Author: Ryan

Background

Cursor’s Fury is the third book in Jim Butcher’s Codex Alera series. It is set in a world where people can bond with elemental spirits called furies. Tavi is a young man who does not have a fury, but he is still determined to be a soldier at the request of the First Lord. He joins a new legion and is sent on a mission to investigate a rebellion. Along the way, he learns more about himself and his abilities. He also makes new friends and allies, and he comes to realize that he is capable of great things in spite of the powers he lacks.

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this book. Jim Butcher did a great job imbuing Tavi with a good heart and spun a great tale demonstrating how adversity can strengthen someone and prepare them for bigger and better things.

The book itself is a great story but it is building to an even bigger climax in the later books. I’m excited to see where it goes.

Recommendation

Great book. I really enjoyed it.

Background

Academ’s Fury is the second book in the Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher. It takes place two years after the events of the first book, Furies of Calderon. The story follows Tavi, a young man who has no furycrafting abilities, but is still determined to protect his people from the dangers they face. In this book, Tavi is a student at the Alera Imperial Academy, where he is training to become a Cursor, one of the First Lord’s elite spies. He also serves as the First Lord’s page, and is privy to many of the secrets of the realm. As the book progresses, Tavi must use all of his courage and resourcefulness to save his people from a new threat that is even more dangerous than the ones they faced before.

My Thoughts

Much like the first book, it took a minute to get this one going but it did hook me after a bit.

It finally dawned on me that this series features the main character who has no magic in a world of people who do, which is in nice juxtaposition to the Dresden Files where the protagonist is the only person with magic in a world without. Sorry Mr. Butcher, I’m a little slow sometimes.

The evil in this book amounts to the same as zombies though of a decidedly different flavor. I’ve always thought the zombie to be the least frightening of the monsters. However, the whole concept of something that is already dead, that you can’t kill, that you can’t reason with, that wants to take the “you” from you does make a good monster.

Recommendation

As the 2nd book, I feel like the series is just getting going.

Background

Furies of Calderon is the first novel in the Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher, published on October 5, 2004. The story takes place in the Aleran Empire, where people can bond with elemental furies to gain elemental powers. Tavi is a young man who lacks any furycrafting abilities, but he is determined to prove himself to his family and his people. When the Marat horde, a savage and warlike people, invades the Calderon Valley, Tavi must use all of his courage and resourcefulness to save his home and his people.

My Thoughts

This book took me a long time to get into and I’m still not quite hooked. I loved Jim Butcher’s “Dresden Files” series so I’m going to hang with it till the end. However, this book was pretty long winded and didn’t really have the same whimsy that I came to expect from the author.

Recommendation

I’m on the fence with this one.

Background

The Carpet People is a comic fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett. It was first published in 1971, and was later re-written by the author when his work became more widespread and well-known. The story follows the adventures of a group of small people who live on a carpet. The carpet is their world, and they have no knowledge of anything else.

My Thoughts

This was my first Terry Pratchett book and right from the beginning, I was hooked. I love his sense of humor and it is reflected in pretty much everything in the story. There are certainly some elements that are a little less refined and I’m curious to have read the original that he released when he was 17 to compare and contrast.

Recommendation

It was worth the time.

Background

Published in September of 2015, “The Aeronaut’s Windlass” by Jim Butcher is a steampunk adventure that follows the exploits of a group of characters as they navigate a world filled with airships, magic, and political intrigue.

My Thoughts

I loved the “Dresden Files” series and so I thought I’d try another from the same author. This book started off pretty slow to me but picked up as it went along. I really enjoyed the new take on technologies, wildlife, and the world as a whole. Toward the end, I couldn’t get enough. I was sad to see the series hadn’t moved along for almost a decade.

Recommendation

I really enjoyed it.