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. … 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.
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Hexmaker is the second, novel-length installment in the brilliant Hexworld series by Jordan L. Hawk. Very different from the lives of a copper walking the beat and his fantastic, cocky familiar… Hexmaker introduces the reader to a briefly mentioned character prior: Dr. Owen Yates. He might as well be from another universe when compared to the humble upbringings of so many other characters. Owen is the middle son of the Yates clan, one of 400-family living on Millionaire Row. They are old money, elite, and his mother in particular holds the keys to New York society. Owen’s burdens don’t lie in scraping together enough money to pay rent or put food on the table, but in representing his family. He is duty and honor bound to care for them and their prestige by marrying Edith Vandersee, the youngest daughter of a family with new money– but lots of it.
We are treated to a character that while pampered his entire life, is not the sort of man who feels he is above others. And when he does have those moments, he catches himself. Corrects himself. Owen is a witch, a forensic hexman, and is absolutely in love with magic and his job at the MWP. But his commitment to a society he feels alienated from, and the responsibility to care for his family in his older brother’s absence leaves him a shell of a man. True joy and happiness have all but been beaten out of him.
Mal, a fox familiar, thief, and second-story man, is the perfect counteract to Owen’s rigidity. Mal’s experienced the lowest of the low, been tossed aside by his family, by New York, has been seen as nothing but a nuisance his whole life, and yet he is a man full of energy and courage. No matter what, Mal keep taking each day as it comes. His bark of a laugh cracks the wall around Owen, his dominance and care directed toward his witch sparks a need in Owen, so deep and profound, the reader can feel his desperation to be touched, used, loved, and cared for in a way he’s never once felt.
Their meeting and magical bonding is fast and fierce. Their sex desperate and needy. But their relationship unfolds gently, unexpectedly for them both, and is so utterly sweet. The men find a strength in one another, and they better each other in ways they were lacking before meeting. And all of this unfolds while Owen and Mal are investigating the murder of a millionaire collector, while Mal is being stalked and attacked by unknown familiars after having seen too much at the Jacobs house. Add to this a mysterious artifact linked to the uprising of feral familiars in the city who are trying to enact a new world order, and you’ve got one hell of an exciting story.
Adventure, mystery, heartbreak, joy, representation, and unrivaled imagination. This book is what writing is all about.
I made my way to Jordan L Hawke by way of KJ Charles. (The Remnant) I started with the Widdershins books, and thanks to holds on the library, started the Hex series while I waited to get the next Griffin and Whyborne book. They didn’t have Hexmaker, so I bought it because I was confident I’d want to reread it.
Honestly, I like this series better, so I’m really looking forward to more in the world of witches and familiars with the new books set in Chicago. I’m not a big paranormal reader, but when the writing is this good, I’ll read almost anything. (Almost)
Despite not being my real world, this one is so believable. New York City, late 1800’s with magic. The world building makes sense, and the historical details ring true. I believe in this world. I’ve just reread the entire series because I wanted to revisit it.
The Hex world includes familiars, human/animals who contain magic, witches who channel it, and hexes which make the magic take effect. There’s an imbalance of power, with familiars being looked on as less than people. The world provides an opportunity to make political statements about how we treat others, but mostly it’s very human.
The essential part of the story is the romance. In this case, we have a wealthy, duty focused witch and a desperately poor criminal familiar. They have in common a bond, and a similar kink. And I’m here for all of it.
I don’t want to give anything away, but this is a very good book. A historically based setting with a touch of magic, characters who are realistic and relatable, writing that draws you in…it’s a wonderful place to visit for a few hours, and I’ll revisit it again, I know.
Another wonderful Hexworld story. Snarky irreverent fox familiar Malachi is the best thief on the streets. But this time even being best will not help him because he has stepped into the plot many years into making. His salvation comes with his witch Dr. Owen Yates who is smart and caring despite coming from rich family. They only have but little time to uncover the murder mystery and be together. Snobbish family, prejudice against familiars and familial duty make happiness seem impossible but Malachi’s no fool. He helps Owen uncover the truth and survive what’s to come.
I liked the plot twists as well as their time together as a couple. I liked that Malachi helped Owen to find joy in life and how Owen gave himself and all his secret desires to Malachi. Those two were made for each other. In the end justice prevailed, the tragedy was averted and witch and his familiar took their rightful place at the MWP headquarters fighting crimes. Absolutely awesome tale of bravery, magic and love!