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Jump to navigationJump to searchFated: An Alex Verus Novel by Benedict Jacka (view source)
Revision as of 14:17, 1 March 2012
, 14:17, 1 March 2012no edit summary
The front of this urban fantasy book is emblazoned with a ringing endorsement from, arguably, one of the best in the trade: [[Category:Jim Butcher|Jim Butcher]]. In turn, Benedict Jacka repays this with an in-joke mention of Harry Dresden at the beginning of the book, obliquely referring to the only wizard in the Chicago phone book. Now, being particularly partial to Mr Butcher (in a platonic, reading sense) I therefore expected great things of Benedict Jacka's first adult novel. I really wanted it be something special, but there's a bit of a setback.
Before we get to that, we'll start with the positive. I like Alex. He seems a good bloke to bump into down the pub. He's chatty (the whole book is written from his viewpoint, just as [[Category:Jim Butcher|Jim Butcher]] writes his urban fantasy character, [[Changes: The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher|Harry Dresden]]). Alex has a great sense of humour which is very similar to that of [[Changes: The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher|Harry Dresden]]. The Camden diviner also has an endearing vulnerability, unsure whether he'll always beat the odds, very much like... well, you get the idea. Basically Alex is a chip off the Dresden block, but he has a couple of things Harry doesn't.
Firstly, there's his friend Luna. Luna has been given an intriguing fantasy-world disability. Her family has been cursed for generations so that, basically, if anyone gets physically too close to Luna, bad things will happen to them, probably including death. The second thing that separates the Alex from the Harry is an inventive form of transport provided by another friend. I refer, of course, to Starbreeze. No, not a refugee from 'My Little Pony' but an Elemental: a being that can harness one of the elements, either wind, earth, water or fire. Starbreeze's talent is connected with wind, (stop smirking at the back) which means that she can sweep Alex up and deliver him miles away in a matter of seconds.
