Alex Verus
#1344.17 of 664 ranked universes · full ranking
Books 12 books Status Complete 2012–2021 Reading commitment High Benedict Jacka Last reviewed 2026-08-29
Overview
Alex Verus is an urban fantasy sequence by Benedict Jacka following the diviner and shopkeeper Alex Verus as he navigates London's hidden mage community, an uneasy peace between Light and Dark mage councils, and his own past as an apprentice to a Dark mage.
Urban fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (12 works) counts toward ranking
Alex Verus Benedict Jacka
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Fated | 2012 | 1 | core | 3.90 (32,252 ratings) |
 | Cursed | 2012 | 2 | core | 4.08 (21,412 ratings) |
 | Taken | 2012 | 3 | core | 4.14 (19,728 ratings) |
 | Chosen | 2013 | 4 | core | 4.23 (16,652 ratings) |
 | Hidden | 2014 | 5 | core | 4.20 (14,362 ratings) |
 | Veiled | 2015 | 6 | core | 4.18 (12,816 ratings) |
 | Burned | 2016 | 7 | core | 4.28 (11,423 ratings) |
 | Bound | 2017 | 8 | core | 4.32 (10,118 ratings) |
 | Marked | 2018 | 9 | core | 4.26 (8,928 ratings) |
 | Fallen | 2019 | 10 | core | 4.41 (7,807 ratings) |
 | Forged | 2020 | 11 | core | 4.38 (6,599 ratings) |
 | Risen | 2021 | 12 | core | 4.50 (6,295 ratings) |
A single continuous urban-fantasy sequence following the diviner Alex Verus.
Library / Expanded (2 works)
Alex Verus novellas Benedict Jacka
| Work | Year | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Favours | 2021 | N/A | ||
| Gardens | 2022 | N/A |
Two shorter interstitial works set between/after the main 12-book sequence.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Alex Verus? Alex Verus's Core Canon is 12 books, plus 2 more in the wider Library/Expanded material.
- What is the reading order for Alex Verus? Publication order, starting with Fated. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Alex Verus finished? Complete (2012–2021).
- How much reading does Alex Verus take? High reading commitment (estimated from 12 Core Canon books · ~3,785 pages).
- How is Alex Verus ranked? #134 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 168,392 reader ratings across 12 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #134?
Ranked #134 of 664 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 4.17 across 12 core books.
- Backed by 168k reader ratings.
- Uneven reception: its books range from 3.90 to 4.50.
- Less than 0.01 behind #133, The Raven Rings (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Highly rated · 12 books · Complete · 168k ratings · Ranks #134 overall
Good choice if you want a long-running urban fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (12 Core Canon books)
- Cursed (2012)
- Fated (2012)
- Taken (2012)
- Chosen (2013)
- Hidden (2014)
- Veiled (2015)
- Burned (2016)
- Bound (2017)
- Marked (2018)
- Fallen (2019)
- Forged (2020)
- Risen (2021)
Documented internal/story order
- Fated (2012)
- Cursed (2012)
- Taken (2012)
- Chosen (2013)
- Hidden (2014)
- Veiled (2015)
- Burned (2016)
- Bound (2017)
- Marked (2018)
- Fallen (2019)
- Forged (2020)
- Risen (2021)
Awards (verified)
- No awards found for this universe.
You might also like
Suggestions computed from what Alex Verus and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- Mercy Thompson Urban fantasy · Ongoing · High commitment · 4.31
- The Hollows Urban fantasy · Ongoing · High commitment · 4.30
- The Dresden Files Urban fantasy · Ongoing · High commitment · 4.26
- The Iron Druid Chronicles Urban fantasy / Comic fantasy · Complete · High commitment · 4.21
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.17 across 168,392 ratings on 12 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Admit Alex Verus accepted 2026-08-29
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Wikipedia: Alex Verus Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-08-30
Rule: Core Canon is the twelve-novel main sequence, Fated through Risen. Two shorter interstitial works (Favours, Gardens) are recorded as Expanded Canon, per this project's standard novel-vs-novella split.