Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
A Judgement of Powers by Benedict Jacka Narrator: Will Watt
Series: Inheritance of Magic #3
Published by Ace, Penguin Audio on November 4, 2025
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 400
Length: 9 hours, 44 minutes
Format: Audiobook, eARC
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
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Stephen Oakwood’s ambitions used to be simple. Pay his bills, track down his father, and take care of his cat. Maybe study a little magic after work, if he had time.
Now it’s a year later and he’s got everything he wanted. But it’s come with a price.
The Winged, a mysterious group involved with his father, have noticed Stephen, and they want him to join them or else. His career as a corporate locator has hit a dead end. And his new job as bodyguard to Calhoun Ashford is proving a lot more lethal than expected due to assassination attempts from outside the House, and possibly also from within.
To survive, Stephen’s going to need allies of his own. And along the way, he’s going to have to figure out the secret of his own gift, and what it means. The cults, Houses, and corporations of the magical world are locked in an endless battle for dominance, and Stephen is beginning to realize that he’s going to have to pick a side . . . before someone else picks it for him.
I really enjoy the style, characters and worlds created by Benedict Jacka. It’s easy to root for Stephen as an underdog, mostly on his own without resources. He is having to make some difficult choices to support himself. There are those who want his services but he wants control over his own destiny and it feels like any of the possibilities take away his independence.
Stephen does come in contact with his father, finally. His father helps him understand why some things that happened and offers some truth and perspective. His mother seems to be trying to pull him into the Ashford family. He is working for Calhoun a bit to fund his life and personal pursuits.
His choice to move forward for most of the book is on his own, forming his own team with just Ivy and Colin. They work together to raid wells which is not legal. There are high risks if caught. It’s frustrating because while Ivy is a good locater she isn’t a manifester. Colin is even less skilled in drucraft. But he teaches them some things and they help him. Stephen wants to make a new weapon, not lethal, to take down his opponents long enough to get away.
A Judgement of Powers is steady and suspenseful. Stephen is in a balanced limbo, trying not to throw in with any faction. He learns a bit more, and things which he couldn’t do at all a year ago seem almost too easy for him now. There are many less deadly action battles.
In the end, Stephen is forced to a side and it remains to be seen if it is at all safe, and whether he will have any independence. I hope he is able to make a difference in reducing the violence of the factions. I will eagerly await more over the next year.
Narration:
Will Watt is Stephen for me now. We are in Stephen’s point of view and with him all the time. The voices and accents feel appropriate for the characters and kept me in the story. I listened at a newer 1.6x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
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.
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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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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 25-Audio
- 25-COYER
Great review, Anne💜 Had a feeling this series would be special.
Thank you! It’s a great series.
Another solid entry and really good character development.
yes I always enjoy his books. This one had a bit less action but more character and world development.
I love this series! (I loved his previous series, too.) Jacka sure knows how to spin some fun urban fantasy adventures. I can’t wait to read this one.
Me too! I knew nothing about him when I chose the Alex Verus series for a Read-along but I loved every book. This series is going great too.
I need to give Jacka a try. I think I’d really enjoy.
Well I highly recommend it. You could start with Alex Verus since the series is complete. It’s Tantor so it is at libraries too.
I loved the world-building in this one. And now we wait for the next one!
yes I shouldn’t have reminded people about the wait! It’s a great series though.
Oh no. I fell SO behind in commenting! Trying to catch up.
Not sure if this is the one for me
It’s a great urban fantasy series with magic.
I had such a good time with this one. I’m enjoying the slow build up of the world and the overarching arc developments here. Love that Stephen didn’t just start out as Over Powerful but the reader really gets to experience and believe in all the advancements he is making.
This author is a favorite.
This series sounds good. I do love Will Watt, although he is the Harris brothers from Amy Daws’s series for me, and even then for some reason his voice makes me think of the Weasley twins from Harry Potter. Although when I watch those movies I’m not sure why? lol. Great review!
I love this author. I did his earlier series for the 2019 Read-along. Both are urban fantasy which is my #1 favorite and the genre of most all of the Read-alongs.