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Codex Alera, by Jim Butcher
Dec. 7th, 2008 12:17 amI just finished Princeps' Fury, which is book 5 of the Codex Alera sequence by Jim Butcher. I'm assuming at this point that this is going to be a 6-book series, though I've thought it was almost done before.
Princeps' Fury is IMO one of the good new fantasies being written for the field. In some ways it's very traditional: the story of a farm boy and how he comes to importance in the world. However, Butcher really makes this story shine with two elements.
The first is a lot of originality. Much of this stems from the fact that Butcher has chosen to base his story upon a Roman-like world rather than the vastly overdone Middle Ages. (Though this has deficits, including many characters whose first names start with "M" and/or whose last names start with "A" that I end up confusing.) There are also some interesting non-human (or semi-human?) races, notably: the beast-friend Marat, the cat-like Canim, the bestial Ice Men, and worst of all, the insectoid Vord.
I think the book really shines with its non-traditional magic, with most people having access to "furies" which are elementals, and also to interesting enhancing abilities based on those elemental magics. The most powerful fury casters can truly destroy cities.
The second strong point in favor of the Codex Alera is Butcher's careful attention to character development. I also find this a strength in his Dresden Files books. I think it's telling that I found both series just a little above average from the first book, but as the characters gelled they found new strength.
Beyond that, Butcher has a great eye for action that really keeps his books moving.
I think this latest book suffered from a more scattered than usual focus (though all of the Alera books have featured a cast of characters) and the fact that it's largely a "middle" book, as Butcher moves toward what might be the climax. Still, good reading.
(Crossposted to Xenagia.)
Princeps' Fury is IMO one of the good new fantasies being written for the field. In some ways it's very traditional: the story of a farm boy and how he comes to importance in the world. However, Butcher really makes this story shine with two elements.
The first is a lot of originality. Much of this stems from the fact that Butcher has chosen to base his story upon a Roman-like world rather than the vastly overdone Middle Ages. (Though this has deficits, including many characters whose first names start with "M" and/or whose last names start with "A" that I end up confusing.) There are also some interesting non-human (or semi-human?) races, notably: the beast-friend Marat, the cat-like Canim, the bestial Ice Men, and worst of all, the insectoid Vord.
I think the book really shines with its non-traditional magic, with most people having access to "furies" which are elementals, and also to interesting enhancing abilities based on those elemental magics. The most powerful fury casters can truly destroy cities.
The second strong point in favor of the Codex Alera is Butcher's careful attention to character development. I also find this a strength in his Dresden Files books. I think it's telling that I found both series just a little above average from the first book, but as the characters gelled they found new strength.
Beyond that, Butcher has a great eye for action that really keeps his books moving.
I think this latest book suffered from a more scattered than usual focus (though all of the Alera books have featured a cast of characters) and the fact that it's largely a "middle" book, as Butcher moves toward what might be the climax. Still, good reading.
(Crossposted to Xenagia.)