A Judgement of Powers: Inheritance of Magic, Book 3

Inheritance of Magic #3

by Benedict Jacka

In a world where magic is controlled by wealthy families and vast corporations, one young man will need all the help he can get in this riveting contemporary fantasy from the author of the Alex Verus novels.

Stephen Oakwood’s ambitions used to be simple. Pay his bills, track down his father, and take care of his cat. Maybe study a little magic after work, if he had time.

Now it’s a year later and he’s got everything he wanted. But it’s come with a price.

The Winged, a mysterious group involved with his father, have noticed Stephen, and they want him to join them or else. His career as a corporate locator has hit a dead end. And his new job as bodyguard to Calhoun Ashford is proving a lot more lethal than expected due to assassination attempts from outside the House, and possibly also from within.

To survive, Stephen’s going to need allies of his own. And along the way, he’s going to have to figure out the secret of his own gift, and what it means. The cults, Houses, and corporations of the magical world are locked in an endless battle for dominance, and Stephen is beginning to realize that he’s going to have to pick a side . . . before someone else picks it for him.

Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Fiction

Audible Audio

Expected publication November 4, 2025

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a confusing episode in this series. I enjoyed myself, but this felt like so much background material and not much action that moved the story forward in a meaningful way.

There was so much time spent in exploring the history and worldbuilding. If this helped me or the main character Stephen understand better what's going on, it might be forgivable. However, we get SO much background and still are so confused at the end of this book.

I've really enjoyed getting this series as advanced reader copies. I liked this but I didn't love this one.

[TheADHDreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

really a 3.75 ⭐

This series is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. Benedict Jacka is offering us a fresh take on the urban fantasy genre. Fans will certainly find a good entry to the series. We finally have closing threads from the first 2 books and the world and story is finally opening up. Astute readers will know where this is going, but Jacka certainly doesn't answer much on what should be coming up next. The pacing was a bit slowler that the last few entries but the action delivered was fantastic. A Judgement of Powers does suffer a bit from middle book syndrome. With the plot being left open towards the end. The direction of the story feels a bit uncertain other than the few clues we are being given. A move probably done on purpose to keep fans wondering, but part of me thinks this may make the series lose some people who want qastronger hook to keep them around.

However, I'm looking forward to see what is coming next for Stephen. Things are shaping up to be very exciting.

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

One thing I definitely know about this author is that his ability to craft unique universes shine in this series and in this latest. Poor Stephen can’t catch a break, and he has so many avenues for his future, and none of them are a great prospect. His family, a shadow organization, and his path to a career are his only way to freedom, and he is forced at the end to choose one…what a great addition to the series, and I love how Stephen just makes lemonade out of lemons when everything is his world seems to keep him from peace. This is an action-packed, well-written, captivating urban fantasy book at its finest. Highly recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Benedict Jacka raises the stakes in this second Stephen Oakwood novel, blending corporate intrigue, magical politics, and plenty of danger. What started as simple goals: find his dad, pay the bills, care for his cat, spirals into assassination attempts, shifting alliances, and a ruthless world of Houses and cults.

I really enjoyed how the magic system continues to feel fresh and dangerous, and Stephen’s struggle to figure out his own gift (and who he can trust). The pacing is sharp, the world-building rich, and the mix of everyday humor with high-stakes tension makes this series so bingeable.

Tropes

🏢 Corporate magical intrigue

🐈 Cat dad energy

⚔️ Assassination attempts

🧩 Hidden powers

🤝 Shifting alliances

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Ace for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available for my review.

Still enjoyable, but this book suffers from being toward the middle of this series with less action and more worrying about who is friendly, who is not, why he got his "extra" powers, and what to do next. The pace does pick up very nicely toward the end of the book and I look forward to seeing where this all leads.

[Kat]

I received a free copy from Berkeley Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. Publish date November 4th.

Review held until October 27th by request of the publisher.