Benedict Jacka: An Inheritance of Magic

 Hi everyone

An Inheritance of Magic is the first book in Benedict Jacka's new series called Inheritance of Magic.
I really enjoyed Jacka's first series; Alex Verus so I had to get this one. I got it from Bol.

"The wealthy seem to exist in a different, glittering world from the rest of us. Almost as if by... magic.
Stephen Oakwood is a young man on the edge of this hidden world. He has talent and potential, but turning that potential into magical power takes money, opportunity, and training. All Stephen has is a minimum wage job and a cat.
But when a chance encounter with a member of House Ashford gets him noticed by the wrong people, Stephen is thrown in the deep end. For centuries, the vast corporations and aristocratic Houses of the magical world have grown impossibly rich and influential by hoarding their knowledge. To survive, Stephen will have to take his talent and build it up into something greater—for only then can he beat them at their own game."

An Inheritance of Magic was good, but not great. The story is quite slow, and there are a lot of boring info-dumps that made the pacing feel uneven. Even with all the explanations, I still didn’t fully grasp the magic system, though that could just be me!
That said, I did like the characters, especially Stephen and his relatable struggle to navigate a world stacked against him. The setting in London added a familiar yet magical backdrop, and Jacka’s easy-to-read writing style kept me reading, even when the plot dragged.

While this first book was a mixed experience, I’m definitely going to read the second book in the series. My love for Jacka’s Alex Verus series gives me faith that this world and its characters will deepen and improve as the story progresses.

Have you read An Inheritance of Magic? Did you connect with Stephen’s journey, or did you struggle with the pacing too? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading.
Helena