Cursor's Fury (Codex Alera Series #3)

by Jim Butcher

Overview

In his acclaimed Codex Alera novels, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher has created a fascinating world in which the powerful forces of nature take physical form. But even magic cannot sway the corruption that threatens to destroy the realm of Alera once and for all...
 
When the power-hungry High Lord of Kalare launches a merciless rebellion against the First Lord, young Tavi of Calderon joins a newly formed legion under an assumed name. And when the ruthless Kalare allies himself with a savage enemy of the realm, Tavi finds himself leading an inexperienced, poorly equipped legion—the only force standing between Alera and certain doom...

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780441015474
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	11/27/2007
Series:	Codex Alera Series , #3
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	704
Product dimensions:	4.25(w) x 7.50(h) x 1.42(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

A martial arts enthusiast whose résumé includes a long list of skills rendered obsolete at least two hundred years ago, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher turned to writing as a career because anything else probably would have driven him insane. He lives mostly inside his own head so that he can write down the conversation of his imaginary friends, but his head can generally be found in Independence, Missouri. Jim is the author of the Dresden Files, the Codex Alera novels, and the Cinder Spires series, which began with The Aeronaut’s Windlass.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"The author of the 'Dresden Files' modern fantasy series is equally familiar with old-style, 'classic' fantasy, demonstrating his skill in complex plotting and vivid world crafting to masterly effect." -LIBRARY JOURNAL "One of the best volumes yet in this entertaining series." -LOCUS

Editorial Reviews

Butcher deftly mixes military fantasy and political intrigue in the rollicking third Codex Alera book...Readers will cheer Tavi every step of the way.”—Publishers Weekly
 
“The author of the Dresden Files modern fantasy series is equally familiar with old-style, ‘classic’ fantasy, demonstrating his skill in complex plotting and vivid world crafting to masterly effect.”—Library Journal
 
“Plenty of military action and some interesting revelations about Tavi’s past make this one of the best volumes yet in this entertaining series.”—Locus

From the Publisher

The Barnes & Noble Review
Jim Butcher may be best known for his Dresden Files (Proven Guilty, Dead Beat, et al.) -- a series that blends dark fantasy with hard-boiled crime fiction and features a Chicago-based wizard/paranormal investigator with a distinctively sardonic view of the world -- but his epic fantasy saga the Codex Alera is quickly gaining him an entire new audience among fans of authors like David Eddings, Raymond E. Feist, and Robert Jordan.

In Cursor's Fury, the third book in the series thus far (after Furies of Calderon and Academ's Fury), civil war rocks the realm of Alera. As the ruthless High Lord of Kalare launches a brutal assault against Gaius Sextus (Alera's aging ruler), the saga's heroic main character, Tavi -- working as an undercover spy in the newly formed Aleran Legion -- witnesses the brutality of war firsthand and finds himself in command of an untrained group of misfits, the only force standing between a horde of nightmarish Canim warriors and the gates of war-torn Alera…

Fans of shelf-bending, multilayered fantasy sagas like the aforementioned Jordan's Wheel of Time and Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth sequences should definitely check out Butcher's Codex Alera, which is reminiscent in many ways of Terry Brooks's original Shannara trilogy (The Sword of Shannara, The Elfstones of Shannara, and The Wishsong of Shannara) first released in the late 1970s and early '80s -- an intricately detailed, thematically complex fantasy filled with nonstop action and adventure, powerful characterization, and some of the coolest world building to be seen in a long, long time. Paul Goat Allen

Butcher deftly mixes military fantasy and political intrigue in the rollicking third Codex Alera book (after 2005's Academ's Fury). Gaius Sextus, the First Lord of Alera, plants his nephew Tavi in a new legion, where Tavi can gather information on the rebellious High Lord of Kalare. Tavi, now a full-fledged Cursor, or spy, infiltrates the legion under the assumed identity of an officer, a station the green young man has not yet actually achieved. Treachery from a supposed ally opens the legion to attack from its bestial enemies, the Canim, incapacitating the captain and catapulting Tavi to the rank of the legion's commanding officer. Cut off from contact with the First Lord and with few seasoned officers to guide him, he must lead the troops in a defense of the Imperium against a horde of frenzied Canim warriors set on annihilating the Aleri people. Readers will cheer Tavi every step of the way. (Dec.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

The ruthless High Lord of Kalare has declared open revolt against First Lord Gaius Sextus, who allies with the rival Lord of Aquitaine to hold his realm together. While the Countess Amara, a Cursor, or protector of the realm, embarks on a perilous mission to rescue hostages from the heart of the Lord of Kalare's stronghold, young Tavi, a member of the First Lord's household, is sent away from the war-though he finds a way to bring the war to him. The third volume of Butcher's newest series (after Furies of Calderon and Academ's Fury), set in a world reminiscent of the Roman Empire but powered by elemental magic, brings to a climax one portion of his epic tale, leaving room for further volumes. The author of the "Dresden Files" modern fantasy series is equally familiar with old-style, "classic" fantasy, demonstrating his skill in complex plotting and vivid world crafting to masterly effect. A welcome addition, along with series predecessors, to most fantasy collections. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

The third book of Butcher's Codex Alera series finds the land of Alera torn apart by civil war and a foreign invasion. The cursors of Gauis Sextus forge an unlikely alliance, and Tavi, the one human in Alera without magical powers, is forced to step into the shoes of a Legionnaire captain and defend Alera from the werewolf-like Canim. Kate Reading deftly commands the dazzling story, special effects, and wide cast. Though her male characters take on a distractingly husky tone, overall her characterizations are distinct and keep the multiple story lines in order. Characters are introduced in such detail that knowledge of the previous books is not required. Codex Alera is a solid fantasy adventure, rich in imagination, battles, magic, and well-defined characters who make it all matter. F.G. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

MAY 2009 - AudioFile