Codex Alera Books In Order

Publication Order of Codex Alera Books

“Codex Alera” is a fantasy series written by Jim Butcher, and there are only six books to the series. Unlike Butcher’s “Dresden Files”, “Alera” is swords and horse fantasy that is set in the realm of Alera, a place that is a lot like Rome. It focuses on Tavi, a boy in the first book, as he grows up and becomes a man.

The series features magic in the form of furies. Everyone in this universe can wield them. Furies are spirits that are elemental, and include water, metal, wood, fire, air, and earth. Some are small and some are big, known as Great Furies that appear like volcanoes and oceans and mountains.

The series stars Tavi, the only human that cannot produce furies. Over the course of the series, he learns about himself and why he cannot produce any furies. Tavi is able to outwit people even without furies, but is still often harassed for his lack of skill. At one point in the first book, he gets kidnapped by the Marat and is forced to partake in a trial of wits. He winds up bound to a Marat girl that he later marries. He also learns about his parents.

Besides Tavi, there is Amara and Bernard. Bernard is Tavi’s uncle who later marries Amara. Amara is a Countess, strong with crafting wind and was a Cursor. Amara was struck with the blight that leaves her unable to bear children, something that causes her trouble in her relationship with Bernard because he is a nobleman and it is his obligation to bear children and continue his own line. At first, he and Amara keep their relationship quiet while they try to have their own kids. They later adopt a child, and are finally able to have kids together. He raises Tavi as his uncle and serves as his father figure.

There is also Kitai, who is a Marat. She is the daughter of Doroga, who is the head of a tribe of Marat. She becomes Tavi’s love interest after he saves her in the Wax Forest, binding them forever after. She is known as a thief called the Black Cat.

There is also Max (or Antillar Maximus) who is a friend of Tavi’s and a very strong fury crafter. He is a trained Cursor, and is able to pretend to be the First Lord after he fell ill in book two of the series.

The series came about after Butcher was bet by someone from a writer’s workshop that he could not write a series that was based off of a lame idea. Butcher upped the ante and based it off two lame ideas. They were Lost Roman Legion and Pokemon.

“Furies of Calderon” by Jim Butcher is the first novel in the “Codex Alera” series and was released in 2004. Gaius Sextus, Alera’s First Lord, grows old and lacks an heir. High Lords try and plot to get them in the best position possible to succeed the throne. War seems like it is likely. Tavi saves a slave, Amara, that is actually a spy looking out for traitors for Sextus. She was with Fidelias who was mentoring her as a Cursori (spies and messengers for the First Lord).

Fans of the novel like the novel, despite the premise which does not wow all that much. Fans of the “Dresden Files” are in for a treat here, as Butcher’s sense of humor and ability to tell a great story is not lost here. Also, you get vivid imagery and real life characters that push the novel to make it even better. These four things are all things that fans of Butcher have come to expect from him throughout all of his writing. You find yourself rooting for Tavi as he tries to get through the world without any furies, but just his mind And seems to be the only smart one out of any because of this vital fact.

Some did not like the ridiculous situations that are in the book, and some repeated things and ideas that get old throughout the six books of the series. Some found that the pacing in the novel was quite bad.

“Academ’s Fury” by Jim Butcher is the second novel in the “Codex Alera” series and was released in 2005. Tavi has escaped the attack that took place on his homestead by the Marat. That does not mean that he is safe however. He tries to keep up the illusion that he is a student hard as he is actually a spy for the First Lord. He is considerably more vulnerable because he cannot use the furies, like all of the other people can. An ancient menace is a lot more of a worry than any threat the barbaric Marat people can pose. It all rests on Tavi to save things for everyone.

Fans of the novel found themselves enjoying the hints of things that will come, and the novel moves at a nice pace. The final third of things has quite a nice twist that it was easy for some to forgive certain things that this novel does not do right. Some found things in this to be even better this time around, and you get to see an interesting character, Tavi, grow more in this one as he takes on more responsibility. Some like Tavi as he does not have any furies, which makes him work much harder than anyone else in the series; some feel that too many people rely only on the furies and they do not think of how to get out of something without them. The villains, some say, are not obvious at all, because you can see and kind of agree with what they have to say about certain things. Some of these villains are actually sort of gray characters, not full on bad guys, an interesting touch, no doubt. For fans of great writing in fantasy (of the swords and horse variety), this is a great read.

Some did not like the way that the writing gets a little boring in the book, and bogs down in the middle third of things. Some found themselves unable to be attached or care for any of the characters as they all seem flat in this novel. Some find that the “Dresden Files” are so much better, and that they were really let down by these novels for that very reason.