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calbowen's review against another edition
5.0
This is a very good read and I like the entire concept of this book - for anyone who does not know, Jim Butcher wrote this based on someone suggesting that you cannot make a good book from a lame idea, so Mr Butcher said give me 2 - he got Roman Legion and Pokeman
The characters are based on the Roman legion and they all have very Roman-esque names to go along with it as well as their manner of dress and weaponry and fighting
The Pokeman element is that they are able to control things called "Furies" which are elemental creatures with a name and they can be used to fight, build, heal, and sense the truth, depending on their user and their element.
There is a lot of what I would consider to be "bending" like the last airbender, but this came out in 2004, which means that it was written prior to that date, and the Last Airbender came out in 2005 - so, Jim Butcher had a concept not yet released to the public, and his way is much better, in my very humble opinion.
This is very much in the vain of high fantasy in that there are several characters that we follow in their own chapters, as well as the villain, and multiple things going on at once - these factors of the book are handled well, and for a man who introduced me to Urban Fantasy, I will say, 'Job well done on this as well'.
High marks for the Codex Alera and this is a must read for anyone who enjoys High Fantasy but wants a little something different for a change of pace.
The characters are based on the Roman legion and they all have very Roman-esque names to go along with it as well as their manner of dress and weaponry and fighting
The Pokeman element is that they are able to control things called "Furies" which are elemental creatures with a name and they can be used to fight, build, heal, and sense the truth, depending on their user and their element.
There is a lot of what I would consider to be "bending" like the last airbender, but this came out in 2004, which means that it was written prior to that date, and the Last Airbender came out in 2005 - so, Jim Butcher had a concept not yet released to the public, and his way is much better, in my very humble opinion.
This is very much in the vain of high fantasy in that there are several characters that we follow in their own chapters, as well as the villain, and multiple things going on at once - these factors of the book are handled well, and for a man who introduced me to Urban Fantasy, I will say, 'Job well done on this as well'.
High marks for the Codex Alera and this is a must read for anyone who enjoys High Fantasy but wants a little something different for a change of pace.
platanomuffin's review against another edition
3.0
I have a lot of issues with this book that made me not appreciate the story telling as much as I would have. One being the way female characters are written and two the ableism was just so jarring. Overall it left a sour taste in my mouth and despite my intrigue of the world I will not be continuing with the series.
snoopydoo77's review against another edition
4.0
I read this because I'm a fan if his Dresden Files and while completely different I loved this book so far... Though there are things yet I'm very confused about and hope they will be clarified along the next books ...
cabbage_patch's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
shandyt's review against another edition
3.0
Uncomplicated and uninspired, despite its unusual premise and origin. I found it just interesting enough to continue on with the series, in the hopes that things get better over time.
Among the things I disliked:
-Repetition of words, occasionally 3+ times within one or two sentences.
-Lots of characters talking about how afraid they are, or opening their mouths to scream.
-Strange word choices, redundant descriptors, and extraneous phrases, like, "a sort of [thing]" and "she felt the sensation of her arm being wrenched back", when "a [thing]" or "her arm was wrenched back" would suffice.
-Several characters spend a significant portion of the book struggling with either fevers or foot injuries, to the point of ridiculousness. I suspect this may have been to make Tavi's furylessness seem like less of a handicap by comparison.
-Amara and Bernard.
Because so little about the premise or the story stands out, the flaws in the prose drag it down from "pretty good" to "tolerable." I give it 2.5 stars, rounded up because I'm feeling generous.
Among the things I disliked:
-Repetition of words, occasionally 3+ times within one or two sentences.
-Lots of characters talking about how afraid they are, or opening their mouths to scream.
-Strange word choices, redundant descriptors, and extraneous phrases, like, "a sort of [thing]" and "she felt the sensation of her arm being wrenched back", when "a [thing]" or "her arm was wrenched back" would suffice.
-Several characters spend a significant portion of the book struggling with either fevers or foot injuries, to the point of ridiculousness. I suspect this may have been to make Tavi's furylessness seem like less of a handicap by comparison.
-Amara and Bernard
Spoiler
fall for each other far too quickly, especially considering Bernard's previous marriage, and at the time of their first kiss, they'd been at each other's throats only hours before.Because so little about the premise or the story stands out, the flaws in the prose drag it down from "pretty good" to "tolerable." I give it 2.5 stars, rounded up because I'm feeling generous.
pipernme's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
tai16's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
yodamom's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars.
I love Jim Butchers writing. I especially love them on audio. This Audiobook was fantastic, never a dull moment and read so perfectly. I lost track of time and got so involved in the story I dreamed about it while I slept. It is a full rich book that gave me hours of great story telling.
I loved the characters and cried and cheered along with them in their battle to save their way of life. There are great battles, betrayals, giant beasts, other worldly beings, magical abilities and love. There was a whole world written in these pages waiting to be discovered and I'm glad I finally found it.
I'm continuing the series.
I love Jim Butchers writing. I especially love them on audio. This Audiobook was fantastic, never a dull moment and read so perfectly. I lost track of time and got so involved in the story I dreamed about it while I slept. It is a full rich book that gave me hours of great story telling.
I loved the characters and cried and cheered along with them in their battle to save their way of life. There are great battles, betrayals, giant beasts, other worldly beings, magical abilities and love. There was a whole world written in these pages waiting to be discovered and I'm glad I finally found it.
I'm continuing the series.