Favours is a novella set in the Alex Verus universe that takes place in between Alex Verus #6, Veiled, and Alex Verus #7, Burned, told from the perspective of the time mage Sonder. Returning to London after his year-long assignment to Washington D.C., Sonder is called into Keeper HQ to work with Caldera on an investigation. What looks at first like a simple burglary quickly turns into something much more difficult and dangerous, forcing Sonder to choose where his loyalties lie.
I've never liked Sonder very much. Well, it turns out, neither does anyone else! It was an interesting insight into his character and I enjoy that Benedict Jacka can write morally ambiguous characters and make them compelling. Because let's face it, people are rarely black and white.
I wasn't too interested in Sonder and mostly got this novella because it's a test run and if it does well, we might get more novellas or short stories set in the Alex Verus world. There are plenty of characters in this series I'd love to hear from. Sonder wasn't really one of the first I would've asked for, but I ended up enjoying this little glimpse into his head anyway. (Even if it didn't make me like his character any better.)
An enjoyable return to the world of Alex Verus. I think my pleasure was more for the reminder of just how much I liked the series, than for this story per se, since Sonder was not one of the characters I cared much about. It does make me hope that Jacka continues writing, however I would prefer a new series completely separate from Verus world, rather than more filling in the gaps. Sometimes it's best to let a good work be.
A novella set in the Alex Verus verse, but finally we get to see the world through a different character's eyes: Sonder, the time mage. Sonder and detective/keeper Caldera work a case of burglary of sensitive documents, which turns into murder, but mostly devolves into political intrigue. Caldera, a mage notorious for black and white morals (much to get detriment) and Sonder, a young upstart trying to climb the political ladder, are excellent contrasts at how two people can see the exact same thing so very differently.
When we first met Sonder in the universe, he's a new member of the Scooby gang and a likeable guy. He kinda disappears for a while, and when he comes back, he's totally reversed his attitude and is kind of a dick. It wasn't unrealistic, but it wasn't clear enough to me how or why that change came about. This novella does an excellent job of filling in those missing pieces. I wish it had been written sooner so I could have enjoyed it chronologically in the series. I think it would have improved my understanding of later books.
An excellent foray into expanding this universe now that the main storyline is coming to an end. I hope Jacka continues to keep these characters alive.
Favours is an "in-between" novella, set between Veiled and Burned. It is written from Sonder's perspective, as he is given task to help Caldera to time-gate a burglary case.
To be honest, I haven't really been impressed with Sonder. I felt like he changed after the events with Anne - and how Alex dealt with the people who were after him. Like Sonder thought he was "a better person" or above the Dark mages. Honestly, this novella didn't really improve my opinion of him *hmph*.
I liked the story okay, but yeah, I wish Jacka writes a novella from different character's perspective rather than Sonder.
What a fascinating look into a day (or two) in the life of the time mage Sonder. We get to see what he's been up to and get a peek into his thinking, the why behind some of his actions. Really enjoyed this.
This was an engaging Sonder-POV novelette, and the first time we have anything in the series from a non-Verus POV. I wish Jacka did it more often in the vein of Jim Butcher with his many non-Harry POVs, but it looks like this was a one-off.
This gave a much deeper look into one of the side characters and a fun look at how different side characters interact with others when Alex is not around. Shame there’s not more of these but big series fans should eat this up.
Honestly I enjoyed having a story set in this universe that isn’t from Alex’s perspective but I hope there’s more that isn’t from Sonder’s. I went into this hoping it would make me understand Sonder more and grow to like him again but it just made me hate him more. He is the worst. Still a very enjoyable read though I hope more are to come.
It has been a few years since I read my last Benedict Jacka novel (Fated #2.) I remember the general outlines of the first two books, but I don't remember Sonders, who is the main character in this novella. Sonders was previously a spear-carrier called in by lead character Alex Verrus.
In Jacka's story, magic users are divided between light and dark mages, and individual mages specialize in various kinds of magic, e.g., battle magic, elemental magic, etc. Sonders is a "time mage." He has the ability to view past events. He's called in to examine a theft of important documents that can be used to blackmail important people on the Light Council. Murders occur as he investigates and ultimately Sonders finds himself holding a chit in the big game of power politics in the Light Council.
The story is interesting for taking someone who was a plot device in the prior book, like so many expendable characters in similar books, and making him the main character in his own story. In this regard, we see the world from Sonders' perspective. I couldn't tell if I liked Sonders. He seemed driven to solve the mystery and see justice done, but he also ended up coming across as a mercenary. Perhaps that was the point of the story. It should be interesting to see how this sub-story develops.
I’m a sucker for side quests. Whether it is IRL, in literature or other storytelling medium.
This was a interesting and short read in the Alex Verus universe. I’m going to be honest, I find Sonder to be filled with self pitty, entitled. shallow and pretty clueless. Although he also seems to be pretty lonely and lacking in deeper relationships. Wanting to belong, but not having found his place. . It was interesting tho to get a more closeup look at how he works, thinks and who he is. It became a pretty distinct voice from the main story.
And that means making hard decisions. Would Alex, Luna, Anne, Veri or Aragni have made the same decisions? Probably not. But this is Sonders story, and It's a story I'm glad Benedict Jacka told us.
One of the strengths of the Verus series is that he is the only narrator - we know what he knows and we are never in a position to know more than he does. Which can be annoying sometimes but makes a much more coherent storytelling than trying to juggle (and drop occasionally) the facts and which narrator knows what and when. So it was not much of a surprise that when Jacka wrote the first novella in his series, he went for a different narrator.
Set a month after the end of the 6th book ("Veiled") and 8 months before the start of "Burned", the series finds Alex as an auxiliary of the Light Council, the Council in a bit of disarray after a dark mage (Morden) had secured a place in its Junior side for the first time in the history of the Council and everyone pushing around for position and space in the aftermath of the White Rose collapse. But Alex does not even appear in this novella - he is mentioned but he is never seen. Instead we get to hang out with Sonder.
Just back from his Washington assignment, Sonder is awaken one morning and asked to assist with his timesight. Of course that means working with Caldera who still holds a grudge from the last time he decided not to share the information he had. And yet, they need to work together to find out what happened in a supposed burglary that is anything but. The novella ties to the previous novel in an almost expected way but at the end, it is not the crime that matters but the choices made by Sonder and Caldera. They are true to their selves here - Caldera is by the book, letter of the law no matter what; Sonder is opportunistic as usual and he finally learns what people really think about him (being able to see in the past sounds good on paper until you get to hear things you really wish you had not). By the end of the novella Sonder is even more jaded than he was when it started and it will be interesting to see where that leads.
The novella is set between the 6th and the 7th novel of the series but was published between the 11th and 12th. I read it after the 7th and there is some foreshadowing for that 7th novel and I suspect there is more for the future books. That can occasionally backfire in series when the author uses a novella to explain something in the past that does not make sense in the main series but the novella here is what you would expect from Sonder (and Caldera) so I don't expect that it will end up being that kind of an annoying clutch.
Overall a nice addition to the series, despite Sonder becoming even less likeable after it :) Not mandatory to read if one reads the novels but it adds a bit of flavor and a different viewpoint to the series.
This Sonder point of view short story in Benedict Jacka's Alex Verus Series occurs after Veiled and before Burned. Sonder, newly returned from an assignment in the United States of America, is summoned to partner Caldera on a case. She is cranky but he does his job, and as they are closing in on the suspects, politics and influence starts to interfere in their investigation, starting with "suggestions" and ending with veiled threats, that Caldera chooses to ignore, cynically informing the young Sonder:- “You’re not worth shit as a Keeper if you can be pushed around.”
Sonder ponders this but he's not the same, likeable young mage that used to enjoy being part of Alex's inner circle. His philosophical disagreements with Alex over his resolution of the Nightstalker problem and his attempt to persuade Luna to cut Alex loose (which did not go down well) has created a schism between him and the group. He's still on good terms with Anna, but even their relationship has underlying issues. He "mis"-uses his timesight and is hurt to discover how others perceive him.
At the end of the day, Sonder uncovers something and makes a choice. One that isn't that surprising since unlike all the others in Alex's group who have had a tough past (Alex, Variam and Anne were formerly associated with Dark Mages, Luna only being an adept), Sonder is one of the privileged magical elite who has never had to struggle. I mean, literally, his only major complaint is being taken for granted. If non mages are second class citizens whose lives can be snuffed out at the whim of the Light Council, so be it, even if Luna was one of them.
So it's no surprise that he ended up choosing to to keep the Status Quo, because that's what he is most comfortable with. Even Caldera managed to stick to her guns, but Sonder decides flexibility is more important, justifying it with something closely approaching cognitive dissonance. It makes sense from a character perspective, and yet I was a bit saddened because I used to like Sonder, a lot. But now ... I just want to know 2 things:- ["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>
This novella is a sidebar to Jacka's gripping series about good guy Dark Mage, Alex Verus. Disappointingly, Alex himself does not appear in this story. `Favours' is told by Light Mage Sonder whose speciality is looking back in Time to see and hear what has happened in a place. This contrasts with Alex's power of seeing many possible futures. Sonder has just returned from Washington when he is called on to assist grumpy Keeper (cop), Caldera, investigate a theft and a murder which may be linked to Mages in high places.
I don't think that `Favours' is likely to win any new fans for the series since Sonder is rather a dull narrator. I was hoping for greater insights into Sonder's deteriorating relationship with Alex and his allies. It was interesting to learn more about how timesight works. Jacka is very good at creating specific forms of magic with plot-driving limitations. One theme which this novella shares with the main series is the issue of how much the way other people see us influences our behaviour. That does make this rather slight story worth reading.
This is a short story told from Sonder’s perspective, primarily featuring him and Caldera. Alex is only mentioned in passing. Nevertheless, this short story definitely makes you feel right at home back in the Verus universe.
I never really liked either Sonder or Caldera and both their behaviours here just firmly cement this antipathy. Sonder is opportunistic and primarily worries about his future, whereas Caldera takes out her frustration on both Sonder and Anne whom the former pressures into service.
Knowing the events in ”Risen” I was able to mentally lean back and enjoy the show.
Four out of five stars for a surprisingly good story.
Now the series has concluded I was looking forward to seeing what an extra little dip into the Verusverse would do for me. Although I ended up disliking Sonder as the series went on (a view many in the reviews section seem to share) I did like him to begin with, and found his powers rather interesting, so was curious as to what this novella would bring to light for him in hindsight. I think I was hoping for a "Maleficent" style twist on his actions (the unsung hero or something that would make me change my views on him) but this didn't really play out like that. Still, it has all the hallmarks of Mr Jacka's writing style which I love, so was enjoyable enough for the fans, just not necessarily a story that needed to be told. I.m.o I think if there are to be more of these they need to serve a stronger purpose. But it's ok, it's still my favourite series :D
Anything from the Alex Verus-verse is a welcome read and I highly enjoyed the novella about Sonder, a side-character of the regular Verus-series. It is definitely a nice addition to the series and an insight into a character that somewhat shifted his loyalties... (except he probably did not switch loyalties in his own point of view, because he is loyal to himself and his career). This story gives a little more background and another character's point of view which is always interesting. It also explains how another magic type works, something that could not be explained in the regular stories, because Alex simply is not able to know this.
I really hope there will be more novellas and short-stories. Mr. Jacka, please keep'em coming!
The Alex Verus series has been fascinating and unusual, and getting a story from a new perspective definitely added depth. If nothing else, it provided a pretty clear picture of Sonder. At the same time, in what may be an idiosyncratic criticism, reading this so long after the last book made it hard to benefit from the nuance it might have provided timely. I would contrast Jacka's approach, which is written as if you just set down the last book and all of the details are still top of mind, with Jim Butcher's Dresden series, which includes reminders of what has gone before, which, if you are reading the series all at once can be a bit repetitive, but are definitely helpful if you are reading each book as it is released. Readability 7. Rating 5.
A side-story from Alex Verus's magical world, this novella features the time mage, Sonder, who was an ally of Alex's in the early books of the series. It's set between Alex's book #6 (Veiled) and #7 (Burned), during the time Alex is working for the Keepers, who police magic in Britain. After a year of secondment in Washington DC, Sonder returns and is immediately called in work with earth-mage Keeper Caldera (who is as grumpy as ever). There's been a burglary. Incriminating papers have been stolen and Sonder looks into the past to see if he can identify the burglars. One thing leads to another and we see how and why Sonder follows his head rather than his heart, and picks a side.
Honestly at the outset I was a bit meh. I haven’t enjoyed Sonder as a character for awhile but actually seeing things from his view pint and learning more about his magic type was very interesting. I’d enjoy more “side characters” insights into events like this once the last book. (Sob) is released.
The small glimpses at other more central characters are tantalising - like Anne and Luna, you almost forget they were friends once.
Sondar is turning into a moralizing idiot. When I first read about Sondar he was young but thought about others and if he could help them. Now he is turning into an unpleasant slightly dumb person who thinks everyone is out to get him. He could be right but unfortunately I want to find out how he turns out before his end comes. This is all your fault Benedict Jacka. You had better write some more as you cannot leave it there.
Sonder was the least likable of Alex Verus' sidekicks. He was kind of winy and bailed on Alex when things got tough. In hindsight - which is kind of Sonder's power - leaving Alex was the right thing to do. He got a bit dark in the end, and being around him was not safe. But at he time it felt like Sonder betrayed Alex, Luna and Anne. It made Sonder an even more unlikable character. This short story provides some insight and perspective about Sonder, but does not make him any more likable.
This is a short story with interesting political machinations. On the surface it’s a police story, but it’s more about the main characters. Internal struggles on how to handle being caught in the middle.
It didn’t have a really big finish, and I’m hoping it shows up again somehow in the main storyline. Otherwise I’m actually not sure why it was so important for him to write this side story because nothing major really changed.
Love the side story onto Sonder. In first person literature, getting one point of view I never know what the other characters think so this is a nice addition. The story itself was middling, though the insight was nice but it was not a deep dive just a cursory look. Love the series hope to keep following Jacka's future writings beyond this one.
This is an interesting side story, in the world of Verus. I was hoping for something that added to our advanced the overall, but Favours is just a little character building for Sonder. Right now I don't see how it could change the character or his story.
Sonder has been an interesting character - he’s not a hero or villain, just a regular guy with no skill at introspection but an unusual magic skill and talent. This story is really good at letting the reader consider what they might do in his situation; it does not judge, but it does make you think.
Really enjoyed this. Jacka has created a fun world for his hero to play in and it's great to see it from another perspective. Plus its fun to catch up with a character who was prominent in the early days but fell by the wayside over the course of the series.