In this extraordinary fantasy epic, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Dresden Files leads readers into a world where the fate of the realm rests on the shoulders of a boy with no power to call his own… For a thousand years, the people of Alera have united against the aggressive and threatening races that inhabit the world, using their unique bond with the furies—elementals of … the furies—elementals of earth, air, fire, water, wood, and metal. But in the remote Calderon Valley, the boy Tavi struggles with his lack of furycrafting. At fifteen, he has no wind fury to help him fly, no fire fury to light his lamps. Yet as the Alerans’ most savage enemy—the Marat horde—return to the Valley, Tavi’s courage and resourcefulness will be a power greater than any fury, one that could turn the tides of war…
more
Finally started Furies of Calderon earlier this week. I’m a big Jim Butcher fan and loved The Dresden Files and The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut’s Windlass. So far, it’s fun high fantasy adventure brain popcorn, which is pretty much what I was looking for.
This is the first book in the Codex Alera series . I was really into this series as it is an excellent fantasy genre. It may not have been quite as good as Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files, but it was still was great.
As was a huge Butcher fan, I started this series wondering how he would shift from his “Dresden” works. I was hooked and at the time was forced to wait for the next books. Well, luckily you don’t! The characters are great, the story is very original and takes some great curves along the way. Now, the price for these is foolishly high and I no longer read J Butcher, but the review is about this book hence the 5 stars.
I was looking for a new book and I recalled this author from the Dresden files so I purchased the first book. I was hooked I couldn’t put it down it drew me in like nobodies business. If you like action and want a really, beautiful and at the sometime gripping. Love it and have already read it over three times. haha when I don’t have any new books I re-read my old books. That is if I haven’t donated them yet.
It’s been many years since I read this series but I loved it!
Thos book is the first book in the best coming of age series (Codex Alera) I have ever read, and I have read alot of them. I could spend time writing a thousand words on why. I will not. Jusy read it.
Love, love, love this series! It is one of my all-time favorites. I own the wholes series in audio and have re-listened to it several times over the years.
Every bibliophile should have at least one book or series that they re-read whenever they need a comfort read. I have several series that fit this description. One of them is the Codex Alera by Jim Butcher.
Author’s Series includes:
Furies of Calderon
Academ’s Fury
Cursor’s Fury
Captain’s Fury
Princep’s Fury
First Lord’s Fury
The Codex Alera is the story of a young orphan being thrust onto the stage of conflict within his world. As the nations surrounding his valley of Calderon begin to battle over land and old blood fueds, Tavi is in the right place at the right time to make the most difference.
Like most epic fantasies, we discover that Tavi isn’t quite the lonely orphan he thought he was. We discover he has much more influence and power than anyone suspected of him. And we watch him grow from an unknown boy to the ruler of a great nation. It definitely hits every single epic fantasy trope. So why do I love Codex Alera so much? Why does it stand head and shoulders above so many other excellent epic fantasies?
To be perfectly honest, I’m not 100% sure. It’s not like the lessons taught in it are so drastically different from the lessons taught in all of the other epic fantasies I’ve read. It’s not like I love the author personally so much more than any other author (though, there is a bit of an element of that). It’s not like it was my first epic fantasy to come across, and would therefore always be special. None of the things I would normally point at and say, “This is why this is so special to me” apply. And yet, Codex Alera is not just in my top five favorite comfort read series. It’s in the top two. The other one is a space opera, very different from Codex Alera. Maybe it’s because I identify with a primary antagonist so much. Whatever it is, I must shrug and say, “I don’t know why. But I love it very much.”
I do have to say, though, that Kate Reading IS one of my favorite narrators of all times, so relistening to the Codex Alera over and over again is simply awesome because of Kate, if not because of Tavi or Jim Butcher.
Drastically different from the Dresden Files, this was a mature read of a completely unexpected and new world that the author shared with us. It was great, combining the history we are familiar with of the Roman Empire which here continued into space instead of falling approx. 400 AD. Then we have the remarkable abilities the ruling bloodlines controlled. This very enjoyable read did a great job of setting everything up for this remarkable series.
I absolutely love this series! From the story to the writing, it is all done very well! The entire series is amazing and just gets better the farther into it you get.
This is an excellent novel. I loved it. I’m not sure how I came across it but it’s the bomb. It’s elemental magic but also deadly other species. They’re not your regular elves, dwarfs, demons, etc. These are completely new ones. It had a little romance and is loaded with action. Beware the giant spiders.
Jim Butcher is brilliant! This is the first in his Codex Alera series, and it is a work of genius from one end to the other. If anyone is looking to dive into a realm of realism and experience a fresh perspective on magic, then grab this one. Fair warning: You may need to put the rest of your life on hold until you finish it.
Jim Butcher does not disappoint! I loved this entire series in a completely different way than the Dresden novels. In fact, I read Codex Alera twice. Once when they originally were released and again some years later, which is super rare for me to reread an entire series. It was that spell bindingly good. These characters and their world are the kind you never forget. I hope this series takes its rightful place next to the rest of the greats.
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 never get around to re-reading novels. I have way too many in the stack to get through. That is, unless it is Jim’s Furies series. This is the first book and I have both read and listened to (the audio is wonderful) the whole series many times. Especially on long car rides the time passes so fast I am always surprised to arrive. This series has depths of characters, gipping politics and personal growth. You really care what happens next, even if you have read it before. It is a source of frustration for me that Jim has never come back to this world because I still want to know what happened next. You will love this series if you like believable magic, real strategy and tactics of the Roman Era, personal coming of age and growth, family struggles, unbreakable love relationships that endure trauma, well thought out battles and the clever peace plucked out of Armageddon. Everyone you meet will be three dimensional including the evil ones. You will come away from this entire series feeling rewarded for reading it or if you are even more fortunate listening to the wonderful audio.
Not many authors are able to write in more than one genre, particularly if an author has already demonstrated a mastery in one genre. Jim Butcher has proven that he can join company with David Weber and David Drake. Not only is he a master of urban fantasy, clearly Jim Butcher can wield the same pen-magic in the epic fantasy genre. The panoramic background, the detailed societal setup, the intricate magical system, the depth of his characters – oh yeah, this can stand beside Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth and Elizabeth Moon’s Deed of Paksenaarian series.
I love this series, almost more than his Dresden Files
I am a huge fan of the Dresden Files and was very leery of this novel. Sometimes when authors “branch out” it doesn’t always go so well. I’m so glad I decided to ignore my misgivings because this book was awesome. Tavi is an unforgettable character and the way his mind works is breathtaking. I found myself reading passages aloud to my spouse to explain my outbursts. I have the entire series in hardback and I’m on my third re-reading of the series. Tavi and Alera are one of my favorite places to visit.
Love Jim Butcher series but couldn’t get into this book. Never finished.
I read this and the rest of the series twice a year.