Taken (An Alex Verus Novel)

Very enjoyable, good plot, good sub plots and lots of twists and turns. Really enjoying Alex adding yo his growing list of friends and allies

The author has created a believable world that any Dresden fan will enjoy. Comparison with Butcher is inevitable (particularly as the other referenced Dresden immediately in the first book of the series) as there are similarities between the main characters. Jacka does not write as strongly as Butcher and better character development is needed but overall the books have been well paced and (thankfully) the editing has been pretty good. I remember a time when good editing was taken for granted. I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next in the series.

I have to say, this series by Mr. Jacka is starting to fall in the favorite series category. The first book was suggested to me by Amazon because of the other books I read of course, and I am so glad it showed up in the recommendations. The world building has increased with each book, and I like the fact that he is unfolding it slowly. I feel like there is way more to the abilities of the main character than even he knows, and I keep thinking the author is hiding something really big from us. Maybe not, but either way, it is a fun ride. This particular book can be read even if you have not read the others, I felt like the author explained the character's world really well for new readers, but I am a little bit of a stickler when it comes to reading series, I like to start from the beginning. Most of the time, I feel like the history of the characters and the setting makes the book more enjoyable. So either way, I think this time, but the other books are great too, worth going back and starting from the beginning. I have really gotten to love the main character, and I can't wait to see where Mr. Jacka takes this. Again, there is great world building, great supporting characters, some good, some not so good and some I am still waiting to see....

I agree with the other reviews I've read, good but nothing really new or revealing. I am beginning to enjoy this series more and more than when I first began though. I stumbled across fated the first in the series on my recommended list decided to give it a shot and was interested but not impressed. The second book cursed was better I thought in this just continues in the same vein. Better than Simon green 's nightside or Richard kadrey 's sandman slim books but not quite as good as butcher's Dresden books or Kevin Hearne's iron druid series. If you've read any of those and note my comparisons or tastes that should give you a pretty good idea what you're getting here. I look forward to the next installment in this series.

Third and latest installment in this series so far, Taken is a joyful ride to what is slated to become a major Harry Dresden like Urban Fantasy series. Alex Verus is minor mage, so insignificant nobody really care about hime. Well... that is, until he begins to kill off two powerful mages. People are then taking an interest. Verus is more of a Diviner than a mage, really. And he has an apprentice tagging along with her own set of problems too. And they both intelligently weasel their way out of problems and killing attempts aimed their way by spiteful foes. This book is like the first two. A joyful ride in a sympathetic England. With the same flaws and the same endearing qualities. The author does a good job depicting flawed characters. Alex and the main characters are rather well fleshed out and the plot, though simple, is enough to keep us entertained. And all through this book are hints of what could happen in the next novels, just to keep us on edge. All in all, I would say I expect much in the futur and I hope I won't be disappointed with this series as I have been with so many others.

Another great book in the Alex Verus series. Great premise, plot, and likable characters. I liked Alex from the very first book. He’s practical but caring and has enough of a sense of humor to acknowledge his weaknesses in laugh out loud terms. He’s also smart enough to cleverly maneuver around said weaknesses. This makes for great action scenes to unfold a compelling plot. A fun and entertaining read. On to the next in the series.

This book kept me interested from the beginning to the end. It's the second I've read in the series. I actually am reading them out of order, but it doesn't matter because the characters are so rich and full of life.

I just finished reading book 3 and can't wait to start book 4. The only thing stopping me from starting book 4 right now is that I'm getting my granddaughter tomorrow for a week. It's been ages since a series grabbed me the way that this has so far. I love that the magic in not too dark and the stories just flow along. I'm definitely not interested in anything that comes off as horror and each of the books is a good magical read that carries me around the U K (Not unlike Harry Potter). I have become an Anglophile over the last few years and this series also fills that interest for me.I So, 5 stars still and I can't find any complaints yet.

Very good

This book continues a series that impresses with it's quality. In this book, Alex continues to grow as character and starts to become a lot more confident in himself and more focused in his motivations, becoming a much more rounded protagonist. We meet some old friends and enemies as well as a few new ones, which look to be ongoing members of the Verus cast. The characters are three dimensional because the author has taken care to make sure that everyone has there own motivations and interests. There is nobody in this book who feels like they are there just because they want to be evil. The story is in the typical ripping yarn format, with plenty of action and lots of twists, made more twisty by the author planting false trails that leaves you wondering till near the end what is going to happen. This is a well crafted tale of magical criminality that builds well on what has happened in previous books. The nice thing about these books is that you don't feel that the author is cheating by having Verus use his divination to see everything, he has to work out what is happening using good old fashioned brain power. It is easy to see the influence of the Dresden files in this series.....Maverick urban mage, with a heart of gold stands between the innocent and on the one hand, evil, and on the other, bureaucratic heartlessness in the ranks of the "good"........but to use a successful and entertaining formula is not in itself a bad thing. And Jacka, particularly in this book, has managed to come out of the Butcher shadow and create a distinct world with distinct characters, background and mythology which gives a very satisfying read. I look forward to the next book.

Conforme à mes attentes.

Auch der dritte Band der Alex-Verus-Reihe ist gleichbleibend spannend und gut zu lesen. Verus ist ein Magier, dessen Fähigkeit darin besteht, in die Zukunft sehen zu können. Daraus ergeben sich eine Reihe von interessanten Möglichkeiten. Daneben taucht noch eine Reihe von guten und bösen magischen Personen auf, Was mir gefallen hat, ist die Glaubwürdigkeit der Charaktere. Die Bücher sind nicht lustig, sondern eher düster. Insgesamt enthalten sie weniger Humor als die Dresden-Bücher von Butcher, sind aber in der Qualität vergleichbar.

Benedict Jacks has created an alternative London which is hidden from us normals and within this London tells a fast paced story which makes you want to keep reading. I intend to introduce Benedict Jacks books to my granddaughter and I’m sure she will find them captivating.