2020/152: Hexbreaker -- Jordan L Hawk

...magic was an art and shouldn’t be degraded by capitalism, and definitely shouldn’t be used in service of the police. Easy for him to say, when he didn’t have to worry about being kidnapped off the street and forced to bond. [p. 24]

Set in New York in the 1890s, just before the consolidation of the five boroughs into New York City, Hexbreaker is the story of New York cop Tom Halloran (who has been concealing his witchy heritage, and his true identity, since tragedy struck nine years before) and cat-shifter Cicero (who, as a familiar, should -- in society's eyes -- be bonded to a witch). It can be read as a variation on the 'soulmate' theme: Cicero is still desperately hoping that he'll meet and be welcomed by his witch, the one he'll instinctively recognise, the one who'll magnify Cicero's own magic. He's aware, though, that not all witches are kind to the familiars they bond with. Tom, on the other hand, is keen to conceal his witch potential, lest his criminal past be brought to the attention of his superiors.

The romantic conclusion is a given, but it's how they get there -- and how they each make sacrifices for the other -- that makes this an interesting read. I liked the worldbuilding: the implicit history of familiars and witches (parallels with slavery?), the ways in which the magical and non-magical communities of New York intersect, the trade in licit and illicit hexes which drives the 'whodunnit' element of the plot. Also very enjoyable was the friction between Tom and Cicero: the former a tough no-nonsense patrolman who, in Cicero's assessment, is "rough. Uncultured. Says ‘ain’t’... doesn't even know who Oscar Wilde was", the latter a smooth sophisticated Italian-American, or sometimes a sleek and subtle black cat, who enjoys art and poetry and is at home in the queer community.

I confess I'm more interested in the worldbuilding than the characters, but that might simply be because the 'odd couple' trope (sophisticated/rough, openly queer/repressed, et cetera) is something I've read a lot of lately. This novel was just what I needed on a bleak day between Christmas and New Year, and I'll likely read more of the series when I need a similarly cheerful, engaging romance.