An Inheritance of Magic by Benedict Jacka
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Delicious.

But let's get the other stuff out of the way first. I loved the Verus novels, so I had to expend some energy trying to give this one the space it needs, especially since it's NOT related to them. Inheritance of Magic is a brand new UF.

That being said, it's also a REALLY good slow burn and it's very careful to build a serious foundation. We know it'll be here for a long haul and it shows. So characterization must shine--and does. Stephen is kinda aimless, feeling just like most of us do, downtrodden and overworked and underpaid, but he has a hobby--making magic sigils, practicing without any instruction but what he can figure out on his own, with only a small amount of help from his dad that has been missing now for three years.

As for the magic, it's enhancement type runes, with an extra dose of Quintessence-like visual components to the magic, and it quickly becomes clear that most users don't have the same kind of foundations that Stephen was forced to develop on his own. Even so, he's poor, overlooked, and treated like shit by people who ought to have considered him family.

Most of the novel is him getting his life in some semblance of order, and it's quite satisfying. If there's a slight bit of revenge mixed in with the survival aspects, all the better.

But no matter how I look at it, I enjoyed the entire tale from start to finish. It's more than comfort food. It's feeling like the start of a fantastically interesting magical journey that may promise a huge amount of skill-ups for our hero, hard-won and satisfying.

My synesthesia tastes rice. Rice with just a hint of jasmine, some other even more subtle herbs. It's fresh and perfect for a deep, deep hunger.


Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to requests. Just direct message me in goodreads or email me on my site. I'd love to get some eyes on my novels.

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