On 7/2/26 11:21 PM, Lynn McGuire wrote:
On 7/2/2026 6:53 PM, BobbieSellers wrote:
An Instruction in Shadow by Benedict Jacka
Book 2 of an Inheritance Of Magic series.
˙˙˙˙˙The magic in this story is called Drucraft.
It deals with the shaping of Sigils out of aurum(sic)
which is an energy that can by drucraft be made solid
and depending on its particular sort used to provide
advantages such as enhanced vision, invisibility,
lightfoot, rapid motion or strength etc.
˙˙˙˙˙The protagonist is skilled enough to make
sigils but is a child of a great house which does
not care for him and in which politics over
succession to the leadership of the house is very
common.
˙˙˙˙˙He has allies in the house but he does
not care to use them as he does not trust them.
˙˙˙˙˙His mother was a daughter of the house
who became infatuated with his father, an armsman
of the house.˙ This was a misalliance according
the to the ruler of the house. After a few years
his mother decided the life of the fired armsman
was not worth sharing and left her child and
husband to return to the house and since has
re-married and has children fulfilling a house
agreement.
˙˙˙˙˙The father has disappeared and his son is
obsessed with finding out what has happened to him.
˙˙˙˙˙I do not particularly like this book for
many reasons but it is fairly well written and
many will find it a quite acceptable way to spend
some time or so I deduce from reading in r.a.SF.w.
˙˙˙˙˙Shadow in this case refers to the
somewhat unhanded tactics that companies
dealing in sigils train young people to
find aurum wells then leave them to work
without protection and supervision. The
head of the house deigns to instruct the
young man that this is how the companies
do business.
Did you read the excellent Alex Verus novels?˙ If so, how did this
compare to those?
˙˙ https://www.amazon.com/Fated-Verus-Novel-Benedict-Jacka/dp/1937007294
I am not Bobbie, nor do I play her on TV, but:
I've read all of both series (there are 3 now in the newer one), and I
liked the Verus series better. Even comparing only the first 3 of each,
I liked the Verus better.
That is not to say the newer series is not worth reading - as you
mentioned (and I agree), the Verus series is excellent - and I think
you'd like it. But probably not 5-star material on your end.
I'll put my ratings & brief summaries for all three below, in case it helps.
Tony
Jan 2024:
( ++ ) An Inheritance of Magic - Jacka [An Inheritance of Magic #1]
This was also a good series starter, laying a lot of groundwork for how
this new setting works. Fyi: In the intro/forward, Jacka specifically
mentions that this has nothing to do with his Alex Verus series. Stephen Oakwood is 20 years old and a novice drucrafter (drucraft is a novel
magic system invented by Jacka for this work). His mother abandoned him
at age 1, and his father disappeared - was possibly kidnapped - under mysterious circumstances 3 years ago. Stephen becomes entangled with a
rather stereotypical ruthless power-hungry rich family of drucrafters,
and it?s pretty clear this entanglement will be very important in the
next book(s). I will read the second one (not yet released) and decide
if I go on from there.
Dec 2024:
( ++ 1/2 ) An Instruction in Shadow - Jacka [An Inheritance of Magic #2]
Steven Oakwood learns a lot more about drucrafting, his House, his
parents, and his friends. By the end of this volume, he has a line on
finding his father, and he has started down a path to independent
employment that would allow him to pursue drucrafting and finding his
father. I will read the next one.
Jan 2026:
( ++ 1/2 - ) A Judgement of Powers - Jacka [Inheritance of Magic #3]
Stephen is getting more and more entangled with his estranged (and
powerful, and cruel, and ruthless, and ...) extended family. And he has
caught the attention of The Winged as well (not good). He learns a lot
more about both, and about drucrafting as well. The minus is because he
is still way too often a mouthy idiot to family members when he
should/could shut up and listen (and learn!) instead. I'll probably read #4.
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