9th Nov
I was so excited to see a new series from Benedict Jacka and couldn’t wait to listen. An Inheritance of Magic is the first audiobook in the Stephen Oakwood urban fantasy series. Come learn about the magic of Drucraft and meet our untrained protagonist Stephen Oakwood. I cannot wait for more…..
An Inheritance of Magic
by Benedict Jacka
Series: Stephen Oakwood #1
Narrator: Will Watt
Length: 10 hours and 42 minutes
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Rating: 
Narration: 5 cups Speed: 1.5x
ANYONE CAN USE MAGIC - IF THEY CAN AFFORD THE PRICE . . .
In a world where everything magical is bought up and controlled by the super rich - Stephen Oakwood has inherited a natural talent for magic. Plunged by his father's disappearance into a glittering world of scheming dynasties, warring patriarchs and vicious scions, Stephen must navigate magical high society and learn to control his gifts.
Dangerous enemies await the Oakwood heir, and even more dangerous allies: if Stephen cannot master his magic quickly and learn to distinguish friend from foe, his name may end up on the missing persons list, just like his father.
I devoured the Alex Verus series on audio and highly recommend them. For fans who have already listened to the series, the world of Stephen Oakwood and Drucraft is very different. There are Drucraft Houses, magic wells, sigils are more. If you are from a house, someone trained you in Drucraft. Unlike our protagonists, who learned some basics from his father before he went missing.
When we meet Stephen, he is checking the street for odd cars. He believes something nefarious happened to his father. Stephen tries to practice his craft when time allows. His job, which he needs to pay for the flat he and Hobbes (his cat) live in, leaves him very little time to hone his skills. However, despite little training, he is better at it than he thinks. The problem is, he knows very little about Drucraft, the wells, etc.
Stephen learns that he is related to one of the powerful houses when an attempt is made on his life. An invitation to a party presents more questions about his mother, father, and heritage. One thing is for certain, though, Stephen will need to strengthen his magic and harness more skills if he is going to survive.
The House he belongs to might be powerful, but the power plays and politics in-house make them dangerous. Stephen & Hobbes find that out for themselves.
I loved the tale that unfolded as Stephen navigated family history and magic. Not only does he need to improve his skills, he also has to figure out who exactly to trust. The story was well paced, as we learned along with Stephen. I was hooked and listened in just a few sittings.
Benedict Jacka is a wonderful storyteller. I love how he develops his worlds and grows his characters. His stories lend themselves wonderfully to the audio format, and Will Watt excelled at bringing these characters and the story to life.
Inheritance of Magic is a coming into power story and an exciting start to the Stephen Oakwood series. I cannot wait to see what adventure the next book brings.
About Benedict Jacka
Benedict Jacka became a writer almost by accident, when at nineteen he sat in his school library and started a story in the back of an exercise book. Since then he's studied philosophy at Cambridge, lived in China, and worked as everything from civil servant to bouncer to teacher before returning to London to take up law.
About Will Watt
Hailing from across the pond, Will Watt is a British voiceover artist and audiobook narrator with a talent for believable characters, intelligent delivery, and writing about himself in the third person. Although American is not his native language, he speaks it almost as fluently as he speaks English! He is also a master in the kitchen and a Jedi in training.
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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat.
