Rating: 4.5 stars
Buy Links: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel
It’s been two years since Isaac was kidnapped and forced to stay in his animal form, his magic tapped for dark hexes. He is still haunted by the experience, and having it come after he was attacked and nearly killed by the witch that should have been his perfect match makes Isaac wonder if something is wrong with him and his magic. His hasn’t been able to bring himself to take on his shifter form as it brings up too many bad memories of his kidnapping. But not shifting is also taking its toll on him mentally. Isaac is continuing his work with the Metropolitan Witch Police, however, and particularly likes helping other familiars who have suffered similar trauma.
Bill Quigley fell for Isaac almost from the moment they met, but he doesn’t think Isaac returns his feelings. Bill doesn’t have much magic potential and fears he doesn’t have a lot to offer someone like Isaac. He also recognizes that Isaac is still suffering from his past experiences and doesn’t want to make things worse. Isaac is actually quite drawn to Bill, but he worries he is too tainted for a good man like Bill.
The two men are tasked to work together on a case investigating the murder of a nun. It turns out that there are children missing from the orphanage where she worked, and soon it becomes clear that her murder is somehow linked with the disappearances. The more Bill and isaac dig, the more they realize that something truly horrible is going on, something that ends up linked to both men. Bill and Isaac are finally willing to open up and take a chance on a relationship together, but their lives are on the line as they are determined to stop a madman intent on harming familiars across the city.
Hexhunter is the fourth novel in Jordan L. Hawk’s fantastic Hexworld series. I feel like the further we go with this series, the more interesting and developed the world building becomes. I just love this world of witches and familiars and think Hawk is doing a fabulous job creating some really interesting series arcs, while still creating wonderful pairings and giving great romantic stories as well.
In Hexhunter, we get Bill and Isaac’s story. Each of these men have been prominent side characters throughout the series. While I think you could manage this one alone, the story will be much richer if you are at least familiar with Hexbreaker, as that is where we learn more about Isaac’s kidnapping. Here we are two years past those events and we can see that they are still taking their toll on Isaac. I loved seeing his journey to recovery here, both in accepting himself and his magic, as well as finding love with Bill. Isaac feels tainted and is trying to put that magical side of himself aside, but it is hurting him. Here he comes to accept himself and it is so rewarding. Both Isaac and Bill have doubts about their own worth, so I loved them here together. They are supportive of one another and dedicated to each other and I found them a great couple.
From the big picture side of things, Hexhunter is a bit of a transition book in the overall series. In the last story, Hexslayer, we tie up some of the plot threads that had been building over the first few books. While the big bad guy is still out there, the threats they had been facing are somewhat resolved, and this story takes us into a new situation facing familiars. Things still all tie together with the bigger threats, but I found it really interesting to see the direction of the case and learn about what was really going on with the murder and the disappearances. Again, we get a nice resolution here, but I expect to see more to come with this plot line.
I am such a Jordan L. Hawk fan, I love pretty much everything the author writes, and this is no exception. The Hexworld series is just fabulous and Hexhunter is another wonderful installment. I particularly enjoyed seeing Bill and Isaac finally get a happy ending and found both the romance and the investigative side of the stories really excellent. I am definitely eagerly awaiting more.
