Hidden

This is one of those rare series that only seems to get stronger the further you get. If I'm completely honest with myself, I think it might be a function of my previous investment, but it doesn't feel that way.

So, Verus is still sliding, but the hints of a possibly heroic character change is still on the table, even if he hasn't quite picked it up. I don't think it really counts that he's only being heroic for those that he considers his friends, but at least he's doing it even when said friend is being an asshat.

I like Anne. I didn't really like her back in book 3, but she's really grown on me through this book. It helps to actually know her history, I suppose, and the fact this novel is all really about her and Verus makes it super show more easy.

These books are a delight to read mainly because they go down as smooth as silk, the magic is fascinating, and the characters equally so. Evil is complicated, as is good, but more than anything, these novels devote a lot of space to asking some rather hard questions about human nature. They're not just forgettable entertainment, anymore.

So who's hidden? Our dark side.

Gotta love it. show less

I actually finished this book a few weeks ago - I read it in one or two sittings. This is, in my opinion, the best Alex Verus book so far (although you do need to have read the previous books in order to know what's going on).

A weakness of previous books was - in my opinion - Alex's isolation. Pretty much everyone in his world was against him, and, for the earlier books, the secondary characters (e.g. his apprentices) were much less powerful than he was and featured more as people Alex needed to protect than true comrades. In Hidden much of that appears to be changing. It's no longer quite Alex-against-the-world (which gets old after a while), and I think it's a vast improvement because the greater participation of other characters show more allows a richer story.

And, of course, we get to see much more of Anne - who is one of my favourite characters - and learn more about why she is the way she is.

I am greatly looking forward to the next book in the series, [b:Veiled|23236738|Veiled (Alex Verus, #6)|Benedict Jacka|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1421862439s/23236738.jpg|42780952]. show less

After Alex's past finally came out in the open, Anne and Variam had done everything to distance themselves from him. So when Anne disappears, trying to figure out what happened is not as easy as it should have been - Alex has no idea what Anne had been up to. Thankfully for everyone, Luna never broke contact.

As in all the previous books, the story requires us to learn more about the Council and the world of magic Alex lives in. I like the way Jacka gets to these details - they are part of the story and not an infodump and as Alex is somewhat of an outsider because of his old master and the past, the details come up while he is working out a problem or when he needs to learn something (usually a bit too late).

The whole novel felt a bit show more like a prequel - there is a story (Anne's problems, including finally learning more about her past) but even that is needed to set the story for the rest of the series (or the next few books anyway) - making sure that Alex has a family around him (the chosen type, not the blood type), everyone's backstories and histories wide open on the table, the Council and the Keepers noticing Alex (which is not always a good idea) and rumors of Richard being back finally confirmed. I don't mind these setup novels usually and this one fits the series but it also feels a bit as a slow down of the action - almost like a side quest to retrieve something which you would need in the future. On the other hand, I like the style of Jacka's writing so I don't really mind these disruptions in the main story (although technically speaking, it is not really a disruptions - people did move around to get to the places they need to be for the story to continue). show less

If they'd just leave him to his cozy bookshop and his quiet life he wouldn't keep getting in the way of their nefarious plans and making friends along the way, even if some of them have issues with him calling them friends. Anne Walker is one of them, she has serious issues with how he dealt with some people trying to kill him and now she's missing. To add to his issues his former master is back and looking for him to rejoin the fold.

Alex is such a character, fairly determined not the get involved but loyal to a fault.

3 1/2 stars

Jacka, for some reason, is avoiding putting Verus into a head on collision with Richard Draak. I wonder just what he's got planned for the future?

On the whole, I was kind of disappointed with this book. I was looking forward to a real confrontation with one of Alex Verus' main demons, namely that of his old master Richard Draak. When he does show up, the whole scene is anti-climatic. Plus, being who Richard is, he points out one of Alex's flaws, which is something Alex needs to know about, but is still irritating. It certainly does not do much to reassure Alex, either.

Instead, we get a trip to a shadow dimension, the psychological, and entirely logical, reasons for Anne's refusal to fight, the return of a mind mage named show more Crystal from the book Taken, and the introduction of a blink fox* (I hope he sticks around), and a whole lot of running up and down corridors ... erm, that is, around Sagash's keep.

Mainly, this is a book that redefines the relationship between Alex Verus and Anne. Whether for good or for ill, we'll have to wait and see. I really, really hope it does not turn into a romantic relationship. I like them the way they are, as friends, and I think it would ruin the dynamic of the series to go that way. Sadly, Sonder is still on the outs with Alex at this point for what happened in the previous book.

Still, it was worth reading, and as always, I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

*A magical fox with human intelligence and the ability to teleport. Sounds an awful lot like a kitsune. show less

Hidden shakes things up in Alex's world as friends come and go, and old enemies resurface. This book focuses heavily on Anne, who is gradually becoming a more compelling character. I suspect that Mr. Jacka is building up to a romantic relationship between Anne and Alex, and at first, I kept saying to myself, "Her?" (Thanks, Arrested Development.) But this book officially killed my perception of Anne as bland, and I look forward to seeing her kick more ass in future books. In short, Hidden is yet another entertaining read that leaves me eager to get my hands on Alex's next adventure.

Versus is still debating between the Light Council and the Dark mages who offer him personal support. Then Anne goes missing and he decides if the Light won't help much he'll have to do it instead.

There is much running around another Shadow realm which is reusing a plot devise I hope we'll soon put aside, and a few clever tricks. It begins to sound like Alex should be wearing a backpack because his pockets contain a very large amount of stuff that becomes useful at just the right moment, and none of his adversaries ever manage to carry anything of note or search him.