly recommended every book in this series so far, and I’m not about to stop now. Pick this one up as soon as possible.

I really love this world and how easy it is to drop back into it, even after almost a year since I read the last book. I also really love how each book is slowly developing more of the world and the magic, though actual magic working by Nick and Jamie is kept pretty minimal in this book.I’ve been hoping for Nick’s tale since I first met the unfriendly horse shifter who is devoted to protecting his fellow ferals, but in a completely practical way. There’s nothing cuddly or sentimental about him. He has a cause and he’s willing to risk everything for it – even though he expects nothing in return. He’s an incredibly giving, frequently selfless man, but my word, he’s also a complete jerk to Jamie.As a fan of this series, I know why Nick hates witches and I even understand it, but Jamie is so sweet and willing to try and understand all sides. Yes, he maybe a touch too idealistic, but every time Nick is his usual gruff stallion self about witches and their kind it’s like he’s kicking a puppy. But in the end even Nick is powerless against how simply likeable Jamie he is. You just can’t dislike him. He’s lovely.The plot this time is fairly relentless with some gruesome murders and a constant threat bubbling away, in both a wider witch/familiar way as well as directly against these two. I loved seeing Nick and Jamie evolve as a team, even if I occasionally wished to slap some sense into Jamie’s idealistic outlook. Still, the mystery unfolds at a quick pace, keeping things interesting throughout. Yes, there are plenty of guessable clues, but it still built into some cracking action.The actual romance between Nick and Jamie does take a bit of a back seat to everything else going on, which was a shame, because they’re so good together and it might have been nice to have had a few moments of just the pair of them growing into their bond.Overall, though, this was a great continuation of the series, with some fun appearances from older characters as well as further developing the world. It does almost uncomfortably parallel much of the political climate in the current world at times, proving that humans never learn from our mistakes, but it certainly left me wanting to know just where this series will head next.

This series just gets better and better.I love the way that Jordan Hawke brings her characters to life. She has a real gift for writing flawed but passionate heroes who consider themselves to be anything but. I also adore the way she weaves 19th century history around and through the bones of each story. It really brings her alternate New York alive.This installment had me on the edge of my seat with lashings of murder, mayhem and betrayal, all leading up to a tightly wrapped conclusion.I love that Nick finally gets to tell his tale, as I've been curious about him for a while. Jamie is a brilliant addition to the ensemble cast of Hexworld, a man crippled by war but still fighting to be seen as more than just a wounded war hero.This story will appeal to readers who love a good magic/paranormal mystery with a generous helping of heat. The connection between Nick and Jamie absolutely smoulders off the page.Bravo.

Hexslayer was just the book I was looking for—a fun and exciting read to take the grey out of the autumn days. I love the universe Hawk has created with these books and there are a lot of hints in this book about a coming storm that I’m looking forward to reading about in future (hopefully) books.The relationship between Nick and Jamie was prickly to start with, leavened with both sweetness and angst. I loved how Jamie’s injury was included in the book, how it informed but didn’t define his character, and how at one point it even becomes an advantage. In truth, I could have done with a tad more angst during the ‘Oh no will they break up?’ section of the book. But that’s just my taste, because I LOVE the angst—so long as there’s a happy ending, which with Hawk you know there will be. The plot was fun too, and strong enough to keep me guessing but not to overwhelm the central romance.Overall, this is perfect escapist reading and I thoroughly recommend the whole series.

The Hexworld series is like no other I've read and it manages to combine a number of tropes into a seamless experience.In this, Rook's brother Nick, a horse familiar, finds his witch in MWP copper Jamie, who lost a leg during a disastrous campaign in Cuba.Part historical, part urban fantasy, total Steampunk, Jordan L Hawk creates a truly unique New York setting in which dangerous men plot behind the scenes.This one was fairly creepy, had a seriously unexpected final twist and was utterly brilliant. I can't say more than that really!

I really enjoyed this book and in fact the whole series has been thoroughly enjoyable. This time the book is about Nick the horse shifter and Jamie a police officer and Nick's witch.The story is about familiars being sacrificed and it's up to Jamie and Nick to find the killer, but nothing prepares then when they encounter the wraith and when a plot is discovered to kill millions of people things go from bad to worse. Can Jamie and Nick Dave the ferals in time.Highly recommended.