Cursed

With his name turning up almost every time I reviewed an urban fantasy book, it was just a question of time before I gave Benedict Jacka's Alex Verus series a shot. Of course, comparisons with Jim Butcher's Dresden Files are inevitable. Yet with seventeen installments already published and another one coming out in 2026, Butcher's saga has grown exponentially in the telling and has become one of my favorite SFF series of all time. Reaching the end of the first volume, it was impossible to say how well Jacka's own series would eventually measure up.

When all was said and done, Fated shared many of the qualities and basically the same shortcomings as Storm Front. It was a nice introduction that made you want to discover what happened next. I was hoping that, like Jim Butcher, Benedict Jacka would up his game with each new title and that each new addition would allow this series to reach new heights. And I'm pleased to report that he did exactly that with Cursed.

Here's the blurb:

Benedict Jacka's acclaimed Alex Verus series continues with Cursed.

Since his second sight made him infamous for defeating powerful dark mages, Alex has been keeping his head down. But now he's discovered the resurgence of a forbidden ritual. Someone is harvesting the life-force of magical creatures—destroying them in the process. And draining humans is next on the agenda.

Hired to investigate, Alex realizes that not everyone on the Council wants him delving any deeper. Struggling to distinguish ally from enemy, he finds himself the target of those who would risk their own sanity for power...

This one takes place a few months following the events chronicled in Fated. Alex Verus, a little known diviner until he was thrust into a Council matter of great import, has now gained quite a reputation. Trying to keep everything low key for a while, it all goes to hell when he helps the Council investigate the death of a magical creature. All of a sudden, there are assassination attempts on his person and he can't figure out who would want him dead or why. And there's only so much his second sight can do to help him discover the truth before his luck runs out.

In my review of Fated, I said that, compared to Harry Dresden, Alex Verus was a more quiet and inconspicuous character. As such, you would think that he'd be easier to relate to. And yet, I didn't find myself rooting for him like I did for the only wizard in Chicago's phonebook in Storm Front. Being virtually powerless in terms of brute strength against other mages, Alex must rely on his wits to come out on top. He's an interesting protagonist to follow, but his first-person narrative isn't as witty and entertaining as that of his counterpart from the Dresden Files. Alex doesn't have the charisma and the repartee that made Harry such a likeable character. He's a more thoughtful and humane person, and within the pages of Cursed Alex does grow on you as a protagonist. Probably because he and everyone he loves are in the line of fire and he must find a way to save them. I doubt he'll ever have the superstar potential that Harry Dresden has, but Alex has now made an impression on me. The supporting cast is made up of many familiar faces and it was nice to see Jacka build on the relationships Alex has with Luna, Sonder, Arachne, and some others I won't name so as to not spoil anything. I understand Meredith's role as a plot device, but I also get why female readers might hate the frequent damsel in distress angle of her storyline. Giving her a little more depth would have made a big difference. The antagonists would also have benefited from a bit more depth, to be honest.

Comparing the two first volumes of each series in my previous review, I mentioned that it was evident that Benedict Jacka wasn't as talented a writer as Jim Butcher was at the same stage in their respective careers. Jacka relied on info-dumps way too often and also had a tendency to use deus ex machina solutions to get Alex out of trouble. And though Cursed is just the second installment, it appears that Benedict Jacka has grown as a writer. Indeed, for the most part the author avoided the pitfalls of his previous novel and there's no denying that this one packs a more powerful emotional punch. It was also interesting to see more of Alex's second sight at work and find out more about its various uses. Once again, Cursed offers lots of glimpses regarding lots of aspects of Jacka's universe, but nothing concrete about most of them. This second volume was a step in the right direction, no doubt about it. But until the author provides more substance, it's hard to say just how much potential this series truly has.

Weighing in at 218 pages, Cursed is another very short work. And yet, unlike its predecessor, I felt that it fired on all cylinders, or at least as much as its small size allowed it to. In the end, it offers a better tale than Fated, all the while building on past plotlines and opening doors for more to come in the sequels. The characterization is also better, with several protagonists gradually coming into their own and hinting at bigger and better things coming in the future. Benedict Jacka has definitely upped his game, so here's to hoping that Cursed is no fluke and that the best is yet to come!

The final verdict: 8/10

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