Changes

|title=Fated: An Alex Verus Novel

|author=Benedict Jacka

|borrow=Yes

|isbn=978-0356500249

|pages=304

|publisher=Orbit

|date=March 2012

|website=http://benedictjacka.co.uk/

}}

Alex Verus runs a little shop in Camden, London selling magic tricks and bits and pieces. Some of the bits and pieces are a more magical than the magic tricks, for he is a diviner (someone who sees the future). Indeed, the day that his friend Luna finds a little red artefact, his ability comes in handy. There are some very powerful people looking for that little red 'thing'. Unfortunately they aren't powerful in a nice way and they're a jump or two ahead of Alex and Luna. For the powerful ones actually know what it is.

Perhaps I should elaborate. Every fan of fantasy (including me) realises that the writer's chosen world has to have rules and structure and the readers need to be aware of them. However, at intervals during that first third, it's almost as if Benedict Jacka has copied chunks from a fantasy encyclopaedia, to lecture the reader about definitions of certain mage/diviner genres and abilities etc. It does stop (thank goodness) but, whilst it's happening, it's a subtle as a brick. Also, as these learning opportunities appear in chunks, they stop the story stone dead. The momentum builds again and recovers once the Mage/Dark v Light 101 sessions have finished, but it's lost the book half a star. Sorry Benedict. Sorry Mr Butcher.

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