Fated

A fun, steady read filled with dark magic, elementals and political intrigue.

Alex Verus prefers the quiet life, running his magical shop and staying far away from the political struggles between light and dark magic users. As a precognition mage, he's pretty good at staying out of trouble. After all, seeing the future is his specialty, but even Alex has his limits. When his associate, Luna, ends up with a magical cube both groups of mages want, events begin to spiral out of control. In his efforts to save Luna, Alex will be pulled into a battle between both sides, one that will force him to confront his dark mage past. Alex will have to choose a side, as he and Luna are dragged into a mess they might not survive.

Benedict Jacka did Alex's powers justice. While Alex can see every future featuring him, it still doesn't make him invincible. Although he definitely does have the upper hand in most situations, even some decisions are too split second for Alex to predict. While I wondered how a character with only precognition abilities would fend off offensive magic, I wasn't disappointed as Alex entertained me with his quick thinking and unique techniques.

Unfortunately, this does not receive 5 stars because the battle between the two sides was taxing. Despite the fact they ultimately wanted the same thing, both sides kept dragging Alex farther away from the end point. They'd share insults and threats, then throw him back out to complete the task. While it showed the ins and outs of the two political sides, I would have preferred to get right to the point.

I recommend this for fans of the Harry Dresden series. The flow of writing and interlaced humor remind me of Harry. In fact, Alex even hints at knowing the famous wizard.