You can generally tell, so I take this as a positive sign. Apparently it’s the author’s first novel for adults, and, had I not read the interview at the end of the book, I wouldn’t have known from his writing that he normally writes young adult fiction. Thankfully, it is written by someone who clearly knows at least a little bit about London so, to the informed laywoman like me, it passes for convincing. In any case, Fated /is/ an urban fantasy novel, set in modern day London, only with wizards. Obviously, it’s set in a town… but is that really enough to distinguish it from the rest of the genre? Or is it just a handy label because we need some way to sort it all out? There are eight books in the series so far with a ninth scheduled to be published this summer.Slightly guilty admission now: I’m not sure I really understand what “urban fantasy” is meant to be, or why it’s different from any other sort of fantasy. It was originally printed in 2012 and is also available in audiobook (my medium of choice). Like many of these series, the first novel has flaws, but I would expect each book to improve over the last as Jacka refines his craft. A creature that lives underground, makes clothes and looks like the stuff of nightmares and a mentor diviner whose best advise is to get the hell out of town.įated is a good read, keeps a steady pace and does well to establish Verus and the world he lives in. An ethereal air elemental with a fleeting memory and short attention span. Along with Verus and Luna, Jacka introduces us to a handful of allies that are all strange and amazing.

And deep down he has the heart of a hero and the will to beat overwhelming odds. The character has a bit of a classic noir feel in that he's smart, resourceful and like to smart off in the sense of danger. Jacka creates an interesting world of both light and dark mages, with the dark doing whatever they want and the light just wanting to keep the peace. Verus, and his cursed friend Luna, are pulled into the search on how to open up the artifact and find the Fate Weaver that everyone wants. Little does Verus know, most of the other diviners have bailed out of town, leaving him the center of attention by all sides.

The problem is, that an magic object has been found that could be extremely powerful and a lot of people want… and they need a diviner to get it. He also avoids the Council of mages because of the politics and how they just accept dark mages. He runs a small shop in London and does his best to avoid the world of magic after his manipulative training by a Dark Mage. Alex Verus is a diviner, a type of mage that can see into the future.

Fated book series benedict jacka