This is Book 4 of the Codex Alera series.
This book builds on the events from Cursor's Fury and takes them to the next level. It is filled with assassins, abductions, alliances, betrayals, political grandstanding, and wanton distruction. In short, everything that keeps the pages turning at a frantic pace.
I continue to enjoy Butcher's ability to fully develop and grow his characters. Tavi has come so far from his days as an unknown shepherd's apprentice, and has done so in a completely organic and believable way. I have particularly enjoyed reading more about Araris, and to watch his own incredible growth as well. Butcher has expanded his role by revealing to the reader more of his character and his heart. It has been a treat to see him wrestle his own demons, to emerge from the shadows, and to reclaim his role as a singulaire with pride. If he wasn't surrounded by so many other heavy hitters, I could see him easily carrying more of the story on his own. Instead, he is more of a secondary character and my only complaint is that he is not featured prominently enough.
In all, I enjoyed this book very much and it is probably my favorite one so far. As always, the ending ramps up towards a conclusion that serves no other purpose than to send you scrambling to start the next installment as soon as possible. So much is going on in Alera, and much of it is messy. Butcher's characters have a lot of cleaning up to do.
This book builds on the events from Cursor's Fury and takes them to the next level. It is filled with assassins, abductions, alliances, betrayals, political grandstanding, and wanton distruction. In short, everything that keeps the pages turning at a frantic pace.
I continue to enjoy Butcher's ability to fully develop and grow his characters. Tavi has come so far from his days as an unknown shepherd's apprentice, and has done so in a completely organic and believable way. I have particularly enjoyed reading more about Araris, and to watch his own incredible growth as well. Butcher has expanded his role by revealing to the reader more of his character and his heart. It has been a treat to see him wrestle his own demons, to emerge from the shadows, and to reclaim his role as a singulaire with pride. If he wasn't surrounded by so many other heavy hitters, I could see him easily carrying more of the story on his own. Instead, he is more of a secondary character and my only complaint is that he is not featured prominently enough.
In all, I enjoyed this book very much and it is probably my favorite one so far. As always, the ending ramps up towards a conclusion that serves no other purpose than to send you scrambling to start the next installment as soon as possible. So much is going on in Alera, and much of it is messy. Butcher's characters have a lot of cleaning up to do.
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