A Tangle of Time (The Hexologists #2) by Josiah Bancroft
Publisher: Orbit
Publication Date: September 9th, 2025
Paperback. 416 pages.About A Tangle of Time (The Hexologists #2):
"From one of the most exciting and original voices in fantasy comes the second book following the adventures of the Hexologists, Iz and Warren Wilby, as they tackle a case that could redefine the nature of magic itself.
As the nation’s foremost investigators of the paranormal, Isolde and Warren Wilby are accustomed to bumping up against things that go bump in the night. They have made quite a name for themselves as the detectives of the uncanny, the monstrous, the strange. After a decade of wedded bliss and dozens of fantastical adventures, there is little in the world that can still surprise them.
But when a famous artist dies under suspicious circumstances, Isolde finds herself investigating a murder that may not have happened, and a crime scene that seems to shift beneath her feet. 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.
The mystery will carry the devoted duo to seedy underworlds, enchanted gardens, and subterranean military zoos. Old friends will come to the Wilbies’ aid as they infiltrate secret societies, battle vicious imps, and flee from a pack of venomous wolves. Equipped with Isolde’s hexes, Warren’s muscle, and an enchanted bag full of magical relics, the Hexologists will have to risk life and limb to unravel the riddle at the heart of A Tangle of Time."
A Tangle of Time is a consistent continuation of the Hexologists series and another fantastic example of Bancroft’s witty, detailed writing and storytelling. It has thoughtful, witty, characters with colorful personalities and a world that always seems to have something new lurking around the corner.
As much as I wanted to enjoy this sequel as much as or even more then the first book, I don’t think this quite lived up to the first Hexologists book. It had all the hallmarks of Bancroft’s writing and I should have really loved it, but it almost felt like it leaned too much into quirks and character details and I didn’t really find myself connecting with the story itself or really feeling that compelled to find out what the mystery was. Something about A Tangle of Time just felt a bit lacking compared to the previous book. That said, it's still a very solid and entertaining read--it is still Bancroft, after all--and it did continue to expand the world and magic, which was definitely a plus, though still not quite enough to make it stand out.
Iz and Warren continued to shine in their own ways and have very strong personalities that work well for the story. I continue to appreciate that they have such a well-established relationship and are a solid team; they clearly love and respect each other, which is always nice to see and makes it so that romance is not a huge plot point, as I know many people are wanting a bit less romance-focus in their books lately. I still have the slightest issue with them in that sometimes they don’t feel quite real and by this I mean that they’re such interesting characters that they almost lack a certain depth that makes them feel authentic, if that makes any sense. They are still very well-written, so it’s hard to fully explain the issue, but you might understand what I mean if you've read these books. I really enjoy seeing how Iz and Warren interact and support one another in their relationship and that really continues to be a highlight for me. I will say that I don't really feel that I saw all that much growth with their characters in this book, but I also don't know how much is really necessary given the context of this series, so I don't say that as a particular negative, just as a note.
Bancroft’s trademark wit absolutely came through, and honestly those are some of my favorite parts of the book. I love all the random details. The only downside--which shows up in most of his books but especially in this one--is that it sometimes feels like there are too many tangents that really slow the pacing down. There was nearly a whole chapter of Warren telling a story to introduce a character at the beginning of the book and while it was technically entertaining and I get the point of it, it was a bit much and honestly really slowed down the pacing for me. Still, if you love those aspects of Bancroft's writing, they’re definitely here and make it highly entertaining to read on their own, regardless of the story itself. There's a lot of banter of sorts, a lot of wit, and some wonderful attention to detail in language that I think always sets Bancroft apart from others. The only downside to any of it was that I sometimes feel like there's an attempt to set this into the "cozy fantasy" realm and I'm not sure how intentional that is, but I'm not sure it entirely works for the story.
The time-shifting elements were definitely a fun addition to the world and interesting in themselves. I wasn’t entirely captivated by these elements at all times, but it was still a concept worth exploring. The mystery itself wasn’t what kept me turning pages, and it didn’t feel overly interesting or captivating and didn’t come across as the star of the show. Things felt overly complex at times, and the pacing was slower, which then left it a bit harder to keep my attention. The mystery plot wasn’t quite strong or intriguing enough for me personally, which left the other elements to overtake it therefore leave the story feelings slightly unbalanced. All this being said, I'm about to contradict myself and say that the details and complexity are also what make Bancroft such an excellent writer and such a joy to read. There's always something new or something weird to explore, and that's very much the case. Sometimes it works really well, but I think sometimes it gets slightly carried away as well and it leaves his books slightly bogged down, as this is something I also recall seeing a bit in the later books of the Books of Babel series.
Overall, I’d recommend fans of the first book to give this one a read. If you enjoyed that one, you’ll very likely enjoy this one. Also, I should note that I don’t think it’s necessary to have reread the first book recently, as my own memory of it was slightly fuzzy and I didn’t struggle too much to keep up with everything in this book. Still, I do wonder if I might have enjoyed this more if I’d read the first book again beforehand. I absolutely do still plan to continue this series, however, as I do still enjoy these characters and this world, I think this one just didn't quite connect for me as I'd hoped.
