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Warlocks of Whitehall #1
Lore and Order
Humberside City, nestled in the north of Britain, is on fire, and it has taken a few weeks for anyone to really notice. The fire brigade have been doing their best, as have the other emergency services, but whoever is behind the fires has been systematically running them ragged. Whitehall is worried. Something doesn’t add up, so they’ve dispatched a warlock – a former illegal mage, pressed into service of the government to deal with matters of the arcane – to look things over.
Jameson Parker is that warlock, and he’s pretty okay with that. His freedoms might be heavily restricted, and any unauthorised use of magic means he’ll be struck down dead instantly, but it could be worse. He gets more or less free rein to swan around Humberside like the big I am, and it gives him a way to atone for his less than stellar past. He’s better off without magic, and he knows it.
But is magic better off without him? The warlocks of Humberside don’t seem to think so, and there are rumblings that, as well as the fires, something big is about to go down. Jameson is not best pleased.
Jameson Parker is that warlock, and he’s pretty okay with that. His freedoms might be heavily restricted, and any unauthorised use of magic means he’ll be struck down dead instantly, but it could be worse. He gets more or less free rein to swan around Humberside like the big I am, and it gives him a way to atone for his less than stellar past. He’s better off without magic, and he knows it.
But is magic better off without him? The warlocks of Humberside don’t seem to think so, and there are rumblings that, as well as the fires, something big is about to go down. Jameson is not best pleased.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 19, 2014
186 people are currently reading
198 people want to read
About the author
Steve K. Peacock
14 books21 followersSteve is a fantasy writer through and through, a lover of mashing fun and characterful noir storytelling with vibrant and complex magic. His books have characters you love to hate, hate to love, and twists and turns that keep you on your toes from beginning to end.
With everything from magical detectives to underground cults, and even giant cities trudging across a frozen planet, Steve has something for everyone to enjoy!
With everything from magical detectives to underground cults, and even giant cities trudging across a frozen planet, Steve has something for everyone to enjoy!
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
January 3, 2024
Spoiler free review. This book is definitely a game of two halves, Alan. Seriously, for the first half it's a difficult read for one reason. The protagonist is crap. I mean genuinely crap, at his job, as a person, the lot. So crap you can't understand how he gets his job done or why anyone would continue to employ him in it. And his crapness throws your immersion a curve ball, and effects the pacing. Plus the author seems to be going for a roguish anti-hero but his lack of competence just makes him a bit... douchey. I was probably only a page turn (well, a Kindle screen tap) away from giving up. And then it gets good. Very good. It rolls along at a nice clip and the protagonist earns his money and demonstrates why he should have been good (or at least better) in the first half and the roguish anti-hero vibe suddenly works. I realise the first half sets up the second to some extent but the set up could have been done much better. In short this is a 1 star first half with a 5 star second half. Would I recommend it? Erm... Yeah. It really does redeem itself in the second half but strap yourself in to get through the first.
October 30, 2014
Urban fantasy tends to be set in the larger cities of the US, not the North of England. It works though - the book is a welcome addition to the genre. Lore and Order has a strong narrative with rich characters, and is well worth reading.
January 18, 2021
I would like to thank the author for sending me a copy of his book for an honest review. I really enjoyed reading and reviewing it!
There are some character-driven books that you enjoy because you really love the characters to the point that you would hang out with them. And there are character-driven books you read because the characters are the opposite of the people you would be friends with in real life, but they are consistent and three-dimensional, with a voice that stands out and compels you to read on. For me, Lore and Order belongs to the second category.
I would have liked to know a bit more about the backgrounds and personalities of other characters such as Ania and Kaitlyn, but I found his Jameson’s relationship with Charlie quite heart-warming.
As a whole, Lord and Order was a very interesting read that I would recommend to those who like less common urban settings, detailed magical systems, action and most of all, humorous, flawed and sardonic main characters.
There are some character-driven books that you enjoy because you really love the characters to the point that you would hang out with them. And there are character-driven books you read because the characters are the opposite of the people you would be friends with in real life, but they are consistent and three-dimensional, with a voice that stands out and compels you to read on. For me, Lore and Order belongs to the second category.
I would have liked to know a bit more about the backgrounds and personalities of other characters such as Ania and Kaitlyn, but I found his Jameson’s relationship with Charlie quite heart-warming.
As a whole, Lord and Order was a very interesting read that I would recommend to those who like less common urban settings, detailed magical systems, action and most of all, humorous, flawed and sardonic main characters.
June 13, 2018
I wasn’t sure about this book at first, mainly because the main character, Jameson Parker, is deliberately annoying and I’ve met a few of those types of guys in real life! The plot is fast paced and about half way it completely veers away from the direction I expected - and that’s when I started to fall in love with this story.
It becomes clever and interesting and the plot continues thick and fast. The magic is set out really well and it’s very good to see a story set in the north of England!
It becomes clever and interesting and the plot continues thick and fast. The magic is set out really well and it’s very good to see a story set in the north of England!
July 26, 2021
Not bad actually
This book is pretty well written but seems to go off on odd tangents from time to time. The main characters motivation is a bit difficult to understand and not very consistent. Not quite up to the standard of Rivers of London or the Judas Iscariot stories. Probably 3.5 stars and good enough to read the next book.
This book is pretty well written but seems to go off on odd tangents from time to time. The main characters motivation is a bit difficult to understand and not very consistent. Not quite up to the standard of Rivers of London or the Judas Iscariot stories. Probably 3.5 stars and good enough to read the next book.
December 19, 2017
Love it! I usually read sci-fi, but this urban mag-fi story was great. Read it via kindle and will definitely buy the next book in the series.
June 9, 2021
Another Enterent into the world of urban fantasy, another world-weary magician with as much attitude as magic. What has Jim Butcher started?
To be fair, there are some bits to this that do make it stand out. The premise is slightly unusual. Magic is known and Whitehall employs warlocks to control what little free magic users there are. Jameson Parker is one of these warlocks, working for the govt that is controlling and occasionally killing his fellow magic users. An outbreak of arson in North England has him hunting down whatever magic user is breaking the rules.
The fact this is set around Humberside makes a pleasant change, being outside the states is nice, and for this not to be set in London was even better. Saying that Parker is not a nice person, and the more we find out about his past, the less we like him, He doesn't have the charm that would lessen his quite annoying narration.
personality aside, the story weaves an interesting set of ideas, the vault that keeps the warlocks on the straight and narrow, the fast trackers, govt sponsored magic users, with almost free riegn. The way Whitehall not only controls the warlocks through their handlers, reminiscent of spy novels, but aslo can monitor their use of magic. There are a lot of interesting ideas packed in, some of which could have used a little more room to breathe.
I was unsure about whether to make this 3 or 4 stars, but one scene, when Parker comes marching to bright runway lights and AC/DC blaring it just tipped it over to the 4. That put a smile on my face.
To be fair, there are some bits to this that do make it stand out. The premise is slightly unusual. Magic is known and Whitehall employs warlocks to control what little free magic users there are. Jameson Parker is one of these warlocks, working for the govt that is controlling and occasionally killing his fellow magic users. An outbreak of arson in North England has him hunting down whatever magic user is breaking the rules.
The fact this is set around Humberside makes a pleasant change, being outside the states is nice, and for this not to be set in London was even better. Saying that Parker is not a nice person, and the more we find out about his past, the less we like him, He doesn't have the charm that would lessen his quite annoying narration.
personality aside, the story weaves an interesting set of ideas, the vault that keeps the warlocks on the straight and narrow, the fast trackers, govt sponsored magic users, with almost free riegn. The way Whitehall not only controls the warlocks through their handlers, reminiscent of spy novels, but aslo can monitor their use of magic. There are a lot of interesting ideas packed in, some of which could have used a little more room to breathe.
I was unsure about whether to make this 3 or 4 stars, but one scene, when Parker comes marching to bright runway lights and AC/DC blaring it just tipped it over to the 4. That put a smile on my face.
October 24, 2024
Rating: 3 stars
Lore and Order is the first of 4 main books (so far). There are also. a few novellas in the series. The story started off a bit slow (for me) but picked up after the characters were introduced. The idea that many magicians/warlocks risk madness if their abilities are very strong was interesting. The correlation of magical power/use as another type of addiction with all of the pitfalls and cravings sounded right for this plot.
SUMMARY: Humberside City, nestled in the north of Britain, is on fire, and it has taken a few weeks for anyone to really notice. The fire brigades have been doing their best, as have the other emergency services, but whoever is behind the fires has been systematically running them ragged. Whitehall is worried. Something doesn’t add up, so they’ve dispatched a warlock – a former illegal mage, pressed into service of the government to deal with matters of the arcane – to look things over. Jameson Parker is that warlock, and he’s pretty okay with that. His freedoms might be heavily restricted, and any unauthorized use of magic means he’ll be struck down dead instantly, but it could be worse. He gets more or less free rein to swan around Humberside and it gives him a way to atone for his less than stellar past. He’s better off without magic, and he knows it. But is magic better off without him? The warlocks of Humberside don’t seem to think so, and there are rumblings that, as well as the fires, something big is about to go down.
Lore and Order is the first of 4 main books (so far). There are also. a few novellas in the series. The story started off a bit slow (for me) but picked up after the characters were introduced. The idea that many magicians/warlocks risk madness if their abilities are very strong was interesting. The correlation of magical power/use as another type of addiction with all of the pitfalls and cravings sounded right for this plot.
SUMMARY: Humberside City, nestled in the north of Britain, is on fire, and it has taken a few weeks for anyone to really notice. The fire brigades have been doing their best, as have the other emergency services, but whoever is behind the fires has been systematically running them ragged. Whitehall is worried. Something doesn’t add up, so they’ve dispatched a warlock – a former illegal mage, pressed into service of the government to deal with matters of the arcane – to look things over. Jameson Parker is that warlock, and he’s pretty okay with that. His freedoms might be heavily restricted, and any unauthorized use of magic means he’ll be struck down dead instantly, but it could be worse. He gets more or less free rein to swan around Humberside and it gives him a way to atone for his less than stellar past. He’s better off without magic, and he knows it. But is magic better off without him? The warlocks of Humberside don’t seem to think so, and there are rumblings that, as well as the fires, something big is about to go down.
November 8, 2022
A used-to-be Dark Lord struggles against the lure of his own powers as he tracks down a magical arsonist and unveils a darker conspiracy that threatens to tear the world apart.
I really enjoyed this book. The take on the detective character (and the expected chronic dependency) was original and well written, tying into the actual story and not just a side-bar case of personal failure. Once you get used to the rhythm of the story, it will pull you in for quite a wild ride.
The only real issue I have is with the formatting. It appears the e-book has some hard-coded formatting which ended up breaking in my reader, so paragraphs were regularly getting split up in the wrong places.
I really enjoyed this book. The take on the detective character (and the expected chronic dependency) was original and well written, tying into the actual story and not just a side-bar case of personal failure. Once you get used to the rhythm of the story, it will pull you in for quite a wild ride.
The only real issue I have is with the formatting. It appears the e-book has some hard-coded formatting which ended up breaking in my reader, so paragraphs were regularly getting split up in the wrong places.
March 2, 2022
This is a great read with a wonderful sense of humour. I love the protagonist's narration and shared thought process throughout. The story has lots of twists and turns and the pace in which we learn about the main characters is just right. I'm looking forward to reading the other books in the series to see how the world develops after the epic conclusion of this one.
October 27, 2023
I liked the absolutely un-self deprecating hero. Given any chance to big himself up, he will take two. Great stuff. I did find the plot overly convoluted, and the explanation leading into it confusing, but that may have been me. I was reading too late at night, but I was enjoying it. I will read on in the series...
February 25, 2024
It took me 2/3 of the way through to really get on board with this book. At first I just didn’t know what to make of it. Jameson Parker is indeed a total dickhead! And not a super smart one at that. Makes for a really funny narrative tone though. A character who is mostly relatable (except for the murdery psychosis) and makes mistakes but can take them in stride.
In the end I really liked it 😃
In the end I really liked it 😃
June 26, 2025
As a fan of fantasy, Steve does a wonderful job at creating a protagonist you can’t choose whether to root for or punch after hearing him talk! It’s a dynamic that as a reader makes the story that much more compelling and the rest of the series continues to build on this in such a descriptive way! If you haven’t read these books yet, do so!!
June 11, 2023
I really struggled to engage with both the plot and the characters in this book. It has a very good premise but has not really been developed enough to fill a book at this time. Maybe in future stories it will click but at the moment something is lacking.
July 17, 2024
interesting
This was an interesting story, even if I did feel I had been dropped into the middle of it. It’s hard to do the kind of world building needed for a fantasy story without doing an info dump. This author didn’t, but I still felt whole pieces of the story were missing,
This was an interesting story, even if I did feel I had been dropped into the middle of it. It’s hard to do the kind of world building needed for a fantasy story without doing an info dump. This author didn’t, but I still felt whole pieces of the story were missing,
August 11, 2020
Meh. Not worth digging deeper.
April 17, 2021
Hilarious
The 5 stars are for "back in black " 😂😂 ...loved the book , loved the setting , characters & absolutely enjoyed the read ...book 2 , 3 , 4 , 7 coming up ??
The 5 stars are for "back in black " 😂😂 ...loved the book , loved the setting , characters & absolutely enjoyed the read ...book 2 , 3 , 4 , 7 coming up ??
December 9, 2021
Fun read. A new take on urban fantasy which works fairly well. The main character is insolent with good dialogue.
I rate it about 3.7 - I might reread it in a few years time.
I rate it about 3.7 - I might reread it in a few years time.
February 5, 2022
excellent read! great character and world building, very intrigued for how it's going to continue
February 17, 2022
Enjoyable
I liked this story decent hero, nice world building, great that it's set outside the norma areas
Worth a read
I liked this story decent hero, nice world building, great that it's set outside the norma areas
Worth a read
November 1, 2022
Good read
Not at all a bad read. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys a relaxed tale. Thanks for the privilege
Not at all a bad read. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys a relaxed tale. Thanks for the privilege
January 25, 2023
Loved this. Easy to read urban fantasy with a bit of a Dresden vibe. I liked that it’s set in the North of England too - adds an extra dimension. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series
August 30, 2023
Romp
A good romp through a different but familiar landscape of people and places. The story concept was definitely original and the characters well rounded.
A good romp through a different but familiar landscape of people and places. The story concept was definitely original and the characters well rounded.
Read
September 16, 2024DNF @pg 13. This book rlly just isn’t for me😭
December 27, 2023
This is good fast read, sprinkled with humour and will read the next book in the series.
May 12, 2021
Jameson Parker doesn't love his job, but who among us does? He does it because he has to, but while he's doing it, he's determined to fight the bureaucracy's limitations and do the best he can to fight evil.
Jameson Parker knows all about evil. It's what he used to be. And now he's trying to--not redeem himself, because he knows that isn't possible--but maybe make up, in some small way, for all the harm he's done? Either way, his choices seem to be "work or die" so he's working.
Strong story, well-developed characters, and enough twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat. I can't wait to read more in the series!
Jameson Parker knows all about evil. It's what he used to be. And now he's trying to--not redeem himself, because he knows that isn't possible--but maybe make up, in some small way, for all the harm he's done? Either way, his choices seem to be "work or die" so he's working.
Strong story, well-developed characters, and enough twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat. I can't wait to read more in the series!
January 28, 2022
Saw that the third book was coming out and decided to do a quick re-read. That means that I've read this quite short and enjoyable book 3 times now, which should indicate that it's probably worth giving a go.
I've already moved on to number 2 and while this is a review of the first book, I do hope the third will have some better proofreading than the second.
Anyway, if you like urban fantasy and damaged anti-heroes, this gets a recommendation from me, especially as it doesn't seem to be a never-ending series... or at least I hope it won't be.
I've already moved on to number 2 and while this is a review of the first book, I do hope the third will have some better proofreading than the second.
Anyway, if you like urban fantasy and damaged anti-heroes, this gets a recommendation from me, especially as it doesn't seem to be a never-ending series... or at least I hope it won't be.
May 26, 2023
Not bad didn't really get too into this story
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews