Princeps' Fury

For me, the biggest thing when grading how well a novel is written is determined by one thing. How much sleep do I lose because I can't put the book down. Although this book was shorter than the previous installments of Codex Alera, I still found myself satisfied at the ending and wanting more. Now my only real issue with the book was the Bernard and Amara storylines. I guess I just want to read more about Tavi and what he will do next. Isana probably stood out as the stronger of the characters, and Doroga's wit once again made me laugh. I felt thoroughly satisfied with the money I spent on this novel and will try to get as many of my friends into the series as I can. I am not a literary buff or anything like that. I just want to be entertained and if a writer can draw me into the world that they create hook line and sinker, I will rate them well everytime.

I've read that this is a 6 book series, which makes me very sad. This latest addition is yet again a real page turner. I ended up finishing the book in a couple of days, because I was unable to put the book down. Excellent character development, believable plot, each problem just a bit too hard for each person (according to their abilities). It makes me anxiously await the next book in the series.. and hope that Jim will continue to add books to this world.

I must admit that when I read the synopsis of this book, I was a little under-thrilled. I'm glad to say that what I thought was going to be a drawn out chapter before the ending turned out to be extremely riveting and fast paced. I wrongly surmised that the novel would be only about Tavi's development, but while yes, it's about that, it's also about developments in Alera leading up to Book 6. This book really sets us up for a good old fashioned spectacular ending. Previous Alera novels have seemed to me to lack character dimensions. While only Tavi had been in my opinion well explored, the characters of Isana and Amara were thoroughly put through the ringer in this installment and so many of their inner workings and mindsets seemed to come alive in this book. The plot surrounding the death of Septimus starts to make sense, as does the political wranglings and power struggles of the realm. Lords of whom we haven't seen much so far are brought into play. I feel that many of the previous books plots and devices are explained in this book. This book is a page turner, and is very hard to put down. Absolutely a great read.

Much like the predecessors of this novel, Jim Butcher continues to evolve his writing style, and we are all rewarded as he continues to deliver remarkable results. This book is undoubtedly the most entertaining and thrilling novel in the Codex Alera series thus far. I was quite literally on the edge of my seat for the vast majority of the book, and I can't even remember the last time that I found myself craving more of a novel before even finishing it. Not to give away any spoilers, but the ending of this novel most definitely leaves the reader eager for more from the world of Codex Alera. If you're a fan of Jim Butcher, or even one of fantasy/fiction in general, I would highly recommend this book.