Chosen

Alex Verus, Book 4

By: Benedict Jacka

Narrated by: Gildart Jackson

Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's Summary

I don't publicly advertise that I'm a mage, but I don't exactly hide it either, and one of the odd things I've learnt over the years is just how much you can get away with if you're blatant enough. Hide something behind smoke and mirrors and make people work to find it, and they'll tear the place down looking for what's there. Alex Verus is a diviner who can see probable futures-a talent that's gotten him out of many a tough scrape. But this time, he may be in over his head. Alex was once apprenticed to a Dark mage, and in his service he did a lot of things he isn't proud of. As rumors swirl that his old master is coming back, Alex comes face to face with his misdeeds in the form of a young adept whose only goal is to get revenge. Alex has changed his life for the better, but he's afraid of what his friends - including his apprentice, Luna - will think of his past. But if they're going to put themselves at risk, they need to know exactly what kind of man they're fighting for...

©2013 Benedict Jacka (P)2014 Tantor

Critic Reviews

"Jacka puts other urban fantasists to shame with the fourth Alex Verus novel, a stellar blend of thoughtful philosophy and explosive action populated by a stereotype-defying diverse cast." ---Publishers Weekly Starred Review

best on in the series so far

This is a great series. I like this one because it is more gritty and real than others of the same genre. There isn't a lot of snarky humor, pop references or wacky side-kicks. When Alex Verus says leave me alone or else, he means or I'll see you die horribly. He's still a decent guy but has no problems doing what needs to be done to ensure his survival.

This book gives a lot of the backstory on Alex Verus. it is a fun story and action packed to boot. I haven't been sleeping much lately as several of my favvorite authors put books out at the same time. I definitely enjoyed staying up late to finish this one. Plenty of time to sleep when I am dead. I can't wait for the next one as he leaves it on an awsome cliff-hanger.

This one is definitely worth listening to and the narrarator is great. you can't go wrong with this one. If you like Dresden get this one, Verus is the dark tough guy Harry D. thinks he is.

Hooked on Series

I think what draws me to this series more than anything is the complexity of the characters. It shows how good and bad aren’t black and white, there are so many shades to light and dark. Fun read and an interesting story line!

Ran out of interesting ideas

Zzzzz. Decent start to the series meets a lack of story line. The protagonist goes from interesting to irritating. The narrator follows along with a slowing pace to match the dragging story. The climax of the story is a practice in patient, waiting for the author to get to the obvious end. Glad that's over. I'll definitely peruse reviews before investing time and money in the next book in the series.

Too Many Feelings!

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I love Alex Verus and I am fairly new to him. I will definitely go on with the series, but this was just so full of FEELINGS!

What was most disappointing about Benedict Jacka’s story?

All of the angst about killing people.

What about Gildart Jackson’s performance did you like?

I love it when Alex Versus is sarcastic.

Was Chosen worth the listening time?

Just barely.

Any additional comments?

Let's get back to action and stay away from pensive contemplation, it's boring.

The best of what makes fantasy great

Where does Chosen rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

top third

Who was your favorite character and why?

I like our protagonist, of course, and am becoming intrigued by Anna...

What does Gildart Jackson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

he does a good job of reminding you of the differences among characters by different voices and accents -- especially good making a giant spider sound friendly but inhuman.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

it does suck you along, but I also don't want it to be over that fast.

Any additional comments?

Really great demonstration of what sci fi and fantasy do best -- allow you to look at Big Questions of everyday life by making them bigger than life: what does it mean to be the "good guys"? How do you deal with the possibility that your instincts can make you a "bad guy," or that just being human means being both Good and Bad? and how do you live with yourself and with the reflection of those truths in the eyes of your friends?

meantime, a good ride of adventure and politics, as this series has been providing. worth the time.

Excellent addition to wonderful series

Like Harry Dresden? You likely enjoy Alex Verus. It's not exactly the same, different characters of course, and a decidedly English tonality and dry humor in the writing/narration. But that's a good thing, in that I really never like blatant imitations. I look forward to listening to the characters introduced so far develop while facing new challenges, and to meeting whatever new characters inevitably get introduced. That is one other way that this is similar to Dresden, as I always look forward to the same things I his stories. I'm very happy to have discovered this writer and series.

Wow, this book just, blew me away

Where does Chosen rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

REALLY really, high. The series has been slow to get where it's going, but man does it really come to an emotional head with the events of this book.

What other book might you compare Chosen to and why?

The Dresden Files, simply because of the Urban Fantasy genre. But really, that's as far as the comparison goes. They're nothing alike, in tone or scale, just similar genre

What about Gildart Jackson’s performance did you like?

He's really REALLY good at conveying emotions and humor. Also, his ability to do female voices is very good. A lot of times with narrators, they struggle with doing voices of the opposite gender. Either you have women who have trouble sounding like a male without being all false-gravely voice, or men who have difficulty sounding like an actual woman, instead of a real-gravely voice. xD Mr. Jackson doesn't have this issue, he's able to bounce between genders without any trouble at all, and that's a really good thing in a narrator.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Oh man yes did I have an extreme reaction to this book. The climax of it all was gut wrenchingly powerful. I kept waiting to see how he would resolve the situation, and the resolution that happened was unexpected, and powerful as hell. It was a turning point for me in this series, where it went from a series I thought was ok, to a series that I will loyally follow for a long time. You don't see many authors take this route with their protagonists, and it's a refreshing change to see it.

Any additional comments?

Seriously, this book was great. I was on the fence about the series from the previous novels, mostly because of Luna being annoying as hell. But the books have done nothing but improve, and this one is a crowning jewel in the series. Powerful, funny, engaging, left me wanting more. It's worth your time to give this series a try, if you haven't already. You will enjoy it.

real emotional stakes for the 1st time in series

This series gets better as the emotional stakes get higher. Alex Verus finally has friends, and now he has to risk their friendship by telling them his darkest secrets and past dark history. Without their help, can he defeat the people out to kill him? If he does ask for their help, will he lose them in battle?

Lots of feel good scenes, and lots of emotional turmoil and self-doubt in this installment of the series, as well as several clever traps and battles. I felt that Alex was really vulnerable as a character as his backstory was revealed, and the reader is given a lot more insight into his character. I'm finally feeling connected to Alex as a character. Luna gets some good growth in this book too, and I enjoyed the addition of Ann and Veri to the cast of characters. I like that in this world, there is less of a black vs. white (good or bad) categorization in the classifications of the magic users, and more greyness to the moral decisions being made. Everyone makes mistakes and has to pay for them. Everybody gets lucky sometimes. Conversely, I like that the magical society has such a clear and strict framework: the master/apprentice system, the adept and journeyman levels, the Keepers and the Council governing the Light and Independant mages. It lends a sense of order and ordinariness to the whole magic world.

The book has several of the things I've complained about with the rest of the series: too much info-dumping, Arachne's magical items being a little too good to be true, some misogynistic tendencies of the main character, etc. but overall this book came a long way into making the characters feel three-dimensional and in making me invest in the series emotionally.

Another great installment!

This was another great installment in the Alex Verus Series. This is a series that really does need to be read in order since each book builds on the previous installments. I think that I am liking each book in the series a little more as I work my way through the series and I get to know Alex and the gang better. I worked my way through this book rather quickly because I was eager to see how everything would work out. It really was a very enjoyable listen.

At the start of this story, Alex is learning to adjust to life with his two new roommates. He is spending a lot of time with the apprentices and running his shop. Alex's past comes into play and has a big impact on his present in this installment. Alex was an apprentice under a dark mage when he was younger. This is a group of adepts that wish to get revenge for Alex's actions while working with the dark mage.

I really liked getting the chance to learn some of Alex's history. I had an idea that life with Richard was less than pleasant but it was very eye-opening to learn how things really were. We actually learn some rather interesting things about several characters that currently play a role in Alex's life. I thought that seeing Alex's past and how he dealt with those seeking revenge really showed what kind of man he has become. Alex wants to do what is right and does not seek to harm anyone but he will do what needs to be done when pushed into it. I really like that Alex is flawed and will cross lines when necessary but tries to be a good guy as much as he can.

Gildart Jackson does a fabulous job with this book. He has become the voice of Alex for me and I am so glad that I decided to work my way through this series in audio. This narrator does a great job with all of the character voices and brings a lot of emotion into the story. He has a very pleasant voice that is easy to listen to for hours at a time.

I would recommend this series to others. This book tells a very exciting story and is filled with an entire cast of fantastic characters. I can't wait to start working on the next book in this wonderful series!

It's a hit

I started listening to this series because Gildart Jackson is the narrator. And I found out that I like every one of these books. Not just because of Gildart J. The stories of interesting, characters are great. I recommend listening to this series.