Hidden (An Alex Verus Novel)

This book is ok. If you enjoyed the previous books then you will probably enjoy this one. Why do I not rank it higher then three stars? One... the story went too quickly. It also lacked enough "quiet times" of social interaction and character building. These are needed as the story of Verus is about him growing as a human being as much as his fight against dark mages and injustice and simply surviving. This book had a bit of growth and personal revelation but it was rushed and the payoff in the end all too short. I'd have loved to see Luna given more time with Verus as well more in tune with her roles in previous books. Hidden just needed a bit more polish in this area. The book did to a good job of setting the stage for future conflicts with Richard thought.

This series started out with so much promise, and I'm still excited about future possibilities... will Alex face a Dark Diviner and have an epic showdown a la Sherlock Game of Shadows? Will Jacka ever explain how Luna's curse gets passed on? I mean, if someone with that curse touches another person, they either die or are seriously injured, so how do you get pregnant without knowing you are killing your mate? I can think of interesting ways to explore and explain this, but apparently character depth and world building has gone by the wayside.

Jacka has never really bothered explaining the magic system in his world. There are Diviners, fire mages, lightning mages, air mages, life mages, death mages, shadow mages, time mages, gate mages, force mages, mind mages etc... there also doesn't seem to be a cost (physical or mental) to using magic. The concepts of "Light mages" and "Dark mages" are ridiculous. There is absolutely no difference, other than the so called Light mages don't actively torture or kill non-mages. If you want to call them Light mages, then they should have a problem with Dark mages doing that, not happily look the other way.

The description of different levels of mage is also pretty weak. Under the accords signed off on by the Light mages, you are fair game for kidnap by anyone if you are anything less than a fully recognized mage that isn't already officially under a recognized mage. I mean, what? So you have Sonder, a Journeyman (which is not an explained term) time mage, who is obviously much weaker than Anne, an apprentice life mage. And mages are constantly trying to kidnap and experiment on Anne, but don't bother trying to get Sonder. What I'm saying is Anne is way more powerful than many full mages, but apparently not having the title of "mage" is the only thing that matters.

All of this has been bugging me throughout the series, but the stories were pretty fun, so I overlooked it, but the last two books have gone seriously downhill. An unbelievable amount of time has been dedicated to dialogue where Verus is defending his actions of book 4, while other characters condemn him for those actions. I don't think anybody alive would honestly disagree with what Verus did, I mean seriously did any reader whatsoever think that Verus wasn't justified in what he did in book 4?

I'll give the next book a shot, but I can't get through something like this again, man it was bad.

Fifth in the Alex Verus urban fantasy series set in London and revolving around Alex, a diviner.

My Take
That was unexpected, and very sad. All those problems Anne is having, the help she's trying to provide, and then Varian explains that Anne comes across as creepy, to everyone but Alex. Light problems are not the only ones Anne is having, seems she has some hypocritical issues as well. The way she comes down on Alex is really herself with whom she's so angry. I felt for her, but I was more angry than anything. The bitch. If ya got problems, don't project them onto others. Don't judge others for your issues.

It's a horrible world for magic users of either side. If you're on your own, any mage can legally kidnap you and force you into their household. If you're an apprentice, then at least you have a mage to miss you, demand you back, fight to get you back. Dark mages in particular like taking slaves, some want them for experiments, some use them as fuel sources, and worse.

Alex is also getting a conscience, becoming concerned about his friends, and not focusing solely on himself. Sonder has a conscience as well, and while I understand his point of view, I can't agree with him. Supposedly, hindsight should provide alternative ways of dealing with life-and-death situations, but funnily enough, neither Anne nor Sonder can come up with different scenarios for what they're accusing Alex of.

Hmmm, Sagash puts paid to the idea that Dark mages are omnipotent.

I like that Caldera is a Light mage with a conscience. What a switch-up that is!

Oh, lol, you'll love Alex's antics at Jagadev's party. Quite clever.

There's a good chunk of back history on Alex, what tipped him over to the Dark side. It's a lesson I could wish that school administrators, teachers, and parents would take to heart as it's going on in our schools every day. It was like this when I was a kid. It happens at all levels and ages of society, and it's bad for our civilization. Even if it is, unfortunately, normal for us. We also learn more about his time with Richard, with a startling revelation on Richard's part. Makes me want to re-read Fated , 1.

Alex makes an excellent point about choice. No action on one person's part is made in isolation. When one makes a choice in a bad situation, another person is usually there having made his/her choice.

Alex knows his father doesn't approve, so why does he keep throwing his past and current actions in his father's face and then wondering why his father reacts as he does? Duh. I do believe in doing well by people, and I don't like violence. However, I'm also not going to lie down and take it. Nor am I going to lie down and let someone else get walked over.

I got to thinking about why I like this series, and I realized that no one is stupid. They may do stupid things, but they're not actions that go against the character's personality or their knowledge. The twist Jacka has put on magic in this is enticing as well. Taking the concept of Light and Dark and twisting it, turning it on its head with horrors existing within the Light and the Dark. No one can be trusted, except, perhaps, the Dark.

It's a fascinating series, and there's something cozy and frightening about it, all at the same time.

The Story
The result of that trap in Chosen , 4, has the Americans furious, and the only way Alex can get out of it is to investigate those rumors about Richard Drakh coming back.

Meanwhile, Anne is having problems with the Light while running her health clinic in South London. There are too many Dark mages interested in her, and she no longer has protection.

It's tense, it's terrifying, and it all comes down to choices.

The Characters
Alex Verus is a probability mage, a diviner, who owns the Arcana Emporium, a magic shop. Luna, a.k.a., Zarine, is his apprentice. She's an adept with a curse attached. Alex's father, a pacifist, is a political science professor. He thought Alex had gotten involved with criminals and that Richard had been a mob boss. Arachne is a magical creature, a spider who designs clothes, who lives under Hampstead Heath. She's also Alex's closest friend.

Variam had been one of Alex's apprentices and has now signed on with a Light Keeper. He's safe and hasn't forgotten that Alex was the only mage to step up to help. Anne Walker, a life mage, had also been one of Alex's apprentices and refuses to have anything more to do with Alex. She's not safe. Not-Anne is a split from the Anne Alex knows, the killer side born in the ring. Sonder was another friend, a journeyman time mage, and he's furious with Alex as well after those events in Chosen . But he still has a crush on Luna.

The Light Council is…
…the magical government of Britain with mages who are supposedly good. Natasha is a Light apprentice with a hate-on for Alex and Luna after events in Taken , 3. Talisid is part of the Council and has been grooming Alex. Levistus is one of Alex's enemies. Caldera is a Council Keeper of the Order of the Star, a cross between a political investigator and military police.

Dark Mages
Richard Drakh was Alex's nasty master for a number of years, and Alex thought he had died. Tobruk was a cruel and sadistic apprentice of Richard's with a hate-on for the other apprentices. Jagadev is a rakshasa, a powerful tigerlike shapeshifter. Avis is important enough to be invited to events, but he mostly turns them down

Morden is a very powerful Dark mage who wants Alex as part of his coterie. Others include Onyx, Morden's Chosen and a powerful, specialised batle-mage who wants Alex, to kill him; Ordith is at the party and probing at "Avis" for his master; and, Meredith is an enchantress and totally self-interested.

Sagash is the Dark death mage who kidnapped Anne and took her to his shadow realm. And from whom Variam helped her escape. Sagash has three apprentices: Darren Smith and Yun Ji-yeong are living family mages and Samuel Taylor is an elementalist.

Crystal is a mind magic mage, ex-Light Council, and on the list of most wanted (see Taken ).

The Nightstalkers were…
…a group of American adepts who came after Alex in Chosen . Their leader was Will.

Life mages can kill someone, help them live, and enhance a person. They can paralyze, analyze, cure. I think living family magic can detect people around them. Elsewhere is a half-real place where you can go when you dream. A blink fox is a magic-bred creature used by mages to spy. An adept doesn't have as much skill as a mage. A diviner sees into the future, all the possible futures.

The Cover and Title
I think the cover's background (of the book I read) is a map of Sagash's shadow realm with its green tint gradating to cream in the large center, blue lines for the map itself, and then the fun part of it is the title. Someone had too much fun. The blink fox is teleporting across the letters, the I is a signpost, the second D has the silhouette of a castle in it that bleeds over to the E, the N has Alex leaning against it with its right leg looking like a clock tower.

Overtly the title is Sagash's shadow realm, however, I think it can also apply to Alex wanting to hide away from Richard, to the mages wanting to keep their secrets from the public, Anne wanting to keep not-Anne in the Elsewhere, Crystal evading the Light Council… Yep, all sorts of people want to stay Hidden.

This series is like a bottle of whiskey that keeps getting better with age. After the action packed Book 4 this one is slightly slower in pace which is not a bad thing as the after affects of Alex's actions and how it affects his relationships are dealt with.
Anne's constant whining about not killing and Alex's infinite patience in dealing with her was the only thing that annoyed me in an otherwise excellent book. I hope in the next book her character realizes sometimes there is no other way.
The mysterious Richard finally makes an appearance. I'm eagerly awaiting to see what he's upto! Can't wait for Book 6!

Disappointing. I loved all the other Alex Verus novels and looked forward to this one, but the character seems to have lost his way in the latest addition. This one is slow and, quite honestly, confusing as it just didn't seem to fit in with the others. None of the moody scene setting in London or interaction between the characters that I enjoyed in the other novels. Lets get back to the level of 'Cursed' and 'Chosen' for the next installment please.

Difficult issues come to the fore in Hidden, the fifth book in the Alex Verus series. Alex has done some pretty ugly and deadly things in his life, usually after his preferred option (running away) has failed him. Now everyone except Luna has deserted him, and it causes him much doubt about himself. So much of Hidden is about our shadow side, how our shadow is our biggest ally in times of danger. However, in times of peace (or for those living in ivory towers), the shadow is shunned and despised. Through insightful character development, Jacka reveals the hypocrisy of the Council Keepers with how they keep their hands clean by delegating the dirty work, and the naivete of the young apprentices who want to believe that there is a solid and absolute line between good and bad. Everyone grows up a little in Hidden. And Verus' team of misfits learn that between the right way and the wrong way is their own way. There is also a wonderfully sly new addition to Verus' gang.

Great. Shows a more controlled and calculating version of verus. The novel shows how the event of last boom are effecting him emotionally and socially in a very unstereitypical fashion that was refreshing. It also brings the story arks issues to a head with a intresting and difficult ultimatum. I will leave verus's decision a secret but the author again shows his expert craft in unraveling the characters decision and all it ultimately will mean for verus.

I picked up Hidden from the library and found this seventh installment to be a quick read to re-visit with some of the secondary characters that I really like. Alex Verus is still the slippery, conniving sycophant, playing everyone around him. But I loved the brief appearance with Arachne and the new character, the blink fox, made a wonderful, albeit short, debut. It’s quite revealing when one relates more to the non-human characters than with the quasi-human ones.

I did enjoy the rescue of Anne and how Sonder cleverly enlisted Caldera, the council reinforcement keeper, into searching for Anne. Sonder may be nerdy but he has a loyal and true heart. Caldera is the epitome of stern devotion to duty but I like those traits in her character. The revelation that Anne had been force to do things against her nature, and her subsequent remorse, gave her character much more of a complex nature and while I’m glad Verus did go into the shadow realm to rescue her, I still had the feeling he was only doing to his benefit. I just didn’t buy into Verus’ newly found scruples; it was more like him picking up a new cloaking devise for him to hide behind and pretend to have the semblance of a Light mage.

This brings me to say, Jacka just needs to stop with the false dichotomy of Light and Dark mages because there is no such thing as “light” mages in this world he created. They are all a bunch of mendacious, deceitful, manipulative warlocks masquerading as good and bad…they are all pretty much bad. I can’t stand up for any of them. Verus is one of the worst in his outraged hypocrisy. He rails against the Council for not coming to his rescue when he escaped from the dark master he chose to serve; yet he never revealed or took any responsibility for his part in tracking down and turning over an innocent girl, Catherine, to a dark mage to be raped, tortured, and murdered.

For true redemption to occur for Verus, he should also experience a similar loss of a loved one in order for him to truly understand the consequences of his actions while in service to the dark. Playing on the gratitude of Anne, Luna, and Vari doesn’t portray Verus in a selfless light, he seems more sinister. Arachne displays far more humanity than Verus will ever have. Though this series will likely to be a library read for me, I look forward to seeing more of Anne, Luna, and Sonder’s character development as well seeing more of the blink fox and hopefully StarBreeze will make another appearance in the future.

This book starts off a bit slower than prior Alex Verus novels. But it really takes off after about 50 pages. Thank you Benedict Jacka for one more great book in what is one of the best urban fantasy series out there.

The world is incredibly imaginative, the characters are interesting and multifaceted, and the books are just really fun to read! The only problem is that they're too short and I go through them so quickly! Lets hope the next sequel comes out soon!

If you're reading this, you are probably already a fan. And if you've been waiting for the next volume in the Alex Verus saga as I have, you'll be glad that your suffering has ended- for the moment.

Like prior installments, Verus again faces a mixture of old and new enemies within his well drawn alternate Britain. The problems he faces with both the 'establishment' and even his own friends are endlessly frustrating, but all the more real for the acknowledgement that every individual has their own agendas- and acts upon them.

The only reason I hesitate to grant this a full 5 stars is that I found so many of the plot elements predictable. Despite that minor flaw, Jacka provides another rollicking, pulse pounding good read. He always leaves me wanting more.

And I'll be right there, waiting for it.

After Alex had explained his past to his apprentice and charges (students he has sponsored at the school) the lines of friendship have been stressed, and the trust between them gone. Luna still has hope that all will be forgiven after everyone has some time apart from each other. About 6 months after the fallout, Luna starts to worry about her friend Anne and asks Alex to try to talk to her and convince her to come back to the flat where they all lived.

Alex would rather put this all behind him and move forward, everyone made their choices and wants to leave it at that. Until Alex finds out that Anne has ben kidnapped and now has been put on the spot to help her and save her. Reluctantly Alex needs to call on the help of those that turned his back on him to help save Anne.

During a meeting with Sonders, Variam, Luna and Caldera, Sonders is determined to prove that it is one person that is guilty, while Variam is willing to bet his life that it is someone else. Luna is just worried for her friend, Alex just wants this all to end and get Anne back safely. Variam suggests that Anne could be in a shadow realm that belongs to their old master Sagash.

Using some intimidation tactics and a few punches Alex finds out that Anne is in a shadow realm, getting his hands on a key to open a portal to the shadow realm Alex takes off to find Anne. Dealing with a number of enemies and his old master, Alex is able to get to the bottom of what is going on with Anne and why she was kidnapped in the first place. New friends are made, some bonds strengthened, along with Alex managing to anger someone in one way or another.

In the 5th book you get to find out what choices were made after the fall out of book 4 (Chosen). You find out about Anne's background and what happened to her while she was under the teachings of Sagash. I had a major issue with Anne's views in the book, she made mistakes in her past, but rather than face them and admit to what they were she pushed that all away and has been paying the price for that.

Alex has to snap Anne out of her "Woe is me" pity party and make her face the reality of her choice's along with what it is doing to her friends along with what it could do to herself.

Outside of Anne and her outlook, I had fun with this one, there were a few new names and faces added to this book. Just remember to never make a promise to a blink fox and forget about it later.