An Inheritance of Magic (Stephen Oakwood #1)[October 12, 2023]

[Yanique, Thread Master]

This is a Buddy Read for An Inheritance of Magic by Benedict Jacka starting on October 12, 2023.


Happy Reading!

[Nirkatze]

Just started this! Through Chapter 9 and really really enjoying it--more than Alex Verus, which makes sense, since Jacka has had multiple books since the first two I've read to hone his craft. Actually makes me more excited for finishing up the Alex Verus series, since I imagine things will get even more fun.

I like the premise of the story--and by Chapter 9 (view spoiler)[the whole arrogance of the Ashford family has me very riled up and hopeful that Stephen will be able to get his revenge. Or at least make them sorry. Very very sorry. I was kind of hoping he'd go all John Wick on their asses, but well... he can't. He isn't John Wick. He's more like Lindon still in the Valley, getting punched out by a Jade. And I appreciate that kind of story. But man... you can mess with my home, my livelihood, you can even mess with my friends or family (they will mess you up worse heh), but you do not mess with my cat.

I am getting similar vibes to Alex Verus--the MC's power (so far) is in what he can see... he's a prodigy, but lacks access to serious power and influence, and he's up against power-hungry assholes. (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

Just started Chapter 11, and had to come share a laugh.. still REALLY enjoying this! Looking forward to when y'all get here!!

Funnies--(view spoiler)[The words Stephen uses to try to get the blast to work!

Street Fighter! Hadouken!
Harry Potter! Expelliarmus!
Dresden! Forzare!
D&D: Magic Missile!
Dragon Ball Z: Kamehameha!

LOL What a fun treasure trove of references for fans of cross-media genre! To be honest, I was most surprised by the Dreseden reference--does its fandom compare in volume to the others?

I'm enjoying the magic system, and the whole self-teaching plotline. It's fun to see Stephen trying to figure things out... very Cultivation style. Lots of Lindon vibes... only in a sort of... grungy London way. Actually getting a lot of Neverwhere vibes too...

I also like the character description of Stephen as having to deal with being, basically, a Bishie (beautiful boy). It's not a trope I've seen too often--or rather, whenever a male character is "good looking"--they're also more likely to be a womanizer, and not uncomfortable about or inconvenienced by their beauty. So that's a fun new way of thinking. (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Dresden might just be a Jacka thing... he mentioned Dresden obliquely, in the first Alex Verus book, too...

Speaking of Dresden, I noticed James J. Butcher's 2nd book came out this week, when looking for this on Audible... that's Jim's son, who started publishing last year... need to check out his series at some point...

Dead Man's Hand
Long Past Dues

[Nirkatze]

Did you read this already then, Iain?

I vaguely remember there being a Dresden reference in the first book... I think... things blend together?

I'm definitely interested in the Butcher Jr. books--I've had the first one staring at me for a while. Didn't realize second was out yet.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Not yet... gonna read very soon... which is why I've been eyeing the thread...

[Nirkatze]

Oh yay! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

Finished... I really wish this wasn't a new release, because I want more NOW dammit. (view spoiler)[Wasn't expecting it to end right when it did... rather cruel, really. The audiobook went silent and I was like... that's an awfully long pause before the end of chapter. Then... maybe the audiobook froze (it sometimes does that). And yeah, it froze... because the book decided not to play the credits and was asking me if I wanted to mark it as finished. Boo.

All of those moments when Stephen felt like he was being watched... the crows? Something else?

What is going on with his parents--both of them? Was Stephen born out of wedlock? Or a failed second marriage? An attempted elopement before his mother was blackmailed back into the fold? I was thinking Stephen's father had to also be important--he must've been fairly competent at drewcraft (dreughcraft?)--but he's that Oakwood? So he also has a Name in their society.

Bowler-hat man... Byron? also sounds... untrustworthy. I really liked how Stephen was able to just totally whip out a response to his sales pitch thanks to the church Father dude. I wonder what the past the two of them share? Byron recognized the rhetoric... he must have a past with that Father. In fact... I just want to know more about the world, period. I'm right there with Stephen not knowing how the world works, and wanting someone to tell us, dammit!

Next book pleeeeease! (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Gonna pass along your sentiments to Chrissy, mod in the other group I mod... she was wary about the book because:

1) First in series, and she likes to wait for more entries before starting,

and 2) mixed reviews coming in around release day...

[Nirkatze]

Well, I do wish I'd waited until the other books were out, but I really loved it! I'm curious what the mixed reviews were for, what folks didn't like... but I don't really want to go find out. LOL. Definitely curious to hear your thoughts, Iain.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Interesting start… in chapter 4… not quite “yer a wizard, Harry” :D

(view spoiler)[I forgot one of the things I was going to say, after continuing through the attempted kidnapping, but…

I assume it’s unusual that Stephen can make sigils without blood/etc… basically, not all the stuff he read online was wrong, he’s just special?… (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Almost to chapter 9,myself, now… and really liking the unexpected turns the story is taking…

[Nirkatze]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Almost to chapter 9,myself, now… and really liking the unexpected turns the story is taking…"

re: sigils--(view spoiler)[I missed the technical aspect of making sigils that you're referring to--I got the impression that the special bit about his being able to manifest--or being a "manifester" was more due to his age... and lack of training. (hide spoiler)]

Yay! I'm glad you're enjoying it!

LOL and definitely a nice twist on the "yer a Wizard, Harry" trope.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I got the impression (view spoiler)[sigils are single-purpose tools, and Lucelle freaked out when he was able to adjust the strength of his flashlight...

And the priest got a thinking face pretty much any time Stephen mentioned what he'd done... (hide spoiler)]

I finished it last night, and loved it, and agree with that ending & why it might be better for some people to wait a few years/books before starting...

[Ann-Marie]

Timelord Iain wrote: "I got the impression

And the priest got a thinking face pretty much any time S..."

Is there an unnecessary cliffhanger? I have it on hold at the library, 2 weeks out or so but I will cancel it lol

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

This is very much the first in a series...

It kind of reminded me of Cradle, in where Stephen starts powerwise, and where I imagine he's going to end up, with his skillset... I think Nirkatze made this comparison, too...

There's some satisfying climaxes to the story, but it very much left him with a bunch of options for his path forward in the next book (view spoiler)[between his "apprenticeship" to the priest at the church, his complicated relationship with the Ashford family and it's patriatch Charles, and this new shadowy group we learn of through Byron, that reminds me of the Dark Council in Alex Verus a bit, or some of the anarchy groups in other literature... (hide spoiler)]

The cliffhanger is an emotional one, and one I don't know how much it will truly matter to the larger plot, in the long run... (view spoiler)[the final line of the book is "Hi, mum"... Stephen finally gets a chance to confront the mother who left when he was 1 years old, and has lived within 1hr of him ever since, so was completely ignoring him his entire life... 20+ years (a fair amount of time passed over the course of the book, might be 21 years by the end)... (hide spoiler)]

[Ann-Marie]

Timelord Iain wrote: "This is very much the first in a series...

It kind of reminded me of Cradle, in where Stephen starts powerwise, and where I imagine he's going to end up, with his skillset... I think Nirkatze made..."

That doesn't sound too bad, no one is chained to the train tracks with the lights of the train bearing down on them lol

[Nirkatze]

Dittoing Iain's explanation--not a cliffhanger, just an "I want to read more dammit." Similar feels to Naomi Novik's Scholomance book 1, but not book 2. Hoping Jacka is a 1-a-year author... but hey, I've got enough buddy reads to keep me occupied until then, so I really shouldn't complain.

Glad you liked it Iain! Really looking forward to seeing how all those paths pan out--(view spoiler)[and good note about the priest looking at Stephen intently whenever he got into his sigil-work. One of the things that makes this series so tantalizing is how no one really tells Stephen anything... we're left guessing on the significance of everything... (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Yea... so much portents :D

And, in the past, Jacka has been pretty consistent about releasing every 12-18 months, I think...

[Nirkatze]

^_^ That is happy news.

[Choko]

I am up to Ch. 20... Enjoying it quite a bit so far. (view spoiler)[Drewcrafting is an interesting concept. I like that he is not superpowered in it, but still has an obviously rare talent.

I hate what Lucella did to the poor kitten!!! I wanted her dead on the spot! His desperate search for a way to keep him alive was very well written.

I am guessing Tobias and the "Girl from the Bridge" to be his half siblings... And yep, just got there where he just realized that. Why hasn't his mom ever reached out to him? Why hasn't anyone from that family tried to help him out???? This doesn't make any sense, unless the mother thought that keeping him from the family would keep him safer than being in their sites...

Hobbs on steroids is hilarious! (hide spoiler)]

[Choko]

Finished. A really good start to a new series!!! You guys are right though, with the ending I really want the next book right away!!!

Charles, the head of the family dude, reminds me of Big Red from the Lightbringer series a little bit, which is kind of a compliment. I hope he turns out to be as complex as well :)))

[Nirkatze]

Oooh, I can totally see the Grandpa Red comparisons! Yeah, he really does have that feel to it. Ditto your hope!

Glad you enjoyed it, Choko! Really hoping that (view spoiler)[Lucella needs to get some of her own medicine back! I was SO shocked by what happened to Hobbs, and I really want to see Stephen go all John Wick on her and her goons. (hide spoiler)]

I was googling trying to remember some names and came across Jacka's page introducing this series. It has some really good information on it, and hints of what's to come. Looks like he also thinks of this as a "progression" fantasy.
https://benedictjacka.co.uk/inheritan...

[Charlie]

Nirkatze wrote: "Just started this! Through Chapter 9 and really really enjoying it--more than Alex Verus, which makes sense, since Jacka has had multiple books since the first two I've read to hone his craft. Actu..."


I'm really enjoying this too, (view spoiler)[ Drucraft is cool and I think Stephen absolutely has a lot of potential. I'm hoping his powers grow and develop slowly, like Alex's and I hope his rise to power/ knowledge politically/ his place in the wider magical world is a slow growth too. I don't want him to become too overpowered too quickly.

The Ashford family seem like a delight... (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

LOL I think I sense some healthy sarcasm, there... ^_^ Glad you're enjoying it so far, Charlie! totally agree... the author said on his website that he sees this story as a "progression" story, power- and information-wise.

[Charlie]

That's good that's my favourite kind! it's why I loved Kate Daniels so much, she really grew into her power in an organic way.

[Choko]

That is the best way!:)))

[Nirkatze]

Mmm... haven't read the Kate Daniels books... more food for the TBR... that's Ilona Andrews, yes? Someday, I'm sure, Iain or someone will suggest a full series BR...

[Charlie]

omg you HAVE to read them!! Ilona Andrews are the king and queen, all hail their greatness!

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Yea... I doubt I'll be the instigator of an Ilona Andrews Buddy Read... I read them all the time, on my own time...

I just finished a re-read of a bunch of their stuff, earlier this year, that I started last fall... I've read them like 6+ times now...

[Nirkatze]

Innkeeper BR this year was my first Ilona Andrews series. ^^ So it'll have to happen at some point... next time someone does a series reread drag me in.

[Charlie]

150 pages in, can't believe (view spoiler)[ that psychotic bitch tried to murder the cat! She absolutely has to die, slowly and horribly.

Also, learning about the magic is really cool. I love that we discover things as Stephen does, it's a nice way of exploring the world. (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

What happened to the cat: bad…

Being t he impetus for crazy magic learning?: awesome

[Charlie]

Agreed!

15 chapters in (view spoiler)[ okay so drucraft is really freaking complicated. I'm barely able to follow what Stephen is doing, but I'm really enjoying it all the same. (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Charlie wrote: "Agreed!

15 chapters in [spoilers removed]"

It's definitely a bit complicated... it's a bit like the magic system in Final Fantasy 8, actually... (view spoiler)[there are magic points around the world, where you can collect a finite amount of magic before it has to recharge (the world part, not the draw it out of enemies part)... (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

You know... there's actually a meme that shows Stephen doing magic:



:D

[Nirkatze]

Timelord Iain wrote: "What happened to the cat: bad…

Being t he impetus for crazy magic learning?: awesome"

Dittoing this also! I SO want Stephen to go all John Wick on her ass.

Oh, hey, FF8 reference! Yeah... I can totally see that...

Great meme...

[Charlie]

He that meme is so accurate :D. I think we need a good chart explaining what the hell is going on lol.

[Nirkatze]

Mmm... I think this is going in my "unique magic system" Bingo slot...

[Charlie]

Finished! 5 stars! I loved this!

(view spoiler)[

The magic system is super cool and specific, I'm so here for it. I love that Stephen is just discovering his powers and abilities. He also seems like a freaking drucraft prodigy, which is definitely going to be fun going forward.

This book is very much magical realism in tone and it's very believable. The world is vicid and the characters are complex yet with loads of room to develop. I think the priest, and the cat are my favourite so far.

Excited for book 2! (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

Yay! So glad you enjoyed it, Charlie!! (view spoiler)[I wonder how much of Stephen's ability is his prodigy-ness, and how much is him not really knowing how things are "supposed" to work, and thus figuring out the way things "really" work because he's not restricted by prior knowledge? Probably latter over former, but both are common paths.

I think Hobbs might be my favorite animal companion for this year--especially since he's not like, a secretly advanced being or uplifted, just a regular awesome cat who has been enhanced physically with magic... (hide spoiler)]

So looking forward to book 2! Whenever it gets a release date I am sooo jumping on that BR thread.

[Charlie]

@Nirkatze I think that's a great point, I love the idea that he does impossible things ACCIDENTALLY, makes it all the better to rub his cousin's nose in it.

Also, Hobbs is amazing, justice for Hobbs!

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

An Instruction of Shadow

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Also, Jacka's been releasing Drucraft Primers on his blog, and plans to write/release a bunch more before year's end... there are 6 so far...

https://benedictjacka.co.uk/category/...

[Nirkatze]

I hope he includes those in his books, like an Ars Arcana, at some point...

[Charlie]

Ooh thanks that's awesome!

[Tonari no Emily]

Nirkatze wrote: "Just started Chapter 11, and had to come share a laugh.. still REALLY enjoying this! Looking forward to when y'all get here!!

Funnies--The words Stephen uses to try to get the blast to work!

Stre..."
YES! I was cracking up at the phrases he tried to use :D

[Nirkatze]

@Emily, re: phrases--I was also amazed at how many of them I recognized the references too--and that it was the DBZ one that worked!!