Book Review: Codex Alera by Jim Butcher

Book Review: Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher
Book Review: Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher

After reading all the books of the magnificent “Dresden Files” series, I decided to read Jim Butcher again with thee “Codex Alera” collection. Butcher is well on his way to becoming my favorite fantasy writer of all time. The pace never slows, he doesn’t waste much time in philosophizing, and he comes up with some of the most interesting characters I’ve ever read. True, the Codex doesn’t have the same depth and breadth of personalities that the Dresden Files had. But it’s still a hell of a lot better than many others. I thought the first book “Furies of Calderon” was a bit “off”, but Butcher really hits his stride in the follow ups. He’s one of the only guys I’ve ever read whose series don’t become slower and progressively boring.

There are many unique aspects of the Codex Alera. To start with, the main hero – Tavi – is the only guy in the realm without super powers. Kind of like Batman in the midst of the Justice League. And if you’re wondering whether or not he kicks ass, ask yourself this: Does Batman kick ass?

Second…Rome! In the Codex Alera series, Rome never fell. The citizens began to pick up forces of nature called “furies” allowing them to survive against many hostile neighbors, but the bedrock of the empire is the legion. Butcher’s descriptions of the famous tactics and discipline of the Roman Legion are nothing less than spectacular. From the way they fight behind the shield wall, to the camp layouts, and their command structures. If the general idea is accurate, it’s hardly surprising that Rome dominated their opposition. The battle tactics must have been revolutionary during that time.

And there’s something just so awesomely cool about Roman names like Gaius Sextus. And Octavian. Brrr…

The enemies of Alera are no less interesting. Especially the Canim – huge, 9 feet tall wolf like creatures in a war like society. One of the hallmarks of Butcher’s writing is his exploration of the antagonists, turning them into more than just the “bad guys”. They have their own motivations and personalities. It brings a lot of depth to his writing, giving us an added dimension to the story. I’ve learned to expect that kind of thing from him now.

Keep in mind however, that tone of the books is completely different from the Dresden Files. There’s a little bit of the humor,and not much of the snarkiness and self condescension we got from Harry Dresden. But then…that was Harry Dresden. What did you expect? :P.

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5 thoughts on “Book Review: Codex Alera by Jim Butcher”

  1. Slightly off topic:
    Have you read any cosmic horror or weird fiction… Like the Call of Cthulhu by H.P. Lovecraft, an occurrence at owl creek bridge by Ambrose Bierce, the king in yellow by Robert Chambers… i got turned onto them after i looked up some references in stephen king books and i’ve become obsessed with these books ever since… you should definitely check them out if you haven’t already…

    Reply

    • In reply to csn

      I’ve read the Call of Cthulhu, and I didn’t find it very gripping. The disappointment was in the final reveal. Maybe I’ve reached a level where true horror can’t be something tangible. Creating a monster with tentacles etc struck me as more comic than scary.

      But I haven’t read the other books you’ve mentioned. Are they similar to Lovecraft?

      Reply

      • In reply to bhagwad

        i agree that the ending of cthulhu was disappointing… i think these books are more effective when you binge read them…they aren’t as atmospheric(though they probably were revolutionary for their time) as the mist or the shining and they won’t be able to produce the kind of immediate fear for our lives kind of fear, especially to people who’ve been exposed to three decades of cheap shock inducing sound effects from hollywood(like me). but when you read a lot of these books, you might intuitively pick up on some kind of eerie imperceptible vibe which keeps rattling around in your head so that when you pick up a new book or revisit an old one, you experience a more gradual lingering sense of unease, some kind of a passive expression of the age old fear of the unknown…
        the other books have some similarities with lovecraft… but i think that the king in yellow short stories had a better concept, even though i think cthulhu is better written from a literary point of view…
        also you should know that I was under the influence of some serious psychedelics when i read those, so it is entirely possible that that might have contributed to my reading experience… even lovecraft’s relatively tame 1926 horror sensibilities can be frightening if you are actually able to visualize them in excruciating detail…(if you’re skeptical about the last sentence then do check hunter s. thompson’s fear and loathing in las vegas or the movie with johnny depp)

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      • In reply to csn

        I guess another problem I have with Lovecraft is that I’m unable to get past a lot of his racism, and religious hangups. A lot of his “scare” factor depends on finding “black people” or asians evil and who do “blasphemous things”.

        I bit too victorian for my tastes perhaps.

        Reply

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