Alex Verus

Alex Verus by Benedict Jacka A lot of the books on this list have a similarity. They may be in wildly different settings and various fantasy worlds, but most of them are some time in the past. Jacka’s urban fantasy offers a great change from that through a modern London setting. We follow a humble shop owner called Alex who is mage not of battle magic but divining. He can see the threads of various paths of the future and their implications. This makes him valuable; to the dark wizards, and to the light ones. However, the strength of setting and magic isn’t the major driving force in this novel. That comes with the way Jacka writes Alex. He has weaknesses, yet he’s able to overcome them. He’s trained in martial arts, but he won’t fight in every situation needlessly. This creates a character who is smart and real, yet still has room for growth. Alex has to learn not to sit on the fence entirely, to do things for the greater good, and to find his place in the world of magicians. Read if you like: Urban fantasy, Jim Butcher.