What do you think?
Rate this book
Hexworld #2.5
A Christmas Hex
A Hexworld Short Story
Roland knows he will never find love. Everyone views wolf familiars like himself as dangerous beasts, unable to rein in their savage impulses. He’s resigned himself to his fate—or so he thinks, until he meets the dashing Augustus Cao. His witch.
Gus is on the trail of a gang of thieves, and Roland holds an important clue. Even though they can never bond, Roland can’t pass up the opportunity to spend a night with his witch.
Can Roland conceal his secret, while helping Gus catch the thieves? Or will the handsome detective be the one to steal his heart?
Short story: 15,475 words
Roland knows he will never find love. Everyone views wolf familiars like himself as dangerous beasts, unable to rein in their savage impulses. He’s resigned himself to his fate—or so he thinks, until he meets the dashing Augustus Cao. His witch.
Gus is on the trail of a gang of thieves, and Roland holds an important clue. Even though they can never bond, Roland can’t pass up the opportunity to spend a night with his witch.
Can Roland conceal his secret, while helping Gus catch the thieves? Or will the handsome detective be the one to steal his heart?
Short story: 15,475 words
70 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 31, 2016
About the author
Jordan L. Hawk
86 books2,653 followersJordan L. Hawk is a trans author from North Carolina. Childhood tales of mountain ghosts and mysterious creatures gave him a life-long love of things that go bump in the night. When he isn’t writing, he brews his own beer and tries to keep the cats from destroying the house. His best-selling Whyborne & Griffin series (beginning with Widdershins) can be found in print, ebook, and audiobook.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 178 reviews
December 31, 2022
3.5 Stars
A consistent win in this series that carries forward the world building and introducing another mate pair to the mix! This was made all the better due to the feel good holiday vibes!
A consistent win in this series that carries forward the world building and introducing another mate pair to the mix! This was made all the better due to the feel good holiday vibes!
November 29, 2020
Wolf familiar Roland is living the good life: writer of wildly successful detective stories, and secretly salivating over the waiter at a Chinese restaurant. He'd love to do more, but past experience has taught him that as soon as people realized the exact nature of his shifting abilities they would run for the hills. Or worse: pull out their not-at-all-metaphorical guns, so they'd at least go down screaming.
The idea was cute and all, with how even the worst monster just needs to find its soulmate. For bonus points, said soulmate will also worship the hell out of the monster's ugh... monstrosity. Because romance.
Passive aggressive shit aside: I'm a sucker for this shit in general. But I don't get why the story couldn't have starred protagonists more closely linked to the couples from the main story? With a secret plot against magic being the connecting factor between the main books in the story, why wouldn't you take advantage and develop that any further?
Score: 2/5 stars
Decent plot bunny, and sex scenes, but you should've stuck to employing secondary characters from the main story. Bertie's past would definitely have made for a more interesting tale to explore.
=====================
Review of book 0.5: The 13th Hex
Review of book 1: Hexbreaker
Review of book 2: Hexmaker
Review of book 3: Hexslayer
Review of book 3.5: Wild Wild Hex
The idea was cute and all, with how even the worst monster just needs to find its soulmate. For bonus points, said soulmate will also worship the hell out of the monster's ugh... monstrosity. Because romance.
Passive aggressive shit aside: I'm a sucker for this shit in general. But I don't get why the story couldn't have starred protagonists more closely linked to the couples from the main story? With a secret plot against magic being the connecting factor between the main books in the story, why wouldn't you take advantage and develop that any further?
Score: 2/5 stars
Decent plot bunny, and sex scenes, but you should've stuck to employing secondary characters from the main story. Bertie's past would definitely have made for a more interesting tale to explore.
=====================
Review of book 0.5: The 13th Hex
Review of book 1: Hexbreaker
Review of book 2: Hexmaker
Review of book 3: Hexslayer
Review of book 3.5: Wild Wild Hex
December 23, 2022
3.5 Stars
A Christmas Hex is was a welcomed little festive addition to the Hexworld series.
Featuring new characters, Roland and Gus, this short packed a lot in its limited pages, kepting in tone with the series at large, which follows the developing relationships between male witches and their familiar mates, all while solving crimes in an alternate version of Victorian era NYC.
Here, I particularly liked meeting Roland, a lonely wolf shifter, who starts to wish for more in life when he meets his fated mate and PI witch, Gus.
We didn’t get too much of these two together, but what we got was enough to make me smile. I’m sure they’ll make appearances later in the series anyway, knowing how these things tend to go, as stories grow and casts expand.
A Christmas Hex is was a welcomed little festive addition to the Hexworld series.
Featuring new characters, Roland and Gus, this short packed a lot in its limited pages, kepting in tone with the series at large, which follows the developing relationships between male witches and their familiar mates, all while solving crimes in an alternate version of Victorian era NYC.
Here, I particularly liked meeting Roland, a lonely wolf shifter, who starts to wish for more in life when he meets his fated mate and PI witch, Gus.
We didn’t get too much of these two together, but what we got was enough to make me smile. I’m sure they’ll make appearances later in the series anyway, knowing how these things tend to go, as stories grow and casts expand.
August 14, 2018
Not a lot of room to maneuver in 56pp. A sweet Yuletide story, another facet of the Hexworld, and a half-hour spent quite pleasurably.
September 20, 2021
A lovely little novella set during the holidays.
I'm enamored with this series and although I found this one a bit rushed (due to the limited page numbers I'm sure) I did enjoy it. And I'm really looking forward to the next one!
*3.5 stars*
I'm enamored with this series and although I found this one a bit rushed (due to the limited page numbers I'm sure) I did enjoy it. And I'm really looking forward to the next one!
*3.5 stars*
August 18, 2019
This was a cute Christmas novella. It is consistent with the rest of the Hexworld novels, and presents one sassy witch and his shy familiar solving a crime and getting rid of their fears. There was a bit of angst, a bit of steam, a bit of humor and a mildly interesting hex case. I liked that Roland, the wolf familiar, finally found the his witch who showed him there was nothing to fear and gave him family and sense of belonging. I enjoyed this little snippet.
Want to Read
November 20, 2016Thanks for the gift, mystery elf!!
November 2, 2016
3.5 stars
I immediately bought A Christmas Hex when I received newsletter from Jordan L. Hawk. I loved this world of witches and their familiars, so I was happy when I knew she released a new one, albeit being a short story.
This time, the story moves away from the detectives over at Metropolitan Witch Police. Instead we have Roland, a wolf familiar who also a writer as well as an Irish-Chinese private detective, Augustus Cao, who happens to be Roland's witch.
The story is written solely from Roland's perspective. I thought being a wolf familiar, an animal that is not exactly a tame pet to begin with, Roland has more stories to tell. Roland is thrown out by his family, afraid of his animal form. He struggles to tell Cao about him being a wolf as well, fearing that Cao will reject him in fear. I didn't miss Cao's perspective at all....
The story was pretty quick -- it was short after all. But I didn't feel that Roland and Cao's attraction as instant. Maybe because Roland said that he had been visiting the restaurant where Cao worked undercover for a while now. So their beginning had been built for a while, albeit off pages.
Definitely a lovely addition to the Hexworld universe. Put a huge smile on my face when I finished :)
I immediately bought A Christmas Hex when I received newsletter from Jordan L. Hawk. I loved this world of witches and their familiars, so I was happy when I knew she released a new one, albeit being a short story.
This time, the story moves away from the detectives over at Metropolitan Witch Police. Instead we have Roland, a wolf familiar who also a writer as well as an Irish-Chinese private detective, Augustus Cao, who happens to be Roland's witch.
The story is written solely from Roland's perspective. I thought being a wolf familiar, an animal that is not exactly a tame pet to begin with, Roland has more stories to tell. Roland is thrown out by his family, afraid of his animal form. He struggles to tell Cao about him being a wolf as well, fearing that Cao will reject him in fear. I didn't miss Cao's perspective at all....
The story was pretty quick -- it was short after all. But I didn't feel that Roland and Cao's attraction as instant. Maybe because Roland said that he had been visiting the restaurant where Cao worked undercover for a while now. So their beginning had been built for a while, albeit off pages.
Definitely a lovely addition to the Hexworld universe. Put a huge smile on my face when I finished :)
November 18, 2020
Relisten Nov 2020: enjoyed it just as much, if not more than the first time! 👏👏 One sex scene, but it’s lovely!
Original review Dec 2017:
Fun and quick holiday short story set in Jordan L Hawk’s Hexworld. My only complaint was that it wasn’t longer!
Original review Dec 2017:
Fun and quick holiday short story set in Jordan L Hawk’s Hexworld. My only complaint was that it wasn’t longer!
April 30, 2026
3.5 stars
The rating is from my first read and I’m not changing it, even though it would be 3 stars if I had to rate it now. I’ve no idea what made an impression on me in 2017, so the review is all about my second read. I appreciated the Asian-American representation and that the misunderstanding/miscommunication that’s been a bit of a recurring theme in this series was reduced to a very brief instance in this case, probably because the story is so short, but I’ll take it.
I liked both MCs and I found them well-suited to each other, it’s too bad there wasn’t enough page time to explore it in more depth, I liked seeing the perspective of a familiar who can turn
The rating is from my first read and I’m not changing it, even though it would be 3 stars if I had to rate it now. I’ve no idea what made an impression on me in 2017, so the review is all about my second read. I appreciated the Asian-American representation and that the misunderstanding/miscommunication that’s been a bit of a recurring theme in this series was reduced to a very brief instance in this case, probably because the story is so short, but I’ll take it.
I liked both MCs and I found them well-suited to each other, it’s too bad there wasn’t enough page time to explore it in more depth, I liked seeing the perspective of a familiar who can turn
June 21, 2017
3.5 / 5
This was super cute. I loved August (Gus) and also Roland. Maybe I should have read book 2 first as I feel like I'm probably going to see mention made of Roland in the second book, but hey it's short so I can always reread it. ; ) Also hurray for some sexy Asian men, it doesn't happen nearly often enough in published fiction.
This was super cute. I loved August (Gus) and also Roland. Maybe I should have read book 2 first as I feel like I'm probably going to see mention made of Roland in the second book, but hey it's short so I can always reread it. ; ) Also hurray for some sexy Asian men, it doesn't happen nearly often enough in published fiction.
December 4, 2017
Cute Christmas addition to the series, but too short to be really great.
3,5 stars
3,5 stars
December 1, 2019
Audio Review: No Change
Just as good the second time around, and once again Tristan James delivers a great performance. I loved listing to this story, and I'd still love to have a longer book for Gus & Roland (or even another novella). I've already read the 3rd book, so I know what's up with Nick now...which makes me really appreciate how well certain authors carry over plot devices & developments into subsequent books. I hate dangling plot threads and so far that's not an issue with these Hexworld books. I've still got one more to go, though...
Original Review 25Nov2016: 4.2 Stars
Ahhhh, I know this is supposed to only be a short story but OMG I love them and need more of Gus & Roland! Hopefully their bonding ceremony will be detailed in a future installment - and that we get more of the Sullivan Detectives. Plus, I'm still itching to know what Nick's dealio is...not to mention how he'd handle finding "his" witch (if he doesn't know who he is already - which I'm kinda thinking he does).
Just as good the second time around, and once again Tristan James delivers a great performance. I loved listing to this story, and I'd still love to have a longer book for Gus & Roland (or even another novella). I've already read the 3rd book, so I know what's up with Nick now...which makes me really appreciate how well certain authors carry over plot devices & developments into subsequent books. I hate dangling plot threads and so far that's not an issue with these Hexworld books. I've still got one more to go, though...
Original Review 25Nov2016: 4.2 Stars
Ahhhh, I know this is supposed to only be a short story but OMG I love them and need more of Gus & Roland! Hopefully their bonding ceremony will be detailed in a future installment - and that we get more of the Sullivan Detectives. Plus, I'm still itching to know what Nick's dealio is...not to mention how he'd handle finding "his" witch (if he doesn't know who he is already - which I'm kinda thinking he does).
March 18, 2019
Short little story about a wolf familiar that finally finds his witch, and with him also a new family. Roland was a cute wolf, and Gus was a really nice guy. Together they were sweet and also if the story was pretty simple, I wasn't bored by reading it.
February 17, 2018
Cute little Christmas short, definitely recommend for the fans of the series.
April 30, 2026
This was fun, but a bit rushed. I would have liked more pages to solve and explain things, , but it's a short. It was to expect. I enjoyed it and I'm looking forward if Nick lives to our expectations about him. I can't wait to discover it with Ele.
December 5, 2016
Cute, quick holiday story in the wild Hexworld. I missed the bits that I loved so much about the first short story and book where the familiars had the animal features while in human form (Cicero in particular) but that's just me being oddly specific about what I like. This is a nice peek into the world and there was a lot packed into 56 pages.
November 6, 2016
Loved it.
New characters. Roland, a wolf familiar and Gus his witch, meet whilst Roland is rescuing Gus from2 crooks.
Its a jaunt about stolen hexes and a bank robbery that takes place on Christmas Eve.
Its sweet and short and another nice insight into Hexworld.
New characters. Roland, a wolf familiar and Gus his witch, meet whilst Roland is rescuing Gus from2 crooks.
Its a jaunt about stolen hexes and a bank robbery that takes place on Christmas Eve.
Its sweet and short and another nice insight into Hexworld.
October 17, 2022
Questa novella natalizia avrebbe meritato di diventare un libro vero e proprio, mi è piaciuta davvero molto!
Ambientata nello stesso mondo e tempo degli altri volumi, ha però due nuovi protagonisti: l’investigatore privato Gus, che è di origini cino-irlandesi, e il famiglio Roland, che scrive libri sotto pseudonimo e non può rivelare a nessuno la sua natura animale, tanto meno al suo stregone ignaro di chi egli sia.
Un salvataggio casuale li fa collaborare… e poi investigazioni, inseguimenti, pericoli e segreti, una spruzzata hot e dolcezza... il tutto creano una bella storia da gustare e leggere per completezza, in attesa del prossimo volume.
Voto: 4+ su 5 stelle
Ambientata nello stesso mondo e tempo degli altri volumi, ha però due nuovi protagonisti: l’investigatore privato Gus, che è di origini cino-irlandesi, e il famiglio Roland, che scrive libri sotto pseudonimo e non può rivelare a nessuno la sua natura animale, tanto meno al suo stregone ignaro di chi egli sia.
Un salvataggio casuale li fa collaborare… e poi investigazioni, inseguimenti, pericoli e segreti, una spruzzata hot e dolcezza... il tutto creano una bella storia da gustare e leggere per completezza, in attesa del prossimo volume.
Voto: 4+ su 5 stelle
December 1, 2016
4.5/5.0
Wonderful holiday story set in Jordan L Hawk's Hex World. Mystery, romance, witches and familiars and a mystery to solve. Roland and Gus are fun characters and I enjoyed this book very much. Wonderful addition to the series.
Wonderful holiday story set in Jordan L Hawk's Hex World. Mystery, romance, witches and familiars and a mystery to solve. Roland and Gus are fun characters and I enjoyed this book very much. Wonderful addition to the series.
November 12, 2016
Short, sweet & sexy, all my favorite things! ❤️
June 23, 2017
3.5 stars
August 7, 2021
A CHRISTMAS HEX was a cute holiday novella in the HEXWORLD! Roland is a lonely wolf familiar who believes he’ll never be accepted because people don’t like the more dangerous familiars like wolves. When he meets Gus and realizes he’s Roland’s witch he can’t help but spend time with Gus even though he’s confident Gus would have no interest bounding with him. Together the two of them work to solve a case and of course fall in love. Short, sweet, and fun!
May 6, 2019
Previous reviews of Jordan L. Hawk's absolutely phenomenal Hexworld series would have you know I'm a little... emotionally invested. I have loved the short stories offered (The 13th Hex and Wild, Wild, Hex) and A Christmas Hex was a little different in all the best ways. Unlike previous stories, which are focused on a familiar, their witch, and work done for the Metropolitan Witch Police in New York City, this one was unrelated to the MWP. It was refreshing to experience what 'average joes' across the city are up to within the series arc.
Post the events of Hexmaker, certain familiars considered to be dangerous animals are now living precarious lives, in fear that at any moment the government may snatch them and claim they are a "danger to society." Roland understands this. He's a wolf, and since being thrown out by his own family, who were terrified of his claws and teeth, Roland has made a quiet, unassuming life for himself as the author of dime novels. He never shifts in public, and has come to the heartbreaking conclusion he will never find love or an understanding witch.
Of course, no tale is so simple. He meets Augustus Cao, a private detective hot on the heels of thieves utilizing a dangerous, mesmerizing hex to in order to steal and kill. Roland, in a state of panic, saves Gus from certain death, and tags along with his witch, too afraid to share the truth of his animal nature, of their magical connection, but unwilling to let Gus face danger alone.
It's a sweet, sad, adventurous short set in turn-of-the-century New York during the holidays. Death and danger are at every corner, per any good Hawk story, but at the core is a romance true and beautiful and worthy of a read.
Post the events of Hexmaker, certain familiars considered to be dangerous animals are now living precarious lives, in fear that at any moment the government may snatch them and claim they are a "danger to society." Roland understands this. He's a wolf, and since being thrown out by his own family, who were terrified of his claws and teeth, Roland has made a quiet, unassuming life for himself as the author of dime novels. He never shifts in public, and has come to the heartbreaking conclusion he will never find love or an understanding witch.
Of course, no tale is so simple. He meets Augustus Cao, a private detective hot on the heels of thieves utilizing a dangerous, mesmerizing hex to in order to steal and kill. Roland, in a state of panic, saves Gus from certain death, and tags along with his witch, too afraid to share the truth of his animal nature, of their magical connection, but unwilling to let Gus face danger alone.
It's a sweet, sad, adventurous short set in turn-of-the-century New York during the holidays. Death and danger are at every corner, per any good Hawk story, but at the core is a romance true and beautiful and worthy of a read.
July 16, 2017
Okay the story was good. I loved the family and secondary characters for the bit they were in the book. Unfortunately as it was very short everything seemed rushed. I am greedy and I really want a longer story for them. They foiled a crime and started a business so maybe we will see them detecting in another book. Augustus and Roland were so sweet just a great holiday story.
December 7, 2016
Short and sweet, feels longer (which is a good thing) didn't feel particularly "Christmassy" but references to the wolf-familiar, Roland being thrown out by his parents on Christmas Eve and this story takes place again around that Christmas period probably make it a so.
Great plot, paranormal mystery and m/m. Enjoyed it immensely. 3.5 stars.
Great plot, paranormal mystery and m/m. Enjoyed it immensely. 3.5 stars.
May 7, 2018
A wonderful winter time and Christmas story. Great story line and characters. It would be funny if other characters in the Hexworld universe were to read the stories written in this novella. Sex as normal was very hot and steamy and just the right amount. Short sweet and a fun read.
May 13, 2022
Voilà un petite nouvelle prenant place dans le même univers que les tomes précédents mais qui, pour une fois, nous sort un peu du cadre de la PSD puisque le personnage principal, Roland, est écrivain et que le sorcier qu’il rencontre est un détective privé. Pas de Thériarchiste, pas de complot visant à la suprématie des familiers, et pas d’enquête officielle non plus.
Leur histoire peut se passer à peu près n’importe quand mais c’est sans doute mieux d’avoir lu le tome 2 avant puisqu’on retrouve Nick, qui s’occupe toujours de son bar réservé aux familiers.
L’enquête qu’ils mènent est très basique, le point principal étant porté sur le sort réservé aux familiers se transformant en animaux vus comme des prédateurs.
On est dans quelque chose de très linéaire, de simple, sans grande surprise, mais avec une histoire plutôt sympathique et c’est mignon de voir Roland réussir à trouver le bonheur, ce qui est somme toute ce qu’on attend de ces histoires de Noël.
Leur histoire peut se passer à peu près n’importe quand mais c’est sans doute mieux d’avoir lu le tome 2 avant puisqu’on retrouve Nick, qui s’occupe toujours de son bar réservé aux familiers.
L’enquête qu’ils mènent est très basique, le point principal étant porté sur le sort réservé aux familiers se transformant en animaux vus comme des prédateurs.
On est dans quelque chose de très linéaire, de simple, sans grande surprise, mais avec une histoire plutôt sympathique et c’est mignon de voir Roland réussir à trouver le bonheur, ce qui est somme toute ce qu’on attend de ces histoires de Noël.
November 28, 2017
MMRG Xmas Bingo: Free Space
I am way into the the Hexworld universe and I loved everything that I’ve read in the series. It’s a mix of the familiar (to me) as the story takes place in “Old” New York City in the late 1800s combined with the paranormal element.
Sad and lonely Roland who is even more depressed at Christmas-time partly because he has found his witch, August Cao but has no hope of revealing himself for fear of being rejected for who he is.
The two of them end up solving a crime together.
I am way into the the Hexworld universe and I loved everything that I’ve read in the series. It’s a mix of the familiar (to me) as the story takes place in “Old” New York City in the late 1800s combined with the paranormal element.
Sad and lonely Roland who is even more depressed at Christmas-time partly because he has found his witch, August Cao but has no hope of revealing himself for fear of being rejected for who he is.
The two of them end up solving a crime together.
June 13, 2017
Cute Christmas short from the Hexworld
I love wolves so I really felt for poor Roland in this Christmas special from Jordan L Hawk. Mythology places them in many of our darkest tales and it's these which the alternative steampunk reality focuses on.
Gus was a sweetie though and the crime fighting element of the narrative was quite cleverly done. I did like the detective/author references which reminded me of Hawk's Whyborne and Griffin.
I love wolves so I really felt for poor Roland in this Christmas special from Jordan L Hawk. Mythology places them in many of our darkest tales and it's these which the alternative steampunk reality focuses on.
Gus was a sweetie though and the crime fighting element of the narrative was quite cleverly done. I did like the detective/author references which reminded me of Hawk's Whyborne and Griffin.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 178 reviews