An Instruction of Shadow feels like a filler, with little progress made and many elements seemingly thrown together as the author figures things out. It lacks the spark that made the first book in the series captivating. Despite these shortcomings, I’ll likely continue with the next installment, hoping Benedict Jacka can recapture the series’ initial magic and cut out the unnecessary meandering.

This second book picks up right where the interesting first book left off. I felt like it was a lot more interesting as there was not as much description of the magic as it was very elaborately discussed in the first one. I did feel that the author tried to reboot some of the desperation of searching for the job that was prevalent in the first novel, and that didn't quite work for me. It quickly moved on and became a very captivating story with a very intriguing mystery behind it. I really enjoyed seeing the faster pace of the novel. Benedict Jacka definitely has a way of slowly captivating his reader and pulling them in to a very intriguing view of a magical city with politics intricately weaved in. I eagerly look forward to the next installment in this series.

In An Instruction in Shadow, Stephen Oakwood is back in action, diving deeper into the magical world of drucraft. After a rough patch with his job, Stephen's quest to find his missing father takes him through a series of dangerous encounters. Along the way, he makes new allies, like Calhoun, and faces old threats, all while honing his drucraft skills. The plot expands on the intriguing world introduced in the first book, adding layers of political intrigue and dangerous factions. Stephen’s sarcastic wit and his super-enhanced cat Hobbs make for a fun dynamic, though the story's pacing is a bit slower than the first.

An Instruction in Shadow is the second in the Inheritance of Magic series and follows on the heels of the first book, An Inheritance of Magic. This series follows a young man, Stephen Oakwood, as he self-studies drucraft, the magic in this world, while also trying to find his missing father and dodge the cousins and half-siblings he didn’t know he had who seem threatened by him and want to either badly hurt or kill him. The magic is interesting and I love Stephen’s cat, but there’s far too much of a focus on world building for me, and I often found myself wondering what the story is supposed to be.

After the showdown at the end of An Inheritance of Magic where Stephen chose to save the life of his cousin Calhoun, Stephen’s life hasn’t actually changed much. Except he knows who his mother’s family is, and he wants nothing to do with them and yet they keep getting him involved in their affairs because some think he’s a contender to be heir (even though that’s the last thing he wants), so they keep trying to off him in some way. Stephen has a bigger problem, though. He didn’t know drucraft was supposed to be a secret (and, considering everyone in the first book seemed to be running around talking about or using drucraft, neither did I) and told a gabby friend of his who then blabbed it to everyone and got Stephen fired from his job as a Well locator, leaving Stephen in a rather major financial lurch. At the same time he’s trying to find a new job, he ends up taking freelance work doing approximately the same, though it all seems rather dodgy, and tries to spend his free time (when not creating new sigls just to protect his own life) hunting down clues to find his father. Except that turns into a whole problem because the guy his dad worked for has a protege who is quite threatened by Stephen.

Since An Inheritance of Magic was mostly focused on setting up and explaining drucraft while also introducing a branch of Stephen’s family he hadn’t known he was related to, I had expected An Instruction in Shadow to be more story heavy now that the setup is finished. Unfortunately, I was wrong. The first book only delved into how drucraft worked; this second book explains drucraft in the context of business and power and how different players and corporations make money. As expected, it’s very dirty and messy, and of course Stephen gets mixed up in it because he always seems to get mixed up in scrapes of all kinds. Fortunately, Stephen has one of his friends helping him out, and I really enjoyed getting to see him interact with someone friendly and helpful. But I am disappointed the world building still felt far too heavy.

An Instruction in Shadow mostly followed Stephen’s attempts to make a living, with a small subplot following him hunting down clues to his father’s whereabouts. Otherwise there isn’t much more to the story in this book. He meets his mother who gives him some family history and explains a few things as she sees fit. He helps out his cousin Calhoun by protecting his likely future fiancee whenever they have a date. He ends up taking his half-sister along on a raid because she’s bored and spoiled, but otherwise kind of feels like one of the few bright spots in Stephen’s life. In the end, there was very little progress on the job hunting front, which was disappointing because he spent the whole book working so hard, and I became a little tired of him constantly calculating how much money he had left in the bank. It came off a little too much as a “woe is me” kind of story, and yet he just got bad feelings whenever a bit of money was offered his way and just decided to say no to it. I do admire how upright he was in all of it and how he stuck to his values and morals, but it also made everything else a little frustrating. I’m also not entirely sure what all the time he put into finding work had to do with whatever story this series is telling. It seems like it mostly used up space.

The interesting story here is Stephen’s missing father. He disappeared three years ago and stressed that Stephen shouldn’t find him; he would return when it was safe. But of course Stephen loves his father and is desperate to find his only parent since his mother left when he was a baby. I did like how he tried everything he could to find his dad, and I enjoyed the reveal of what his father had been up to prior to his disappearance, and I can absolutely understand why his dad might have felt the need to disappear. But it’s put his son in a bit of a pickle because now he’s caught the eye of someone from a shadowy group called the Winged, and the guy’s protege is jealous of everything Stephen’s been able to accomplish entirely on his own and finds his own position in the Winged threatened. Even though Stephen wants even less to do with them after discovering his father’s secret. I enjoyed this plot so much, and was disappointed when it was continually dropped in favor of the story of Stephen trying to make a living. The end was intriguing, though, and now I find myself reluctantly wanting to pick it up just to find out what happens next. An interesting mystery will almost always draw me in, and, unfortunately, I find this mystery quite tantalizing.

Perhaps I’d find this a lot more palatable if I actually really liked Stephen. Except he either seemed like a coward, or someone with some special abilities that made him better than a lot of people around him. He never found a middle ground and I found it hard to root for him. As soon as he determined he was a coward and was just going to go on with his miserable life, keeping his head down and his hands as clean as possible, he got these feelings and found himself in fights and scrapes because he couldn’t leave well enough alone. He constantly had to poke at things, seemingly to prove to someone he was right, and it grew tiring really fast. But his characterization isn’t all bad. He loves his cat Hobbes, and I do, too. Hobbes is amazing and I want him for myself. And how much can I hate a guy who would literally do anything for his cat? He also has a bit of a soft spot for his teen half-sister, who he calls Bridget because they met on a bridge. She’s young and inexperienced and desperately wants a taste of life, so, like everyone else in the Ashford family, manages to get herself involved in Stephen’s life, but certainly not to kill him. He’s the only one who can provide some excitement in her otherwise pampered, boring life. She was cute and fun. But what I always found amusing was that Stephen was invited to eating establishments a few times and not once did the person who invited him out offer to buy food for him, leaving him to watch them eat even though they had a lot more money that he did. Poor guy.

An Instruction in Shadow was far from what I hoped it would be. I was disappointed there was yet more monotonous world building to go through and family history that was mildly interesting but overall didn’t add a whole lot, though I like to think there were fewer fights in this one. Stephen isn’t my favorite guy, but some of the characters in his life were delightful. I have to hand it to him, though; he really managed to make his life interesting. I’m hopeful the next book with really get the story going, and I’m cautiously excited to see how Stephen’s search for his father will go.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

While book 2 did not blow me away quite as much as book 1 in the series, this still held up very well in comparison. The writing is just as solid and very much grounded in reality while we have this whole magical world existing with the more mundane world. We do get a lot more worldbuilding in the drucraft world and how things work both on the surface and in a more shadowy sector of the world. Stephen is a bit like Peter Parker in that he is pretty down on his luck and that makes him easy to root for.

I do enjoy the pace that thing are developing at in this series so far and am excited to continue following this story as it releases!

Thank you to @acebooks and @netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

Benedict Jacka continues his tale of Stephen Oakwood, who was taught druid magic from his father, not realizing that the rich and powerful control the magical wells that allow sigils to be created that can work magic. This time he gets An Instruction in Shadow (paper from ace) on the illegal side of well stealing. Needless to say if he didn’t show enough caution, he could have died. I really enjoy this series and look forward to the next episode.

This was a solid sequel--though I do find myself looking back at the first book in the series with more fondness. I think that in this book, the characters are great and the magical world is still great, but the plot was just less compelling and the stakes felt a lot lower overall. Overall, a solid second installment but I definitely can feel the second book slump a bit with this one.

I’ve really gone down the Benedict Jacka rabbit hole since reading An Inheritance of Magic last year and now I feel like I have a stronger opinion of this author and his two series now. This series definitely skews much younger in terms of characters and perhaps even intended audience, but it’s just as fun and compulsively readable as Alex Verus. Also, I dig the magic system and the sense of ‘leveling up’.

This picks up immediately following the events at the end of An Inheritance of Magic. Stephen Oakwood has finally met his estranged mother and finds himself dealing with more rich extended family drama, a possible cult, and the continued struggle to pay his bills. His primary focus remains finding out what happened to his father when he disappeared several years prior and everything he does ultimately comes back to this, whether it be the need for money, information, or connections. The money (and his lack thereof) is a constant presence in the story and I would say is the secondary driver behind many of Stephen’s choices.

As I mentioned before, I really like the magic system in this story and it fits well into a corporate, urban fantasy setting where the rich get richer and the poor struggle to stay afloat. The wells of magic are just another commodity to be traded because so few practitioners can make use of them the way Stephen does. The whole business of securing wells, defending them, and the questionably legal raiding plays a huge role in the story progression. Sigls are something to be crafted and then sold in a specialty catalog. And the magic must remain a secret so those with all the power can maintain the status quo. 

Overall, I enjoyed this second installment and I’m very curious to see where the story goes next. I am a little frustrated with the cliffhanger endings - always an interesting reveal and then WHAM, the story is over and I have to wait a year until the next one. That’s one thing I really appreciate about the Alex Verus books - no massive cliffhangers, but rather a nice episode of the week vibe (at least in the ones I’ve read so far). Benedict Jacka tells a fun, entertaining story and I would recommend this for readers looking to branch out into adult fantasy from the YA genre!

Stephen Oakwood runs into trouble when he shares information about his craft with a friend. This has him suspended from his job and looking for other sources of income to hone his craft and wield drucraft. Like Jacka’s Alex Verus series, the Inheritance of Magic series gets better with each book. I really like the voice of Stephen. His new friends and enhanced cat named Hobbs make delightful sidekicks.

Now that he has been suspended from Linford and not receiving cash for finding wells, which contain the magic needed for drucraft, he has taken on side jobs from less than reputable sources, including his mother’s family. Everyone seems to have their own agenda, and Stephen has to navigate them all while trying to find his missing father.

This second book was more action-packed as Jacka set up the world in the previous novel and could flesh it out further in book two. Calhoun, the heir to his family’s dynasty, may be an ally, but I am still wary, especially if Stephen continues to strengthen his skills. We meet Stephen’s mother, come across other skilled wielders, and meet Byron, someone determined to recruit Stephen.

The story that unfolds was well-paced, providing answers to some of Stephen’s questions while expanding our knowledge of the magic world. Stephen is clever and for someone new to this world, often sees the bigger picture. I enjoyed watching his skills improve as well as his understanding of the magic. The story ends on a bit of a cliffhanger with tidbits about things to come.

Will Watt narrates and has become the voice of Stephen Oakwood. He enhances the overall tale and offers unique voices for each of the characters making listening my preferred choice. Jacka is a master storyteller and his writing lends itself perfectly to this format.

Fans of well done urban fantasy, unique magical systems and underdogs will want to begin this series. As with most urban fantasy, I recommend listening in the order of release.

4.5 Stars
Stephen Oakwood had been training with his father in the art of drucrafting (sort of magic) until his father went missing. Stephen didn’t know there was a whole world of drucrafters, with a hierarchy, politics, and grabs for more power. He learned the hard way, through his conniving family, House Ashford, in the last book.

Now, Stephen has a bit more information, a lot more sigls for defense and offense, and a way to make money. Now that he has a few things sorted, Stephen is determined to find his father. However, things go bad in the job department. Stephen narrowly fends off a few attacks. Byron from the mysterious “Winged” claims he can find Stephen’s father and will give him the information if Stephen joins. Also, Stephen meets with his mother for the first time to get answers. Can’t say I like that woman.

Stephen has landed in a dangerous world, and for good reason, he’s suspicious of everyone. Thankfully, he has a few in his corner, like his friend, Colin, and his trusty super cat, Hobbs! Omg! I love Hobbs! I laughed my head off in one scene with him!

An Instruction in Shadow was a riveting second installment! The world created is original and interesting, with information weaved in a way that informs without interrupting the pace. I’m eager for the next book since this one left off in a to-be-continued situation!

Stephen and his trusty and enhanced cat Hobbs are at it again in this interesting world of drucraft that Benedict Jacka has created. Stephen was getting the hand of finding wells and either using them to make nifty magical gems to use in fights or selling them to Linford's for some cash.

Stephen has gotten into a pretty good rhythm. Find a well, protect it, sell it and make some money. Get a stash of cash so he has some buffer and repeat. He hasn't looked for his dad in awhile but now that he is on his feet it is time to see if he can locate the man that disappeared over three years ago. Thing is every time he tries everything in his life goes wrong and Stephen ends up fighting for his life, on the wrong side of someone powerful and just trying to figure out how to get out of the mess he has ended up in.

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I am really enjoying this series. I think much like Jacka's Alex Verus series, this one just keeps getting a little better every book. In Inheritance, we had to learn a lot about this world and the wells. Now that the reader has that foundation it seemed like there was a lot more action and world development happening. We get to find out not just more of the surface economy that is happening within the drucraft world, there is also a shadow economy. There are factions within the magical system Stephen will have to maneuver through.

Stephen is an interesting character and I can't help but be on his side as he tries to learn about the history between his father and mother and why she left all those years ago. The interactions that he has not only with his sister but also, Calhoun, heir to his family's magical dynasty make me hope that at least he will have some family to look out for him, at least a little. Hobbs adds something for Stephen to interact with when he doesn't have friends around. It is a good way to move the story.

Overall I love all the potential this series seems to have. Stephen isn't the most powerful drucraft wielder but he does seem to have a good knack for some of the foundational an finer points that will probably make him formidable in the future.

This ended on a great teaser to make the reader really excited for the next book. While there isn't really any hint of a romance yet, I do see the potential for something to happen with one of the ladies in Stephen's life down the road. The more I read about this world the more interested I am in it.

Book #2 in the Inheritance of Magic series. Benedict Jacka has a large fan base and knows exactly what they are looking for when he starts a new series. The first in this series INHERITANCE OF MAGIC built the world according to Jacka and introduced us to a varied cast of characters. Jacka set the stage for this series to be as popular as his Alex Versus series. AN INSTRUCTION IN SHADOW finds Stephen Oakwood free from the strict rules he has been living by and ready to start his quest to find the answers to what happened to his real family. His friends will join in his quest, including his talking cat. They will learn how to use the skills they have while learning so much more magic than their fate had set for them. The community Stephen will surround himself with is set to bring changes to the ruling class that will set them in the midst of one battle after another. This book is perfect Jacka. This fan is 100% happy today!

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I loved the first book, An Inheritance of Magic so I was excited to read more. Over the past year, Benedict Jacka has done a series of information on the aspects of the magic in this world from the element types, to the Houses, to the skill levels, etc. I read all these before starting An Instruction in Shadow and it took less time than I expected. I felt it would help bring me back to the world after a year which it did.

Stephen really needs to find people he can trust and the options continue to narrow. He does find more people he can't trust which is sort of helpful but also has more people after him. He has some bad run-ins as he tries to find work to support his life. He lost his job through one of those untrustworthy but he learns it may have happened eventually anyway.

The family continues to be a problem. Stephen does talk to his mother a few times which is just disappointing. A few family members are at least not trying to kill him. His efforts to find his father lead to more big trouble but he finally gets a bit of information.

Stephen learns more, struggles more, and finds no stability or allies. He (and we) have a great deal more to learn about magic. He does seem to have some skills which are unusual. I look forward to so much more even if it will likely be a year away.

New release alert! An Instruction of Shadow is a strong second entry in Benedict Jacka's Stephen Oakwood series. The first half of our review is non-spoiler and then we transition into full spoiler territory.

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#urbanfantasy #stephenoakwood #sigl

Stephen is a good plucky underdog. If you enjoy urban fantasy this series or Jacka’s previous series would both be solid choices! One thing I particularly like about them is a lot of urban fantasy goes heavy on the romance. He doesn’t though there’s a bit in his other series. This series hadn’t had any so far and it both makes complete sense for the character who has way too much crap on his plate for relationships and is a refreshing change of pace from the expected standards in the sub genre. I like having such a good quality series to recommend to others who don’t want any mushy stuff in their books!

Just in the first book, Benedict Jacka has created a world in An Instruction to Shadow with realistic magic and demonstrates that the rich hold onto power by any means. In this sequel to An Inheritance of Magic, Jacka continues to explore the next steps along Stephen’s path to gaining money and more control. He quickly illustrates that nothing is easy in Stephen’s magical world, not even using magic. The Ashfords continue to have machinations but Stephen also connects with a different group, one that is far more dangerous than anticipated. I like that magic is not simple and Stephen must think through his problems.
I really like how Stephen’s character evolves as he learns more about the corporate world and how magic is used for gain. I especially love how his friendship with Colin evolves as does his other friendships. As he learns, he picks up ways to utilize his connections and learn how to use his abilities more. The story flows and is full of thoughtful themes on the rich and powerful and how at a disadvantage the poor can be, without the resources to get ahead easily.
If you like thought provoking fantasy with realistic magic that doesn’t solve every problem and includes a furry sidekick, I highly recommend An Instruction in Shadow. Stephen is a clever character that evolves and grows and the world is well built. I love the way power and money are thought out in this novel, tied to magic but with real world ideas. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

The story centers around a protagonist who is drawn into a world of shadows, where the line between right and wrong is constantly shifting. Jacka skillfully creates a moody, atmospheric setting that pulls readers into a world where nothing is straightforward, and trust is a rare commodity. The protagonist’s struggle with their newfound, shadowy powers is at the heart of the narrative, adding layers of internal conflict that make their journey as much about self-discovery as it is about navigating a web of deceit and manipulation.

The book shines in its world-building, with a magic system that feels both fresh and intricately designed, seamlessly blending elements of dark fantasy with urban landscapes. Jacka’s attention to detail enriches the setting, but it occasionally slows down the plot, making parts of the story feel a bit drawn out. However, the tension is skillfully maintained through a series of clever twists and unpredictable developments that keep the reader guessing. The supporting cast adds further depth, with each character hiding their own secrets and motives, making the alliances and conflicts feel dynamic and engaging.

Overall, An Instruction in Shadow is a well-crafted, thought-provoking read that offers a blend of suspense, dark magic, and complex character dynamics. Though it requires patience through some of the more detailed scenes, the payoff is a richly layered story that rewards those who appreciate nuanced storytelling and moral ambiguity. Fans of urban fantasy and dark, atmospheric tales will find much to enjoy in Jacka’s latest work.

I really enjoyed reading this book - finished it in two days - although half the time I wasn't really sure what was going on. This is the second book in the series, and I'm looking forward to the third.

Stephen Oakwood is the main character, now living on his own and supporting himself (barely). He is working on his magical craft (searching for new Wells and creating and selling sigls), and searching for his missing father. Then he meets a man who is the head of a new magical group who claims he can help Stephen find him. Stephen is living a dangerous life - several people have followed and/or attacked him, and a lot of the book is Stephen dodging bad guys, and trying to figure out who is behind these people and what they want.

I received an e-arc of this book from publisher Ace Books and voluntarily read and reviewed it.

Thank you Ace Books Pub for the free book! #berkleypartner #berkley #BerkleyBookstagram

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐀𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐚
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟓, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

An Instruction in Shadow is the second book in the Inheritance of Magic series with Stephen Oakwood. It picked right where the first book left off and continued with more world building and character growth. This book was fast-paced, with lots of action and lots of tension. There are some interesting family members in the book, a mysterious mentor, and even someone trying to cause harm to Stephen. Fantasy lovers will really enjoy this book and series!

Posted on Goodreads on October 13, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around October 14, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on October 15, 2024
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An Instruction in Shadow is book 2 of the story of Stephen Oakwood. He's seen a magical world behind the world the rest of us live in, and he's gaining much experience in not being killed. He's got a few good friends, some sketchy family members, a mysterious mentor, and some enemies who are trying to murder him. Book two is solid with higher stakes; Stephen learns more about his dad and mom and gets himself into a dangerous spot for a time or two. Hobbes continues to be my favorite character in the book, and I almost hope he gets to talk beyond the normal marrow.
An Instruction in Shadow was such a fun installment of the series. I hate that I have to wait so long for the next book because that was great!