The Adept 4: Dagger Magic (Adept)

I loved "Dagger Magic" and the other Adept novels. I would not recomend it for serious reading, but it is fun and imaginative, and had interesting devolopments of the Adept World View. Some readers may be put off by it's glimpse in the life of Adam Sinclair Style, and the fact that the supposed main focus of the book is stuck in the last quarter of it. I still found my emotions aroused, and my imagination put to the test. Perhaps it should not go down in literary history, but it has inspired me to read the other Adept books, I have already read the first one.

Although the book bore no resemblance to the synopsis whatsoever, I found it to be a most enjoyable addition to the series thus far. Readers of the previous novels in this series will find themselves able to jump right in where they left off, with little or no refreshing of their memories. I have only two issues that I feel are worth mentioning. One, there is a point in the book where DCI McLeod is waiting for a phone call from a fellow Detective. A misprint will confuse the reader, as Noel says that he will ask "Scanlan" a question that needs asking. Unfortunately, "Scanlan" is not the name of the detective Noel is waiting to hear back from. It is the name of the victim in the case they are working on. If the reader is not sharp, this error will cause a bit of confusion for a moment or two. Secondly, I feel that the story line involving Sir Adam's hit and run patient was left glaringly unfinished. Perhaps we will see this story line brought to some sort of conclusion in the next installation of the series. All-in-all though, minor quibbles aside, I would have to say that Kurtz and Turner-Harris have supplied another wonderful addition to the series. I polished it off in a matter of hours and found myself re-involved in the lives of characters that I hadn't visited in months. It was enjoyable, fast-paced and intriguing. Well done!

A book I enjoyed reading but was surprised by the blurb on the jacket & your synopsis which have no relation to the content. The story concerns Adam Sinclair and his 'team' rather than a prequel concerning his mother !

The "Adept" series is one of fantasy's more unusual ones, and Dagger Magic fits right in. A rusty Nazi submarine full of Tibetian magic? A police inspector who happens to also be a medium? Fantasy indeed! Aside from a tendency to get really bogged down by fashion detail (I ended up knowing more about Sir Adam Sinclair's wardrobe than I ever wanted to) the story develops fairly well. The heros are likeable, and the villians vile. They would both benefit from more ambiguity, as they come off a bit one-dimensional. Overall, a pleasant, leisurely read

Everything you could possibly want in a Thriller... and then some! Take all the elements of a classic Ludlum thriller: Nazis, evil cults, etc., then throw in some otherworldly exploits by our hero Sir Adam Sinclair, the Adept and Master Huntsmen. The mix makes for a surprisingly entertaing yarn, the fantastic elements in the story are handled well and are never far outside the realms of belief. A true "modern fantasy", with an intriguing cast of supporting characters and dastardly evil villians