#74 Cursor's Fury by Jim Butcher
This review has spoilers for previous books in The Codex Alera. There are no spoilers for Cursor's Fury.
Tavi lives in a world where every person can control one of the elements, except for him. No longer a scared teenager, Tavi is now a Cursor (think undercover spy) for the First Lord Gaius. One of his assignments is to serve as an officer in charge of a legion of young, inexperienced troops. When one of Gaius's political enemies declares war on the First Lord, Tavi finds himself on the front lines of a bloody battle.
Cursor's Fury is the third book in The Codex Alera and probably the best one yet. One of the most satisfying parts of this series is watching Tavi grow from book to book. Cursor's Fury shows him at his most heroic, and most clever. Like the two previous books, Cursor's Fury also has two secondary plots involving the characters Isana and Amara, who are also impacted by the war. Amara must rescue two politically important hostages with the help of a dangerous ally. Isana must save the life of an old friend with life-threatening magic. I'm beginning to notice a trend with these three storylines. Tavi's storyline often involves him overcoming his disadvantages to prove himself a hero. Amara usually deals with situations that puts her duty to the First Lord at odds with her personal feelings. Isana must make difficult decisions to protect those dear to her. I wonder if these themes will continue through the rest of the series.
Part of what makes Cursor's Fury so enjoyable is the large cast of interesting characters. I was happy to see Kitai return, as well as Bernard. Another one of it's strengths is in it's suspenseful action sequences. Some of the most riveting scenes in Cursor's Fury are it's scenes of aerial combat, or dramatic battle sequences. I also like the fact that Cursor's Fury continues to reveal more about the past. In Academ's Fury, we learned that Isana is actually Tavi's mother. This book explores how Tavi came to be born in more detail, and even gives us a reason for why Tavi has no furies. Cursor's Fury also has satisfying romantic side plots, which I appreciated. One drawback of Cursor's Fury (and the series in general) is it's predictability, but I find it didn't mar my enjoyment of the book that much anyway.
Cursor's Fury is a great addition to The Codex Alera series. It's an incredibly fun read filled with interesting characters and great action sequences. This novel, along with Academ's Fury, proves that Jim Butcher is not only a force to be reckoned with when it comes to urban fantasy, but traditional fantasy as well. I'm looking forward to continuing the series.
Rating: four and a half stars
Length: 536 pages
Source: borrowed from Tanner
Challenges: This book is not part of any challenges
Similar Books: The Inda Books by Sherwood Smith ( see my reviews)
Other books I've read by this author: Storm Front, Fool Moon, Grave Peril, Summer Knight ( my review), Death Masks ( my review), Blood Rites ( my review), Dead Beat (my review),Proven Guilty (my review), White Night ( my review), Small Favor ( my review), Turn Coat ( my review), Changes ( my review), Furies of Calderon ( my review), and Academ's Fury ( my review). I've also read the short story "Something Borrowed" from My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding (my review), and "Day Off" from Blood Lite ( my review).
xposted to temporaryworlds , bookish , and goodreads
Tavi lives in a world where every person can control one of the elements, except for him. No longer a scared teenager, Tavi is now a Cursor (think undercover spy) for the First Lord Gaius. One of his assignments is to serve as an officer in charge of a legion of young, inexperienced troops. When one of Gaius's political enemies declares war on the First Lord, Tavi finds himself on the front lines of a bloody battle.
Cursor's Fury is the third book in The Codex Alera and probably the best one yet. One of the most satisfying parts of this series is watching Tavi grow from book to book. Cursor's Fury shows him at his most heroic, and most clever. Like the two previous books, Cursor's Fury also has two secondary plots involving the characters Isana and Amara, who are also impacted by the war. Amara must rescue two politically important hostages with the help of a dangerous ally. Isana must save the life of an old friend with life-threatening magic. I'm beginning to notice a trend with these three storylines. Tavi's storyline often involves him overcoming his disadvantages to prove himself a hero. Amara usually deals with situations that puts her duty to the First Lord at odds with her personal feelings. Isana must make difficult decisions to protect those dear to her. I wonder if these themes will continue through the rest of the series.
Part of what makes Cursor's Fury so enjoyable is the large cast of interesting characters. I was happy to see Kitai return, as well as Bernard. Another one of it's strengths is in it's suspenseful action sequences. Some of the most riveting scenes in Cursor's Fury are it's scenes of aerial combat, or dramatic battle sequences. I also like the fact that Cursor's Fury continues to reveal more about the past. In Academ's Fury, we learned that Isana is actually Tavi's mother. This book explores how Tavi came to be born in more detail, and even gives us a reason for why Tavi has no furies. Cursor's Fury also has satisfying romantic side plots, which I appreciated. One drawback of Cursor's Fury (and the series in general) is it's predictability, but I find it didn't mar my enjoyment of the book that much anyway.
Cursor's Fury is a great addition to The Codex Alera series. It's an incredibly fun read filled with interesting characters and great action sequences. This novel, along with Academ's Fury, proves that Jim Butcher is not only a force to be reckoned with when it comes to urban fantasy, but traditional fantasy as well. I'm looking forward to continuing the series.
Rating: four and a half stars
Length: 536 pages
Source: borrowed from Tanner
Challenges: This book is not part of any challenges
Similar Books: The Inda Books by Sherwood Smith ( see my reviews)
Other books I've read by this author: Storm Front, Fool Moon, Grave Peril, Summer Knight ( my review), Death Masks ( my review), Blood Rites ( my review), Dead Beat (my review),Proven Guilty (my review), White Night ( my review), Small Favor ( my review), Turn Coat ( my review), Changes ( my review), Furies of Calderon ( my review), and Academ's Fury ( my review). I've also read the short story "Something Borrowed" from My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding (my review), and "Day Off" from Blood Lite ( my review).
xposted to temporaryworlds , bookish , and goodreads