Josiah Bancroft is back with a new entry in his Hexologists series. Book two is called A Tangle of Time, and it appears that Bancroft is aiming for a more episodic take on his fantasy mystery series, very reminiscent of how the original Sherlock Holmes stories were organized. Iz and Warren Wilby have found themselves a new mystery with a bevy of colorful new characters and a little Groundhog Day thrown in to give it some new spice.
As you might remember from our review of book one, Isolde and Warren Wilby are the nation’s foremost investigators of the paranormal. As a duo consisting of a hexologist and a man of many means, they have made a name for themselves as the detectives of the uncanny. But when a famous artist dies under suspicious circumstances, Isolde finds herself investigating a murder that may not have happened, or may have happened more than once. Time seems to bend around the crime scene, making the investigation almost impossible. Not one to be easily thwarted, Isolde is compelled to take greater and greater risks in pursuit of her elusive answers. Meanwhile, the laws that govern magic appear to be breaking, and those cracks are spreading to the everyday world.
A Tangle of Time was a very fun concept: how do you investigate a crime that is literally shifting away from you every time you get close to a lead? It created a strange, palpable tension in the story, where it actually felt more like a contention between the characters and the author. It reminded me of the classic cartoons that break the fourth wall and pit the animations against an animator literally deleting scenes and redrawing the setting to try to beat one another.
The world of The Hexologists is still exciting. I find the magic to be captivating, and Bancroft does a great job weaving magic into the classic British setting in a way that many other authors have tried and failed to do. There are some solid character arcs, particularly around our protagonists. I was hoping to see a little more depth in their personal stories, but what is shown is still pretty good. There are lots of things to like about this sequel, and I do think it is a very solid book; but, there are also some cracks in the foundation that I am behooved to talk about.
First, the narrative is extremely discordant—especially when compared to the first book. The First Hexologist story was a blockbuster series of set pieces that moved you through the mystery with fast pacing and dazzling events. A Tangle of Time felt more like getting lost in a parking garage with how its pacing ducked, wove, and doubled back in a number of places. Part of this is a consequence of the nature of the story being about time and repeating moments, but I still confidently think the flow of the story could have been much better. Next, the focal points of the story felt out of sync. Various chapters of the story will do a deep dive into elements of the protagonist’s relationship, certain side characters, and elements of worldbuilding. Instead of feeling additive, these highlights often felt distracting from the overall story. They really broke up my immersion for me and arrested the momentum I was making in the book. Having had such a smooth and enjoyable ride with book one, I was taken aback when the second entry shifted to more of a ‘student driver’s first time in the car’ kind of flow.
Despite some hiccups, A Tangle of Time is still very fun. Bancroft is a real master when it comes to interesting themes and characters to explore. He also has a really strong grasp of what makes a compelling mystery, and it’s very easy to get drawn into the mystique of every book he writes. I just wish this new chapter had the same level of polish I saw demonstrated in the first Hexologist book, but I still had a good time.
Rating: The Hexologists: A Tangle of Time – 8.0/10
-Andrew
An ARC of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts on this book are my own.
