The monkey paw element was really creepy with Jacka did justice to the old legend while also adding his own spin. Similarly, Luna’s curse gets more page time here and it’s interesting to see how it operates, what Luna can do about it and the impact that has on her personally. Verus’s probability magic remains a lot of fun as Jacka shows how it can be used and what its strengths and limitations are.

All in all, it’s an entertaining, well written book with likeable characters and as such I will definitely be reading on. There are plenty of twists and turns, most of which kept me guessing and there’s a sense of an overall arc as Verus’s past continues to haunt him. Similarly, Verus’s friendship with Arachne comes more to the fore and I was surprised (and happy) to see Jacka resolve a story element that could easily have become a ‘get out of jail’ card. There’s more development here of the relationship between Luna and Alex and I enjoyed the tension injected by the introduction of Martin as a new love interest for Luna. The second in Benedict Jacka’s ALEX VERUS SERIES is another fast-paced, entertaining read with a twisting plot that kept me turning the pages. Throw in a threat to one of Alex’s best friends and the curse of the monkey’s paw, and Alex may just be out of his depth this time …

But his investigations are distracted by Meredith, a sexy mage able to manipulate emotions, and Martin, a handsome sensitive who Luna’s friends with and who wants to find out more about magic. Hired by a senior Light mage called Belthas, Alex is soon on the trail of a Dark cabal intent on using forbidden magic to harvest life energy from magical creatures.

Probability mage, Alex Verus is picking up freelance work for the Council and is trying to train his apprentice, Luna, in controlling her curse. But some days are just better spent in bed. Sure, it pays to be able to see the future. But is walking away really an option? And just how dangerous is the curse of the monkey’s paw? It’s still damn inconvenient though – especially when seductive distractions are thrown into the mix. Fine, until Alex’s friends are threatened. A spate of mysterious attacks calls for Alex’s expertise – someone is dabbling with the forbidden.

Benedict jacka fated series