Gardens

Alex Verus #12.1

by Benedict Jacka

A novella set in the Alex Verus universe. It takes place four months after the events of Alex Verus #12, Risen.

Daniel is an adept who uses his magical talents to make a living as a small-time thief. When he and his friends are hired by a mysterious mage to steal a ring from a cabin in the Romanian woods, it seems like easy money. But all is not as it seems, and Daniel will quickly learn that nobody involved with this theft is exactly who they claim to be. As the members of the group start to turn on one another, Daniel and his friends must discover the truth behind what they’ve found, before it’s too late. Because this forest isn’t empty . . . and their actions have disturbed something that would have been better left alone.

Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Horror, Novella, Short Stories, Mystery, Action

123 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 31, 2022

Reviews

[Wulf Krueger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hm… This was the grimdark version of an Alex Verus novella, I’d say. There were some rather brutal scenes and the protagonists became ever more unlikeable with the lacklustre story progressing.

Worst of all, though, one major character from the series becomes less likeable due to their actions in this novella. That actually made me slightly sad and I will pretend this novella doesn’t exist and this series really ended with “Risen”.

Still, my Stockholm syndrome says I have to award three stars out of five. ;)


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Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam

[Shreyas Deshpande · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ratings:-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Jennifer Hilsbos · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fitting encore

A new mage name, potential hinted at finally revealed, promises kept.

Oh, and all old business acquaintance relationship refreshed.

The story is darker than many early Alex Verus stories, but lives up to expectations.

My only criticism; I wish it were longer

[Robin (Bridge Four) · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you read the Alex Verus series I'm sure you know that the characters in it were both complicated and never fall on the side of all good, all bad and Anne well she had seen things and done things..bad things.

This seems to be set a few years after the end of Risen. A few adepts are on a quest to find a ring in a cabin in the woods. Set the scene of so many horror movies. They had no idea who or what they were going to run into in those woods and games that person would play with them.

I will say this is darker than I thought it was going to be but well the characters in he Alex Verus world were never sunshine and roses and some were capable of completely horrible things.

“I’m going to build a new life with Alex, here or wherever else we go.  I’m going to have children with him, and I’m going to raise them and protect them and teach them and watch them grow.  And when anyone threatens them, or him, or me, then I’ll snuff out their lives like candles in the dark.  Because I am Equinox, the queen of life and death, the witch in the gingerbread house, the strigoaică of the forest.  And you,” she swept her eyes across the four of them, “are in my forest.”

This is a great little Halloween type story that I think remains true to the complicated characters and world we knew could be dangerous dark and a bit on the twisted side when you are an adept trying to play with the Mages.

[Patrick Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It makes sense why this was released on Halloween. Definitely darker and much more of a horror story than the rest of the Alex Verus series.

[Benghis Kahn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a genuinely odd seeming coda for the series. I found it an engaging novella, but one that would've felt much more suitable if placed between any of the later books. For spoilery character reasons it could only have been set after book 12 though, and I don't think it functions particularly well as a short story send-off to such a long series.

The Expanse authors did something similar with a novella the Sins of our Fathers set after the final 9th novel, and there the story worked perfectly as a suitable emotional coda to the whole endeavor, leaving a satisfying sense of closure while also keeping a sense of wonder about what the future might hold.

I couldn't really tell you what Gardens did for me or the series...which is what makes this such an oddity especially since there are only two pieces of short fiction set in this world, so I kinda expected this one to have more of an impetus behind it besides providing something of a horror/slasher movie bit of entertainment for 123 pages.

My honest suggestion: skip the novella and let Risen be the last word you experience on the series.

[Jason C · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh.

As anyone who's read my reviews knows, I'm a big Alex Verus fan. I was excited to see this novella had been released, but after having read it I'm less than impressed. I won't give any spoilers here. I will say that all of the unfamiliar characters are unlikable, and the one familiar character we run into becomes less likable.

Have you seen LA Confidential? Brilliant movie, nominated for 9 Oscars. The three protagonists start out unlikable, but by the end we sort of like them all. This is like watching the first half of the movie. It is well written, but it's now the only Alex Verus story I don't recommend.

[Eule und Buch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Daniel ist ein Adept. Er und seine Freunde nutzen ihre magischen Talente, um kleinere Einbrüche zu begehen. Als ihnen jedoch viel Geld für einen größeren Job geboten wird, nehmen sie an. Gemeinsam mit drei weiteren Teammitgliedern, denen sie nur bedingt vertrauen können, versuchen sie in einem Wald das Haus eines Magiers zu finden und etwas von ihm zu stehlen. Doch als sie erfahren, wen sie bestehlen sollen, ist es bereits zu spät…
Diese kurze Novelle spielt einige Monate nach den Ereignissen von „Der Retter von London“. Auch wenn diese Geschichte nicht wie die Romane aus der Perspektive von Alex selbst geschrieben sind, ist die Novelle doch eng mit ihm und seinen Freunden verknüpft. Im Gegensatz zu den Romanen könnte man diese Geschichte eher als Horror kategorisieren und ich muss sagen, dass ich in diesem Fall nicht begeistert davon war.
Am Ende von „Der Retter von London“ fand ich es etwas schade, dass man nur wenig davon sah, wie die Ereignisse die Charaktere nachhaltig beeinflussen. Insbesondere in Annes Fall war ich sehr enttäuscht davon. „Gardens“ versucht hier zumindest teilweise, ein paar Lücken zu schließen – scheitert jedoch meiner Meinung nach völlig dabei.
Dies lag vor allem daran, wie die weiblichen Charaktere in diesem Buch dargestellt wurden. Klischeehaft, unangenehm und sexistisch sind dabei nur drei Worte, die mir einfallen – leider kann ich dies hier schlecht ausführen, ohne massiv für das Ende der gesamten Reihe zu spoilern. Aber diese Darstellung untergrub insbesondere in Annes Fall einfach jegliche Charakterentwicklung, welche sie in den letzten Bänden gemacht hat. Sie wirkte hier einfach nur flach.
Ich denke, wenn mir das Ende des letzten Bandes besser gefallen hätte, dann hätte mir diese Novelle auch etwas besser gefallen können, da sie einfach sehr stark auf den Themen aufbaut, welche dort vorkamen. Generell denke ich, wer, wie ich, davon enttäuscht war, braucht diese Novelle gar nicht erst zu lesen.
Fazit:
„Gardens“ ist eine Novelle, welche versucht zu zeigen, was aus einigen der Charaktere nach dem Ende der Alex Verus-Reihe wurde. Leider bleiben eben diese Charaktere eher flach und insbesondere die Darstellung der Frauen lässt stark zu wünschen übrig.

[The Man from DelMonte · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked the Verus novels and Alex's progression from diffident shop keeper to serious power. However,
I'm not sure what the point of this little tale is. A group of unpleasant characters meet a sticky end in a Romanian forest. So? It adds nothing to the canon. Utimately pointless and a little grim.

[Melindeeloo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tailor made for its Halloween release

Set in Alex Verus' world after the last book. This is from the POV from a new character (but there are original cast cameos). This was really quite creepy once it really got rolling.

[Caroline · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cat with mouse is not interesting when the cat is a nuclear weapon.

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all... WHOA ... new story in the Alex Verus universe?!? How awesome!! I never thought that Jacka would write another one. But I'm glad I was wrong. In any case, I don't think I can call this the usual urban fantasy. It's a bit of horror, actually 😁. Well, a horror for those adepts who were brave stupid enough to disturb Alex and Anne in their woods.

Another reviewer said that she didn't imagine this because the epilogue of Risen felt like a happy ending for Alex and Anne, and this wasn't. I slightly disagree with it though, because now, Anne made her own decisions. She was her own person, without anyone order her around. She choose Alex and she choose this life. She has her house, her gardens, her woods. So it IS a happy life for her (she marries Alex too, it seems). Sure, there are some people who might still want to disturb the peace, but Anne can handle it just fine.

I was a bit unsure of that fate befallen to Daniel though. My heart sort of wants him to survive. But at the same time... hey, he has a choice to leave, right? But he doesn't. So well, that's the consequence ​🤷

[Michael Schroter · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rather lukewarm addition to the Verus series.

While it's nice to get "where they are now" for at least a couple of characters, the biggest character development we get doesn't feel like one at all.

Equinox doesn't appear like an amalgamation of both her sides but rather like Two-Face, who can now switch between Harvey Dent and his psychotic persona. Real growth and character development would be if Anna killed the master minds, knocked out the others and redeemed who she could, but finished off who wouldn't budge , you know, like an actual combination between both extremes she presented before.

All in all, if you are really starving for more content in the Verus setting, give it a read; otherwise, you can skip it and remember the characters as they were at the end of book 12, much more interesting.

[Rebecca Lindau · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I’m the mother who stands guard over the cradle, and the monster who waits in the night.”
This story was amazing. I wasn’t expecting much at the beginning but once Anne came in it really picked up. Having her as the monster in a horror story was so perfect. Her magic really shined in this setting and though I don’t love her being a villain it fits her so so we’ll.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now THIS is how you write a novella. Enthralled from start to finish. We got some clarity on how a certain character is left after the finality of the main series. Well done Benedict Jacka!

[Selina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know what I expected, but I feel like this novella was utterly unnecessary.

[Seth Pitts · Rating 1 out of 5]

This story justified the bad feelings I've gotten reading the author's more recent novels.

We get it. The world, no matter how much magic exists, comes down to women and:

1. The men who want to hurt them just because.
2. The men who want to hurt them because they want to sleep with them.
3. The men who want to protect them because they want to sleep with them.
4. And the women who are okay with watching all kf this happen as long as it doesn't happen to them because they have a strong man to protect them.

Oh and don't forget the woman who, after experiencing some of the worst this world has to offer, had decided that the goal of her life is to have babies and protect them.

The characters in this story feel like bad 1 dimensional characters written by an author with obvious skills who can't seem to use those skills to do something interesting with the normal heterosexual tropes.

It wouldn't be so bad if this was a debut story instead of coming after over 10 previous novels written in this world.

This story adds nothing new or interesting to the world that makes me excited to want to continue with these stories which is disappointing because I truly did enjoy my time in this world for the majority of the journey.

[Seantheaussie · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF due to boredom at 55% including quite a bit of skimming. Unengaging characters.

[Hobart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
WHAT'S GARDENS ABOUT?
This takes place about four months after Risen, and definitely should not be read by anyone who hasn't read it (I'm not going to spoil anything though). We do get to catch up with the world of Mages, the Council, and the state of things with Adepts post-Risen, but we do so from a different perspective and with a largely new group of characters (they ultimately interact with some people we know though).

These characters are Daniel, Jess, and Emmanuel. They are youngish adepts with a little experience in thievery (although they really don't like using that term) and are looking to expand. They're hired by a mage to join a crew of others for a job to "retrieve" an object.

The object is in the possession of a mage, who they are told will be away from home for quite some time. All they need to do is open a lock (through an interesting application of wind magic that I don't think I've seen before) and find the thing. Assuming they can get along with the other group of adepts hired for this job (which is clearly going to be an issue from the get-go), it sounds like an easy job.

But if it was an easy job, why would Jacka give us a novella about it?

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT GARDENS?
I had so much fun with this. It satisfied my desire to know more about this world and how things look after that fantastic finale—but was a different kind of story in it. Just not getting it told in Alex's voice, but from a third-person narration, gave it a different feel immediately. Also, Jacka says that this is "a slightly different (but overlapping) genre to urban fantasy," so that different feel is multiplied.

With all due respect to Jacka, I think it's still UF. It is a darker form of it than we're used to from him, though. But that's just splitting hairs, and there are much better things to do with this novella.

Primarily we ought to just read and enjoy it—this is exactly what a heist-gone-wrong story told in the Verus-Verse should be. There's in-fighting, double-crossing (maybe triple-crossing), lies, deception, unrequited love, and people in way over their head. Especially as we've been colored by Alex's attitudes toward Adepts, it's easy to forget what a great gulf there is between even a strong Adept and a Mage. Gardens does a great job of fixing that misapprehension. It's a fast read with plenty of action—pound for pound, more than Jacka usually gives us, and I am here for it.

Is this a must-read for Alex Verus fans? No, not especially. But my friends, you will be missing out. You will be so glad you took an hour or so for this. This is definitely a must-not-read for people who haven't read Risen (and if you haven't read Risen, you likely haven't read anything else in the series—which is something you should fix).

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was very good, certainly leans into the horror vibe. Nice to see the main cast from an outsider's perspective.

I've been impressed with how Jacka molds different genres into the Alex Verus stories in the greater urban fantasy setting and he does a good foray into horror here. Mainly by focusing on focusing on inherent fractures within the group, the creepiness of an abandoned cabin in the woods and then, you know, what's in the cabin. It was well done and very to the point.

And I gotta wonder, does Verus know what Anne gets up to when he's away? Cause that ain't right. Kill a man if you got to but this cat and mouse crap is ridiculous. Integrated Anne is scary.. I hope the council has a plan to deal with that because for the first time in this series I started outright rooting for the council.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Self Defense

A truly impressive novella, following up some time after the end of the Verus series. Told almost entirely from the POV of an adept who, along with a crew of other adepts, robs mages houses, it was an intriguing outside view of the events of the series.

As with much of the series there is plenty of morally grey stuff, from the burglarizing to the defense, with hints of possible torture, talk of murder, and even concern for the things being stolen. All sides involved are questionable in their own ways but it does show a bit of what the mage world is like and where Alex and Anne are within it. There is a good mixture of action and some high strung emotions with plenty of things going utterly not to plan (for some). A great look back into the Verus world and a fantastic read for fans of the series!

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was... unexpectedly unpleasant to read.

It answers some questions as to how Anne will integrate the two halves of her personality . I just don't happen to like the answer to that question.

I kept waiting for some kind of redemption or growth . None was forthcoming.

The Alex Verus series was always a tad dark, but up until now it didn't seem gratuitously pointlessly gruesome. The trauma always seemed to have a purpose. This... This seemed more like the literary version of a gory horror movie.

I loved Alex Verus, but horror is not my thing. So, sadly this book was not for me. I can't quite bring myself to give it a one star rating, but no. I did not like it.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short-ish set after the events of the final Alez Verus novel, and quite a change of pace. Told from the point of view of one of a gang of thieves setting out to rob Verus' retreat, where he has left his now wife alone, but who is anything but helpless.
This is a real change of pace for Jacka, true, dark thiongs happen in the Verus books but there is always an undercurrent of humour and wholesomeness. This is way darker and heads towards Cabin in the Woods territory. It's nice to see an author stretching their wings and Benedict Jacka certainly seems to enjoy moving out of his comfort zone.
Most of the characters are unlikeable but believable, and the author reveals a talent for near horror I simply ddn't know he had. Good stuff.

[Richard H. Whitten]

An Alex Verus (related) Novella! Woowoo!

First off, great story, buy it, read it, love it. For fans of the Alex Verus stories, it is a sweet return.
The "mystery" of the cabin and its occupant can be easily guessed by fans of the series, but even knowing this secret does little to drop the suspense level. Rather, the reader guesses quickly what will happen and the only mystery is how this woeful tale gets wrapped up.
I thought the Alex Verus story was done, I am pleased to see more. Enjpy!

[Tiuri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this. I was very happy to be able to read another story in the Verus universe, but this?? I liked the atmosphere and the characters were great, it just didn't feel like the characters from the epilogue of book 12. The epilogue read like at least some sort of happy ending for both Alex and Anne. This definitely did not, not for Anne.
As a stand-alone story it was great, as another look at some beloved characters - it was not so great.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this was a novella that takes place after the final book in the Alex Verus series. Not a bad short story at all. I was just jazzed to be back in that world. I really hope/want Mr. Jacka to write more books in this same world. I would LOVE for him to write a book or a short story about Arachne. She was one of the best characters. I would not be lying if I said the entire motivation for spending a day in Hampstead Heath while touring England was because of these books. It also ended up being one of our favorite spots (along with Kew Gardens). And I'd be 100% OK if he kept the world going with those that follow after Alex. That's a hint Mr. Jacka :-)

[Waverly]

Opening chapters embed the reader behind enemy lines, and it felt dark enough that I chose to DNF this one. I'm looking for stories to spark hope, bypassing dark shadows as places without much upbeat potential. If I'm wrong? My loss. I was ready to move along soon as I saw it wasn't a spin off likely to feature a favorite mysterious spider.

[John E · Rating 4 out of 5]

A small excursion

This story expands a little on where Alex and Anne are now residing. While a new reader to this universe could read this novella, the idea will come across but not as interesting due to missing context. With "villains" of varying shades, this is a good tale to read.

[patti j denman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mrs. Versus congress to the fore

As always, Benedict Jacka delivers. This story has an underlying tension that is palpable. I actually saw it as the screen play for a small movie. The feeling that the reader is missing something and the anticipation of realizing what, is quite simply delicious.
Well done Mr Jacka ... again

[Tom Petersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The good(ish) prevail

You can't keep a good mage down. Or even a bad one. Or an in between one. It's in the Verus world, but with little Alex.
Essentially a bold(ish) team of adepts go on a treasure hunt in the woods combined with 'what would you do for a million bucks?'
Fun story, quick read, 5 stars. Tom out