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July 7, 2014
Jacka’s strong fifth urban fantasy (after Chosen) continues the development of his alternate London. Probability mage Alex Verus is struggling to come to terms with his dark side. He was previously forced to make ruthless decisions that alienated several friends, and now he learns that one of those friends, Anne, has been kidnapped by masked mages. Cooperating with police agents of the mages in the Light Council proves to be pointlessly time-consuming, so Alex enters the private shadow realm of an especially powerful and frightening Dark mage to rescue Anne. Unlike the mages who divide themselves into bureaucratic Light and self-serving Dark, Alex reluctantly acknowledges the mixture of both in his own nature, which makes him uniquely fit to interpret morally confused situations and act on them accordingly. This installment also confirms that Alex’s original master, the Dark mage Richard, has returned to the earthly realm of existence in order to recruit his old servants, a terrifying prospect that promises really exciting, substantial conflict for future books in the series.

September 15, 2014

The latest in this excellent London-set urban fantasy series (after 2013's Chosen) delves into the past of mage Alex Versus as he confronts a powerful dark wizard when his apprentice Anne is kidnapped.

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2014
Diviner Alex Verus has struggled to erase his past as a Dark mage apprentice, but reviving old instincts is the only way to save his apprentice Anne in the outstanding fifth book of Jacka's urban-fantasy series. Alex's necessary but ruthless elimination of a young vigilante group in Chosen has thrown his life into turmoil. Alex doesn't doubt his admittedly slippery moral compassit always points to the most advantageous path, even when there's no clean exitbut he can't reconcile the loss of his friends. Gentle Anne is so horrified that she moves out, making her vulnerable to her own dark past. When Anne disappears, Alex investigates until he finds her, trapped in Dark mage Sagash's shadow realm, but his rescue is interrupted by the long-rumored return of his former master Richard. Everyone makes choices and they all have a part in what happens, Alex believes, but even he isn't sure how much choice he'll have if Richard wants him back. After considerable emotional development, Alex is left at a crucial juncture in this propulsive and philosophical installment.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)