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Hexwood
464 pages
A mind-bending puzzle-box of a story where Arthurian myth and science fiction collide in an English wood.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stepping into a brilliantly constructed labyrinth where the walls keep shifting. It is a masterclass in deliberate disorientation, blending the eerie, timeless atmosphere of Arthurian myth with the sharp edges of classic science fiction. The narrative moves at a brisk, unpredictable clip, demanding that you surrender to the confusion as timelines fracture and identities blur. Yet, the prose remains remarkably grounded, delivering cosmic stakes with a wry, matter-of-fact British sensibility. It is an experience designed for readers who love to be challenged, who delight in piecing together a complex puzzle, and who trust that the author has a masterful plan for every seemingly impossible twist. The emotional payoff is a triumphant moment of sudden, breathtaking clarity.
- Mood
- disorienting
- dreamlike
- eerie
- mythic
- Tone
- wry
- mysterious
- matter-of-fact
- playful
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- shifting identities · nature of reality · myth meets technology · rebellion against control
- The writing
- Crisp and deceptively straightforward, grounding mind-bending temporal concepts in the dry, everyday reality of British domesticity.
- The arc
- The journey begins in mundane bewilderment, spirals into a dizzying puzzle of fractured timelines, and culminates in a triumphant reclamation of agency.
- Who it's for
- Readers who delight in complex, puzzle-box narratives and trust a brilliant author to guide them through deliberate, thrilling confusion.
Content notes
- memory loss
- mind control
- mild peril
About the book
Ann discovers that the wood near her village is under the control of a Bannus, a machine that manipulates reality, placed there many years ago by powerful extraterrestrial beings called Reigners.
Description from Open Library.
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