Fallen by Benedict Jacka (Alex Verus series: Book 10)

I’ve never been shy about how much I adore Benedict Jacka or urban fantasy stories set in London. Although it might be an extremely niche genre—even too narrow—I find it to be one of the most entertaining to read. In spite of this, I missed the release of Fallen, the tenth book in Jacka’s “Alex Verus” urban fantasy series, and it wasn’t until 2020’s Forged that I realised my error. However, I’m finally here, and what a surprise greeted me as I read through one of the more intriguing literary choices I’ve come across recently.

The rise of anti-heroes as a trend in fantasy over the past 20 years has been particularly notable in grimdark fantasy, where it has almost become a prerequisite for the subgenre. Of course, there are also occasional anti-heroes and villains that we find ourselves pulling for. For me, nothing compares to the conflicted feelings I have while reading Star Wars novels with Grand Admiral Thrawn in the picture.

But before I read Benedict Jacka’s Fallen, I had never seen a character who tries so hard to be the good guy finally give up, surrender his “lightside” credentials, and accept the cold logic of being a horrible man — or, at least, as near to a bad guy as I think the author is willing to allow. The protagonist of Jacka’s immensely popular urban fantasy series, Alex Verus, has consistently attempted to uphold morality, even though he has amassed a sizable dead count in the process. Verus has ran headfirst into everyone there is to run into in magical London and Great Britain. Desperate to remain unattached from either the Light or Dark wizards, Verus is trying to tread a middle road no one really appreciates or allows.

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When everything is completely gone and Alex’s failings appear to have overwhelmed him, he finally gains the power required to travel the path he has been attempting to travel for so long. He effectively aligns himself with the Dark mages in this way, at least in terms of ends over methods, even to the casual spectator. What intrigued me the most, though, was how Benedict Jacka similarly straddled the line between turning Alex Verus into a bad guy and stopping him from being a nice guy. Although many people will agree that his aims do not justify his tactics, it is never quite that simple, and Jacka is able to draw whatever fictitious line is necessary to make Alex Verus into an unlikable character.

The fact that Verus is surrounded by people who represent opposing ideologies to the one he is traversing helps. However, unlike some of the earlier stories, Fallen is mostly about Alex and how he overcomes unspeakable misery. Jacka should be commended for this since it feels like a well-earned turning point in the story and there is no indication of an authorial plot or presence as events unravel and then right themselves, albeit in a different way than they were before they unravelled.

In fact, there aren’t many things I have to say negatively about Fallen. There were a few sporadic clunky passages that periodically muddy the waters, but they are essentially undetectable and can only be detected by someone in my position who has to strive to see past the subjective and find the objective. The only legitimate criticism I might level at Fallen is the ease and apparent indifference with which Alex seems to be travelling in that direction. Don’t get me wrong; the scenario in question, which appears around the three-quarter mark but which I won’t spoil, is written with skill and objectivity and contributes to the author’s ability to distinguish between “good” and “poor” with some of the essential distance. But it was very visceral, and Alex has always been a very emotional character to read. Having said that, perhaps it is the whole point.

The book Fallen is a pinnacle for Benedict Jacka’s “Alex Verus” series and a difficult standard for other urban fantasy authors. Fallen is an important stepping stone towards the conclusion of this series because it is compelling, hard to put down, emotional, and has captivating prose that occasionally transports you right into the bloody chamber. It’s been a great journey to get here, and it only continues getting better. If you’re a lover of urban fantasy, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend you plunge into book 10 (of what is planned to be a twelve-book series).