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A review by cspoe
The 13th Hex by Jordan L. Hawk
5.0
The 13th Hex is a fantastic introduction to one of Hawk's newest universes, Hexworld. Everything about this series is unique and complex. A breath of fresh air to both the historical paranormal genre, as well as the shifter genre. Characters are multi-layered with the full gambit of human interactions: love, joy, hurt, embarrassment, pain, and growth. Relationships are sweet, heartbreaking, erotic, and beautiful.
In this short story, we meet one of the first of many reoccurring characters: Dominic Kopecky. Dreams of working as a witch for New York's Metropolitan Witch Police have been dashed when his magical aptitude test comes back as a big fat zero. Dominic is however, quite a gifted hexman. He works at the MWP, spending his days at a drafting desk designing the hexes that witch police and their familiars will use in the line of duty. Everything from unlocking doors to settling stomachs, someone must draw the hex to be infused with magic, and Dominic is that man. When a number of hexes in the city go wrong, and there appears to be a murderer on the loose, unbonded familiar and crow-shifter, Rook, approaches Dominic for help in unearthing the mystery behind the seemingly innocent, hand-drawn hexes.
Dominic is a wonderful character. He continues to be one of my favorite humans in the series, despite his introduction being relatively short in comparison to novel follow-ups. He's the sort of man that any reader can relate to. Dreaming of a career and a life that the world has told him is not suitable. Gifted, but overlooked in a crowd. Even rather self-conscious when it comes to his body. And Rook is a fabulous counterpart to Dominic! They are like peanut butter and jelly. A perfect combination. One is never far without the other as the series develops, and for good reason.
I highly recommend this title and this series. It'll stir joy for those who love historical New York City, produce wonder in the hearts of paranormal fans, and awe for anyone who has yet to experience Jordan L. Hawk's wonderfully bizarre imagination.
In this short story, we meet one of the first of many reoccurring characters: Dominic Kopecky. Dreams of working as a witch for New York's Metropolitan Witch Police have been dashed when his magical aptitude test comes back as a big fat zero. Dominic is however, quite a gifted hexman. He works at the MWP, spending his days at a drafting desk designing the hexes that witch police and their familiars will use in the line of duty. Everything from unlocking doors to settling stomachs, someone must draw the hex to be infused with magic, and Dominic is that man. When a number of hexes in the city go wrong, and there appears to be a murderer on the loose, unbonded familiar and crow-shifter, Rook, approaches Dominic for help in unearthing the mystery behind the seemingly innocent, hand-drawn hexes.
Dominic is a wonderful character. He continues to be one of my favorite humans in the series, despite his introduction being relatively short in comparison to novel follow-ups. He's the sort of man that any reader can relate to. Dreaming of a career and a life that the world has told him is not suitable. Gifted, but overlooked in a crowd. Even rather self-conscious when it comes to his body. And Rook is a fabulous counterpart to Dominic! They are like peanut butter and jelly. A perfect combination. One is never far without the other as the series develops, and for good reason.
I highly recommend this title and this series. It'll stir joy for those who love historical New York City, produce wonder in the hearts of paranormal fans, and awe for anyone who has yet to experience Jordan L. Hawk's wonderfully bizarre imagination.