I enjoyed Jacka’s Alex Verus series. See my reviews of Fated (Book 1), Veiled (Book 6), Burned (Book 7), Bound (Book 8), Fallen (Book 10), Forged (Book 11) and Risen (Book 12). And I was absolutely blown away by the first book in this series – An Inheritance of Magic and also enjoyed An Instruction of Shadow, the second book. So when this one came out, it was a no-brainer that I’d get hold of a copy, though this time around it was the audiobook.
BLURB: Stephen Oakwood’s ambitions used to be simple. Pay his bills, track down his father, and take care of his cat. Maybe study a little magic after work, if he had time.
Now it’s a year later and he’s got everything he wanted. But it’s come with a price.
The Winged, a mysterious group involved with his father, have noticed Stephen, and they want him to join them or else. His career as a corporate locator has hit a dead end. And his new job as bodyguard to Calhoun Ashford is proving a lot more lethal than expected due to assassination attempts from outside the House, and possibly also from within.
To survive, Stephen’s going to need allies of his own. And along the way, he’s going to have to figure out the secret of his own gift, and what it means. The cults, Houses, and corporations of the magical world are locked in an endless battle for dominance, and Stephen is beginning to realize that he’s going to have to pick a side . . . before someone else picks it for him.
REVIEW: Could you crash into this series and get away with it? Hm. Yes – I think you could. That said, you would lose so much of the backstory and what has brought Stephen to the place he now it, that I’d strongly advise against it.
Next, is a shoutout to Will Watt, the narrator of the audiobook for his depiction of Stephen. The book is in Stephen’s first-person (I) narration and Watt’s characterisation is excellent. But of course, no matter how awesome the narrator, if the writing isn’t solidly good and the plot sufficiently engrossing – then the book still won’t fly. This one soars. I was glad that Stephen finally manages to meet up with his father – during the first book, he wasn’t even sure that his father was still alive, so it’s a relief for him to get a chance to see him again. Not that they can resume their lives together, because Stephen’s father is in deep hiding from an organisation called The Winged.
The first two books had plunged Stephen into a really difficult situation and we were swept along with him as he grappled to cope with the emergency that overtook him. This time around, we learn more of the world and the motivations of the people Stephen is facing as he struggles to work out who he can trust and who he can’t. It’s good to see him finally manage to build positive relationships and a tight team that can work together. Though there are still explosions of violence and magical battles, which Jacka depicts really well.
Stephen also learns more about his family and some of the constraints they are facing – which goes some way to explaining why certain members are so obnoxious. Especially Stephen’s grandfather, who is a real piece of work. As with all Jacka’s books, the story flew by as I listened late into the night to learn what happens next and it was over all too quickly. I’m now impatiently waiting for the next slice of Stephen’s adventures. If you haven’t had the pleasure and enjoy urban fantasy featuring a layered world where the protagonist is simply trying to make his way amongst powerful, entitled people accustomed to getting their own way, then do track down the first book in this series – An Inheritance of Magic. In the meantime, this continuation of Stephen’s adventures comes very highly recommended.
10/10
Brainfluff 