Cursor's Fury (Codex Alera, Book 3) by Jim Butcher
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Book Reviews of Cursor's Fury (Codex Alera, Book 3)
Book Review: breathtaking
Summary: 5 Stars
Oh, geez. There is no way I can do this book justice. I tend to babble when I love a book, and waffle between fangirly squeeing and a dry synopsis. I've been a fan of Jim Butcher's writing for 8 years--hard to believe it hasn't been longer than that. The books have always been good, but each book is just a little bit better than the one before, making Cursor's Fury his best when it came out. Captain's Fury (Codex Alera, Book 4) is even better.
Cursor's Fury is the third book in the Codex Alera. FYI: the Codex Alera is not a trilogy. It was never intended as a trilogy. But neither is it an open-ended series. It's a 6-book series.
Anyway. The series is mostly about Tavi. If you've read the other books (and you really need to read this series in order, because each book builds on the previous ones--though enough details are given so a newcomer wouldn't be completely lost), you know that Alera is a world of magic, where people use elemental furies (air, earth, water, fire, metal, & wood) the way we use technology. And Tavi can't use furies. At all.
In Cursor's Fury, Tavi is now a cursor (secret agent for the Crown)--hence the title--and as such, he's sent to the newly-formed First Aleran legion as a junior officer (think butterbar). It's composed of soldiers and officers from every part of Alera, and they're sent off to the far reaches of the realm where, presumably, they'll all just spy on each other and keep out of trouble. Instead, they find themselves facing an invasion of Canim (huge dog-like creatures), and nearly the entire command structure of the First Aleran is killed, leaving young, fury-less Tavi in charge of once again saving the realm.
Meanwhile, High Lord Kalare is attempting a coup, and fellow cursor Amara has to team up with the scheming Lady Aquitaine to rescue the hostages he's taken; and Isana is busy fighting for both her life and that of the slave Fade, as she tries to heal him of a poisoned wound he received in Kalare's attack on the city of Ceres.
The characters are very complex--none is entirely good or entirely evil, and their personalities are backed up by their histories. Cursor's Fury gives us not only the external plot, but also developments in the character's emotional lives, and their emotions are clear and affecting without being manipulative or sappy.
One of the things I like best about this series (and it applies to the Dresden Files as well) is how deceptively simple it is. I've been reading a bit more fantasy again lately, and the contrast is marked. For me, reading an average fantasy book is like wading through thick mud. Reading the Codex Alera is like running on a track. It reads smooth and clean. There's plenty of atmosphere, and the worldbuilding is first rate, but it's not hidden in a dense tangle of oddly-spelled words and long passages of dull description. Conversely, the plot of the average fantasy book is really rather straightforward once you get to it, while Cursor's Fury's plot is just full of twists and turns and tiny details that turn out to be major clues to future events. The closer you pay attention, the more complex the book gets.
I loved the military setting, particularly Tavi's assuming command. You could see hints of his future in the way he dealt with it.
Amara's thread of the story was mostly exciting action, but there was also a bittersweet emotional content to it as well that put a lump in my throat.
Isana's thread was the most emotional, and through it we learned a lot of the history we'd previously surmised. That one had me in tears more than once.
A note about the cover. It's been the wallpaper on my monitor for months now. It's not perfect, but the scene it depicts is one of my favorites in the book. It's an exciting life-or-death moment, and an emotional one for two different reasons. It makes me smile every time I see it.
Book Review: Attempting to reconcile differing viewpoints
Summary: 5 Stars
Unlike my previous reviews of this series where I spent all of my time explaining why I liked the book, this time I'm going to address a serious split between the story reviewers.
Some people liked the story, some were indifferent, and some hated it. I've just finished reading the story and I can see justice in all viewpoints. In Cursor's Fury, Jim Butcher attempted to tell a very different story than in the first two books of the series and I think that is what is causing the split reaction among the reviewers.
The first two Alera stories were absolutely focused on the individual characters and their exploits. Much of this story still does that but Tavi winds up in charge of a novice legion facing a very difficult situation and I think a lot of readers got turned off by the military scenes.
Another problem is that Butcher is attempting to tell a very large story here and while this book stretches to nearly 600 pages, it feels like the author is overcoming challenges as great as those he places in front of his characters. This leaves very little space for character development but I personally feel that he does quite a good job of advancing the characters in spite of this handicap.
Finally, Butcher makes it clear that one of the basic tenants of the series, how Tavi overcomes his handicap to be an effective character, is going to come to an end at some point in the future. I'm sure this alienated a lot of readers who were just hoping for more of the same, book after book. I strongly disagree with readers who feel this way. My absolute favorite character in Miles Vorkosigan, partly because every story is essentially written to a different genre.
If Mr. Butcher can keep the story flowing nicely while slowly changing the background elements of the universe, more power to him. I know this will sound silly to a bunch of fantasy freaks but I need to point out that the real world changes over time. Fantasy characters and stories should be allowed to do the same. Terry Pratchett has continually evolved Discworld, why can't other authors do the same?
As you can guess from the 5-star review, I really liked the book. One reviewer complained that he could guess how each cliffhanger would turn out and that was a real downer for him. That guy is obviously a lot smarter than I am because I was kept guessing most of the time. I suspect that the reviewer meant that he knew that Tavi would work his way out and that caused him to lose most of his suspension of disbelief.
If so, I can forgive him because he likely stumbled into a genre in reading this book where he either didn't know enough about the genre to care (I read a lot of military-oriented items and found Buther's descriptions of military life very interesting) or he found the book to be too much like his preferred genre and he noticed that Mr. Butcher got some minute details wrong.
I guess my entire review boils down to the following statement:
If you want to watch Tavi grow and change over time and are willing to follow his adventures as it happens then buy this book. Otherwise look elsewhere.
I was interested in Tavi's mistakes in the first part of the book. He thinks quickly but sometimes doesn't notice everything in the first glance and makes silly, even painful, errors. I really liked this as I felt that Jim Butcher had made the characters too super-human in previous books.
My attitude can be summed up by, "I'll keep buying Tavi stories as long as you'll keep writing them." I'm very curious as to where the next book will take the main characters.
Book Review: A fast paced read that leaves you panting and eagerly wanting more.
Summary: 5 Stars
Holy freakin' wow. My love affair with Jim Butcher's The Codex Alera series continues with Cursor's Fury. This story picks up two years after the second book in the series, Academ's Fury, where life in Alera has settled somewhat back into the normal routines of political intrigue and espionage. Tavi is continuing to not only survive but thrive in a world where most people consider him to be a freak because he has no furies of his own to control.
However, its this lack of furies that makes Tavi into the man that he is. He has had to learn to use other methods in order to deal with the dangers that surround him. To rely on his wits to get him through tense and difficult situations when those around him might simply fly away.
In the third installment Tavi is sent to a remote region of the country by the First Lord. Gaius Sextus knows that trouble, in the form of High Lord Kalare, is brewing and wants to get Tavi out of the way. Instead he ends up sending Tavi deep into the heart of the lions den. For at the same time that High Lord Kalare is making his play for the thrown, a host of ferocious Canim warriors have begun to invade and their path will take them straight through the legion camp where Tavi is stationed. The odds seem impossible - sixty thousand Canim against one legion of rag tag warriors made up of all the counties in the realm.
Butcher has a talent for taking the tension that exists on the battle field and bringing it to life on the page. The idea that one false step could mean the death of thousands. Butcher also has a diabolical sense of creating suspense. Knowing just the right moment to cut away from the action to look in on one of his other principal characters. Forcing the reader to want to turn the pages faster to get back there where he left off.....needing to know what happens next with Tavi, or Isana, or Amara and Bernard.
Part of what I loved so much about this story is that Butcher continues to develop Tavi's character. In Cursor's Fury, he is far from the boy that he was in Furies of Calderon and this is shown through his thought process. His thoughts are well detailed and thought out. He considers all the angles and often manages to find the path that is so crazy and unimaginable that it just has to work. And while doing so he manages to create a loyal following and create unity in a place that none thought possible.
[...]
Book Review: Great fantasy adventure!
Summary: 5 Stars
Single sentence summary: Tavi has been sent to spy on a newly formed legion for the First Lord but while there, the first city comes under attack and Tavi can't do anything about it as his duty lies with the legion.
I enjoyed this book a great deal. While it may be filled with fantasy cliches, it is still a fabulous read. Butcher writes wonderful characters and great adventures. Tavi is a page for the First Lord and has just finished his studies to become a Cursor - which is a spy. He isn't perfect and manages to survive based on his wits and not some last minute amazing power (the last minute "solves all problems" powers drive me nuts). He is a boy growing into something more and it makes this series highly enjoyable as you get to watch the character grow.
As a Cursor for the First Lord, there must be some political intrigue and it is done smoothly in this book without being so extensive that it slows the book down or becomes boring. I like the blend of battles, intrigue, adventure and character development.
One of my complaints is that the situation Tavi is placed in for this book, is a little unbelievable. He is put into the legion as a officer when he has never served in a legion before and from my understanding of this book, most officers have had to work their way through the ranks. Tavi is a nobody and than suddenly he is a an officer and one that is poorly trained in the ways of legion fighting. The situation isn't ideal but I adjusted to it and there was a lot of great moments that happened in the book because of Tavi being with the legion.
Tavi isn't the only character of focus in this book, although he is the main character throughout the entire series. Bernard and Amara from the previous books also have parts to play. Isana is there too and with the developing intrigue within the first city, things get interesting.
I really enjoyed this book and the adventure and characters within it. I am looking forward to reading the next in the series. Cursor's Fury gets 4.5 Stars.
Book Review: Complex worldbuilding and a wonderful character in Tavi
Summary: 5 Stars
Civil war is far from unknown in the post-Roman magical land of Alera, but with an aging First Lord and no heir in the picture, the high nobles are even more restive than usual. Even more unusual, though would be an alliance with the Varg. These non-human aliens have engaged in low-level warfare with the Alerans for centuries. When fhe First Lord tricks the High Lord of Kalare into launching his attack prematurely, Kalare's combination of hostages and an alliance with the Varg, threatens just might destroy the empire.
Still incapable of magic, Tavi has been sent to a new legion for training. But when Varg ritualists call down magics to destroy the legion's entire officer corps, Tavi must find a way to stem an invasion beyond anything Alera has known--with only the inexperienced troops on hand.
Author Jim Butcher continues his CODEX ALERA with a compelling story that follows two major plot lines. In one, Tavi continues to grow, learning to lead men, develop strategies, and develop an understanding of the powerful nobles who threaten the empire's stability, of Alera's enemies, and of the ordinary legionaires who form the basis of the empire's power. In the second, Tavi's "aunt" Amara, united with Lady Aquitaine only through their shared need to prevent Kalare from gaining the First Lordship, attempts to rescue Kalare's hostages--doing so would allow the First Lord to free up additional legions to confront Kalare, but Kalare guards these hostages with some of his most deadly troops.
Although Butcher is best known for his excellent DRESDEN FILES series, the CODEX ALERA series is a wonderful extension of his talent, with an intriguing alternate world diverging from our own when ancient Romans learned to control and personify the elements of air/earth/fire/water into elemental furies. Tavi, with his unique lack of any magical ability, makes a sympathetic character--as he grows to the point where he might make a claim to be First Lord himself.