Thursday, April 12, 2018

From the J Shelf...

I was actually on my way to the H shelf to try to find my next alphabetical read, but as I passed by the J shelf there was a series of paperbacks with colorful spines and one-word titles right at eye level that caught my attention. And I had to stop and check them out. Needless to say, I never made it to the H shelf; I came home with this novel by Benedict Jacka instead. But then, that's what bookish serendipity is all about.


Title & Author:  Fated by Benedict Jacka
Genre:  Urban Fantasy
Setting:  London
First line:  "It was a slow day, so I was reading a book at my desk and seeing into the future."

(My new favorite) main character:  Alex Verus, diviner, mage, and owner of a shop in Camden Town called The Arcana Emporium. He's quick-witted and resourceful, and he can see into the future, or at least several possibilities of it. He also has a talent for staying alive. Which is a good thing considering he's not on great terms with the Council of Mages. (Even though they sometimes need his help.) The dark mages don't like him much either, but he's never let that stop him yet.

My thoughts:  This is an awesome urban fantasy read. It's well-plotted, fast-paced and fun, with cool magic, an intriguing mystery and lots of suspense; there's plenty of great secondary characters, too. In fact, there isn't anything I didn't like about this book.  Jacka has created a world I can't wait to visit again. Which is why I'm off to the library to check out the second books in this series.

Happy Reading!

18 comments:

  1. Hi Lark. The first sentence of this book and your review have me hooked. I am going to read this. I have read and enjoyed urban fantasy books in the past and reading Fated is a good way to get back into the genre. You have an excellent blog and have reminded me that I have thought about going to the fiction section of the library and choosing a book from the A section or the J section. You can come up with some gems that way that you never would have found otherwise.

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    1. I sometimes find the best books to read just wandering the stacks! Thanks for your comments, Kathy. :)

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  2. I'm interested in this series, too. Your thoughts convinced me!

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  3. I love how you allow serendipity to guide your reading! This sounds a little like the Jim Butcher Dresden Files series. Have you read those?

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    1. I have read those books and there are a lot of similarities between the two series. If you like those, you'll probably like this series, too. :)

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  4. I don't read a lot of urban fantasy, but this one sounds good. I might have to check it out. It's not often one can say there's nothing they didn't like about a book. That's high praise!

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    1. This book worked for me. I really liked it a lot. :)

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  5. You wouldn’t know it by my usual reads but urban fantasy is my favorite genre. I’m adding this one to my list!

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  6. That's an interesting premise. I definitely need more recommendations when it comes to reading urban fantasy. :)

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    1. This is a good urban series to try. It's well-written and fun and I think you'll like the characters.

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  7. I loved the first book in the series and really do need to get caught up with it.

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    1. I loved this first book, too. How many books are in this series? Nine? I'll race you to the end. :D

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  8. It was fated that you choose and read this one :)

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