Helpful Score: 2
Jim Butcher rotates between 2 series, his Harry Dresden stories and this, my FAVORITE series about Tavi and his planet of complex and different species. Jim Butcher really drives his stories in unpredictable directions, with many minute details that made me a real fan of his books. Unfortunately, the Dresden TV show was dismal so I didn't watch. My son who doesn't like to read also liked these book, and used them for his required English book report assignments. He told me "Mother, Jim Butcher obviously plays a lot of video games!" Well, I don't play a lot of video games but I do like his books.
The new releases always come out in hard cover, then in about 10 months are released in paperback.
This is the 3rd of five books in this series (Codex Alera) 1st is Furies of Calderon, 2nd is Academ's Fury, 3rd Cursor's Fury, 4th Captain's Fury, latest: Princeps' Fury
These are what I keep on my shelves, to enjoy repeatedly!
The new releases always come out in hard cover, then in about 10 months are released in paperback.
This is the 3rd of five books in this series (Codex Alera) 1st is Furies of Calderon, 2nd is Academ's Fury, 3rd Cursor's Fury, 4th Captain's Fury, latest: Princeps' Fury
These are what I keep on my shelves, to enjoy repeatedly!
Helpful Score: 2
I have enjoyed this series. The author has a way of writing that makes the book and story very easy to read and follow. I've enjoyed the world he's created and the characters that live in it. Each character has some interesting story behind it. In this book, the young orphan (Tavi) has reached adulthood and is now assigned as a very junior officer (which he is not - since he has only trained as a spy) to a newly created legion of the military. This is hard for him to pull off since he doesn't have any ability with the world's magic system. He's considered an aberration with the danger that the men wouldn't accept him if they knew of his lack of magical ability. In this part of the series, the conflict with the fearsome Canim (a large canine like race) is brought to the boiling point with an invasion of the Canim to the Aleran homeland. The ensuing battles show how he has to improvise (without anyone finding out that he has no magic) to take the fledgling legion of inexperienced fighters to defeat the very powerful fighters and "ritualists" that the Canim are. Answers are found (only for the reader) to some of the questions of Tavi's background and to some of the history of the ruling family as well as Tavi's family. It does set the stage for the next book and sequence of events that I'm eager to read.
Helpful Score: 1
Book three of the Codex Alera, an excellent fantasy series by the author of the Dresden Files.
Helpful Score: 1
A great addition to an already great story line. Butcher's characters seem to really jump off the page and into your mind. The characters grow and change in a believable manner that really carry you along and beg you to read long past your bedtime.
Helpful Score: 1
This book is part of what (so far) has turned out to be THE BEST FANTASY SERIES I have ever read. I gave up on Robert Jordon's Wheel of Time series and Terry Goodkind's series because they just go on forever with little or no action. This series sets the situation, introduces a list of fascinating characters and puts the petal to the metal. I am amazed at how the plotting and action continues to move forward. The level of creativity, character development, world building and plot advancements is is like nothing I've ever seen..
This series just keeps getting better and better!
This is my favorite Jim Butcher series. 6 books, then it ends. I loved every book and recommend this for young male readers, I even got my son to read it. The imagination, the story was just great and thrilling! READ IT, but in order, starting from the 1st book.
This book had too many battle scenes but otherwise it was great.
This is Book 3 of the Codex Alera series.
By now, this series has really found its rhythm. The characters are all very well established and the plot has seemed to stabilize. We are no longer taking in new information like water from a firehose, but have settled comfortably into the rhythm and pacing of a well plotted story.
Book 1 was an introduction. Book 2 was a snapshot of Tavi's life at the Academy, filled with relentless Dresden-like abuse of the main character. This book felt like it contained a shift, a subtle pivot point that seemed to be setting up the pace and tone for the rest of the series. Cursor's Fury takes you into the heart of the First Aleran Legion where Tavi has been placed as a Cursor working undercover, and it has the most decidedly military tone of the series so far.
The Canim have come en masse at the same time that an all-out war of power grabbing rebellion has come to Alera. This book strongly implies that dark and bloody days are ahead, but it is a pleasure to watch Tavi as he embraces his military talents and starts to become a powerful leader of men.
As with the last book, there are several little twists at the end that add yet another level of intrigue and suspense. You are also rewarded with glimpses of the backstory regarding Isana, Araris, and Septimus from the night of the Marat attack when Tavi was born. It will be interesting to see where Butcher lets all of the pieces fall, and who will be left standing to sort through what remains in the end.
By now, this series has really found its rhythm. The characters are all very well established and the plot has seemed to stabilize. We are no longer taking in new information like water from a firehose, but have settled comfortably into the rhythm and pacing of a well plotted story.
Book 1 was an introduction. Book 2 was a snapshot of Tavi's life at the Academy, filled with relentless Dresden-like abuse of the main character. This book felt like it contained a shift, a subtle pivot point that seemed to be setting up the pace and tone for the rest of the series. Cursor's Fury takes you into the heart of the First Aleran Legion where Tavi has been placed as a Cursor working undercover, and it has the most decidedly military tone of the series so far.
The Canim have come en masse at the same time that an all-out war of power grabbing rebellion has come to Alera. This book strongly implies that dark and bloody days are ahead, but it is a pleasure to watch Tavi as he embraces his military talents and starts to become a powerful leader of men.
As with the last book, there are several little twists at the end that add yet another level of intrigue and suspense. You are also rewarded with glimpses of the backstory regarding Isana, Araris, and Septimus from the night of the Marat attack when Tavi was born. It will be interesting to see where Butcher lets all of the pieces fall, and who will be left standing to sort through what remains in the end.
Love this series.
