Helpful Score: 1
I just loved this book!
This is the END of the Codex Alera series, and if you're like me, it gets tedious reading these series with cliff hanger endings, then waiting 12, or 18 months before you can read another installation of the story. Jim Butcher created this intriguing planet, with well developed characters, good and bad guys, battles galore and a couple of love stories. I gave this book a rating of 5 stars, because when I got to the end and read that I wasn't going to be strung along towards another book, I was so happy and so was the ending!
This is a great series for boys, my son has enjoyed it, and says it's just like some video game he plays. I liked NOT being able to anticipate what was going to happen with the story, like so many other books.
I don't recommend First Lord's Fury if you haven't read the 5 other books in this Codex Alera series. Knowing the ending will just ruin so much, and happily I only found one type-OH on page 189-->>> Leaned, not learned into the blade.
That Jim Butcher... he has a wonderful imagination!
This is the END of the Codex Alera series, and if you're like me, it gets tedious reading these series with cliff hanger endings, then waiting 12, or 18 months before you can read another installation of the story. Jim Butcher created this intriguing planet, with well developed characters, good and bad guys, battles galore and a couple of love stories. I gave this book a rating of 5 stars, because when I got to the end and read that I wasn't going to be strung along towards another book, I was so happy and so was the ending!
This is a great series for boys, my son has enjoyed it, and says it's just like some video game he plays. I liked NOT being able to anticipate what was going to happen with the story, like so many other books.
I don't recommend First Lord's Fury if you haven't read the 5 other books in this Codex Alera series. Knowing the ending will just ruin so much, and happily I only found one type-OH on page 189-->>> Leaned, not learned into the blade.
That Jim Butcher... he has a wonderful imagination!
It was a wonderful end to a great series. Jim Butcher is my favorite fantasy author, though I like his other series, The Dresden Files, better. First Lord's Fury reflects the author's ability to bring fresh perspectives to fantasy, and he always manages to put his characters into situations that seem impossible to resolve, giving his books an edge-of-the-seat roller coaster ride.
This is the final book in Butcher's Codex Alera series. There is a lot that happens in this book from a detail point of view; overall it is an excellent conclusion to the series.
Tavi, now First Lord Octavian Gaius, is steering the ships full of both the First Aleran and the Canim to land. From there they are hoping to march across Alera and meet up with the Aleran Legions making their final stand at Riva. Of course things don't go quite as planned and Riva falls, forcing the final battle between the vord and the allied Alerans, Marat, Icemen and Canim back to where it all started...Calderon Valley.
This book is about war. If you thought book 5 was about war, well you were right, but this book is even more about war. So, in general, I am more of an epic quest lover than an epic battle lover...the topic of this book wasn't my favorite. That aside it was very well written. Butcher continues to do an excellent job balancing epic battle scenes with personal scenes; these personal scenes lend more depth to the characters we have already grown to love over the last five books. The action scenes are very well done, as always. The conclusion of the book is also well done and wraps up most of the loose ends.
Additionally it is nice that Butcher is able to do an epic fantasy with epic battles that still lends time to relationships. Kitai demands a proper courting from Tavi and this theme weaves in and out of the story, at times providing with a lot of humor. The dialogue is snappy (if not realistic at times) and added enough humor that you will find yourself chuckling despite the thousands of people dying.
There were a few things I didn't like though. The book is awfully drawn out. At first all the engineering details behind Tavi's schemes are fascinating, but as the book goes on it gets to be too much. The scenes get drawn out by the massive detail that is put into explaining both war strategy and engineering; if you really dig this stuff you will love it. I loved it for a while and then just wanted to get the story moving.
This book also has the same flaws I have complained about in previous books. Tavi, it seems, can do know wrong. Every hair-brained scheme he comes up with is a wonderful success; which is heroic but unbelievable given the craziness of most of his schemes. A number of times characters are left for dead, but then miraculously make it. Basically the book ends in an unrealistically cheery way, at least for the main and side characters. Common soldiers and civilians are sacrificed by the tens of thousands; which got to be a bit depressing but was probably the most realistic part of the book.
I thought it was fascinating how drastically Tavi has changed in this book. I know he changed some in book five, but in this book he is 100% First Lord with very few of the uncertainties that used to plague him. Kitai is also seemingly immortal, as she escapes most danger and succeeds at all missions; again a bit unrealistic.
Overall I enjoyed this book and thought it was a good wrap-up to the series. There is one major loose-end that makes me wonder if Butcher is planning another series set in Alera, but a century or so into the future. The only things that bothered me about the novel were the drawn-out strategy scenes and some unbelievable successes. Still, I am always impressed with how enjoyable it is to read Butcher's writing, it is just so readable and engaging.
Tavi, now First Lord Octavian Gaius, is steering the ships full of both the First Aleran and the Canim to land. From there they are hoping to march across Alera and meet up with the Aleran Legions making their final stand at Riva. Of course things don't go quite as planned and Riva falls, forcing the final battle between the vord and the allied Alerans, Marat, Icemen and Canim back to where it all started...Calderon Valley.
This book is about war. If you thought book 5 was about war, well you were right, but this book is even more about war. So, in general, I am more of an epic quest lover than an epic battle lover...the topic of this book wasn't my favorite. That aside it was very well written. Butcher continues to do an excellent job balancing epic battle scenes with personal scenes; these personal scenes lend more depth to the characters we have already grown to love over the last five books. The action scenes are very well done, as always. The conclusion of the book is also well done and wraps up most of the loose ends.
Additionally it is nice that Butcher is able to do an epic fantasy with epic battles that still lends time to relationships. Kitai demands a proper courting from Tavi and this theme weaves in and out of the story, at times providing with a lot of humor. The dialogue is snappy (if not realistic at times) and added enough humor that you will find yourself chuckling despite the thousands of people dying.
There were a few things I didn't like though. The book is awfully drawn out. At first all the engineering details behind Tavi's schemes are fascinating, but as the book goes on it gets to be too much. The scenes get drawn out by the massive detail that is put into explaining both war strategy and engineering; if you really dig this stuff you will love it. I loved it for a while and then just wanted to get the story moving.
This book also has the same flaws I have complained about in previous books. Tavi, it seems, can do know wrong. Every hair-brained scheme he comes up with is a wonderful success; which is heroic but unbelievable given the craziness of most of his schemes. A number of times characters are left for dead, but then miraculously make it. Basically the book ends in an unrealistically cheery way, at least for the main and side characters. Common soldiers and civilians are sacrificed by the tens of thousands; which got to be a bit depressing but was probably the most realistic part of the book.
I thought it was fascinating how drastically Tavi has changed in this book. I know he changed some in book five, but in this book he is 100% First Lord with very few of the uncertainties that used to plague him. Kitai is also seemingly immortal, as she escapes most danger and succeeds at all missions; again a bit unrealistic.
Overall I enjoyed this book and thought it was a good wrap-up to the series. There is one major loose-end that makes me wonder if Butcher is planning another series set in Alera, but a century or so into the future. The only things that bothered me about the novel were the drawn-out strategy scenes and some unbelievable successes. Still, I am always impressed with how enjoyable it is to read Butcher's writing, it is just so readable and engaging.
I couldn't wait for the paperback, so I borrowed it from the library - and what a finish! Tavi, now technically First Lord of Alera, still has to find his way back home with his Canim allies to battle the Vord that is slowly decimating his land and people. His enemy Aquitainius Attis had been officially "adopted" by the late First Lord Gaius Sextus before he died, and so now commands until Tavi gets home. But treachery lurks among the Canim sorcerers, First Spear Valiar Marcus's true identity as the traitor Fidelias has been exposed to Tavi, and his mother Isana is captured by the Vord Queen. The Alerans are holding against the hoard but dying little by little as they struggle to overcome the sheer numbers of the mindless insect-creatures. Can Tavi find and destroy the Vord Queen before it's too late?
****MILD SPOILER****
Butcher's rousing conclusion to this magnificent fantasy does not disappoint and the sheer devastation he leaves his world in quite takes your breath away. There were only two minor story points that did not sit well with me - that he took Attis away too conveniently instead of having a political showdown with Tavi, and that the Vord Queen at the end just fell too quickly and seemed to just give up. Otherwise he provides a thrilling end, and even leaves the possibility of future sequels open. I would love a return visit to this world!
****MILD SPOILER****
Butcher's rousing conclusion to this magnificent fantasy does not disappoint and the sheer devastation he leaves his world in quite takes your breath away. There were only two minor story points that did not sit well with me - that he took Attis away too conveniently instead of having a political showdown with Tavi, and that the Vord Queen at the end just fell too quickly and seemed to just give up. Otherwise he provides a thrilling end, and even leaves the possibility of future sequels open. I would love a return visit to this world!
A very exciting finish to a well written series. I loved all of them and this finale did not disappoint. As with the genre, the end can be predicted but the method of arriving was fun and somewhat unique.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Wow! I will be forever a Jim Butcher Fan...this is a terrific final novel to this series!! It was satisfying and terrifying and a bit over the top - what's not to love?
If you haven't read this series and you are a fantasy fan, add them all to your wish list and read them in order. I highly recommend!!!
If you haven't read this series and you are a fantasy fan, add them all to your wish list and read them in order. I highly recommend!!!
So exciting. Jim Butcher is the king of battle scenes.
Ex-library no dj, this ends the tale of Tavi. Butcher's the best at keeping you up late at night turning another page...
This is Book 6 of The Codex Alera series.
Butcher seemed to have written himself into a corner by the time he got to this book, but he managed to pull off an ending that was plausible, satisfying, and just a little bittersweet. With this conclusion, Butcher was able to put the finishing touches on all of his characters. There are still elements of the story that were left open-ended, but I was not frustrated by this as I have been by other authors. The truly important things were covered, and it left Butcher with enough wiggle room to revisit the series should he ever decide to continue the story (which I really hope that he does, although he reports no immediate plans to do so).
In all, I am very sorry to see this series end. It was a great ride with some truly memorable characters, incredible fight scenes, and fantastic storytelling. I congratulate Butcher on another success and hope that one day we might see these characters again...
Butcher seemed to have written himself into a corner by the time he got to this book, but he managed to pull off an ending that was plausible, satisfying, and just a little bittersweet. With this conclusion, Butcher was able to put the finishing touches on all of his characters. There are still elements of the story that were left open-ended, but I was not frustrated by this as I have been by other authors. The truly important things were covered, and it left Butcher with enough wiggle room to revisit the series should he ever decide to continue the story (which I really hope that he does, although he reports no immediate plans to do so).
In all, I am very sorry to see this series end. It was a great ride with some truly memorable characters, incredible fight scenes, and fantastic storytelling. I congratulate Butcher on another success and hope that one day we might see these characters again...
