Taken

When you're talking about long urban fantasy series, comparisons with Jim Butcher's Dresden Files are inevitable. It's unfair, no doubt about it, but for better or worse Butcher's series has become this sub-genre's benchmark in all the ways that matter. Interestingly enough, Benedict Jacka's Fated shared many of the qualities and just about the same shortcomings as Storm Front. It turned out to be a nice introduction that made you want to discover what happened next. Which is what you want from a first volume.

My hope was that, like Jim Butcher, Jacka would find a way to up his game with each new title and that each new addition would allow this series to reach new heights. The author did just that with Cursed and I'm pleased to report that he raised the bar a little higher with the third installment, Taken.

Here's the blurb:

This time last year, I could go weeks without seeing another mage. In mage society I was an unknown and, all in all, that was how I liked it. It’s hard to say what changed. Whatever it was, I got involved in the magical world again and started getting myself a reputation.

Alex Verus’s insights into the future used to be the best-kept secret in London. Now, with the aid of his apprentice, Luna, his unique investigative talents are all the rage. He just has to be careful about picking his employers, because everyone—even the beautiful woman who practically begs him to run security for a prestigious tournament—has motives that can be hard to predict. And Alex doesn’t do unpredictable.

But his latest gig just might be impossible. Apprentices have been vanishing without a trace—and someone on the Council could be involved. Alex has no evidence, no witnesses, and no suspects. All he knows is that someone is keeping tabs on him. And after assassins target Luna’s classmate, Alex sees that he doesn’t know the half of it—and that he could be the next to disappear.

This one takes place a few months following the events chronicled in Taken. Alex Verus, a little known diviner until he was thrust into a Council matter of great import, has now gained quite a reputation. Moreover, although supposedly a weak diviner, powerful Mages who have crossed him have somehow gone missing. Trying to keep everything low key hasn't worked all that well for him lately. A do-gooder at heart, the poor guy just can't help getting involved in matters that will put him into the line of fire. But with apprentices disappearing without a trace, the Council has grown quite concerned and Verus is enlisted to investigate. A special tournament is about to get underway, one in which most of the country's apprentices will participate, so the Council isn't taking any chances. But when a girl goes missing before the first trials are held, it's up Verus and the few people he trusts to discover the truth behind these disappearances.

Alex Verus continues to grow on me with each new book. He was a more quiet and inconspicuous protagonist early on, but he is also growing as a character and coming into his own with each new novel. Being virtually powerless in terms of brute strength against other mages, Alex must rely on his wits to come out on top. That more than anything is what keeps this series fresh and interesting. As mentioned in my previous reviews, 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 make Harry such a likeable character. And yet, Verus is a more thoughtful and humane person, one that makes an impression on you the more the story progresses. The supporting cast is stronger in this third volume. Once again, it was nice to see Jacka build on the relationships Alex has with Luna, now officially his apprentice, and Sonder, whose importance grows with each new installment. The addition of Anna and Variam, wards of the creature Jagadev, was something that provided new layers to the plot. The unexpected presence of Onyx and his master also showed that the Dark Mages have a stake in what is going on. Revelations about Anne and Crystal's powers shone some light on the many ways magic could be used. Though another self-contained tale, Taken is the book that divulged the most about magic and the Mages themselves thus far.

Weighing in at 224 pages, Taken is another very short work. Still, like its predecessor, I felt that it fired on all cylinders. Somehow, Benedict Jacka is able to cram a lot more in terms of plot than most writers could with such a limited pagecount. Like the early Dresden Files books, this one is also episodic in format, but it continues to build on past storylines that hint at bigger and better things to come.

Taken featured another exciting endgame and cool finale to close the show. With more characters and plotlines added with each new installment, Benedict Jacka's Alex Verus series is growing in both quality and scope. Time will tell how good it will ultimately be.

The final verdict: 8/10

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