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A review by pagesplotsandpints
An Instruction in Shadow by Benedict Jacka
3.0
Read Completed 1/30/25 | 3 stars | Book # 10 of 2025
Sadly, this series has been extremely underwhelming so far. I adored the Alex Verus series (and kind of want to reread it) but I couldn't put my finger on what made this series so boring compared to my previous experiences with Benedict Jacka. It just seems to be about everything, sadly.
- Stephen is a boring main character. He's just okay. He's an average guy and happens to be kind of okay above average talented at magic.
- The magic flatly described and I feel like somehow I still don't understand what it is.
- There are tons of secondary characters and yet NONE of them are really anyone at all. Sure, there are antagonist types but each one flits on and off the page with so few appearances, I don't know who any of them are. There was some promise in the beginning when Stephen's friend Colin seemed like he'd start to be a little sidekick, or Stephen's half sister "Bridget" could have been a more consistent addition. Both of them pop in for a chapter or two and then pop out to be totally forgotten about. Stephen is alone most of the time, taking on everything himself. He needs someone INTERESTING.
- The plot is... blah. What even is the plot? Up until the end, it's also piecemeal. There's an overall arcing plot about wanting to find his father, getting pieces of his mother, blah blah. It's fairly boring and things are kind of just slogging along.
I debated even picking this one up after how little I cared about the first book, and I shouldn't pick up the third book, but the cliffhanger may be enough to get me interested. If things really start picking up and it goes somewhere good, it could improve a lot.
Sadly, this series has been extremely underwhelming so far. I adored the Alex Verus series (and kind of want to reread it) but I couldn't put my finger on what made this series so boring compared to my previous experiences with Benedict Jacka. It just seems to be about everything, sadly.
- Stephen is a boring main character. He's just okay. He's an average guy and happens to be kind of okay above average talented at magic.
- The magic flatly described and I feel like somehow I still don't understand what it is.
- There are tons of secondary characters and yet NONE of them are really anyone at all. Sure, there are antagonist types but each one flits on and off the page with so few appearances, I don't know who any of them are. There was some promise in the beginning when Stephen's friend Colin seemed like he'd start to be a little sidekick, or Stephen's half sister "Bridget" could have been a more consistent addition. Both of them pop in for a chapter or two and then pop out to be totally forgotten about. Stephen is alone most of the time, taking on everything himself. He needs someone INTERESTING.
- The plot is... blah. What even is the plot? Up until the end, it's also piecemeal. There's an overall arcing plot about wanting to find his father, getting pieces of his mother, blah blah. It's fairly boring and things are kind of just slogging along.
I debated even picking this one up after how little I cared about the first book, and I shouldn't pick up the third book, but the cliffhanger may be enough to get me interested. If things really start picking up and it goes somewhere good, it could improve a lot.