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Cursor's Fury

(Codex Alera #3)

Jim Butcher (Goodreads Author)

4.34 · Rating details · 60,876 ratings · 1,444 reviews

The power-hungry High Lord of Kalare has launched a rebellion against the aging First Lord, Gaius Sextus, who with the loyal forces of Alera must fight beside the unlikeliest of allies-the equally contentious High Lord of Aquitaine.

Meanwhile, young Tavi of Calderon joins a newly formed legion under an assumed name even as the ruthless Kalare unites with the Canim, bestial ...more

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Hardcover, 442 pages

Published December 5th 2006 by Ace Hardcover

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Average rating 4.34 ·

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· 60,876 ratings · 1,444 reviews

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Mar 03, 2018 Mario the lone bookwolf rated it it was amazing

Shelves: butcher-jim

Roman legions rock the Pokemon house.

There seems to be no universal acclaim to the greatness of this series as it´s with behemoths like Sanderson, Rothfuß, Brett, Simmons, Williams,… and I guess one of the reasons for this is that there is nothing really new in this one while people got used to reading one genre revolution after the other.

So we have: The hive mind organism evil enemy, check. A frenemy whose culture is used to describe different societal systems, showing a kind of alternative h ...more

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Sep 29, 2017 Anne rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, kindle, read-in-2017

This series just keeps getting better and better.
THAT TWIST!
I never saw that spoilery thing coming, and I'm betting neither did most of you. But kudos if you did...

description

Ok, it starts out with the stars turning red and something scary getting loose in the clouds...

description

All the characters we love are back, along with all the ones we love to hate.
*rubs hands together with glee*
The story switches mostly between these main groups of characters:
Tavi (and his friends) on a spoilery mission from Gaius as Legiona ...more

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Nov 11, 2016 Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller rated it really liked it

[4.5 stars] The Codex Alera is shaping up to becoming one of my favorite fantasy series. It’s already responsible for one of my favorite books I’ve ever read (Academ’s Fury) and I’d be hard-pressed to tell you why Cursor’s Fury doesn’t deserve a spot of honor right next to it. It focused more on the legionary aspect of the story, which brought along with it an excellent mix of battle scenes, intrigue, and character development. I loved absolutely everything about it. I’ve been stingy with solid ...more

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Sep 17, 2015 Evgeny rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

The First Lord of Alera does not get any younger (I am stating obvious, am I not?) He also does not have any male heir - or female for that matter. No wonder that everybody and their brother want his job, yesterday. Several high-ranking people actually have the means to get it.

To neutralize the danger from the most likely contender (High Lord Kalare), The First Lord forces him to act early hoping his lack of preparation would allow for an easy victory. He severely underestimated Kalare's streng The First Lord of Alera does not get any younger (I am stating obvious, am I not?) He also does not have any male heir - or female for that matter. No wonder that everybody and their brother want his job, yesterday. Several high-ranking people actually have the means to get it.

To neutralize the danger from the most likely contender (High Lord Kalare), The First Lord forces him to act early hoping his lack of preparation would allow for an easy victory. He severely underestimated Kalare's strength and ambition. For the third time (fourth if you count the past event which gets mentioned regularly) the realm is in mortal danger. For the third time the regulars of the series have to face overwhelming odds in attempt to salvage an unwinnable situation.

For every single book of the series I read so far I was sure I would rate it with 3 stars and every one of them ended up with 4, and this time is not an exception. The beginning was fairly boring and I did not expect much from the way the events began. The conflict seemed on the much lesser scale than those of the previous installments. Tavi is still Mary Sue - or Gary Stu in his case - who can do no wrong and can overcome all challenges. I was not impressed with what Isana was doing through the whole book.

Somewhere as the plot moved along the stakes became huge, the pace picked up and the novel became the expected - at this point - equivalent of a summer blockbuster movie with lots of explosions, big fights, last minute escapes, and other well-known attributes. This means mindless entertainment at (almost) its best.

As an icing on the cake we finally get to see some interesting back history of Isana and Tavi. The big plot twist at the end typical for the series is present as well, but this time I was able to predict it (yay for me!)

I already mentioned 4 stars as the rating. Now that I am half-done with the series it is fairly safe to say I will finish it even if all of the remaining books are abysmal. They are most probably not. ...more

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Jul 06, 2012 Rob rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-before-goodreads, fantasy, author-male, favorites, read-2014, own, audio-book

Executive Summary: To me this is where the series really starts to shine. Mr. Butcher established the world and the key players in the last 2 books, and now he gets down the business of telling the story.

Audio book: I didn't like Ms. Reading too much at the start. Her male voices bothered me. By this book however, I couldn't imagine anyone else reading this. There is a scene where random legionaries are calling out and Ms. Reading does different voices for all of them.

I think she's also flushed Executive Summary: To me this is where the series really starts to shine. Mr. Butcher established the world and the key players in the last 2 books, and now he gets down the business of telling the story.

Audio book: I didn't like Ms. Reading too much at the start. Her male voices bothered me. By this book however, I couldn't imagine anyone else reading this. There is a scene where random legionaries are calling out and Ms. Reading does different voices for all of them.

I think she's also flushed out the voices she uses for all the main and secondary characters to really add that extra something that not all audio books readers seem to manage.

Full Review
I was both a bit eager and nervous for this re-read. This is only of only a handful of books that I've given 5 stars to and on my favorites shelf. My memory of it seems to have held up pretty well however.

This book seems feels far less trope heavy to me as the last two. You still have your chosen one story, but I was just so wrapped up in the awesomeness of it all that I just didn't spend any thinking about it.

The first half of this book is good, but the second half is even better. Unlike the last book where I somewhat dreaded any chapter that took us away from the main story, the secondary stories in this book are much more interesting. Adding a lot of depth to the politics of the world and many of the secondary characters.

For a book that focuses mostly on a newly formed legion, there seems to actually be less time spent on battles, which may be a plus or minus for you depending on how much you enjoy reading them. Personally I think he strikes the balance just right and Tavi really shines in this book as a result.

No one is going to accuse this of being some deep, complex series full of numerous unexpected twists and turns. However while some of it is pretty predictable, I think Mr. Butcher does manage a few surprises amid the more expected plot developments. But honestly, who cares? I was having far too much fun listening this book to spend much of the review getting into that.

Part adventure, part political thriller, part war novel with a decent amount of romance thrown in, there is a likely something for everyone here. I for one had trouble stopping for the day by the end and had to jump right into the next book. ...more

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Feb 14, 2017 Scott Hitchcock rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, epic-fantasy

By far the best of the first three books in the series. I think the biggest change was Tavi stopped whining and in the first two novels the author kept insisting Tavi was smart but his clueless actions said otherwise. The action was also much faster. All of the other characters have been interesting and compelling all along and continue to be so. It's just hard when the focal character isn't.

Looking forward to the rest of the series.

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Dec 30, 2016 Rossana rated it it was amazing

Shelves: best-of-the-best, fantasy, fictional-bf, 2016-favs

THAT ENDING.

Ok, so, I loved this book so much! This was my favorite installment, I loved everything about it: Tavi, the Canim, Tavi, the military setting, Tavi, the new characters, TAVI and basically everything else.
I enjoyed all the flashbacks, I think they are very well done and also necessary to the story. Araris is now a much more relatable character and I got to know Septimus, my new obsession.

But let's talk about the very best: Tavi. Oh God I love you. At the beginning of FoC I liked you a ...more

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Jan 12, 2012 Kaila rated it did not like it

Shelves: fantasy, fantasy-aficionados-challenge-2012, 2012, magic

I have yet to actually like any of the books in the Codex Alera. Why do I keep reading them, you ask? Good question. I guess at some point I couldn't tear my eyes away from the train wreck and I love a good groan as well as the next bloke. At this point I'm in gaped mouthed awe at how angry these books make me, and I just have to know if they continue to be so bad. Prepare for maximum bitchiness.

(view spoiler) I have yet to actually like any of the books in the Codex Alera. Why do I keep reading them, you ask? Good question. I guess at some point I couldn't tear my eyes away from the train wreck and I love a good groan as well as the next bloke. At this point I'm in gaped mouthed awe at how angry these books make me, and I just have to know if they continue to be so bad. Prepare for maximum bitchiness.

(view spoiler)[I'll begin with the title. Once you figure out the naming scheme for the Codex Alera books, where the series is going becomes pretty obvious. The sixth book is called First Lord's Fury. Damn Jim Butcher, spoiler that shit! At this point I can only hope I'm wrong, but I really do hate nothing more in the world than being spoiled so I'm not going to read the synopsis of the last book to find out. I'll come back and edit when I get there. (EDIT two years later: Yeah...I was right.)

For now though, Tavi is a Cursor in the aptly named Cursor's Fury. This is the farmer-turned-savior trope taken to a whole new level, as from the first chapter, Tavi does not go to the First Lord. No no, the First Lord comes to him. Like Tavi is seriously busier than the First Lord? Come on now. And what does Gaius Sextus immediately do? What every good emperor would. Ask about his agent's LOVE LIFE. "Hey Tavi I thought I'd come to see you since you're obviously a busy man, hey by the way how goes shagging the ambassador?" What?! I already cared very little about your abilities as a leader, but now I could not care less that the rest of the book is all about people throwing their lives away to protect YOUR kingdom, when you obviously do not deserve as much. You spent the last book complaining about being overworked, and your brief foray in this book you come personally to give a soldier orders any old servant could have done, thoroughly destroying any sympathy you might have had from me in the process. (EDIT: Yes, I realize that I refused to pick up on the very not subtle hints that Tavi was his grandson. I stand by these statements.)

That is what begins what I eventually realize is a complete lack of a chain of command or any sort of military knowledge. Tavi is always able to go directly to the top with no repercussions. True, this is not a modern day army, but if there was ever an army that loved discipline, duty, and knowing your place, it was the Romans. He can waltz into the general's tent and no one bats an eyelid, even though we're the only ones who are supposed to know he's not actually that low on the totem pole. He is placed as a logistics officer, assisting in keeping the army running smoothly, well geared, and well fed. This is a RUSE so that we are cowed into believing one iota of thought went into how a army is run. He is sent to go buy grain off local farms but as SOON as the battle started, the problem of feeding the army was never mentioned again. "An army marches on its stomach" is a saying for a reason, and supply lines are serious business when it comes to defending a town. They're never mentioned.

Then, HOW CONVENIENT, the entire officer's corps is wiped out. WHOEVER WILL SAVE US?! Thank God one officer wasn't there. Yes, TAVI TO THE RESCUE. At this point, he has only been in school for two years, and he's going up against soldiers, sometimes with years of battle experience, and they just shrug it off and say, "Boy is that kid clever." He manages to come up with several deus ex machina; particularly I'm thinking of the Knights Aeris bending light to make a gigantic lens of fiery death. No one has ever thought of this before? Seriously, you left it up to the kid with no furies? Any battle that does not employ this tactic from now on is wasting lives. And I'm positive the world is going to pretend like it never happened, and this innovation will be forgotten. If it does continue to get used, I'll eat my words, but there's basically nothing an army can do against that, which doesn't make for very interesting battles. (EDIT: I was right. It's never mentioned again.)

Let's take a look at how the battle was laid out. I never fully understood it, and even after looking at the Butcher approved map over at his website, it made even less sense. The entire battle was over a city that spanned two sides of a river, and the bridge connecting the two. Based on the map, you can see the town, Elinarch, over on the western side. Ok. Let's think about this. The Canim had a fleet that was hundreds of ships, and they all landed in the same place. Let's make our best estimate and say it's about 50,000 troops because I can't find anywhere that says how many it was. They all make landfall in Founderport, to the southwest, and they all head for Elinarch. That bridge doesn't even look that important to me, especially because it's to the north, when everything important to the kingdom is to the east. Now, why, WHY, if they really wanted the bridge, couldn't they have landed half the forces up the coast 50 miles, and surrounded the town? Or send a few thousand troops up river 10 miles, so that they can cross over and start attacking the other side? Maybe mess up those supply lines that didn't exist? It is even mentioned at one point that directly below the bridge, Canim troops try to swim across, but are thwarted by a defense Tavi put there. So...go a mile up river where that defense doesn't exist? I simply don't understand. The entire battle was completely useless because the Canim obviously should have won. Of course I want the good guys to win, but if the only reason they did so was because of a bad setting and bad writing, then the victory is senseless.

The women...ah the women. I don't like any of them. Kitai is barely ok, but the whole "bonding" thing with Tavi completely turned me off her. How about Isana, who doomed who knows how many soldiers to death because she selfishly chose to only help Fade? And she is busy healing him for literally over a month, the entire time a battle raging a mere mile from her apartment. Seriously, there are so many things wrong with that picture. Isana gets absolutely no sympathy from me ever again. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, that's just how it is.

Certain things started to annoy me so much I thought about keeping a scoreboard of how many times I rolled my eyes. The word "crow" shows up 132 times, according to my Kindle search, including all instances of "crowspawn" and "crowbegotten," and this book is only 450 pages. That's a crow at least every three pages. I HATE the word crow SO MUCH now. I seriously never want to read or hear it again. Everybody has flashes of insight, instinct, intuition, and amazing eyesight to see movement out of the corner of their eyes so they can roll away at the last second. If there's a swordsman, he will always be "the best" or "one of the best" in the realm. All the women arch their back whenever their kissed, and Bernard always kisses Amara on the eyes and "full on the mouth." UGH.

I was interested in discovering why Tavi has no furies until we actually do find out, and that was a major let down.

For the first time, I could not find any redeeming features in this book. The best thing about it is that it is very readable. I openly admit to not being a fan of the first two installments, and this book is more of the same, but even worse. There are so many good fantasy series out there, don't waste your time on this one. (hide spoiler)] ...more

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Jan 23, 2013 Tom rated it it was amazing

Another 5 for sure on this book in the series! I’m not sure whether I liked it as much as the second book but I do know that I loved it.

I loved that this book takes place years after the last book and that gives the characters to grow up a bit. As in the other books in the series, there are constant twists and turns. The characters are so real and the villians again show to be in a very grey zone. I love how Gaius is supposed to be the “good” guy but the story is always bringing up evidence that ...more

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Nov 06, 2015 Kathleen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: impaired-character, series, magic-fantasy, faves

Wonderful. Best so far. Good integration of magic, strategy, and Roman engineering. Tavi's character takes shape and some new relationships develop, along with the old favorites (Max, Kitai, Ehren, Amara, Bernard, etc.). We learn about Fade's role in his birth, and see more of the wolf-like Canum warriors and ritualist sorcerers.

But Butcher goes overboard with "wolfish grins" and inserts a bit too much on the sexy Amara-Bernard ship.

I don't buy into the reformed character. Redemption isn't so ch ...more

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Aug 27, 2017 Donna rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

This is the third book in the Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher. This is fantasy in the way that only Jim Butcher can do. This book was a solid 4 stars for me. The ending was 5 stars. I loved the ending.

I like the characters. They are endearing. Even the token romance between Tavi and Katai is kind of sweet, but in a good way. I like that they are still their own character without the constant mooning over each other and plus, she was funny. There was actually way more to this story than romanc ...more

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Jun 14, 2017 Tilly rated it liked it

Shelves: high-fantasy, age-adult

This book is my least favorite in the "Codex Alera" series so far and, to be fair, it´s probably mostly my own fault. First of all, it´s been a while since I´ve read the second book in the series and due two the huge amount of characters and place names, which many adult fantasy books feature, I already forgot quite a few and it took me a while to dive into this world again. Furthermore I was a bit disappointed that all the Marat, except for Kitai, were not really present in this book because th This book is my least favorite in the "Codex Alera" series so far and, to be fair, it´s probably mostly my own fault. First of all, it´s been a while since I´ve read the second book in the series and due two the huge amount of characters and place names, which many adult fantasy books feature, I already forgot quite a few and it took me a while to dive into this world again. Furthermore I was a bit disappointed that all the Marat, except for Kitai, were not really present in this book because their culture was probably my favorite aspect of the previous two books. I also had some minor problems with the pacing and the way how the chapters were divided up. I would have to switch a bit more between the POV characters instead reading some any successive chapters by the same narrator. Although I like Tavi as a character I found his story line in this book a bit exhausting after a while and sometimes I wished to read a bit more about Bernard and Amara. A very interesting addition to their part of the story to me was Gaelle aka Rook. I´m all in for morally grey characters and their redemption arcs so I had a lot of fun reading about her. Although I already said that I wasn´t blown away by Tavi´s plot line in this book, that doesn´t mean that I like him less as a character. I still think that he is a very believable protagonist and I´m also all in for characters of physical weakness who are able become strong in their own way, so I like the fact that he falls into this category. The chapters about Isana and Fade were also interesting at times and I liked that we got to know more of their backstory. (view spoiler) Overall, it was enjoyable read and, as I said, the reasons why I didn´t enjoy this book as much as its predecessors are mainly personal. I hope to read the next book in the series as soon as possible to make it easier for myself to dive into the world of Alera again. 3.5 of 5 stars. ...more

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Feb 07, 2009 Stephen rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2006-2010, fantasy, audiobook, unique-magic

4.5 stars. Another outstanding installment of this high quality epic fantasy series. Of Butcher's two series, I think I like this series more (even though the Dresden books are a ton of fun). The quality of the writing continues to improve, the scope of the story continues to expand and the world-building is absolutely superb. So far, each successive installment has been better than the previous one and I hope the trend continues. Highly Recommended!!

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Jul 24, 2017 S.K. Inkslinger rated it really liked it

Another epic and adventurous page-turner in this amazing series! I'm totally looking forward to see Tavi's growth and development, and his embrace of the destiny that lies ahead of him. I have fallen totally in love with this series.

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Feb 12, 2020 Soo rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, reviewed, audiobook

Mini-Review:

4.5 Stars for Narration by Kate Reading
4.5 Stars for Progression & Characters

The series is not about sunshine & roses but I'm a fan of how love for family, friends & lovers are a central part of the story line. I've enjoyed each book in Codex Alera. Cursor's Fury had the best mix of relevant story parts, character & story progression, tension filled action sequences and little moments of connection.

It is a little cheesy?
A little predictable?
Sure.

It's not about a story having bee ...more

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May 04, 2020 Jessica (JessicaReads) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4.5 stars! My favorite of the series so far. After that ending I NEED to start book 4 now!!!

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May 20, 2020 ⋆ yel ⋆ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: review, 2020-reads, favorites

4.5 of 5 stars

-----

I know I've said it a lot of times before but I'll say it again: Tavi is just so damn good and I loved him so much! He proved his skills, cleverness, resourcefulness and courage once more in this book. I can no longer picture the small teenage Tavi herding sheeps and gargants in his steadholt many years ago. All I can see is a young man, who managed to catch up with his delayed growth spurt, able to lead and commandeer an entire legion to manipulate and outwit their enemi ...more

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May 08, 2018 Kostas rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, epic-high-fantasy, military-sff

8.5/10

Reaching at the end of the first half, having earned after two successful books a big recognition both through his writing capabilities and the love of readers who pushed his career even further, Jim Butcher comes to Cursor’s Fury, the third installment of the Codex Alera series, with a greater will and imagination, taking us into a civil war, into a story of Legionaries and Cursors, of political rivals, spies and bestial ritualists, and into an adventure of subjugation and domination, of ...more

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Aug 25, 2010 Nicholas rated it really liked it

Good, good, good book. Tavi is growing up, and his mysterious past, and why he has no furies is finally revealed.

Things that are really good:
1. Maximus
2. Maximus
3. Grown-up Ehren
4. Kitai
5. Tavi as a legionnaire captain

oh wait, .5. The Freaking Canim.

Finally Tavi's got some worthy adversaries and while treachery is always afoot in the Kingdom of Alera, this time, there's far more open conflict. Butcher continues to write really well and put his characters through legitimately believable emotion ...more

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Feb 25, 2015 Xara Niouraki rated it it was amazing

Solid five starts. An excellent book that expands the universe and makes you keep reading. I love the characters. Butcher is really good at making them interesting and I end up caring about all of them, even the bad ones. Fidelias is one of my favourite and I really enjoy the fact that he is not wholly good or bad but has his own moral compass. The ending of the book was totally awesome and it made me start reading the fourth book immediately.
A highly recommended series. Butcher shows once agai ...more

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Oct 09, 2009 Mike (the Paladin) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, epic-fantasy

Getting to know the characters better here. The "aforementioned" underlying plot comes more clearly into focus and the story grows. Well written and very enjoyable.

I gave these short "I liked them reviews" when I finished these books. My attention was brought back to them and I want to take a minute to recommend them and say again that I like them. Being a huge Dresden fan I probably tend to give them a bit of
short shrift.

You can tell by the titles that Tavi's is moving through life. Having gon ...more

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Jul 14, 2011 Jim rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, 2fiction, 3series, 1paper

Another good addition to the series, but some of the foreshadowing was heavy handed, so 3.5. A fun, quick read. This didn't appeal to me in some ways as much as the first or second because Butcher is getting a little too predictable, still it had its moments. The series is definitely worth continuing. No real need for a full review - if you liked the first 2 books, you'll like this one. I did & am moving on to the 4th.

Update: This book in the MMP edition, is the only one to have a map, so far & ...more

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Jul 18, 2019 Nadine rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Cursor’s Fury is the third installment in the Codex Alera. Its main focus is war. For most of the novel, readers follow the various characters as a full-fledged war is fought against the Canim.

Tavi is now much older and readers get to see who he is as a man and what he’s capable of despite his limitations. Tavi is intelligent and adaptable. Both qualities serve him well as he fights on the front lines.

Max is easily one of my favorite secondary characters. He’s fun as he brings a lot of comedy to Cursor’s Fury is the third installment in the Codex Alera. Its main focus is war. For most of the novel, readers follow the various characters as a full-fledged war is fought against the Canim.

Tavi is now much older and readers get to see who he is as a man and what he’s capable of despite his limitations. Tavi is intelligent and adaptable. Both qualities serve him well as he fights on the front lines.

Max is easily one of my favorite secondary characters. He’s fun as he brings a lot of comedy to the scenes he’s in. Though, he’s also a very capable soldier and seeing him in action made me appreciate him all the more.

Butcher had me worried about Amara as a character. Her relationship with Barnard is not sanctioned by law since passing on the ability to furycraft to the next generation is required. Amara is barren making their relationship illegal. I was worried Butcher would relegate her character to the female obsessed with getting pregnant and having kids. Fortunately, Amara is just as badass as she started off in the first novel if not more. There’s a particular escape/pursuit sequence that she crushes with her awesomeness.

Isana’s chapters are generally not my favorite compared to the others, though that’s not to say I dislike her or her story. In this novel, Isana shines as readers get a well-deserved glimpse into the past. These scenes are full of answers while also posing new ones for readers to ponder. There’s a particular scene that’s heartbreaking yet beautiful. Butcher’s writing in that chapter is easily some of his best as he hits all the emotional notes with ease.

The only criticism I have of Cursor’s Fury is the lack of Kitai. She pops in and out of the novel at convenient times where her expertise is needed. This may be in part due to how overpowered she is, but I was really looking forward to exploring her link with Tavi further.

Overall, Cursor’s Fury packs a punch with its twists and turns coupled with reveals that change the direction of the story in interesting and unexpected ways.'

(view spoiler) ...more

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Jan 20, 2011 Amanda rated it really liked it

Shelves: bought-copy, series, fantasy

Cursor's Fury is the third novel in the Codex Alera sequence by Jim Butcher. We return to events following Tavi, orphaned child - or, rather, young man by this stage - as he takes up a political position within the First Aleran Legion at the request of the First Lord. Gaius intends Tavi to learn the process of legion life, while trying to keep him away from the actual fighting - the First Legion is newly created and going through a drilling process. However, events conspire against the First Lor Cursor's Fury is the third novel in the Codex Alera sequence by Jim Butcher. We return to events following Tavi, orphaned child - or, rather, young man by this stage - as he takes up a political position within the First Aleran Legion at the request of the First Lord. Gaius intends Tavi to learn the process of legion life, while trying to keep him away from the actual fighting - the First Legion is newly created and going through a drilling process. However, events conspire against the First Lord, when Tavi gets caught up in leading the Legion against an invasion force of Canim, massive dog-like warriors with a curious code of honour. Can Tavi manage to hold the inexperienced Legion in the face of overwhelming odds until aid can be sent?

I don't really think I am revealing a big shock when I say yes, he can. These novels are not designed to present too many surprises, or dark endings - it is more the journey to the end of the book that provides pleasure and unusual events. If you have followed my reviews of this series, you will know that I deeply enjoyed the first novel, but was a little disappointed in the second. I am pleased to report that the third novel is better than both combined. Here, it seems as though Butcher finally hit his stride - he was no longer merely poking fun at fantasy cliches; rather, he was telling the tale of Tavi and doing it incredibly well.

Why did I enjoy this one more? For one reason, there was a deal more humour in this novel. We no longer had the poker-faced, quasi-serious delivery from Butcher. Instead we had the same delightful comedy moments that imbue his Dresden Files. There was one particular scene that made me laugh out loud, which is something to be treasured when reading a fantasy novel (I do find that sometimes they take themselves a little seriously!).

I also appreciated the shift in scene to the Legion. It provided excellent value in terms of relationships, new characters, and some brilliant dialogue. Having spent time so far in the Steadholt life, and then in the city of Alera, I am finding that the Legion is where Butcher does his best writing.

Butcher's prose is generally no-nonsense with flashes of pure poetry, and this was something I greatly enjoyed as well. It was surprising to me that this came mostly in the arena of romance! Butcher might well have a career as a romance author in front of him *grins*. The growing relationship between Tavi and Kitai is just beautiful - very touching moments as they hold each other before battle, and also very prosaic moments when Kitai will puncture Tavi's times of pride, just because she can.

Finally, I just want to mention that I was actually surprised by a particular reveal at the end of this novel concerning one of the characters - and that was just fine with me too. I like being surprised thanks to good writing, and this one made me want to go back through the novel to see whether I could spot any hints towards the character being more than what he seemed.

In fact, the only point of criticism I wish to make is that the novels are starting to feel a little formulaic. Not in terms of a central conflict being solved in the overall arc of the series, but more because each book has featured a main storyline, and then a subplot where some of the key protagonists end up going off on their own adventure. It allows Butcher to skip between them and create cliff-hanger endings to chapters, but it feels very artificial in this third novel. I look forward to seeing if he changes this formula in the fourth, since it is getting tired in my opinion.

Overall, though, an incredibly strong entry to the series and my favourite to this point. Butcher has created a memorable protagonist in the form of Tavi of Calderon and the fact I keep picking up the next book in the series when I really have commitments to read other novels shows, I think, how compelling these are. A highly under-rated high fantasy epic. ...more

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Feb 13, 2020 Shreyas rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy-books, favourites-and-five-stars

This series gets better with each book. Cursor's Fury is still solidly in the military fantasy camp. I always like good military fantasy book. The battles are well-written, and we can see Tavi grow as character. Also, There are twists and revelations at parts of book that take it beyond pure military fantasy, and some great developments to looking a foreword to reading next book ASAP.

Ratings:- 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

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Jun 02, 2014 Kaitlin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is book number 3 in the Codex Alera series and I have really enjoyed the previous two so I was hoping to really love this one too and it did not disappoint!

The storyline of this book is focussed mostly on Tavi once again as the main character, but it does still include chapter snippets into the lives of the other major players. Whilst the first book was mostly a set up book and the second was mostly based in Politics, this one was based mostly around warfare and battles.

In this storyline we This is book number 3 in the Codex Alera series and I have really enjoyed the previous two so I was hoping to really love this one too and it did not disappoint!

The storyline of this book is focussed mostly on Tavi once again as the main character, but it does still include chapter snippets into the lives of the other major players. Whilst the first book was mostly a set up book and the second was mostly based in Politics, this one was based mostly around warfare and battles.

In this storyline we get to meet the Canim and find out a lot more about their culture than we previously could guess. The Canim are the arch enemies of Alera and they have been warring with one another for years on and off but over time the battles have changed and seemingly have been leading up to something bigger than Alera has ever seen before. Tavi is enlisted to help out with the battle and become a part of a Legion, and of course he uses his resourcefulness and intelligence to do his best to ensure a victory.

I did miss the Marat a lot from this book as they were not really present within it, but I am certain that they will come back into it in the next three (that's the main reason why this is 4*s and not 5*s) as they are just so entertaining and enjoyable, but in stark contrast to the ways and traditions of the Marat I did actually enjoy the way that we learned about another race (the Canim) and the traditions and values that they have. I certainly love the manipulative nature that they have and the way that they almost seem to be one step ahead all the time.

Amara and Bernard and Isana also feature in this book and they are all fulfilling lesser, but just as critical, roles around the Aleran land. They each have to show not only their devotion to one another and their willingness to fight to the end for one another, but also the sincere care that they have for their land is clear to see whilst they fight for what they believe is right.

We get to know Kalere a lot more in this story when he makes a big move against the crown and causes some very devastating things to happen across the land, and we also encounter Fade and learn a lot more about his back story and how it is linked with Isana's, which was one aspect I really enjoyed learning about too as it has been hinted at in the previous two but never truly explained.

I am certain that book 4 is going to be a very interesting read, I hope that it's not just another huge battle as that was the one area I didn't like quite so much as the previous books, I preferred the political webs over the strategies for war, but that's just my personal preference and it was still done well either way.

On the whole if you have enjoyed the previous books in this series I have no doubt that you will like this one too, it's just as exciting (although maybe a little slower in pacing) and so I will certainly be picking up the next one soon, especially after the epilogue has such a funny and mystifying ending! ...more

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Mar 23, 2014 Rosanna rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This series just keeps getting better! I love these characters and story line. The only thing that kept it from a five star was the long drawn out battle scenes, other than that, this was pretty damn amazing.

On to book four...

...more

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Jul 28, 2018 Jennifer rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018, romance, dys-fantasy-pnr-scifi-altreal, action-adventure-mystery-suspense, part-of-a-series, military, safe, borrowed-library, stars-3, not-a-mh

Still interesting and fun, I liked this installment of the series. There was a decent amount of relationship and character development, but there was also a little too much action for me. I liked the twists and turns and look forward to seeing what happens next to Tavi and the gang.

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Dec 14, 2011 ***Dave Hill rated it liked it

Shelves: text

(Original review: http://hill-kleerup.org/blog/2008/01/...)

Story: Good
Characters: Fair
Re-Readability: Good
Overall: Good

Story: This is a return to Butcher’s fantasy world, populated by apparent descendents of Ancient Rome (a mystery still only brushed against), and where magic manifests as bound / familiar elemental spirits, or furies. Furies can not only manifest themselves as elemental creatures. but also give to their controllers great power — strength for Earth, speed for Air, endurance for M (Original review: http://hill-kleerup.org/blog/2008/01/...)

Story: Good
Characters: Fair
Re-Readability: Good
Overall: Good

Story: This is a return to Butcher’s fantasy world, populated by apparent descendents of Ancient Rome (a mystery still only brushed against), and where magic manifests as bound / familiar elemental spirits, or furies. Furies can not only manifest themselves as elemental creatures. but also give to their controllers great power — strength for Earth, speed for Air, endurance for Metal, etc. Everyone in the realm of Alera has access to fury-based power — everyone except Tavi, who has only his wits and reflexes to save him from various dangers, and the prime protagonist of the series. Ostensibly an orphan from the boondocks, Tavi has already come under the watchful eye of First Lord Gaius Sextus, ruler (and most powerful furycrafter) of the empire, and has gone from farmboy to student to, in this volume, one of the First Lord’s Cursors, or secret service agents.

In that role, he ends up undercover in a newly-formed Legion — which finds itself, unexpectedly in the middle of both a civil war and an invasion. Can Tavi balance soldierly loyalty with loyalty to the First Lord? Can he rise to the occasion as battles thrust him to the forefront of dealing with the invasion? Can he overcome yet again his lack of furycrafting?

Well, yeah, of course he can, it being that sort of fantasy novel – but not without a lot of hard work, heartache, and danger.

But the book would only be half its 544 pages if that’s all there were to it. Instead, Butcher, following the pattern of the second book, runs at least another half-dozen major characters through their own separate tales, dealing with politics, magic, old loyalties, and devil’s bargains made and broken. Butcher manages to do this pretty successfully, even if some characters get a slightly short shrift. And he does it all with wheels-within-wheels conspiracies, secrets both hidden and (to some) revealed, plots, counter-plots, soap opera, and plenty of unexpected twists and turns (some of which are payoffs from earlier volumes, others of which hold plenty of interest for future books). The good guys win, mostly, but never easily, and always at a cost.

There’s probably three novels worth of material here, but Butcher does a good job of keeping it managed and coherent — and entertaining.

Characters: As noted above, the book has several primary, and several more secondary, characters, most of whom we’ve met in earlier volumes, all of whom are involved in an elaborately woven series of plots and circumstances. The characters tend to be well-written, if not terribly complex, falling into fairly standard fantasy/adventure roles. The story holds some surprises, but not many of the characters do. The impressiveness is that Butcher keeps all of the balls in the air, rather than that any of the balls themselves are works of art.

That’s not to say the characters are badly written, by any means — they’re just not all that uniquely written. The fun is in the plots that Butcher runs them through, and how they react to it.

Re-Readability: Though I haven’t gone back to them yet, the series feels eminently re-readable. Indeed, as more secrets are revealed, I’m sure that an eventual re-read will be even more interesting.

Overall: Another solid, successful effort by Butcher. The next volume of the series – Captain’s Fury – is already out, and despite it only being in hardcover, I’m sorely tempted to pick it up. Hard to ask much of an author than that. ...more

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Apr 26, 2016 Giota rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

It has many problems as a book but it is just as engaging and entertaining.

Update: 10.05.2016

Generally speaking this book was very enjoyable in spite of its problems.

Jim Butcher didn’t do a good job intertwining the different characters’ plotlines. I especially didn’t like the way Kitai kept popping in and out of the picture in a very inconsistent way and solely when her presence was crucial to the plot. The way Kitai was dealt with in this book was amateur.

I am not invested at all in Amara or ...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Sci-fi and Heroic...: Cursor's Fury by Jim Butcher	17	18	Apr 20, 2019 10:01AM
Goodreads Librari...: Four Copies of Ace Publishing's Edition of Cursor's Fury when only One is Needed	4	19	Apr 13, 2018 10:00PM
Cursor's Fury	3	25	Sep 05, 2017 10:51AM
Romance Lovers fo...: Cursor's Fury (Codex Alera #3) by Jim Butcher Start: December 21, 2015	47	33	Dec 27, 2015 08:17PM
Isana and Araris (Spoilers)	2	49	Oct 13, 2014 01:34PM
Buddy Read Zone: Cursor's Fury (Codex Alera #3)	223	32	Apr 13, 2014 10:52AM

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About Jim Butcher

Jim Butcher

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Jim Butcher is the author of the Dresden Files, the Codex Alera, and a new steampunk series, the Cinder Spires. His resume includes a laundry list of skills which were useful a couple of centuries ago, and he plays guitar quite badly. An avid gamer, he plays tabletop games in varying systems, a variety of video games on PC and console, and LARPs whenever he can make time for it. Jim currently resi ...more