Marked by Benedict Jacka Series: Alex Verus #9
Published by Ace on July 3, 2018
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 320
Format: eBook
Source: Library
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble, Apple
When Mage Alex Verus ends up with a position on the Light Council, no one is happy, least of all him. But Alex is starting to realize that if he wants to protect his friends, he'll need to become a power player himself. His first order of business is to track down dangerous magical items unleashed into the world by Dark Mages.
But when the Council decides they need his help in negotiating with the perpetrators, Alex will have to use all his cunning and magic to strike a deal--and stop the rising tension between the Council, the Dark Mages, and the adept community from turning into a bloodbath.
Gah. It never gets any easier. Alex is busy trying to stay alive and do his “job” on the Council as a junior member. He is working to retrieve artifacts which were stolen from the Vault. He also makes an effort to keep as many alive as he can on either side.
But he is also trying to figure out a way to give himself more power of some sort to keep himself and his friends safe. While the Council has been very slow to do anything about Morden, eventually he will be sentenced and then his position is precarious to say the least. He is working with the dreamstones, worried about what has happened with Anne because of the jinn. In the background, there is always the worry for other mages and more so for the sensitives and adepts who have no power and can be hurt badly, as he knows from experience.
The Council comes up with a plan to try to capture Richard. Alex knows it has little chance of succeeding and he tells them so and why. But they decide to do it. When it inevitably blows up, at least Alex is able to minimize the deaths. But the result is still a more daunting struggle for his life ahead.
On the plus side, he outwardly commits to Anne. He was devoted to her, and really all his friends, before but he now admits they are all clearly a team, for better or worse. They may help each other or they may be each other’s downfall. It remains to be seen.
Anne’s observations from Marked:
- Alex is doing a reasonable job of hanging in there and trying to protect his people but it doesn’t ever get easier. No matter how he tries to work on strategies, nothing is certain for the long term.
- Alex is clearly committed to Anne and his friends, but that could make it harder since they can be used against him. It’s always been true but now he is more clearly admitting it.
- Are there any good guys? Neither Light nor Dark is honorable. They are just all about their own power. (I said this before but it is worth repeating)
- Richard doesn’t seem to make many mistakes. This is very frustrating to me.
Anne’s questions from Bound:
- What other strategies will Alex develop to protect himself and his friends? Will he ever manage independence for himself and others again? Alex has a brief reprieve of sorts being a junior council member. It gives him some limited power.
- Will Alex ever be able to do anything about the cruel practices of dark mages?
- Will there be a romance for Alex? (Robin) When will Alex and Anne get together? yes. Alex and Anne will be together, although it may be dangerous for both of them..
- Will Alex ever be able to contact Starbreeze again, or find her?
- (KC)Will vampires be a future subject since it is hard to know if they are really all gone?
- (KC) Will humans become a bigger threat, particularly to monsters and dark mages?
- (Robin)Did Richard have anything to do with what happened to Anne with the Lightmages in this book? It seems like he did. He is using her through the dreamstones.
- (Robin)Can Alex get better at the long Game?
- (Robin)What the heck is Richard’s Magic?
- (Robin)Can the Adepts and Sensitives ever get some respect/voice in the magical community and will Alex play a part in that?
- (Robin)How will Anne change after what happened in the Vault? She is more fractured, more alone, and her darker self got connected to the jinn.
Anne’s questions from Marked:
- What other strategies will Alex develop to protect himself and his friends? Will he ever manage independence for himself and others again? Will he have to choose a side for overall protection?
- Will Alex ever be able to do anything about the cruel practices of dark mages?
- Will Alex ever be able to contact Starbreeze again, or find her?
- Will Alex try to get a junior council position on his own now with Morden gone? After all, they know him and what to expect, and he does have talents. Or will the death sentence be back?
- Will people find out more and blame him for Morden?
- Will the Council and Guardians continue to try to use him to get to Richard?
- Will Anne be able to keep control of herself now?
- Will Richard try to force them back to him in exchange for life?
- (KC)Will vampires be a future subject since it is hard to know if they are really all gone?
- (KC) Will humans become a bigger threat, particularly to monsters and dark mages?
- (Robin)Can Alex get better at the long Game?
- (Robin)What the heck is Richard’s Magic?
- (Robin)Can the Adepts and Sensitives ever get some respect/voice in the magical community and will Alex play a part in that?
Games:
1. Who said (enter the answer in the Rafflecopter, don’t put in the comments)
“It wasn’t a serious assassination attempt.”
2. Who is the villain in Marked? (Enter in the rafflecopter)
Schedule:
We are doing one book every month, posting on Fridays. We should have a review for most of the books with the team here at Books of My Heart plus some of our blogging friends.
Oct 4: Marked
Nov 1: Fallen
Miss a post?
Feb 1: Fated
Mar 1: Cursed
Apr 5: Taken
May 3: Chosen
Jun 7: Hidden
Jul 5: Veiled
Aug 2: Burned
Sep 6: Bound
Be sure to enter the giveaways!!!
Giveaway:
I have both a digital ARC and print ARC for Fallen so I am giving away my new print ARC for Fallen. US only.
Read-along Giveaway:
This giveaway is for the entire event, with things to enter each month. Tantor is also supporting me by giving away digital codes for all 10 audiobooks in the series!
About Benedict Jacka
Benedict Jacka became a writer almost by accident, when at nineteen he sat in his school library and started a story in the back of an exercise book. Since then he’s studied philosophy at Cambridge, lived in China, and worked as everything from civil servant to bouncer to teacher before returning to London to take up law.
I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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- Sunday Post – 19 January 2025 @caffeinatedreviewer.com @kimbacaffeinate @readingreality - January 19, 2025
- 🎧 Good Turn by Dervla McTiernan @DervlaMcTiernan#AoifeMcMahon @HarperAudio #LoveAudiobooks - January 18, 2025
- Read-along & #Giveaway:On the Edge by Ilona Andrews @ilonaandrews @ilonaandrews.bsky.social @reneeraudman @AceBooksPub @acebookspub.bsky.social @TantorAudio @tantoraudio.bsky.social #Read-along #GIVEAWAY @victoria7401.bsky.social - January 17, 2025
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2019 Library-Love
- BTB 2019
wow, able to win the entire series. i would love that. i haven’t done a read along but it looks like a lot of fun. good luck everyong
I am lucky to have really great relationships with publishers so they help me with the giveaways. I also purchase some of the prizes myself. I alternate with one year being a series I have never read and the other year one I have read and want to re-read. Alex Verus is new to me and I’m thrilled with my choice. Kate Daniels last year is a favorite series and with the final book being released it was an easy choice since I wanted to reread. Mercy Thompson is next year. I have read them all but some have been awhile ago, so I’m looking forward to reading them all again.
I just did win the entire series! In print books too. Thrilled that you enjoyed this one. I can’t wait to start on them after this month.
I think maybe she meant the audio. The narrator for the series is excellent and I am collecting them that way. I’m just so glad I chose this series, this year.
Sounds like a great book.
I think they are all 4-5 heart quality. It’s definitely a series though, to read in order to keep track of what is happening.
Anne, so many things are happening and I always wonder, will Alex ever be able to get a step ahead of Richard. I mean it always seems like he is two steps behind.
Also Arachne has me worried. It seems like she knows something Alex doesn’t and I wonder how long it will be before we find out what it is.
It was an interesting twist to see what was happening with Anne and I really didn’t expect it to go that way. I did wonder how that would play out, especially since the next book is called Fallen.
I am SO enjoying the series but I fret about them since it seems like they are up against insurmountable odds. But that is the UF way, right? I have hope with great fear. You are correct about Arachne. It isn’t a good sign. After Fallen, it will be a year for the next. There are 2 more.
I have got to get back to this series. Sorry this year didn’t go as planned and I couldn’t keep up with the read-along but I did find a series I want to stick with 🙂
You tried. I’m just glad you like the series enough to read it all. I really am enjoying it and I think it was a great pick for one I knew nothing about before.