An Alex Verus Novel from the New Master of Magical London

Thoroughly enjoyable, tied together several plot points and left a nice big cliff hanger for the next one. I almost grew to dislike Alex a bit in this one, which is not necessarily a bad thing - this book examines a bit more of his history with Richard and what lies behind Deleo. A good read.

I bought this book because it was on a "best of sci-fi" book list that said if you like Jim Butcher you will love this book. Well love is a strong word but it was pretty darn close. The only thing I wish is that the author would have given more back story to the character before launching into the story because it took me a good 25% of the book to figure out the character was male (perhaps that was because I was tired but it was a little disconcerting). However, it was a good story. It moved along at a fast clip, no real slow spots. If you want an engaging read that sets up nicely for a series then this is the book for you.

I have to say that this series is a worthy companion to Jim Butcher's Dresden Files. It has gripping action, a healthy dose of justifiable snarkiness and a believable magic system. Hang on for a wild ride if you begin reading it!

I have read all jacka's books and i really enjoy them. This one was not as good as the previous ones, although still enjoyable.

The story seemed a bit repetitive and predictable to me, and is a prelude to the return of his former Dark Mage master.

So while this is a nice read, i can not give it more than 4 stars, and would have preferred a 3.5

It just didn't move the plot along like I hoped. I still like the series and I'll read the next one, probably borrow the library book though instead of buying it. It just seemed like a story in the middle of the story, a side tale or anecdote. I just remember finishing it and thinking, really, this is the end, what about... what about ... Anyhow I hope the next one will be better.

I really liked the first three books in the Alex Verus series. I thought they were full of action, had a great protagonist, and most importantly entertaining. But I have to say compared with this newest installment in the series, Chosen, the rest of the series were all flat and dull by comparison.

I don't mean that to be an insult to the first three books, as I mentioned I really liked the Fated, Cursed, and Taken. What I mean by this is that that Chosen was just that good.

First off, Chosen has nonstop action going for it. We get to see Alex in action in what felt like every third chapter. On top of that we get to see Luna final strut her new magical skills and kick butt, heck even Sonder got into the fray a bit.

But what I found most impressive about Chosen was how well Benedict Jacka tied many of the events together from the previous three books and really started the larger story arc going. To get the larger story arc going Jacka introduces readers to Alex's past. Readers are given the dirt on Alex's dark roots as the events from his past come back to haunt him as a group of adepts attempt to hunt him down for the crimes he committed when he was younger. But most interesting about Alex's roots are not that he has them, but in how his friends and others react to his past.

Of course on top of that Jacka also does a fantastic job of confounding the distinctions of dark mages and light mages as you get in the heads of some young dark mages (I wont say who because that would give it away) and you can see the reason they behave the way they do, as well as the corruption of the light mages through the Council.

All in all, I loved Chosen. It had action, a fantastic protagonist, was fast paced, and started a larger story arc going that left me craving more of the series. If you like urban fantasy or books that leave you eagerly awaiting the next in the series, then definitely check out Chosen.

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This was another good book in the Alex Verus series. I always enjoy these books, they are good investigative urban fantasies and entertaining to read.

I listened to this on audiobook and the audiobooks are well done. Jackson sounds exactly like I imagine Alex Verus would. Some of the women’s voices are a bit off sounding, but it’s not bad and all the characters have unique voices.

In this book Alex’s past is coming back to haunt him. He did some things he’s not proud off when he was a Black Apprentice and those things are coming to call.

We meet a couple interesting new characters, however mostly it’s our old favorites...Luna, Sanders, Anne and Variam. There is some interesting background on Anne and Variam. Luna doesn’t get much page space though and there isn’t a lot of development of her character.

As with previous books the main mystery is wrapped up and the next storyline is hinted at.

Overall a good continuation of the Alex Verus series. I am never super impressed by these books, but I do enjoy them. There’s not a ton of world-building but there is a good mystery and some interesting characters. I would recommend to those who are looking for a humorous urban fantasy. While this isn’t in my top 5 urban fantasy series, it is a fun one and I enjoy it.

Alex's past comes back to haunt him as a vigilante group of adepts seek to kill him out of vengeance for something he did while apprenticing with a dark mage. Alex eludes death time and again through the help of his young friends and apprentice. What's interesting is the focus on the black and white thinking that only young adults can still cling to with certainty. The young on both sides believe their own actions to be right. The vigilantes believe in it so much, that they are willing to behave like the people they are killing to prove it. And, Alex's friends have a hard time reconciling Alex's past and present behavior with their rigid sense of morality. Adult life certainly disappoints them as they also discover that the Keepers, the rigid adult arbiters of magical correctness, are more political than moral. This is very much a coming of age book (along with the action, intrigue, magic, and violence) and so much is revealed and learned. It is interesting to see which of Alex's friends return to him at the end after the manipulation and violence he has committed...and which he has done so to save them from having to do the same. At one point Alex asks one friend why it was all right for him to kill to save her life, but not all right for him to kill to save his own life. Ack! Will children ever learn?

Review Courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

CHOSEN'S plot read like a thriller with Alex running from and sometimes into danger which made for a quick paced story with something new always popping up to keep me wondering how Alex is going to get out of this dilemma. A lot of CHOSEN is dedicated to flashbacks to Alex's time as a Dark mage's apprentice. The flashbacks really help to clarify the reason for this emotional weight he seems to carry throughout the series which helped to flesh out his characterization. They also show the shocking cruelty Verus lived with and how easily corruptible young people can be when presented with ultimate power. I was concerned that constant flashbacks would slow the story down but I was luckily wrong and was happy to get a glimpse of young Alex to better understand older Alex.

What I like about the mages in this world is the fine line a mage balances between being a Light or Dark mage depending on how they chose to use their powers. While the adult Alex has chosen to use his power for good he still participated in some horrible acts as a Dark mage's apprentice yet he still lives in a grey world of being neither Light nor Dark which makes him an interesting character. What was refreshing was that while Alex has reformed himself and more than made up for his past he was still given some consequences for his past and present actions.

While Alex was quite good at being a semi-loner I liked that he has a slightly expanding group of friends/acquaintances as it not only helps expand the world building it also gives him a reason to fight and get more involved in the magic community. Luna, Alex's cursed apprentice is a fun character and I love how she has become more confident in using her curse to protect others. The insane accuracy of her power to dole out bad luck to anyone she comes near (demonstrated in a few excellent fights in CHOSEN) makes her a person I'd want to stay on the good side of.

CHOSEN revealed a lot of Alex's past which made an already intriguing character even more interesting and admirable. The cliffhanger at the end of CHOSEN was shocking and I can't wait to see what this revelation means for Alex and his friends in the yet untitled fifth book of the Alex Verus series coming out in 2014.

so far this is my favorite book of the series, and ive read up to current. im not gonna spoil it though, yall should just read it. it surprised me how much i like this series. i find that even though ive been a diehard fan of the dresden files, i actually like this series more. the main character is just more pragmatic and practical than dresden, and i enjoy the survivor aspect that verus brings to the table. he doesnt make any excuses for who he is or what he does. he tries to be as good as he can in a bad world. its just more interesting to me. regardless, ill be preordering all of his books until either Jacka dies, or i do, lol.

Love the Verus series. Of all the mage/telepath/urban fantasy books out there (Correia, Kevin Anderson, Justin Gustainis, Ben Aaronovitch, Alex Hughes, and yes even the mighty Jim Butcher of the Dresden files) this series is my favorite. Smartly written, good world building while still describing 21st century London, great supporting characters, and above all a sense of humor, I love following Alex's adventures and can't wait for the next entry...out in two weeks) What blows me away is the many ways Jacka can interpret and use Alex's powers. I can't even begin to imagine half of iterations Jacka comes up with on how seeing the future can be used in battling super villains. Alex is way ahead of any of DC or Marvel super heroes, yet he always remains self-effacing and funny. I am always surprised that Alex ever gets caught even with this books' gang of teen villains. One pet peeve is that the villain, is one your worse types: super annoying. supercilious, egotistical, idealistic teen villain. At least with an older villain you can reason, even admire their dastardliness. Not this one. I wanted to backhand him from the minute he appeared in this book, but that's the brilliance of the author to portray a villain that the reader wants to murder. I admire Alex for his fortitude and idealism.

I have really been enjoying the Alex Verus books. I read the first three last year and was SO excited when I got this fourth book. I really didn't want the series to end! This series has been compared to The Dresden Files, which I haven't yet read, but own and hope to read soon.

Alex is a character that feels real to me. I love a male point-of-view anyway, but Alex Verus just has a voice that I really enjoy. He doesn't have a big ego and tries his hardest to stay out of trouble. He will even admit that his best choice (and chance) is to stay out of conflicts. Unfortunately it's just not that easy. Trouble seems to find him. Alex's divining (being able to see into different futures) is his special mage ability. And it works amazingly well. This allows him to know what will happen for any move he makes, bringing him to choose the right move and hopefully escape with his life. He is one crazy multi-tasker!

In this book Alex's past is catching up with him. Something happened long ago and someone has come to take revenge. This brings up a lot of right or wrong questions. If someone is trying to kill you, how far do you go to defend yourself? Especially when some of those attacking you are only doing so under orders of one whose revenge may be slightly misplaced? There's a lot to think about here and even hours after finishing the book I'm still thinking about it. It's a tough one...

I really felt a lot for Alex in this book. I felt like it definitely got more emotional than the previous books, bringing in his past quite a lot. It also opened up a new plot arc that I predict will be one crazy ride. I felt like Alex was just getting hit life together, and suddenly things have started falling apart a bit. I most certainly look forward to seeing where things go, and how he survives the next round of crazy that's sure to come his way.

Alex Verus is a quick thinking, street smart, butt kicking machine who is also funny, kind-hearted, bold and noble. If you haven't met him yet, you need to get on that pronto!

Again, I got so into this story that it was hard to put own the book. Verus is back in the fourth installment of this series, along with the friends he has made in the previous books: Luna, Sonder, Anne, and Variam. This time Alex is being hunted for revenge for something that happened while an apprentice to the dark mage, Richard. I would share more, but really don't want to ruin the story.

Jacka has done a great job in the series with building up not only new characters in each installment, but greater character development as the the story line continues. I think it was on the first book I had said I would like to know more of Alex's past, and this book helps fill in so much more detail, even if from a slightly different point of view than expected. And the added 'hint' at the end, that there (hopefully) be at least another book to be released in the future (again - no spoilers!). Definitely the best book so far in this series!!

`Chosen' is the fourth book in the Alex Verus series and, in my opinion, is the best of them. The past has come home to roost in the form of an assassin who is determined to kill Alex. Now Alex has to confront his past and keep his charges safe, along with telling them the truth about his apprenticeship to a Dark Mage. Mr. Jacka has woven together the events in the first three books and deftly brought the characters to the beginning of the biggest battle they may ever fight. I enjoyed seeing more of Alex's past and learning the events which had a hand in creating the man he is today. I understood how some of his new friends couldn't handle his past or his methods for dealing with the current threat, but I felt everything worked out as best as possible. `Chosen' is a creative, action-packed, and highly entertaining novel with a bit of everything for everyone. With the creepy ending, I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens next!!

Alex Verus series: Fated (1), Cursed (2), Taken (3), Chosen (4)

Since I started reading this series I always thought it to be the younger sibling to the incomparable Harry Dresden books but this book has proven me wrong.
This showed the depth and improvement that Benedict Jacka has made as an author, fleshing out a believable lead character. Alex Verus has grown with every book in the series and what made him grow over me is unlike some characters like Dresden there is no magic pill that results in a rosy ending where everyone goes happy, human nature does not always allow for that.
The gritty and dark ending where sometimes even good men must resort to bad things to right a situation has made this my number one urban fantasy. So long Harry Dresden but Alex Verus the diviner foresaw himself taking over the number 1 slot!!

Fourth in the Alex Verus urban fantasy series set in a contemporary London and revolving around a mage who wants nothing to do with the Black or the Light.

It’s been eight months since Taken , 3.

My Take
Hmmm, we find out how Alex feels about poker, LOL. And it’s a good learning opportunity for Luna when Alex takes her to the casino. Unfortunately, Alex learns a lot more than he could ever have imagined.

Interesting psychological assessment by Shirland about Anne. Scary, too.

If Will and his group are so gung-ho about protecting the world, so to speak, what are they doing attacking Alex in a casino?

It’s a fascinating way to provide the back history on Alex, Rachel, Shireen, and Tobruk, and it definitely explains a heckuva lot. Jesus. A Kids Gone Wild, only with black magic.

Oh, man, Alex just can’t resist the one-liners. That teasing he does on the exploded rooftop when Ja-Ja meets Anne...crack me up.

All that foreshadowing, and it still caught me by surprise. That’s not the only surprise. I can’t believe Caldera has been a Keeper for any length of time and doesn’t understand how diviner magic works! If she’s a combat sort of mage, wouldn’t she have more of a clue? I can’t believe Caldera can keep a straight face either when she claims that the law applies to mages AND adepts. Yeahhh, suuuure...

Alex does make an excellent point and one that applies to every one of us: don’t judge people, their actions, their desires, by your own standards.

The whole brou-ha-ha points up what’s wrong with the Light Council and their laws. And I’m feeling rather hypocritical that I’m completely leaving the Dark mages out of this part of the discussion. Except, realistically (as real as it gets in fiction *grin*), the Dark have never pretended to care. Only the Light have. Pretended, that is.

For such a smart girl, Rachel is amazingly stupid not to realize how being a Dark mage worked. That bit with the Harvesting Crystal? Whoa. Now I’m curious about the past stories. Did I miss something about a mage who’s used one??

This is one action-packed story, and I could not see a way out. Other than to keep turning pages and reading as fast as I could, LOL. Only, there really wasn’t anything to laugh about. Alex was wrong. Will had reason to want him dead, but he went about it in all the wrong ways. I’d have felt more for his need for vengeance if he’d taken more care of innocents. I’m not feeling all that sympathetic for Alex either even though I think he has paid, and is paying, quite a lot for his past. At least he’s doing what he can to make up for it. And that speech at the end, when Alex is ranting at Will...he sounds as childish as Will. Nor does Lee realize that he sounds just like Alex.

The Story
Alex's past deeds come back to haunt him and some powerful people want him dead. To ensure a truly miserable trip down memory lane, a Keeper for the Council wants his help in finding out what happened to his former Dark master.

Not a journey he wants to make in either case, but Alex figures he owes Will. And who better to tell him what happened than a former fellow apprentice. Only, she’d rather show him, as he’ll understand so much more.

And...we do understand, we understand so much, and I can’t decide if I need a bucket or a box of tissues or both...

The Characters
Alex Verus is a rogue diviner who runs a magic shop, the Arcana Emporium. He wants to be ignored by the Dark and the Light. Arachne is a spider the size of a rhino who creates the most beautiful (and practical) garments. She lives underground at Hampstead Heath.

His friends include Luna Mancuso, who’s been cursed and is learning to control the curse, is taking dueling classes and is Alex’s apprentice; Variam Singh, a fire mage; Anne Walker is a life mage; and, David Sonder is a time mage who can speed time up, slow it down, look into the past, or kick something out of the timeline.

Keeper Caldera is part of the enforcement arm of the Light Council.

Richard Drakh was Alex’s master in the past. A Dark mage who disappeared ten years ago. His Chosen is Deleo, a former apprentice, once known as Rachel, a water mage, who’s gone whacko. Two other apprentices, Tobruk and Shireen, were both fire mages. Cinder is a fire mage partnered up with Deleo; he figures he owes Alex from Fated , 1.

Matt Stewart was Cath’s boyfriend, simply trying to protect her. Catherine Traviss had an affinity for time and space. The Nightstalkers are an Adept vigilante group taking down Dark mages: Will Traviss is the younger brother left behind, an adept who can accelerate time; Bev, Gold-hair, is a fire adept; Lee is the tracker; Dhruv Chaudhury, a magnetism adept, is second-in-command and is said to be the brains; Kyle Summers, Captain America, is a space magic user with some military background; and, Jaime Cordeiro, a.k.a., Ja-Ja, is a life-drinker wanted for murder in Brazil.

Dr. Ruth Shirland is an independent mind mage hired to help Anne and Vari find a new master; in normal life, she works as a psychologist.

The Keepers are a mixture of soldiers, police, and internal investigators. It doesn’t matter which side the Mages fall on, they’re all arrogant and take what they want. Adepts are below the mages power-wise and can only use one type of magic. Elsewhere is not a place, but a world to which you can only travel in dreams. Where you can touch people through dreams, through their minds. Nocturnes, Darkness elementals, hunt by sound and are near impossible to beat.

The Cover
The cover is a bright yellow background with tone-on-tone gridlike ribbons of energy swirling through the sky over a nighttime-lit Thames River. The black border at the top with the ragged-edge bottom showcases the title in yellow.

The title could go two ways, for in either case, she is the Chosen.

I just picked this book up at the local library on a whim and loved it. The characters are thrilling and interesting and the action is fast paced. And the hero isn't some all you can do superhero he has weakness, strengths, and is very likable. I enjoyed reading this so much I bought the first book in the series before I even finished this one. Couldn't put the book down!!!

Chosen by Benedict Jacka is the latest Alex Verus novel, and both stands up well to the previous books and sets the bar for future stories in the `verse. However, the `magician with a past' trope has gotten a little tired lately, and a fresh perspective would be a nice change. On the upside, Alex Verus doesn't spend much of his time angsting over the mistakes he's made - which is good, because that never solved any problems.

And, for the record, Alex Verus, mage, seer, or diviner has a past in which he's made his fair share of mistakes. Divining isn't a showy ability, but it makes Alex good in a fight - he can see his foe's next move coming, can find things he's looking for, and of course, can look into the future.

There are Light Mages, Dark Mages, and adepts, with Alex having been nearly initiated as a Dark Mage when he was young, and which has now made him extremely unpopular with the Light Mages.

Unfortunately, as an apprentice Dark Mage, Alex did a number of unpleasant things, and in this book, he faces the consequences. A young adept is attempting to kill off all Dark Mages in order to liberate fellow adepts. As an adept, one is vulnerable to the malice of Dark Mages, the adept, Will, leads a group of other adepts on a mission that includes killing Alex, whose former Dark Mage Master killed his sister.

While Alex doesn't want to kill this young adept, he isn't willing to lay down his life, but is so unwilling to step up and fight Will that he nearly gets killed. Not wanting to involve anyone else in the fallout of his mistakes, or put anyone else in danger means he does this behind the backs of his friends, thus creating even more issues.

The story includes a fair amount of action sequences, as well as the moral quandary that Alex finds himself in: what is the cost of not only admitting to past mistakes, but not letting them define a person? Future books promise to deal with the consequences of this story, as well as its long-term effects on the characters and their world.

This is the best Alex Verus book yet! We finally get some illumination on his past, although there are still many unanswered questions that make me look forward to the next book even more. The action was almost non stop and kept me up half the night. His moral anguish and inner dialogue about the path he will take gives new insight into his character and makes him much more complex. My only complaint is that I now have to wait for what feels like FOREVER until the next book in the series comes out!