Fated

I read this just after reading An Inheritance of Magic, Jacka’s latest book, which was the first book I read by him. After reading both it’s obvious how much Jacka’s writing and plotting skills have developed in the interim. Fated starts out seeming like you’re going to be sitting down to a hearty meal, but I finished the book feeling like the hearty meal had been a mage’s illusion and what I’d really eaten was a creampuff. The world-building here is not substantial and the plot is rather thin. It feels like this book has lots of “tell” and not much “show.” Also, the subtle misogyny that I saw in An Inheritance of Magic is much more blatant here, with protagonist Alex doing things like literally ignoring it most of the times that the woman he’s supposed to care about the most says no to things. Lastly, the typography of at least the digital edition of this book (I am not sure about the print edition) is rather poor, with tons of typographical errors - especially many cases where there should be a hyphen between two or three words and they are instead smushed together as if they are only one word - as well as right margins instead of justified margins, which makes a book more visually tiring to read. I agree with previous reviewers that Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series got better and more complex after the first few books. But despite Butcher’s strong endorsement, I finished this book by Jacka feeling like I’d finished an unsatisfying read and unsure whether I want to spend any more time with Alex.

I had exhausted the supply of fantasy writers that can tell a story with smooth dialogue transition and action at a pace that entertains. Jacka accomplishes both. His ability to reveal the essential rules of his modern day arcana is admirable. Were I to attempt a comparison betwixt Jacka’s highly consumable narrative style and that of others in the fantasy space, I would find myself hard pressed. This is because he competently manages so many of the characteristics of the most enjoyable storytellers in my voluminous library.

It’s not poorly written, but it lacks the spark of creativity and maturity of Dresden Files. The Light mages are good and the Dark mages are bad because they think “having morality makes you a sheep”. There’s just very little depth. Also, a pet peeve, but the insults are quite juvenile.

Not quite a Dresden novel, but the first few in that series weren’t really either. It feels like a similar if not same universe. Entertaining and I’ll read more.

If you like Jim Butcher's Dresden series you will love these books!