The First Alex Verus Novel from the New Master of Magical London

... but a good detective series either has a relatively interesting but static main character presented with interesting challenges and secondary characters in each entry, or a set of similar but escalating challenges in sequential books which drive the lead character to evolve and grow in character. Or both.

While the first book was quite enjoyable, the later entries... don't really go anywhere. We're treated to new characters so indistinct that they can't even be described without referencing physical characteristics or their job. Conversations read like the author talking to himself, and there is never any real chemistry or dynamic between anyone because they're all undefined pieces being moved about on a game board whose configuration we're supposed to care about because... no one knows, we're just supposed to care.

I wouldn't go so far as to say don't read this, but I would not put it high on your wish-list.

This book is just as good as the author's first, and it does an excellent job of expanding on the reality that Alex Verus is part of. Though it does raise new questions, I'm confident that the author has all the answers and that, eventually, they'll be revealed.

Having read the two previous books by Bendick Jacka which I so enjoyed, I couldn't wait for this book to come out. It was so action pack that I couldn't read it fast enough. I wish he would write some more.

New faces, new action but with the same central and very likeable Alex in the thick of it all. The pace is fast and the fighting is fierce. The end will make you want to start reading the third book (entitled Taken) as soon as possible!

A very likeable main character, clever take on magic and lots of pace and action. Hard to put down, and by the time you do, you will have ordered the next one so that you can continue the adventure without missing a beat!

Benedict Jacka does an excellent job continuing his series. The plot is well woven, and the characters are memorable and diverse. His actions scenes, as always, are detailed and precise. I can't wait for the next book.

Well thought out world and characters. A fun read with a nice mix of magic, human nature and mystery.

The plot is much more complex than a short story, but in a novel length book I look forward to complexities and dangling unknowns that I didn't quite get.

A thoroughly enjoyable read. Urban fantasy of this calibre is luring me away from the traditional fantasy genre. I have already started on the second novel in the series and I'm sure this will prove to be as entertaining as the first.

Having enjoyed the Dresden series, it caught my attention when Butcher reviewed and led me to believe that this series would be similar. And I wasn't disappointed. I am only sorry that there are only 3 written..

It's always nice to find a series with a character whose skills are a bit unique, characters who aren't vampires or shape shifters. The talent to predict what will happen depending on what choice you make in a situation is interesting to think about. The writer did a nice job of explaining the power and how it's used, its strengths (such as the ability, if you work hard enough at it, to learn all of someone's secrets), and its weaknesses (obviously there are some things can not be predicted no matter what).

I enjoyed reading how Alex used his talent, unfortunately that is the only thing that held my attention and kept me reading, it was not the characters or the plot. If I cared more about the characters, I would have given this book 4 stars instead of three. Despite the lack of strong character development, I'll probably buy the next book in the series.

This book felt like it should have been good but was actually kind of slow. This author had all the components to create a great book but everything felt flat to me. I just couldn't connect with the characters.

Did not care for this at all. I think I prefer books that have a stronger harder story. Too juvenile for me. The plot was too jumpy and no smoothe transition from one point to another. Not good at all.

Frankly, even if you set your story in a modern urban setting this one has already been done to death. Wizard, cursed girlfriend, Evil wizard enemies. Blah. Been done. Over and over. I did finish it which is why I gave it 3 stars instead of 2, but won't buy another by author.

What a disappointment this book was. It started so well - interesting world building, quirky characters with just enough mystery to them to make you want to read more and then...what??

Starting with the fact that all of a sudden everyone could get in the artifact, all within seconds of each other, but somehow staying in their own groups and not running into each other into later (hunh?) this book had holes big enough to drive through.

Did this book have an editor? For the price it should have. Ended up seeming more like an inexperienced indie writer in which case it should have been priced accordingly.

SPOILERS*******
Villains - very little characterization. Plot within the artifact - rushed and unbelievable. Wrap up -hunh?? So everyone who threatened to kill alex is now just going to leave him alone? With everything he knows about their secret plots and despite the fact he failed them, it's all good at the end of the book? Incredibly rushed.

Mr Jacka - you need a new editor. Your writing is so good - you just need some help with resolving tension once you have created it. And with having your characters act consistently which will go a long way to helping with character development. And will help your plot flow logically and keep people like me from saying "hunh" in reviews.

The first thing I noticed about this book is the striking similarities to Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid series. The problem is this; whereas Kevin Hearne is an amazing writer, Benedict Jacka could use a bit of work. He has a talent to paint a picture, but too often he neglects that talent with phrases like "I wont even begin to describe" or "you don't want to know". He leaves out any gore, rarely includes a fight scene, and barely eludes to a fleeting romance, leading , me to believe his target audience was the teenage market. Then he randomly drops the "F" bomb in the middle of the book. At random points he introduces you to or eludes to new characters, then never brings them up again. With the right co-author, Benedict Jacka might be a force in the urban fantasy genre. Solo, no amount of editing will fix his current skill level.

Couldn't get through it - which is rare for me. I'll often finish books just for spite. This one? Naw. I don't get the comparisons to Dresden or to the Iron Druid because I don't see any similarities, other than the genre. My issue is more with the writing style than the story or the world - I just don't like it.

Fated is the first in a new series about a mage named Alex Verus.

Alex can see possible futures. As a diviner, he has to rely on sorting through the futures, his intelligence and the occasional use of the martial arts that he studies. He doesn't have power over the physical world (e.g., throw fire). Alex owns a magic shop in a section of London called Camden Town. He's a loner. Something happened in his past that has made him want to be on his own. We get more and more information about what happened to him and why he prefers to be a loner throughout the novel. Alex gets caught up the machinations of several factions of mages. They all want a particular relic and they all want Alex to help them get it. The mystery surrounding that relic kept me guessing.

Over the course of the novel, Mr. Jacka does a wonderful job explaining the magic system within which Alex operates. The world building (magic world in plain sight) is exceptional. There are references to myths and supernatural creatures that are seamlessly woven into the story adding to the richness of the magical world.

I really like Alex. He's intelligent, tough when he has to be, and a good guy. He also makes mistakes and gets himself into trouble out of simple curiosity, which seems to be a diviner trait. While Alex is the main character, there is a terrific supporting cast including Luna, Alex's sort of apprentice, Starbreeze, a ditzy air elemental, and many mages both Light, Dark, and scary. Luna is a great character, and I'm looking forward to reading more about her in future books.

There will be inevitable comparisons to The Dresden Files, but Alex Verus does not pale by the comparison. Fated is the start of a wonderful new Urban Fantasy series. It is well written, well-paced and a thoroughly engaging read. I'm hooked.

I give Fated 5 Qwills. Originally posted at The Qwillery.

Benedict Jacka's debut has received quite some hype before its release and a blurb from Jim Butcher (coming from JB, this was something special as he currently blurbs biennially). All things considered this results in tremendous expectation to arise for a debut book. Anne Sowards also had mentioned Fated as one of the books to look out for in 2012 in her Fantasy Book Critic interview. All things considered, I was very curious to see how the book would turn out to be.

Fated begins us with Alex Verus who is sitting in his magic charms shop called "Arcana Emporium" and divining the near future as that is his power. He receives a phone call from Luna who requests his help and after a quick divination, he decides to meet her. On his way however an old acquaintance comes to meet him to offer him a job of sorts wherein his divining powers are a requirement. The job offer pisses Alex off and he soon continues on his way to meet Luna. That's when things start getting hairier as readers are given a clue about Luna's unique problem and the thing she's carrying. The actual plot begins and the readers are immersed into the world of Alex Verus wherein fate might not play that strong a role as it usually does.

The good part about this debut is that the story does its best to entrance the reader, beginning from its strong prose to the narrator's distinct voice. The author unveils the story nicely and then doles out the world details very conveniently. The story is a straight forward one which though like most urban fantasies has a central mystery plot which slowly unfolds over the course of the book. The mystery aspect is a decent one and deals with a recovery of a certain object which requires the aid of divination magic. The overall prose is something which truly is the silver lining aspect of this story, here's an example:
"In my little corner of the city, things aren't so bad. So if there's something you need help with, drop by the Arcana Emporium. Its easy enough to find of you try. You probably won't take it seriously at first, but that's okay. Seeing is believing, after all!"

The author very admirably showcases the world of the protagonist and his reticence to return to the world of magic of which he was a part of. The protagonist's thoughts and views are nicely laid about for the reader to empathize with and with the first person narrative, the reader is thoroughly immersed in the character's mind. The author in his lackadaisical way does conveys the protagonist's weariness, the main character does have a sordid past which is only hinted at and has lead to certain situation in his present life. One of the many mysteries of this series is that the main character's name is not his true one and that certainly adds an extra veneer of mystery to this tale. The action sequences are also decently paced through out the story and the climax of the story has quite a thriller feel to it and kudos to the author for delivering such a strong, action-packed finale.

Of the many things that were good about this book, there were a few which worked against it. On reading it, I'm a bit perplexed. On one hand this is a good debut with definite series potential however comparisons to Dresden files and expectations might sour the read for many a fan. I found quite a few similarities with the Dresden files namely:
(1) A solo protagonist who has a troubled and secretive past
(2) The presence of a magical organization from which the protagonist is estranged
(3) The protagonist's dogged persistence which happens to save the day
(4) The protagonist's magical ability which isn't on par with the bad guy's power but yet he never gives up
(5) The protagonist has his side character cast which goes on to help in many a way

These similarities while being common with many a book, are quite evident in this story, while in the Dresden files the humor quotient is significantly present. That is not the case with this book as the humor level is quite shallow. I felt that while I was reading a good story, it really didn't do much to differentiate itself as a spectacular one. The story and settings are developed just to an appropriate level however it isn't done to a level which will make it stand out. Thus overall the debut does a good job but it will have to do a lot more to separate itself from the UF gold standard series that is the Dresden Files. I'll definitely be picking up the next two books in the series Taken and Cursed to see where the author takes the story & protagonist.

CONCLUSION: Benedict Jacka's debut is a good one and it remains to be seen how the series will progress. Most veteran urban fantasy readers will not find anything new over here and the author will have to do a lot more to differentiate himself and his work amidst the crowded sub-genre. Fated is a debut which will have its fans and detractors alike and now its up to the author to increase the former numbers by curbing the deficiencies in his debut.

Some compare this to the Dresden novels but I have to say that I like Alex Verus even better--something I never thought I'd say about any other urban fantasy mage. Alex feels more modern (no interference with technology) and more connected to the mundane world with his Arcana shop. The system of magic and the society of the Light and Dark mages is fascinating. It's also the best and coolest explanation of a "diviner" or seerer that I've ever run across. Alex is a dynamic personality, very smart and very saavy. He is caring, although he keeps he forms little connection to other mages and mundane humans. He has a sort-of-apprentice with a unique curse and lots of supernatural friends like air elemental Starbreeze. In this book in the series he is up against a seemingly impossible task, hunted by some and pressed into the unwilling service of others for his remarkable ability. There's seemingly no way out and the tension and drama build exponentially. The resolution is a tense one and wraps the story up very satisfactorily. I look forward to reading the next in the series and am glad that I'm starting the series late so that I'll have plenty ahead to enjoy.

This is an awesome series and I am having a hard time putting the books down. I am a huge Dresden Files fan and was looking for something similar: this fits that bill perfectly. Jacka does a fantastic job creating characters you care about, putting them in impossible positions, and getting them out in implausible ways. Alex Verus is interesting and relatable with a dark backstory and bright future. I highly recommend the Alex Verus series if you're looking for fun urban fantasy.

Review Courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

TAKEN is the third book in the Alex Verus series which is fast becoming a `must read' for me. All of the books are evenly paced with action, witty dialogue, and they never spend too long on info dumps which tend to drag plots to a screeching halt. Each book expands the universe a little bit giving more insights into Alex's past and how the mage community works.

Alex's power of seeing into the future tends to give him an unfair advantage in battle so it's always scary when he encounters some barrier that makes blocks his ability. Luckily Alex is resourceful and crafty enough to make do without his power for awhile.

Alex Verus definitely reminds me of Harry Dresden in The Dresden Files being a mage working on the outside of the official magic community with a motley crew of friends helping him out of dangerous situations. One my favorite of his friend is Arachne (a giant seamstress spider) who acts as sort of mentor/mother figure for Alex and Luna. Luna, Alex's apprentice, is one of the more interesting and complex of his friends. I was curious about what Jacka was going to do with Luna's power to curse people since it seemed so unwieldy and dangerous in FATED that I had no clue about just how she could control it without killing everyone around her. In TAKEN we get to see Luna take charge of her powers in some very creative ways.

I am really enjoying the Alex Verus series with its solid writing, ever expanding universe, and its uniquely powerful hero. Unfortunately, with no diviner powers of my own, I have to patiently wait for information on the next book which, given its predecessors, will be an excellent read.

This is the third book in the Alex Verus series (currently there are seven books released in this series). This was a well done investigative urban fantasy series. Although I never think these books are spectacular I do enjoy them quite a bit.

I listened to this on audiobook and this is a great series to listen to on audiobook. The narrator does an awesome job and I would highly recommend the audiobook version of this series.

This whole series reminds me of a cross between The Dresden Files and the Iron Druid Chronicles. Verus is a diviner who gets his butt kicked a lot but usually is clever enough to makes things come out in his favor in the end. Luna is now officially his apprentice and she is slowly learning to get her curse under control. There is quite a bit of characters growth for Luna in this book as well.

We meet some new characters in this book; Anne and Variam are the two major newbies to the story. They were both very intriguing characters and are well fleshed out. We also meet some of the other types of magical creatures in this world (Rakshasa for one).

The world-building was well done and the story is interesting. I enjoyed watching Alex try to unravel the mysteries of this big old house as he tried to prevent the kidnapping of yet more apprentices.

The story is fast-paced with lots of humor throughout. I enjoy how Alex continues to use his divining ability in creative ways. The story ties up in a good place and I am curious to see where this series goes next. Although there are some elements of the story that span from book to book, the books in this series have been very self-contained.. It’d be nice to have a more interesting and solid plot that spans multiple books in this series.

This is definitely an urban fantasy book; there isn’t much romance in here at all. There are some hints that there may be romances in the future but the story is pretty solid urban fantasy.

Overall this is a fun urban fantasy read. I enjoyed the characters, the world, and the story. The Alex Verus series in general has been fun to listen to; it’s pretty typical urban fantasy fare but well done. I plan on continuing the series. I would recommend to fans of The Dresden Files or the Iron Druid Chronicles.

The protagonist in Fated is Alex Verus, a wizard who runs a magic shop and has powers of divination. He has the ability to foresee the future, a power that makes him very popular with light and dark mages who are trying to gain possession of a fateweaver, an ancient relic found in a London museum that is being highly protected. Alex is a pawn in these machinations as he is given the option of helping these various forces in attaining this relic or die. His main objective is to keep himself and his friend, Luna, safe, something that isn’t an easy task with all of these mages gunning for him.

I really like the character of Alex Verus. He isn’t an overly powerful wizard. In a one-on-one fight against mages more skilled in battle, he will get mauled. He has to overcome this disadvantage by outsmarting and outmaneuvering his opponents. Although he isn’t very powerful, his skills in divination are really cool. He can look at all of the various paths his decisions would result in, and pick the one with the most favorable outcome. I like the fact that he isn’t this super-powerful protagonist that can just crush all in his path. It makes his problems to solve all the more interesting. The story moved at a fast pace and never lagged at any point. The conclusion was satisfying and didn’t betray the build-up. The writing was high-level and everything about it was very enjoyable. I highly recommend this novel and am looking forward to reading more about Alex Verus in the future.

Carl Alves - author of Conjesero

There is something different about this series that I can't quite peg. I like it though.

Maybe it is the lack of current event nods, jokes, and satire. I divide books into two categories, "good" books, ones that make me think or have a purpose, and "entertaining" books that let me have fun and forget life. Urban fantasy tends to fall into the "entertaining book" category. However this one falls more into the good book category. It doesn't quite reach the level of literature, but it definitely plays with themes.

In this book, Alex is back and more popular than ever after the rumors of the events from the previous book leaked out to the magic community. So of course this means he is going to get pulled into the machinations of the council of light mages again in all their evil, Machiavellian ways. You heard that right, that's one of those themes I mentioned, the light mages aren't much better than dark mages. Luna is also back and gets much more page time and character growth. Frankly speaking, she is my favorite part of the series, I like seeing how her character grows.

Beyond this, the story is very well trodden ground. It is how the story is told that makes this book stand above all the three star urban fantasies.

This is not a series you will want to binge, but it is an enjoyable series that I will continue. I love that Alex isn't afraid to do what must be done, unlike so many other protagonists. So if you liked the first book, I recommend this one.

I have read 4 of Benedict's books to date with a few more to go.
I didn't read them in order as I was unable to get my hands on Cursed and Taken, but I have read Fated, Chosen and Hidden and am nearly finished Veiled. Book 1 carves out the world well enough for you to pick up any title after Fated and still be entertained.

Benedict's books are clever and entertaining. And personally, I really enjoy the dialogue.
You experience the stories through the eyes of Alex Verus - an everyday guy (who I warm to actually) - who finds himself trying to lead a normal life as a normal Londoner, but also as an outlier in the society of magic and mages in which he is also a part. Chance, probability, portals, curses, power and torment are but a few of the concepts weaved into Benedict's tales.

I enjoy books from Diana Gabaldon, David Gemmell, George R.R. Martin (read well before the tv series), Robin Hobb, Peter V. Brett, Jim Butcher, and Anthony Ryan - so if you have similar taste, you may enjoy Jacka's books too.

ANALYSIS: Benedict Jacka's debut Fated came with high praise from Anne Sowards and Jim Butcher and therefore had a higher amount of anticipation from most readers (including myself). Fated was a decent debut as noted in my review, it had its share of shining points and some dull edges that made it seem like most other highly anticipated debuts. Graeme of Graeme's Fantasy Book Review also noted some points which I thought were crucial in highlighting the book's not-so-rosy spots. All in all I was curious to see where the author would take the story next and with the release schedule being so reader friendly, I dove into Cursed.

The title of the book like its predecessor does give a small clue into the book's plot, while the first book gave us a look into Alex Verus and his power as a diviner. This book while focusing on him also takes a closer look at Luna and her power arising from her familial curse. The story begins with Alex working with the Council thankfully on better terms due to his actions as seen in Fated. The council asks for his help on tasks due to his non-aligned nature and one such task finds him visiting an old factory in a decrepit part of London. His presence is required as he helps a group of soldiers lead by a man called Garrick to capture and possibly kill a creature called Barghest. They find out that some one has beaten them to it and since nothing can be done about it, Alex retires back to his shop.

His problems begin once again as Luna his assistant cum apprentice brings her new squeeze who picks up a certain deadly object from Alex's shop and it seems that Alex can't do much to stop it. To add to that a woman named Meredith is attacked near his shop and she decides to take sanctuary within. All of these things combine to give Alex a scare like no other and pretty soon other mages become embroiled in these matters, giving Alex no respite but to step in and once again try saving everyone including himself, Luna, and his friends as this time the web around him is too convoluted for him to decipher.

The plot in this book is a welcome respite from that of its predecessor, beginning from its usual mystery, the readers will be given more than just one case as Alex Verus is drawn into multiple schemes, some inadvertently like the case of Meredith trying to escape a monster, some through obligation as in with Luna and her boyfriend and lastly through his past history with Deleo and Cinder, the dark mages who are fiddling with a crucial power. All of these schemes have Alex running from pillar to post without any respite and all the while trying to stay one step ahead with his divining abilities. The author has to be lauded for completely overhauling the faults and discrepancies of his debut, not only is the plot twisted but also has quite some pace to it. Beginning from a quiet trip to a factory, the author lulls the reader as well as his protagonist into a false sense of security about the overall direction of the storyline before violently yanking the carpet from one's feet both literally and figuratively.

The twists in this story will definitely surprise the readers as well as keep them flipping pages all the way to the surprising conclusion. I could not help but be nicely surprised at all the revelations this story had to offer in terms of the world, the magic system as well certain facets of a few characters. Alex Verus as a narrative force excels in his second outing as in the first book; there were more than a few comparisons to his famous compatriot across the pond in a certain windy city. However the author shows that Alex is his own man and while showing a tremendous resilience similar to that employed by Harry Dresden, he has his own style to enamor readers with. London as showcased in the story is also explored and more facets about its magical past and present are revealed to the reader. One particular subterranean revelation should have the readers buzzing in regards to its origin, purpose and over all effect in the future and kudos to the author for introducing such an unpredictable twist in the story.

In the previous book review I had mentioned five aspects about the book that made it seem too much like a clone of the Dresden Files, I'm happy to report that while many of those points are present, their influence has been effectively dulled. The protagonist takes the center stage and the readers will get to see the story develop around him and with the twists that occur, it should keep most readers guessing what will happen next. Some of those twists are a bit predictable in regards to the motivations of certain characters however the author definitely tries to compensate that by making the associations between characters that much harder to figure out.

There's also the secretive past of Alex Verus that was so seductively mentioned in the first book and gets teased in this one as well, the readers however get no concrete information about him except some crucial observations from Cinder in regards to Alex's nature. With a series one can never be sure how much the author will tip his hand in regards to the mysteries and so we will have to wait for the next book to see if we get to learn more about him. Lastly the way the story ends, readers will be itching to get their hands on Taken the third volume of the Alex Verus series and I will be among them as well.

CONCLUSION: Benedict Jacka outshines his debut effort and makes a case for himself and his series to be taken seriously. Cursed ups the ante in almost every department of the book and it will fetch the author more fans as they strive to find satisfaction from books other than the Dresden Files. Be sure to check out this wonderful series set in London about a secretive diviner mage and the people around him.

I made a mistake. I read Jim Butcher’s "Storm Front" and then "Fated". The similarities between the two are very easy to spot. While I can appreciate that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Alex Verus and his adventures should be able to stand alone and not as part of Butcher’s world. Or to put it more simply, if I wanted to read a Butcher book I would and I wouldn’t muck around with a pastiche. Despite this and some plot quibbles, I did enjoy "Fated".

Alex is a diviner which means that he can see the future. He stands apart from the Light and Dark Mages because, like Harry Dresden, he had an unfortunate situation with his mentor. Both sides want him to find a magical object dating from the mage wars and they won’t take no for an answer. Alex can be a bit smug when he trots out his ‘I told you so’ or ‘I knew it would work out like that’ lines but I guess that’s to be expected when you predict almost anything (providing it follows the pathwalking rules). I found it difficult to connect with Alex perhaps due to the telling rather than showing – early on in his life he was tortured and treated like a slave but I couldn’t muster up more than a ‘jeez, that must have sucked’ because of the way it was presented (NB I’m usually very empathetic).

Alex’s treatment of Luna Mancuso fell clearly into the patronising category. Calling a woman ‘little girl’ is just not necessary and demanding she go into hiding for a few hours before parading her (in a nice dress) in front of the very people who want to attack her is just stupid. At least we weren’t treated to any commentaries on Luna’s feminine hands (which we would have if we were in Storm Front). I wanted to know more about Luna’s curse and how it ‘protected’ her by hurting those around her but Jacka put more effort into rounding out the men rather than the women.

Unfortunately a deux ex machina is introduced to get Alex out of almost every sticky situation. Bad guy chasing you? Call up your pet air elemental Starbreeze. Need to pass a message on? Dreamwalk. Need to get close to the cursed Luna? Bring out a magical ribbon. Want to get past the baddies? Pathwalk. None of these take a personal toll on Alex which seems unrealistic and I got a bit irritated with the frequency at which he whipped these bad boys out. The funny thing was that when he actually needed to work out who a traitor was and could have used his pathwalking abilities, it didn’t occur to him. Likewise he never went back to get more magical ribbon even though it would have saved him quite a lot of hassle. Making your protagonist a diviner and the way he operates believable is tricky and I don’t think Jacka has quite mastered it yet.

I did like the moral ambiguity of both the Light and the Dark and how Alex found himself acting as their pawn. Those who followed the Light were just as scheming and Machiavellian as those who followed the Dark. The world is quite dystopian in many ways as everyone is out for themselves. London has a rich and varied history full of greedy individuals that were happy to forsake everything for power. I think that if Jacka had exploited his location, he could have enhanced this aspect of the book rather than just referring to the mage war.

I’ve been a bit hard on this book mostly because it had so much potential. I did enjoy reading it but I wasn’t blind to the characterisation and plot problems along the way.

Jacka has divided his world into black and white, good and evil, and then blurs the separation between the two. There are no wizards only practicing mages vying for power. Dark mages traffic in people who are sometimes apprentices but too often little more than slaves.
The main character Alex has a power similar to the one portrayed by Nicholas Cage in the movie Next. Alex can see a host of probabilities and multiple futures based upon his actions, which allows him to chart a path of least resistance or danger. This form of looking into possible futures will preserve his life and the lives of others, so long as does not lose focus or concentration.
The book was certainly entertaining enough to immediately get the second book in the series.

A bragfest overheard at a panel at the 2014 Precog Convention held in Spunky Puddle, Ohio:

- Ship's Captain Ia: "...dunno, Mr. Verus. I can see deep into the future AND the past. I'm talking millennia deep. I think my talent trumps yours."
- Alex Verus: "The other day I didn't answer the door because I knew the Avon lady was about to knock."
- Yukiteru "Yuki" Amano: "Good for you. I've this awesome diary that accurately predicts events in the next 90 days. I am never caught off guard. Do you have anything this cool?"
- Verus: "No, but last night I looked into the future and saw that I missed catching the tramcar to East London today by five minutes. So, this morning, I woke up five minutes earlier. Brilliant!"
- Nostradamus: "What the $%*& are you talking about? I predicted the rise of Napoleon and $%*& Hitler!"
- Verus: "Did I mention the one about the Avon lady?"

Sorry, couldn't resist. Anyway... sidle over some, Harry and Atticus, to make room for Alex Verus, him who was introduced in Benedict Jacka's Fated (2012) and whom I unfairly just made out to be a goober. It took me a minute to dive into a new urban fantasy world; there are so many now. But there was this lull where I had nothing to read and I'd forever seen Fated in the library stacks, and I'd heard good things.

Of the three, Alex Verus has to be considered the underdog. Dresden is a powerful wizard and Atticus is practically immortal. Alex is a mage generally and diviner specifically, and his is a more subtle power and, on the surface, maybe not as potent. Alex can peek into the future and glimpse potential outcomes.

Jacka sets his story in the more dodgy areas of the Camden borough in London, England. It makes sense since Jacka grew up in those parts, but it's also savvy in that it lends his worldbuilding a distinct flavor and separates it from similar beats in Jim Butcher's Dresden universe, although it does plonk it within hailing distance of Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London series.

Alex Verus has long been on the outs with the Council of mages of the Light. Even the dark mages leave him alone, regarding him as a tiny fish in the pond. It suits Alex fine. He prefers existing on the periphery of the magical community. In Camden Alex operates the Arcana Emporium, a barely solvent magic shop that caters to a select clientele. His neighbors - those unwitting mortals - think it's an outlet for weirdos.

Diviners are rare creatures, and, once in a while, when all other options fizzle out, there's naught to do but go fetch a diviner. Fated tracks what you could call Verus's wild exploits, but it'd be more accurate to call it Alex's trying really hard to not die horribly. Time and again, throughout the story, attempts by diverse, opposing parties are made to recruit Verus to crack open a dangerous artifact left over from the mage wars almost two thousand years ago.

Benedict Jacka - and that's a cool name, son! - constructs a rich, dark mythology inhabited by wondrous creatures like an absent-minded air elemental and the monstrous weaver in the woods and by the primary source of Verus's discontent: the Light and Dark mages. Dark mages are self-explanatory. The interesting tidbit is that the "Light" mages are pretty much just paying lip service. Greedy and ambitious, they're as much a bunch of bastards as the Dark mages. Alex is of the more uncommon third variety: he's a renegade mage who'd rather be left alone, thank you much.

In this world hidden in plain sight, the mages can harness only one type of magic. You can either teleport or read minds or control fire or earth or water, et cetera, just not all of them. Other mages tend to dismiss Verus and what he can do. Since he's not a badass battle mage, Verus not only does have to constantly peek into the future to make sure he isn't about to be attacked - and this takes a toll - but he also has to use his wits pretty much all the time just to survive. At the behest of "delegates" from both the Light and the Dark, Verus could hear his bump of self-preservation screaming at him to play along lest he be crushed like a bug. Anyway, Verus is too clever not to have tricks up his sleeve. The limitations Jacka hampers his character down with only inspires him to be that much more inventive in his writing when extricating the poor bastard from this and that predicament.

What initially clued me in that Fated may be a fantastic read is Jim Butcher's enthusiastic blurb on the cover, and that fella hasn't steered me wrong, yet. Fated is a one of those books that makes you forget you're turning and reading pages, you get so into the story. Alex Verus is a likeable scrapper. And I'm so glad Jacka didn't force him and the accursed Luna into some sort of awkward romance. Luna is one of the neat supporting characters, along with Starbreeze (that air elemental) and Arachne (the weaver). Oh, I'm hooked. And since Fated has spawned four sequels so far, I'm off to get my Kindle.

I'm a long time fan of The Dresden Files and a friend recommended this book to me because of how similar the two series are. They are indeed very much alike, but in some respects they are vastly and refreshingly different. Harry Dresden (the lead character in The Dresden Files) is more a forefront combat wizard––he'll slug you with a variety of different combat based spells and if all else fails he'll rely on his trusty revolver.

Alex Verus (the lead character of this series), on the other hand, doesn't have the same level of showy, combat based magic that Dresden does, but still manages to have some neat tricks up his sleeve to get himself out of sticky situations. However, his wizardly skills are still extremely interesting and build the foundation of an incredible story.

Benedict Jacka opened a plethora of possibilities in the magical world by giving room for some interesting magic types including the main character, who has the ability to foresee the possible future. At first I was apprehensive that the book may be far fetched, after all someone who can see possibilities of the future… That doesn't leave much conflict in a book, right? On the contrary, once the groundwork was laid out and completely explained how his abilities worked, it was logical and brilliant. It was invigorating to see such a drastic, positive difference in the way we naturally visualize mages, as we do with anything. Look at how Twilight––albeit the populace has mixed feelings on that particular subject, and that's an entirely different can of worms––changed the view on vampires.

If you're a fan of urban fantasy, supernatural elements (specifically wizards and magic beings), and dry humor appeases you as much as it does me, then this is definitely a book you should give a shot at reading. The characters are very likable and takes place in a unique, nonfictional location.

In short, if you're a Harry Dresden fan, give this a read.

Alex Verus is a great character: wary but loyal to his friends (human and inhuman), reluctantly brave but not too arrogant to retreat when necessary, and troubled by the hard-to-hold line between ethics and ruthless necessity. Benedict Jacka's writing is smooth and gripping throughout. As others have said, this series is perfect for fans of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, but despite some similarities of background (the hero's evil first master, for instance) I don't find it too derivative, and there are some interesting original elements. I'm not going to bother re-recapping the plot, but will say that I think I enjoyed this second book even more than the first (Fated (An Alex Verus Novel)), and have high hopes for the third (Taken (An Alex Verus Novel)), available September 2012.

When I wrote that Fated and Benedict Jacka would be perfect for fans of Jim Butcher I wasn't lying, and Cursed, the second book in the series helps prove this statement.

Cursed follows the ramifications of Fated. Alex is no longer able to live the quiet hidden life he had become so accustomed to. Other mages have begun coming to his shop, asking him to take on cases, hoping to use him as a pawn in their own games. Of course these mages aren't the forgiving type and if they can't use him, they will make sure no one else can either. This leaves them with a very serious problem though, how do you kill a mage who can see the future?

Cursed is just bloody exciting. It is filled with action, magic, and assassination attempts. Readers will be drawn in and unable to escape until the final page. The character's (especially Alex, Sonder, and Arachne) are all well written and complex. Alex is not the white knight of a character that he tries to be, and in Cursed readers really get a chance to explore his darker side.

Of course besides interesting characters and lots of action, Cursed is full of some pretty exciting magic. Some of it is not surprising (such as typical magic like fire mages, and ice mages), but some of the new additions, such as Sonder's time magic, the monkey's paw, and while not a new addition I still think the idea of using a curse as magic is pretty cool.

All in all, Cursed is fun and exciting, exactly what I wanted out of it. Jacka lays another strong foundation for this fledgling series that has the potential to become something huge. Definitely get in on the ground floor by reading Cursed, and another plus to getting it now is that Taken, the third book in the series, comes out in August, so readers wont have to wait long to read the next in the series.
[...]

This was one of many books that I received at an event; it has been one of the ones that has stood out. I have read a lot of fantasy and this is truly groundbreaking both in character and concept. The writing is smart; just when I had started to get sick of the first-person perspective that is so common in urban fantasy, Benedict Jacka has given me a character which a unique and distinctive voice that really adds to the story. I would call “Fated” an urban fantasy in the sense that it fits the definition: it takes place in a version of the modern world in which magic exists. Still, it lacks a lot of the baggage (and clichés) that I have seen in series that have clearly jumped on the urban fantasy bandwagon because it’s popular and profitable.

The plot in a nutshell: Alex Vernus is hiding in plain sight; he runs a magic shop in London that actually sells real magical items (and a bunch of fake ones). He is a mage, the most powerful of magic users, but has been avoiding other mages since he had a bit of a falling out with the hierarchy. As mages go, his power is not very powerful physically. He is a diviner, which means he can see the future and can touch objects and learn things about them. However, quite suddenly, that power is in hot demand. Something is going down and all the other seers have fled (should it mean something when people who can see the future all decide to take a vacation?) and a lot of physically very powerful people are trying use both the carrot and the stick to get Alex to work for them.

What first-person perspective gives the reader is a chance to experience how someone who is physically average but psychically gifted would act and react. Can a diviner be powerful? Yes, but only by being smart. Alex is smart and smartly written. I really loved the mechanism for seeing the future and I loved seeing it balanced against other types of magic. The world-building is excellent, the main character is fresh, the danger feels real, and the book is an all around pleasure.

I definitely plan on reading the sequels and will look for other books by the author. I already have a list of people to lend this book to and I would highly recommend it.

‘Cursed’ is the second book in the urban fantasy series ‘Alex Verus’, written by Benedict Jacka. Set in London and five months after the first book of the series, ‘Fated’, we see what kind of trouble Alex is wrapped up in now, and what he’ll have to do to survive to see the prospected third book, ‘Taken’.

Since the events in ‘Fated’, Alex is back in favour with the Light mages and doing a few jobs for them here and there – though this doesn’t mean he trusts them to accept him any time soon, and doesn’t know whether he’ll always remain in their good thoughts. He’s also training Luna the best he is able – which is a bit of a learning curve for them both, as it’s not like Alex has trained anyone before. Luna is soon struggling with the slow pace, and easily distracted when it seems that a faster way to deal with her curse comes along – especially when its packaged in such an attractive way (despite the hairstyle.)

As if that isn’t enough for him to deal with, the plot jumps forwards with a jolt as a beautiful woman bursts into his Camden store once night, begging for help, and is saved from certain death through his quick thinking.

From there, ‘Cursed’ takes us on a fast paced ride through iconic London landmarks, showing a few new faces and many we know from the first book, and ultimately shows what people are willing to do when pushed, even if they aren’t aware of their own limits. We see an interesting view into Alex and what he’s like as a person, from different views of those around him.

Action is plentiful, though otherwise this book suffers from middle-book syndrome as far as character progression goes. In some ways Alex grows (a discussion with the fire mage from the first book comes to mind) and yet in others, he’s almost going through the motions and fighting against the change (which could be seen as characterisation, in a way). However, this isn’t as jarring as one may think. Who says characters always need to adapt and advance, and besides, the events in this book seem to span a week at the most.

That aside, I would have to say I was disappointed to see them resorting to guns – which limited to use of his magic and intelligence to get himself out of situations – one has to admit that if you need to defend your own life, guns do make this a lot easier in many ways, and not many people would overlook their best or easiest protection.

Though it still leads on to my second complaint, and that’s how American this book feels in a number of places – guns are not common in the UK, as they are in America, and the use of ‘sweater’ rather than jumper irks every time. Explosions, while grand are common-place in American action scenes, whereas generally they’re lacking in the British media, and it would have been good to see a different way to show magical potency rather than big booms with explosives.

Regardless, Jacka does interesting things with magic, putting the general uses (fire or ice mages) in the background to focus on different types of magic not often seen – those who can see any and all possible futures, tracking what types of magic have been used recently, as well as magical history. Also, the use of luck in the form of a curse, yet then how the curse can be used in its best possible way. Jacka stretches the limit of how magic could be used when you’re so used to having it as a second nature, and it’s good to see a book step forward and beyond.

This is an easy and captivating read, great for those who’ve visited London or wish to. The writing quality is decent and flowing, one of the better urban fantasy books out there. It is refreshing to read an urban fantasy series where the characters are in their 20s and 30s rather their teens, making it accessible to those who are older, dealing with deeper issues such as what makes a life worthy.

‘Fated’ by Benedict Jacka is the first book in the Alex Verus series, an urban fantasy set in London.

We meet Alex Verus, a mage who’s mostly ignored by his kind, as his powers aren’t that varied; he can’t teleport himself and can’t control fire, but what he can do is foresee the future. The futures spread out before him off into a million tiny branches, and he can check each and every one to know how to act in every situation.

As long as he remembers to look ahead, of course.

He runs a magic shop in Camden, London. He has a friend called Luna who finds objects he can sell. He doesn’t like to think about his past (and as the story progresses, we find out why) and he, like most people, doesn’t like it when people try to kill him.

So when he’s requested by quite a few different mages, all who want him to obtain a certain relic, he finds himself suddenly in the kind of situation he hates: when his ability to see the future shows fewer and fewer chances for him to get through the day alive.

The book has the strong point of including recognisable bits and pieces that will make you smile – a slight hint that the Dresden series exists, certain bands and certain ways certain people dress. It’s also welcoming to those who know London as it takes you almost street by street – and also to those who wish they knew London.

The book is clever with the use of magic – it makes it believable and doesn’t abuse it to make the main character unbeatable. It shows the failings and difficulties that could come with such powers, so that you see that otherwise these are regular people. Having magic doesn’t suddenly mean life is easy. What’s also interesting is that it shows their dependence on magic – when they suddenly can’t rely on their magic, they are, in ways, weaker than a normal human might be.

It is always refreshing to see characters who aren’t godly attractive and built to fight, still manage to win with their wit, knowledge and knowing when to run away. Alex is exactly that, and his friend Luna seems a bit of a tomboy. A character later on in the book may as well be called a bit of a nerd – and I hope we get to see more of him in the next book.

Unfortunately the fight scenes flop a little as the author uses a passive voice that fails to draw you into the action.

The different sides to mages weren’t very developed. There were dark mages, light mages, and renegades – and not much else.

The naming of certain things in the magic space such as the wind elemental ‘Starbreeze’ and the use of glitter were cringe-worthy.

Overall however, this book is unique and manages to draw you in. While it has its similarities to the ‘Dresden Files’ by Jim Butcher, and Kate Griffin’s, ‘Matthew Swift’ series, it is still its own in its very own right and deserves a try. The start is a little jolty, but it soon builds up a third of the way through and races you home.

There are more books in the series, in order of Cursed, Taken and Chosen.

When I saw the blurb by Jim Butcher that said Harry Dresden would like Alex Verus, I took it with a grain of salt. After having read the book, I would have to agree - they'd get along well. Fated is the first book in the Alex Verus series, to be followed by Cursed, and Taken. Alex is a powerful, but isolated mage who lives over his (real) magic shop in London. In the world of mages, and there are many types, his type is low on the totem pole. He has almost no control over the physical world: he can't hurl fireballs or make himself super strong. What he can do is see possible futures and then move into position to take advantage of his foreknowledge. This makes him a formidable fighter, along with his knowledge of the martial arts, but leaves him vulnerable when the future is obscured or when all the futures lead to bad outcomes.

The story shares common themes in what I would call Masculine Urban Fantasy - The lone mage, the hypocritical, supposedly 'good' council of mages that he is at odds with, and a world of magic existing in our world but ignored and unseen by the mundanes. Even the fact that Alex runs a (real) magic shop and is almost in hiding at the beginning of the story is reminiscent of Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid series (which I recommend). Despite these similarities, Mr. Jacka does a great job of differentiating his character and seamlessly explaining his world to the reader. Like Harry Dresden, Alex is one of the good guys, with honor and weaknesses that get him into enough trouble to keep the story moving at a good pace.

The story-line includes several well fleshed-out supporting characters that enable Alex to survive and ultimately to prevail, but I think their roles could be expanded still further to create a richer world. That said, there are some weaknesses that could be improved. The Light Mage Council is a little too caricatured in that they are no better than the dark mages - just more hypocritical about it. It is just a little overdone, although with the way politicians are acting here in the United States, perhaps it is not a caricature - just an honest representation of how politicians of any stripe act. Mr. Jacka is pretty consistent with how Alex's magic works, as well as its weaknesses, but it is a very difficult line to walk, and he does stumble, without actually losing his balance, at times. Overall, Mr. Jacka does a great job of bringing this new world and its magic to life. I ended up reading the entire series in three days, two of the books on the same day. In short, I loved the series and I hope the author will keep this story, and Alex, alive.

In my quest to find the best ever Urban Fantasy out there having fallen in love with this genre due to the Felix Castor novels by Mike Carey (thanks to my good friend Gary for his recommendations!) I came to the first in the series of Alex Verus novels from Benedict Jacka.

Alex Verus is a mage, a diviner to be exact, he see's all possible futures and can act accordingly. Much preferring to stay out of the magic community, he runs a little magic shop and tries to stay out of trouble. Unfortunately a would be apprentice, a strange artifact at the British Museum and other mages both light and dark combine to foil his plans for peace and he ends up chasing clues all over London and trying to keep himself and his friends alive.

I LOVED this book. Its a rip roaring adventure with tons of humour, lots of action and, well, magic to boot. Who could ask for more? As is often the case for this type of novel, London is the setting, Camden more particularly and it lends itself well to the story - Benedict Jacka has an amazing ability to put you right on the spot, I'm never going to look at Camden in the same way again when I visit and I'll certainly be looking out for Starbreeze! As for the characters they are all well drawn and despite their magical abilities very very like you and I. I loved all of them - even the bad guys were great - I lived in that world while I was reading it and when I emerged I wanted to go back.

I would highly recommend this novel if you are looking to dip your toes into Urban Fantasy and I would also say for those of you who already love this type of thing that its at the top of its class. Brilliant. The very second my reading schedule allows I shall be returning to see Alex Verus again. You should join me. Happy Reading folks!

So we come to the second book in the Alex Verus series from Benedict Jacka and it has solidified in my mind that this is a set of books I'm going to adore...and read every single one for as long as the author cares to keep writing them. Brilliant Urban Fantasy.

This instalment finds Alex still hoping for the quiet life..but with his reputation growing its not as easy as it sounds. Luna, his sometime apprentice and friend is living up to her name, and when a beautiful woman literally throws herself at his feet whilst in mortal danger Alex reluctantly realises that, quiet life wishes aside, he's just going to have to leap back into the fray...

I do love the characters and the world they live in. A familiar world on the surface but with hidden depths you can only imagine. Alex is a terrific creation - constantly questioning his own motivations then just shrugging and getting on with it, there are some terrific scenes involved when he is in ironic mode. His "sidekick" if you like, Luna, is emotional and torn between wanting to enter the world of magic and yet not really wanting to follow the rules. ..hence she often finds herself in trouble with Alex attempting to ride heroically to the rescue. He is a bit of an anti hero and often luck rather than judgement wins the day...all in all this makes for terrific reading.

Humerous yet dark in places, and with some very real life themes hidden cleverly within the plot lines (cruelty to animals in this case...there are nefarious goings on surrounding the mystical creatures who pepper the world of Verus) these are terrific books and will take you away from the mundane in life and give you a hint of wonder...

Happy Reading Folks!

Third in the Alex Verus urban fantasy revolving around an independent (well, he's trying not to belong to a faction) mage in Camden Town.

My Take
I find Alex Verus' world fascinating. And, sad to say, sadly realistic with mages who are more interested in self-advancement, revenge, and power than doing the right thing. Alex, naturally, is one of the few good guys, interested in good and protecting others, and I love how Jacka easily lets us know how very powerful Alex is even as he balances it with Alex's difficulties.

Whew, there are currents within currents in this story. Jacka tosses in so many questions that you won't be able to stop reading as you pursue those answers. It's not that the characters pull you in, but the way in which Jacka can take a basic plot and twist it all up according to the rules of this world he has created. In some ways, the world of Alex Verus reminds me of Kim Donovan's St. Viper's School for Super Villains series where our "accepted" beliefs in right and wrong are turned on their heads in these individual worlds.

Hooie, Jagadev's club is practically bursting at the seams with the variety of people one can meet there. It's enough to make you want to sleep under the bed---after you've checked it for monsters!

'Bout time...Alex has been telling Luna how dangerous it is to get involved in the mage world, and she's finally starting to get it.

The Story
The White Stone tournament is coming up, and people just love to show-off. Mages aren't any different from regular humans in this regard.

When Crystal tenders an offer to Alex to be in charge of tournament security, she's shocked at his response. Although, it seems he'll be there with another purpose in mind: the Council has another dirty deed that needs dealing with. One that will have a huge impact on Alex's and others' lives, for apprentices are going missing.

The Characters
Alex Verus is a diviner, able to see thousands of possible futures at a time, who just happens to run a magic shop in Camden Town. After events in the last two books, he's becoming the go-to guy for the Council. After events in Cursed (Alex Verus, #2), Luna Mancuso is now formally Alex's apprentice, mostly so she can learn to control her curse. Since Jacka now refers to Luna as an Adept, I'm guessing she's moved up in power levels.

Arachne is a ten-foot-tall spider who both weaves and designs beautiful clothes. David Sonder is a time mage who is more than a little interested in Luna. Some of Luna's fellow apprentices include the very polite Anne Walker, a Life mage; the vicious, tale-telling Natasha; Charles; and, the extremely suspicious Variam Singh, a fire mage. Anne and Variam's Master is Lord Jagadev, a rakshasa, who owns the Tiger's Palace, a club.

Talisid, who looks more like an accountant than a mage, is involved with one faction of the Council. Lyle Trahelis is, well, more of a former friend of Alex's who is more interested in his own promotions, and he's teaching some of the apprentice classes. I'm curious as to what's in it for him as his only interest is in "status, advancement, prestige, and a position in the Council bureaucracy".
Fated (Alex Verus, #1), the Chosen of Morden, who is himself one of the most powerful Dark mages. Sagash is a Dark mage who kidnapped Anne; Ebber is a Light mage who claimed he could help rescue her. Vitus Aubuchon was the mage who owned Fountain Reach previously. Hobson was a servant at Fountain Reach before Vitus disappeared.

Crystal is a mind mage, and she's offered up her country home, Fountain Reach, for the White Stone tournament, an event at which mages and their apprentices do mock battle, sort of an Olympics of magic.

The Council is the ruling body of Light Mages. Remember, "light" is just a term, as Alex puts it, at least the Dark mages are honest. The basic premise between mages---Light or Dark---is if you're not their tool, you're their enemy. Avenor and Travis are Council Keepers; think police. Sensitives are a step up from normals. They can "feel the presence of magic". Next up are the adepts who can "actually channel magic in a subtle way". Then there are the mages. Arrogant, self-absorbed, if they see something they want, they take it.

The Cover
The cover is an electric pink-purple with an eyeview through bullet-cracked glass of the Thames overlooking the water traffic and London.

The title sums it all up, for the apprentices are Taken.

Second in the Alex Verus urban fantasy series set in London, Camden Town to be exact, and revolving around a mage who just wants to be left alone.

My Take
Luna makes me nuts. Huh, I guess that means her name is accurate and prophetic... She wants Alex to introduce her to this magical world, but she also refuses to accept anything he says that she doesn't like.

The arrogance of man provides so many possibilities. In this case, Jacka makes use of man's "superiority" to lesser creatures. Animals with magic abilities. After all, they're just animals incapable of thought, love, dreams.

There's a nice bit in here about how a monkey's paw works, its origin, and a list of worries about it. Hmm, Cinder is brighter than I thought. Oh, wow, then there's a nasty case of be careful what you wish for.

I do like this series. It still hasn't warmed up for me, but Alex's ideas of right and wrong are so perfect. He doesn't care about a person's words, he's more interested in their actions. You can declare yourself a Light mage, but its the actions you take that confirm or deny it.

I can definitely see lots of possibilities with Alex Verus, and I'm looking forward to reading Cursed (Alex Verus, #2).

The Story
Two invasions of his shop, and Alex is caught. Desperate to remain independent, the Light and the Dark mages have their own ideas of how Alex's independence will work.

And they'll use his loyalty and sense of friendship to do it.

The Characters
Alex Verus is a diviner, able to see thousands of possible futures at a time, who just happens to run a magic shop in Camden Town. Until lately, he's managed to steer an independent course. Now, he's becoming an irritant.

Luna Mancuso is between sensitive and adept and very much wants to be a part of the magic world, so Alex takes her on informally as an apprentice. Only, he can't decide between friend, apprentice, or lover. Martin is Luna's new friend and a cocky, thieving little bastard. Starbreeze is an Air elemental with a very, very short memory and is "as dumb as a box of rocks". Arachne is a ten-foot-tall spider who both weaves and designs clothes.

Cinder is a fire mage working with Deleo, the former Rachel, is a water mage and a former apprentice of Richard Drakh's along with Alex. Meredith is an enchantress; she causes you to feel and want things. Jadan is a Dark mage who found a "foolproof" method of extracting magical energy from magical creatures. David Sonder is a time mage.

The Council is the ruling body of Light Mages. Remember, "light" is just a term. Vaal Levistus is a Council member very angry over what Alex caused him to lose in Fated; Belthas is a Council member who thinks he'll do better. Garrick is a magical mercenary; he works for the person who pays. Ilmarin is Council security.

Sensitives are a step up from normals. They can "feel the presence of magic". Next up are the adepts who can "actually channel magic in a subtle way". Then there are the mages. Arrogant, self-absorbed, if they see something they want, they take it. Elsewhere is a world not a place to which you can only travel in dreams. Where you can touch people through dreams, through their minds. It can be an escape or a trap.

Currency is flexible within the mage world: favours are a favoured method of payment and people may be sold (or taken) as slaves. Mages tend to specialize and exchange services. Items which can be sold include artifacts and components.

Shireen and Tobruk were apprentices under Richard Drakh who died.

The Cover
The cover is sparking in blues with London Bridge as the background.

The title revolves around Luna, for she is Cursed you know.

First in the Alex Verus urban fantasy series about an unaligned mage who learned from past mistakes.

My Take
I do like the tweak Jacka has taken on both magic, balance, and the age-old head-in-the-sand approach. And yes, I'd agree with Butcher in that Alex Verus is something of an English Harry Dresden when considering the series with a broad scope. When it comes down to the details, Alex is his own person.

There's a coldness in this story, and I can't identify it. It has all the things I like: the magic, of course; interesting characters; an English setting; but, no warmth. I'm thinking it's the every-man-for-him/herself mindset as there certainly isn't any sense of help coming from the side of Light! I'll just hafta to keep on reading...poor me...*grin*...

Yeah, I'm with Alex, let the Council figure it out on their own. It's a horrible magic world with a few bright spots. The one constant is betrayal. No one is your friend. No one cares. Except for those few bright spots.

Luna's character makes me nuts. She's an intelligent person who chooses not to utilize it that often.

That last betrayal was confusing. I do prefer not having to struggle to understand what's going on. Although it is an interesting insight into the mind of a Dark mage. Fascinating as a train wreck, and there's lots of action with more twists and turns than the most vicious roller coaster you've ever ridden. I'll be curious to find out what happens next in Cursed (Alex Verus, #2).

The Story
After escaping his Master, Richard Drakh, Alex escaped into selling magic from his shop and kept away from the more organized aspects of magic. Especially any to do with the Council who had refused to help him. Now they're all after him, as the only diviner they can find, both sides want his help to retrieve the fateweaver.

The Characters
Alex Verus is a diviner, able to see thousands of possible futures at a time. And, sometimes, too curious for his own good. The Dark mage to whom he was apprenticed turned out to be the wrong choice. Not that the Light is any better. Today he runs a magic shop in Camden Town, isolated, independent.

Luna Mancuso is between sensitive and adept, and she searches for arcane artifacts for Alex's shop. Unfortunately, there's a nasty curse on her that protects her while destroying anyone who gets close. Starbreeze is an Air elemental with a very, very short memory and is "as dumb as a box of rocks". Arachne is a specialist weaver who designs clothes.

Rachel, Shireen, and Tobruk were apprentices like Alex under Richard Drakh.

Cinder is a fire mage working with Deleo and Khazad who wields death magic via black lightning. Morden is a name to be invoked when you want respect. He's a very powerful mage. Lisa is one of his apprentices. The lethal and ruthless Onyx also works for Morden. Griff Blackstone, an earth mage, leads Levistus' team which includes David Sonder.

The Council is the ruling body of Light Mages. Remember, "light" is just a term. Vaal Levistus and Travis are members of the Council; Thirteen is an Air elemental who serves Levistus. Lyle Trahelis and Talisid work for the Council.

Alaundo and Helikaon, a mentor to Alex, are diviners. Thermopylae is a pegasus belonging to Helikaon. Abithriax is a general from olden days, battle commander of all the Light armies.

Sensitives are a step up from normals. They can "feel the presence of magic". Next up are the adepts who can "actually channel magic in a subtle way". Then there are the mages. Arrogant, self-absorbed, if they see something they want, they take it. Elsewhere is a world not a place to which you can only travel in dreams. Where you can touch people through dreams, through their minds.

The Cover
The cover is aswirl in oranges with Parliament and Big Ben across the river.

The title is a reflection on humanity's greed and self-interest. How it interacts with Alex is simply Fated.

This is the third book in this series and I loved it just as much as I loved the first two. This is a book sort of along the lines of Harry Dresden and is kind of a 'boy' book in the urban fantasy genre. I tend to like the 'boy' books as they have less sex, a male main character, and there's plenty of action. And Alex is one of my most favorite characters because he feels so real. He's afraid at times and he says so, he knows he can't win every fight and tries to avoid them, but when he can't he jumps in with both feet. He's a good guy, and he does his best by everyone around him.

This world is full of awesome magic as every mage has a different ability. Alex just happens to see into the future and while you would think this may not be so helpful in battle, it is. Alex wields his ability very well and can do some amazing things. And in this book, like the others, he gets in some tight spots, but even when it puts himself in danger, he's always up for doing the right thing and helping people.

This is adult urban fantasy but other than fight scenes with a tad bit of gore there's nothing inappropriate for mature YA readers who are venturing into the adult genre's.

I most definitely suggest you pick up this series if you haven't yet done so, you won't regret it!

Fated rates somewhere between three and four stars for me, but there is no 3.5 here, so there you have it. It was fun to see another male protag in urban fantasy which is often dominated by snarky women.

Alex Verus is a mage, though not of the blow things up or 'kill you with my brain type', rather Verus is a diviner, someone who can see the future. I really enjoyed seeing a very different type of ability as the primary use, though there are a few things which struck me as a little odd. Such as how matter-of-factly he took watching many scenarios where he died, often in horrible ways. Maybe this is just something you get used to as a diviner, but it seems to me someone would be more shaken by watching this kind of thing, even knowing that it hadn't happened yet and that maybe you could still stop it. The other thought I had was that being slightly out of phase with what was happening all the time would tend to create someone who was a little more off kilter than Verus is. Maybe it's a matter of his training that he could very much stay focused in the here and now with the futures and possible futures only playing out when he wanted it to and not affecting him that much. The plotline is pretty straight forward and there weren't many places where I didn't guess the twist before it happened, but it was well enough put together that I didn't mind. I appreciated the secondary characters, in particular the twist on Luna's curse, and the use of creatures such as Arachne and Starbreeze.

The biggest thing which is both a pro and con is that Alex and his universe are very clearly inspired by the Harry Dresden books, by Jim Butcher. So for those who love the Dresden novels there are a lot of similarities to be enjoyed. Butcher offers a blurb on the front, but that's not the only cross over. The history of Alex Verus has some distinct similarities with Harry Dresden and there is at least one throw away line referencing the guy in Chicago who lists himself in the yellow pages. Also there are several writing bits which are distinctly in Butcher's style, (The last few paragraphs of Fated are a distinct echo of the end of Storm Front. Not word for word, but very close and the flow of the wording and intent are very similar.) which was an interesting homage to a very good series, but it makes me really hope that in future books this series can set itself apart as it's own thing with a distinct voice separate from Dresden.

So I'm willing to read the next book and didn't regret this one, but I'll be watching to see where it goes. All authors tend to draw ideas and inspiration from other masters in the genre (Tolkien anyone?) but the most interesting part isn't where they're the same, but what they do which is different!

Alex knew returning to his invisible life wouldn't be an option after he defeated the dark mages in the previous installment, but even so he still tries to stay out of things. But when someone starts stealing the life-force of magical creatures, leaving them nothing more than empty husks, he knows he cannot stay on the sideline any longer. The Council has asked him to investigate this ancient ritual and the dark mages that are performing it. But as he goes searching for answers, he finds the lines between light and dark blurring. With no clear cut villain in sight, he will have to keep his wits about him if he wants to have any chance at making it out of this mess alive.

I still don't quite get Alex's character, but he is slowly growing on me. Now that I understand him and his motivations a little better, I understand why he makes the choices he does even if I don't agree with him. Although I will say it still baffles me how a man who can see future threads still winds up getting himself in so much trouble. If it weren't for his insatiable curiosity he wouldn't land himself in half the messes he does. For example, there is a character that he KNOWS is using enchantments to try and manipulate him, yet does he stay away this character? Nope, he dives right from the frying pan and into the fire, all the while telling himself he probably shouldn't since he doesn't know whether his emotions are real or not around this character. At this point I've pretty much given in to having a fond exasperation for him and his decisions.

I really enjoyed seeing Alex's growing attachment to others. Previously he was so closed off and wouldn't let anyone in. Honestly, I don't blame him considering how many times he has gotten burned in the past, but it still makes for a lonely existence to shut everyone else out. He's gone from having absolutely no attachments, to having several good allies and a network to potentially call on for assistance, as well as a new apprentice. Of course the latter causes him a great deal of headaches due to the responsibility, but I think the challenge will be really good for him. Perhaps keep his boredom and curiosity at bay just a little bit while he focuses on training his apprentice.

Just like in Fated, the threats seemed to come from many different sides, and it was always unclear who was friend or foe. However, this time around, things didn't feel quite as chaotic, which really helped my enjoyment of the book. Granted, I had things figured out long before the characters did, but I would much prefer that over the utter chaos of the first installment. It really let me take a step back and watch things unfurl for the characters. So, in the end I have to say Cursed was a much stronger book than the first. Between the character development and the high stakes action, I was hooked from very early on, and I definitely recommend it.

Able to see the possible future, Alex Verus runs a magic shop in London. A small minnow in the world of magic, he keeps his head down and tries to avoid being noticed. His magic allows him to see the into future, useful when can look into the future when fighting an opponent and know which direction they will come from and what powers they'll use.

Alex has a dark past he's trying to hide from, involving an apprenticeship to a Dark mage, a lost love, and a body count. This has left him with strong desire to stay away from all Dark mages. The White Council have unearthed a relic from the fabled Progenitors though, and they need a probability mage to help them find and understand it. Before the Dark mages do.

I wanted to read this as Jim Butcher recommended it and am so glad I did. Like Harry Dresden, Alex lives in a world of magic that exists alongside the normal one. There's - a White Council that ignore unpleasant truths, Dark and Light mages, a hierarchy of abilities and prestige. Yet it's totally different; the world, the magic, the rules. The first half explains how the magic works, while the second is full of action and a rollercoaster of excitement.

Read this book! If you liked the Dresden world, you'll love this unique one. There is no romance in this book, though the possibility is there for later in the series, so is safe for boys! I'm looking forward to the next in the series, Cursed.

Diviner and London magic-shop owner Alex Verus just wants to lay low and keep to himself. He's managed to forget some pretty awful past with Dark Mages, and has a simmering anger toward the Light Mage Council for allowing that awful past in the first place.

But all of a sudden, both light and dark mages are practically knocking down his door because he's the last diviner in London, and an ancient artifact has been discovered that houses a powerful weapon-- and only a diviner can get it.

Along with his cursed friend Luna, Alex will be forced to put all his diviner skills into play to stay ahead of the people who would rather kill him than let him live long enough to put the weapon into the hands of his enemies.

Alex Verus is one of a crop of followers after Harry Dresden. If you like Dresden, you'll like Verus. This one is a bit more Harry-like than Aaronovitch's Midnight Riot/Peter Grant series--minus the Harry/Peter grant snark-- as Alex is a flawed, earnest, over-explainy kind of protagonist. London doesn't play such a huge role as it does in Peter Cornell's London Falling series or Carey's Felix Castor series, although if you enjoy the above, you'll like Alex.

Most of the action is Alex cleverly using divining magic against an array of more powerful mages, and that's most of the fun of this book. I did enjoy Luna and Arachne and Starbreeze as side characters, but wish we had seen just a bit more of Luna.

Excellent start to the series, I hope the books and emotional arcs keep getting developed in books to come.

This Book's Snack Rating: Salt and Vinegar Lay's for the salty crunch of clever magic action with potentially addictive characters

Review from All Things Urban Fantasy

CURSED is a wonderfully fun, action packed story with witty dialogue making it another great installment for the Alex Verus series. The plot was a little more straightforward than in FATED and it had a few fun twists that I didn't see coming. The action scenes could fit in a summer blockbuster movie especially one memorable chase in the middle of a city culminating in the use of some dangerous military grade weapons. The harvesting of the life force of magical creatures plot was an interesting concept in that when you harvest the life force you gain that creatures powers.

Alex's loyalty to his friends (including Luna and one of my favorite characters, Arachne the giant spider seamstress) over the Mage Council is a major part of his personality that I admire. Alex's relationship with Luna is tested and questioned when Luna starts to hang out with Martin, a wannabe mage who stirs up trouble. I was never sure how to read their relationship in this book or the previous one. Was Luna going to become a love interest? Sidekick? I didn't get where she stood with Alex and he seemed just as confused. Because of Martin and what happens in the end we get a more definite definition of their relationship (though things could change...).

One thing that I had an issue with was the constant hints of Alex's troubled past. It's starting to get a touch annoying having a taste of a fascinating past but never getting enough to satisfy. CURSED throws us back into Alex Verus's thrilling, action packed life with a wonderfully witty and smart hero who's actually pretty awesome in a fight. The next book in this amazing series; TAKEN comes out August 28th 2012 by Ace.

Cursed is the second novel in the Alex Verus series and one I was really looking forward to. Alex Verus is such a great character to read about because he feels real in the sense that he's afraid of things and he's smart enough to try to stay out of danger, but at the same time he's not too afraid to jump in when he knows it's the right thing to do, and he doesn't let his fear drive his actions. He's a fast thinker and uses his ability to see into the future to maximum ability. This makes him a pretty great mage because of his fast thinking and being able to see what his actions will do makes his final decisions pretty perfect.

I think I liked this one even better than the first, but that's really no surprise. I'm now settled into this world and have a good idea of how things work and how Alex thinks as well as how his abilities work. Alex definitely shows us a bit more in this one as he struggles with a bit of a romance issue and we get to know more about his relationship with Luna.

This was a very fast read as it was easy to keep reading it. There wasn't anything confusing or overwhelming but it was pretty constant action with just enough downtime to compute everything that was going on.

If you haven't yet started this series I highly recommend you do so as you are certainly missing out!

FATED brings another contender for the top of my favorite male urban fantasy hero list. Reading this book I got a very Dresden Files vibe which I loved as I gladly welcome more grizzled hardcore mages/wizards in my urban fantasy.

Alex Verus is a diviner mage with the ability to foresee the near future which is considered a `weak' ability amongst all of the fire, death, air mages with more active powers like throwing fire balls or flying. Diviner mages are considered pretty rare which is a good thing since I would have questioned the surplus of thickheaded mages not knowing how to fight someone who can see all possible outcomes of a battle (unless there are no good ways to fight a diviner...).

What I like about Alex is that while he doesn't rely too much on magic aside from some select magical items, he uses his wits and creativity to defeat other mages. I kept on thinking of him as the nerdy kid in class who gets picked on by the bigger, stronger kids but in the end he comes out more successful in life due to his knowledge and ability to think on his feet.

Benedict Jacka gives us a new, gritty hero in FATED which is an excellent start to what looks like a thrilling new urban fantasy series. I can't wait for the next Alex Verus book, CURSED, coming out June 2012.

Cursed
Reviewed by Suzanne & posted at Under the Covers Book Blog

Alex Verus quiet life as a magic shop owner seems to well and truely come to an end. His name is back on the radar for both light and dark mages, something he has spent years avoiding. But although trying to avoid trouble he isn't always sucessful as quite literally trouble comes crashing through his shop window. But what does drained magical creatures, a beautiful enchantress and a monkey paw have to do with Alex? After multiple attempts on his life Alex decides to find out.

Although I mainly read romance of which this book and series so far has none I am really getting into this series. I really enjoyed the first book and the second book was just as good if not better. It wasn't burdened as much with world building giving more page time to the plot and the characters.

If you like an action packed, magic fueled story then this is the series for you. It has a fast paced story which captivated me from start till finish and had a complex mystery that you could really get in to, which as much as I do love my romances, sometime is rather lacking in a book I would typically read. I also really like Alex Verus, the main character and from who's point of view we read from, he is resourceful and clever and some how always manages to wiggle out of trouble with a mixture of cunning, intelligence, luck and a little help from his friends.

In conclusion this was a really good installment in the series and I can't wait to read the next one. '

*ARC provided by publisher

Book 3 of the Alex Verus series does not disappoint. Starting off deceptively quietly with the detective meeting the stunning beauty (who later acts in the best film noir tradition), we also find out how Luna is doing with her training. And we learn more of the history of the magical world and the differences between the light and dark mages.
The story starts out simply enough, there is to be a competition among the various apprentices, of which Luna is one. But apprentices have been disappearing. Upon further investigation, the disappeared haven't been just apprentices and have been going on for a much longer time that anyone realized. The questions are who, why and how. Since there are mages involved, you know it is not for anything like a normal reason. Would love to tell you more, but that would cause spoilers.
This book can easily stand on its own, but if you have been lucky enough to read the first 2 books, "Fated" and "Cursed" then you will better understand the character development that Benedict Jacka is managing to pull off in this series. The characters grow, change and learn from their experiences. This is a difficult task for an author to carry off in a realistic way. © Night Owl Reviews - [...]

There's a blurb on the front of Fated by Jim Butcher, and I'll admit, it went a ways toward me reading the book. Don't get me wrong, the book sounded great, but Benedict Jacka is a new author, so it definitely helped. That said, Fated is a bit like the Dresden Files, but really only in the fact that Alex Verus is a wizard, or mage, and Alex's voice is is a similar mix of easygoing and tightly coiled power. Alex is a diviner, able to see the many possible outcomes and paths of a situation. Usually. He's not all-powerful, but he's pretty darn powerful, and he's done his best not to cross paths with the Council, running a magic shop in Camden Town, in London. Staying under the radar has done well for him, but when various mages (Light and Dark), come to him seeking his services, he finds himself back under the very thumb that he escaped years ago.

The author packs quite a bit of storytelling into just under 300 pages, and does it very effectively. I liked Alex immediately, and found his power fascinating. There's some mild tension between Alex and his friend Luna, who's carrying a very powerful curse, and she'll turn out to be a valuable ally in the battle to come. And there will be battle. There's a powerful artifact that more than a few powerful mages want to get their hands on, and they'll use any manner of coercion, arm twisting, and just plain nastiness to get Alex to snag it for them. The main group of Dark mages that Alex deals with are really just plain mean, and I found myself wishing that Alex could just kick `em in the mouth. Multiple times. With feeling. It doesn't help that Alex is carrying around a little baggage of his own, having been at the mercy of a Dark mage himself when he was younger. Yeah, the Dark mages like to keep slaves, er, helpers, and they're extremely cruel about it. Can you say torture chambers? So, you can understand why Alex isn't too keen on "helping" any of these guys out. On the charming side, we're also introduced to some really neat creatures, and the world that the author has created is definitely one I'll want to visit again. Fated is a strong start to what looks to be a magical series!

i came across this novel by chance following one of the store's recommendations, the first thing i noticed was Jim Butcher's praise of the novel, and since i am a big fan of the Dresden files i gigured i cant go wrong with this book, and i was correct in my assumption.

smooth, very very smooth, the way Mr. Jacka narrates his novel is incredibly smooth, in fact it has been many long years since i came across this type of narration, i first came by it with the Harry Potter series 3rd book and up, and since then i have went through a great amount of junk out there looking for something similar, will there isn't, the only series that came close is the Dresden files series, but not quit the same, will Mr. Jacka did it, the words flow smoothly, not a moment of boredom or discomfort especially for someone with a mild case of ADHD like me, the story itself is good, not great, but good, i believe that if Mr. Jacka would start a new series with a much more intriguing story and a little more captivating details he will carve his name among the Greats in the urban fantasy adventure genre. i will start with the second book soon, and once i am done i will post another review, 10 stars out of 5 for the narration, 3 stars for the story and the intrigue factor, well done.

Fated
Reviewed by Suz & posted at Under the Covers Book Blog

'Alex Verus owns a magic shop, not the kind that sells trick decks of cards or top hats with bunnies attached, but magic items that actually work. He is also a diviner, able to see future choices and the consequences of them before they happen, something very useful in a fight. But Alex avoids the rest of the mage community, both Dark and Light after learning the hard way that Dark mages are truely ruthless and Light mages are more interested in internal politics then helping a young boy. But soon the mage world, both Dark and Light come knocking on his door for help, both sides threatening him and his short list of friends if he says no and for once Alex can't seem to find a path that doesn't lead to his eventual death...

I am angry at this book! I am not sure my book shelves can take anymore, I now have yet another great series that I am going to have to add to my read list. As you can tell I really enjoyed this book, it has everything I love about an Urban Fantasy. Action, magic, an interesting new world and a character that I really liked.

It is very rare I actually read a book where the lead character is male, so I wasn't sure whether I would like it, but I have found that although it is different, it is something that I have enjoyed about this book. Alex Verus is an underdog, as a Brit I love an underdog, his magic isn't as powerful as everyone elses and he doesn't have the same connections as everyone else, but what he is, is very resourceful and clever and with a mixture of cunning, divination and guts he always manages to come out on top

Although the world wasn't the most original, mages living amoungst us, it was still interesting enough that I wanted to find out more and the plot in this book was a great way of introducing us to the world of Alex Verus as we get to see the major players on both sides of the mage world.

This was a really good read, full of action and magic and I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

*ARC provided by publisher

Reviewed by SUZANNE & posted at Under the Covers Book Blog

After unexpectedly surviving and defeating some powerful mages Alex Verus has begun to develop a reputation again in the mage community for getting problems solved. When he is approached and asked to investigate apprentices going missing, literally vanishing into thin air and are untraceable by means both magical and mundane, what he finds are a mysterious house, a dangerous rakashasa and two apprentices who seem to be in the middle of it all.

I am really getting into this series, the previous two books have been great and this one follows suit. It is action packed and full of excitement and has a plot in it that is interesting and complex enough to keep you guessing. But what I like best about this book and series is Alex, the main character, he is a great vehicle to tell the story through, he is constantly underestimated as he has less power then most other mages, making the books more exciting as it doesn't always seem like he will prevail.

There doesn't seem to be any over arching plot on these books, but these books do seem like they are giving you a taste of the world Mr Jacka has created and with each book it gets richer, although it may not be the most original setting, it is well done and the writing is good enough for it not to really matter.

I know we mainly review romance here, and this book doesn't actually have any, although I am hoping some will develop in the future, but don't let that scare you off, it is worth trying, and what it doesn't have in romance it makes up with in other things. It was another entertaining book in the series, it kept me glued to the page trying to figure out how Alex would win this time and I can't wait for the next book.

*ARC provided by publisher

I found Fated to be an enjoyable and welcome addition to the urban fantasy genre, and immediately rushed off to find Cursed and Taken. I love Harry Dresden and see a lot of similarities in the two, but Alex Verus isn't the crusader that Dresden is -- in fact, he'd rather just be left alone. But his world is not one in which one is allowed to be neutral, which is one of the things I liked about this novel. I can't help comparing the Dresden magical world with Verus's. In Dresden's Chicago, there are good beings (more or less) and bad beings, and he fights the bad ones with the aid of other good ones. In Verus's London, good and bad are much less well-defined. The so-called Light magicians aren't all that good, and the Dark ones aren't "evil" so much as self-absorbed and greedy. Power is the coinage for all, and that's where Verus keeps getting involved, despite his druthers. The people in his world aren't about to let a power like his go unused, whether he wants to or not. And if he doesn't align with one side or the other by choice, they'll find a lever with which to force him onto their side. As for support, he's on his own, unless he can find his own leverage to apply back on his supposed allies. I found Verus's lack of heroism to be refreshing and somewhat more realistic (if you can apply such a term to urban fantasy) than Harry Dresden's "rescuer" persona. Love them both, but Alex and his world are interesting in a new way.

I feel like I've hit real gold with this book after mining dross for so long. the store reviews on the whole are very helpful, but the reviews here especially for this book are right on the money.

If you like Jim Butcher you will probably like this book. I know I did. What really worked for me was how clearly the author articulate both the strengths of Alex's gift and the weaknesses and how he didn't fudge any scenes with more power than the character aught to have. It was also refreshing reading about a foreseer that's not absolutely crazy for a change, I hope the author goes deeper into this later on. The London setting is done very well, and I would enjoy more grounding of the storyline into the city if the author chose to add that in the other installments.

I also loved the character of the seamstress. She's awesome. I didn't connect that much with Luna, but I also feel that's part of the point as she holds herself apart. The scene where she reveals her mindset just before meeting Alex was very well done and hit a stark emotional note with me.

Overall, this is the best new urban fantasy series I've read for a while. And I like it better than Kevin Hearne's series. Lots of promise here.

In London empathic diviner mage Alex Verus sees infinite possible futures and sometimes influences which one occurs; he has one survivor mantra to choose a future in which he remains alive. After a battle with mages when he refused their demands he open an artifact from the ancient mage war as the outcome is one hundred percent deaths for him and his two dependents, Luna the cursed woman and Starbreeze the ancient air elemental (see Fated), Alex tries to keep a low profile running his magic shop. However, the warring mages of the Light and Dark pressure him to join their side, but he rejects both as his empath ability reminds him of the hostilities harm each causes civilians.

Alex also tries to assist his friend Luna cope with her family curse. However, Luna's new friend persuades her he end the curse with a relic that grants wishes. The storeowner has no time to intercede as he realizes that an assault on his friend Arachne the spider is from someone who is draining the life force of the magical beings with humans on the docket next.

This is a great urban fantasy as guns and magic deftly rock London. Alex is a terrific protagonist who struggles with remaining altruist towards the helpless by avoiding either Dark or the Light camps; as each commits crimes against humanity without a second thought re collateral damage of the innocent. The storyline is fast-paced as the hero investigates who is siphoning off the life forces of others.

Harriet Klausner

I think this is one case where the sequel irons out some of the annoying bits from the first book without losing any of the Mage-in-London fun of the first Alex Verus book.

There's less exposition, more action, and more relationship-development between Alex and the assorted bad guys and his psuedo-apprentice Luna.

In this installment, someone's out to kill Alex, Luna's new friend Martin has just picked up a dangerous wish-giving artifact, and Alex's reputation from the first book's antics won't let him ly low anymore.

But what really gets him off his couch and moving along the infinite possiblities he can see in the future is that his friend/mentor/tailor Arachne is in danger-- and coming to her aid will reveal Alex's moral compass as well as put him on the other side of both Light and Dark Mages.

Again, if you like Jim Butcher's Dresden or Kevin Hearne's Atticus, you'll like Alex. Nicely done. Can't wait for the next installment.

This Book's Snack Rating: Salt and Vinegar Kettle chips for the sturdier character crunch, more action, less exposition and all around salty London fun of this 2nd installment

The book picks up shortly after the adventures in the first book "Fated" and does a very good job with the continuity aspects of the story line. Luckily for people like me, while it is ideal to read the first book then move on to this book, that is not necessary. This book works well as a stand-alone novel.
This starts off with a bang early on, literally. High powered rifles, grenade launcher and fire balls. See, a lot of destruction. Then there is dark magic experimentation, after all, if you are a Mage, one of the most important things would be getting more power. Unfortunately, early experimentation killed the subject the power was taken from and drove the person getting the extra power insane. Violently so. And we have a monkey's paw. Remember the old story about that? Yes, that one.
We get to see some more of Luna, learn more about Arachne and get a further understanding of how Mage society works. Unfortunately we also get to see how greed can drive people to very evil deeds. Sometimes to their own destruction. We get to see more of Luna and how she deals with her curse and how Alex deals with his conflicted emotions of how to treat someone he should be teaching, but is attracted to and can't touch.
© Night Owl Reviews - [...]

The first of the Alex Verus novels. We get introduced to the main players in this world (Alex, Luna, Starbreeze, Sonder, Talisid, Arachne, et al.) and get a very good introduction to a world that exists out of sight of our normal world, but sometimes crossing over or influencing our world. Fated is a combination of Harry Dresden, The Da Vinci Code, the Sorcerer's Apprentice and National Treasure (in the best sense!) so if this is the kind of combination that makes your eager fan boy heart squeal with glee, you will be very happy. This is a bit gritty, dark and hopeful, in the right amounts with dark wizards, white wizards (and the definitions of said wizards is a little different from what we are accustomed to seeing) schemes, betrayals, murders, ambushes and lost treasure. If you are looking for a great romance, you will need to look elsewhere. If you are looking for a good book with and introduction to an interesting world that is a little off the beaten path, you will really enjoy this work. The second book is due out June of this year. Do yourself a favor, read this book and preorder the second one (cursed). Before we lose this author to the grind of being a British Solicitor. © Night Owl Reviews

I'll admit it, I'm an urban fantasy junkie. These books are my crack and CURSED definitely hits the spot. Gaining notoriety in the upper echelons of the mage world is something Alex never hoped for--or wanted. But he's getting a name (not necessarily a good one) as someone who's more powerful than he first appears. His power is a subtle one--nothing flashy like that pain in the butt, Cinder, with his massive balls of fire (heh)--but, when used properly, he has the ability to see possible futures and that can be a powerful thing.

People want him dead. Assassins lurk around every corner and his new apprentice, Luna, has found a new friend to play with. Luna is quite irritating in this one. She begged Alex to help her learn to control her killing curse but she wants the quick fix and isn't listening to Alex. Plus, the guy she hooked up with? Not good (A monkey's paw picks him as its new owner--that should tell you everything about him!).

Then there's the new woman in Alex's life and she's got bad vibes just flowing off her. But Alex ignores the warning signs (Typical male--he sees boobs and all sense flies out of his head.) and heads deeper into trouble.

This series will definitely appeal to fans of Jim Butcher. Alex is a hero I can totally get behind--he's flawed, not afraid to ask for help when he needs it, loyal to a fault, and walks a fine line between Light and Dark.

I picked up Benedict Jacka's Fated on the strength of a publisher's blurb in the "if you liked ..." vein. In this case the comparison was to Ben Aaronovitch, whose books I've enjoyed, but the stronger likeness is perhaps to Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series - hence the cover endorsement from Butcher. The `shout out' to Harry Dresden on the third page might have had something to do with it, too.

And there are a lot of similarities to the Butcher books - far more than to Aaronovitch. Fated`s Alex Verus is a wizard, magician, sorceror, whatever - his preferred label is `mage'. In his case a probability mage, which means a reliable ability to sift through different possible futures and find the sequence of actions that will lead to the one he wants. It's a very handy trick: if you can see what's coming you can dodge an attack, hide from a guard, figure out the best way to escape. Of course there's a downside: for Verus it means occasionally getting a foretaste of the spectacular death that might result from the wrong choice. And there's a price, too: he has to pay attention.

Like Butcher's Harry Dresden, Alex Verus operates in a world of magic that exists alongside our own. There are Dark and Light mages, a Council that tries to keep a lid on things, and a hierarchy of abilities and prestige. There are even some rules. Apparently.

Like Dresden, Alex Verus has also chosen to operate on the fringes of that world: he runs a small shop in Camden, in the north of London; has few friends - none among the great and powerful of the magical world; and tries to live a useful if quiet life. It soon becomes apparent Verus has a past he's trying to hide from: an apprenticeship to a Dark magician, a lost love, and a body count. But the Council have unearthed a relic from the fabled Progenitors, and they need a probability mage to help them figure it out. Unfortunately for Verus, he didn't see this coming ...

I devoured Fated in pretty much one bite, on a recent rainy Sunday afternoon, and it was ideal for that. Despite the comparisons above, Fated is not the Dresden Files go to London, but the debt - and something of the same darkness - is there: Jacka's mage owes far more to Harry Dresden than he does to Aaronovitch's Peter Grant. And while Aaronvitch's magicians are firmly rooted in the bricks and streets of London, in Soho and Bloomsbury and the West End, Fated soars over the rooftops, from the British Museum to Hampstead Heath to Canary Wharf. This overindulgence in London landmarks, is one of the book's weakest points. But a good read, nonetheless: I look forward to the next in the series.

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Alex Verus is a mage who runs a magic shop in London. His forte is precognition, with the ability to see all possible futures by the result of someone's choice. When Alex is asked by the Council to open a mysterious relic, he turns them down right away. But when other individuals try to recruit Alex for the same relic, he is given a couple offers he can't refuse and still remain breathing.

Jacka's urban fantasy world is one of dangerous mages, both light and dark, with a variety of other magical creatures. Alex has a dark past that he escaped, yet still has plenty of baggage. His friend Luna is an integral character who has a unique curse that makes it impossible to get close to anyone literally and figuratively. Jacka's characters have tremendous depth and are extremely compelling.

Fated is the first in a new series starring Alex Verus. It's fresh, original and exciting. There is never a dull moment in this fast-paced and action-packed story. Urban fantasy (especially Harry Dresden) fans will want to check out this series with plenty of mystery, adventure and humor. The next installment, Cursed, will release this June and will be a must-read for me.

On a job for the Council, Alex Verus' team finds a dead beast with no outward sign of attack. As he soon discovers, someone is using forbidden magic to harvest the magic of magical creatures, leaving them dead as a result. Alex is hired to investigate and quickly finds himself a target for assassins.

Alex has taken Luna on as an apprentice, though their relationship is a bit awkward. Meanwhile, Luna has made a new friend who irritates Alex, but also mostly from jealousy. Several old friends (and enemies) return in this exciting sequel to Fated, as Alex tries to find out who's been harvesting magic. He takes this case especially personal, as one of his closest friends is a magical creature in danger.

Fast-paced, action-packed and full of adventure and magic - Cursed is a fantastic sequel. In fact, I enjoyed this thrilling story even more than the first. This series is a must-read for urban fantasy fans. Dark and suspenseful, with plenty of mystery - Jacka does not disappoint in this sophomore novel.

Fabulous world building, a terrific setting, a complex and unique main character, Fated is the fabulous start to a brand new series.

On the cover Jim Butcher says that Harry Dresden would like Alex Verus. I haven't read the Harry Dresden books yet (shame on me!) but have the first seven or so. I'm quite certain that it's a series I'll adore. But I can't compare the two. I do know that Jim Butcher is suppose to be a fabulous author though and his little blurb gave me some confidence in the book. But I gotta say, this book should be able to stand on it's own without any big time author telling us it's good, cause honestly it's downright fabulous!

Alex Verus has a distinct personality. I immediately liked him and his ways. He's a mage with the ability to see into the future and no other magical abilities. I soon learned that his seer abilities are much more useful then I would have thought. He can look into the future when fighting an opponent and know which direction he/she will come from, which powers they'll use, etc. He can take things apart (think: dismantling a bomb) and see what the future outcome would be by snipping this wire, etc. This ability along with his smarts (and he's very smart!) gives him more power then you would think against mages that can shoot fire, for example. He's a very fast thinker (anyone who can be looking into futures while in battle is most definitely a fast thinker) and does quite well when put in tough situations. He's been through a lot in his past which has given him a healthy fear of the dark mages. He's quite determined but knows when he has no bargaining chips saving himself from certain disaster time and time again.

Benedict Jacka has created a very unique world. I love the mages and the history and the abilities. I love the supernatural creatures that we've seen so far like the air elementals and the ginormous spider that spins the latest fashions.

The book felt quite fast paced once we really got into it. In the first quarter or so Alex was sometimes a bit long winded when telling us about things. Like his abilities (or lack of abilities) and how things worked. While it got a bit long it did 'fit' his personality and added to that distinct part of his personality. It was most certainly the way Alex talks and for that reason I can forgive his more lengthy explanations. The last half was pretty constant action and I felt like the climax went on for quite awhile. This wasn't a bad thing, but certainly was frustrating when I couldn't keep reading to see what happened.

Overall this was a fantastic start to a new series. Alex Verus is quick witted, kick ass, and has completely stolen my heart. I'm already eagerly awaiting the second installment in the series, Cursed (expected publication of May 29th, 2012).

I am on book four of this series, and I am finding it hard not to sit down and read them all at once in a few days. I don't know why it took me so long to discover this author. The world building it excellent, if a bit dark. The bad guys are obviously bad. They kind of wallow in it. The light mages are... also bad but tend to lie about it, to themselves most of all, I think. If you've been on the fence, don't hesitate any longer, give book one a try.

Fated features a sympathetic hero who meets the crises of the action-filled plot with energy and creativity. Alex Verus is a diviner, a mage who can foresee the many possible ways the future will develop. Various bad guy dark mages want to coerce Alex into using his talent to help them steal a powerful magic artifact, a fateweaver. Alex has to cooperate with them, but uses his talent to try to keep one step ahead.

Alex is a fun character to watch. Although he has supernatural ability, he is not all-powerful and has to use his wits to survive the deadly powers of the dark mages. He cares about his friends and wants to do the right thing. However, he has a tough streak and will use force to survive.

Along with watching Alex's struggles, the reader will enjoy meeting his magical sidekicks--Luna, Starbreeze, and Arachne. These characters showcase the author's skill in bringing to life unique personalities in his world. Luna especially will intrigue the reader as she struggles to cope with the family curse that destroys anyone who comes close to her.

I picked up Benedict Jacka's Fated on the strength of a publisher's blurb in the "if you liked ..." vein. In this case the comparison was to Ben Aaronovitch, whose books I've enjoyed, but the stronger likeness is perhaps to Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series - hence the cover endorsement from Butcher. The `shout out' to Harry Dresden on the third page might have had something to do with it, too.

And there are a lot of similarities to the Butcher books - far more than to Aaronovitch. Fated`s Alex Verus is a wizard, magician, sorceror, whatever - his preferred label is `mage'. In his case a probability mage, which means a reliable ability to sift through different possible futures and find the sequence of actions that will lead to the one he wants. It's a very handy trick: if you can see what's coming you can dodge an attack, hide from a guard, figure out the best way to escape. Of course there's a downside: for Verus it means occasionally getting a foretaste of the spectacular death that might result from the wrong choice. And there's a price, too: he has to pay attention.

Like Butcher's Harry Dresden, Alex Verus operates in a world of magic that exists alongside our own. There are Dark and Light mages, a Council that tries to keep a lid on things, and a hierarchy of abilities and prestige. There are even some rules. Apparently.

Like Dresden, Alex Verus has also chosen to operate on the fringes of that world: he runs a small shop in Camden, in the north of London; has few friends - none among the great and powerful of the magical world; and tries to live a useful if quiet life. It soon becomes apparent Verus has a past he's trying to hide from: an apprenticeship to a Dark magician, a lost love, and a body count. But the Council have unearthed a relic from the fabled Progenitors, and they need a probability mage to help them figure it out. Unfortunately for Verus, he didn't see this coming ...

I devoured Fated in pretty much one bite, on a recent rainy Sunday afternoon, and it was ideal for that. Despite the comparisons above, Fated is not the Dresden Files go to London, but the debt - and something of the same darkness - is there: Jacka's mage owes far more to Harry Dresden than he does to Aaronovitch's Peter Grant. And while Aaronvitch's magicians are firmly rooted in the bricks and streets of London, in Soho and Bloomsbury and the West End, Fated soars over the rooftops, from the British Museum to Hampstead Heath to Canary Wharf. This overindulgence in London landmarks, is one of the book's weakest points. But a good read, nonetheless: I look forward to the next in the series.

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There have been several comparisons with Butcher's Dresden novels, understandable since Butcher himself praised this book and they both have an independent, even rogue, magician as the main character. It is a good urban fantasy with easy to imagine power struggles and politcal maneuvering among all the magicians. There are very few non-human characters which can be a real relief. I am so sick of vampires, demons, werewolves and such that I generally avoid novels which contain very many of them. I definitely enjoy suspending my disbelief for the purpose of a good story but I have my limits.
The book had enough action to suit me, even from the beginning and enough suspense, especially at the end. It could have used a little tightening up in those areas but I'm willing to give Jacka some slack as he continues to develop his stories and characters, as Butcher did. I look forward to his next novel.

Alex Verus is back in Jacka's third book in this series. Again it continues off the previous book, with an undetermined, though short, amount of time since the last adventure. Just as the previous stories, I was a bit off in guessing what was going to happen next, but was able to guess the end result, for the most part. The enjoyment was in reading how Jacka took the story, and the character interaction, even if they had no part to the end story. Also, after having read the first two books, there is some new character background for some of the secondary characters, which was sort of nice. I like to drop myself into these type of stories dealing with magic in a current time setting. The stories just don't seem long enough, because I am so immersed that I read through it, sometimes in one sitting.

I really enjoyed this installment of Alex's tale. I like how the author has him navigating the line between Light and Dark mages. Alex is looking for what we are all looking for: authenticity, sincerity, loyalty, friendship and a place to belong and feel safe. And that resonates with me and I think it will resonate with most readers.

My quibbles are few but I'll list them with a SPOILER AHEAD WARNING:

First, I think the author needs to explain the line between adept and mage better. Alex is a mage but he can ONLY foresee, so from the definitions the author gives it's unclear to me why Alex is a mage and not an Adept as the distinction articulated is in how MANY types of magic the wielder has and not strength of that type of magic. My second quibble is that I didn't feel any real urgency and dread and FEAR from Alex for Arachne when she is in danger. And I felt that he owed her some given that she's his oldest and dearest friend. The monkey's paw thread was interesting and well done. The magic stealing thread was a bit more problematic for me: how did the one mage figure out how to reconcile non-human magic with magic? It's said there was a 'cure' found but it is never explored, and I think it would have been a tighter tale if it had been. Also, one of the focus instruments and the knowledge of how to steal magic is still out there at the end of the tale-- which is worrisome and it's a lose thread the author should have tied up, but didn't.

Overall though, I think this is going to be a great series, and I am eagerly awaiting Taken.

I read the first two books of the Alex Verus series based off of a post on Jim Butcher's twitter page. The Dresdin files are my favorite books out right now and I had hoped that these would be similar in tone and energy.

While the first two books have been enjoyable there are a few items that have been bugging me a bit regarding the development of the two main characters of the series.

Alex Verus is a diviner or seer that has the ability to see all of the different paths his actions will take in the future. This allows him to crack passwords, see and avoid danger, and determine the best course of action in just about any situation. This allows the author to basically create solutions to problems anytime regardless of how impossible the situation may be. Need a password to defuse a bomb, just look into the future to try thousands of options in no time at all to find the right code. Sniper on the roof, know the exact spot to stand in so you cannot be hit. Its a great skill and the author does a decent job navigating the idea of seeing the future without sounding too far fetched. One minor issue I have with this is there is no defined timeline as to how far Alex can see into the future. He was tricked and used by various people to accomplish their goals without his knowledge in the first two books. Couldn't he have just looked forward to determine that he was being lied to and known right from the start what the outcome of working for these people would have been? But compared to the other issue I have, this is fairly minor.

The main issue I have is the way the author has Alex use this power on occasion. There are several situations in Cursed where Alex is faced with an assassin looking to end his life. In one occasion Alex uses his powers to see the trap and what the results of the assassins work would be if he proceeded as he had originally planned. By seeing this outcome he would be able to avoid the trap without anyone getting hurt and escape unharmed. However the Author decided to have Alex, the hero of the book mind you, detonate the trap instead killing the assassin in cold blood. There are other times in the book where Alex uses his powers with the result of killing assailants by shooting them in the back of the head or blowing them up. Each time this occurs Alex shows little remorse or concern about how his actions ended the life of another person.

In some books one of the main plot lines is how the hero's actions are morally questionable as they walk a fine line between good and evil. In the Alex Verus books (which very closely mirror the Dresdin books in terms of the world they are set in, but not nearly as fun) Alex was apprenticed to a Dark Mage and rebelled against him due to the way he treated other people and how he planned to use Alex to control and enslaves others.

This is my problem. How can you build a story about someone whose moral compass is such that they acted out and went against someone who was morally corrupt but have no issues with using his own power to kill or murder others if there is an alternative solution without bloodshed? Maybe as the books continue (I have only read the first 2) this is an issue that is addressed, but for now it seems un balanced.

The last issue I have in the first books was with Luna, Alex's apprentice. There are multiple times in the books where Alex tells her listen, do something, run away, move, hide, whatever and instead of listening she simply freezes up, says "What?", or ignores him. If she was someone who just met Alex and did not know what he can see then that's understandable. At this point we told that they have been working together for several months and she understands exactly what his powers can do. The author makes her seem so dense and just slow witted at this point that there were several times in the books I hoped that she would have been shot or hurt just so the story could move on to where she would finally listen to Alex. By the end of the second book, some of the ignorance issues with Luna had been resolved, but it really was frustrating and nearly made me close the book for good.

Overall I did enjoy the books and will read the third in the series. I just hope that the author gets Alex and Luna centered soon or I will move onto a different series.

I only picked up the first three books in this series (well, only three that I know of at the moment) just due to the plot synopsis on the back of the book. Within the first 20 pages or so, I was pretty much hooked into the whole story. The plot kept me wanting to find out what the next twist or turn was going to be, and how the characters handled it. After completing this first book, I have many questions that deal more with the main character's background, more than what future adventures/situations he will be in. Perhaps those details will be given in the next book, or the next. Either way, it was a good read, and I enjoyed it very well for a modern day magic story.

At this year’s New York Comic Con I had the pleasure of meeting Benedict Jacka, author of the Alex Verus series. What initially drew my attention to these novels was the burb on the front cover of the first novel, Fated (Ace Books, March 2012): “Harry Dresden would like Alex Verus tremedously–and be a little nervous around him. I just added Benedict Jacka to my must-read list.” – Jim Butcher.

I love Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series. Harry Dresden is one of my all time favorite fictional characters, and I read each new book the day it comes out, so of course I was going to love this series too, right? I think a lot of people can be very critical about books that are a lot like other books. They are just riding on the coattails of others, they are stealing ideas, etc. etc. Here I’ll tell you why I don’t feel that way about Fated.

First of all, yes, this book very much had the flavor of Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series, and I would posit that it’s written as an elevated type of fan fiction, or perhaps a better way to put it is that it’s an homage to Harry Dresden. Alex even references the Chicago wizard himself by referring to an urban legend about a wizard who advertises in the phone book. But Alex Verus is not Harry Dresden. Jacka takes the wizard in an urban setting and puts his own unique flavor on it. Alex is a diviner, a seer of probable futures, and a mage who straddles the line between Dark and Light magic. He is not traditionally powerful, and his motivations for involving himself in a battle are unclear even to himself. I think what I found most endearing about this character was his reluctance to see his own power for what is is.

While one could read this novel on its own and be satisfied, there is also that lingering feeling of wanting to know more about Alex. I was happy to learn on Jacka’s panel at NYCC that he fully intends to stay focused on this series and continue telling us more about this guy. Three more books are already out in this series, Cursed, Taken, and Chosen, and I intend to add those to my reading list. If you like the Dresden Files and are looking for something to read while you wait for the next installment, Skin Game, to come out, then I highly recommend picking up the Alex Verus series. You will not be disappointed.

I may be the only person alive who isn't completely enthralled with the Dresden Files. The books are good, make no mistake, but I often feel like they could be better, especially when it comes to Harry Dresden's heavy-handed preaching about morality, the very stilted dialogue, and the ever-changing rules to accommodate Harry's multitude of escapes from tight spots,
With the many comparisons between this series and the Dresden books, I was expecting a flawed, but enjoyable enough experience. What I got, however, was a smooth, fast-paced, well plotted Urban Fantasy that should be at, or close to the top of the heap in the UF sub-genre. Pacing, character development, prose, dialogue - everything worked in a balanced, mesmerizing way that kept me always wanting more (I devoured the following two books and started Chosen this morning).
I get the comparisons; there are distinct similarities between Alex and Harry and the worlds they live in, but to me, Alex feels a little more believable. He doesn't want to be a hero - it just happens.
I don't like to give away much of the story in my reviews - there are plenty of other reviews that explain in detail what the books are about, but I will say that this series does not disappoint. They are fun, engrossing, deeply satisfying reads that should thrill any reader of Urban Fantasy.

“Fated” does a good job of giving the reader a glimpse into this magical world, it has interesting characters and even has a bit of action mixed in, so I’m not sure why I feel as if it’s middle of the road. Maybe because it does all of these things well but no one item in particular stood out to me. Either way it’s an interesting story which didn’t knock my socks off but was by no stretch of the imagination bad. If book two is on sale I’d pick it up, I’d probably even read it at full price once I clear out my list of books “to read” I’m just not chomping at the bit do so.

I have been saying for a while now that I want to find more urban fantasy written by British authors and set in the UK so when my Dad discovered Fated in the library I jumped at the chance of reading it. A story set in London with Dark and Light mages living unseen amongst the human population was just what I was looking for and I have to say that I loved the setting. It was nice to see London through Alex's eyes and I'm now itching to visit Camden market and the British Museum!

Alex may be a mage but as a diviner his abilities are limited, he can't use his power as a weapon and he can't shield himself from magical attacks. Actually his powers are much more interesting than that - he is able to look forward and see the future. Not just one future but infinite different futures so he can foresee the outcome of any actions he might take and work out in advance what gives him the best chance of success. When you can see what your enemy is about to throw at you and the best way to avoid it you end up with a bit of an advantage. I've not come across this ability before and found it fascinating to read about. It would have been easy for this to take away all sense of suspense from the story but somehow Alex manages to keep readers on their toes even when he is warning you of attacks that are about to happen.

Originally apprenticed to a Dark mage Alex made plenty of enemies when he escaped and decided to go his own way. We have been given hints at some of the things he went through at the hands of the Dark mages but I think this is something that we are going to learn a lot more about as the series continues. Although the Light mages are supposed to be the good to the Dark mages' evil things aren't quite as black and white as that. Alex learnt the hard way that the Light mages aren't really his friends either and just wants to be left to live his life in peace and quiet. As one of the only diviners in the country that isn't going to be easy though. The discovery of an ancient artefact with powerful protection wards that only he has a chance of getting past means Alex suddenly finds himself the most sought after mage in London. Because when an artefact that could change the balance between the Light and Dark is at stake there are going to be a large number of people who want to get their hands on it.

As Alex tries to recover the artefact he must decide which faction he trusts to use it wisely. He also has to figure out a way to make it through the next few days in one piece when each side of the war are threatening to kill him if he doesn't help them. Luckily Alex has a few friends to help him with the challenge. His would be apprentice Luna comes with an interesting curse of her own that I'm looking forward learning more about as the series continues and Starbreeze added some light relief to the story.

Although I enjoyed the story it didn't quite wow me as much as I had expected it to. I can't put my finger on anything that I didn't like though and I'm sure that the series will only grow stronger with each instalment. Fated is an interesting debut from Benedict Jacka and I'm looking forward to reading about Alex's next adventure.

This is the second book in the Alex Verus series that started with "Fated", and continues the story from the first book. Due to events from the first book, Alex has started to receive more (unwanted) attention from those in the magic community, which leads him to the next spot of trouble. I won't go into detail, as I don't want to ruin the story.

I think Jacka does a great job of creating more character development, and background, as the story continues. The relationships between characters gets more defined, as well. How far will the author be able to take this series? I don't know, but books three and four are out, and I will be reading them as well!

Read this and the rest of the books in the series, at the library. They are intelligently written stories with long slow character development and insights. Don't expect heart stopping excitement, mind numbing horror or brain teasing puzzles. Expect ordinary people with extra powers behaving well or poorly. I was very engaged with the characters, cheering the moral choices and feeling let down when they failed. I didn't rush out to buy the books, but when presented with this opportunity, I put my money down.

Taken is the third book in the Alex Verses series and wow what an action packed, fast paced installment! It didn't matter that I haven't read the previous books (although I definitely will now!) I could still follow the plot with no issues. The world that has been created by Benedict Jacka is rich and exciting and the characters are interesting and loveable. I was immediately sucked into the storyline, once I'd started reading the book I just couldn't put it down. I'm very excited to see what the author comes up with next - this series looks to be an extremely successful one!

I love the book so much I am on my second listen. Benedict Jacka brings magic alive by gently informing the reader of the rules of his world sandwiched between scenes that will leave you wanting more.

I really enjoyed this book and all the follow-on ones that are out. I think the magic system is unique enough to bring something new to the UF genre. Alex Verus has an interesting talent, some mysteries to solve and some good side-kicks. One side character in particular makes the series stand out, but this is a no- spoiler review so I can't say which one!

If you like UF that is action-packed, has a good mystery and a well-through out magical system, give this one a try. They were fun reads. Highly recommended.

There were some nice touches in this story. For example with things like ageless elemental spirits, we are more accustomed to them either being evil incarnate or a greater, wiser power. To have the elemental air spirit, Starbreeze, thicker than two bricks with a helluva load of cement in-between was once such nice touch. It also added an element of risk such as Alex recalling the time Starbreeze was carrying him somewhere, became distracted and they ended up somewhere like Rio de Janeiro (or similar) by mistake.

I also liked Benedict's explanation of Dark versus Light, with the Dark not being so much evil as such but as a particular mindset or attitude which resulted in the Dark approach to matters.

This book was an example of the published blurb not really reflecting the actual story. From that I was expecting something with a greater focus on the activities of the Arcana Emporium but that barely touches the story at all. I felt the story could have been somewhat deeper by coming more from the angle of Alex Varus, renegade seer, making his way by dealing in the magical, rather than quite early in proceedings having him shut up shop to go and meet someone and the Emporium ceasing to have any actual role.

I shan't lie and say it was the greatest urban fantasy I have read but I still found it catchy and interesting enough to pass my most crucial test - do I want to read more? Yes I do.

Fated (An Alex Verus Novel)

Good story and but Luna is really too stupid to live. In this, the book is predictable and loses two stars. Otherwise, it would be a great book. If the series continues with this Luna character which I think it will I'm likely to not continue reading them.

recommended by the store (thank you!) for people who liked matthew swift & the blue electric angels...a cross between harry dresden and london's magical police force in ben aaronovitch's series (including rivers of london, moon over soho, and whispers underground). also reminiscent of a children's series (not just for children!) called the stoneheart trilogy, by charlie fletcher.
i loved it. read both this book and the next one on my new kindle over the weekend. great for some real escape-ism, engaging enough to make you forget you have the flu!
more, please!

I am the sort of person who will finish a book I am not really enjoying, maybe it's because I want to give it a chance and gets better, which has happened a number of times, or maybe it's something to do with a need for finality and completeness. However, I threw this one aside halfway through which is something I have only ever done once before.

I found this book poorly written and can only assume (and hope) that the writer is a novice. The book lacked depth and description in all areas. From the characters I felt nothing for, to the environments that were barely even roughly mapped out and without enough to base an imagining on. The story had potential but it was lost in blandness.

I checked this book out from my local library. I checked this book out due to comments saying this was similar to the Dresden character-- actually the only real resemblance is they are both wizards. The similarity stops there, but this is a good story in it's own right. Strong character, interesting concept (his talent is foresight). I was amazed at the author's creativity in using the heroes paranormal talents. I'll be reading more of this series.

This book is a good start for a very good, complex series. The magic system built is brilliant and the book has a very good pace. I've listened to the audiobook and I think it's even better than reading it. The fact that Gildart Jackson is narrating it, it's amazing.

Second in a series of three books. I suspect that the author would like to take this series to twenty books or so and I hope that he can do so.

Hmmm, I've got to break my rating rules and rate this higher than the predecessor. I'm going with a 4.5 out of 5 which rounds up to a 5 star book.

Ok, a third rate mage gets the short end of the stick and turns it into the long end of the stick (repeat series analysis). However, the story is deeper and much more intricate with some very unexpected turns. Like!

This book is difficult to review because the pieces are there, but they don't come together well.

The plot is consistent, the characters have goals, it all works in a sense.

However the issue is that Fated is bland. Dreadfully bland. I could not care one bit about the main character. His personality is... what? Curious? Pragmatic? Fierce when cornered? The secondary character's defining trait was "damsel in distress". Even the magic is utterly drab and unremarkable.

It is nice that the character's powers aren't flashy, and even as a diviner who can see the future he makes mistakes. But that alone just isn't enough to hold up under the enormous uninspiring wave of "meh" that weighed me down through the entire book.

In London, Alex Verus runs a magic shop. Not only does this proprietorship enable him to use his knowledge but is also the perfect cover in plain sight of his talent. Alex is a diviner mage who can see the infinite possible futures and can sometimes influence which one occurs. His ability has the warring forces of the Light and the Dark wanting him on their respective side and will do anything even causing collateral damage to the innocent to make him their stooge.

Choosing neither side as he believes both are wrong with the damage they cause to civilians, Alex has one other unique trait that no other mage apparently possesses as he is an empath who feels for those he knows. The mage factions demand Alex open a relic from the ancient mage war. He looks into the future and realizes that the outcome of doing their bidding is one hundred percent deaths for him and his two dependents, Luna the cursed woman, and Starbreeze the ancient air elemental dumber than a rock. Alex and his wards flee as he foresees their only slim possible chance to survive the assaults from the Light and the Dark is flight not fight.

This is a great opening act as the first Alex Verus urban fantasy establishes the Jacka rules of magical physics but does so interwoven inside a fast-paced storyline. The cast is solid (even the ephemeral) but rascally Alex keeps the tale focused as he versus a world in which the superpowers reject neutrality; nor does either side care about the mundane. Instead the mantra is "You're either part of the solution or part of the problem" (Eldridge Cleaver).

Harrier Klausner

I waited very impatiently for this second installment of the series and am now waiting even more impatiently for the third. I love the character Alex Versus. I've always been partial to magical worlds, sword & sorcery, psychics, telekinesis, mediums, and any of a hundred other preternatural hooks one can incorporate into such writings. This story is simple in construction, not to far fetched, but very believable and so quick to draw the reader in. I loved it!

The 3rd book keeps moving the series along. The cast of characters has definitely filled out and the world-building has progressed. I enjoy the way the author, who has magical main characters, limits those characters so that more often than not they have to use their brains to solve problems.

Well done urban wizard stories that are interesting without being very complicated. Really enjoy the "Here's a problem, let's get to solving it, things happen, end of story" style that Jacka brings. Books are written with a nice flow, and can be finished in a good night of reading. If you are interested in these type of story settings, you can't go wrong with this book, and I'm guessing the others after it.

Benedict Jacka is a very underrated writer right now. I HAD to get this book through the store because the bookstores (around me anyway) said he wasn't popular enough to keep regular stock. I got turned on to his series by a friend of mine who told me that if you enjoy Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series, you would also enjoy this. Turned out to be very true! Funny, suspenseful, and full of action. Very much recommended!

I am a huge fan of Jacka and this series. I read this book in one sitting; and the other books in the series did not last much longer with me. The characters and environment that is created is remarkable in depth and will provide a long lasting background for further books. I would appreciate a second parallel series as the author is a special talent. Thank you for this great book and series.

The setting is modern day, plus the magical and fantastical hidden among us. The main character, A--, is an oracle. That is, he can read the future. The author develops this into an absolutely fascinating magical power, unique and remarkably flexible. A-- is drawn into a conflict between more powerful creatures who need his help as an oracle to obtain the use of a powerful magic item.

The storyline had a few small flaws, but nothing worth complaining about.

Have you read Jim Butcher's Dresden Files? Did you like it? Well this book is like a watered down copy with just enough changes in it to make it non-copyright-infringed. The whole story line is broken and segmented with no smooth scene changes. The main character is poorly described, but the best I can come up with is an out of shape, short, Dresden who sells fake magic junk so people don't know he's selling real magic junk.
Where Butcher uses "magic" to move the story along, and occasionally adds an interesting twist and sense of unknowing, Jacka seems to rely on magic to skip details he never thought through or to get himself out of writing into a corner. "Once you know everything that will set off a trap, you know what won't set it off. Think about it." And in the next scene Versus, the main character is through the trap and barrier, with never a second thought. Then there was the 4 page tantrum the two main characters had with each other. Then there is all the, "it just looked weird." "It seemed vaguely familiar."
If you like Butcher, this novel is crap. If you haven't read Butcher, read that first. If you don't like Butcher, go read something else.

I wasn't sure what to expect but what I got was an unexpected treat. Alex Verus absolutely captivated me. He's an amazing character with a wonderful voice. The world is vibrant and the secondary characters are really rich. And not since Vel (Sirantha Jax) have I been so excited about a bug in the story!
A small Dresden reference is clever and hilarious. Love the writing and the imagination of this writer.

Third in a series of three books so far. One hopes that there will be a fourth but there is no evidence of that.

I am rating this a four but I could be persuaded to go 5.

Ok, a third rate mage gets the short end of the stick and turns it into the long end of the stick (repeat series analysis). However, the story is deeper and much more intricate with some very unexpected turns. Like!

I absolutely loved this series. Action all the way. A bit reminiscent of Jim Butcher's books or even Kevin Hearne.

I really liked the characters and empathised quite closely with a few of them. I enjoyed the individuality of the more "fantastical" characters too.

Definitely worth the read - not just this book, but the whole series. Thank you!

I am reading these on the Kindle and can't wait to get to the next one in line. All of them have been excellent books and I hope we see many more Alex Verus books in the future. Start at the beginning with the first book and work your way through them, if you like Jim Butcher books or the Rivers of London series, you'll like these.

... but honestly, I liked it better than the early Dresden Files books. It's not better, than, oh, say Dead Beat or Changes, but it is solidly better than Storm Front was. I can't wait to see what Jacka is going to do as the series progresses. A really, really good start to a new series.

It is a very interesting mixture of fantasy and detective story. The Elsewhere is a fascinating solution, in the plots, very much connected to the world of unconscious. The characters are deeply described in all their most subtle psychological features. The choices of adding the magical being apart the mages and the human is very interesting too. There is a lot of social interest and references to similar situations in our everyday world, like the difficulties to become apprentices because there are many more apprentices than mages. A good series of novels, a nice and out of ordinary description of the urban setting, ( London). Excellent book!

I'm a huge Jim Butcher fan, so when he recommended Benedict Jacka, I knew I needed to read this. It was a fun, engaging book, but it wasn't quite at the Dresden standard. I am looking forward to reading the rest, though.

Everyone involved looks forward to the White Stone tournament at Fountain Reach between Light and Dark apprentice mages. At a London Starbucks, Crystal the Light mage tries to hire freelance diviner Alex Verus to provide consulting security services at the event in which she insists the Council will provide the battle mages if needed. He realizes she is a mind mage and shocks her when he declines.

The Council's Talisad asks Alex and his apprentice Luna to investigate the disappearances of several of the tournament participants without a trace. They head to Fountain Reach where he finds to evidence of abductions but no suspects. As he realizes his enemies want him dead too, Alex protects Luna's classmate Anne from paranormal and human assassins while concluding that a Council member probably is behind the assaults, which means whatever he does he will end up in trouble as happened when he first became exiled from the mage world.

The excellent Alex Verus urban fantasy (see Fated and Cursed) is a superb entry as the independent diviner distrusts the mage community as the Light and Dark are partisan bickerers who insist they are always right and the Council is too impractically narrow-minded. Fast-paced, once again the key this thriller is the Benedict Jack's world of battling mages drinking coffee in Starbucks seems real.

Harriet Klausner

FATED started off a bit slow but ended up picking up speed a little less then halfway through. The idea of the world that Alex lives in was interesting but there wasn't a lot of back story in regards to it. There is a lot of action and mystery. The constant hiding and evading kept me on my toes while reading. I liked the characters they were well written and easy to remember. Alex's gift was pretty neat, he can foresee the future and it helps him in many ways throughout the story with keeping ahead of the people chasing him and Luna as well as adds some suspense to the story. Luna was my favorite character. I couldn't imagine not being able to get close to someone without pretty much causing their death, she ends up being a pretty strong woman for all that she has been through and is incredibly level headed with all the information she is given. There isn't any romance in FATED but Alex and Luna defiantly have the potential for something great in the future.

I have not read the Dresden files but I have seen many reviews compare the two saying they are similar.. I might end up reading book 2 CURSED but it wont be a must read for me.

My mother had a copy of this book out from the libary and said , you might like this , she took 2 weeks to read it ha ha , I read it over 3 days and found it VERY entertaining and enjoyable

This is a story that takes you in right from the begining. The characters are engaging and the dialouge lacks the campyness the latest supernatural series seem to employ. I will follow this series for as long as Jacka will write it.

Alex is a diviner mage, able to see threads of the future, and all the possibilities therein. Unlike other mages, he can't cast spells or other types of offensive magic. But he doesn't need to when he can see every possible outcome of a situation, allowing him to succeed where others would fail. Even so, for the most part his life is quiet as he operates his small magic shop in London. However, all that changes when he is approached by multiple fronts wanting to use his powers to open a relic that encases an object of untold power. Trouble is that none of them are saying no, and they don't particularly care how they get his cooperation, no matter how brutal the method. For a man who can see all the possible future threads, he knows just how unlikely his survival will be in the end.

While I was reading Fated, I couldn't seem to quite put my finger on why I couldn't seem to get attached to Alex. I mean he was witty and quite resourceful, as well as more than a little curious, traits I really enjoy in a main character. However, I just couldn't figure him out, as his motives weren't really clear. He wasn't good, nor bad, nor even a mercenary, open to both sides, he was just blundering through with no other motivator than plain curiosity and survival. In all fairness, I'm not really sure if he even knew what he was doing himself. It just made it hard to really care about his plight, as simple survival isn't really enough in these types of situations, especially since he could have taken the chance to stay out of the mess entirely. That being said, I do think there was some turn around in the department by the end of the book as he started to really "find" himself, making me hopeful for the future installments.

There were so many different angles and threats in Fated, that it was a little hard to keep them all straight at times. In all honestly, the excess of dangers made it a little hard to find any of them really threatening, especially since it seemed rather easy for Alex to talk himself out of trouble each time. Also, there was an apparent back story in Alex's history that I wished would have been expanded upon. As it was, we only got glimpses as it was alluded to as a nasty ordeal, but I think with more information I could have understood Alex a little better, as well as his history with some of the threats.

The mythology behind Fated was quite intriguing. I always love books where the supernatural operate right under mundane human's notice, it just makes it seem more real. Almost as if we were to only look at things a little closer, we would see so much more going on in our world, and Fated was the perfect example of possibilities. There was so much potential in Fated based on the mythology alone, so it is a shame that in the end I'm left with the impression of mediocrity at best. The pacing was rather slow, and there were a lot of long winded, and quite unnecessary descriptions that really kept me at an arms length. It wasn't enough to turn me away from the story, but I wasn't fully engaged either. Add that into my difficulty attaching to the main character, and I can't help feeling a little let down. However, even though Fated may have been a rocky start to the series for me, I'm not writing it off quite yet, as I am more than a little curious to see where things lead next.

This is a good Book and to get it out of the Way- Yes there are quite a lot of similarities to the Dresden Files. But there are many more Differences. I wont go into details but I consider this series (the first book being somewhat weaker than the Rest) to be a very very good piece of Urban Fantasy.

Sincerely

M. Distelmaier

I'd actually give it 3 1/2 stars. It reminded me a touch of The Iron Druid Chronicles and a bit of The Dresden Files (both of which I really like), but the action and characters just didn't thrill me into a higher rating or make me anxious for the next release. I'll definitely give the second book a read, because Fated was an ok read and I'm kind of curious as to what's next for Alex and Luna.

Really enjoyed this and would recommend it to anyone who has read Dresden.
Was excited by the fact that this isn't a rehash of Butcher's character, I was
hoping it wasn't. The concepts for the book and the characters involved really
made the story move and somewhat unpredictable.

A very good read.

The book looked interesting to me. I like to try new authors. Was a little slow paced until near the end. I couldn't really get into Alex's character. He was sort of a neutral character. Couldn't figure out if he was intended to be good or bad. I wouldn't compare him to Dresden. I don't think I'll read the next in the series.

It reads like young adult knock off of the Dresden Files. It's not the worst thing I have ever read, but it not great either. The world of the book is kind of interesting but the main character was far too annoying.