Courtesy jim-butcher.com
Last week, I wrote about one of my favorite lesser-known authors Karen Miller. Another author that I really like that writes in the same vein is Jim Butcher. He’s best known for his “Dresden Files” series, but I’ve only read his other series, “Codex Alera.”
“Codex Alera” showcases Tavi from Calderon Valley in the country of Alera. In this world, people control elemental forces called furies. Some people can control up to two furies, however, the more they practice with them, the more powerful they become. Tavi, on the other hand, was born without the ability to tame furies. However, he somehow gets the better of his enemies using his wits and strategy, making him just as much as force to be reckoned with.
There are 6 books in the series, and I honestly can’t really say much else without giving everything away. Just know that there are a lot of adventures for this kid, and even when the sixth book ends, there’s so much left open that there’s a possibility for more in the world of Alera.
The series was really interesting. It provided a lot of new enemies to think about and really provided a well-rounded story that took advantage of telling what was happening to the other characters as well as Tavi. Enemies include Canim (basically gigantic werewolf-like creatures), Marat (pale-skinned “barbarian” race that binds themselves to animals instead of furies), and the Vord. The Vord are crucial to the overarching plot in the series. They are shapeshifters, however most of them look a lot like gigantic bugs. The Queen of the Vord is awakened and escapes to start creating an army to destroy Alera. The Queen is arguably the most humanoid, sharing many bodily similarities while also learning to adapt herself to the ways of the Aleran humans.
This series was a great adventure for me. I was sad when the last book was over, but I’ve been given hope that there will be more for Alera. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that likes strategy, mystery, backstabbing, spying, fighting, and of course, sorcery. Until next time, happy reading.
-Lauren Pirc, Assistant Blog Editor
