Summary: The power-hungry High Lord of Kalare has launched a rebellion against the aging First Lord, Gaius Sextus, who with the loyal forces of Alera must fight beside the unlikeliest of allies-the equally contentious High Lord of Aquitaine.
Meanwhile, young Tavi of Calderon joins a newly formed legion under an assumed name even as the ruthless Kalare unites with the Canim, bestial enemies of the realm whose vast numbers spell certain doom for Alera. When treachery from within destroys the army’s command structure, Tavi finds himself leading an inexperienced, poorly equipped legion-the only force standing between the Canim horde and the war-torn realm.
My Thoughts: While I really enjoyed this book, I didn’t like it quite so much as I had the first two in the series. I’m not quite sure why, but perhaps because it wasn’t quite as surprising. It seemed somewhat formulaic as part of this series. Good guys face incredible odds. Somehow, these HUGE underdogs once again emerge victorious. And, oh, yes, there’s something even bigger as a common thread throughout the whole series thus far. And the big bombs dropped? Yeah. Saw those coming a mile away. Still, I love this series and enjoyed this book. I can’t wait to read Captain’s Fury, Book 4 of the Codex Alera series.
Source: My local library.
Read It: Get your own copy HERE.
Challenges: Counts for the 2012 Support Your Local Library Challenge and the Speculative Fiction Challenge 2012.
FTC Disclosure: All items reviewed were either obtained by me for my own enjoyment or sent (from the author, publisher, publicist, via tour sites, etc.) in exchange for an honest review. I receive no monetary compensation for my posts. All opinions expressed are my own.
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As usual with Jim Butcher, this is a compulsive page turner, but it seems the author lost interest in this exciting and original series in the final two books. He certainly stopped committing himself to the themes and arc he’d so beautifully developed in the first four. Maybe he got weighted down by too many characters, plot lines and too many enemies. The vord are way bad but when they appeared in the series and then took center stage as the big bad, the emphasis shifted from being an adventurous and exciting story of a boy who is true to himself as he learns to realize his potential in a politically and socially dangerous world to being a 6 book long monster battle movie.
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Hmm…I’m sorry to hear that. I’ll be reading book 4 soon, and will approach the last two with lower expectations. My sister loved – and highly recommended – the series. So, hopefully, I’ll love the rest as much as she did!