In the acclaimed Codex Alera novels, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher has created a fascinating world in which the people of Alera use their unique bond with the elemental forces of nature for protection. But even nature may not be enough to stave off the coming storm… achieved a fragile alliance with Alera’s oldest foes, the savage Canim. But when Tavi and his legions guide the Canim to their lands, his worst fears are realized. The dreaded Vord—the enemy of Aleran and Canim alike—have laid waste to the Canim homeland. And the Alerans find themselves trapped alongside their former enemies.
Meanwhile, war-torn Alera rebuilds while politicians and nobles vie for power. But from the south comes the news: the Vord have come to Alera. For a thousand years, Alera and her furies have withstood every enemy, and survived every foe. But the thousand years are over…
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Great characters, fascinating story. Overall entertaining
Great, as always. I can’t wait to read the last one!
I was never a fan of Fantasy, but this series changed my mind. I have read it through three times over the past 10 years and have enjoyed every reading just as much as the first. Though there are spirit-like creatures and magic-like control of them, Butcher presents it as if it is normal without the all-too-common over-the-top flair and gusto of many fantasy authors. The character development is very strong, even in the secondary characters. The setting is interesting and well described, but just close enough to reality to allow you to enjoy the story rather than spend so much energy trying to visualize and make sense of the fantasy world. The characters have depth – Tavi (the main character) is not a perfect hero who rushes in to save the day. He is saved more often than he helps other people. The female characters are as powerful as the males and play as strong a role in the story line. Relationships between the characters evolve through time and not in the “I hate you, now you’re my soulmate” way – their relationships change as they share experiences, grow, and mature. The plot is well developed and complex. Though there are some predictable plot arcs, even those are made interesting by the complexities of the subplots and the twists in the stories. The books need to be read in order, but at the end of each book, you feel a sense of closure (though still excited to read the next). I highly recommend this whole series!
I truly appreciate Tavi’s meeting of the namesake of Varg’s nickname for him – it is sooooo appropriate. That was one of the fun points in this very not fun episode in the Codex Alera. Clearly, Tavi’s ‘go big or go home’ approach to problem solving is not limited to Alera, and while that statement fits, I’m not sure that it is appropriate to this book since Tavi goes big AND goes home. How about: “Look what followed me home! Can I keep them?”
Read the entire Codex Alera series. Worth the time and effort.
Great series
Keep rereading this series. Huge fan of the author.
I loved this whole series. I think I burned through all of them in a month. The furies offer not just a relatively unique take on “magic” use, but also allow relationships and reflections of the characters themselves. Fans of Dresden will notice some similarities between characters in both series (okay, a lot of similarities). But if you’re like me, that just makes it better 😉
I’ve read the entire 6 book series by Jim Butcher, all six are fantastic as is the author. This series The Codes Alera is absolutely every single thing a fan of this genre is looking for, I’ve re-read this series at least four time and I’m sure will read double figures. Buy it, read it and enjoy it forever, I do and have.
Imho, as much as I like Jim Butcher books, I wish his novels were longer
since i’m quite crazy about the dresden files, i wasn’t sure what to expect from this series, but i was sold, halfway through the first book! completely different, yet just as fascinating as dresden files! very good series!
This series is as good as anything I’ve ever read. I can’t recommend this highly enough. an absolute MUST read.