Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

First Lord's Fury (Codex Alera #6)

by Jim Butcher (Goodreads Author)

4.35 of 5 stars 4.35 · rating details · 17,509 ratings · 599 reviews

The next book in the thrilling "New York Times" bestselling series.
For years he has endured the endless trials and triumphs of a man whose skill and power could not be restrained. Battling ancient enemies, forging new alliances, and confronting the corruption within his own land, Gaius Octavian became a legendary man of war-and the rightful First Lord of Alera.
But now,...more

Hardcover, 465 pages

Published November 24th 2009 by Ace Hardcover

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The "Can't Wait" Book of '09

86th out of 395 books — 2,078 voters

Eagerly Anticipated Books Remainder of 2009 and 2010

100th out of 426 books — 1,470 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jul 22, 2011 Jim rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This is the final book in the series & it did sum everything up nicely - too nicely. Butcher is just too attached to some of his characters. While that makes this a fun read, it lacked any depth of emotions for me. (view spoiler) It just took all the suspense out of it. C'mon Butcher, grow a pair! Life isn...more

14 likes · like · see review

Mar 13, 2013 Erica Anderson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-reads, fantasy

I held off for a long time before I read this book, because Jim Butcher hasn't written any more fantasy. And that really bums me out. I tried the Harry Dresden books, but didn't enjoy them nearly as much as the Alera series. So, with the conclusion of First Lord's Fury, I am without a Butcher book-in-waiting.

As you would expect with a book in the Alera series, there is an extraordinary story arc, all leading up to The Final Battle between Tavi and the Vord queen. Tavi's ingenuity is evident in j...more

1 like · like · see review

May 31, 2010 Jeffrey rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Butcher fans of the Codex Alera

Shelves: fantasy, read-in-2009

I really liked this book and burned through it in one day. Its hard to talk about the novel because it was a conclusion of a six book series in which the earlier books were much better, but all of the story lines were concluded satisfactory.

That being said, I felt that Tavi, who is the focus of most of the story was basically off page for more than half of the book, as the author tried to tie up the loose ends involving some of the other characters. That is a minor quibble. Also some of the inve...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 29, 2011 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, adult

Gaius Octavian, the First Lord of Alera is returning home after fighting the merciless Vord in the Canim homeland. Unfortunately, one hive of vord is overtaking Alera as well. Tavi’s grandfather has died trying to defend the capital and most of the major cities are destroyed or occupied by the Vord. Tavi must reach the remaining forces who are readying for a last stand in the Calderon Valley and reinforce them or his homeland will be lost. He is also the only one with the smallest chance to defe...more

like · see review

Jun 05, 2013 Lucy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Thoughts on the series:

-Characters: I liked most of the characters and had a fairly clear sense of their personality. He avoided character/pov bloat (too many pov characters we don't care about). He avoided making character povs longer than they need to be, just because.

-World: great, interesting. Military stuff was good.

-Plot: weakest aspect. (view spoiler)...more

like · see review

May 21, 2013 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

I... well, it took me a while to get back to this book; I fizzled out about 90 pages in and took a month off from the series (which I had been eagerly devouring up until said point). I finished it; it was... well, it was what I expected. I guess that's a good thing? Perhaps not, though, I would have loved to have been surprised at the end, but there was nothing really surprising about it. Perhaps that's why I put it down for so long; I saw where the train was headed, and went looking for more in...more

like · see review

Apr 29, 2013 Lise rated it 4 of 5 stars

The last book of "The Codex Alera" is another brick. "First Lord’s Fury" is almost 700 pages long.

I think the reason I like Tavi’s character is because he is a bit crazy. Just crazy enough to see possibilities where the rest of us aren’t able to. Me, I lack that piece of genius that I sometimes meet in other people. Not often, but enough times to know how precious that ability is.

Tavi sees allies in traditional enemies, possibilities in impossibilities and hope where the rest of us give up. (Yes...more

like · see review

Feb 23, 2013 Linda Jaejoong rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Leider muss ich sagen das ich sehr enttäuscht vom Abschluss der Reihe bin!! Die Letzten beiden Bände kommen einfach nicht an die Ersten 4 ran. Band 5 fand ich schon nicht sehr gut, aber Band 6 war noch schlimmer. Ich habe mich auf ein sensationelles Finale gefreut das einfach nicht kam. Es war stellenweise zu übertrieben und es blieben für mich so viele unbeantwortete Fragen. Warum besitzt die Vordkönigin so übermächtige Elementarmagie?? Sie hätte nach dem was ich gelesen haben eigentlich nur mi...more Leider muss ich sagen das ich sehr enttäuscht vom Abschluss der Reihe bin!! Die Letzten beiden Bände kommen einfach nicht an die Ersten 4 ran. Band 5 fand ich schon nicht sehr gut, aber Band 6 war noch schlimmer. Ich habe mich auf ein sensationelles Finale gefreut das einfach nicht kam. Es war stellenweise zu übertrieben und es blieben für mich so viele unbeantwortete Fragen. Warum besitzt die Vordkönigin so übermächtige Elementarmagie?? Sie hätte nach dem was ich gelesen haben eigentlich nur mit dem Finger schnippen müssen und alle ihre Feinde wären tod umgefallen.

Obwohl Tavi der Held seit Band 1 ist verblasst er im Vergleich mit der Königin. Sie ist so stark und kann sogar die Wildesten und Stärksten Elementare in Alera beherrschen, was nicht mal Tavi kann, und trotzdem verliert sie!! Das ist nicht logisch, da hätte der Autor Tavi gleich Superkräfte geben können. Die große Schlacht war auch eine Enttäuschung. Sie wurde spärlich umrissen und hab und zu hat dann mal jemand etwas wichtiges gemacht das dann kurz näher beschrieben wurde und das war es dann auch!!

Besonders der Klappentext hat mich geärgert!! "Denn für das Überleben von Alera ist es nötig, dass die Mächtigen des Reiches ihr Knie vor ihm beugen..." was nie passiert, da Tavi mit ihnen in Band 6 nie zusammengetroffen ist!! Als er kam waren ein paar schon tot und die andere Hälfte halbtot!! Ich hab mich so darauf gefreut das er Fürst Antillus und Phrygius begegnet und natürlich Aquitanius gegenübersteht, aber nein der Autor hatte andere Absichten!!

Wenigstens im Epilog hätte der Autor ein Kapitel mit Tavi und den Hohen Fürsten schreiben können. Das Kapitel mit Crassus fand ich sehr traurig und es hätte auch nicht sein müssen. Sie haben sich doch so gut verstanden. Wenigstens kam Max am Ende nochmal vor und seine Familie. Die letzten Seiten vom Buch waren so schön!! Ich hätte gern gewusst wie es allen andern ergangen ist, die man in 6 Bändern kennen und lieben gelernt hat!!

Fazit: Ich fand Band 6 alles andere als gelungen!! Es war stellenwiese recht spannend und sonst sehr vorhersehbar. Die Grundstimmung war sehr düster. Meine Favoriten bleiben Band 3 und 4, sie sind einfach nicht zu toppen, so haben ich mir auch Band 6 vorgestellt, was aber leider nicht eintraf!!!(less)

like · see review

Feb 12, 2013 Richard rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of epic fantasy and/or the Dresden Files

Shelves: fantasy, fantasy-epic, fantasy-magic, series

I finished all six volumes in Jim Butcher’s Codex Alera series, so I’m writing one review to cover the whole set. Regardless of which of the books this review is attached to, if you want to read this epic saga, start with the first book: Furies of Calderon . I’ve also read all fourteen of the full-length books in his Dresden Files, and there are some interesting points of comparison.

First and foremost, this is a well-crafted and engrossing tale — definitely worth reading.

The tale follows the lif...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 07, 2012 Roger rated it 4 of 5 stars

In some ways, if you're read one Alera book you're read them all. This is a good thing because they are all uniformly excellent, but also a bad thing because they are all, well, uniform. While you can see efforts from Butcher to mix things up in this volume (with regards to Kitai and the vord queen), the story still basically rests on your enjoyment of watching Tavi being clever and others (Amara, Bernard, Max, etc) being heroic. This isn't a bad thing as all of the above are multi-dimensional a...more

like · see review

Nov 30, 2012 Jason rated it 2 of 5 stars

In general I don’t like high fantasy, or books with a lot of different points of view, or books centered on war (Even with the current big thing in this genre, Song of Ice & Fire, I just managed to get through all the Arya & Sansa chapters.). So this book had a lot to overcome for me to like it; the main plus and the reason I picked it up is Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files being so great. But First Lord’s Fury is no Dresden File, and I do not feel tempted to read another in the Codex Alera s...more In general I don’t like high fantasy, or books with a lot of different points of view, or books centered on war (Even with the current big thing in this genre, Song of Ice & Fire, I just managed to get through all the Arya & Sansa chapters.). So this book had a lot to overcome for me to like it; the main plus and the reason I picked it up is Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files being so great. But First Lord’s Fury is no Dresden File, and I do not feel tempted to read another in the Codex Alera series. For one thing, the plot, world, and writing feel largely like they could have been plucked from any old high fantasy, and the tone is on the self-serious side. I mean, yes, a war to save the land is a serious matter, but a book about it need not feel boring. There are some attempts at levity and humor, but they didn’t seem particularly effective to me.

The main factor against the book’s quality, though, is the cast of characters. Putting aside the boring side characters who unnecessarily take up a lot of pages with their boring actions and dialogue, I really dislike our protagonist Tavi. He’s dull, self-righteous, hypocritical, condescending, and cocky, and it feels like the reader’s supposed to sympathize with him because of his totally typical True Love with his stupid, petty, annoying “Kickass” Mary Sue girlfriend. It did not take long for me to root for the “evil” vord queen and her traitorous human sidekick Invidia, the only characters in the book who feel real, complex, and growing as the book progresses. Layers only hinted at or only starting to be uncovered (view spoiler) Bleh. (less)

1 like · like · see review

Oct 25, 2012 Joell Smith-Borne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: sf-f

Finally finished the whole series. I've been comparing reading these books to being on a sugar binge, and have to say, now that they are done, the comparison holds up. I'm feeling kind of disappointed in myself, and in the books. It was a fun ride, but gah--the epilogue was insane. Exposition-fest! Let's bring in all the important characters to have meetings with the hero--right before his wedding!--and present reports on everything that has happened since the fighting ended. And then we'll end...more

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 22, 2012 Kristi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, threestars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

1 like · like · see review

Oct 21, 2012 Jared W rated it 4 of 5 stars

Butcher's foray into epic fantasy left me slightly disappointed, overall. It just didn't have the panache that makes the Dresden Files such an addictive read. Don't get me wrong, the Alera series is good, but I was expecting better from Butcher. The Vord represent a standard ominous threat (think Hive Queen from Ender's Game), but little thought was truly placed into them. The one real interest--the emotional development of the Queen Primus--was never fully developed and lacked real cogency. The...more

1 like · like · see review

Oct 20, 2012 Akram Abusaif rated it 5 of 5 stars

An amazing ending to an amazing series. Jim Butcher once again displays his mastery of language, story weaving, and understanding of the human mind. Not only is he able to paint his main characters in an incredible light, but he also on occasion makes you hate yourself for hating the villains. He shows us that we ourselves are not so different from them and that we could have ended up being just as they were given the right circumstances.

Not only that but Jim Butcher has an amazing tendency to...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 18, 2012 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: semw, own, fantasy, adventure, codex, alera, jim, butcher

In the final book of the series, Butcher has crafted a fine conclusion to the Codex Alera. In his usual fasion, Tavi thinks outside the box to get himself and the remaining Canim out of Canea, only to find themselves fighting the Vord for not only their lives but the entire future of Alera. He drags his remaining legions and the Canim refugees from one end of the continent to another to face the Vord Queen in a confrontation from which only one of them can emerge.

Overall I was pleased with the w...more

like · see review

Sep 05, 2012 Gabriel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: epic-fantasy-series

Gaius Octavian. Suuuuuper Genius.

I wonder how many people think of Wile E. Coyote as possessing significant heroic qualities. Jim Butcher certainly does. No matter how crazy the plan or how painful the results, once restored, the coyote finds himself undeterred and ready to strap himself to a giant rockets and light the fuse. This is a quality enjoyed by the heroes of Alera who are always ready to try a crazy plan that never fails to leave them a bloody mess. They pay the price for their super...more

2 likes · like · see review

May 31, 2012 Isa rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

1 like · like · see review

Feb 16, 2012 Tom Andry rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review covers the entire line of the Fury books. I can't honestly believe I made it through all of them. It must be some sort of perverse thought that they would end better. Butcher is in love with these characters. All of them. Even some of the minor ones. No matter how hard he kills them, they always seem to come back. It seemed that every third or fourth chapter ended with a "cliffhanger" of someone dead or almost dead just to have them resurrected in the next scene.

I thought, "Well, it...more This review covers the entire line of the Fury books. I can't honestly believe I made it through all of them. It must be some sort of perverse thought that they would end better. Butcher is in love with these characters. All of them. Even some of the minor ones. No matter how hard he kills them, they always seem to come back. It seemed that every third or fourth chapter ended with a "cliffhanger" of someone dead or almost dead just to have them resurrected in the next scene.

I thought, "Well, it's the last book. Surely he'll kill someone in this one." Nope. He just couldn't manage it. Even toward the end when it seemed someone finally did manage to get killed, he couldn't help but bring them back. I literally exclaim, "Oh, COME ON!" when I read that part.

Now, I have to say that the story, as a whole, is a good one. I love the setting, the handling of magic (even if some of the powers seem a bit random), and the characters are well fleshed out and interesting. The plot is clear and concise and, as a whole, interesting. But you can't have characters get in the kind of trouble these people were getting in and not have a fatality.

In his defense, Mr. Butcher usually foreshadowed his "outs" well. You would skim over them not knowing what exactly they meant until you got to the point where they were used and you'd think, "Okay, that's why they were all wearing backpacks" or whatever. But still, that is no excuse. No on who takes as many risky chances could survive for long. Plus, it isn't fair to the reader. It quickly becomes clear that any danger the characters encounter aren't really dangerous to them. To the people around them? Sure. But the reader knows that all the main characters will be fine.

I rated the first book four stars, this one two, and the rest three. Really, the writing is fine and probably deserves about a four but my frustration with the lack of danger in the world and the plot devices to keep the characters alive had me slamming my head against the wall by the final book. If you are fantasy lover (or liker), this is a decent series. Just be prepared to be frustrated by the end. (less)

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 12, 2012 Books-treasureortrash rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, fantasy

Book Review: 2 Treasure Boxes

Everyone is back on Aleran, fighting the Vord. The main characters are spread out, each with their own tale full of adventures. The story continues immediately following Princeps’ Fury

This is the final book in the Codex Alera Series. Which is a high fantasy and it takes place in the Aleran Empire in a society similar to that of ancient Rome. This book is told in the third person narrative from the various different characters point of view, but primarily from that of...more

like · see review

Oct 09, 2011 Algernon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

The grand finale in the Codex Alera epic. It was probably difficult for the author to ramp up tension and the adrenaline rush after the already frantic pace of the previous books, but somehow Jim Butcher pulled it off. Like the fabled amplifier that goes to 11, the adventure went in overdrive with the heroes battling literally millions of relentless foes and magical fireworks going off in continent spawning swathes. There are rivers of blood and gore and cities razed to the ground, yet Butcher m...more

like · see review

Aug 31, 2011 James rated it 4 of 5 stars

And so it ends.

Well... what do you say when a series as great as this finishes? Me?, I sat back and let out a breath and stared at the page for a whole minute just absorbing the fact that it had ended. This series was miraculously brilliant, easily one of my favourite fantasy series of all time. No, scratch that; probably the best series I have ever read . Evidence? I read all six books in four days. That's six books, each with 300-400 pages, in four days. One of the quickest series I have read...more And so it ends.

Well... what do you say when a series as great as this finishes? Me?, I sat back and let out a breath and stared at the page for a whole minute just absorbing the fact that it had ended. This series was miraculously brilliant, easily one of my favourite fantasy series of all time. No, scratch that; probably the best series I have ever read . Evidence? I read all six books in four days. That's six books, each with 300-400 pages, in four days. One of the quickest series I have read, despite the length.

The characters were as brilliant as ever. I have said in my previous reviews that they have become tangible to me, real as most people. Not in a, 'I am crazy; they exist' sort of way, more in a, 'They exist in my head as real people' - which may actually sound as crazy, but you know what I mean... they are as real as fictional characters can be.

The plot line was brilliant. It kept me guessing all the way through, picking me up by the scruff of the neck and not letting me down until the end. Butcher has managed to pull this series to an end well, if not brilliantly; tying of many loose ends.

But unfortunately this book let the series down for me. It is notoriously hard to write a last book; it is so hard to satisfy your readers. And Butcher has done a good job here, a really good job. Just not an amazing one. The whole series was brilliance embodied; those books that I have reated four stars instead of five, are only there because it was the only way that I could separate them and show the quality in the books. In my eyes they are all really Five Stars, until this one... this one is definitely four stars.

My problems with this book;

(view spoiler)

Despite this though I would recommend this book with all my heart; to me, this has become a jewel in the crown of Fantasy writing.

Long Live ALERA!

Have Fun Reading. (less)

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 13, 2011 Books-treasureortrash rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, reviewed

like · see review

Aug 01, 2011 Madame X rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, favorites, breakneck-pacing, superior-worldbuilding

Well, crows, but Jim Butcher sure knows how to end a series on a high note. I would happily keep reading about the adventures of Tavi et al (and it's a pretty huge cast of characters at this point) every year until they all died of old age...but I guess that's not to be.

But, rest assured, this final installment in the Codex Alera is epic. It is tightly plotted, with key characters slowly converging on the Calderon Valley where the whole series started. It's full of big magic, big battles, big d...more

5 likes · like · see review

Dec 30, 2010 Karissa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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...more 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.(less)

like · see review

Dec 25, 2010 Wang Xiuyi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Sorry Jim Butcher,

I had really high expectations about the concluding book to the series. But there was just something missing from the book. It was really disappointing the way you concluded the series, particularly the fight against the vord queen. A swift stroke and she's dead? No pomp or anything? It is just about as ridiculous as the worst fantasy series I have ever read.

I have huge respect for you as an author, and I have to say that this series does not match up to the standards that othe...more

1 like · like · see review

May 31, 2010 Crystal rated it 5 of 5 stars

I hardly know what to say. The series is finished for now, though there are loose ends that could lead to more stories in this universe, if Butcher desires. I think my comparison to the Mistborn series is apt. This series is an adventure story if there ever was one, and the magic system has tactical advantages as in the Mistborn series. The first few books were certainly the best, with the most detail and clearly thought out battles. As the enemies Tavi faces get stronger, the resolution to conf...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 03, 2010 Jet rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, mission-2010

Introduction

This series chronicles the adventures of a young man, Tavi, as he rises over and above his humble beginnings to save the realm of Alera, a fictional empire that mirrors the social structure of ancient Rome. The single patriachial monarch, the First Lord Gaius Sextus, is dying and having no heir or clear successor, shows no sign of relinquishing his control over an increasingly fragmented empire. As civil war looms, Alera comes under attack on all sides by hostile enemies and it is up...more Introduction

This series chronicles the adventures of a young man, Tavi, as he rises over and above his humble beginnings to save the realm of Alera, a fictional empire that mirrors the social structure of ancient Rome. The single patriachial monarch, the First Lord Gaius Sextus, is dying and having no heir or clear successor, shows no sign of relinquishing his control over an increasingly fragmented empire. As civil war looms, Alera comes under attack on all sides by hostile enemies and it is up to Tavi to protect his king and country not just from foreign enemies but also traitors among their own ranks. Unlike his fellow countrymen, who use unique bonds with the elemental forces of nature, named furies, for protection, Tavi has no command over any fury and has to rely on his wit and skills with the blade to help the First Lord maintain order against all adversaries.

Review

I have forgotten how to write a proper review, sigh.

My first introduction to Butcher was through his urban fantasy series, the Dresden files, which would help explain why I was taken somewhat by surprise by the Codex Alera. Although Butcher kept his dry sense of humour and self-deprecating characters, the Codex was a traditional coming-of-age fantasy complete with elemental powers. So traditional, I could tell the broad story arc of the series within the first three chapters.

The rest is then really in the details.

Butcher has chosen to create a world of separate and different nationalities, all at war with one another. The Alerans are synonymous with humans, just with the ability to control elemental beings (Captain Planet comes to mind.) The Marat reminds me of Native Americans, particularly with their clan-like structure; the Canims are rather like walking and rational werewolves, complete with the pack mentality and the Ice Men, who I imagine, are modeled after the Northern barbarians. (Barbarians are often from the North. I suspect it is the cold and the surfeit of body hair.) The distinct stereotypes made the story a tad more simplistic than it could have been, especially when interaction between each of these races appear to be limited prior to the events in these series.

Treachery and espionage on all ends, together with the limited territories, result in a series of wars – all of which, naturally, Tavi is on hand to solve. There were moments in the books when I thought he was rather like UN Secretary-General preaching the benefits of mutual understanding and cooperation over and above war. I would have suspected that Butcher is a peacenik influenced by the wars of recent years; it won't be the first time a writer of speculative fiction attempts to rewrite reality in their own utopian creations after all. However, Butcher also subscribes to the "where diplomacy does not work, the common enemy will." A common enemy the likes of nuclear warfare: the overarching evil presence of the Vord, a hive of evil creatures with the ability to possess their enemies' bodies and overwhelmingly destructive powers, forces all the warring parties to drop their enmity with one another and focus their efforts on the Vord. In face of this international crisis, the reasons for civil war are also eradicated, and I trust we already know by this point how this series will end.

The problem with speculative fiction these days: it is getting increasingly harder to find series that really take the reader completely by surprise, especially trade paperbacks. What separates the wheat from the chaff depends heavily on the author's skills beyond creating a plot. In this case, Butcher made this series worth reading through the depth in characterisation, the interactions among the characters, the occasional snide humour, the moral ambiguity and the excellent pacing of the story. I prefer the first three books to the latter three books, largely because of Tavi's development – all of which you'd have to read to find out, because as said, the details make up for the plot.

Like series: The first series that came to mind in reading Codex Alera is David Eddings' the Belergariad. (less)

2 likes · like · see review

Dec 15, 2009 Milen Semkov rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Frankly, it was a disappointment. Not that it didn't have some good moments, but I am sure Jim Butcher could, and should, do better. Overall, First Lord's Fury felt like an unwillingly and hastily done job. It's written without feeling, inspiration or enthusiasm - like these last hours in the office just before the weekend, when you just want to finih your work as fast as possible and be done with it. Granted, Butcher remains a skilled professional and even his not-so-good works are better than...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 30, 2009 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

1 like · like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
What happened to... (SPOILER ALERT)	2	63	Aug 20, 2012 05:27am
Fantasy Aficionados: Codex Alera Series by Jim Butcher spoilers	105	115	Jul 28, 2012 02:28pm

combine
Other Editions (14)

More editions...

Genres

Fantasy

1,193 users

Fantasy > Epic Fantasy

84 users

Fantasy > High Fantasy

50 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

45 users

Fantasy > Magic

44 users

Epic

36 users

Adventure

30 users

Adult

18 users

Literature > American

15 users

Science Fiction

14 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Jim Butcher

A martial arts enthusiast whose resume includes a long list of skills rendered obsolete at least two hundred years ago, Jim Butcher turned to writing as a career because anything else probably would have driven him insane. He lives in Independence, Missouri, with his wife, his son, and a ferocious guard dog.

More about Jim Butcher...

Books by Jim Butcher

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About First Lord's Fury

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from First Lord's Fury

“There are some people who will never understand what
loyalty means. They could tell you what it was, of course,
but they will never know.They will never see it from the inside.
They couldn't imagine a world where something like that was real.” — 31 people liked it

“Strength is the first virtue,” Alera said. “That is not a pleasant fact. Its distastefulness does not alter the truth that without strength to protect them, all other virtues are ephemeral, ultimately meaningless.” — 1 person liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: First Lord's Fury
avg rating	preview: First Lord's Fury Goodreads rating: 4.35 (17509 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6316821-first-lord-s-fury?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327903582l/6316821.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6316821-first-lord-s-fury?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]First Lord's Fury by Jim Butcher[/url]

First Lord's Fury (Codex Alera #6)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website