Hello to all of my beautiful nerds traveling the vast universe! I am back with another book review!

Marked by. Benedict Jacka!

Disclaimer: This review is based on thoughts and opinions by the lead writer of this blog. Please respect her thoughts and opinions on the book ahead.

What Is It About? In this ninth installment of the urban fantasy series, Alex Verus, Alex becomes a member of the Junior Council and no one’s too happy about it especially with him and in order to protect his friends he has to be a big force of power. First, he finds out about important relics being released into the world by dark mages even by Richard Drake, the one who raised him, and when he finds out that the Light Council wants to negotiate with the ones who released these items and have to use his wit to keep the balance between the Dark Mages, Light Council, and the Adepts together or it will be bloody.

Thoughts: To be honest, after reading the eight previous books which took me a while to read this one, I found this one being too fast and too short and a little bit more focused on Ann’s and Alex’s relationship. I do love the series don’t get me wrong but seven out of the other eight were really good and were more entertaining because it included the characters more as each story was written and told. This one I had felt like the events were more jumbled up and had too much going on and just cut it short at sixteen chapters and yes Ann did have one of these items that Alex found out about but I felt like the story with it could have been told a lot better. Even though this series is a nod towards the Dresden Files which this series is set in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world since they did have to use gates to travel and did point it out in the first book in the first chapter or so, I think this book could have been written better. Heck, even the book before this one, Bound, was way better than this one even though it shows Ann taking the relic towards the end of it but could have done better. Not only that, I felt there was not enough Vari and Luna in this book either while I read it, I felt like the final scene with the both of them and the Tiger’s Palace were just it since they are a part of the driving point. I am hoping Jacka does another one and doesn’t make it too short. I felt like it could have added more and yet I can understand that if the tenth book were made that there should be some material left for it. Let’s hope so.

Rating: 3 Star Paw Prints Out of 5! Even though I gave it a five on Good Reads by a small accident but to look back on it this is how I really felt about the book. I love being honest with my reviews and I wasn’t being too nitpicky with this review either. I am hoping Book Ten becomes a better story and I can’t wait and see how he does the continuation from where Ann and Alex had their talk and a small love scene and how that will work out through the rest of the books. I hope to get to read it too unless Berkely has something to say. Which I want to put this here and that is Berkeley, I want to read more of your titles, I feel like I’m being dismissed and not getting a fair chance in getting to read more. Trust me, I am still miffed about not being able to read Brief Cases which I look up to Jim Butcher a lot since I am a writer myself. So, just give me more chances and I don’t sugarcoat my honesty either since I can give you guys my honest word on the books I read, I mean Heroine Worship and Siege Line were based on my honesty and observations and that is what I always put in my disclaimers since it is based on thoughts and observations from me. I hope to read more books from your company. Thank you!

That is it for this review! I will be back with my Holiday Matsuri review since there are things to talk about and of course our videos. Stay tuned!
Marked: An Alex Verus Novelh