Stephen Oakwood has emerged victorious against the schemes of his aristocratic family. Now he finally has the opportunity to do what he’s been wanting to do for a long time: track down his father.  

But doing so won’t be easy. Stephen’s not so isolated any more, but the contacts he’s making in the magical world—everyone from the corporation he works for to the mother he’s just beginning to reconnect with—all have agendas of their own. And now a new group is emerging from the shadows, calling themselves the Winged. Their leader, the mysterious Byron, promises that he can show Stephen how to find his father…but he wants something in return.

Following that trail will throw Stephen into greater danger than he’s ever faced before. To survive, he’ll need to use all of his tricks and sigls, and pick up some new ones. Only then will he be able to prevail against his enemies…and find out who’s really pulling the strings.

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. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 sigils.