Benedict Jacka

When he is approached by multiple factions seeking his skills to unlock the mystery surrounding a relic from a long-ago mage war, magic shop owner Alex Verus, an oracle, forsees that his life will be in great danger if he takes this job--and if he doesn't. Original. 75,000 first printing.

Fated

The start of a compelling new urban fantasy series based in Camden, featuring Alex Verus - a mage with a dark past who can see the future . . . 'Harry Dresden would like Alex Verus tremendously - and be a little nervous around him. I just added Benedict Jacka to my must-read list. Fated is an excellent novel, a gorgeously realized world with a uniquely powerful, vulnerable protagonist. Books this good remind me why I got into the storytelling business in the first place' Jim Butcher, author of the Dresden Files Camden, North London. A tangled, mangled junction of train lines, roads and waterways. Where minor celebrities hang out with minor criminals and where tourists and moody teenagers mingle. In the heart of Camden, where rail meets road meets leyline, you might find the Arcana Emporium, run by one Alex Verus. He won't sell you a wand or mix you a potion, but if you know what you're looking for, he might just be able to help. That's if he's not too busy avoiding his would-be apprentice, foiling the Dark, outwitting the Light, and investigating a mysterious relic that has just turned up at the British Museum. The books in the Alex Verus series are as follows: Fated Cursed Taken Chosen Hidden Veiled Burned Bound Marked

Sonja H

Ich bin ja ein ganz großer Fan von Urban Fantasy, d.h. Geschichten, die in der realen Welt spielen, aber Fantasyelemente aufweisen wie beispielsweise die Bücher von Ben Aaronovitch oder Jim Butcher.

Ich stürze mich auf jedes Buch, das auch nur ansatzweise nach Urban Fantasy klingt und der Klappentext von "Das Labyrinth von London" klang sehr vielversprechend.

Schon auf der ersten Seite wusste ich, dass ich ein echtes Kleinod gefunden hatte. Urban Fantasy vom Feinsten! Es beginnt sofort in medias res und wir werden mit viel Action und vielen offenen Fragen ins Geschehen hineingezogen.

Die Charaktere sind genau mein Ding: eigensinnig, ein wenig mysteriös, ungewöhnlich und durchaus vielschichtig. "Normalen" Menschen begegnen wir eher nicht, was für mich aber auch keine Voraussetzung in diesem Genre ist.

Die Handlung selbst ist gut konstruiert, in sich schlüssig und bleibt bis zum Ende sehr spannend und abwechslungsreich. Das Magiesystem wird zwar nicht bis ins Detail erklärt, ist aber gut verständlich und steht nicht zu stark im Vordergrund.

Ich mochte "Das Labyrinth von London" so sehr, dass ich es abwechselnd auf Deutsch und Englisch gelesen habe. Ich bevorzuge zwar das Original, doch die Übersetzung ist recht gut gelungen. Bislang ist allerdings nur der erste Band auf Deutsch erschienen.

Für mich ist die Alex-Verus-Reihe eine tolle Neuentdeckung. Ich habe schon mit Band 2 begonnen und freue mich, dass bereist 9 Bücher veröffentlich wurden.

"Das Labyrinth von London" ist ein tolles Buch für alle Fans von Urban Fantasy. Auch wer Magie gepaart mit viel Nervenkitzel mag, kommt hier auf seine Kosten.

Nickie Mohler

Alex Verus is a very interesting character. He just wants to be left alone to run his little shop. But, The Council and others have different plans for him. A battle of mages, light and dark, ensues.This was an exciting read. I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next. I really like Alex, and Luna as well.

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

Alyssa 

I adore everything about this book.
I love Alex Verus as main character - his charme and how I had to laugh so many times.
Also his relationship with Luna is everything.
I would have given 5 stars but the end was a little disappointing because Alex as "hero" turning into the villain was so unexpected and could have been a great storyline for the next book but unfortunately it was solved after 2 pages.
Other than that; a great book and 100% recommended read. 

Charley New

Took me a while to get through but over all a fantastic book. Very similar to the Dresden files series. I will read the rest soon. 

Southern Today Gone Tomorrow

Written by Benedict Jacka, Fated is the first in the Alex Verus book series. Alex Verus is a mage, specifically a seer, who has been successfully hiding from his past running his little shop. After his friend/men-tee finds a mysterious cube, they are sucked into a plot of lies and deceptions.

The writing in this novel is perfect for an urban fantasy novel. Smooth and flowing, this novel is fast paced and so much happens that it doesn’t feel like a book that is less than 300 pages. A lot happens, and Jacka has reach a balance for the right amount of descriptions to include and how much to let the reader’s imagination fill in the gaps.


 
On the cover of this book, and I think it was on every cover I have seen for it, there is a quote from Jim Butcher, author of the Dresden Files, and in all honesty, I enjoyed this novel far more than I enjoyed reading about Dresden. Dresden is a characters whose traits seem forced at times, and whose overall attitude I find bothersome. Personal opinions, as that is also a well written and enjoyable series. But this novel? I will be reading the rest of this series once I work through the current pile I have from the library.

I love Alex. Here is a character who has subtleties, and the author SHOWS us his personality, and we don’t have to listen to him talk about how he is such a good guy. He tells us his past, and he will tell us what he won’t do, but it is subtle and wonderful for that.


 
I think ANY fan of magic, urban fantasy, or even just fantasy should give this series a go. It has been hidden from me thus far, and I am so sad that it was! Part of the reason might be because the first novel came out after I was busy with school and wasn’t keeping up with all of the latest book releases.

Give this novel a shot. No, there isn’t really any romance, but there could be in the other books (I believe this is the first in a series still being written and there are at least 6 books out), and it is just so well written with wonderful characters.

SPOILERS!

I see you have read thus far. Thanks. There aren’t a lot of spoilers that I want to discuss, but there are a few.

First, I really hope that Alex and Luna make it work. There is just something about the two of them together that I enjoy.


 
I am sure we will be seeing more of Rachel in the future. I have… mixed feelings about her. She is an interesting character, I just don’t know if I want her to have any more interactions with Alex. Just saying.

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McKenna Odom

4/5 Stars

Alex Verus owns a magic shop in London. A relatively quiet life for a diviner. That is until everyone wants his help opening an ancient relic and unleashing the power within.

This book was fun to read. I particularly liked the pace of the novel. The author knew exactly when to introduce action and when to quiet the scene. He also created an intricate world of magic in a contemporary setting.

Unfortunately, I didn't love the writing style. I don't love it when the narrator talks to the reader. It takes me out of the story, and I'm trying to suspend disbelief here.

Overall, this was an effortless and entertaining read. This book would be great for beginning fantasy readers and fans of the Dresden Files. Although, in my humble opinion, Alex is a bit more likable than Harry.

Fated

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